Idaho Falls, ID

Freeman Park DGC

3.835(based on 30 reviews)
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11 0
sillybizz
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.1 years 400 played 385 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Idaho Falls Best Course

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 31, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

The property and how it was used:

Freeman is a very large park with moderate hills and lush green grass that plays around and through a small creek right next to the snake river. You start in the middle of the park and make your way first along the outskirts throwing multiple shots in fairly wide open fields with a few trees marking your path or guarding the basket from approach shots. Many of the holes in the front nine have you throwing over and around a creek that runs through the park(easy to retrieve your disc at least in summer months), this is also where a decent cluster of trees are and the semi tight lines that challenge you. The back nine opens up considerably and this is where you find the majority of the par four holes at and the property accommodates this very nicely. So many times I've played courses and designers are trying to hit the 'magic number' (9, 18 holes on a course usually) that they sacrifice good design so that you can fit enough in. This wasn't done here and I appreciate that.

Types of challenges and shots needed to score well:

While the course is mostly open and tight wooded lines aren't really needed here the course offers other challenges in order to do well. Distance of course but also drive and approach placement are important with so many baskets being on one side of a tree or another. Elevation while not overly dramatic has been used well to create up and down holes as well as treacherous basket locations. Less wooded courses typically are no brainer throws but here you have to think about going backhand or forehand with drives and approaches and how and where you are going to land. Some holes the best shot is actually throwing off the fairway and hyzering or anhyzering back in. I found my self throwing rollers both BH and FH on many of the holes out here.

Aesthetics:

It's a beautiful park as what seems like all of the parks in this area are. You have the nice green grass as fairways, a beautiful little creek that provides challenge, and shade and of course many of the holes play close enough to the snake river to really appreciate it. I didn't see one piece of trash on the entire course despite not seeing any trash bins. Well done Idaho Falls.

Cons:

Teepads/signs/multiple pins/navigation:

I found the tee pads fairly short especially in the back nine for the par four holes but other than that no issue with the concrete tees. Tee signs showed pin location but many of them were wrong, perhaps this course has been redesigned since then? Not really sure. I know most people are fans of multiple pins but when you're unfamiliar with a course and some baskets are visible from the tee pad it's a bit annoying to walk down and locate them and walk back in July in Idaho. I played with a group who had played the course only a few times and though most of the course isn't bad to navigate it's also not obvious where the next tee pad is. Little ribbons tied to the basket in the direction of where to go next is an easy but very effective way of fixing this. Although these were mostly cons for me these don't affect my rating much overall.

Less obstacles than desired:

I'm originally from the Seattle area and grew up on wooded courses and prefer wooded courses. I would much prefer a 250 foot heavily treed, tight window dogleg to a 500 foot open fairway with a basket behind a tree at the end. I really enjoyed the front nine but the back nine tailed off a bit for me as it opened up and got longer.

No signature hole:

While none of the holes were bad, none of them were amazing either, just solid overall. I know I'm nit picking a bit now and the piece of property probably doesn't support a signature hole, it would elevate this place quite a bit.

Grass too long for rollers:

More nitpicking I know but when I played the grass was just slightly too long for long distance rollers which is a shame because this could be one of the best roller courses out there. I don't know if maybe they cut the grass the day after or something but it was short enough to throw them just not short enough to throw them far.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this is the best course in Idaho Falls and since I just moved here I would consider this to be my "home course" at this point. Not really a destination course or a championship level course but a really fun and challenging course for just about any amateur starting out or who have played for years.
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14 0
Jah Plastifari
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 40.8 years 249 played 33 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent Park Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent park setting

Elevation a large factor on many holes

Multiple pin positions

Nice concrete tees

Good tee signs

Decent mix of L to R, R to L, and straight tee shots

Good use of available trees in the design

Both nines loop back to starting area

Flows fairly well

Very well maintained

Cons:

Creek could have been used better in the design

Busy park setting

As is the case with many city park courses, could use more trees in play

Other Thoughts:

Very enjoyable course that I would like to play a tournament on sometime.

This course reminds me a lot of the course I learned to play competitive disc golf on, the original layout of Edora Park in Ft. Collins Colorado.

This course plays long and isn't very beginner friendly because of this fact. A set of shorter tees would help.
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11 0
aphilso1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.5 years 52 played 49 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid Track 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 11, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Excellent infrastructure: baskets and concrete tee pads are in good shape for all 18 holes, and the Infinite Discs tee signs are great. Public restrooms available in the park, too.
-Very good course maintenance. It appears that the city mows the course since it is part of the main city park. Only a couple holes where a bit of tree trimming would help define the hole shape.
-Nice variety of hole lengths: a couple ace runs, a bunch in the standard 300'-400'ish length, and even some Par 4's. The tee signs indicate that most holes have multiple basket placements, which is nice.
-Nestled into a nice multi-purpose public space. How many city parks have you seen and dreamed of installing disc golf baskets? If you're like me, then it's too many to count. Often times cities don't want to deal with the perceived downside of adding disc golf, but kudos to Idaho Falls for seeing the value.

