Franconia, PA

Branchwood Park DGC

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2.165(based on 28 reviews)
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9 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.8 years 216 played 182 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Plant Roots at Branchwood 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ The distances are just right for the new player and lend themselves well to birdies and ace runs.
+ Half wide open, half tree-peppery.
+ Reliable tee signs and baskets for all nine holes.
+ Gentle elevation.

Cons:

- Tee areas are simple patches of worn down dirt.
- No 'next hole' signs, but the holes are so close together that it doesn't matter.
- The holes are so close together, but this course sees so few strong throws that it doesn't matter.

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole here to look at is hole8 because the player stands at the top of the park's gradual slope and can observe everything. My favorite hole here to play is hole3 because it combines the course's only uphill with trees. My least favorite? Hole2, I guess, because it felt the flattest and most wide open.

Regarding Branchwood Park's course overall, there's very little to it, so this review will seem quite short. You've got your wide open fields and your tree-dodgey throws. You go up and down a hill that you barely notice, and then you're done. It's over: easy and quick. Those short distances tempt you with birdies and aces. Those trees still exist, though. Don't ignore them just because the fairways are short. Play as many rounds as you want. One session takes barely twenty minutes.

Obviously, it is a course with the family/novice in mind. New players will enjoy the lessons that this course can provide. Fields encourage them to let loose and throw. The trees here, while not particularly dense or intimidating, will definitely make a new player think about aiming more. The dusty/muddy tee pads might leave them with a negative first impression about the sport, but it's honestly not a deal breaker if all you want is a small and quiet place to get some approach practice in.

Bottom line: It's good for kids. It's good for newbies. It's good for families. It's good for low-stakes training and practice. It's good for a budding interest in disc golf to take root, but players will quickly hunger for more.
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5 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 380 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A Place to Start Out 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 21, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun and short neighborhood park course with 9 very easy holes. Built in 2006, this layout feels like it was built before the current era of high speed discs, back when Innova's stamp on the Shark called it an "All Purpose Driver" and the Moray was a "Medium to Long Range Driver" (yes, I have both of them...).

+ Mostly open, the layout makes good use of the widely-spaced trees in the park

+ The tee signs give you some idea of the age of the course: no graphics, paste-on numbers laminated in something that looks like fibreglass in aluminum frames (these signs will outlast all of us)

+ There are five par 4's, ranging from 140' to 220'. Come and get your eagles now (or, just treat 'em like the par 3's they really are)

+ Hole # 2 is a par 4, 220' hole. Across a wide open field, slightly downhill. It's a fun "placement" shot at an open target with a treeline behind it

+ Hole #4 is a par 4, 155' -up a slight hill through an alley defined by some widely-spaced trees. This is a good example of the designers figuring out how to work with what they have

+ Hole #6 is a par 4, 140' hole - down a slight hill, again using available trees. As with the other par 4's, if you treat it like a 3, it's not a bad hole


Cons:

- This "course" is just baskets and signs spread around a park. No tees: just stand near the tee signs and throw

- The obvious Con is the pars, but you can ignore them and play the course as a par 27

- I suspect the park gets some use, and if so, you'll be throwing around picnics, kite-flyers, kids running around. I played it early morning in December, and the only people we saw were letting their dogs run


Other Thoughts:

~ We parked in the lot across the road, and started on hole #2 because the tee sign was right there in front of us

~ If you live nearby, this is a great place to get out and throw mids and putters for a 20 minute round

~ Branchwood is the perfect example of a course for introducing newer and younger players to the game. Bring a birthday party, a cub scout pack, a school outing. Give them each a disc and let them at it. There's plenty of room, some easy obstacles, and a playground for those who lose interest. It would be a blast
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7 1
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.8 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

You’re Never Out At Branchwood! 2+ years

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

Pros:

Branchwood Park is a good sized park which extends on both sides of Camp Road. On one side of the road are some picnic areas, kid's playground, lots of open space, as well as, a stream with people fishing. On the upper side are tennis courts, basketball courts and the disc golf course. This little pitch and putt was established in 2006 and has probably introduced many people to disc golf. No doubt, she has served up quite a few Aces and about a million eagles.

