Uploaded By: BennettUA
Hole #16 (Taken 4/2010)
3 / 238ft. 3 / 361ft. 3 / 416ft.
Par / Distance:
Hole #16 Tee: "GRANT'S WILDNESS"
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Reviews: 21
Avg. Rating:
Details
Avg. Rating:
Details
Excellent wooded course 
5+ 
12/26/2012 
12/29/2012
Review By: bamagolfer95 Played: 2 Reviewed: 1 Exp: 2.9 Years
This review was updated on 1/3/2013
Pros: 1. Conveniently located right off the interstate
2. Multiple tee pads/baskets
3. Ideal amount of elevation change
4. Requires a full variety of throws
5. Concrete tee pads (though still in the making as of 12/26/12)
6. Well maintained
7. Beautiful piece of property with some water holes
2. Multiple tee pads/baskets
3. Ideal amount of elevation change
4. Requires a full variety of throws
5. Concrete tee pads (though still in the making as of 12/26/12)
6. Well maintained
7. Beautiful piece of property with some water holes
Cons: 1. Has but one restroom which can only be accessed on holes 4 and 18
2. Back/short tees poorly thought out, all with carpet tee pads and some having trees blocking the hole
3. Not enough trash cans, plenty of soda cans and beer bottles to be found throughout the course
4. Too many trees on some holes, including 5, 8, and 11, where you just throw randomly and hope for the best
2. Back/short tees poorly thought out, all with carpet tee pads and some having trees blocking the hole
3. Not enough trash cans, plenty of soda cans and beer bottles to be found throughout the course
4. Too many trees on some holes, including 5, 8, and 11, where you just throw randomly and hope for the best
Other Thoughts: This course is an absolute beauty, and I feel that holes 10-13 are some of the best holes you will ever see. All four are downhill, with water in play on each except 10; nevertheless, 10 is my all-time favorite hole, where you throw about 50 feet downhill over a ravine--absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the next 5 holes are a painful trudge uphill to get back where you started, so be in shape before you play (at least there are plenty benches on the course!).
The baskets can be difficult to see for a first timer, which is why I wished they would have flags on top, but no biggie; they have decent signs for each basket location.
And if you decide to visit bowers, I suggest you play the middle tees. It seems as though the course were designed specifically for them. The front and back tees are off the beaten path and are still hard to find even when I've played here dozens of times. They will often have trees directly in front of the tee pad and look as though they were essentially thrown in random places throughout the course. I bet these tees will remain carpet for the rest of their lives. As I stated earlier, the concrete tee pads for the middle tees are a work in progress, with the first 9 holes being completed (perfectly so far), and I hope the tees will be finished by summer.
Speaking of summer, if you play here during the hot months of June, July, and August, be sure to bring plenty of water and bug spray, and wear long pants, because there are plenty of thorns and poison ivy. Also, watch out for snakes! I've seen too many water moccasins in the creek already.
Anyway, I think this course deserves a solid 4 stars because it offers an excellent combination of beauty and variety, while still challenging players of all skill levels. To make this course 5 stars would require concrete tee pads for all three tees on every hole, more cleared fairways, more trash cans, and possibly basket-holders for the more "indulgent". Other than that, Bowers park is an excellent course, and is a must-play for any disc golfer in Alabama.
The baskets can be difficult to see for a first timer, which is why I wished they would have flags on top, but no biggie; they have decent signs for each basket location.
And if you decide to visit bowers, I suggest you play the middle tees. It seems as though the course were designed specifically for them. The front and back tees are off the beaten path and are still hard to find even when I've played here dozens of times. They will often have trees directly in front of the tee pad and look as though they were essentially thrown in random places throughout the course. I bet these tees will remain carpet for the rest of their lives. As I stated earlier, the concrete tee pads for the middle tees are a work in progress, with the first 9 holes being completed (perfectly so far), and I hope the tees will be finished by summer.
Speaking of summer, if you play here during the hot months of June, July, and August, be sure to bring plenty of water and bug spray, and wear long pants, because there are plenty of thorns and poison ivy. Also, watch out for snakes! I've seen too many water moccasins in the creek already.
