Course was excellent! A lot of disc golf in a big park! No two holes were similar, and you need a lot of different shots in your arsenal for this one. The lines were well thought out and you could definitely see where you should be throwing it, even if you couldn't get it there. Overall was a tough course that was very enjoyable.

Even though it was only $2 to park it's still sucks paying to dg., taking a local is a necessity as the holes can be tough to find on your own. Could use a few easier holes, I know you don't want to make it too easy, but there's really only one hole on the front 9 that's an easy one. Tee pads for most holes are way to short and need another 5 foot added on.

beautiful scenery and views, totally different shots on every hole- up, down, left, right, wide open, narrow hallways, technical, power throws, etc... good signs, very easy navigation, waiting benches on most holes, pro-shop onsite (but thats really a con to me)

short tee pads on some holes, some shots are deceptive, quite a few baskets are not viewable from the tee pad, either re-open #18 or fix all the tee sign #'s from #8/#8A on forward, must pay to play, pro-shop taking up parking space(s)- not cool, a few holes have some cross path stuff going on (not only by discs, but by players as well), limited parking is a HUGE DOWNFALL, only 1 "bathroom". and this whole cop/security sh*t NEEDS TO STOP!! it is very bogus. very uncomfortable to golf there. and FU*K the "mandatory donation" -how stupid... you already SNAKED $2 for me to park in that tiny ass 7-11 parking lot! BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO dela!!!!!!!!!!

they should remove the handi-capped parking spaces... last time i was there some regular guy with NO problems had a placard and parked and started playing. thats BULLSH*T!!!!! they need to extend the parking spaces somehow. its too busy and too popular for 30 or so spaces. really, i will NOT be returning to this place ever again...

-Lots of gentle slopes that make your drives feel just a little longer than they really are.
-Reasonably wide fairways. This is nice given how much poison oak can be found in the wooded boundary areas.
-In general, all the holes are pretty reasonably designed so you don't have to make too many throws blind.
-Peaceful setting with impressive scenery and views.

-Lots of drives end up in the parking lot so bring your hooptie, not the lexus (or bike there better yet).

Like this course really needs another rating, but yes, I can confirm that it's pretty awesome. I just wish there was a camp site in the park so you could camp and play the whole weekend.

what can you say one of best courses in country, every shot possible, disc on sale in pro shop and at course,

be prepared to wait and wait

we need more santa cruz courses, best course i have ever played, be polite ,pass when appropriate,have fun shot for 3's

Where to start? I have looked forward to playing this course for a long time, and was not disapointed in any way. Being a flatlander (Chicago area), I love courses that take advantage of elevation changes. Dela delivers in this department in spades. Uphill, downhill (including the famous "Top of the World" hole 27). Some pluses:

-Elevation (steep uphill holes to challenge and nice downhills for fun)
-Multiple pin placements
-Wide variety of shots required
-27 holes
-Good variety of hole distances
-Good signage
-Pro shop on site (kinda pricey, but where I come from pro shops are nonexistent)
-Friendly locals (the guys behind us were patient with out of towners needing occasional guidance)
-Beautiful NorCal foliage
-Steep dropoffs and dense underbrush punish really offline shots

I had a lot of fun playing this course and would die for something like this close to home. My cons are very minor and shouldn't disuade anyone from playing this fantistic course.
-Missing basket on one hole. Too bad, it looked like a fun one (Downhill moderatly wooded right turning hole in a ravine)
-Crowded (not surprising, its an awesome course)
-I would have liked to see a larger tee pad on 27 (I'm streching for these cons)
-Erosion issues on hills

One thing that I did not expect was having ball golf and disc golf on the same property. It was funny walking into the proshop, past the bolfers, thinking about the difference in cultures and participants of two very similar sports. I ended up throwing RHFH on 27 because I need a run up for my BH to be effective. I would have liked to have a larger tee pad on this hole, but I guess I just need to learn how to drive from a standstill. I played this course on a winter vacation so my game was a little rusty (we have had a lot of snow on the ground in Chi-town all winter) but I still had a blast. I would recomend this course to anyone.

