Innova Discatcher Pro Baskets installed summer of 2021.
Updated tee signage in 2018.

Well maintained and true to the history of one of the first disc golf courses in Missouri.

Very old school layout with holes very close together. Several tee pads are broken at the release point. Lots of old basket sleeves and tee pads remain.

Great for all skill levels.

-History: One of if not the first course in Missouri, designed by Steady Ed Headrick, home to the first Ice Bowl Tournament. A lot of times we as Americans throw away the past to go bigger and better. I'm glad this course has (mostly) survived that fate, though a few slight redesigns have occurred.

-Technical lines: This course is much more difficult than when I first started playing it 13 years ago as the trees have grown significantly. You used to be able to shoot 6-8 under here if you had a decent spike hyzer. Now you need a wider array of shots to score well.

-Tee pads and signs: Pads are plenty big and the new tee signs are amazing. They include up to 5 different pin locations and distances for each hole, accurate depictions of ideal lines, and a next tee arrow. Navigational signage on the course is new too and a huge improvement.

-Hole variety: From 160 to 427 feet. Most are under 300, but you expect that from a 40-year old course. Just over 6000 feet if in all longest positions. You will be forced to throw straight shots, left-to-right shots, and right-to-left shots. Like I said above, lines are well defined and there are a handful of holes that offer you choices off the tee, but most are obviously best played a certain way.

-Beginner-friendly: Most holes are reachable for beginners in 2 shots or less.

-Practice basket with 10 stations spiraling out from 10 to 30 feet make for great putting practice.

-Lots of shade

-Baskets: Mach III baskets are showing their age. You may have to <gasp> put some touch on your putts. I didn't consider the baskets in my rating because it is part of the "classic" feel of the course.

-Fairways are close to one another. The course is located in a pretty small area of a large park. You will see people on other holes as you play and an errant shot may find another fairway or green. That said, I've only had one instance where I had to dodge a disc in probably a couple hundred rounds here.

-No bomber holes. Number 10 is as close as you will get to an opportunity to air one out, but you better shape it left to right or you'll end up OB. Again, not a huge con for me, but for others it may be.

Navigation issues: It is not always obvious which tee pad you need to head to from the basket. Use the map or review the tee sign prior to leaving the pad to know where to go once the hole is completed. On the walk from 11-12 you will pass a few holes on the Lower Course, which seems weird but the new signs help. From hole 9, walk to the other side of the pool along the path and then head right between the pool and tennis courts.

-Course is usually crowded at peak times. I usually play solo and don't have much trouble but I also don't play at 2:00 on a Saturday afternoon. You may come up behind a group of 3-5 noobs that may or may not know they should let you play through.

I really wanted to rate this course a 3, but I can't do it. It is a great course to work on your mid-range game or your putting as the baskets really do require a higher quality putt to stick. It is a fun course for lower-skilled players who rarely get a shot at par and the multiple pin locations provide variety and up the replay value.

I'm not much for amenities, and this course doesn't offer much there. A water fountain between 9 and 10 and a bench or two are pretty much it. There is a kiosk near tee 1 with a course map.

Tee signs for number 10 are backwards; the sign on the long tee has the short tee's distances and vice versa.

The older baskets and tree growth have allowed this course to retain some of its teeth. I'm willing to bet that if you look at the course map and hole distances ahead of time you will be hard-pressed to score as well as you thought you would. All in all a decent course that provides a fun round.

***Course photos are out of date***. Photo of hole #6 is now #7, hole in #7 photo doesn't exist anymore. We no longer tee off from the path on #10, photo for #11 is now #10 short pad, Photo for #12 is now #11. Holes 12 and 13 used to be part of the other course so aren't pictured. Photo of #13 is now #15. There is a new #14 that isn't pictured and the 14 in the picture doesn't exist anymore. Photo for #15 is now #6. I'll try to get some updated pictures loaded soon. Tee signs pics are current though.