Anyway, I think this course deserves a solid 4 stars because it offers an excellent combination of beauty and variety, while still challenging players of all skill levels. To make this course 5 stars would require concrete tee pads for all three tees on every hole, more cleared fairways, more trash cans, and possibly basket-holders for the more "indulgent". Other than that, Bowers park is an excellent course, and is a must-play for any disc golfer in Alabama.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Report this Review ravines!
Pros: Great wooded holes! Loved throwing over the ravines, and nice hike. Found the next holes easy with the markers supplied.
Cons: First couple of holes not much to talk about but gave a good warm up for the woods.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
As Good As It Gets in the Woods
Pros:
1. Great, memorable holes with loads of character.
2. Beautiful wooded hike.
3. 3 pin placements and 3 tees per hole.
4. Obvious signs of improvement in progress.
1. Great, memorable holes with loads of character.
2. Beautiful wooded hike.
3. 3 pin placements and 3 tees per hole.
4. Obvious signs of improvement in progress.
Cons:
1. Restroom was out of order when I played.
2. Difficult to see baskets in some places.
1. Restroom was out of order when I played.
2. Difficult to see baskets in some places.
Other Thoughts: Other Thoughts:
I loved this wooded course. I played it in November with my 3 kids (15, 13 & 12) to almost no complaining for a pretty long-hiking course. I think that's because it was just beautiful to hike. It had a great variety of terrain and each hole gave you a new "look". I thought that the design was very well thought out. There are several memorable holes that are among the best I've ever played. . I've played some courses that were better maintained but very few with as much character.
There's good use of elevation, variety of shot types and differing distances. There are legitimate risk/reward decisions to be made on many holes. There are a couple of ravine holes with undergrowth to be avoided beneath. The creek also comes into play on several holes and is used to full effect. On one hole, you play across and then alongside the creek to a basket tucked into a cluster of trees.
I didn't find many poke-and-hope holes at this course, and I've played too much disc golf at wooded courses where that was the main feature throughout. The tightest one was the pinball wizard (and that's kind of the point). You've got to have some shots to play from the long tees for sure, but my kids had a great time playing from the shorts.
I think the course would be much improved by putting some large neon flags on top of each basket like I've seen at other courses. We probably spent too much time looking for them throughout, but it's obvious that there's still a lot of work being done out there. There were pallets of concrete under tarps and other signs of construction throughout.
We played on a wet day after a good rain and didn't have much problem with mud. There are now a lot of concrete tee pads (mostly for the middle tees I think) and there are solid bridges for the creek crossings. I played the longs for the most part and the kids played the shorts. We didn't have too much trouble finding our way to any of them.
I loved this wooded course. I played it in November with my 3 kids (15, 13 & 12) to almost no complaining for a pretty long-hiking course. I think that's because it was just beautiful to hike. It had a great variety of terrain and each hole gave you a new "look". I thought that the design was very well thought out. There are several memorable holes that are among the best I've ever played. . I've played some courses that were better maintained but very few with as much character.
There's good use of elevation, variety of shot types and differing distances. There are legitimate risk/reward decisions to be made on many holes. There are a couple of ravine holes with undergrowth to be avoided beneath. The creek also comes into play on several holes and is used to full effect. On one hole, you play across and then alongside the creek to a basket tucked into a cluster of trees.
I didn't find many poke-and-hope holes at this course, and I've played too much disc golf at wooded courses where that was the main feature throughout. The tightest one was the pinball wizard (and that's kind of the point). You've got to have some shots to play from the long tees for sure, but my kids had a great time playing from the shorts.
I think the course would be much improved by putting some large neon flags on top of each basket like I've seen at other courses. We probably spent too much time looking for them throughout, but it's obvious that there's still a lot of work being done out there. There were pallets of concrete under tarps and other signs of construction throughout.
We played on a wet day after a good rain and didn't have much problem with mud. There are now a lot of concrete tee pads (mostly for the middle tees I think) and there are solid bridges for the creek crossings. I played the longs for the most part and the kids played the shorts. We didn't have too much trouble finding our way to any of them.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Great Course
Pros: Fun course for most levels of players.
Course:
Multiple tees offer differing lengths and/or challenges for different levels of players. There is a true difference between the pro tees, the regular tees, and the am tees on most holes.
Multiple Pin locations change play severely. I went out and played on Oct 31 when pins were at location "A" and finished at +8. The next day, I arrived to see that pins had changed to "C" and proceeded to stop keeping score because I was doing so poorly.
