Walnut Creek, CA

Walden Park

Permanent course
2.865(based on 22 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Walden Park reviews

Filter
1 2
felix-j
Experience: 23 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

fun compact course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 28, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

most of the course is separate from the rest of the park

enough trees to keep the shorter holes interesting

the biggest single toilet bathroom i've ever seen

Cons:

hole 8 goes right though 6, 7 + 9 so be extra careful playing those last 4 holes if others are playing

Other Thoughts:

pretty fun for a compact pitch-n-putt course. i wouldn't go out of my way to play here but it's always nice to have more local options.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
Peltier
Experience: 29 played 16 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice clean short course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 4, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice clean short course, perfect for my playing style. They did a great job with the small space they have. Each hole is well marked with proper tee boxes and orange baskets. I played midweek day and there were not many other players.

Cons:

Probably the smallest park I've seen a disc golf course in. Some of the holes cross each other and a few share fairways. I could see this getting crowded on the weekends.

Other Thoughts:

I'll probably make the drive over from Hayward a few times a year for a round.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 3
wispoman
Experience: 11.8 years 104 played 4 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Small city park course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 9, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well laid out for small space, nice baskets and tees

Cons:

Got confused with holes 7, 8 & 9 criss cross paths, could be better marked. Short length holes without much variation except some trees.

Other Thoughts:

For a short, quick game its adequate but don't go out of your way to play it.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
Chad McBallerson
Experience: 20.8 years 122 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nor Cal Disc Golf Course Preview Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-good tees
-bathrooms and water
-short enough to always be close to the parking lot
- you can play it in under 30 minutes if your efficient
- is a great course to work on your skills with out losing a disc
- has a big disc golf following

Cons:

- has a few criss cross holes
- has small parking lot
- pedestrians come into play on a few holes

Other Thoughts:

Walden is a very unique small course. The city gave them 3 acres to fit 9 holes into and though it has some criss crossed holes, it happens to be one of the more popular courses in the bay area. It plays flat through the outside of a city park in some low hanging oaks. Its a perfect practice course to train your skills to go play other harder courses. Its offers a variety of lines to each basket and it due to its openness is hard to actually lose a disc anywhere. Because of how it caters to young and old strong and weak players it has one of the bigger weekly groups with in an hours distance.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
MikeV
Experience: 6.8 years 29 played 8 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Quick 9, Fun back and forth course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

+ Quick play, little walking between pins
+ Mando's and strict OB add a nice difficulty to some pins
+ Lots of experienced players play here and will offer help and tips
+ Great signage and tee pads

Cons:

- Parking. Very minimal parking for how busy this park gets.
- Congested routes. It's a small area dedicated to some decently long throws so paths will cross and you will have to wait or feel rushed by other players.

Other Thoughts:

Popular park makes for a lot of walkers on paths that play as OB so you'll be waiting a bit until they get out of the way. It's a very short course that plays very quick so at a slower time of day you can run 9 in about 30 mins. The flow is a bit weird at the end. We played 7-9-8 our first time because 7 ends right next to 9's tee pad.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
sillybizz
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.2 years 407 played 392 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Criss cross will make you, jump! jump! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Located in a small park in the middle of town Walden Creek DGC is located. Luckily being smaller, navigation is simple although a few baskets are hard to see from the tee pad. Tee pads and baskets are in great shape, so no worries there. Not a whole lot of variety/variance in line shaping but nothing crazy as far as righty/lefty preference; probably the usual slightly to moderately righty favored. Early in the morning you may get to play it in under 20 minutes or you could even play some crazy safari route but the course is crowded most of the time or so I'm told by locals.

Cons:

The biggest issue with the course are all of the crossing fairways, combined with a crowded course which make you look over your shoulder at all times or have to duck or jump out of the way. All of this in an area that is also used by lots of dog walkers and I would be surprised if people aren't getting nailed multiple times on a daily basis. It's also a shorter, 'chucker' course so lots of high speed drivers and errant throws and throwers.

Not a ton of challenge though not really a pitch and putt length, there are a few holes out here closer to 300 especially some of the alternate pin positions. That being said trees and limited to the few around the baskets and some shading you at the tee pad on sunny days. Most holes are open with a tree in play but not something you have to worry about much if you are an accurate player using slow discs. A few holes though require you to throw over or through bushes.