Concrete tee pads
Usually well groomed
Good sturdy baskets
Good mix of open and technical holes

Signage is very old and needs to be updated
Sometimes hard to know where you're throwing because of bad signage
Usually quite busy during the week evenings
Needs updating since it's almost 40 years old
Lots of holes are squished together which makes it difficult to navigate through the course

I am a local and have lived in Columbia all my life and still have difficulties navigating through this course since it is the oldest and roughest course in COMO. I wish I could give it more than a 2.5 rating but there are too many flaws to give it anything higher. I still really enjoy playing this course since it's fairly easy and there are enough people on the course that you can follow their path and not get lost.

Good signage. Ample parking. Good variety of forehand and backhand shots. Beginner friendly. Lots of ace runs. Good place to practice short game. Easy walking. Concession stand available at the pool during the summer. Bathrooms on site are very clean for a park.

Layout requires you to walk around the pool. Very active park. Many tee pads are close to the prior hole basket. Not enough trash cans.

Lot of friendly locals here at this park. A good place to visit if you are new to the area.

Nice setting in a city park. Most of the land seems reserved for disc golf.

Teepads are in good shape. Plenty of parking and a practice basket is available.

Hole #13 seems to be the signature hole - a picturesque dogleg to the right over a creek to a basket just in a wooded area.

Good for beginners and players wanting to work on their short game.

The front course at Albert Oakland Park features many outdated signs that don't offer many clues to solving the mystery of "Where's the Basket?" The maps are inaccurate and difficult to read. Several of the signs are a bit too close to the teepad.

The navigation is difficult also. With so many baskets and teepads shoehorned into a small space, determining the next basket and teepad is challenging. Multiple baskets can be seen from a teepad and several teepads are present on the course but no longer in use. Arrows hanging from each basket point the direction toward the next teepad but are of little help on several holes. First-timers will likely struggle to navigate the course - be aware that the DGCR photos are outdated and inaccurate for some of the holes.

The long walk between Hole #9 and Hole #10 is annoying. Also, finding the teepad for Hole #12 requires a short hike and maybe a compass. And then after completing Hole #12, the route to the next teepad requires walking up the fairway of either Hole #12 or Hole #13.

Little variety. Nearly every hole is 190 to 270 feet in length. Many holes felt the same and didn't require much variety in disc selection.

If you're determined to play the front course at Albert Oakland Park, strongly consider finding local players to join you to ease your navigation. The players I spoke with were friendly and helpful. (If you opt to play alone, read and re-read the navigational advice on this website.)

My rating of 2.0 might seem harsh, but this course has several glaring weaknesses, including a lack of variety, difficult navigation and some of the worse signage I've seen. This could be a fun city park course with some doable improvements, but the flaws need to be addressed.

The top course at Albert Oakland is a moderately difficult course which offers a variety of shots. This course is not a championship level course, no majors will ever be held here, but it is a very solid respectable course. It rewards players with a well rounded game.

One of the things I really enjoy about the top course, is the fact that each hole can be played so many different ways. A lot of people take enjoyment out of different aspects of disc golf, and for me the mental game and strategy is something I enjoy. So if you're into walking up to your shot and thinking it all out and executing. You can get a lot out of this course.

You will not lose a disc! Very hard to lose a disc here. At least on the top course.

The course is so close to Show Me Disc Sports, a dedicated disc golf store.

Great local community/club players are friendly

If you are a right hand player who is exclusively backhand, you will struggle. This course rewards a well rounded skill set. You don't have to have an incredible forehand. But you have to be able to do it.

Layout is slightly confusing, particulary 9 to 10, and hole 6.

To get to 10, you walk from one side of the pool to the other. Still on the same side of the tennis courts.

Hole 6 has the hole 15 sign, with 15 crossed out in marker...

I play this course quite frequently, and I still get great enjoyment out of it. An above average course. Sort of the type of thing you expect from your typical town disc golf course. Just done better. With a huge variety of shots. Some shots I have not seen on any other course!

Any time I get to play a course I know Steady Ed was working on while I was in diapers, it is kind of special. Albert Oakland's front course was in line with the ones that I had played previously. Not extreme by todays standards, but still fun to play. Not a simple pitch and putt type of course. Concrete tees and signs that are ok, and baskets that are old but still functional. A nice park that makes great use of mature trees that are scattered fairly evenly throughout. A slight bit of slope from one end of the park to the other. The holes flow pretty nicely, and are similar but not repetitive or boring. A couple near the stream are more heavily vegetated. A good place to learn the game.