The course is about as simple and basic as it gets. The nine hole course plays in a clockwise direction and is easy to follow. The signs are the old school fiberglass kind. They show no evidence of any abuse. Hooray for this neighborhood! The tee pads are just small worn spaces in the grass. The baskets are DGA models.

With only one hole over 200' (# 2 @ 220') and almost no obstacles in play, this course is an excellent introductory course. Every hole is a possible Ace. And with the pars set incredibly easy (for example; # 4 is an 140' par 4) even a rank beginner could shoot well under par. Even if you're not into all this "What is Par? you can still use this for practice and putter work.

Cons:

I see no major Cons here.

Concrete pads would be a nice addition although I'm sure these natural pads are adequate for this course.

I won't call the pitch and putt distances a Con. That is what makes this course so attractive to it's clientele.

Other Thoughts:

For me, it was kind of rewarding as I was entering my score on my DGCR Ap to see that I had shot minus 11. I'm more of a try to break par type of player. I realize this probably doesn't mean diddlley squat to some of you but a decent player could easily shoot minus 13 and that is without any Aces. If nothing else, this would be a fun course to come with about three of your buddies and play a rousing game of Ace Runs.

This is the great course to introduce your 7 year old to disc golf. No brambles. No water hazards. No searching for lost discs. This course is like the YMCA tee ball program where no child is ever called out. Pop out to the pitcher, you get to stay on 1st base. Everyone call feel good about their game. Everyone gets a trophy here at the Branchwood Disc Golf Course.
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2 0
Nfauce
Experience: 6.4 years 8 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice family friendly beginner's course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 21, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Family friendly with a park and several sports courts next to it
Nice a simple, good place to practice your short game/putting. Really good for beginner's to learn the sport
Nicely maintained grass (mowed)
Baskets are in good shape
Signs are helpful and in good shape!

Cons:

Tees need some stability! Only small mud paths right now
Ground needs to be cleaned up as there are many downed branches on the middle holes

Other Thoughts:

The course is just a nice plain and simple 9 hole course. Some completely open holes, some with scattered trees in the fairway and some with certain shots needed to get to the basket! Enjoy playing it even though it's a bit under my skill level because it is nicely kept up! Also not hard at all to navigate, mostly because its a small course, and that's always nice
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5 1
itsRudy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.7 years 73 played 62 reviews
2.00 star(s)

An Absolute Beginner's Course

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 2, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Branchwood is perfect for first timers or kids that want to practice the basics of the game, without needing to fear disc loss, constantly hitting trees, scrounging in bushes, or being rushed by more experienced player groups.

Tees are heavily rutted dirt but side teeing is easy. Dated fiberglass tee signs that nevertheless do their job. Median hole length is 155'. The entire course is on a slight, gentle incline but basically flat for most intents and purposes. The variation between most holes is also slight, but tangible.

+Long drives can be practiced from the baseball area.

Cons:

The appeal is very limited for people with experience, it's probably not a stomping ground for anybody that can throw further than 175' regularly and accurately.

It's a tight loop and holes may be uncomfortably close together if more people are playing.

Other Thoughts:

The course goes in a oval loop more or less and has a rather small footprint. #7-8 is on top of the hill, #2-3 at the bottom and no matter the spot, nearly the entire course is in view.
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3 1
dave greene
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Branchwood 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 11, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is were I bring people just starting out....good for upshot,putting practice. Easy to navigate. Few trees...longest hole 220../most are short....you can do nine in 15-20 min

Cons:

Short holes,low baskets,dirt tees.
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4 0
Afropirg
Experience: 9.7 years 34 played 19 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Pitch and putt 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 3, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

*Great course for Kids, New players or if you want to work on your putting and upshot game.

*Easy navigation.

*Some technical shots

*basket within sight of tee box

Cons:

*Natural tee boxes can get a little bit sloppy.

*It's not a challenging course for anyone who's played more than a couple months.

