New Orleans, LA

City Park DGC

Permanent course
3.085(based on 18 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

City Park DGC reviews

Filter
11 1
Sharknado2
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 34 played 34 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Park Style Course with Versatile Layout but Lots of Filler

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are multiple baskets on many holes and 2-3 tee boxes on every hole which allows the course to be played in so many different ways.

Some really memorable holes on the back 9, plus the triple Mando hole at #9. Love the wooded tunnel shots, unique greens, holes by the water. A huge change of pace from the more open front 9.

Good mix of wide open drives and low ceiling shots that really forces you to control the height of your drives.

Holes are a great mix of length, par 3's, 4's and even a 5. Some sub 200' and others close to 700'.

Baskets were a little on the older side but caught just fine for me. Innova Discatcher's I believe.

At least 1 concrete tee pad on each hole and multiple tee signs on every hole.

Cons:

Take this with a grain of salt since I've only played once but the grass was fairly overgrown. Unclear how often the course is mowed/maintained.

Navigation was difficult for first timers as the layout wasn't particularly intuitive. Especially with multiple baskets and tee signs on each hole. Then the UDisc distances didn't fully match up with the lengths on the tee signs so that added another layer of confusion.

The layout also wasn't the most efficient, decently long walks between holes, a lot of doubling back on the front 9 and some fairways that had a bit more overlap than you'd want if the course was crowded. 18 finishes further away from 1 than you'd like.

The front 9 overall was fairly weak. A decent amount of wide open holes where you're only planning around a tree or two. Hole 2 as a low ceiling par 5 was pretty fun. But 3-8 were just very wide open holes where you miss a tree and you're home free. The OB paths added some level intrigue but not much.

Didn't appear to be a practice basket or an obvious driving range area that wouldn't be a decent walk away. I saw lots of people warming up and throwing on holes 1, 8 and 9 as a result. Wasn't a huge deal but I did have wait a bit and play around them when I got to those holes.

Other Thoughts:

I saw pictures of the triple Mando hole and the wooded tunnel shots by the water and got very excited! Those holes were cool but overall the course was a fairly run of the mill park style course. Would be more fun as a local to take advantage of the different baskets and layouts so you don't get tired of the course. But wasn't the most seamless experience as a first time player.

Even just signs on the baskets or the fairway that point to the next tee pad would be a huge help.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 1
SimonCarr
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.9 years 115 played 57 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Popular local course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 28, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is one of my favorite parks in New Orleans. Every time I visit Nola I find myself in this park for the art and sculpture garden (free). This was the first time I've been able to check out the disc golf course and I was pleasantly surprised.

Local Community:
This course is a local favorite and you can tell they put effort into maintaining the course. Tee signs, tee pads, benches were all in great shape.

Course Layout:
Aside from my opinion that starting on hole #9 is ideal, the layout of the course was great. Not a lot of elevation to work with, but the fairways and trees shaped the shots nicely.

Variety of shots needed:
I always enjoy playing a course where roller is an option on most drives. Some shots favored right fading shots, so a good mix or backhand and forehand is ideal.

Memorable Shots:
One basket on the font nine is installed into a tree stump and well protected, it was a fun shot. Hole 9 is similar to the USDGC "gate" shot. Triple mando where you have to throw into a window. Water comes into play on the back 9 making for a couple tricky shots.

Cons:

Parking:
The recommended parking lot (via google) was basically a dog park. Definitely best to park near hole #9 and start there, which is an odd way to play a course.

Walking Paths:
I get it. This is a city park and the walking trails existed before disc golf I'm sure. It wasn't a huge deal, but I did wait to throw a couple times. This is a popular park for dog walkers.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun course. Not incredibly challenging, but enough shot variety and a few longer holes made it always interesting.