The following was originally written on 12/22/2009. A 09/26/2014 update is below.
• Easy to find
• Secluded course - No real walk-through traffic
• 26 holes (26 you say? - more on this later)
• Beautiful scenery in a few areas
• Some interesting hole layouts
• Far and away the best retail disc shop I've seen thus far. They have just about every Innova disc in each plastic as well as some other brands. Every disc I was looking for was in this shop. There's also at least one person selling quite a few used discs out in the disc course parking lot.
• Has its own parking lot although it is normally $2 to park. It's free through the holidays though.
• Warm-up basket near the parking lot

• There's a sign by tee pad #1 dictating a mandatory $1 donation. Normally I don't mind giving a donation (and did); it was just odd to see a "mandatory" sign.
• Very difficult to navigate. You must take a map or a guide, and even with that, some of the holes are so close together and so woodsy that it's very easy to be throwing at the wrong hole, which we did three times, and very easy to walk to the wrong tee, which we did twice.
• A few holes have cross traffic with fast moving discs
• Quite crowded even on a weekday
• Erratic tee pads. Most are quite small requiring you to start from behind the pad and the surface itself is a bit rough. Fortunately, most holes aren't too lengthy so it's more about accuracy than distance. Maybe this is done on purpose to make it harder? I don't know.
• Inconsistent signage - more on this later
• Most holes are various blind tunnel shots through the trees. This, combined with some nearby cliffs (i.e. rollaways) can rack up some frustration points quite quickly, not just with trying to get your disc 'in the clear' but in trying to find it. It can also get a bit dangerous getting to your disc in a few areas.

Tips
• There are rest rooms in a couple places near the road by the 'ball' golf course, as well as in the clubhouse. I didn't see any at the disc course.
• Do stop in the clubhouse to check out the disc store.
• Although I still consider myself a beginner-intermediate player, and I did manage a half dozen pars and almost aced #21, this is NOT a beginner course. Bring a spotter, maybe two, particularly in the areas where there are cliffs/ravines nearby (and that's quite a few spots), and think hard about skipping a couple holes (#12 and #15 come to mind).
• Bring water/snacks, parking/course fees (parking is paid at a kiosk in the center of the parking lot) and a map! I can not emphasize this enough.
• Watch the ball golfers as you drive through the course. The road is practically on the course and I have to believe a few cars have been whacked.

Random Thoughts:
As I slip into my internet flame retardant suit, let me first say that I was REALLY looking forward to playing here. I had put it off for a while because I wanted to make sure I felt comfortable with my disc control first, and it's 90 miles away from my home base. But last week, we decided it was time to check it out, and with a break in the weather and finding all the discs I was looking for in the shop, it was turning into a good omen/gorgeous day. But...I'm forced to admit that I was quite disappointed in this course. For being 25 years old and one of the most highly rated courses in Northern California, I was expecting it to be the best of the Bay Area. I was surprised to find that wasn't the case. Starting with the course conditions: from the tee pads being small, inconsistent, and somewhat hazardous, to the signage being difficult to read, missing in some locations, not showing the next tee pad, etc..., to the holes/baskets themselves being difficult to find and in some cases the numbers on top of the baskets were pointing the wrong way, thus adding to the confusion, and we were quite frustrated by the mid-point of the round. Had we not met a nice group on 17 (BIIIIG thanks to Rick and Mikey!) we would have only grown more frustrated. Fortunately, they had played there many times in the past and helped us navigate the rest of the course. One of the first golden nuggets of wisdom handed out was that #17 has been removed. Of course, there's no sign stating that...so I pointlessly launched my disc down into the ravine (and it was a decent throw too). But, as I said, thanks mostly to Rick and Mikey, the final 9 holes finished up much better: the tee pads seem newer, and they're also a more balanced mix of shots, finishing, of course, with the legendary 'Top of the World' shot, which is quite a beautiful shot and view. I have a video, which I might figure out how to post, but I'm sure there are more out there.

Bottom Line: Maybe I just caught this course on a bad day, but if this course were just 18 holes, I really wouldn't understand what all the tremendous hype would be about. Yes, it demands some serious disc control to get through the trees and makes you pull out every shot in the bag, including the ones you may not own or have mastered yet, but you can get this same type of challenge at Golden Gate or Stafford Lake or even Skyline, and get much better course conditions to boot. So for me it comes down to how much those additional 8 holes are worth, which is not insignificant. 26 holes is nothing to sneeze at (and no I didn't see the rumored 28th hole). But having said that, even considering those significant 'pros', I just can't rate this course higher than the ones I just mentioned. It would be a disservice to the tremendous work the folks have done at those courses (if there were a 3.9 rating it would own it but for now it'll be my benchmark 3.5). DeLaveaga is a very nice course and has the potential to be fantastic, but it needs some care and feeding. Definitely check it out but you may want to ratchet the expectations down a notch.