*tee boxes are close to previous holes basket. If you go past the basket you can end up in another fairway.

Other Thoughts:

This is an ideal place to bring a new player/kids to learn how to play disc golf. Low chance of losing a disc, everything is reachable for me (low AM1 level) from a stand still putter shot.

Took my daughter her and we had a blast. Ideal place to take newbies or kids to play.
For anyone with experence, this is a good course for working on your upshots. shortest hole I think is 130' and longest is 204' down hill.

The park is beuatiful. I played early on a Sunday morning and was able to play four rounds in about an hour throwing 3 disc's on each hole.

Looking forward to taking my 9 year old with me next time to play some rounds.
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1 0
owvanguard
Experience: 15.8 years 170 played 34 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Pring your putter 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Can play entire course in under 15 minutes.

No chance to lose a disc.

The perfect course to introduce kids to the game.

Cons:

Fairways do cross a bit.

One tee has the sign in your back swing.


Other Thoughts:

This is the shortest course I have ever player. The entire course would be the size of a typical par 4 on pro level courses.

I got to try many mid range upshot off the tee.
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3 0
Dupree721
Experience: 11.2 years 6 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun easy course that has flexibility! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Easy to navigate and play.
- Course takes roughly 15 minutes to play by yourself.
- Due to the proximity of tee areas to baskets, you can mix around and shoot from different tees to different baskets to add longer, more challenging shots.
- Nice 2 disc course. A putter and a mid-range are all that you need!
- All holes are ace runs!
- Good course to build player confidence and to introduce people to the sport without overwhelming them.

Cons:

- Course pars are a little off. A par 4 for a 140ft shot is crazy, but at least you can walk away under par from the course.

Other Thoughts:

This course is tucked away in a park in PA. It was a little tough to get to the park due to detour signs, but if you follow your GPS despite the detour signs, you will find the park easily.

This is a fun course where your chances of losing a disc are impossible. Every hole is wide opened with some loosely scattered trees to help you learn and shape lines. I had a pleasant experience playing this course.
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1 2
MarlinRoth
Experience: 12 years 6 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beginners, children, or midrange practice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good, high quality signage.

All baskets are in good shape.

low chance of disc loss

good for children/learning/midrange

Cons:

dirt tees.

The 18 hole course is cramped into a small area

little elevation change. The whole course is sort of on one very very subtle slope, so no elevation challenge.

baskets are pretty low to the ground and sort of an older model.

Many of the signs mark holes as Par 3 or 4 and none of the holes should really be above Par 2 for the most part.

Other Thoughts:

It's a fun little course but I wouldn't really recommend it unless you are going to visit the park for another reason and happen to have your discs with you.

If you are trying to teach a young child to play, this is a decent course to teach them.

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3 0
raynger27
Experience: 12.6 years 62 played 19 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Good basic beginner course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 8, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is very wide open, set in a residential park. It is super simple to navigate and is a great way to get 9 holes in if you have only a short period of time (approximately 20 minutes). The tee signs are great because with so many holes so close together, you wouldn't know which basket to throw at if it weren't for the signs. The grass was well manicured.

Cons:

All holes are laid out in a very small area, with very few obstacles (trees). There are no elevation changes, rocks, or bushes within the bounds of the playing area. There are also only natural tee boxes, which can be muddy depending on the weather. The holes are all very short.

Other Thoughts:

This is a good place to go to practice your mid range game and putting. Some holes (2, 6, 7, 9) are labeled as par 4's, which is insane. These are all par 3's. You could easily make up your own navigation pattern (which others have done in previous reviews here) to make for longer shots and to make the trees more in play to challenge yourself. This course is not worth any sort of far drive to visit, but is worth visiting if you are in the area and new to the game. This can help build some confidence in your game before trees and other water hazards from other courses get you frustrated. Also a great course for bringing out young children to play.
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2 0
Chuckie1974
Experience: 14.6 years 7 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great beginner course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is flat and very beginner friendly! The tee boxes are marked and most are very straight (not dog-legged). Basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic areas, playground, and a fishing stream is nearby for increased family fun. My family and I have had some great times out here! You could probably navigate this course with a putter and a mid-range disc. However, a few holes are guarded heavily with trees so bring some accuracy when you come! Easy to score well! Have fun!