As a frequent visitor of Nola, I think this course is part of the perfect day at City Park. Get beignet, check out the free sculpture garden and then play disc golf.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
27 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Throwing Below Sea Level 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.398 Rating) A mid length park style course with a few wooded holes.
- MOWED BY VOLUNTEERS - I'm going to start this review with the reason I scored City Park a 3.5 instead of a 3.0. Volunteers literally mowed this entire course just prior to my visit, or at least that's the information a local told me when arriving for my pre-dawn raid of the course. The course was in amazing shape for a southern course in June. Sure the grass was knee to waist deep along the wide fairway cuts, but fairways and greens were no longer than 3 inches deep. Major kudos to the volunteers involved in keeping this course in check.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Considering the amount of care the course had gotten prior to my visit, a lot of hidden inner beauty was brought out. The park itself is not what I would define as drop dead gorgeous, but it's solid. I really liked the water element along (14) and (15). The finishing two holes had a nice wooded charm to them as well. The whole course has a bit of a country club feel to it too. Overall I slotted the course at 75 percentile.
- AMENITIES - City Park is decked out with all the right extras to please regular players and visitors. Artistic course map by tee (1). Concrete pads for the middle tees and of good size. I personally measured them at 5 by 12 with a taper to 6 feet wide in back. I confirmed later on google earth pro these numbers. There are couple that are a bit larger being nearly 14 feet long. The baskets are DISCatchers, there are multiple marked tees using colored stones flush with the ground, there are alternate basket placements and there are benches at almost every paved tee.
- CHALLENGING - I wasn't sure how to grade this. There are back tees on this course, but I would suspect that they are rarely used as the tees were not paved and the grass was long around a few of them during my visit. From the paved tees, I'd say that the difficulty is just north of average. A couple holes required 400 foot plus bombs to get into birdie range. The flanking trees on some of the fairways will swallow a disc and drop it at the contact point. I don't think rec players will average below par here unless they throw from the short tees. I enjoyed the challenges presented here as an Intermediate. Nothing mind altering, but it had solid intrigue.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - The tee signage is fantastic. Visually impressive and has all the necessary information, except next tee direction. I think the transitions between tees could have been better had there been some well-placed navigational markers. Linking mowed paths were evident, it's just that in a few spots there are several choices and I guessed wrong twice. After realizing the goof, I consulted my picture of the course map and was quickly back on track.
- HOLE VARIETY - I thought this aspect was above average among the near 500 courses I've thrown. A good mix of distances, from sub 200 feet to plus 600 feet. Some holes are great birdie chances, while on others, a par will be a good score. I only recall one par 4 in play for my appearance, but I think a couple other holes have that longer option. I enjoyed the teasing of water on a couple holes and the mix of tee coverages from almost open to almost heavily wooded. The biggest thing missing here is elevation, but I wasn't expecting any.

Cons:

Site constraints and course conditions.
- MAINTENANCE HISTORY - As alluded to on my first pro, I got a mowed and manicured course. However, this is not always the case looking back on a history of reviews. There's a zero percent chance I score this a 3.5 had I gotten overgrown fairways. I don't take off a ton of points for unkempt conditions (rarely more than ½ point), but as the fairways become shaggier, the beauty and fun factor starts to drop really quick. It appears the city of New Orleans does not consistently take care of this course. It's totally up to the resolve of the volunteers to pick up the slack.
- FLAT - This course is like Mississippi delta floodplain flat… oh wait. Seriously just about no elevation change on this course. Maybe (17) long tee is up 8 feet above the plain. Tee (12) is on a modest 4 foot high perch. After these notables, it's a bowling alley below sea level.
- LOST DISC POTENTIAL - Missing left on (14) and (15) is unforgivable. Looks like prime alligator and snake habitat. I have no idea if this is the case.
- MUD - I thought the rumors of mud was overblown until I hit tee (12). I nearly wiped it 3 or 4 times on the four-foot elevation climb to the tee. I noticed several spongy/soggy areas throughout the course. (14) and (15) had substantial mud areas too. I would suspect that during the summer rainy season that conditions can get horrid. I'd recommend packing mud boots to the avid course bagger. I'm glad I brought my boots.
- WALK BACK TO PARKING - A 900 foot walk back to tee (1) unless one cuts through fairways.
- PARKING - Only street parking.
- ONLY MIDDLE TEES ARE CONCRETE - 3 sets of tees, but the back tees and front tees are natural surfaces.

Other Thoughts:

I must be getting old, because I enjoyed this course more than I enjoyed Bourbon Street the day before. This course is likely no longer heralded as the town's best course due to Parc des Familles, but it's a really nice well-rounded stop that most players are going to enjoy. My only caveat to this is that, if the volunteerism were to ever stop, the course appeal will go down real quick as the vegetation growth almost never stops down here. So be sure to check conditions before scheduling a round here. I would suspect that summers are not an ideal time of the year to play here. Anyways, overall I'm going with a low 3.5, but I did get ideal conditions. Visiting players in the area should definitely consider checking it out, but only after Parc des Famillies first. The only reason I played here instead of the before mentioned course is because Parc des Famillies wasn't open until two hours after sunrise. Thankfully City Park was open and I was finally able to throw in Louisiana again.
- TIME PLAY - Average. Figure an hour for quick solos on an empty course. Groups of four in about two hours.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
18 1
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31 years 764 played 386 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Disc'n Near The French Quarter 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