UPDATE 09/26/2014:
Well, it's been a loooooong time since I've played this course but I have walked it a few times (watching tournaments) since the above review and I definitely felt like I needed to give it another shot to see what's been improved. I'm happy to state that almost everything has been improved. There's a restroom out on the course now. The parking lot has been redone. The 'disc guy' now has his own stall. A lot of the tee pads have been redone (although not quite all of them). The signs have been vastly improved, although a couple need attention and the basket indicators are still a bit spotty for various reasons (missing/loose connections so you're not quite sure what position it's supposed to be on). The baskets are all improved and they are the fantastic 14,000 chain variety, which is great for catching discs, although I still managed to spit one out (ARRGH!). The course has been slightly reconfigured in spots, and for the better. You can see the lines clearer now and it's a bit easier to navigate, although you still need the map (next tee signs would be awesome). All holes (all 29!) are in place and playable, although Mother Nature took out basket #9 (falling tree, ouch) but you can still play it. All in all, it was a much better experience for our little group this time around. The only downside is that despite a pretty good throw, my precious Beast is resting at the top of a pine tree in The Kitchen. Hopefully a good sport will ring me up one day... But despite that, we had an enjoyable day and I was finally able to experience this course as the designers intended (I'm guessing). I can state that I do fully appreciate the skill-level involved in conquering this course. It is not for the timid. You really have to think your way around this course. I used every shot I had today and played pretty well, but still got bit either by a tree or (far more regularly) the hard flat ground around the baskets, and because the baskets were in the long positions, that meant they were usually near OB or a cliff/drop-off of some kind. Consequently, small misses are punished severely. Having said that, I actually bagged three birdies. Yowza! But...ahem...still left with a healthy + number. Chalk another win up for the course.

Wrapping things up, I've increased my rating a half disc to support the great amount of improvements that have been made. I still think there are other courses that are better cared for, but this course is now very much in the conversation and from a pure skill perspective, it's top notch. I'm now looking forward to the next trip.

tests every shot in the book. Left, right, up, down, straight. Lots of danger for missed drives, upshots, and putts. Sweet location with sick views, big trees, etc. Club has done a great job protecting some trees that have gotten a lot of abuse over the years.

Almost every pin has danger written all over it. Many have potential roll aways down into deep canyons. I usually use a Pro D challenger for putting but find myself going to the r-pro aviar here due to the massive skip factor. If your drive isn't ideal, then a layup with a non skipping/rollaway disc is essential.

There's always people playing, discs and snacks for sale, and of course you have the top of the world with its insane views out over monterey bay and the mountains of Big Sur beyond.

people parking at the golf course since they won't pay the measly $2 parking fee, then jumping on the course where they feel like it.

Tom Schot delivered a masterpiece here, and everyone knows it. Truly a special spot for disc golf and a place to protect.

29 amazing holes! (if hole 17 is up)
Concrete tee pads, teesigns and shiny new baskets
Distinct fairways and unique terrain make you shape your shot accordingly.
Tons of elevation changes combined with fast greens make for some very tough approaches and skipaways/rollaways
Beautiful Location exclusively for disc golf
All Different types of shots and discs needed, tests your whole game!
Holes are Challenging, but fair.
Pro Shop with discs and accessories and mini mart (DJ's) sells discs, as well as snacks and drinks

2 crossing fairways but it usually isnt a problem, groups take turns
Many places to lose your discs with ravines and canyons (#3 don't go right, #15 dont go left, #21 don't go too far, #24 don't go right!)
Scattered Poison Oak throughout, not too bad but keep an eye out and bring technu.
Can be crowded in afternoons with big groups, and potentially waiting at the tee, but if you are respectful of the other players usually you can play thru

This is my course of choice and 2nd course I ever played, definitely I was spoiled. Like the title says, Disc Golf Heaven, and since its only 45 minutes away, I play it often.
This course really does have 29 awesome holes. 1-27 +8A and 26A, but #17 usually is not in play, due to erosion, but if you play in a tournament it will be up. This Course has that great disc golf atmosphere where you know everyone is excited to be there. $2 parking feeis such a small price to pay for such a glorious location, and despite what some say there is NO mandatory donation. Try to play in the morning as it will be less crowded. Absolutely MUST play!

