Foley, AL

Graham Creek - Prairie

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3.095(based on 16 reviews)
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Graham Creek - Prairie reviews

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6 0
Fricks
Experience: 2 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Beginner course drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2022 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- excellent course for beginners
- unlikely to lose discs
- intuitive directions
- some interesting and creative holes
- we'll groomed/ maintained

Cons:

- low variety of holes (1 par 4, 17 par 3s)
- outdated baskets
- unmarked water hazards
- faded and sometimes missing distance markers/ no maps

Other Thoughts:

This is a really fun course for beginners or for a laid back experience for intermediate/ advanced players. Plenty of opportunities to snag your first ace! You are unlikely to lose a disc here, even with the water hazards as they're only a few feet deep. I've read it can get bad after a rain, but every time we played it was dry. If you're in the area it's a nice laid back course to play while on vacation!
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2 0
puaahunter
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 45 played 36 reviews
3.00 star(s)

City Park-the-Drive 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 3, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course designers did a good job fitting this course in around the nice large park. The baskets are of good quality. This is an excellent course for beginners. A previous reviewer said the course was boring, which I thought was a little harsh, but I get what they were saying. If you\'re an intermediate or advanced player, call it a Par 2 and really challenge yourself with drive placement and long putts. Trapezoidal concrete tee pads were more than adequate for the hole length. The hole number and distance are clearly marked on each pad. There are both red and white tees- more on that in the next section. The swinging basket and the tire basket were interesting tweaks to make the holes unique.

Cons:

The shorter tee pads were consistently placed about 100ish feet in front of the "long-position" tee pads. This doesn\'t change the shot at all, it just makes it shorter. In my opinion, that\'s a missed opportunity. Perhaps that speaks to the basic/beginner design of the course in general. I do think this was a missed opportunity. The course could benefit from teepad signage that shows a hole overview. Some of the baskets were difficult to see in the shade- even with the orange basket flags. While most of the course has an intuitive layout, the walk between hole 6 and tee 7 was both long and confusing. Some "next tee" basket hangars would go a long way.

Other Thoughts:

It was difficult to find hole 1. We went to the second park entrance, saw some baskets, and since we couldn\'t find hole 1, we just started playing at hole 9. I know it\'s not the course designer\'s fault, but the google place location is in the wrong spot. I\'m guessing that the course used to start at what is now tee pad 7. We couldn\'t find the basket for hole 18... is it supposed to be in the middle of the field?I haven\'t played the Preserve Course yet, but it sounds like that\'s a good challenging compliment to this relatively easy and beginner-friendly course.
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3 1
MikeK
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.8 years 330 played 128 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Wake me when it’s over 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 26, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

+Mach 3 baskets in great condition and topped with flags
+two sets of concrete pads, in great condition and flush to the ground
+pretty easy to navigate
+noob paradise...forgiving open fairways, short distance holes, not much rough

Cons:

-anyone other than noobs is unlikely to be enthralled with this course, as it is not that challenging
-lacks anything resembling a signature hole
-boring

Other Thoughts:

This is an excellent place to take beginners to learn the sport. Can't really lose a disc here, and errant throws won't be punished harshly. For those who have played more than ten rounds in their life though, this course will do little more than act as a sleeping pill. I think I caught narcolepsy from playing this course, in fact I'm having difficulty staying awake enough to finish this review just thinking about how boring this course is. I fear I'll be asleep for 20 years like Rip Van Winkle if I dare write anything else about this snoozer of a course.
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3 0
Sardamemnon
Experience: 9 years 20 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice beginner course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 2, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

-excellent course for beginners
-each hole requires a good drive and a putt
-clean
-trash cans available and frequent
-located on a nice property
-good for kids and families
-located near more advanced courses

Cons:

-not for advanced players

Other Thoughts:

Brings kids and newbies here, play the other two courses if you want a challenge! This is a good course just not if you want to be tested.
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6 0
Mr. Butlertron
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.1 years 659 played 131 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Extra Medium Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- free to play, plenty of parking
- dual concrete tees
- informative tees that list distances and are numbered
- quality Mach V baskets
- some variety of lines and distances
- landscaped, although I don't know how often
- located next to another course, read other thoughts below
- shaded rest areas at the beginning of the course
- beginner friendly
- other park amenities on location

Cons:

- long and short tees too similar
- course doesn't handle watershed well, soggy on parts
- flat land
- some repetitive shots
- fairways not very punitive
- boarders multi use area
- some fairway overlap midway through course

Other Thoughts:

I happened to see a pair of players at the beginning of the course and caught up to them half way through the course. I joined their group and they were my spirit guides through the rest of the course. Holes 3 and 4 of the course were probably my favorites. These two were lightly wooded and the fairways were more punitive than the rest of the course. I especially liked that trees in this section were used to create shot shaping routes to the basket. The middle of the course was a little more open and bland, mostly shorter with lowish hyzer lines. Towards the end the fairways transitioned into completely open field, which was a nice change of pace, before ending on a slightly technical note.