Signs helpful.
Friendly locals (mostly college students)
Fun to hike around.
Shots:
Varied shots, open shot on 1, lightly wooded on 2 and 3, then heavily wooded for the remainder. Water comes into play.
Good variation between FH and BH throws.
Good distance variety.
Good use of elevation.
New bridges for creek crossing in most wanted locations.
Course:
Multiple tees offer differing lengths and/or challenges for different levels of players. There is a true difference between the pro tees, the regular tees, and the am tees on most holes.
Multiple Pin locations change play severely. I went out and played on Oct 31 when pins were at location "A" and finished at +8. The next day, I arrived to see that pins had changed to "C" and proceeded to stop keeping score because I was doing so poorly.
Signs helpful.
Friendly locals (mostly college students)
Fun to hike around.
Shots:
Varied shots, open shot on 1, lightly wooded on 2 and 3, then heavily wooded for the remainder. Water comes into play.
Good variation between FH and BH throws.
Good distance variety.
Good use of elevation.
New bridges for creek crossing in most wanted locations.
Cons: One creek crossing point needs to be improved (though it'd be really hard to build a bridge there).
Signage could be better (tee signs and course navigation).
Mud is an issue after it rains.
LOTS of underbrush/fallen leaves. Not hard to lose a disc if you throw out of the fairway.
Might be too much of a hike for some people, but I thoroughly enjoy it.
Signage could be better (tee signs and course navigation).
Mud is an issue after it rains.
LOTS of underbrush/fallen leaves. Not hard to lose a disc if you throw out of the fairway.
Might be too much of a hike for some people, but I thoroughly enjoy it.
Other Thoughts: Located in a park with multiple Gazebos, playgrounds, baseball fields, and a pool. Plenty of entertainment for any non-golfers you may travel with.
Really fun course with great holes, though none are signature, I thoroughly enjoy 9 (uphill shot over a very large fallen tree), 10 (big downhill shot), and 13 (downhill shot over the creek). 13 in pin position "C" is a ~400ft anhyzer shot (for RHBH throwers).
If you're driving down 59/20, you should DEFINITELY stop by for a round.
Really fun course with great holes, though none are signature, I thoroughly enjoy 9 (uphill shot over a very large fallen tree), 10 (big downhill shot), and 13 (downhill shot over the creek). 13 in pin position "C" is a ~400ft anhyzer shot (for RHBH throwers).
If you're driving down 59/20, you should DEFINITELY stop by for a round.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Great course!
Pros:
1. Variety of shots required (or recommended)
2. Variety of distances (from the 200's to 300+)
3. Excellent use of elevation
4. Situated in a nice park, but doesn't interfere with other park activities
5. Restroom facilities are good
6. Multiple pads
7. Multiple basket placement
8. Good signage (including "Next Tee" signs)
1. Variety of shots required (or recommended)
2. Variety of distances (from the 200's to 300+)
3. Excellent use of elevation
4. Situated in a nice park, but doesn't interfere with other park activities
5. Restroom facilities are good
6. Multiple pads
7. Multiple basket placement
8. Good signage (including "Next Tee" signs)
Cons:
1. Carpet tee pads ( I prefer concrete )
2. Limited garbage cans on course
3. Creek crossings are less than ideal
1. Carpet tee pads ( I prefer concrete )
2. Limited garbage cans on course
3. Creek crossings are less than ideal
Other Thoughts: Overall I thought this course was excellent! In fact, I played 4 courses in the Birmingham / Tuscaloosa area, and Bower's Park was definitely the best. The overall flow of the course is great; it's fairly easy to find your way along the well worn paths in the woods. The rolling hills are nice, and there was (for me) just the right mix of open throws with wooded obstacles. There's a nice variety of throwing uphill, downhill, and over valleys. Water does come in play, but it's only a shallow creek (at least it was when I was there, could get high water in the spring or rainy season, I suppose). I played the long tees except for 1 hole, where I got "lost" and threw from one of the alternates (I later backtracked and found the long tee box without difficulty). There happened to be nobody else out there when I was playing - Saturday morning on an Alabama football game day, so I found the park to be very peaceful. My only suggestions would be to improve the creek crossings, add some trash receptacles at a few of the tee boxes, and chip away at putting in concrete tee pads. Overall, I had a great experience and wouldn't hesitate to play this park again!