• 27 holes, and most are good if not great
• excellent scenery
• course flows well
• friendly locals
• active disc golfer community at the course

• a few holes cross over each other
• some holes are confusing

I'm keeping this one short and sweet, the other reviews sum it up. It's a great course, and was very cool to see an active disc golfer community at the course.

All the locals were very friendly when I was there. Was great to see DGers of all ages out there playing, and just about all of them knew what they were doing.

There was a bit of confusion on some holes, and hole 17 was removed (although it seemed a killer hole) so that will throw you off a bit. One time through and you'll have it down.

Hole 27 "Top of the World" is indeed a great hole to throw. We even hiked back up to throw again just for fun.

Have to say this is in the top 3 for sure. I'm a big fan of wooded, slightly technical courses and this one was a dream for that factor. You'll need every disc/throw in your bag/arm for De LaVeaga.

I didn't find the course littered as a previous reviewer mentioned. Nor was it overcrowded, but I was there on a weekday afternoon.

I have to go with those who say the course lives up to the hype -- glad I made the trip down to Santa Cruz with my brother while visiting him in San Fran. We both had a blast and agreed it was a great course.

Update 2010-09: Played this course again and wasn't as enthralled with it as I was the first time. Forgot how much of the front nine hugs the main road. Dropping my score to 4.0 from 4.5. After playing Coyote Point at Lake Casitas, there was no way I could give DeLaveaga as a high rating as I did previously.

The course lived up to it's hype! As usual I enjoyed the the nature; I arrived after a heavy rain and the ground was almost dry again! I had a guide for my first round and was able to play a confusion free round. What a nice mixture of heavily wooded fairways and dramatic elevation shots that will leave even big arms worrying that they fell into the poison oak infested canyons!

I can see where a beginner may have a hard time navigating this course...but the locals are great and they will help you. The last hole, even though it is a must, is sort of a hazard to folks walking up the first couple fairways. But that's no reason to skip it just keep your head up!

I loved this course and I will be back!

- multiple pin positions (ranging from pretty easy to very hard)
- very grippy tee pads, considering the dusty environment
- a good mix between open/wooded holes
- a good mix between flat holes/holes with lots elevation
- Top of the World (27) is a picturesque hole
- Flymart van in the parking lot in case you need to pick up a disc before the round, or grab a snack/drink

- EXTREME overcrowding, and many holes with backups almost all the time
- a few of the holes overlap, or share fairways (5&6, 13&16, 20&22)... this isn't fun, and adds to slow play and creating backups
- many of the distances on the tee signs are inaccurate, or the sign is just graffiti-ed over (there are however, a few new, laminated signs)
- very dry/dusty, and because of the hills you'll really want something to drink with you
- $2 parking fee

There currently is no hole 17 at DeLa, that hole has become 26A, and plays right before Top of the World.

DeLa is easily one of the top courses in the nation. It is a challenge for anyone who steps on tee 1 and worth every second it takes to play it. Some of the views are great, the holes are creative, and it is one of the most respected courses in the nation. That alone should make it worth playing.

The environment can seem a little barren at times, and DeLa is almost always overcrowded, because it's pretty much the only really worthwhile course in the area. So be prepared to play a long, hot round because of all the waiting you'll be doing. It's almost better to come in a group of 4, rather than play in a smaller group, because sometimes passing just isn't an option because there are so many people there, all the time. So bring your friends, but you'll have a blast either way.

28 holes with good variety of shots. Great scenery; some wide open shots; others highly technical and everything in between. Final hole is epic, but still a close second in Northern California to Stafford hole #6 in my book. Discs at pro shop and parking lot.

Crowded and locals are a mixed bunch of friendly and not so. Parking is tough if not arriving early.