City Park features an 18 holes disc golf course just a few miles from the heart of New Orleans . There is off street parking usually close to hole 1 . I did not remember seeing any bathrooms near the course .
THE EQUIPMENT - There is a nice kiosk with map near hole #1 . Take a picture of it . The fairways are cut , but there are a couple of confusing spots where you can wander , looking for the next pad . There are 3 sets of tee pads at most of the holes . Pro and short tee pads are natural and the intermediate are cement , but decent sized , about 8' X 4' .. The signage is good and are at both the intermediate and longs .They are descriptive and have a nice picture of the hole , but since the course has multiple pin placements , you can't tell if they are in the long or short spots unless you walk up the fairway . The baskets are yellow banded Discatchers
THE TERRAIN - The course is flat . and very park-style . The types of trees vary , from you playing around fir trees to oaks . Low hanging branches will force you to throw low , around or a roller on some of the holes . The fairways are fair and can allow you to open up your arm in spots . The park was full of water from a heavy rain from days before , but well taken care of .
HIGHLIGHTS - No memorable holes to take home with you , but some fun ones . #9 was a double mando garage door drive . #14 makes you decide to take the dogleg left , or go through a tight doorway in which if you aren't accurate , you will be digging in the weeds . #17 had a nice elevated basket . #18 was a straight shot with a small pool of water and a low hanging tree in the fairway in front of the basket .
SIGNATURE HOLE - #2 would be my pick . the pin was in the long position , and I guessed it at over 500' . There is some brush on the right and far left , and sets of low hanging trees that will force you to be both accurate in not hitting the trunks , letting you be behind them , and catching a branch ( like I did ) . Basket placement was just beyond and protected by yet another low hanging tree . I think it was considered a par 5 .
TIME - Even on a mid afternoon Monday , there were groups and solo players on the course . It took me 80 minutes , but part of it was because of the standing water on the course .
City Park DGC is a popular place to play with the locals , who are friendly and helpful . It is central to New Orleans and a good chance to get your disc golf fix .

.

Cons:

WATER BASIN - It has been a long time where I saw standing water like this on a disc golf course . The course is flat and will be a swamp after some hard rains . wear waterproof shoes/boots if attempting this . The water went over my boots several times .
NAVIGATION - Not bad , but not seamless , either . Some backtracking on a few holes . I am not sure why the don't have an online map . I followed a few of the locals since the course was full of water and I didn't want to chance dropping my phone in it .
FLAT AND STRAIGHT - There are some obstacles to make you work on some of the holes , but there is no elevation , no water carries ( maybe the little ditch on 18 ) and many of the holes are straight ahead .
DISC RISK - some areas off the fairway have high grass , and some of the brush is very heavy . I passed a guy who lost his disc the day before on hole 3 , trying to find it . There was someone on the back 9 area ( maybe 15 ) who had a disc ricochet and couldn't find his , either . Take turns spotting if not solo , on some of the holes .

Other Thoughts:

I was here several years ago , but was turned away because of a festival that took up most of the course . It looks like they are attempting improvements since then . City Park will likely never be a top of the line course , but so what ! Location , Location , Location . It's centrally located for the locals , and a solid enough play for tourists like me that want to get out and throw some .
MY RECOMMENDATION - A solid enough course in a well taken care of park . The several tee pads allow for better players to play with lesser counterparts. That said , this is a good enough play for newbies and 1 discers . Locals meet here and like it . Out of towners will like the convenient location , Intermediates will enjoy some of these holes , along with the pros , where both can work on their putting and midrange games . Don't go too far out of your way , BUT STILL PLAY IT !!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 4
samxyx
Experience: 5.8 years 31 played 30 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not Bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 19, 2020 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

This is your basic park course. It plays as primarily open on very flat terrain. A few holes have low ceiling shots going under large oak tree limbs. Course gets a little repetitive with several largely unencumbered, straight-shot, holes around 280' from the tee. Play gets slightly more interesting on the back 9 with a few of the close-out holes requiring skips shots or rollers due to the excessively low ceiling. A good player should get many birdies here. Hard to bogey. Overall not that interesting of a course, with not much to make a player want to return. That being said the course is well maintained, flows nicely, and can provide an enjoyable round. Just don't expect it to overly challenge you.


Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 382 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very Good, Fun Course that's Gotten a Lot of Love 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 10, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ The New City layout is on a former ball golf course in a 500 acre heavily used city park. Although it seemed pretty much in its own section, I noticed mowed tracks across some fairways for cross country.

+ There are three sets of tees (only the main one is concrete, the shorts and long are natural), two sets of permanent signs (at the intermediate and long tees), and two basket positions on some holes.

