Salinas, CA

The Stadium Course

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3.565(based on 9 reviews)
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7 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

The Stadium Course Sits In A Natural Bowl! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 25, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course received it's name because the course sits in a natural bowl which would be great for viewing a tournament. The course is easy to find, just look for the cougar statue on the corner. At the top of the corner is a Discatcher practice basket. The course has trapezoid concrete pads, nice colored metal signs that have a hole route and DGA Mach V baskets. Holes 1 to 7 and 14-18 all play in the bowl part of park. Holes 9-12 play in the other part of the park. This is no recreation course. The Stadium Course plays at the intermediate level. # 17 is a totally cool, 335'-500' downhill "Top of the World" throw. It's definitely the signature hole here.

Then there is the gauntlet hole, # 8, where there are eight 16' high 4 x 4s driven into the ground to form a gauntlet for the 200' hole. I understand the thought process behind this but I think they are kind of an eyesore. I doubt if this lark was in a higher sociology economic neighborhood, they never would never have allowed this to happen. The course also has these weird, tall fences on hole 18 that resembles two parts of a baseball backstop fence which forces you to hit the gap between the two fences. I don't know if they were built by the disc golfers or if they were constructed for some other purpose.

Cons:

No sign on hole # 2.

# 8 basket is set too low.

I didn't like # 16 which plays uphill with the walking path. It could be a safety issue.

The tall poles on # 5 detract from the park's ambiance, of which it can't afford to lose much.

Confusing navigation on 9-12.

Other Thoughts:

This is a solid but not spectacular course. This is really a unique setting for a disc golf course. The course map says the course was made possible by the generous gifts of local businesses and two families. Thanks for contributions, folks!

I feel my rating of 3.0 is extremely generous.
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4 1
Nick Ferchau
Experience: 18 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun and challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good variety of hole types and lengths

Good fee pads and signs

Lots of big drives and some more technical shots through obstacles as well

The hills surrounding the course/park make for a couple of good elevation changes

There is also a cool hole with an "island" that makes the tee shot risky

Cons:

Poison oak if you go OB

There can be done confusion the first time you play finding the correct tee pads and baskets


Other Thoughts:

Once you figure out the course layout it is a fun 18 hole course with a good variety of holes to make everyone in the group happy.

I always try to play the stadium if I am working in the area.

Definitely worth a visit
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2 0
snoho
Experience: 7.8 years 40 played 18 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good use of terrain, some confusing baskets 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 23, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Several "top of the world" shots where you can feel like a pro and get some free distance
* Clever man-made obstacles to make an otherwise straight shot at the basket more challenging
* Good quality tee pads and signs

Cons:

* Baskets don't have numbers on them
* No markers on signs indicating current pin position

Other Thoughts:

Played this course twice over two days and quite enjoyed it. It's a lot of fun to stand at the top of the hill on holes 10 and 17 and pretend you're a pro chucking a disc 500 feet. The poles on hole 6 seem so easy, and yet you'll hit them. Or go OB. Or both. Not that I did both...

There were several holes where the location of the basket wasn't clear, even with the good tee signs. With no indication of whether the basket was in the A or B location, and several holes with baskets almost on top of each other, I threw to the wrong basket on more than one occasion (even with the assistance of the udisc course map).

Overall this is a fun course and I'd definitely stop in to play it again if I'm in the area!
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3 0
goonerbolt
Experience: 29 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good experience. Will return 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Intelligent use of park space.
- Variety of shots to play as every hole is different
- Not a lot of foot traffic.
- Fun and challenging, even in the rain.

Cons:

- Mostly grassy, so if you don't like that, this course may irk you.
- Not a lot of cover for really hot days.