Other Thoughts:

Although the crossing fairways are highly annoying and very dangerous it makes for the best course available and without it would be a very short course or possibly a 5-6 hole "practice" course. If you're a local it's a decent option but not worth a special trip unless you're a course bagger.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
Zank
Experience: 22.8 years 5 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

had a great time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

technical and short, mostly trees for obsticles, well signed at the tees and the map on this site is sufficient

Cons:

greens are very tightly packed and the course crosses a few pedestrian paths

be mindful of the many greens and tee pads you are throwing towards but also be mindful of the greens you are standing near. It would not be hard to hit someone else or get hit while playing this course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 3
nukerfu
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
1.50 star(s)

walden park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 29, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Some technical(not super challenging) shots. You can play 9 tee's in a short amount of time.Good beginner course.Great signage.Like the mandatory shots.Lots of bird and ace runs.

Cons:

Way to many People there most of the time! Always feel rushed or have to wait.To much cross fire on the last four tee's. Be care full of people not yelling four!! Parking sucks at tournament days.

Other Thoughts:

Though there are lots of people they are mostly very nice except your occasional Tweekers.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 1
sumo21
Experience: 10.2 years 35 played 26 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course in the heart of Downtown Walnut City 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Bathrooms on site.

2) Pedestrian walkways are out of play of most, if not all holes.

3) Holes not too long, which makes this a good course for beginners.

4) Mando's and obstacles provide a challenge for all levels of disc golfer.

5) Lots of trees, so shade is available and welcome on hot days.

6) Each hole has a place in which you can have a seat or place your bags.

7) Signage on all holes with pin position screws.

8) Nice, sized tee pads on every hole.

Cons:

1) No water fountain, but not a big concern because it's only 9 holes.

2) Small parking lot.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 1 starts behind the basketball court. It has a sign that shows the layout of the course. Be careful of the criss crossing of the course because you may be throwing at the wrong basket. It's a nice quaint park off of a major road. It has a kids playground, basketball court and a place begins the course for runners/joggers. I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing the course.

I also believe that hole 9 might be slightly longer than the posted 315 feet.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
NotFadeAway757
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun little 9 in Walnut Creek 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 26, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good use of space
-The mandos definitely add a nice edge to some of the holes.
- A lot of ace runs
-locals are nice
-great signage

Cons:

-some of the holes cross over each other, but not really a con because how limited the space is, They just worked with the space they had.
-not a fan of the bricks they use for the tee pads

Other Thoughts:

- I could see how this course could get hella busy on the weekends.
-Overall this is a nice little course that is fun if your are in the area. Im sure people are getting there Ace average up here.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
mdegs
Experience: 11.5 years 37 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Short, fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 14, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice, highly visible baskets. Great signage and good flow (with the exception of 8). A few fun shots and good safari potential if no one's out there.

Cons:

Constrained by private property on one side and a walking trail on two more sides, this course makes the most of limited space. But there is not a lot of variety and there's a risk of wayward drives landing on other fairways. You will need a driver on one or two holes, and you'd probably be fine with 4-6 discs total.

Other Thoughts:

It's nice to have another course in the Bay Area. You won't see many pros out at Walden, but it might be my kids' first course!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
Fntsygamr
Experience: 8.8 years 62 played 27 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Good neighborhood course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 6, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

There really are not too many "pro" mentions for this course. It takes up the back half of a neighborhood park. Good for practice with your mid or putter. Baskets are in great condition. Quiet park setting. Mostly away from park foot traffic. Hard to lose your plastic here.

Cons:

Small course. No big arms need play here. There is no need to bring a driver, unless you want to work on some hyzer / anhyzer shots. Bring a putter and a mid, you will be good. There can be some stray people that venture through the playing area to get to the bike / walking trail, so you will have to be careful. Hole #8 plays through a few other holes as well. You will need to keep your eye out for the other discers on the course.

Other Thoughts:

If you passing through the area on your way elsewhere, then I would say stop and play at least once. My brother-in-law and I were along for the ride while my wife and mom went to shop in the nearby area. We were able to throw 36 holes in about 1.5 - 2 hours. There seemed to be a rush on the course in the later morning, early afternoon, but that came and went. Met up with a few locals who showed us some alternate ways to play the course as well. You can very much safari almost every hole. Just need to make sure you aren't throwing into another group before you do so. If I were in the area again, I would come back to play.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Wasn't BJ Honeycutt From Walnut Creek? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

I witnessed an 80 year old lady playing this course, with an man, who I have to assume is her husband. Or it could be her date? The good news is I finally have found someone on a course that I can ABSOLUTELY beat! I might even have to spot her a few strokes.

