Fairfield, OH

William Harbin Park

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3.245(based on 40 reviews)
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10 0
thrembo
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 48.8 years 242 played 194 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Old School Charmer

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course was put in in 1999, and it shows. The baskets are rusty, but still get the job done, and the tee pads are concrete but some are uneven and deteriorating. The course is set in a nice park with rolling hills and has enough trees to make it interesting. I felt a sense of nostalgia while playing this course as it reminded me of other courses that I have played from that era. The course is a fun throw and has some cool views of the surrounding countryside.

Cons:

So...The course could benefit from a makeover. The terrain is here for something really nice I believe. Give her a modern redesign and new tees/baskets and this course could be a stunner.

There is a wall of dense rough on the edge of some of the fairways here with thorny plants that make disc recovery somewhat difficult.

Other Thoughts:

This course is in contention to be my new home course and puts me in my happy place.
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7 0
Luckj
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.2 years 65 played 50 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Enjoyable Course, Especially when Dry

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 8, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Being a more experienced reviewer, I felt it was time to update my review. I've now played Harbin 11 times so I feel qualified to give a full review.
-Elevation changes: The course does have some nice variety, but it's strength is subtle elevation changes throughout. Around half the holes are playing up or down a slope. The uphill shots bate you into running the basket, only to find the hole is much harder to reach than the distance would suggest. Choose your disc wisely on the downslope, particularly 13.
-Trees/bushes force hitting a line: Most fairways aren't simple wide open fields (though there are a few). There are enough trees and bushes that make you think about your line. A couple holes would even be considered "wooded"
-Rewards well placed shot: The mowed fairways are often narrow. This course really rewards considering your landing zone. If you don't have the power to reach the pin, where should you go for?
-A couple genuine par 4s: The pars are outdated (I'd suggest playing it as a par 56), but holes 4 & 18 both are real par 4s. 4 is nice, a wide open field with a mowed fairway down the middle. At 700+ feet you really can open up. 18 requires a lot more control with a 200' shot to the landing zone followed by a 300' fairway.
-The course works well as a 9 hole layout as both 9 and 18 are near the parking lot.
-Plenty of parking
-Shelter near hole 1
-Baskets are older, but catch decent enough.

Cons:

-Having mowed fairways means the rough can get high. It's usually beat down by golfers looking for their discs, but you'd rather be on the fairway. The bushes that line the fairway as well as the woodline can be very dense with vines, thorns, and poison ivy. Don't forget to look up for a missing disc.
-Many teepads slope up or down.
-Long walk from 7 to 8. Don't get mixed up and play 13, which is the first pad you'll see. Walk past 13 and you'll see 8 to its left.
-Speaking of 8, that teepad is extra short and slanted.
-No restrooms nearby.

Other Thoughts:

The first time was wet and unmowed rough and as a beginner I swore I wouldn't go back. The second time was after it had been cut and dried out and I loved it. I'd recommend coming in the early spring before everything gets thick for the best experience.
This course is only <10 min off of 275, takes around an hour and a half to play with 2 casual players, and is worth your time.
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2 6
icezero82
Experience: 9.8 years 63 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course with open courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good place for beginners due to a lots of Par 4\'s.

Cons:

Tee 16-18 missing signs. Couldn\'t find tee 7 after the 6th one.
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4 1
Bagger Vance
Experience: 38.9 years 23 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Solid Course - Great place to practice Driving 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Solid tee pads and quality baskets.
Enough variety of different shots to work hyzer/anhyzer and short/long/ultra long throws.
Great place to practice and tweak your drives or teach intermediate players how to drive for distance as it is fairly wide open without much risk of losing discs.

Cons:

Not very challenging for pros. Lacking in obstacles.
Keep it in the fairway, as the rough can be gobble up your discs.
If playing at dusk, bring glow tape or a blinker.
Putting can be windy as not much protection.

Other Thoughts:

Overall solid intermediate course.
Great place to practice driving.
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1 2
Grippenripp
Experience: 9 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice golf! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Elevation changes, nicely manicured fairways, places to rest, trash bins and a port-a-potty. This course was fun and fair, visually appealing and despite some decent elevation changes not that hard of a walk. good shots are rewarded bad shots can get you in a hairy situation but nothing too bad.

Cons:

The tall grass can swallow up a disc.

Other Thoughts:

All in all this is a very fun golf course that requires a variety of shots to play well. I will be playing this one again, many times.
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6 0
BillyBoy
Experience: 10.2 years 679 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Billy Boys Review 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 28, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is mostly open with lots of long fairways and elevation changes that will test you driving distance. Don't take the sparse trees and shrubs for granted, though, as these bits can trap errant discs and leave you with a tough time getting back to the fairway. Wind often plays a part in the difficulty level here, so if you are working on that part of you game this is a good place to start.
It is not very busy most days, so you can play at your own pace. You can expect to see some other players, hikers, dog walkers, etc., but likely won't have to wait on anybody. Finding your way is pretty easy too as long as you pay attention to the "next tee" indications on the Tee signs (there are no arrows at the baskets).
Other than a few damaged signs, this course is well maintained. The new-ish baskets are in great shape, the cement tee pads look new and are big enough for a decent run-up, Fairways are regularly mowed, and shrubbery is regularly groomed.
There is plenty of parking and a pavilion at #1, #9, & #18 with grills if you want to bring some burgers and dogs for lunch. This make a great staging area for tournaments as well, and there are quit a few regular tournaments here, including regular night golf.