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Loved It 1 10/16/2010 10/16/2010
Review By: ibekent 
Played: 25 Reviewed: 25 Exp: 6.9 Years
This review was updated on 10/22/2010
Pros: This course feels cared for. The extra-large carpet tees are flat and solid. The baskets are all in good shape. Each hole has multiple tees and pins. Major elevation changes, OB water in gullies that criss-cross the course, and shots that let your discs soar over valleys make for a series of just great shots. The first few fairways are mostly open. The rest cut through tall pines with minimal underbrush.
Quality signs, benches, bridges, and landscaping steps are everywhere you need them. Each tee has a broom to clear it off. Course navigation is easy, and it has good flow. Fairways use the landscape and trees to great effect, it's a pretty course with beautifully framed shots. Restrooms are near the first tee, and water is not far off. The course is easy to locate, and other park facilities do not interfere with it. It's just a great course.
Quality signs, benches, bridges, and landscaping steps are everywhere you need them. Each tee has a broom to clear it off. Course navigation is easy, and it has good flow. Fairways use the landscape and trees to great effect, it's a pretty course with beautifully framed shots. Restrooms are near the first tee, and water is not far off. The course is easy to locate, and other park facilities do not interfere with it. It's just a great course.
Cons: I'm guessing this is a bitch to play in the rain. It was a little crowded. Some of the alternate tees are not immediately obvious. The tees aren't concrete.
Other Thoughts: Even though the course is mostly wooded, the fairways are long and wide enough to let you air out some discs.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Best course i've played yet!..but...
Pros: 1) Best Playing course i've played (out of around 20 courses)
2) extremely good use of elevation, creeks, and woods.
3) first couple of holes are EXTREMELY deceptive. they look nice and relatively simple, but the farther you go on this course, the better it gets
4) A Very good challenge for anyone
5) Holes 8/ 9/10/11- Just...wow. you know you're in trouble when a hole is aptly named "the pinball wizard"
6) fairly good navigation on this course
2) extremely good use of elevation, creeks, and woods.
3) first couple of holes are EXTREMELY deceptive. they look nice and relatively simple, but the farther you go on this course, the better it gets
4) A Very good challenge for anyone
5) Holes 8/ 9/10/11- Just...wow. you know you're in trouble when a hole is aptly named "the pinball wizard"
6) fairly good navigation on this course
Cons: 1) couple of bad signs
2) Slick carpet tees- had to throw from a standstill on some
3) Creek crossings- NEED SERIOUS WORK... a bridge that is falling apart, and cement filled tires which we're covered in water when i was there.
4) Posion Ivy, I missed all of it, but did see it, keep your eyes open.
5)Course has High Potential to eat disc due to underbrush and the long holes over valleys.
2) Slick carpet tees- had to throw from a standstill on some
3) Creek crossings- NEED SERIOUS WORK... a bridge that is falling apart, and cement filled tires which we're covered in water when i was there.
4) Posion Ivy, I missed all of it, but did see it, keep your eyes open.
5)Course has High Potential to eat disc due to underbrush and the long holes over valleys.
Other Thoughts: Course itself gets a 4.5 or possibly a 5 in my opinion, but the tees and creek crossings are a big negative.
If those two things could be improved upon, this would easily be one of...if not the best course in the state
also, a few more benches would be nice...but not really a big deal in my opinion
If those two things could be improved upon, this would easily be one of...if not the best course in the state
also, a few more benches would be nice...but not really a big deal in my opinion
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Quality course for Title Town 
Pros: Excellent wooded course. I'm used to wooded courses, and this one ranks up there with some of the best.
The throwing lines are fair on every hole, and 3's are possible on every hole, so long as you hit the fairways.
Three pin positions make for a unique challenge. Different distances, doglegs, and elevations. Real thought here.
Tee signs are great, showing the 3 pin positions and lines, and the hole names.
Hole names -- how sweet is that? Sleepy Hollow, Camelot, Why Why, etc. A nice touch!
Great use of the landscape. Not much elevation change in Tuscaloosa, but the course makes use of what there is. The creek adds some risk/ reward.
