The Caesar Ford Park course is worthy of its Championship moniker. The course features excellent variety, from open holes to tricky wooded holes in addition to impressive topography and the use of elevation without feeling overwhelming.

The variety extends to the different teepads on each hole as there are three options (white, blue and gold) per hole. Some of the teepads also vary in placement versus just making the hole longer. The short (white) option averages over 400 feet per hole while the longest (gold) option averages about 550 feet per hole. However, it's a par 67, so par seems reasonable. And the distance isn't scary difficult; there are numerous holes that go downhill and my noodle arm was able to keep up.

The basket locations at Caesar Ford are fantastic. The designer did a great job at picking pin places for the perfect blend of challenging but fair. Even on a couple of the not-as-exciting holes, the basket locations add to the hole design, and shot placement is often more important than distance in seeking to score well. My playing partner who was familiar with the course provided helpful caddy tips frequently regarding areas on the fairway to aim for or avoid.

A beautiful creek that zigzags through the park is utilized well. Several of the holes feature the basket with the creek looming behind, prompting a risk-versus-reward decision.

The course maintenance was immaculate. Some of the best holes are the heavier wooded holes that are still carpeted with lots of grass.

The navigation seemed straight forward and fairly easy to follow. Also, the overall design is really nice as Holes #1 and #10 are close to each other, which allows for staggered starts or restroom breaks.

The signage at the beginning of the course says "Night Golf is Allowed," but there would definitely be a few holes that would be challenging to play and traverse in the dark. The course is a bit off the beaten path, and I don't think course traffic is a huge concern. We played on a Saturday afternoon and seemed to have the course to ourselves.

Several of the holes play next to or over a road or paved path.

Hole #7 seems like an odd design; it's very short and up a hill through a "poke and hope" mass of trees.

Hole #12 is short and downhill and it requires a very challenging line around the towering trees from the white tee. As the previous reviewer noted, the lines from the blue and gold tees appear easier with fewer obstacles.

The length of holes, even from the short tees, added to several short walks between holes, means that "a quick round" isn't likely here, but that's barely a con.

I didn't realize that Caesar Ford Park was the second-highest ranked course in Ohio before playing. I was quite impressed with how well the designer maximized the good stuff by using lots of features, including an elevated basket, tall grasses for casual out-of-bounds areas, risky pin locations and numerous landing zones.

There's a reason this is a top-rated course in the Buckeye State and definitely merits visiting if you're anywhere near Cincinnati, Columbus or Dayton.

+ Well maintained fairways.
+ Well upkept.
+ Multiple tees on all holes.
+ Multiple basket positions on most holes.
+ Several technical shots required.
+ Unlikely to lose a disc here except in certain cases (see Cons).
+ Baskets (Newer Innova Discatchers) are in great condition.
+ The course plays as essentially two 9-hole loops that end near the parking lot and picnic shelter. Anyone who wants a break from the front 9 before starting the back 9 would benefit from this.
+ Hole 18 is tough from every tee. Expect to be tested on your ability to throw technical shots.

- Bring bug spray.
- Minor disc loss potential: in the bushes at the start of Hole 3 in the event you griplock, and in the case of certain basket locations on the edge of the creek.
- Depending which tees you're playing, it will likely be a bit of a walk to get to them, including the white tee on Hole 6.
- Misleading "Next Tee" signage from Hole 6 to 7. The way the sign is placed essentially tells you to go in the opening on the right, but Hole 7's tees are actually in the opening to the left of the sign. The one on the right leads to hiking trails that can be muddy.
- Ironically the gold tee on Hole 12 is easier than the white tee (see Other Thoughts for more).

Amenities:
- Parking: Plenty.
- Restrooms: Two of them, near the start of Hole 1 and the end of Hole 9. Unsure if they're open (I've never checked) but it seems they may be.
- Running water: None that I saw.
- Benches: None that I saw.
- Trash cans: There is one at the picnic shelter near the end of Hole 9.
- Bag holders: None.
- Tee signs: Newer tee signs showing a map of the hole, par, distance, and directions to the next tee.
- Next tee/direction signs: Plenty. The signs are small though so be sure to look around.
- Wheelchair/cart friendly: No.

Other Thoughts:
- Any first-timers playing Hole 12 should play the gold tee as if it were the white tee should they wish for an easy shot, as it's a simple drive with almost no obstacles across the creek. The blue tee is your typical intermediate challenge, but the white tee has a large tree branch smack in the way of it that requires an almost excellent drive to get around it. While it's understandable that the tees are colored based on distance, it would be beneficial in this case for the white and gold tees to be switched around.
- Every other gold tee, even with as long as they are, whips up some challenges and will test you. I think even pros in the 800-1,000 range will be challenged by at least some of the gold tees.