Other Thoughts:

I played this course in the rain, and I enjoyed it enough to not say "f*ck it" and leave. The park space has been used intelligently to present you with a variety of looks. Each hole is different from the last, and there is a little bit of elevation change as well as OBs and hazards. This course will challenge your arm as well as your technique as an intermediate player. There is a hole with 8 mandatory poles lined up to create a tunnel to the basket as well as multiple island holes that are risk reward. Good course, fun and challenging, will play again when its dry out.
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3 0
geodude
Experience: 40 played 38 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Course for Mixed Group 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Challenging enough for a Pro, doable enough for a casual player to have fun. Good course to bring a not so strong or older player who has some game. Nicer part of town. Bathrooms across the street from hole 1. Warm up basket at hole 1 tee. Quiet and some nice views. Good use of a flood basin park, thank you Salinas! Lots of folks out throwing, feels good. People are friendly.

Cons:

Lack of trees, could use a few more trees planted. Some steep hillsides to climb need some steps cut in or RR tie steps for safety. No drinking fountains. Park is a bit trashy, play in a group in broad daylight. It's Salinas. Lot of walkers and hangerouts to avoid.

Other Thoughts:

Will definetly come back to play when in the area.
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1 0
BoKeazian
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beautiful course and most fun in the area (imo) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Well marked tee boxes and pin placement. Great obstacles. 18 holes. Well maintained.

Cons:

The area itself is kind of sketchy (all of Salinas is pretty sketchy, really). Lots of places to lose a disc. Open park - depending on time of day, there can be a lot of pedestrians walking through/around the course which can cause slight delays.

Other Thoughts:

This was one of the first courses I played. It's very challenging if you've never been there or don't have someone with you who knows the layout. If you have a slightly wild throw, it would be a good idea to not go alone because there are a couple holes where a spotter is almost required. The heavy traffic of pedestrians can sometimes be troublesome and there are a lot of places hidden in the creek that are full of debris and trash from sketchy activities that go on in the area. All in all, this is a must play if you're a local and has a few good places to practice skill shots and overall technique.
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1 4
pverdugo
Experience: 6 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 28, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great lay out,

Cons:

A lot of pedestrian that hold up play, on the back end gets a little creepy with people in and out of the brushes so it's better to play with a group.

Other Thoughts:

It's a new course, in time should be a top course.
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11 1
Lonhart
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 30 years 422 played 38 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Worth the drive 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 18, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

2016 update:
I recently played this course for the third time on March 29, 2016. Hole 2 has a series of retaining walls under the basket, and hole 3 is now on a raised set of layers, like a pyramid. Lots of rain this winter altered some of the course. Hole 9 has a pond full of water. Signs indicating next tee are wrong. Hole 10 appears to have been removed due to flooding in the area and a fallen tree. This is not surprising since the basket is in a river bed. Basket 11 is in the usual spot, but a massive amount of foliage has been removed and the tee is not apparent. Very swampy if there has been recent rain--pick your path carefully. For hole 12, there is now a basket on the hillside halfway up the slope--I think this is basket 12, which used to be further down the way but is now gone. Not sure where to tee from for this basket, or if it is an alternate pin placement for the tee up near the street. A new tee was poured for basket 13 but not marked as such, but is right behind the existing tee. Tee 14 is still on the hillside, but we could find no basket 14, so we shot to basket 7 again. Basket 15 was in a new position to right of tree window just passed the drainage ditch.

Original review:
-Mach 5 baskets
-Excellent tee signs with extensive OB and Mando descriptions
-Two fun, long, downhill shots
-Shot distances are good, 190 ft the shortest and 520 ft the longest (all par 3s), and a driver is needed most of the time, with full-power throws
-Cement tee pads on all but one hole
-Good flow, looping through park and ending very close to tee #1 and parking

Cons:

-No amenities (e.g., bathroom, water) readily available
-Mostly flat or hyzer shots since there are many wide-open holes
-Low chance of losing a disc on most holes (but beware #11)

Other Thoughts:

Street parking available on Nogal Drive next to tee #1.
Hole 1 (370'): Fun hyzer shot downhill with a huge field for a landing area, so bombs away!
Hole 2 (240'): Mid-range straight at it or a spike hyzer, but some small oak trees and bushes guarding the pin. Uphill shot and pin is on a slope.
Hole 3 (340'): Flat shot across a wide-open field.
Hole 4 (360'): Another flat shot with OB along left side--beware of pedestrians on the OB path. Planted trees will make the hole tougher in 5-10 years.
Hole 5 (200'): Short, flat shot but the fairway is lined with 8 very tall posts, 4 on each side. These are all mandos and about 50 ft apart, making a wide fairway for the short shot.
Hole 6 (345'): Flat shot with thickets behind pin.
Hole 7 (190'): Shortest hole with left or right approaches. Tee is painted box on asphalt path.
Hole 8 (410'): Fairway dotted with small shrubs, pedestrian path on left OB.
Hole 9 (200'): No cement tee pad and sign is low to ground near the footbridge. Tee in dirt and shoot across a shallow, muddy pond. Putter at pin for an ace run.
Hole 10 (350'): The pin cannot be seen until you walk halfway down the fairway. Sharp left from the tee, but need a low shot to get under trees. Ground covered with wood chips and sand, and there is a seasonal creek, so disk will not skip and could get wet, but easily retrieved.
Hole 11 (~300'): Another blind pin, extreme left, and again lots of wood chips. Thickets surround the pin, which sits in a cluster of trees.
Hole 12 (455'): After 11 climb up the hill following a faint path. Tee #12 is near the road, and the pin is again hidden. Pin is along the slope of the hill next to the walking path, so make sure no one is on it before teeing.
Hole 13 (255'): Short hole, kind of boring unless you go for the ace.
Hole 14 (260'): Missed this hole playing though the first time, since the tee for #15 is close to the pin for #13.
Hole 15 (270'): The pin is next to the path and has a large window of trees framing it.
Hole 16 (200'): Drive up the hill with a mid-range but beware pedestrian traffic here.
Hole 17 (520'): Another fun, downhill bomb of a shot.
Hole 18 (250'): A huge cyclone fence partially obstructs your shot. You either shoot the gap (straight mid range) or go for the spike hyzer and hope you calculated the wind right to get over the 15' high fence. I really think this is a cool hole and it reminds me of the bamboo shot at USDGC Winthrop Gold.

Final thoughts: I live in Santa Cruz, so driving to Salinas is not that far. I really liked this course and will definitely play it again, perhaps on the way to or from the Monterey courses (i.e. Ryan Ranch and CSUMB). While there were lots of other park users, the holes are not in areas they use, except for some of the pathways. This is a new course and still needs a little work on paths to and from holes, but that will come with use. Definitely a good addition to the inventory of Monterey Bay courses.
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6 0
Hyzer Ale
Experience: 14.7 years 96 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

New improvements are great! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice concrete pads that get wider as you get near the end.
Mach V baskets
Lots of elevation
Good Variety
Fun Course with good replay value

Cons:

All of the big downhill shots are into the direct headwind coming out of Monterey.
Too many open holes.
Most holes play straight. There are a few dogleg lefts but no dogleg rights.
No trashcans.
Parking is in a neighborhood, no parking lot.
Not too challenging even with the wind.

Other Thoughts:

This is a new course and the locals have done a great job improving the course since it opened. I just played in the trilogy challenge yesterday at the course and have noticed many improvements since the last time I was there. Really nice teepads and basket and a good variety of length. The realize that too much of the land is flat and treeless and have done a great job using the elevation and trees that are there. In other places they have created mandos (8 mando tunnel shot) or obstacles (circular fence). I like this course but if I am driving an hour from San Jose will play De La, Pinto, Ryan's Ranch or CSUMB instead of this course. For locals it seems like a great neighborhood course that I am sure will continue to improve with the effort they have put forward thus far.
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