Gorgeous
Starts off with great variety in picturesque evergreen forest.
Perhaps the best fairways I've ever seen on a new course. They are perfectly well defined from tee to green with zero "throw and pray" shots.

Gets a little samesy...
Remember the perfect fairways? They're almost too perfect. While each shot must be shaped correctly there really aren't any drives that you are aiming for a specific landing area. Yes, you have to hit the fairway, but how far you go down the fairway doesn't really matter.
I normally wouldn't attempt to compare anything to Idlewild, but since a few people in the reviews have I'll add my opinion; rarely are there drives at this course that I'm not just throwing my furthest. Idlewild has drives that have options, risk/reward, and may require just a mid range off the tee. It has drives and second shots that require you to land the disc at a certain spot on a certain angle, Echo Valley doesn't have a lot of that due to the generally long flatness of the drives with a slight dogleg. Just needs a little more variety on the back nine.

Great course, thanks, I'll be back.

*Had to come back with minor update. I can't, in good conscience give the course a 4 and had to up it to a 4.5.
The front 9 is a 5 outta 5 and while I think the back 9 is good golf I just don't really enjoy it nearly as much. Almost every shot on the back 9 is slightly uphill (which means you are almost exclusively walking up hill). From the time you leave 9's basket till you get to 13's or 14's pad is exhausting. Also, there's really only a couple true par 3's after hole 6 so you just kinda get warn out.
I think after the spectacular start you're kinda waiting for another signature hole or moment later on but perhaps they are all early...

* Beautiful park with activities for others in the group not interested in disc golf (playground, woods hiking, 1 mile paved walking loop, soccer fields, basketball court, volleyball court, fishing pond, picnicking, etc.) Restrooms are available.
* Practice basket and field for warming up
* Large course overview signage at both Holes 1 and 10
* DISCatcher 28 chain baskets (banded blue for ease of glimpsing them through the forested fairways)
* Detailed tee signs clearly showing intended lines/basket/OB/trees in fairway/next tee, etc.
* 2 sets of tees (Blue par ~925 rated, Gold par ~975 rated, #'s from most recent tournament)
* Excellent use of available elevation for uphill/downhill shots
* Variety of distances (from Blue tees: short 243 - long 569, average of 411 ft, from Gold tees: short 281 - long 669, average of 494 ft)
* Mix of tight, wooded lines and tree-lined open-field shots
* Many greens are picturesque, tree-protected creations
* This course is a true, exhilarating challenge requiring a complete game to score well. Depending on your viewpoint, this could be a pro or con. (17 of the 18 holes average over par)
* A course designer (Carl Chiles) and Parks and Rec department (Clearcreek) that are invested in the continued maintenance and improvement of the course.

* Could use benches on more than a couple of holes
* Several tee pads retain water when it rains
* Repetitiveness of Holes 7-11. All par 4 with long drives along an OB road with a dogleg finish (this is nitpicky, but noticeable)
* Tweener holes make for easy birdies on soft par 4s (1, 14, and 18) and very rare birdies on tough par 3s (3, 16, 17). These do 'cancel' out, but some are being addressed with future course changes.

The course is my 'home' course, 5 minutes away and I'm beyond blessed to have this gem so close and have played it 185 times as of writing this review. It is in my top 5 courses ever played (out of 550). Learning this course will make you a better player. The course is set for some upgrades in the near future including White tee pads being poured (and for several holes, the current Blue becomes White, current Gold becomes Blue, and new Golds poured), hole 12 will be lengthened to play to current hole 16 basket and will be a par 4, avoiding safety concerns from a blind drive into a walking path, hole 16 will be entirely new). Hole 13 will become a par 5, giving it the signature hole status it deserves, and hole 17 will have the pin moved back 'over' the pond and become a true par 4.