Walden Park is a nice little city park with a undeveloped area in the back. Much of the course plays through this area. The course has a small rules sign and map at the start.
it has nice new colored tee signs with all the pertinent information needed on them. They have the A--B basket positions which are indicated with a red screw. The signs also have the basket number on the back. This helps in the navigation. The baskets are orange DGA models with a big number on top.
The tee pads are hexagon shaped patio blocks filled in with dirt and then bordered with 4" x 4"s.
Walden Park DGC plays as an easy recreational level course with holes ranging from 190' to 305'.

Cons:

Holes # 8 crosses over # 6, # 7 and # 9. Probably not the safest route but everyone is in sight and you'd have to be real careless to nail someone. There were other groups on the course when I played.
Not necessarily a challenging course.


Other Thoughts:

Solid, fun course is a lovely little park. Kind of a weird design with the 8th hole criss-crossing three others although I kinda doubt whether that's ever a problem. I have to give props to the designers for squeezing 9 decent sized holes into this small area. If I lived around here, I'd be a regular.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 755 played 414 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Henry David Thoreau 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Hitting moderately-difficult windows will lead to many birdy opportunities for intermediate+ players, as the average distance is ~260', with only two holes (barely) over 300'.

Good teesigns, indicating current pin position (for those holes which have multiple positions). Use the online map for navigation.

Safari opportunities.

Cons:

To say this course is a little bit jammed is akin to saying Shaq is a bit big - many chances to land in the wrong fairway. And, of course, number-8 is the definition of a crossing fairway, as it crosses three others (6,7,9)!

In addition to other players, pedestrians on the walking paths need to be avoided, too.

Most visible basket may not be the proper basket (basket-6 more visible from tee-4, basket-8 more visible from tee-5).

Other Thoughts:

Course Is located on a small parcel of extremely flat, undeveloped land, set behind a small section of developed park land. This undeveloped land contains a smattering of mid-sized trees - tall enough to form portions of canopy, eliminating most up-n-over options, but small enough that their branches also come into play, creating windows to throw through / dense areas to throw around. Lefts > straights > rights, but all three are required from the tee.

The tee are roughly 4'x8', brick(?) "lattice" filled with concrete - a bit small for anything more than a single x-step, but for the distances, not much more is needed,

There's a nice variety of shot-shaping needed on these holes, but if the course was ever crowded, there could be some real carnage! A bunch of decent short holes, trying to share the same space ...
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
tenayaguevara
Experience: 7 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great neighborhood course with trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- New and excellent signage, tee pads, baskets
- Great use of space - some interesting tee pads set back off the main area to get more distance
- Great use of trees to create challenges, especially on holes 4, 6 & 9
- Thoughtfully paced - Hole 8 is an easier hole leading up to 9 which is 315 feet

Cons:

- Bottom line: The course is just the back acre or so of a community park, pretty flat. Difficult to get variety given what's here
- Some fairways cross, though coming at 8 AM on a sunday, I was there with one other guy, so as long as it's not filled up, I don't see that being too big of a problem for most of the day
- It's packed pretty tight back there, so you might think you're aiming on the right basket when you're really not

Other Thoughts:

I had a great time on this course. I've played another pitch n' putt - the one in Woodland, CA, and found this a welcome improvement over that. As a beginner, I kind of enjoy these small courses as a way to not get frustrated and work on getting birdies (almost got one today...). But there were enough trees and variety of shots to not get into a boring rhythm.

Kudos to the Walnut Creek folks who got this going. It's clear that a lot of hard work and love went into getting this going. The map of the alternate course looks like fun, too, though you'd need a totally empty course to try that.

Also, there was a taco bell not too far away with easy access to the freeway. Just saying'.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
kevaunne
Experience: 15.8 years 40 played 19 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Best they could have done in this park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 23, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Great signage
- I could not imagine a better layout in such a small area - great job
- New tees/baskets. I could almost smell their new-ness
- No 'dead-simple' holes. Each requires some thought and technical skill
- Accessible. I could imagine a disc golfer dad and his kids all enjoying a round here

Cons:

- All short, flat holes
- No critical hazards. Very easy to recover from a botched shot

Other Thoughts:

This one was tough to rate. Technically, I'm not sure they could make this course much better without demolishing nearby homes and terraforming the surrounding land. They've done an outstanding job laying out a course in such a small area. I'm grateful that this course was added to the East Bay

However, I wasn't challenged enough and I can't say I'm excited about playing here again.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
cboucher
Experience: 11.8 years 20 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good course to work on your short game. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 11, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New tees, signage, baskets.
Located in a clean, well maintained park.
Close to freeway.
Technically challenging.
Does not favor one or two types of shots, plenty of opportunities to use different throws and different discs.