Not the most challenging course. Sort of crowded in a small space. Multiple baskets are visible from some tees, and I wan't always positive which basket was the right one. A lot of people were playing the course, and sometimes groups on other holes were near where I was going to throw. I had to search for the 10th tee for a minute, it is on the other side of the building from the 9th basket. Hole numbers were changed around 11 or 12 and not clearly marked.

Albert Oakland Park's front course is an old school gem. No stunning signature hole, and maybe a little outdated, but making very good use of what is there to be used. It is fun, and has another course on site. With the new John Houck designed Harmony Bend course nearby, could be part of a fun comparison of modern and OG disc golf styles.

Navigating the course is fairly easy. There are arrow signs on each hole. Only confusing part is from hole 9 to 10 you have to cut across the parking lot. Course is not very difficult but also not easy. A lot of fun shots. A few ace-able holes. The teepads are good size and concrete so they are always in good condition.

Only a couple holes may come into play with each other but it really is not a problem.

There are a variety of shots, forehands and backhands. Great for beginners.

Albert Oakland Park is 11 acres of scattered mature trees, green mowed grass and some rolling hills. It's really kind of a lovely old park. Why then does the disc golf course seem to universally merit the same bland response from every reviewer? What's missing here?

Personally, I liked the front 9 quite a bit but after struggling with my navigation on the back 9, the course lost much of it's previous luster.

The course has these old school fiberglass signs. The listed information is not always accurate. The baskets are brand new DGA models with the # on top. They have a next a next tee arrow on the bottom. This helps with the navigation.

Distances seem to fall mostly in the 200-300 range although there are some longer holes. There isn't much brush to contend with, just the scattered trees.

I was fine until I attempted the back 9. As I wandered past the pool, I found a tee marked 10 A. Now I didn't know anything about a A and B course or A and B tee pads. This was the first "A" anything I had encountered. As I played the back 9, I think I somehow got turned around and ended up on the Back Course. After talking to some players just starting their round there, I was directed back to the Front Course.

And truthfully, by now I was tired and frustrated with Albert and both of his Oakland courses, so I just packed it in and called it a day.

Confusing navigation on back 9.

What's with 10 A?

Tee signs on front 9 which weren't accurate or up to date.

I did throw an amazing semi-uphill roller on # 8, up past the mando and through a fairly tight gap, that rolled to a stop under the basket. I should have stopped right then and there. I would have left in a much better frame of mind.

The navigation issues on the back 9 kind of soured me on Albert Oakland. But then most every other reviewer writes of the same issues.

I gotta side with markmcc who states, "As a travelling disc golfer I rely on signs and navigation aids more than local players, and I understand that keeping signs current isn't a priority. However, good signage is a plus on any course, and this one could use a little attention."

This last quote was stolen from markmcc without his permission or knowledge.

In my mind this is a typical city park course. Acres of mowed grass with scattered mature trees. For most holes little or no brush to worry with.

Most of the holes are in the 200' - 350' range, so this is not a particularly long course. Many of the more open holes offer a variety of possible lines around the few trees in play, but there are a couple of wooded holes that require an accurate drive down a specific fairway.

Good flat concrete tees and nice, new looking baskets. The baskets all have numbers on them which is helpful given the navigation issues described below.

At least two and as many as four pin positions on each hole. While it leads to some of the navigation issues listed below, I'm sure it makes for a more interesting course for local players

Holes 12 and 13 are back in the woods and bring a creek into play for added interest. And Hole 16 requires about a 200' carry over a pond to the basket near the edge, for another interesting hole.

My biggest cons were tee signs and course navigation. The signs are older fiberglass signs in various conditions. Some were clear enough to read well, others were faded, and still others were missing all together. More frustrating was that several holes had baskets in positions not shown on the tee signs, so the diagram and holes distances were often wrong.

As an example, the Hole 15 sign shows the basket off on the right edge of the fairway near a creek. After walking around for a while I found it another 100' up a hill to the left.

Hole 14 was even worse. No tee sign at all. After walking out and looking at a couple of different baskets (Holes 15 & 11) I finally wandered down a narrow muddy path in the woods to the right and found the basket about 150' down that path.

