Ford City, PA

Crooked Creek Lake DGC

3.675(based on 6 reviews)
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11 0
The Red Death 30
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.4 years 88 played 47 reviews
3.50 star(s)

So Much to Love Here but Not Flawless

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 5, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

I had made the trip up here twice when it was a 9-Hole and at the time had decided it was just too generic to justify the drive from town. They have now added a back 9 which I have played a few times but waited for an official opening to review the course.

There are a lot of really positive things about this course that make it worth a drive out for me at this point. The addition of a back 9 that is almost completely opposite in golf style have made this a great yin and yang course. I would say it is an almost even split of more open style fairway golf vs tighter woods lines. I will say that the majority of these holes were very well designed for the land that they had available to them.

The original 9 holes were always mostly open. While most of these holes are stock disc golf shots, there are a few standouts, including a nice pond carry, a road OB hole and a fun shot across a cul-de-sac to a basket on a downhill slope The new 9 play mostly in the woods. It reminds me of Schenley with more trees. There are a couple more wide open holes here. One of the highlights is a shot that runs a fairway driver around a tree to a nice green that sets up with some tree obstacles and a pretty pond in the background. They have recently added some deeper pin positions that are making this course quite challenging, which is alright with me.

The park itself is nice. There are several ponds onsite and on the right mornings this place is full of grassland birds singing.

They have two sets of concrete tees, marked Long and Short. They have multiple pin positions. There are bathrooms onsite and frequent benches and tables. I have found the community pretty awesome too. Lost a disc and within a week someone contacted willing to ship it back to me.

Cons:

Most of what is holding this course back from a 4th Star for me is just needing some time and growth. The highlight of this course are the new wooded holes. There is still some brush that could use clearing and some trees need to fall with time. That will open up some more obvious lanes on a few holes.

When you are not in the woods there are a lot of holes that are similar. This was always my biggest gripe with the course and the new design has improved that greatly but doesn't diminish that there are a good handful of holes that play the same. There is not a lot of elevation on this property to bring variety so a few are just baskets behind a tree in a field.

There are a couple holes that I just don't like at all. The 3rd Hole has always been a problem to me. I'm sure locals know some line that they would say is fair, but after a handful of rounds I have yet to find a way to get a shot of the tee through all those trees and then add in what is often a soup bowl around the tee area. The other that I just can't jive with is 17. I'm just not sure I see the design here. It's a Par 5 with a fairly large pond that is on the front half before an increasingly tight wooded tunnel. The woods themselves are still too thick for consistent nice lines, but the pond is the problem. From Long Tee, that about a 320 foot carry I think. For many ams that means dropping short of the pond but those woods are punishing so reality is those without arms probably can't par. My bigger issue is the Shorts. I play with a developing novice who can't clear the pond from the tee. That would be fine if there were a "coward's route" around the pond, but they eliminated that with a Mando that pretty much requires a pond carry. It's a discouraging hole for a novice.

Other Thoughts:

This course is improving very quickly. They are putting a lot of love into the build and it shows. The addition of concrete pads and tee signs on all 18 make this a course worth playing. It may never be one of my favorites mostly just due to not having that many distinguishing characteristics, but once it grows in another few seasons this is going to be a great course.
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11 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.3 years 316 played 298 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A Solid 9 Hole That is Currently Overrated

Reviewed: Played on:May 11, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

- full color tee signs with maps at every tee
- dual concrete tees for every hole
- decent pond water hazard on hole 2
- well maintained park with disc golf area mostly off on its own
- Innova DISCatcher baskets with visible red rims in good shape
- 3 pin positions per hole, current one marked on tee sign
- dumpster for garbage, pavilion with picnic tables
- bathrooms, though locked in certain seasons
- navigation straightforward with next tee arrows on baskets
- some good technical challenge on a few wooded holes, with others mostly open
- some decent natural beauty from large pine trees

Cons:

- some taller grass could be mowed shorter
- mostly flat with only some limited elevation change
- moderate safety hazard with blind tee shot/road on hole 6, as well as play near road on 7
- hole 9 also throws near road and over entryway
- while a respectable course, no particular wow factor
- not a ton of technical challenge on the majority of the course, which is pretty open

Other Thoughts:

I came to Crooked Creek Lake for a few reasons - reviews were generally high, but by those with almost no review history. There also weren't many reviews overall, and limited pictures. I had a feeling this course was being scored too high, but some people obviously enjoyed it so I wanted to check it out. One big con here is that it's not particularly close to some of the other excellent courses in the Pittsburgh area. In hindsight, I'm not sure it's worth the drive out here for 9 holes.