Definitely one of the best in Northen California, but didn't live up to the hype for me. Broken glass littered many holes. I'll put in it my top five in Nor Cal.

28 (!) holes. Variety of hole-types and shots needed. Concrete teepads. Signs showing the various basket positions for each hole. Practice basket. Excellent map. Clubhouse ½ mile away. Area dedicated to disc golf. Baskets #6, tee numbers 20, 23, and 25 are all near the parking lot, if you need to re-load with water - or discs.

Hole #27 needs to be experienced - words don't do it justice. Take a break, sit on the bench for a bit, and enjoy the expansive views you have of the entire course below you, and the forest and hills you can see for miles about you. Imagine the glorious flight of your disc will experience as it glides effortlessly down the long hill. Anticipate with joy as you release your disc into the clear sky, wondering if you'll actually hear the chains being struck so far away. Experience the horror of seeing your normally stable disc get caught in the wind, and begin turning towards basket #5 ... no, tee #1 ... wait, fairway #6, wondering if they'll hear you yell "fore" from so far away. Relief as your disc settles between basket #6 and tee #1, and then hustling down to make sure nobody finds and makes off with your apparently-abandoned disc!

Crossing fairways: #5 plays perpendicular across the midpoint of #6's fairway; #13's and #16's form an X-shape. #20/#22 can interfere with one another. Some basket locations and/or "typical" flight-paths can put some tees at risk - Tee #1, in particular, risks being hit on throws from #6 and #27. An errant throw (may my Squall rest-in-peace - or be found by a deserving soul) on #12 or #15 can end-up in a difficult-to-traverse ravine that contains quite a bit of broken glass.

The current-position marker at each sign was inconsistent - sometimes it was correct, sometimes not, at other times it wasn't set at all! A victim of its popularity - crowds. On a random summer early afternoon, there was already a decent amount of people on the course. Some groups are savvy, and know when to let a single player play past, and others, well not so - twice I had to skip a pair of holes when groups wouldn't let me play through. By the time I left, people were already double-parking in the lot. $2 to park.

Variety of:
- contours: some quite flat, some with very gentle changes in elevation, yet others with extreme up or down
- distances: good drives will sometimes lead to birdie opportunities, sometimes leave you with moderate approach shots, yet sometimes you'll still need to make a fairly-difficult second shot.
- shape of shots: left-turning, right-turning, S-shape, up-n-over, a roller if you care (I'm sure there were other opportunities, but I'm limited in my abilities)
- tightness: a few grip-n-rip drives, but you typically have to deal with trees at some point. Where the trees came into play varied - beginning/mid/end of opening drive, and/or near to the basket - and a few times, the entire length of the hole.

Challenging and fair - there was no hole, practically no shot, where I thought either a) this is too easy, or b) this is impossible. All baskets were accessible, but most every one had a tree, or more, nearby. Very fair fairways- nothing ridiculous. Hole #17 appears to be no more. There is an extra hole between 8/9, and another one between 26/27 (teepad to right as you reach top of ridge, basket farther to the left).

If you find yourself in the Bay area, it is certainly worth making a diversion to play this varied and challenging course- its worth the effort, and with the beach/rides at Santa Cruz not too far away, there are other things to do in the area.

Breathtaking setting supported by awesome disc golf community.

I simply was in awe and enjoyed every second on the course.

Risk / Reward shots and extreme elevation changes challenge your mental and physical game.

Well worth my journey from the east coast!

That might be your disc you see 100ft down the ravine.

A couple of errant throws or unkind kicks might have you mountain climbing (which is a Pro) but throwing your disc out of there is undesirable.

If you are not local, make the pilgrimage!!!

27 holes. This course is a great challenge for both pros and ams. There is a great variety of layouts - big open hucks, technical shots throuh wood with OBs, up hill, down hill, blind dog legs. Excellent use of land/ topography. Friendly locals. This is a big fun course that will improve your game for sure.

Some holes play too close to each other. The course gets crowded.

I hear that the number of holes was being reduced from 27 to 18. I hope not.

This course is laid out amazingly well in a setting that makes you feel like you have the best of a park course as well as the best of any mountains course. There are some incredible elevation changes. There are great signs at each hole, some that have some great stories behind them and the history of the course. I specifically liked the hole where the old refridgerator used to be. Great variation in types of shots that you will have to play. Everything becomes a good challenge and every bad shot will be punished. There is an incredible local crowd that loves and cares for this course. This course will be a memorable experience no matter how your round goes, especially with thier Top of the World as the last hole.