Cons:

-Missing the "wow" factor. I'd happily play again if I'm passing through town with 90 minutes to spare, but there's nothing about the course that makes me feel the need to go out of my way to replay it.
-The obvious downside of adding disc golf to an already busy city park. I played on a weekday morning, and even at that time the park was super busy. Lots of joggers, dog walkers, and bikers enjoying the park to watch out for. Expect delays.
-The roads come into play too, so you also need to look out for cars in a couple spots.

Other Thoughts:

In summary, this is a typical park-style course layout, that has maxed out its potential due to great upkeep and infrastructure.
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1 1
RCdiscs406
Experience: 9.8 years 57 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Park Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 21, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Concrete pads.
-Baskets are in good shape.
-mown fairways are always a treat when playing park couses.

Cons:

-Signage could use some updating with new pin locations.
-On a busy day, this couse would be almost unplayable.

Other Thoughts:

Wonderful park couse. Will be coming back to play again.
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3 1
Chuckieb
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not Bad but needs work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good Mix of hole length
-Good use of sporadic trees to "define the fairway"
-Nice wood hole signs
-Good concrete Tee Pads

Cons:

-Alt pin locations not marked on hole signs

Other Thoughts:

Could use a course map at the main parking area that has alt pins marked and the adjust distances marked if wooded tee signs are not updated. Could use Next tee arrows for a few of the holes. Went and played at 1230 on a sunday and there were sprinklers going off and spraying on a few tee pads/ pins, someone from the club should get with the city about that.
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2 1
stussyjoker
Experience: 5 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Worth playing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

NIce baskets
Large tee boxes
Well manicured park
A lot of variety in hole length
Great scenery

Cons:

Intersecting walking path can cause delays with park-goers
Tee signs do not indicate pin position
Kids/families can be hazards on busy days

Other Thoughts:

Freeman is a fun course. If you live within 30-45min, it's worth the drive to play a round or two at least. I don't think it's as great of a course as many of the reviews here indicate, though. Definitely the best course in the area, but not a great course. The local club should really work on updating the tee signs in order to have the multiple pins indicated. There is one hole that has a laminated print-out with the information, but it isn't very useful. I'd agree with other reviewers that said to have a map of the course handy on your first visit. I do however disagree that there are any extraordinarily long walks within holes. Just my opinion though.
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5 1
idahooldguy
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.8 years 40 played 36 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Eastern Idaho Gem 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Beautiful well-groomed park setting with mature trees and a nice little stream running through the park.
• Nice views of the Snake River on a few holes.
• Good basket placements that require moderate accuracy.
• Decent mix of holes lengths and balance between hyzer and anny throws.
• Some decent use of elevation.

Cons:

• Too many long holes for my liking. I would have liked 2-3 more short and technical holes.
• There were a few unnecessarily long walks between holes, especially from #16 basket to #17 tee.
• Tee signs are placed perpendicular to the tee pad instead of at the head of the pad. This confused me and I almost threw the wrong direction a couple of times. The pictures on a few holes weren't accurate as to basket location.
• I really wish this course (in fact, ALL COURSES) had "Next Tee" arrows on each basket. I got turned around on navigation several times. I would print a map before you go.
• Watch out for the disc-eating Spruce trees. The Spruce trees are pretty, but absolutely swallow discs.

Other Thoughts:

I had been looking forward to playing this course for a while. It is a good course, but not quite as good as advertised. My favorite holes were 1-8. They play close to the pretty little stream that runs through the park. There were too many long holes on the back side for me, although #10 was an interesting downhill hole with a few trees to dodge as well as OB behind the basket. #12 was a Pro/Con hole for me. I wish the tee wasn't placed back down the hill from basket 11. It could have been a really nice, short downhill shot to a hidden basket with OB behind. It's still an interesting hole where you have to actually throw past the hole and to the left, then throw a reverse approach/putt into a tight gap in the trees. The course is definitely worth playing if you're in Idaho Falls.
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3 0
Chromezero
Experience: 13.7 years 10 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Freeman Park DGC - A well done public park course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

I've played this course a couple of times now, during different times of the year. Each time I've played it, the course was in good condition and appears to be well taken care of. I really enjoyed playing across the stream and of course being close to the Snake river.