Cons:

The tee boxes are muddy, so stand off to one side or the other or you may fall on your backside and give everyone else a laugh. No dog-legs and not much of a challenge for all of you who have monsterous arms!

Other Thoughts:

The course is in good shape considering it is only February 2012. Hope to see you out there!
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2 0
CZaslav
Experience: 24.9 years 271 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Great safari possibilities 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course for getting some practice. Midrange, putting practice. Perfect for teaching. Great course for taking a buzz or putter and running the whole course in 15 minutes. Nice park

Cons:

Very short
Rough natural tees

Other Thoughts:

As others have said this appears to be a great place to bring those new to the game and not destroy their confidence. Nice use of trees on half of the course. This course has great opportunities for some safari golf. It does not appear to be very busy and I saw some great lines if you make up your own tee pads and use some of the sheltered baskets and use the small patch of woods. This was a fun tiny course.
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6 0
stout202
Experience: 14.1 years 52 played 8 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Branchwood DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Perfect place to take a newbie to learn the basics. It is in a nice public park that is well maintained; nice place to be outside.
Most holes are simple, short par 3's but a few require you to shape your drive a bit. Trees come into play on several holes.
Great place to practice your mid-range game/putting if you are a more experienced player. Also good place to play a few quick rounds if you only have a little bit of time.

Cons:

If you take the course for what it is, a basic beginner's course, there are no major cons. Lack of tee-pads is my only real issue. Proximity to the baseball field on hole 2 could also pose a problem if a disc got away from you.

Other Thoughts:

With so many great courses no too far away its not worth it to go out of your way to play this one. However, if you want somewhere to take your family or are just starting to play, this is a good place to go. Also, I ran into a local my last time there who showed me a safari layout that makes the course a bit more interesting (see review from 6/8/09 for details).
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4 0
Sabooo
Experience: 19 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Perfect for the kids 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 22, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

I checked out this course based on the reviews I read here. I'm hoping to get my kids interested in the sport this summer, and this course is just exactly what I was looking for.

The keys for me are the short lengths of the holes, the friendly (and forgiving) open fairways, and easy navigation.

Great place to work on approach shots for the more experience player.

Cons:

Grass tees are eroding so that there is a bit of a pit forming in the area of the tee.

There is lots of opportunity for errant discs to cross fairways. One should stay alert while playing.

Other Thoughts:

I hope to haunt this place with the kids this summer. Hope to see you there!
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12 0
bcr123psu
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 85 played 64 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Great Open Course for Beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 11, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Off the beaten path, but easy to find, Branchwood Park DGC is a well manicured nine-hole course. As you approach the park, there is adequate signage to point you to the start of the course. Once at the tees, the tee signs do a decent job pointing you toward the basket (even though it's usually less than 200' away and usually wide-open).

The baskets at the course are in great shape.

There is a subtle mix of fairways (e.g. wooded vs. open), though most are wide-open. The fairways are a sufficient distance from any other house,road, path or other part of the park so that safety isn't much of an issue at this community park as it can be at others.

Cons:

While there were a few holes that incorporated trees, most were just straight shots from tee to basket and fairly short in length (all holes except for one were under 200'...with the exception being 220'). The course was almost completely flat with no real elevation change on any hole.

There were a few holes where, despite the tee sign, it was easy to accidentally throw at the wrong basket.

The tees were natural and didn't really have a defined line from which to throw.

In several instances, the proximity of baskets to the next tee was a bit too close to be totally safe.

Other Thoughts:

Despite the pedestrian feel of the course, I found myself enjoying a fast round in a nice public space. While this course would be an afterthought for a seasoned player (or great practice for long-distance putting and approaches), for the beginner, this course will allow a player to work on form and technique without very many demoralizing tree hits or the requirement for numerous long-distance drives.