My biggest con for this course, besides being a bit plain in the middle, was that the backside had some standing water in and around the fairways. It wasn't major, however, my feet were soaked before I reached hole 10. Multiple pins would have been nice too. After finishing hole 11, the locals pointed out a dirt road that led to another course. An unlisted course I might add. They told me that the course is tougher, more competitive that Graham Creek. Apparently, Emac had a hand in creating the course and it features par 4s and 5s. I guess it's still a little rough around the edges. They mentioned that it is muddier and difficult to play after a rain. One of the guys also pointed out that he wouldn't even drive back there with his F150 when the weather is wet. Walking there mid way through Graham Creek seems to a popular choice. I will likely seek out more information about this other course and add it if someone doesn't beat me to it.

All in all, I can't complain too much about this course. Graham Creek is appealing to both casual and challenging enough to entertain competitive players. I would come back here to throw this course again if I were in the area. For information regarding leagues play and tournaments, feel free to check out Graham Creek Disc Golf on the facebooks.
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3 1
pineyjustice
Experience: 11 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Graham creek 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 3, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

I rather liked this park, aside from being very clean, which should be the case everywhere it was also fairly well manicured.

Hole design was nowhere near as bad as it seems to have been for previous reviewers, there was decent variety.

Baskets were very nice and new, they do have the metal number plates which did end up damaging one of our discs.

Cons:

Biggest con is that there are a few areas that seem to get very muddy, either bring boots or avoid coming to the park for a few days after a good rainstorm.

The big open field that borders the course allows some pretty good wind gusts, had a fairly decent head/tail wind for a number of holes. This could be looked upon as a positive or negative

Other Thoughts:

The park also has some other interesting amenities, of particular note it had an archery range, not something I have seen elsewhere.

Would definitely play again if I am nearby.
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4 0
Justin L
Experience: 21.2 years 50 played 15 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Beautiful park with services
- Well manicured grounds
- Good use of available land
- Two concrete pads per hole with decent shot variety
- Score cards were very well made and made locating holes a non-issue.
- Easy to find, ample parking
- Big potential for expansion/safari golf

Cons:

- Some repetitive shots (RHBH)
- Minimal risk / reward shots. Even with an errant shot there are only a few holes that have real "trouble" areas.
- A few tee-pads were cracked/broken (from over zealous mowers, I'd guess)
- No tee-signs, however from the pictures it looks like there were at one point so possibly they were taken down to be replaced. Either way the score cards available at hole 1 were very nice and sufficient for navigation.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this is an above average course. While there is some repetition in shots it's partially an artifact of how the course needs to work in a clockwise manner around the large open areas.

Judging by the score cards and care given to this park it's obvious the city has a good relationship with the local disc golf community. I expect this course to mature well over time and will definitely play it again when I'm in the area.

I'm guessing most people reading this review will be vacationing in the area and trying to decide if it's worth dedicating a morning to riding up and playing a round of golf here. I can answer that with an emphatic yes. Definitely worth a drive up from Gulf Shores or Orange Beach!
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3 1
nightwing
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 273 played 56 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I'll have the Birdie Surprise 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 16, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Interesting lines to the basket, often several lines.
Enough trees to make you work and think.
A few hard to stick to/sloping greens.
LOTS of 'Earn your Birdie' holes
All-around pleasant place to be.
2 sets of concrete pads per hole.
Good parking near several holes
Quick rounds possible

Cons:

Pretty easy to par every hole
Flat terrain, even with some sloping greens.
Apparently there are long grass and signage problems.

Other Thoughts:

I was WAY lucky to pull up just as a small league group was leaving. The guys showed me around, which means I can't complain about signage. Also, the shaggy grass was about 4", so not enough to lose a disc in as others have at other times.

This course could seem too easy, as a solid pro team I was with shot 18 down in best disc doubles. And I should not be able to shoot 10 down in singles, even with my A+ game. But it's fun to bang home 20-40 footers for birdie and this course will present you with a lot of em.