Caesar Ford is a relatively new course just east of Xenia, which I believe with just a little love could be an A tier type course. Designed by Gary Dropcho, it is located in Caesar Ford Park, a Greene County public park. Also available are 10 miles of hiking trails, amphitheater (which would be tremendous for watching hole 18 of the 2026 World Championships--OK I can dream can't I?), a shelter for over 200, a dining pavilion, gift shop, (both of these closed at present) and more.
Many of the needed amenities for an A tier or better are already in place, and the course itself is great. It has three teepads on every hole, with multiple pins on most. It is challenging but fair. It is also a bit long and in the open a lot, so plan according as summer draws near. The shortest layout is 7269', the longest is 10,346'. This isn't your typical public park…
There is a great course map on hole 1, as well as one of the nicest practice basket areas I've ever seen. Beautiful tee signs on each teepad on each hole, well maintained fairways (freshly mowed) and restrooms at hole 1 (9 ends here too) are more bonuses. Interestingly, and the only real cons, are the near complete absence of trashcans on the course (even hard to find around the dining pavilion), and there were no benches anyway, which would certainly be nice on a long, mostly open course like this. I've played in July too and it gets hot in those fields.
There is also a 9 hole course on site (didn't play this time), which is quite short and basic from the looks of it. If you here, play the front 9 of this one if you only have time for 9.
PAR--course par per signage is 68 regardless of tees, and I think that is fair. Lots of birdie opps on the par 4's.

PROS:

>Very scenic public park setting
>New, long teepads and baskets in great shape.
>Three tees on every hole
>Great signage on every hole
>Multiple pin positions on most holes (I like just one, but some consider this a pro)
>Easy navigation
>Two 9 hole loops with a bathroom in the middle.
>Great distance variety
>Overall a very challenging BUT fair course

>No trashcans.
>No benches.
>No water fountains seen, but they may be inside when the center is open.

BASICS:

>Teepads--Concrete, long and in great shape, on all three positions. There are gold, blue, and white (shortest) positions.
>Baskets--Innova Discatchers, great condition.
># holes--18
>Setting--A very nice, full featured county park. Most holes are fairly open, only #4 and 18 are significantly wooded. Several holes are sort of mix of open and light woods. #6, 8, 10, 11, and 13-17 are mostly open field holes. The blue tee on hole #12 is the easiest, I thought the white tee may be as hard as the gold tee because of the strange shot shape required. They are all close together so you can stand on each and see for yourself.
>Elevation--Some nice elevation change, both up and down. #4 is a wonderful uphill shot with a big upslope right at the end. If pin is far right, a very challenging approach. The downhill shots are either short and steep (#1, 7, 12), or long and gradual (#8, 10, 15, 17).
>Distance of holes--As short as 111' (really--and still a tough birdie) to 859', and that's just from the white tees. And everything in between. Great distance variety here.
>Free/pay to play, type of course--Free, county public park.
>Ease of getting to--5 minutes east of Xenia, well located.

AMENITIES:

>Parking--Ample, with overflow in a gravel area.
>Bathrooms--Yes, hole 1, which also serves hole 9.
>Water/food nearby--There is a dining pavilion, not sure when it is open though.
>Clubhouse/disc shop--There is also a gift shop, but again, it was closed this day. Check first.
>Benches--Surprisingly, none, and that is one my two main cons for the course.
>Trash cans--None--this is the other con, though not as big, I am used to packing out. There is one in the corner of the amphitheater, that is the only one I saw. None once play begins.
>Bag holders--No
>Tee signs--First, there is a great course map at hole one, with clear locations of all teepads and possible pin positions. Each teepad on each hole has a complete map of each hole, with all possible pin positions. It also clearly shows which teepad it is by the color of the lettering--white, blue, or gold. Each sign post also tells you which pin position is in play, which is helpful, as some of the baskets are not visible from the teepads. Signs are quite a pro here.
>Next tee direction/signs--Yes, paths are well worn, easy to get around.
>Wheelchair/cart friendly--No, yes.