While I wouldn't say that the course is a disc golf destination, if you happen to be driving through the back roads of the county and have time for a quick round, check out Branchwood Park.
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3 1
Drago
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Practice for midrange 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 7, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Clean, I usually have the park to myself.

Cons:

short, simple, no tee pads - just signs

Other Thoughts:

I take my family here. Good for my four and six year old boys. I usually take one or two discs to practice midrange shots and putting. Simple shots around and through trees with no elevation. Good place to hit an ace.
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4 0
adlacro
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 149 played 125 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Beginners paradise 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

9 holes with baskets still relatively new. Holes very short and bunched up together. Some woods but not much, and very little challenge to each hole. Ignore the par 4 on the signs (which are pretty accurate).

Cons:

If more of the area can be used, it should be. Way too many short holes. With holes these short, this is meant for a player with little experience. A good place for a short ace or to challenge your mid-range game.

Other Thoughts:

Park is very nice with other amenities available and will play in the immediate area again.
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5 0
Tolbert
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 341 played 32 reviews
2.00 star(s)

DG 101 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 19, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Fun little course in a nice clean park. Baskets are new, signage is good and course flow/navigation was smooth (the later mostly due to the 9 holes being very short and in a small area)
Branchwood is the definition of beginner friendly disc golf. Short holes (I think only 1 over 200ft.) Absolutely no rough to speak of, and as such, no risk of losing discs. Simple straight forward holes, about half were open with one large tree to negotiate, and the other half had minimal tree obstacles that make you shape you drive in some fashion. A perfect place to introduce the sport to new players and children.
And going hand in hand with this, the course is a pitch n putt/9 hole ace run for any seasoned player. (Yes literally 9 ace run holes)

Cons:

Biggest con I immediately saw was the tee pads, basically muddy ruts in the ground. A couple off them I ended up throwing from the grass to the right or left.
The things that make Branchwood great for beginners could also be cons for players with experience. Short holes with little shot variety, could quickly become mundane.
I didn't take much time to walk around, but at a glance the park seemed fairly large and I was initially surprised by how little space was taken up by the course. Not sure how much land the park will allow for disc golf, but it would be nice to see the course get an expansion.
Most holes play close together, and if Branchwood ever gets a lot of traffic, wayward discs could be an issue.

Other Thoughts:

While my favorite course all seem to be epic, I do enjoy playing short laidback courses of quality. Grab your favorite midrange and putter for a round free of frustration and stress. Branchwood plays very quickly, I got in 3 rounds in about an hour with no one else on the course. Its funny, as the rounds went on I started gunning for the ace more and more, and my scores got progressively worse...
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4 0
nosajeel99
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 37 played 23 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Short Game Heaven 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Branchford is a nice little park. It is well maintained and has new baskets. There are a few trees in the way on some of the holes, which provides a little bit of an obstacle. The tee signs were well done with an overview of the hole, distance, etc. It was easy to find my way from basket to tee. This is a great course to work on midrange shots for advanced players.

Cons:

This course is definitely geared to those who are just beginning disc golf. There isn't a lot to hit and the holes aren't very long (only ONE hole out of nine was over 200 feet long!). Even for an advanced player a 3 would feel like a bogey.

The tee pads were natural. The dirt was actually mud when I went and a little slick. The tee pads were awfully close to the previous basket as well, which helped with navigation, but if more than a couple of people are playing, could provide danger. The tees were well within the 30' radius from the basket, and some probably within 15'.

A lot of the holes were repetitive, with only a couple of holes including any obstacles. There were no forced layups, no challenge, no memorable holes.

Other Thoughts:

If you live close and are just starting out, this is a good course to learn basics. If you are advanced, you can take your favorite midrange (I used my Dart on every tee shot; even a Roc felt like too much) and a putter out for some practice. You can play the entire course in about 20 minutes. This is a nice park and it was well maintained.

I saw a father and son (son was about 8 years old) playing together. This is a great use for this course. Don't expect to see any tournaments or random draw doubles here, though.
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