Cons:

Crossing fairways on several holes.
Navigation becomes sketchy after hole #7.
Last three holes do not flow well.
Course seems to have been shoe-horned into too small of a space.
Short tee pads.
No use of elevation at all. No "top of the world" shots...
Very little parking.
Lots of people and dogs to try and avoid.
Non disc golf park users seem oblivious to the fact that there is a disc golf course here.

Other Thoughts:

Not very many opportunities to just let it rip for max D, but plenty of opportunities to practice control shots and work on your short game. A variety of shots can be used including rollers on #7 and #9 although the loose bark tends to slow down rollers somewhat. Decent hyzer windows on #4 and #6. There's a nice little hallway on #3 for working on those low, straight shots. Only one real hyzer flip hole (#9), due to obstacles and some low ceilings on the other holes. This course is the equivalent to a "chip and putt" course in ball golf. Very nice course for it's size, though...
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
kkwedell
Experience: 14.8 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Walden Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Easy to read signs
-Restrooms
-Well kept park
-Good use of space
-Family/Beginner Friendly
-Freeway access

Cons:

-Little parking
-Lots of pedestrians
-Short tee pads
-Close fairways

Other Thoughts:

It is a really good park for the amount of space. Only problem is hole #8 crosses three fairways, but I don't see anywhere better to place it. It is a short course with only two holes over 300 and no more than 315+. It does make good use of trees. Beginners will find this course fun fun and forgiving, while better players will have some harder shots to go for the basket. There is a long back nine (as seen on FB page -Walnut Creek Disc Golf-) that has much longer and difficult holes, just make sure to play it when nobody is there.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
Magiken
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.7 years 74 played 74 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A Small Walk in the Walnuts 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 19, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Easy to find and navigate with a map or the tee signs
• Great tee signage
• Nice little park (basketball, walking/biking trails, jungle gym) with restrooms and water
• Par is very attainable
• Tees are decent
• Brand new Mach 5 baskets in the lovely orange color

Cons:

• Parking lot is a bit small but there is street parking (not a big deal)
• Course is very tight with people and structures in play
• Holes are a bit criss-crossy in spots

Other Thoughts:

Tips:
• Bring a map
• Go as early as possible to avoid people traffic

Random Thoughts:
I'm quite thrilled to have another course in the East Bay and it is nice to see a course in a clean area of a park versus the backwoods. I can also see that a lot of love went into the construction of this course. The baskets and tee signs are fantastic. The tees, I'm going to say, are just ok. They are built using some kind of formed blocks, with rock fill to even them out, which is fine, except the fill is missing in some small spots making you think a bit about your steps. I imagine with everything filled in, this is a non-issue, so this is probably a problem that will go away. As for the course, it's a fairly small course with a decent variety of throws and good use of the trees as obstacles. As the distances tend to hover in the ~250' range, there are birdies and aces out there to be had, so I find the scoring to be extremely fair. I also notice that most of the holes have alternate basket placements to keep things interesting on repeat visits. I think you'll also be tempted to call this a good beginner course, but I'd take some caution with that assessment. The surrounding neighborhood butts right up against the park so you can quite easily sail your disk over a fence into a private area. More importantly, the non-disc park attendees are definitely in play. If you're not careful, you can hit someone quite easily. It's also quite easy to hit your fellow discers due to the tightness of the layout. So if you're going to bring a beginner out, I'd suggest targeting an early morning weekday. I would actually suggest that anyway as I'm sure you'll enjoy the round more with fewer distractions.

Bottom Line:
This is a good short/technical course that makes good use of an unused space in a nice park located in a nice area. It is also a welcome addition to the East Bay arsenal. I'm looking forward to playing it again.

Update 06/2016:
I'm happy to report that the tees on this course have all been replaced with nice concrete pads. This makes the course FAR more enjoyable. Bravo and thanks to the course crew!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 3
Taras P
Experience: 14.8 years 27 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great short course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 6, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great layout for the space provided and use of natural obstacles. Make you use ever shot in the arsenal.

Cons:

No real cons the course is very good for what it is "a short course".

Other Thoughts:

Great location in Walnut Creek with parking and toilets.

Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top