COURSE PLAY:

>Shot variety--Pretty good overall, though do note this is mostly an open course, and other than a few holes, there are not too many tight gaps. There are some big left to right holes/shots, some tough slopes near some baskets, and some touch shots required as well. Hole 18 is tough from any teepad. Great finishing hole.
>Layout, long walks (inc back to car), loops--This is a long course, even from the white teepads. Have water at least, especially in warm or humid weather. Both 9's make very clean loops back the beginning. There are no long walks between holes, but even the short ones add up, because…
>Total distance walked--3.2 miles. Not as long as Fox Run in VT, but it does rival Idlewild, because even from the short tees, you are still walking the entire course.
>Ease of finding next tee--Easy. Though check tee signs to make sure you are throwing to proper basket on hole 6 especially.
>General difficulty--White tees were challenging, but fair. I am about 870 or so and I played even par both times playing. Most holes are gettable with a good drive and/or approach shot. The course can be as hard as you want though if playing the gold tees--I think that from those this would challenge pro level players as well.
>Mud/water issues--Hole 16 had some soggy spots, and I could see a few areas that may be sloshy after rains, but it was quite dry overall today.
>Water or O/B to contend with--There is a creek in play on several holes--watch the water right on hole 3 where you cannot see the creek behind the treeline. Also on hole 13, there is water past the basket, so watch that approach.
>Difficult rough/lost disc risk--Pretty mild in April, and I would think overall low, as fields are much more in play than woods. The creek is mostly shallow.
>Scrape/scratch risk--Mild, but again only April.
>How busy was course/park--Saw at least 7 other groups playing on a nice FR afternoon, but spaced out well.

OVERALL:

>Fun/enjoyment factor, would I play again? As often as possible. Great course.
>Who will this course challenge? Everyone from rec to pro.
>Is it worth a drive? Absolutely--up to 3-4 hours IMHO.
>Anything unique? Hole 4 is nice, a great use of the limited elevation in the area. Hole 7 is short but definitely not a gimme birdie. Hole 17 is a long drive, then sort of plinko through 75' or so of trees, to a fenced in green. Hole 18 is very challenging, both in flight path needed and tight gaps to hit, just to get out of the woods, then you still have 200' or so to the pin, which is on a small hill. All this is in birdseye view of a beautiful several hundred seat amphitheater, which would make quite an awesome setting for a tournament finishing hole.
>Would be a quarter star higher with--A few more finesse shots, trash cans, and some benches. I really would rate this a 4.25 as is (but had to round up to 4.5), especially were the dining pavilion and gift shop open (do not know if it sells discs when open).

I am in my 50s, 80 or so courses played, 875ish.

I'm going to attempt to get through this review without just absolutely gushing praise for this course. Will I succeed? Likely not. In my mind, Caesar Ford is about as close as it gets to a five-star course without being five stars. This course is a bit of a drive for me, but it is worth every minute. Set in what feels like the middle of nowhere, it has just about everything you could ever want. Sprawling fairways, tight wood lines, elevation changes, mint-condition white Discatchers, three sets of tees per hole, and absolutely gorgeous greenery make Caesar Ford a model for future courses everywhere. Variety is built straight into the course. If you have a flat hole, you can bet that the next one will have elevation changes. If you have a tight wood line, the next is likely to be a lot more open. Each hole feels as if it is part of a cohesive unit, while still keeping its own flare and personality. There are several holes here (2, 8, 13, 16, 17, 18) that could all be signature holes on any other course. Best of luck picking just one of them as the signature hole here.

The upkeep for this course is immaculate. Polished fairways encourage you to keep your disc in the middle, lest you be looking for it in thick woods or tall, burr-filled patches. Maxed out, this course plays right around 10,000 feet, and you will feel every foot of it playing back from the golds. While it's a monster from the tips, the three sets of tees (silver, blue, and gold respectively) ensure that everyone can enjoy this course. Signage is great as well, with one for each tee pad. The first time I played Caesar Ford, I kept finding myself looking around at the course around me, simply because of how amazing it was. Both of the par 5s (holes 8 and 13) provide excellent views of their respective nines.

Holes 7 and 12 stick out like eyesores among this otherwise nearly flawless course. They feel shoved into the middle, disrupting the overall fluidity of play. While I think it's a bit of a stretch to call them gimmick holes, the fun factor just isn't there like it is across the rest of the course. Also, as others have mentioned, some of the tees feel off. If I was trying to shoot my best round possible, I would rather play from the golds than the blues on 4, 12, and, depending on the pin position, possibly 7 as well. The course shares the park with horse riders. Please be courteous of them. They only take a few seconds to get out of the way, but be sure to watch for horse droppings at the points where the trails and the course cross.