+ Former ball golf courses challenge the ability to design well for disc golf, but the designers at City Park have done a really good job with flat and largely open space. Although the course is generally short, there is a fair number of holes with tight alleys or low ceilings, creating genuine shot challenge

+ Hole #2 shows you some of the spectacular old spreading oaks that are around the course: when you're approaching the basket which is protected by their branches, notice how far away their trunks are

+ Holes #3, #4, #5 are the typical "back and forth" layout you find on ball courses, but each of these three is slightly different: #3 puts the basket slightly left, encouraging a fade around a course kiosk, #4 uses some trees to hide the basket, and #5 features a stump-mounted raised basket protected by a few tight pairs of trees, and a big tree in the middle of the fairway

+ Hole #9: Triple Mando! The local club deserves a lot of credit for building this feature that makes an otherwise dull hole into something really fun

+ Hole #13 is the longest on the course, and it's wide open - but the OB walkway helps add shape

+ Water slightly in play on two holes (behind the basket on #14, and along the left side of the fairway on #15)

+ Hole #17 features a built-up raised basket. As with #5 and #9, adding a feature makes the hole a lot more interesting to play. But because these are the only three holes with added features, the course doesn't feel overbuilt or "gimmicky"

+ Hole #19 is here to help your walk back to the street and the first tee. In this way it reminds me of #19 at Morley Field in San Diego: a hole added to the original design in order to break up a long walk back to the parking area. It's a good addition here - but you have to weave between #9, and #10 and and be on the lookout as you walk back to your car. It's not on the big map, and the only reason I knew it was there was because I ran across it after finishing the triple mando hole, thinking it was the next tee


Cons:

- No course map on uDisc. Make sure to snap a picture of the map near the first tee. The layout is pretty good - but there are a few places where the location of the next tee isn't obvious (like finding the tee for #2)

- I think there are more holes with multiple basket positions than indicated on the main map - and the long baskets can change the par, from 3 to 4 - so keep track

- Not a lot of RH forehand holes. This has been pretty consistent on the other converted ball golf courses I've played: I think it's because the fairways are so wide, and you can generally get at the basket with a backhand. I used a forehand off the tees only on #4 and #11 - so I don't know that lefties would enjoy this course

- This is a really good and fun course, but it does suffer some by not having more par 4's and/or 5's. The local club has done a ton of good work with what they were given though


Other Thoughts:

~ There's no rough to speak of. On the day I played, the wind made it interesting. 20+ mph gusts actually made the course better and tougher, without making it seem unfair


~ I understand from the other reviews here that the park management is VERY strict about what they can and can't do with the course. The thing I took note of is how well they adapted a former ball golf course which was largely wide open. They really use the trees that separated the old fairways, or separated old greens from next tees.


~ I could recall 12 - 13 of the 19 holes a week later. On one hand, this means there are some pretty simple, non-distinct holes. But looked at the other way, I think it's pretty good to remember more than two-thirds of the holes on a former ball golf course after only one round

Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 1
puaahunter
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 45 played 36 reviews
3.50 star(s)

No Gators, Just Bird(ies). 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 27, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great signage at the beginning of the course and the tee pads. Three teepad areas on each hole allows each skill of player to be challenged. Good use of the majestic trees to create low ceiling fairways. A mix of open holes, trees holes, and man made obstacles. The man made obstacles felt like course enhancements, not gimmicks. Sometimes that\'s a fine line. The triple mando wall, the elevated basket, and the tree stump basket were all highlight holes.

Cons:

Some of the holes felt pretty wide open and blah in between the more interesting holes. I would say a full third felt this way. The baskets could use "next tee" signs to direct first timers to the course flow. There were some points of confusion on our navigation.

Other Thoughts:

This was a fun course to play when visiting New Orleans. It was tough to get to without a car, but made for a nice adventure. Odd comment, but some of the tee pads felt "too big". I occasionally felt lost on them during my drive run up. It was a weird feeling. You can tell that the course designers are planning for the handful of young trees on the course to mature and add interest to some of the open holes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 0
c_a_miller
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 299 played 207 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Solid, Fun Play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 1, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

I will preface this review by saying that when I did come out and play, it was pouring at parts when I was playing. I feel certain that this review is as unbiased to that fact as possible, anyways - onward!

Disc golf on old ball golf courses can go horribly wrong, and I have seen it, design wise. I felt that the design of this course made the most of the expansive, and often times, tree less land that is offered. There is a real nice variety of hole lengths from long bomber holes to tricky short holes with triple mandos.

There are nice, new concrete tees that make it possible to drive on non-slick surfaces when it is raining. It sure beats the carpet like material that was used. There are three sets of tees, the two longer tees have tee signs while the shorter ones are marked with blue tees. There is something for every skill level here.

I liked the use of the river and the holes near the rear of the course a lot. It broke up the monotony of the longer, more ope holes that are scattered throughout the first part of the course.

A lot of reviewers mentioned in their cons that the course was overgrown and not manicured. I either caught it on a nice day, or the issue might have been resolved all together. Nonetheless, the course seemed to be in great shape minus the ankle deep water from the torrential rain.

Cons:

Having an elevated basket is not a pro, and this course has one.

There are throw away holes, and from what I understand, the Parks Department limited the course usage in the space, which sucks but it still is what it is. It still led to some fairly uninspiring golf.

There is a bit of a walk back to your car from basket 18, which could suck if it is pouring rain or if it is hot and humid. Speaking of the rain, I am sure this course holds water a lot, as most ball golf courses do. Even without recent rain, I can see and have heard that it can be wet feet if you are not careful.