The walk from the basket on 9 to the tee on 10 is long and not obvious, as is the transition from hole 11 to 12. Having the map is a big help here.

As a travelling disc golfer I rely on signs and navigation aids more than local players, and I understand that keeping signs current isn't a priority. However, good signage is a plus on any course, and this one could use a little attention.

Most holes are shorter but technical

fairways are tight and overlap with others slightly. layout is easy enough to navigate as long as you can find your way from hole 10 to 11.

This is a fun course and it is where I played my first round ever. baskets have been recently updated.

restrooms near by.
36 holes between two courses right next to each other.
locals are friendly.
the front course is a nice variety of different holes.

I thought it was confusing to navigate as a first time user of this course. I think the map I printed out from this site might be outdated. Luckily for me, a course local showed me around. The locals are friendly, a lot of college students. The back course is somewhat repetitive and boring. A lot the holes go back and forth right by each other with similar format.

I would still play this course again. With thirty six holes you can afford to skip over those you don't find challenging or interesting.

- There is a second 18 hole course at the same park
- Good use of the trees available to provide clear fairways
- Easier than the back course (also a con IMO) making it better for beginners
- One of the creeks that is on the back course also comes into play on one hole of the front course
- Nice concrete tee pads
- The first 9 holes loop back to the parking lot, allowing you to stop back by your car and add more cold beverages to your bag
- Tee signs are out here, but are of poor quality at this point
- Pool with waterslides available for the kiddies. Drop your wife and kids off here while you play 36 holes
- Park seems well maintained, grass was all cut nice and short when I was there
- Lots of chances for aces with a few longer holes mixed in
- Multiple pin positions on every hole but hole 6
- Restrooms are available onsite
- Not many places you could lose a disc around here
- Signs on the baskets pointing you to the next tee

- Not the most challenging course for Advanced or Pro players
- Long walks from 9-10 and 11-12 could get people confused on their first time through
- Multiple baskets visible from a few tee pads, at least once I can remember it not being any of the baskets that we could see
- Speaking of baskets, the baskets here are all old and in definite need of being replaced
- Tee signs are inaccurate. The distances are off and there is no way to be able to tell which position the pin is in. I did meet someone out there who was taking down correct distances to get new signs made, so this could change soon
- A few extra concrete tees around that aren't part of the course could confuse people
- I could see noise from the pool getting annoying on a few holes
- Poison Ivy around on a couple of the holes near the back of the course

Albert Oakland Park's front course is a pretty short and straightforward course utilizing an area of the park with less park users than the back course. It plays among some nice old trees in a well groomed area. The concrete tees were in good shape for how old the course is. From talking to some locals I found out that this course was the home of the very first Ice Bowl, a neat little bit of history. Most of the holes were short and straightforward, not requiring much thought as to how to throw them. A few of the holes did change that up though, forcing you to shape your lines to have a safe path at the basket. As I saw it this is certainly the course for beginners here at Albert Oakland Park, though that isn't to say that a more advanced player couldn't still have fun out here.

Beautiful course; founding course of the Ice Bowl charity events. Multiple pin placements (some of the longer ones are not listed on this site because there are more than 3 pin locations). And Columbia's department of parks and recreation has truly turned the tide in course cleenup and tree maintenance.
Short technical shots that are great to prwctice midrange accuracy.
Trees are tall enough to require sever overhand shots for birdie, although the trees are spread out enough to make recovery easy.
Big tee pads.
Multie shot types - the bottom course forces several hyzer RHBH. The top course allows for any prefered drive off the tee, with the exceptiin of holes 4 & 6. 4 is a hard dogleg left, so yiu need a good forhand or rhbh ani. 6 seems boring, but you need a perfectly placed hyzer bomb, an extremely accurate sidearm, or a good forhand roller.
13 & 10are tbe best. 10 has a long and short teepad.
Pve anchor markers are cor coded to match alleged new signs for basket placement. The in use anchor plug is attached to the tee sign. But tee signs are currently out of date
Water on 12 & 13
Ob sidewalk on 10, 11

It is rare to find a course that can be a challenge for both touring professionals amd recreational players. It is fun, short, long, flat, uphill, downhill etc. Lots of ace opportunities if you can hit tight pinch points in the fairway.
Lots and lots of users.
Needs new signs with accurate distances and par.
Needs directional signs fro. 7-8, 9-10 and especially 11-12 (foow sidewalk south west and you'll find 12 & 13 adjacent. 13 is approached first. Both are right, or on the north side of sidewalk

Not a wide range for scattered shots. The entire course is on about 11 acres, which leads to some safety concerns for players and pedestrians.