Play 18 as a par 5 if you want to keep your sanity. The tee sign and UDisc both have it as a 4, but in tournaments it has averaged half to a whole stroke above 5 consistently, and it is played as a par 5 then as well. It's also worth mentioning that nearly all the holes here have three pin positions, and they are moved relatively frequently. I put this under "other thoughts" because I know that this can be a positive for some and a negative for others.

Personally, I would go as far as to say that this could be a destination course, especially if you're only coming from a state or two away. If you're planning a road trip and your travels take you through Dayton, going a bit out of your way to play this gem is definitely worth your time. If you live in the area and haven't played here yet, I can only ask that you get out here soon as possible and see why this place is as special as it is. I genuinely love Caesar Ford, and I think that as more people find out about the course it will come to be known as one of the best in all of Ohio.

Additionally: A few tips for how to play the holes (from the golds).

2: The right side of the fairway is much easier to attack from than the left. If you've got it, pick a gap and throw either a RHFH or LFBH that is going to finish on the edge of the woods, just a little ahead of the silver tee pad.

4: This is the "bowl hole" as my friends and I have dubbed it. Check the DGCR course media for a picture of the basket looking back at the fairway. Once again, don't go too far off to the left. Especially if the pin is in the front position, try to land your drive at the base of the little lip hill on the right-middleish side.

5: There's no line here. There's just not. Throw a perfect roller or layup to the base of the hill and play for par.

8: In the middle and right positions, the basket is much closer to the water behind it than you think. I would guess about ten to fifteen feet or so. While getting your disc back shouldn't be a problem unless the river is really high, it's still a stroke. Have your approach land in front of the pin rather than risking long.

14: While a par 3, this hole is long and uphill. If you find yourself about 75-100 out like I often do on my second, a floaty hammer actually isn't a bad option to attack with.

16: Do yourself a favor and go up and take a look at where you want your drive to land. It's likely not quite the exact spot that you would have otherwise aimed for.

17: Yeet it into the wall of trees and pray. In all seriousness, if you throw RHFH/LHBH definitely aim for the left side of the woods. If you throw RHBH/LHFH, I think that unless you want to throw a turnover, it's probably best to try to sneak through on the right side. Do not, under any circumstances, get stuck in the jail that is the left and right-side woods of this hole. If that were to (hypothetically) happen you could (hypothetically) really easily take a double bogey and (hypothetically) mess up what was otherwise your best round up until that point. I'm still upset about that one.

18: Just getting over the water with the low ceiling should be priority number one. After that, if you can manage to finish on the left side of the fairway past the first big tree on the left, that will make your second shot out of the woods a lot easier. The hole also plays a lot more like a U-shape than the tee sign suggests.

Have fun! This course can take a lot out of you, especially from the tips. Make sure to enjoy it, regardless of how you're playing.

Built in the woods and fields surrounding a recently renovated, 1400 seat outdoor amphitheater (home of the "Blue Jacket" production for 26 years), the Caesar Ford -Championship- course is everything awesome that folks have said it was since begun just a couple of years ago. When I first saw a picture of three tee pads fanned out across an open field, I thought, "great… no real variety…" But what a surprise to find that they only did that twice in 18 holes. The other 16 always set the tees in ways to create differing level of challenges, angles, release gaps, and elevation. And the picture I saw showed an open field. I was worried that this was simply going to be an open bomber course. But Wow! What a surprise to find woods, technicality, variety in hole distances, gaps to navigate even on the 'open' holes, and interesting 'greens'. Suffice it to say, I felt like I was visiting a course like Idlewild, with its brutally challenging woods holes, holes with extreme length interspersed with three or four pressure relieving "reachable" holes.

In terms of amenities, three large (14'x4 ½'), level concrete tees, three (gold, blue and white, for pro, advanced and intermediate) clear tee signs with maps and particulars (including pegs showing pin position), and three basket positions on all but two holes, mean you could play nine distinct layouts before you had to 'repeat': which means replayability galore. I may have just gotten lucky, but everything was in tremendously well-maintained condition, with dozens of acres of generously wide (at times, more than 100-150 feet!) fairways mown close enough for the rollers I decided to try on the 800+ foot holes. And even those 'open' holes almost always led to a 'must' gap to set up your approach to often unforgiving pin positions on wooded greens adjacent to the creeks.

At the risk of sounding trite, you will have a chance here to throw every shot in your arsenal, while at the same time, there are plenty enough spectator friendly holes to make Caesar Ford a telegenic course for tournaments of all levels. You could actually imagine a full amphitheater watching top pros throw right toward the stand on the finishing 18th, where the 'green' is on a raised knoll to the spectator's right. Though it's well off the beaten path, there is nothing in its region even close to the caliber of this course (sorry, not even Armco is close). For a player who enjoys short, deuce-friendly fun, I thoroughly enjoyed the greater challenge this course presented, and will plan many future visits!