But what really won me over was the amazing number of routes to the basket. On about 12 of the holes, I could have played 4 rounds and never thrown the same shot twice....that is very unusual.

Big arm duffers may get tired of hitting trees here, but this course is quite fair. Hit any of several gaps and you should get your birdie chances. Ka-CHING!
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4 0
hammerhead611
Experience: 10 years 13 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great course...will be back 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Nice, quiet park setting
*Nice mixture of wooded throwing lanes (though not overly wooded) and open field throws
*Concrete tee boxes with hole # and distance stenciled on the corner
*Ample parking area with restrooms and covered pavilion with picnic tables
*Plenty of shaded areas through out the course to get out of the sun

Cons:

*No welcome sign or course map on site
*No direction to next tee box
*No benches or bag holders along the course (no big deal to me, but some people like to have somewhere to take a break)
*If you throw green or transparent discs, you may want to invest in some bright colored discs. With the tall grass, it won't be very hard to lose a disc that blends into the surroundings.

Other Thoughts:

After entering the park and parking, I got to looking around for the 1st tee box. I found #2 basket, then backtracked and found my way to #1 tee box.

I'll try to describe the way around the course for those who have never played it...
Once you enter the park, park along the pavilion area. There are restrooms located here.

#1 tee box is located next to the entrance gate to the park. Hole plays among a stand of pine trees back toward the parking area.

#2 tee box is located to the left of #1 basket and plays back toward the parking area.

#3 tee box is located across from the parking area close to the playground entrance. It plays through a stand of pine trees.

#4 tee box is to the left of #3 basket and plays into a heavily wooded "island" encircled by a gravel drive. Watch for vehicle traffic

#5 tee box is to the right of #4 basket

#6 tee box is to the right of #5 basket and plays along the woodline

#7 tee box is to the right of #6 basket and plays along the woodline. There is a bench along the woodline in the shade to take a break (only place to really take a seat along the course)

#8 tee box is to the right of #7 basket and plays along the woodline, with the basket between 2 clumps of trees.

#9 tee box is located along the woodline to the right. This hole plays along the woodline with a slight dogleg to the left.

#10 tee box is straight ahead from #9 basket and plays along the woodline

#11 tee box is to the right of #10 basket. The hole plays in an "alleyway" of trees, with the basket tucked in behind 3 trees

#12 tee box is straight ahead of #11 basket and plays away from the woodline, into a row of large oak trees.

#13 tee box is straight ahead of #12 basket, close to the entrance gate at the road. This is the longest hole on the course, and plays toward the wildlife rescue center (privacy fenced area)

#14 tee box is straight ahead of #13 basket and plays along the vehicle path just past and to the right of the tire "obstacle course".

#15 tee box is straight ahead of #14 basket and plays back toward #9 long tee box. Basket is hanging from a large oak tree.

#16 tee box is to the left of #15 basket and plays out into the open field, back toward the main park area.

#17 tee box is to the right of #16 basket and plays toward the road. Basket is located on the left side of the road between 2 oak trees.

#18 tee box is to the left of #17 basket and plays back toward the main park area into the trees.

As I was loading up, the park manager asked me if I enjoyed the course and said that they have an ACE race tourney next weekend. I told her that I enjoyed it and made a suggestion that they put up tee markers or direction arrows to next tee box. She said that they had plans to do so, and that they were trying to get everything to blend into the park setting. I took it as meaning they didn't want metal T-posts with metal signage, just something that would be more in tune with the nature preserve setting. She said that when they are cutting the grass, it was hard for them to see the tee boxes from the tractor until they were right up on them. She also said that they had plans to build a small building with vending machines (and I assume restrooms near the wildlife rescue center) int he future.

Overall, I really enjoyed this course. Can't wait to come back and play it again, hopefully when it's a little cooler outside.
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1 0
Thor Skog
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice pads, pretty level ground with scattered trees.

Cons:

Grass was a bit long (probably 18-24" tall), so sometimes a bit difficult to locate discs. Also, hard to find some of the tee pads, as most were unmarked (with 4 of us spread out and searching we never did find the 17th); perhaps some sort of markers or directional indicators would be helpful...

Other Thoughts:

Only the 2nd time and course to play dg, so all comments are by a neophyte!
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1 4
KNIGHT
Experience: 11.7 years 23 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Preserve Paradise 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great new tee pads on every hole, pro and am tee on all holes, long enough tees on distance shot for run ups. I had heard that the grass could be a burden when playing to find your disc but it had been freshly cut when I was there.