Other Thoughts:

It seems that the course is improving with time as there are now concrete tees, the course was in good shape. I applaud the New Orleans disc golf community for their diligence in working with those dang bureaucrats. There work is not going unnoticed. Still, this course does have its limitations that seem to be at no fault at the designers but the Parks Department.

If you are New Orleans, I would still recommend you stopping to play. There is a fun factor here plus a lot of sweat and heart went into making this course as fun as it can be.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
16 0
blake833
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.9 years 160 played 140 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good clean fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 1, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This was the last course I played in the New Orleans area, and boy do I regret waiting so long. Since then, I have never been able to just play one round. This course is just plain fun to play.

To start broadly and move to the specifics, the flow of this course keeps it fresh. Built on an old ball golf course, there's a few tees on some raised mounds, so you get some extra distance. Hole 7's basket is in an overgrown sand trap. Some holes are hyzer, some anny. Backhand or forehand. There are a lot of straight shots though, a bit on that later. The main thing you should know about the overall layout and feel of the course: There is real challenge, but real birdie opportunities.

Some holes are more unique than others, and offer things no other course in the area does. Hole 9 is straight through a triple mando arch, 17 has a VERY elevated basket, and three tees for all levels of play.

This usually isn't a pro, but I've found it pretty enjoyable: There is almost always someone else out on this course.Usually this would be, at best, a non-factor, and at worst make a crowded course. But the New Orleans disc golf community is almost always out playing, keeping the course clean, and preventing over growth.

There is a good mix of these shorter tighter holes, and longer bomb holes. I haven't really sat down and checked the balance or pattern, and that is mostly because I have always been so content after my rounds it doesn't even matter.

More specifically, the fairways are clear and fair, the tee signs are good, even if the distances are off (by a lot on two holes, see below).

Cons:

Some of the distances are just inaccurate. I play from the red tees (closer than yellow, farther than blue), and the two most obvious ones are holes 7 and 13, which are around 600ft, still listed at about 350, and par 3.

Tee Pads are a mix of faux-turf, and earth. A course this well-designed should have concrete pads. I think the main issue here though is the disc golf club does everything and has to raise the money for course improvements.
UPDATE: Many of the tee's have now been made into concrete, and the rest are slowly coming. The club is doing all of this themselves through fundraising and donations.

Some walks are pretty muddy, and the walk from 18 back to the parking lot is pretty long. I'm actually ok with this though because I like the holes the way they are. At this point I'm just nit-picking.

There's no real elevation holes, but honestly if you were expecting that at a New Orleans course, that's your fault.

Other Thoughts:

Returning to my prior statement about a long straight shot, here's why that will help you: Hole 2 is a straight low tunnel, and holes 8, 9, and 10 are progressively shorter and tighter tunnel shots (9 and 10 you could use a good driving putter).

For being in a flat, open area, this course makes the best of what it's got. If you're a power thrower, or a finesse thrower, this course will have some holes for you.

The other local course is Lafreniere, Parc des Familles, or Pelican Park if you're driving up north. To rank them personally, I would say:
1) Parc des Familles
2) City Park
3) Lafreniere
4) Pelican Park
CP and Laf are probably pretty close and depend on the person
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 3
Dube3200
Experience: 18.8 years 45 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Can get to this course from downtown NO by taking a trolley. There are a couple holes that border water that are quite pretty.

Cons:

Most of the course is fairly similar (more of a "field-style" course). The grounds were fairly damp when I played, leaving me to jump over puddles or walk through the mud.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, coming from out of state, I was not particularly impressed with this course. It was what I would call a very typical flat field course, and I tend to prefer elevation changes and forest trees. However, I was happy that it was there, and accessible from downtown even without my own car, so it gets credit for that!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
12 1
Mr. Butlertron
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.1 years 659 played 131 reviews
3.00 star(s)

NOLA 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- free to play, free to park
- bomber course
- some fun ace runs : triple mando, raised basket
- multiple pins, multiple pads
- very informative tee signs for long and longer tee pads
- quality baskets
- course loops back to the beginning half way through
- map at beginning of course. I had to consult a cell phone picture from 8 to 9
- nice, safe area to throw

Cons:

- long grass makes this a lawn dart course, no potential for extra carry after ground contact
- no designated parking lot, park on far side of a semi busy street
- mostly open field course
- worn astro turf tees, sometimes too short for long hole run ups, sometimes natural
- soggy course
- signs need pin position indicator. I stepped up to a 700+ ft hole and didn't know which pin to throw to.
- basket 18 ends a couple hundred yards from the course beginning
- no trash cans
- not much shade for a majority of the course
- flat course
- overgrown fairways
- no benches

Other Thoughts:

City park is a long open field style course that does a great job utilizing large trees scattered throughout. The trees force subtle shot shaping on an otherwise open course. There were a few technical woodsy fairways on the back 9, as well. I came here early in the morning to beat the mid day heat. The course was flat, overgrown, and soggy. I am unsure if the course was so soggy because if the morning dew or because it is just naturally a little soggy in general. Either way, it made for a long round. City Park's overall fairway lengths can be daunting, especially with the lack of shade. I would overwhelmingly recommend using a cart, although I'm not sure if they'd roll very well with all the soft ground and tall, wet grass

I came to NOLA for the sights, sounds, and food, but managed to sneak in a course while I was here. The course neared a 3.5 rating for me, but I had to deduct some fractions of a point due to a few reasons. The fairways, as a whole, lacked definition and weren't very punitive. Wet knee high grass covered most of the course too. I spent a lot of time baking in these shadeless fairways looking for decent drives buried in grass. Also, all these long drives would be better complimented with concrete teesrather than astro turf. Some tees were short and/or natural.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 5
tom2red5179
Experience: 10.1 years 3 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not bad 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

I love the par 3 on all the holes, made it easy enough for my partner who is new at the game, to play with me and still make it fun for them, I like how it looks like it was built on an old golf course so I feel kind of as if that is almost the best setting for a disc golf course to be built on.

Cons:

The pics of this course on here are very misleading, It shows very clear and easily findable baskets, but most of the time we couldn't even find the baskets until we were right up on them. All it really needs is just a really good clearing out and it would be one of the top courses I'd say i've ever played
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 0
bosoxbrent
Experience: 13.7 years 36 played 12 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Course at a Beautiful Location 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 8, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Beautiful location within the city
- Fairly clean and well maintained
- Accessible by public transportation (although it's a hike through the park).

Cons:

- Signage is horrible and no course maps are available online.
- Not very challenging. All holes are Par 3, so there's not much in the way of challenging or elevation holes.
- Busy course. The course was very busy on a Friday mid-afternoon and we had to wait several times to be able to tee off. I can't imagine the traffic on the weekends if it was that busy mid-day on a week day.

Other Thoughts:

I was in town from Baltimore for a convention at the convention center. I didn't have a car, but I saw that I could take a streetcar up to the Museum of Arts stop and walk to the course. What I didn't realize was how big the park actually is. It was about a 2 mile walk from the Museum of Arts streetcar stop to the first tee. Since the weather was beautiful, I didn't mind the walk, but it's a long walk.

While I was walking to the course, I met up with a couple of other disc golfers looking for the course. We walked together and decided to play as a group. We were all of the same skill level, so it was nice to not have to play alone.

The course lacks any sort of real signage and direction to the next hole. Luckily there were a lot of others at the course that were kind enough to point us to the next hole. That allowed us to navigate the course pretty well, but it would have been nice to see some signs or at least direction to the next hole.

There's a few fun holes there. I really liked the back end of the course. I thought holes 14 - 17 were really a lot of fun.

14 backs up to this river, where if you overthrow the hole, you will end up wet. Being from the north, I'm not sure what they have for wildlife in the water, so I couldn't recommend whether its worth going to try and find your disc if it does end up wet. Ask a local.

16 (I think it was 16) was really neat as it was a straight shot under this huge, old tree. It was just beautiful looking and fun to play.

17 is an elevated basket. Sort of a gimmicky basket, but still a lot of fun to play as we don't have too many of those in the mid-Atlantic region.

The rest of the course was pretty much standard and nothing too special. I did have a blast playing this course and although it's not that challenging (I suspect everything is a par 3), I would definitely recommend those of all skill level try it out. Beginners will have fun and not get too frustrated. Those who have been playing for a while, will love all the holes in which you could have a chance for an ace.

It was well worth the 2 mile walk to this course from the end of the streetcar and I definitely look forward to playing this course again next time I'm in NOLA.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
ejsanchezjr
Experience: 11 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Flat but fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Even though the terrain in New Orleans does not allow for elevation changes and the land on which the course was placed was originally a few golf holes, the designers did a pretty good job of mixing it up and making some challenging shots here. Two sets of tees allow for different experiences - I played the shorter set as I'm not a long thrower and they seemed pretty long. The course is fairly new, so I'm assuming there will be improvements over time.

Some holes of note:

#3 is a nifty right to left that has an old golf cart path from which a skip may hurt or help you.

#4 is a somewhat tight drive that needs to go left to right to have a chance at a good score.

#5's basket is nestled in between some small trees that makes the approach pretty technical.

#9's "triple mando" is pretty cool. Short enough to not be ridiculous and justly punishing if your disc fades on your drive.

#10 is about as tight as they come but not long - I'm not a tunnel shot fan, but the shortness makes it bearable.

#13 can be a monster par 3 (there are two basket positions) that mandates a straight drive so as to avoid getting trapped behind some nasty trees. The course map linked here shows the shorter layout. When I played, it was just right of the #14 tee as it looks on the map.