- The grass is in excellent condition, which is unusual for me to see coming from the Arizona desert.
- The tee pads are concrete and in good condition.
- Each tee pad has a sign, with some basic hole information.
- Hole lengths vary throughout the course; Some are short and some are long.
- The course has a decent variety of shots needed and is a lot of fun to play.
- Hole 1 and 10 are both near the parking lot, making it easy to play 9 holes if you don't have time for a full 18.

Cons:

Generally speaking, I like this course a lot. I do have a couple of minor issues.

- The tee pad signs aren't very accurate and sometimes seem wrong on the basket location.
- Finding the next tee pad can be difficult without a map.

Other Thoughts:

I really like this course and hope to play here every time I'm in the area. It's a full size course, which includes a couple of par 4's. I think it's laid out well and it's in a really nice park. I have a couple of minor complaints about the course but really, I'm just being picky.
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2 3
Stevo-DDKS-DDL-CCT
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Manicured Nicely 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 9, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course is very green and pretty. A good mix of shots for the most part.

Cons:

Hard to follow, tee signs not accurate, sprinklers on in the late mornings makes it hard to play multiple holes! People traveling from out of town will find this difficult to navigate if never played or no access to maps.
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5 0
LiquidDivide
Experience: 9.9 years 5 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

variety defines this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The first 9 on the course mostly requires shorter, technical shots. You have to cross a creek or come dangerously close to it several times. Plenty of shots require you to go around or under trees.

The second half of the course opens up with some longer distance holes and some more open fairways.

Each half of the course begins and ends near the parking lot, so it's easy to play a quick half game. A group of guys from the office go play 9 holes during lunch.

Many of the pins have 2 locations and the park moves some of them every week or so, making the course different all the time.

Cons:

signs are inaccurate with redesign and multiple pin locations.

Some of the tees are a bit of a walk from the previous pin. Bring a map if you've never been before. It can be tricky to find out where to go next.

I wish the variety was a bit more mixed in between the front and back half. It almost seems like 2 different courses the way things change completely in the middle. Mixing a few longer holes on the front and some more technical holes on the back would make the course better I think.

Depending on the season, the creek can be pretty deep, swift, and murky, so you may want to check the creek before playing the front nine. It's very easy to lose a disc when it is running fast, but the front 9 has some of my favorite holes.

Other Thoughts:

The park can be very crowded on holidays and some weekends in the middle of summer. Don't plan on playing on the 4th of July as this park is a prime spot to watch the fireworks. Occasionally people are sitting under some of the trees on the course, but none have caused a problem for me before.
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5 0
jcjohns
Experience: 22.8 years 81 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

In town, out of town 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 23, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Shot variety is great.
In town, but almost has an out of town feel with great views.
Good use of elevation.
Multiple pin placements.
Difficult fairways/greens with O.B.
Minimal water
Holes 1,9,10,18 play nice traditional loops if you only have time to play 9, you're right back at the car.

Cons:

Not many trees, but good use of those that were available.
Some holes played much to close or over walking paths.
Not clearly marked "To next tee"
Short tee pads

Other Thoughts:

All in all, I enjoyed this course. I think during heavy park use, some holes could be dangerous with their proximity to the walking path, but there are simple design changes that could make this a non-issue. Was very glad to have a local while playing and if you don't have one, try to find a course map before venturing out.
Outside of the few questionable holes along the walking path, anyone who gets to call this their "home course" has it pretty well off from a proximity to town perspective.
Also nice that a 5 minute drive could put you in a place to pick up those things you might have forgot (water, snack, etc.)
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3 0
AnnhyzerFrank
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great course but rated too high 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good variety of shots/ shot distances
Good signage/ easy flow of course
Mostly open course - difficult to lose discs even in the only water in the park
Liked the holes with the elevation changes.
Variable hole distances have something for beginer and advanced players. Additionally I liked the Variety of hyzer, annhyzer, and straight shots this course had to offer.
Well maintained park

Cons:

Crowds at several holes unknowing they were on the course or in the line of fire.
Many cars parked near the roads complicate some holes
For the rating this course received before I think my expectation was a little too high . There isn't a whole lot wrong with this course, but it just doesn't have the local, signature holes that really sets a course apart from the average city park. Among city parks this one is great but after the round ended I wasn't exactly blown away.

Other Thoughts:

This was an overall fun course to play. Haven't played the other courses in Idaho Falls but this appears to be the best one. The course does a good job with the space available in the park and I am a visiting Oegonian disc golfer so take my opinion with a grain of salt. The course is definitely worth stopping and playing a quick one. If i I lived in Idaho falls I would play this course all the time. Expect to have a good time but don't expect the best course you've ever played.
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3 0
Alan01
Experience: 6.8 years 12 played 12 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Something for everyone 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Expansive city park
Cement tee boxes and good signage
Double-chain baskets
A reasonable amount of up and down
Hole lengths vary from moderately short and highly technical holes to holes that are very long and favor brute-force players.
Normally not busy at all.
Some holes have water and require more accuracy.