This is NOT your family friendly pitch and putt course, so if you're newer, or even up to Recreational skill levels, plan to enjoy it the same way I'd recommend taking on Idlewild: come to enjoy the design, the park, and the flight lines, but don't worry about pressing for a good score. There's a reason they color coded the tees appropriately for Intermediates and above.

The wider open holes, though 'viewer friendly', are also open enough for a lot of sun (heat, humidity and horse flies), or breezes in season, so be ready for that. No nit-picking intended, but the few times a basket just sat in the open (holes 10 & 15), I thought, "meh" (except for the fact that I hit the cage on the reachable 15), and there were a couple of times I thought I'd have 'sorted' the tee levels differently (holes 7 & 12 come to mind).

They have maintained it extremely well, and it will be dependent on a great deal of work on an ongoing basis to remain "world's caliber". I hope they move some of the creekside baskets during the wetter seasons, so players can enjoy a different look, and not worry about disc loss, but can you imagine moving the baskets around, and having to update 50 tee signs so they're accurate? It gets a LOT of play for such a remote course, but most seem to be experienced players, so they should know when to wait on groups in front of them, but that could become an issue (can you believe I'm worried about OVERpopulated courses?)

I don't want to offend any of the great folks who work so hard on them, so I won't say exactly where I'd rank it, but Caesar Ford -Championship- DGC is definitely in the top 5 courses in the state of Ohio.

BEST pads I have ever played on. 3 pads each hole, all amazing !!! Signage was great, and bridges were second to none. Cart friendly.

Hard for me to understand why so many baskets were insanely guarded on 500+ foot holes. One could actually cut down 30% of the trees on each hole and this course would still be difficult. More luck involved on half the holes than anything.

Ditch some of the trees and this course would rock for everyone

I normally like to review a course a couple of years after it was installed ( 2019 ) , but I have to brag this one up . Caesar Ford-Championship packs as much punch as you want or will ever need .Some of the grounds are from an outdoor theater which produced Blue Jacket for over 25 years , ending its run , due to financial problems , in 2007 . As a matter of fact , you will see some of the stands when you are nearing the basket on #18 . Because of this , there is a large parking lot there , more than large enough to host tournaments . There are good bathroom facilities , along with a small shelter right in front of the #1 tee and #9 basket . A nice kiosk with a great map greets you close to there . The course flows well , but taking a picture of the kiosk or printing an online map from DG review wouldn't hurt . A putting basket with a while outline to mark distance is just off to the left . The park is taken care of and most of the fairways cleared of debris . There are 3 tee pads per hole , in most instances , giving a slightly different look to the basket .These tee pads are among the nicest around, ( was figuring maybe 4 1/2' X 12'+).The signage is first rate and on all 3 tees , giving hole # , distance ,flight path and which pin placement it's in ,There is additional yellow signage pointing you to the next tee . 3 pin placements on almost all of the holes . The baskets are new Innova Discatchers .Nice wooden bridges are set about the course to navigate the creeks or dips . I won't go hole by hole , but will give you the basics .
The course rolls along hills , and the course designer J. Gary Dropcho , made excellent use of all of it . There are mixes of long bomber holes , like 7, or 8 (1035' ) , 10 , 11 , 13 ( 1080' ) . The nice part of most of these are that either the fairway tightens up as you come closer to the basket , or the pin sets in a risk/reward spot with a dropoff or water behind it . Other holes can be tighter and more technical , like #2 , #3 , #7 , #12, There are creeks that come into play on several holes during the round , but the water is low enough to be able to retrieve them .
Disc Risk ; low to moderate . The holes can be so long and sometimes blind that you could ricochet and lose a disc in some of the foliage , but not likely . None of these holes are alike , and with the pin placements that also change you will be entertained every time you play here . Another perk is that if you don't have a couple of hours to burn , since the front and back 9 start and end at close to the same spot , you can cut your time in half and play just 9 . Many solid holes here ( #4 woods hole with basket sitting on a hill , #8 downhill bomber with jail about 200' from the pin and a creek behind the basket . #13 bomber from the edge of the woods , open on the left but brush line on right with the basket tucked away in some trees and in front of a dropoff ) The last 3 , #16 placement drive to a door shot uphill with trees and canopies , #18 drive over creek then an opening to the left , open drive to the basket sitting on a hill , with a dropoff behind it , protected by a tree . and my signature hole , #17 , A drive with brush on the left , into a jail of trees , A hyzer second shot over a wooden fence to a green with an elevated basket . Tight technical 3's intermixed with many par 4's ( 8 ) and 5's ( 3 ) . The course is lengthy , even from the short tees . Plan on being here at least an hour and a half . A party of 4 , 2 1/2 + .