#14's basket is well hidden as you stand on the tee box so look for it as you come up 13's fairway. It's a highly technical shot and the basket is backed by water not too far behind.

#15 and #16 are tucked away almost in a jungle setting. While it seems this was necessary to "squeeze" 18 holes into the land, they really are neat little holes.

#17 requires a bit of a walk to get to if you're playing the shorter tees (take a look from the pro tees and you'll understand why I'm glad I didn't play them). Then the elevated basket is well done. Quite a challenge as the bottom of the basket is higher than the top of my head.

Cons:

Like the older course, I fear a moderate rain will make this one very sloshy, especially on the parts that were originally water run off areas from the old golf course.

Other Thoughts:

Living in Baton Rouge, this course makes me want to bring my discs if I ever travel in the direction of New Orleans, so it's definitely a positive experience.

The map on this page is accurate (with the exception that it does not show the longer hole #13) so bring it along.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
bilen434
Experience: 11.8 years 27 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Not too shabby 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 19, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good location in City Park
-Easy to get to from the Interstate
-Two sets of Tees
-Good use of allotted space
-Variety of hole types
-Good use of foliage

Cons:

-Too much OB dictated by walking path, does not promote agressive lines
-Baskets way too close to OB on a lot of holes
-No elevation (not really the courses fault)
-Gimmicky elevated basket
-Gimmicky triple mando
-Minimal Signage, hard to find basket on some holes
-Not crazy about multiple basket types

Other Thoughts:

Pretty fun course if you take it for what it is
Both tee positions make for a fun round
Good course for tournaments
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 0
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 181 played 148 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Third Time's a Charm? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 3, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The newest form of New Orleans City Park's disc golf course offers about as much diversity in terms of hole length as can be found within a par 3 format: even the short tees range from sub-200' to well over 500' (when 13 is in the long position), with most every range in between represented. This mix ensures variety and makes extensive use of your bag. There are opportunities to air it out, tight quarters, and lots in the middle.

Lines and hazards are similarly varied. There's no repetition out here, and lots of opportunity to benefit from having a variety of shots in your game: being able to throw both BH and FH really comes in handy on this course, and less-common shots such as overhand and rollers (grass allowing) play well, too. It's a nice mix of holes that will definitely make life difficult at some point if you don't have a versatile mix of shots.

Obstacles aren't overly abundant, but smartly used to ensure a technical round. Sidewalk OB is intuitive (and thankfully sparsely trafficked), making for some real risk/reward shots on a few holes while factoring in to a lesser degree on several others. Other hazards include tight wooded lanes, challenging low ceilings, sprawling trees, some compact windows, the occasional tricky-to-hit landing zone, a very elevated basket, and even a USDGC-style triple mando. There's a nice range here.

The two sets of tees are are both well-integrated. The shorts are newbie friendly while still having enough challenge to be enjoyable for better players, and the longs throw a lot at you, adding their own technical twists beyond sheer distance. The longs make for a very worthwhile round; shooting even on them is a very solid score.

Cons:

Every bit of technicality is squeezed out of this land as dictated by park officials - the land afforded to the layout is severely limited, with some more-wooded stretches off limits or used with severe restriction - but there's only so much that can be done. There aren't enough trees or acres to allow the course to stretch out or offer a more technical round or varied environment (though as described above, even minor differences are used to great effect). The use maximizes what's available, but the course's ceiling was capped from the get-go.

The limitations on land and usage also make it difficult to avoid throwaway holes. There are only a few of them but they're there. The openness and narrowness of the land the back 9 plays on is largely the issue: there weren't a lot of design options available.

The course is approaching a year old but it remains in rough shape. Grooming is inconsistent at best and gets pretty bad in the summer. The natural tees can get overgrown or become blocked by foliage, especially the longs, which are under-used. Some better footing is sorely needed on many holes. A lot of work went into preparing the land for the course and it's light years from where it began, but the land is still rough around the edges and the upkeep isn't there.

Proper tee signs have yet to be installed and the temps have fallen off in places. Occasionally images from the old course are visible which can be confusing to newcomers. Long tees have no info other than hole number.

Bathrooms are needed. A portajohn comes and goes from the area.

Course does not drain well, but it's New Orleans.

Other Thoughts:

I've been playing this course since before the layout was finalized, and it's been neat to watch it grow. There are some some memorable and worthwhile holes out here, especially from the long tees. It's a shame that the park didn't give the designers more to work with.

I would rate the design a 3.5 and the playability/grooming a 2.5, so 3.0 seems appropriate. The long tees are particularly solid, it's just a shame they're not better tended to. Hopefully the upkeep improves over time, as the passion is certainly there on the part of many locals.