The park itself is awesome. Lots of running room, baseball fields, basketball, etc. And right off the highway and close to Alabama's campus. The course doesn't get in the way at all, except maybe the first two holes, really just the second hole, but not even that bad.
Park management was cleaning up, on a Sunday morning. Looks like they do a great job with it.
Benches on lots of holes, very high up(I'm 6'3" and couldn't touch the ground while sitting!).
Brooms on most tees to sweep tee clean. Another great touch.
The throwing lines are fair on every hole, and 3's are possible on every hole, so long as you hit the fairways.
Three pin positions make for a unique challenge. Different distances, doglegs, and elevations. Real thought here.
Tee signs are great, showing the 3 pin positions and lines, and the hole names.
Hole names -- how sweet is that? Sleepy Hollow, Camelot, Why Why, etc. A nice touch!
Great use of the landscape. Not much elevation change in Tuscaloosa, but the course makes use of what there is. The creek adds some risk/ reward.
The park itself is awesome. Lots of running room, baseball fields, basketball, etc. And right off the highway and close to Alabama's campus. The course doesn't get in the way at all, except maybe the first two holes, really just the second hole, but not even that bad.
Park management was cleaning up, on a Sunday morning. Looks like they do a great job with it.
Benches on lots of holes, very high up(I'm 6'3" and couldn't touch the ground while sitting!).
Brooms on most tees to sweep tee clean. Another great touch.
Cons: Poison ivy, just keep your eyes peeled.
Crossing the creek(s) aren't much fun. I don't mind getting wet on a disc golf course, I'm used to it, but if you're gonna try get people across, use better than tires and concrete blocks(or at least use more of them).
There is a bridge over some stagnant water that you would NOT want to fall in, and the bridge is very bouncy and warped -- I weigh under 200lbs and was not comfortable crossing it.
Kinda straight. There are some slight doglegs, but mostly it's fairly straight. May have been the B pin placement, but I looked at the other pin spots too.
Tee pads. It's been said, but for all the positives and work done on this course, good tees would be the biggest improvement. I didn't have any trouble with what's there though.
No fours or fives. If I hadn't had such fun at the U of A A-Day game, I would have been hitting threes on every hole.
Crossing the creek(s) aren't much fun. I don't mind getting wet on a disc golf course, I'm used to it, but if you're gonna try get people across, use better than tires and concrete blocks(or at least use more of them).
There is a bridge over some stagnant water that you would NOT want to fall in, and the bridge is very bouncy and warped -- I weigh under 200lbs and was not comfortable crossing it.
Kinda straight. There are some slight doglegs, but mostly it's fairly straight. May have been the B pin placement, but I looked at the other pin spots too.
Tee pads. It's been said, but for all the positives and work done on this course, good tees would be the biggest improvement. I didn't have any trouble with what's there though.
No fours or fives. If I hadn't had such fun at the U of A A-Day game, I would have been hitting threes on every hole.
Other Thoughts: With better tee pads and a few easier ways to cross the creeks, this course would be right up there.
I just posted a bunch of pics, these should help. I enlarged the tee signs on some pics.
Wish I'd been into disc golf when I was at the U of A!
I just posted a bunch of pics, these should help. I enlarged the tee signs on some pics.
Wish I'd been into disc golf when I was at the U of A!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
A Great Home Field to Play On Pros: Fantastic wooded course that will keep you coming for more. Very possible to score birdies on every single hole if you can keep your disc in the fairway and gain some accuracy. Lots of diverse terrain that makes for different challenges in strategy and approach. Great multiple
Cons: Tee pads aren't all in place and sometimes the pin location changes without notice. Also, nothing but par 3s on this course. Lots of potential for a couple of par 4s, or even a par 5. The greens and fairways are also not as clean as other courses can be.
Other Thoughts: I live 4 miles away from the course and learned to play here. I have played several other courses since learning here and can honestly say we have a very challenging course that has made the group I play with better and competitive even on courses that we have never played on before.
Pros: great course. Has everything a challenging woods course should have. tight fairways, good pin positions and baskets guarded by trees and the creek on three holes
Cons: rained both rounds I played so tee pads were very slick. carpet pads were O.K.
Other Thoughts: I have only played twenty or so courses but this may be my new favorite.
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