Very little gripes . Grass was kind of high when I was there , even in the fairway . I stepped on a stick hidden on #11's fairway causing a fall . Hey , it's still in it's break in stage . On #16 , before teeing off , I heard voices coming my way from up the fairway . There IS horseback riding that cuts through the back end of the course . Be careful and courteous , and don't ruin a kid's ( or horse's ) day by hitting someone with a blind fairway drive , even if your disc finds some horse manure out there . Maybe some classy amenities ? benches , and maybe bag holders could make this course a B or even A Tier Tournament stop .

WOW . With Armco Park recently adding a great course , adding Caesar Ford Championship Course with it gives you good reason to stop in the area for a day of great competitive play . If Course Designer J. Gary Dropcho had a dream of a tournament style course , he not only checked that box off , but he can also check off the fun factor here . This course will hold your attention throughout its 18 holes . The length ( 10,346 par 68 ) is pro caliber . Add the elevation , the water , and the ever changing pin positions . When I visit a course and I see nice bridges , nice direction arrows , and great pads , baskets and signage , I feel welcomed and valued .
My Recommendation : A little too strong for dates , families or newbies , this course is an incredible play for the Xenia locals , pros , intermediates , disc golf junkies , and even though it is a little off the beaten path of I-75 and I-71 , a worthwhile side trip for travelers and course baggers . PLAY THIS COURSE !!!!

Long, tough, pretty, secluded

Horse crap in the fairways, located in Greene County, OH so be aware of park rules and rangers

Okay, so you all were right; the new course at Caesar Ford Park is a beast. There are some real monsters, a couple of ace runs, and a good mix of angles. Choose from white/blue/gold level tees on each hole and there are three possible pin placements (only one basket per hole ATM). I pulled a 66 here from the Blue, medium tees with a couple of embarrassing sixes. At least that is a score that I think I can beat next time! LOL Just when I was getting used to the idea of carding a +12, I see that the course par is listed as 68, so that is a small comfort.
Our already great selection of Dayton-area courses has a new Heavyweight design that is one of the toughest around. I am happy to see that in addition to all of the small neighborhood and school courses being introduced, our community keeps creating harder ones also. In line with the increasing difficulty of Syc, BC, Fairborn, and Armco, while none of these are quite Idlewylde-level D, Caesar Ford's Championship course is right at the top with these, and for the moment, is my "toughest area design".
I thought this was a really fun, challenging course. This one is long with a few holes around 900, so it may be discouraging for beginners who have never carded a sn8wman before. Nice restrooms, shelter, and signage. This is a Greene County Park, so please be aware of equestrians and rangers.

Caesar Ford Park (CFP) uses a well-designed variety of holes to craft an excellent & replayable round of modern disc golf, even if it falls short of iconic.

Let's get the important part out of the way first - Caesar Ford is, from day one, the best course in greater Dayton. The modern design is comprised primarily of par 4's & 5's, making it the second lengthy course installed in the area this season after Lebanon's Armco Park. Most fairways traverse the property's open country fields before playing to wooded greens, creating an experience that feels frequently challenging but rarely punishing. When the routing fully embraces the woods on highlight holes like 2 & 18, fair technical lines invite a refreshing level of multi-shot strategy absent from Dayton's other, predominantly par 3 courses. The two nine hole loops play rhythmically with minimal exceptions, showcasing excellent flow and coherence of design. Best of all, CFP doesn't feel like a sadistic beatdown from any of its three tees, maximizing the fun factor and keeping players coming back for more. I've rarely played a course this long that felt so effortlessly fun, even for noodle arms like me.

Hole 18 is an excellent finishing hole that combines a tricky risk/reward tee shot over/around water (depending on the tees you're playing), a tightly wooded fairway, and an open approach to a grassy knoll green. Like many great course closers, 18 distills the best characteristics of the whole property into one glorious hole, and it deserves to be singled out here.

Fifty-four extra long, professionally poured concrete teepads are an absolute delight. They play to sparkling new, white-band DISCatchers. Detailed tee signs indicate which tee you're standing on, distances, potential basket positions, and the direction of the next hole.