There are many holes where you could easily loose a disc if you do not know the terrain very well. You do have to pay to park at this course though it is possible to walk in from somewhere. Even though I was at this course very early in the morning there was a good size crowd there so I would imagine that this course can get super busy and when it gets super busy, watch out for discs flying at you from other holes. I thought there was a lack of consistency amongst tee pads that threw me for a loop once or twice.

This is just one of those courses that you have to play. It is really an experience like no other. There is a good chance that you will spend a good bit of time looking for your disc on several holes, which only makes your round that much longer. The better you know this course the better you will fare. The locals take a lot of pride in their course and if you do not show it the respect they think it deserves they will get on your case. You should defiantely throw nothing faster than a mid range off Top of the World. My drive went over the parking lot and through the fairway of 24, oops.

I mean come on.....If you didnt figure it out Dela will test everything you got in the most ridiculous location. Truly EPIC disc golf. On my top five list out of 250 courses. You can play it hundreds of times and learn something every time you go.

People who smoke on Dela and risk its stability.

I would live in Santa Cruz if just to play that course. Its that good!

What I like and how this course stacks up:
1) Holes with good risk/reward -- B
2) Holes that have rewarding birdie opportunities -- B-
3) More wooded than open - lots of variety of shots required caused by hole shape and topography -- B
4) Natural beauty (Appalachian beauty preferred) and seclusion -- A+
5) Multi-shot holes with defined landing zones, good risk/reward and multiple options to play them -- C

I ranked this course subjectively based on my own personal enjoyment factor...more accurately my "personal addiction factor". Since I have played a decent number of courses (115 18-hole, 50 9-hole as of early 2009), my hope is that players/explorers who have similar tastes will find my ratings list helpful as they chose courses to play and explore.

Over time, I expect to fill some of my reviews in with more descriptive verbiage...if what I say adds anything to what has already been written. For now, my list is more important to me than the verbiage of my reviews.

I fully expect others with different tastes/philosophies to disagree with me. See my profile for my rating philosophy.

No need to rate my "review"...I have nothing new to add to the comments before me...I just wanted to add to the many voices praising this course.

I've waited years to play this course and finally got to today as part of a DG road trip my wife and I are taking...12-15 courses in 7 days (DG in the mornings and early afternoons...wine tasting the rest of the time win-win)

This course is well worth seeking out...well worth making the cornerstone of a DG road trip on the West Coast.

The locals I ran into were extremely helpful and friendly.

The placements were on the "long settings" for the pins and even though it kicked my but (21 over par for 28 holes) I never felt overly frustrated and felt I was actually doing good by parring 5 and getting one eagle) I ended on cloud 9 by parring the top of the world!

This course lived up to all the "press" and my lofty expectations.

One special treat of the day was at the Pinto Lake course not far away (also designed by Tom Schott) as we were teeing off on hole 6 a truck pulled up and it was Tom himself as he was working on desgning the back 9 at Pinto...we talked for about an hour about his courses, including a new one in Belize and got pictures with him (we are total DG geeks)

I'm still buzzed from today...and haven't even got to the wine yet

One special treat

The best course in CA! This place is awesome, tons of really tough holes... anyone who can play the whole course at par or better is an awesome player. Tons of tough shots of all types, especially some awesome downhill shots where you can really bomb it. Great views, beautiful setting! Very long, both individual holes (some are over 500 ft) and total course (27 holes)! The final hole, the legendary "Top of the World" offers not only a great hole, but also an awesome view of the Monterey bay.

Not very beginner friendly... course is very hard, and there are lots of spots where a bad shot can result in your disc ending up at the bottom of a steep ravine filled with poison oak. This course can be very frustrating for beginners due to its length and difficulty. Very possible to lose a disc, even for a good player. Still, this danger just makes playing the course that much more exciting and fun... no room for error, one mistake could be the last time you see your disc!

This place is the best... bring your A game and prepare to be humbled by this awesome course, and the amazing locals who play it! In my opinion, anyone who doesn't like this course is either a crappy player, an idiot, or both.