Lots of technical holes. Some open up for larger drives. 3 pin placements.

Its an Oakland park course. Could be kept up better, baskets could be replaced, and I can see how people could get lost their first time playing it.

This is where I like to practice shorter more technical holes. The people who are usually playing here are great people. If you are playing it for the first time and get lost just ask someone, they will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

-Two separate courses on the property, which is always a plus
-Good amount of trees that provide a good amount of obstacles on each of the holes
-Nice tee pads
-Tee-signs on each hole
-Most of the holes are well designed and have rough off to the sides that can cause trouble if you happen to go off in it
-Signs on each basket pointing toward the next hole
-Pretty easy to follow flow except in a few spots
-Public restrooms near the pool (though they are closed during the winter months)
-The course does a good job of avoiding the other park users.

-This course needs a major basket update, the basket part is not deep enough and discs easily spit out of the baskets a lot of the time
-It was very hard to navigate to holes 12 and 13 and if you haven't played before it can be a little confusing find hole 10 the first time you play the course
-Not a lot of distance on this course
-Several of the tee-signs feel like they aren't accurate and it can be a little hard to get a feel for the layout of the hole from them
-No trashcans or benches on the course
-Grass was growing quickly on the course and the course might get overgrown in the summer months

-Overall, this course provides a decent challenge and is a good course to play if you are in the area. Its not a destination course but it still provides some nicely designed holes and a fun round.

Easy enough flow, 2 9 hole loops, another 18 holes right next to it, Technical. teepads are good. Design is nice. Great practice area with concrete around the world.

Baskets update please. could use some new signage

I have always enjoyed this course and at times find it more difficult than its neighbor the back course. Some really sweet shots, hole 11 signature hole.

Very old course located in a mostly disc golf park. There are a lot of different lines you have to hit. A backhand AND forehand player would be a huge advantage here. Trees are put in just the right place so that their not unfair, but it's still challenging. Tee pads are a good size and give good grip even when wet.

Tee signs are bad. Period. Baskets are very old. spitouts and bounceouts are very possible. A high to low put would be best here. Left side chains have almost no chance of going in. Navigation can be a little of an issue here. 7-8 9-10 and 11-12 are all places you could easily get lost.

The walk from 11-12 really doesn't make sense. You walk over to the other course and pass hole 13 as your going to hole 12. Then you have to walk up 13's fairway to get to the tee. But those holes are definitely worth it. Holes 7 and 11 are very memorable. 7 is a big shot over some trees and 11 is a long downhill shot that you can let go high and let it glide all the way down.

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If you mark this review unhelpful or you find a mistake, please send me a personal message here on DGCR explaining what is wrong with it

A technical course with great ace runs, a variety of shots are needed to make par, well maintained, reasonable for 'shorter' arms, good concrete tee pads, makes the player 'think' and play some lines (though a good thumber/tomahawk never hurts.).

A little short for the big arms, the course can be cheated a bit with OH drives, the fairways are grouped closely so you need to watch constantly for poor shots (especially when near the tee pad of hole 15), and the navigation is a bit tricky for first timers (to find the 'back' 9, you need to walk back near the parking lot and around a public swimming pool).

Difficulty: Noob - Advanced. Very fun course; it has it's oddities, but it's great for testing your technical prowess as opposed to sheer driving distance. Many birdie opportunities available for those who can hit the right lines. Albert-Oakland is a Missouri disc golf classic - many folks learn to play the game here and this front course is the second oldest in Missouri.

Nice variety of shots for many different types of shots. Trees placed in excellent positions (not right in front of you and slightly guarding most pins). Many nice Ace opportunities!!!

gets a little confusing on where to go after hole 11. but its easy to pick up after you find it.

Must play here