Cons:

There is a lot of open space, and most holes are not that technical. They tend to favor power players

Other Thoughts:

A rapidly flowing stream/ditch comes into play on three holes in the front nine. The water flows fast enough that even though discs usually sink and stay on the bottom, they could be swept all the way to the Snake River and be lost for good. Be ready to run down and jump in the water after discs that go awry. This can be stressful for inexperienced/inaccurate players.
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2 1
jordanferg92
Experience: 12.6 years 43 played 29 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Rated too High 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Signs had map, par, distance
2. Beautiful park
3. Very calming relaxing course
4. Water fountains and bathrooms
5. Concrete tees

Cons:

1. Navigation was terrible
2. Lengthy holes
3. Not much variety
4. Tee pads could be a bit bigger
5. Walking path goes through a few holes

Other Thoughts:

This course was good, however somewhat of a letdown because of such high reviews it had. This course was fun and relaxing, however not challenging or technical. The best holes were the first 7, after that they all just seemed the same, Long and boring. With that being said, I loved the first 7 holes. Throwing over and playing near the creek was a blast. These few holes were very unique and interesting enough for me to love this course. I saw some old posts where the holes used to be, wish I played it back then. Overall a good course, could be very good to excellent with some better holes, benches, or larger tees. But definitely a fun round and would recommend.
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2 3
toucan2306
Experience: 13.6 years 52 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-What caught my eye first was the wood signs that were very accurate with trees, trains, and water.
-Very open grass fields with trees making for some imaginitive shots.
-Distances vary for the long bombs to the tight shots.
-The creek makes for a great hazard but does not run the risk of losing a disc.

Cons:

-The second time we played was on a Sunday afternoon, the park was a lot busier and shots had to be timed between crowds.
-There are some shady characters in the park, just keep your head up.

Other Thoughts:

During a 15 hour drive we took the hour stop and played this course a second time. I found this course to be one of my favorite courses in the west coast so far. Just so many fun shots, long and short.
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3 0
Salki12
Experience: 15.6 years 21 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good All Around 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Varying hole positions, some short technical shots, other long fairway shots. Front 9 as mentioned above are mostly shorter, with a few fun long shots. Trees add a measure of difficulty with most holes requiring some sort of break. Very well maintained park, nice grass making discs easy to find.

Cons:

Some of those pine trees are thick, and swallow discs easily, and getting sap all over your hands while climbing to get the disc out is no fun. Shorter pads on holes that I have played in the past, some holes are along roads that cars frequently park on, which isn't good for a beginner / novice player. Difficulty knowing where the next hole is after some of the holes. Had to walk around some to find where to go.

Other Thoughts:

Best course in Idaho Falls in my opinion, and living in Rexburg, it's a great park right off the freeway to find and get to easily.
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1 2
srobbins13
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I absolutely love this course.

Cons:

Don't roll your disc into the stream. It is a bit to wide to easily get it back out of the middle.

Other Thoughts:

You can play either the front or the back nine on a short day, or go for a full round. The front nine is a more technical round, while the back nine are for more of the long shots.
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1 1
Drewmon71
Experience: 12.8 years 26 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

good course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 21, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

nice well kept course. great variety of distance and throws. Creek comes into play on a few holes, but is dry by the fall. nice use of elevation and multiple pin placements

Cons:

distances on signs are not accurate. Long walk between some of the holes
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1 2
bldiehl
Experience: 14.8 years 7 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Curbman32 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Challenging pin locations, and quite a panaramic view.

Hole 15 can get some phenominal distance because of the wind coming over the hill. It is a 600 foot hole and can easily be made in 3. With a little luck and the right throw it can be done in 2.

Cons:

There is a little creek that runs through holes 4 through 8 that can be difficult to locate disks in. Yellow and white disks are most easily found in the creek.

Hole 13 if you throw with a left handed turn on your disk you can easily wind up in the Snake River and it is impossible to retrieve a lost disk in there.

Other Thoughts:

I play on this course daily, and it is a terrific course to play on!
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1 2
Wagpup
Experience: 13 years 9 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fun but super rough. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Holes are mostly very different. Going up hill, down hill, thru trees, over a small river.
-Very spread out holes.
-Varing distance of holes.
-Concrete driving pads
-Good signs.

Cons:

-Got lost a couple times, because I didn't have a map.

Other Thoughts:

This is one of the best courses I've ever played. I saw it had a rating of 4 and thought because it was the only serious course in town that it got bloated with comparative ratings. But it deserves a 4 or better. It would be a 5 if there was some map somewhere (I could of missed it somewhere) Very Recommonded.
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