Cons:

If you are looking for water or a bathroom, expect a long hike from the parking lot or #4/#5. I've heard something about a water spigot near #8, but I've never found it.
It can be easy to loose discs here. The tall grass surrounding the fairways can swallow up discs. Also the woods between #10 and #18 have caused quite a few discs to vanish.
Most of the holes are pretty strait forward, and don't make you think all that much. The main challenge here is just distance for most players.
While it is certainly worth playing if you're in the area, don't expect to be overly impressed.

Other Thoughts:

For the beginner:
You may not get a great score, but don't be afraid to play this course. It's well within your abilities.

For the intermediate player:
This is a great place for you to start working on distance and accuracy in your drives.

For the Advanced player:
You can get some birdies and even a few aces here, but you can get a few bogies too if your not careful. If you want to test you driving distance, # 4 and #18 are there for you.
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4 0
UFM82
Experience: 13.8 years 20 played 20 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Middle of the road muni course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a decent muni course that plays well for all levels. It's mainly open and does not have a lot of wood to deal with but it does have dense tufts of honeysuckle that will break up the obvious lines and snag your disc. The holes are a decent mix of long and short ( 220 up to 725) and almost can give you birdie shots. Also several good ace shots here with #8 bring a main suspect. Baskets are good, concrete tee pads are good, signage is good and there is water on the course up by 8/9.
Elevation changes in that you go uphill for the first the holes and then back down on the backside. But each hole is difference even though they are the same, if that makes sense. Lots of lines to try here. This is technically my home course but I don't claim it as such because of the cons.

Cons:

Cons- I like this course because it's close but I hate this course because of the rough. They mow the fairways short and that's great but the rough is brutal. When they do mow it, they leave the long dead grass on top of the live grass. It is VERY easy to lose a disc here due to this. It drives me crazy to see my disc land and then not be able to find it. Spending 15 minutes to search for a disc anytime you wind up in the rough is aggravating and disruptive. I have a hard time focusing on the game when I have to worry about finding my disc.
There is very little shade on this course and it is almost always breezy so take that into consideration. A par round is no gimme but it's doable by any good rec or better player.

Other Thoughts:

It's close to food, drinks or other needs. It's a community park so it's clean and pretty well maintained. Even though there are a lot of people doing other things at the park, they really don't get in the way. It has a lot of right-hand bends so if you are a RHFH player you'll have fun.
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2 1
huffoa4874
Experience: 9.7 years 8 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beginner's Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Its a good beginners course. Since most of it is wide open, a bad shot doesn't hurt too much. The course is pretty well maintained. Plenty of parking.

Cons:

Because its mostly wide open, the course can get kind of boring. A few rough patches on a few holes around baskets that need fixed
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2 1
ERKelated
Experience: 8.9 years 10 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

My home course and where i play most often. I find find the holes varied enough to be interesting and the view is beautiful. Perfect place for a walk through the woods with a purpose.

Cons:

Lots of hills, not many benches, no quick access to a restroom. Endurance needed.

Other Thoughts:

If you see me say 'ello!
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6 0
GMcAtee
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15 years 749 played 89 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Open with lots of wind! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 22, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

18 baskets in a well-maintained park on top of a large hill with scenic views. Great place to practice your wind game since it's always windy here. Not many holes to get in any real trouble with errant drives.

Cons:

The course can get kind of boring. You won't be punished on most holes for bad shots and can easily recover to get par. If you don't have a cannon, several holes will be just a bit out of reach for birdie. The ground around a few baskets has been worn down pretty bad and needs to be addressed.

Other Thoughts:

I hear the Flying Pig Open layout is much more challenging and fun than the original layout. If you're looking for a course to throw new plastic without losing any or practice throwing in the wind, this is the course!
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3 5
Bachmann_3
Experience: 14.1 years 20 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 12, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Cut fairways
Beautiful views
Gazebos for resting
Good variety of distances and tree coverage
Rarely played by others or visited by park goers

Cons:

Grass can be somewhat tall in the rough

Other Thoughts:

Harbin Park is one of my all time favorite courses. A short drive from Dayton or Cincinnati, this course has everything an amateur ranked player like myself would enjoy. Plenty of ace opportunities, elevation changes, cut fairways, little traffic and beautiful views up and down Mt Healthy make for a very enjoyable, yet playable course. If you have the chance, go play Harbin!
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2 2
Sport351
Experience: 13.5 years 5 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

All-Around Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Several long holes that let you really open up
- Well marked
- Decent variety
- Well maintained
- Free

Cons:

- Can be crowded
- Steep drop-off after 8 tee-pad, watch your step
- 15 tee missing sign

Other Thoughts:

Spread out over Harbin Park, this is a course well-worth a trip to play a few rounds. It's mostly wide-open, with a few more technical holes on the back nine. A great place to work on long drives, the course is good for beginners and offers a moderate challenge to more experienced players.
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2 1
trumbulldore
Experience: 20.1 years 21 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Harbin Park DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 2, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Other Thoughts:

Maintained 18 hole course in Fairfield, Ohio with mainly open holes with moderate distance. Water near the rangers office off of hole 4 by the restroom. Two gazebos after holes 4 and 13 and shelter near hole 9 offer places to sit in between holes or in between rounds.
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2 0
Eric troll Biscuits
Experience: 35.7 years 31 played 28 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Troll's Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

good for new and intermediate players
Very open and clear
holes avg 330 ft. or so
easy lay out, and good signs
Nice view on #4,5....

Cons:

No water fountains or benches, or picnic tables

could use more large trees for shade, and give a little more challenge

Other Thoughts:

I can see this course expanding and being reconfigured all together... its a big park, and the disc golf course does run into the mountain bike trails, that hardly get used, and they could make a very challenging expansion if they thought about it...
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2 0
chris171
Experience: 10.6 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Harbin Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very good course to practice drives on, holes are easy to find and generally easy to play. This is the first course i played on and had fun.

Cons:

Most holes are not challenging other then a few that require long drives.

Other Thoughts:

This is a good place to practice long drives, because the long holes, elevation, and wind. Will return for more fun!
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6 1
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

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

Pros:

William Harbin Park is a fun, scenic course with moderate elevation changes on nearly every hole and some great views!

Next tee signs make navigating the course easy, the tee signs are good and make it easy to find baskets that are out of sight from the tee. There is a good mix of short, medium and long holes and the concrete tee pads are nice and big. The course is mostly open with mature trees to navigate on some holes. For a mostly open course, there are a good number of anhyzer shots which is nice to see.

There were a few holes that really stick out in my mind here. Hole 5 is a fun turnover shot with a challenging putting green. The basket on hole 6 is guarded in such a way that this unique hole that will only reward very skilled shots with a birdie. Hole 13 is a fun downhill bomb. And the course finishes with a huge downhill anhyzer shot I wanted to empty my bag on.

It seems they mow the fairways and path to the next tee but let the rest of the grass grow a little more. When I was here the grass off the fairway was taller but certainly not long enough to make it difficult to find discs. Hopefully that's how it's normally kept otherwise finding discs could be a problem.

Cons:

About a third of the holes are completely wide open.

The course lacks challenge. Because the course is so open, bad shots are not punished and it's easy to recover for par if you have a bad tee shot.

There is virtually no shade, there isn't water close by and there are no benches if you need to rest and catch your breath from walking the hills.

Some of the holes start to feel repetitive due to the lack of obstacles.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I really enjoyed playing this course and I loved the views from the top of the hills. With good views and high elevations often comes wind. It was calm the day I played here but I'm sure the wind is often present here.

It's an excellent course for new players through the Rec or Int division. They'll be challenged by elevation and distance, but there are still some shorts holes that will yield birdies to them to them.

More advanced players will not be challenged here.
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3 1
The_Envelopes
Experience: 10.9 years 42 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fairways and pathways freshly mowed and virtually no mud at all. Tee boxes in great shape.

Cons:

It was my first time playing this course and we had a hard time finding the 8th tee. But the rest of them are logically placed.
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3 2
Jowsepi
Experience: 11.1 years 78 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a nice 18 hole course. The signs are nice and they even have arrows pointing you to the next tee box. The course is open, so there aren't a lot of obstructions to get in your way.

Cons:

This course plays almost all of the holes up hill. Even getting to the first tee is up hill. If you are a beginner and haven't got a good drive or tend to not be very straight, it is a hike getting to bad shots. Make sure you have endurance to play this course.

Other Thoughts:

Due to the up hill nature of this course, I recommend that you play with a group of at least 4 people. That way you get a chance to catch your breathe between shots and holes.
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3 1
RlemontW
Experience: 11.6 years 6 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Challenging but Fun! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

From a beginner stand point - This course is open enough so that errant throws dont hurt you to bad. A few straight shots where you can let it rip especially #4 at 725ft but the fairway is open so have at it. Good views of Hamilton and very senic course.

Cons:

Sign was missing from hole #15. Watch your step on #9 as there is a big step off the tee pad from erroding landscape perhaps.

Other Thoughts:

As a beginer I really liked this course. It is long but fun to play on. Chaneging at times when shots need to be shaped to the right but with the open fairways par is still obtainable with a good approach shot.
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2 1
preludedrew
Experience: 16.8 years 82 played 43 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Water Tower 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 15, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent open field 18 hole course, for those who love open fields.

Cons:

No wood shots at all, a bit of a walk, but not too bad.

Other Thoughts:

The water tower shots are awesome, especially the one shooting right towards it. A memorable course.
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