This rural park is chock-full of amenities. Multiple gravel parking areas provide plentiful space for vehicles and campers. A modern amphitheater features clean, spacious restrooms and the perfect space for all kinds of tournament activities. Rumor has it a campground is in the works. Greene County Parks has put their recent influx of funding to good use, and this property is transforming into a real jewel with each passing month.

CFP is open after dark, which could make for some crazy fun & crazy challenging summer glow rounds.

Hole 7's comically short, lineless uphill fairway sticks out like the proverbial sore thumb next to the rest of CFP's fun and thoughtful design. No course that calls itself championship-level should have a 111 foot hole from any tee, even the whites. This hole is a NAGS-fest from tee to basket, and brings the aforementioned course flow to a screeching halt.

Hole 12's teepad assignments seem a bit off-kilter for the current A positions. As it stands, the gold pad is the *easiest* of the three, featuring a straightaway downhill putter shot over CFP's shallow creek. The hole is fun, but doesn't make much sense as a gold-level shot when the blue pad leaves a much more challenging RHBH turnover look and the white pad requires an ultra-challenging forehand skip shot or a touchy spike hyzer to hit the gold pad line. Perhaps these pad assignments will make more sense from other basket positions, but as they stand the white and gold pads could probably be switched.

A minor quibble: the shallow creek that runs through the course feels a bit underutilized. It primarily serves as a green backstop, and only seriously threatens the fairway on Hole 18. Why not use the creek in front of a green, or to serve as a dividing line between two parallel fairways?

Like any other course, disc golfers should always yield to other park activities. This particular routing interacts frequently with a preexisting horse trail, so it's important to remember that our equine friends and their riders always have the right-of-way.

Although Caesar Ford has been impeccably maintained in its infancy, there's a potential for it to be gutted if maintenance ever ceases to be top-notch. With so many fairways cut wide across open fields, any maintenance slippage could be disastrous. Here's hoping the course looks this good two or three years down the road, or even in the rapid growth of early summer.

There's a strong minority of wooded holes at CFP, but there are just too many throws across obstacle-free swaths of fairway for me to classify the course as "Phenomenal". To compare to other J. Gary Dropcho designs, Caesar's Ford is much more Slippery Rock than Deer Lakes or Moraine - largely open, high fun factor, but lacking that x-factor that makes the player reminisce about holes long after the round is over. This will be a local favorite for years to come, but well-traveled discers shouldn't expect a world-class routing.

This course has everything. Elevation change, wide open bomber shots, tight wooded finesse shots, 800-900 ft open/wooded par 4's and 5's, I mean,..if you like disc golf then this place is for you. I will definitely be back!

Parking can get crowded it seems. A course like this is gonna need ample parking. Needs next tee signs but really isn't hard to navigate without them.

Do yourself a solid and check this place out, if you like disc golf.

Caesar's Ford is the newest course in the Dayton area, and the first designed from the start to be championship-level (with the possible exception of Armco). It's in a lighty-trafficked multi-use park that still manages to provide that "woodsy" feel that many prefer while playing disc golf. Each hole has three extra-long teepads (each with a sign), and all but two have three possible pin placements. UPDATE: pin positions are now indicated in tee signs.

There are a mix of wooded and open holes, though most of the open holes have a window off the tee or at the entrance to the green. This course is unusually long and challenging for the area, with occasional tight lines and low ceilings. Even the two long, open bomber holes have late windows to hit if you want to approach for a birdie look. Elevation is incorporated well by Dayton standards, and there's water in play. Best of all, all of the water is shallow, so any discs that find their way in there should be retrievable. Greens are frequently treacherous, with nearby water, elevation, or both causing you to think twice before running that circle 2 putt.

16-17-18 is possibly the best stretch of three finishing holes I've seen anywhere.

Layout here is excellent, with two 9-hole loops that start and end near the parking lot. That's great if you need a bio break before starting the back 9.

Baskets are new Innova Discatchers.

Maintenance at this course is excellent.

As far as amenities, the restrooms here are the cleanest I've ever seen at a public park. There is also a campground area under development. Glow rounds are permitted here, which is unusual for the Dayton area.

Many of the pin positions at Caesar Fords don't alter the required shot much.
Also, some of the tees don't offer a drastically different shot, particularly between white and blue tees. Confusingly, some of the gold tees are actually an easier shot or line to hit than what players face on the white tees; see hole 12 for an example. Hole 12 in general feels out of place on the course altogether. It's all of 200 feet and comes during a streak of otherwise quality holes.

This is a multi-use park, and you can encounter dog walkers and horseback riders. They have right-of-way, so always be sure it's safe before throwing.