This is a quality course, and one I'd gladly play again. It is nowhere near the 4.5 level quality several people gave it - anyone who goes and plays Moraine State Park or Deer Lakes would see this quickly. It's right there between a 2.5 and a 3 for me. It's fun and has some decent shots incorporated, but it isn't going to overly challenge an experienced player anywhere. It is a quick round though.

This is a pretty decent size park and it seems like some of the holes that play near the park paths/roads, such as 6/7/9, could have been moved to avoid them. Granted, I saw nobody on these roads while playing, but I still like to avoid hazards when possible. Hole 6 is a blind shot with a road right next to it that I thought was particularly risky. This is the other main con of the course.

With that said, it's not every day you see a 9 hole course with dual concrete tees and 3 pin positions per hole. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever seen this, and it makes me wonder if they will eventually expand it to 18. The pin position marked with hardware on the sign is a trend I really like and hope to see on more courses over the years. It requires a bit more maintenance, but if you're going to regularly move baskets around anyway, it's a nice touch. I just wish DGCR scoring handled multiple basket placements a bit better.

I enjoyed the pond hazard on hole 2, which is relatively low risk but requires some card. Holes 3 and 8 in particular had some nice wooded challenge, as well as the beginning of 9. I am a sucker for the wooded, more technical shots. While the rest of the course was fairly open and flat, there were some mature pine trees in the mix and it's a nice park with some basic amenities.

When I was here on a Thursday afternoon, the park was not very busy, but 2 other groups came through. I'd expect this to generally not be too crowded which I always prefer. The red tees mostly just give a shorter distance (which I took advantage of, as I'd already done Cuyahoga NP and Moraine State Park earlier in the day). The white tees sometimes offer a different look, such as with hole 2's pond shot, increasing the water hazard from the other side of the pond a bit. However, most just add 20 feet on to your shots, so they aren't necessarily game changers. Still, nice to have the options for different arms.

If you are nearby, I wouldn't hesitate to throw a quick round at Crooked Creek Lake, though I wouldn't go out of my way for it. I skipped going to the other side of Pittsburgh for Two Mile Run Extension to come to this one, and I'm not convinced that was the right choice. It is a quality, high-side of average course if you are in the vicinity.
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2 2
kasparaitis
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great 9 hole course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nice for a 9-hole course, and the length of playing twice is very similar to a normal 18.

Nice mix of open and wooded shots

Cons:

Hole 2 was overgrown/pretty muddy in dry ambient conditions

Tee boxes have handwritten signs that are fading somewhat

Other Thoughts:

Lots of elevated baskets which I haven't seen much around this area
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2 6
jberg
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great well-rounded course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 21, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Almost each hole is unique in it's own way, with each requiring a different approach to the basket.
You can see the course keeper there quite regularly making improvements and maintaining the course.

Cons:

Not yet 18 holes.
Tee boxes not yet poured.(Seems to be happening soon though)

Other Thoughts:

A great all around course for everyone. I would recommend this to someone just starting out as well as seasoned golfers as it exposes you to a good variety of different shots, without being overly frustrating to beginners. Overall just a great layout and once the back 9 is in place with all concrete pads, this course should be pushing a 5.
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12 0
Beable
Experience: 15.4 years 36 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent course, should be much better when it is polished 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

* Directions were excellent. The first tee is right next to the parking lot.
* First hole is a strong start. Good hole. 6, 8, and 9 were also quite enjoyable.
* The course has a variety of shots and some nice OB and required lines.

Cons:

* Third hole is a mess currently. There is no fairway. Some trees are marked for removal, but it is not attackable currently at the white or red tee skill level.
* Several of the tee boxes are not finished.

Other Thoughts:

I am a recreational golfer. Overall, I enjoyed playing this course. I drove out from Pittsburgh to play. There were a lot of things marked for improvement on the course: tee boxes outlined but not filled in and trees marked for removal. When those things are accomplished, the rating should go up. But as it is, this course is just OK.
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3 6
jdkamis
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Awesome course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Excellent scenery, challenging holes with hazards, wildlife everywhere, dedicated and enthused course creator who is constantly updating and adding improvements, very easy to access (off main road going through Crooked Creek Park)

Cons:

Only 9 holes (but plans for 18 are already in the works)

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course. It's a very welcomed addition to this area.
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