Cons:

Lack of tee and directional signage really could slow down a round of first timers at this course. Only a few spots to catch a break and take a seat, not a huge con for myself but putting it out there for those who like to smell the flowers.

Other Thoughts:

My dad and myself were there starting our round at the sam time as an awesome guy named Beau* who was really helpful about how they are working on the course and their plans to put up signage. It was nice to hear that they have the support to keep and upgrade the course as they go.
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3 0
The Drake
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.8 years 126 played 60 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Lots of Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course was actually a pleasant surprise for me. Being near the beach I was not expecting much but there were definitely some nice holes. The course is set about 20 minutes from the coast and actually doesn't remind you too much of being at the beach.

There are two sets of concrete tees on each hole, both short and long to mix up the round.

The park is not particularly busy so you don't need to worry too much about non-golfer traffic.

There are multiple routes on each hole to reach the basket on both the wooded and open holes and you will use just about every disc in your bag. There is a lot of variability which makes for a more interesting round

Cons:

There are no tee signs on the course and no markers to direct you to the next pad which can make it difficult at times transitioning between holes

While the course uses a decent amount of the land there are complete areas that are bare. A few adjustments could be made to really open up the course

Other Thoughts:

As with most courses near the coast be prepared for windy rounds. When I played it was especially windy making a few of the holes much more difficult than they should have been.

Definitely worth the trip to play. Hopefully they're able to make some gradual improvements including tee signs.
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3 0
bpartrid
Experience: 12.6 years 81 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

It's Getting There 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 16, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course is set on a fantastic preserve that looks to be well kept and improving daily. Even though it is incomplete this course has the makings of a well planned layout for the setting. I am rating this course as though it were finished because it is easy to see it in its complete form. Each hole has two concrete pads and one basket location. The course was fairly easy to navigate without much signage and will br very easy when it is installed. The course is fairly easy with many ace opportunities and is set up for beginners and intermediate players. The Terrain is lightly wooded to open fairways. Most holes hover around short distances but the course has some longer holes and one bomber hole, so you will need all your discs. PLUS, one the holes has a hanging basket! Of the few tees that have distances and hole layouts, it is evident they will be top notch and helpful when all are finished. Overall, this course will soon be a lot of fun with some solid holes.

Cons:

I put these only cuz I know they will be resolved. The biggest thing currently is signage overall. All tee signs need completing, tee number and basket numbers need to match, and guidance signs pointing to first tee and all next tees.

Others: will be very hot in summer, wind could play a big factor, and the course can get a bit water logged

Other Thoughts:

Besides Blue Angel Park, this course will be the best one in the area without a doubt. I also played the orange beach course and it pales in comparison to Graham Creek.
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3 1
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.4 years 115 played 79 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Unexpected 18 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Facilities on site
-concrete tees, pro and am
-no longer just 9 holes - my first time out was today and there were 18 holes - not sure when the expansion started but it must have been recently because some tees aren't complete yet.

Cons:

The first 1-5 holes can be iffy depending on the crowd - a fair portion of the course lies away from the nonplaying public but those first holes are near parking/facilities/etc so caution is advised. Also, as of 3/22 some tees aren't completed, and the course is in terrible need of signage - I basically groped my way around- granted I could have caught the course in an "in-between" period.

Other Thoughts:

From my experience today, the course is under a rejuvenation of sorts. There's a decent variety of shots here though - the first 4 or 5 holes are lightly wooded, requiring a decent amount of finesse at times. The rest seemed like a back and forth between tree-line huggers and fun "grip it and rip it" holes. Albeit, I couldn't navigate the whole course today.

Once all of the tees are finished and some decent signage is put up this course has great potential to be the best in the area.
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1 2
AUfantastic
Premium Member
Experience: 28.8 years 176 played 17 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Could be..... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course is in a nice park. Saw a patrol car come through while I was there which was good since I saw a shady character sitting in his car. This course is really out of the way, so it was not crowded at all. The course has great potential but needs a new layout using some areas not being utilized.

Cons:

9 holes with not much challenge at this time. Hard for me to find my way from one tee to the next.

Other Thoughts:

Hope someone gives this one some help and it will be a great course down the road.
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1 5
Lanzer913
Experience: 11 years 9 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great for beginners as it is a very open course. Never crowded. On site restrooms, water fountains, covered picnic tables. Nature walks.

Cons:

There are always Large tractors in the fields.

Other Thoughts:

This course is brand new and the city takes great care of it.
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