Ceasar Ford is easily my favorite "challenging" course I've ever played, and trying to rate it is also challenging. My frame of reference for what's considered a five-disc course is Idlewild. This course is certainly easier than Idlewild, and has fewer great holes. However, it's also much higher on the "fun factor" scale, while still being difficult. It's definitely the top course in the Dayton area, and if I could give it 4.75 I would. As it is, 4.5 still seems fair.

For a new course, this was in excellent shape.
Well defined fairways.
Longer than what I usually like to play, but still enjoyed it.
Navigation wasn't too bad, next tee signs would help on some holes

Pin position indicators needed on some holes

Multiple concrete tees
Nice mix of throws
Nice mix of hole layouts
Decent signage
high-vis baskets
water occasionally in play

Multiple pin positions in blind spots

This is an 18-hole course, with a mix of technical and open, operating in a park that has mostly been ignored for about a decade. There is a smaller course that was installed here a few years back that is (currently) still mostly in place, but the new course plays nothing like the old one.

The most immediate difference is that this is a hard course. It's probably the second-hardest course in about an 80, maybe 85 minute drive radius. As such, it's going to be a darling of the disc golf club set, but it is not a good course to bring first-time players to, and novices and duffers may find portions of it frustrating. There are three tees for each hole, but don't think of them as easy/medium/hard. Think of them as hard/expert/champion, at least in most cases--there are a couple holes that are unexpectedly easy, relative to the rest of the course.

The course winds its way in and out of woods, occasionally crossing a ~15 foot stream. Holes ranges from technical (though the trees are never so tight that you only have one possible throwing lane) to wide open, and most are somewhere in the middle. Six of the holes are technically considered water holes, but on many of them, you have to really mess up in order to splash a disk. The stream is fairly shallow, so you should be able to retrieve anything that actually makes it into the water without a problem. The course is littered with artifacts from the prior primary use of the park (a live-action show that ran on an annual basis), so there are old light poles, a pasture where horses used to be kept, and things like that. A few of the artifacts have been integrated into the course, some ended up being incidental obstacles, and some of them are merely eyesores.

The park has an amphitheater in it that's recently been rebuilt, so there will probably be a few events going on during the summer that may shut down the course for a day/weekend, or at least holes 1 and 18 during that time. 18 crosses the stage area, and 1 is close enough to the access road that it would probably be shut down, as well.

Overall, it's a fun but long course (3 km total length from the long tees), but there are some things I wish they had done differently. High on that list is that the stream running through the park didn't get nearly enough play. A couple of holes, you can hit the water by overthrowing, but most of them, you either cross the stream at the start of the hole, or it takes a bad throw to reach it. Beyond not using the water all that much, I would love to see something added to the more open holes, even if it's nothing more than a few trees along the edge of the fairway.

Almost every hole has three potential pin positions. This is something that many people consider a positive, but I consider it a minor negative--I've seen too many courses that, once the course is no longer new, either the baskets move to a single position and stay there (in which case, why did you bother putting in the options in the first place?), or whatever they use to mark which position the basket is in gets lost or not updated properly (which is a major negative on courses with blind holes.) And, of course, having the basket move around plays havoc with my attempts to track my score over time.

Navigation around the course is mostly intuitive. The course easily divides into a front nine and a back nine, with the tees for both 1 and 10 easily spotted from the parking lot--1 is on the left of the pavilion, and 10 is on the right, as you're looking from the parking lot. Baskets are white-rimmed Discatchers, and they stand out nicely once you get past any obstacles that would hide them. The tees are raised off the ground slightly, with gravel placed around it to avoid having a drop-off. As the course wears in, make sure to watch for any problems caused by the gravel not being replaced properly.

The unintuitive part of navigation is that I did not see anything indicating which position the baskets were in, other than a note on the tees saying 'scan this code', without either a code or any indication of why you're supposed to scan it. Presumable, this will get a QR code down the road (this is a very early review), telling you what position the baskets are in. Hopefully, it will be kept up properly, but it won't make any difference to me, as I don't have (and don't want) a QR code app on my phone, so unless I missed a 'basket is in X position' sign, I'm going to be throwing blind every time. (And, as I noted, that's one thing I dislike about multiple pin positions.)

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My final verdict? If you think a serious challenge is the most critical part of the game, go way out of your way to come to this course: you will not be disappointed. If you think that 'fun and interesting' hole design is more important in the game than how difficult it is... this is a good course for that, too, but for you, it's not a destination course. Definitely come if you're in the area, or swing out of your way to check it out, but if you live a distance away, don't plan a trip around it.