This is the most convenient course to visit from the downtown area. I prefer Lafreniere in many ways, but you don't have to contend with nearly as much of a pedestrian problem here.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 1
The Drake
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.8 years 126 played 60 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Rough around the edges 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 15, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is one of 2 full courses in New Orleans, located pretty close to downtown and easy to get to. It is located within a nice large park on a former ball golf course but aside from the occasional jogger you pretty much have the land to yourself. The course is relatively easy to navigate even for a first timer.
Two sets of tees for each hole (pro and am) allowing you to tailor the round to your skill level. There is a good mix of holes from turnover/sidearm shots to hyzers, to straight and narrow and even a few bombers. Overall you'll get a good array of shots to choose from so bring the entire bag.
Considering the type of course I would say I was impressed with the overall use of land and the ability to have the course flow pretty well. Though not perfect by any means the designers clearly did their best to try and use a lot of natural obstacles to create tight fairways and specific routes in an otherwise open course.

Cons:

Unfortunately there are a lot of negatives to this course, many of which stem from the fact that even if its not accurate this course appears to have an element of neglect. The fairways, even this time of year are apparently routinely overgrown as they were during my round.
While there are two sets of tee signs for each hole a) Many of them are damaged with elements missing and b) the pro tees have nothing on them other than the hole number leaving distances up to total guess work. They also do not provide any indication to the direction or location of the pin which for the few pins that are blind from the tee pad make for some excess walking.
For me at least I would consider the fact that the courses uses all natural tee pads a negative. Any time you're required to throw a full distance shot you need to have sure footing which cannot be achieved on natural pads, especially when the grass is not always cut.
While there are a variety of shots and routes there are definitely a couple of gimmicky holes. By that I mean there was clearly an element of "hmmm, don't really know what to do with this hole so lets add a few man made elements to make things more difficult". Occasionally some odd pin placements in location to the tee make for nearly impossible routes to reach the basket, at least from the pro tees.
Finally there are a mix of baskets types on the course. From memory I can recall at least 2, maybe even 3 different types of baskets. While this isn't a total killer of a course it does hurt the consistency of the round and give it a less than professional look.

Other Thoughts:

As my 97th course, this was my first experience of golf in Louisiana. I only had time to play one course and so chose this one mainly because it was close to where I was staying. I did enjoy my round but as pointed out above there were many factors present making for a weaker overall rating. This course DEFINITELY has potential as the land is clearly not really used by anyone else. A few re-designs here or there could really help this course out. The last few holes (15-18) to me had the feeling of being a rushed design to finish a course and really didn't fit the rest of the course. I also was not a particular fan of the really tall mounted basket on 17. Especially considering even from the red tee (which I had to play because the gold pad route was completely overgrown) is nearly impossible to reach because of a lack of a true fairway on an oddly wooded hole.

There is a significant amount of additional land right next to the course. I don't know if its possible or what the park currently allows but I would recommend the local club or course designers incorporate this area and scrap some of the shorter holes which are just glaringly out of place compared with the rest of the course. I would love to come back once they finalize everything and see the improvements.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
15 1
MikeK
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.8 years 330 played 128 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Like Mardi Gras, much better with a cocktail 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 25, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

+a few holes on the back nine are often lit at night next to the softball fields
+Innova Pro 28 baskets (a couple with extra sleeves/pin placements)
+three sets of tees; middle red tees are big concrete tee pads
+in the heart of New Orleans, only four miles from Bourbon Street
+no ticks, few if any other bugs (watch for red ants though)
+fairly open, a great place to take new players to learn
+elevated basket on #17
+nice oak trees on #1-4,11-12, pine trees on #8-10,17-18
+ Free to play, and 100% designed, built, and purchased by volunteers & donations
+sidewalk OB to help make a few holes more interesting
+drains halfway decent, built on an old ball golf course
+excellent tee signs

Cons:

-the park tends to get behind on its grass cutting schedule in the summer months
-in the fall, some afternoons or mornings the course is closed because of cross-country meets
-no water fountain or rest rooms

Other Thoughts:

City Park DGC is a little rough around the edges, but it definitely has its moments. The course is a decent, entertaining and sometimes challenging experience. With short, medium, and long sets of tees, there's 54 different shots to play.

While City Park has had a permanent disc golf course since 2010, this current location has only been installed since March 2015. The course equipment (baskets & tee signs) was purchased and installed by the local disc golf club (NO Team), and new tee signs were made and installed in 2016. A new course map was installed by hole 1. It's not that difficult to navigate City Park DGC without a map though, as there isn't a whole lot of walking in between each hole.

There's several benches to sit on around the middle concrete tees.

You'll beg for a breeze in the steamy New Orleans summer, and the wind in the cooler months gives this course a bit more teeth. The middle tees have a lot of variety and they're all a little tricky to birdie, so you won't be bored after a couple rounds. The long tees are not as varied, but should benefit in the future from several trees planted by the club.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top