Course walkthrough (from Blues)
1. I love open crusher holes to begin a round (2 off 1, right?). OB lines the ditch along the left side of the downhill fairway, while large, grabby trees on the right will punish discs that turn over. Put a stable disc slightly out to the right and let it slowly hyzer in past the dominant fairway tree approaching the green. If you can FH your upshot, being right of the opening is good, if you only BH, you want to be left/even with the opening to avoid hyzering past the basket on your approach. The green is well protected with a narrow 'mouth', including Mutombo fingers that will knock down any upshots with too much height. Beware the downslope 5 ft left of the basket. A birdie here feels like a must-get for a good scoring round.
2. This 250 ft. drive features the straight gap putter/mid drive or a hyzer through the right gap. The hyzer is a bit of poke/pray after the initial gap, as trees are scattered along the fairway. The fairway gradually slopes just after the basket to an OB path. Going left off the tee brings bogey into play, and hitting first available and kicking right can also reach an OB walking path.
3. Birdies here require a 350 pinpoint FH or a throw-in on the upshot. Missing the fairway almost guarantees a bogey. A large rock dead-center fairway should be the goal of your drive, leaving a technical upshot to get the quality par (hole averages a 4.01, a full 1.01 strokes over par!)
4. One of the holes that radiates the Echo Valley vibe of green tree-lined par 4 holes not reachable on the drive. Several good options exist for the right-handed player, with all of them requiring navigation of the first set of guardian trees. The goal is to get to the 'OB valley' 3/4 of the way to the basket. I prefer being at the left approach landing zone for a FH upshot, while others like being near the bridge the BH approach. I think the safest drive is a BH hyzer up the right gap (or a flex anny FH on the same line). Once reaching the landing zone, the upshot is uphill, and as long as you don't go 30 feet past, you are safe to give a soft run on the approach.
5. A definite WOW! hole when you walk up to the blue tee (the shot is almost blind from the gold). 335 ft huge downhill shot easily reachable with a putter/midrange. This is the only hole I've aced at Echo (with a Luna). The trees on both sides of the fairway down the hill are very grabby, and there is often a headwind coming up the hill, requiring a careful angle of release to compensate and get a nice straight shot to avoid the right drift that often moves shots into bogeyville. The 'road' at the bottom of the hill is marked OB during tournaments. I have seen thumbers work on this hole if you have that kind of shot/power.
6. A beautiful tee shot deep in the pines that requires either a dead straight shot or a hyzer that has to dodge guardians at the end of the flight to reach the green. This is reminiscent of Blue Ribbon Pines signature tee shots. All drives should avoid getting too high to avoid the plethora of limbs waiting to knock down discs.
7. The first of the par 4 stretch (Holes 7-11). In my opinion, this stretch makes or breaks a scoring round. A good round requires playing at least -2 on these holes. I've played -5 on the stretch only 1 time! There is a road that runs along all of these holes (OB). On some holes like 7, it is more of a mental worry than an actual threat. On hole 7, the true OB worries are the creek 2/3 of the way up the fairway and fence-lined OB area of trees as the creek goes into the woods. This means a straight or right-moving shot is a must, almost all hyzering shots will challenge the OB on the left (unless you lay up short of the creek, which is a great MA40 move). The green is sloped, often resulting in rollaways on the approach. If you have a 'soft' disc to absorb the landing, this is a good spot to employ that strategy.
8. The OB road here is a true threat, as the best to get a clean approach is to throw over the road to the right of the guardian pine and allow the disc to hyzer back to the fairway. This does bring the chance of hitting overhanging branches and dropping OB, so beware. If you have a 330+ dead straight drive that can stay low (or 400+ power to go high), then by all means, take the gut shot. Any drives that filter left will require either a sacrificial 'out' back into the fairway, or a risky forehand roller to try to advance up the fairway and get back into position. Typical good drives will end up near the rocky midpoint. The hole finishes on a dogleg left, with a good approach being a high spike hyzer pushing almost past the basket to avoid getting caught up in the large pine in the fairway. I suggest you walk up to the basket to note just how far the tree sticks out. If your drive gets through the gap but moves too far left, there is a sneaky, low forehand upshot that can come into the green from an unconventional direction.
9. The hardest of these five par 4 holes. The land slopes left, often pulling drives into the left woods. This immediately takes par out of the equation, and often boosts scores to 5+. This is the 3rd hardest hole on the course with a 4.82 average. The goal is to make the initial gap with power, pushing a shot dead straight as far as possible to open up the dogleg right finish. IF you can let the disc finish slightly left, it enables a 2nd shot to access the green. If your drive moves right, you are playing for par. An ideal drive finishing left lets you glimpse the basket and throw a FH that finishes with a flair right to get into C1 with an overstable disc. Be careful of OB both left and long of the basket (reachable only if you crush your 2nd shot or it gets flippy).
10. The easiest drive of the par 4 holes requires getting past the large pine on the right about 250 feet down the fairway. I prefer a drive that slowly works left to right with enough height to hook up at the end and come back left. Large arms might consider going straight over the pine to finish slightly left. The green is a dogleg left and slightly uphill, and is well protected by shrubbery and a large tree with many reaching arms. Depending on the exact landing zone, choose a straight FH up the left gap or a high hyzer or low, skipping hyzer up the right side. An OB fence does prevent any huge over the top hyzers, but is 50+ ft past the basket, so should not be a concern.
11. The challenge of this hole is boosting your drive 300+ dead straight between 2 large fairway trees 80 feet off the teepad without turning over to flirt with the OB road to the right. The hole ends uphill on a dogleg left. A drive that moves too far left will pinch off most approaches and result in a forehand roller or sky anny FH to try to access the green, pretty much a hero shot. A perfect 350 ft drive up the center leaves a ~100 ft technical upshot through some scraggly trees to access the basket. Epic rollaways (100+ feet) are seen here too often.
12. When putting out on 11, take the 'high' path towards 12 to see the basket before dropping down to the tee. Although it is the shortest hole at 243 ft, it still averages 0.3 strokes over par because of the drastic uphill nature of the tee shot, and the protected green keeping discs at the edge of C1. While standing on the tee, the goal should be to throw a FH moving right (or turnover BH) directly towards the large tree with all the bark peeling off. If you can just miss that tree, you will be in an ideal place to putt for 2. The only bad mistakes are to shank your drive right and not make the corner (immediate bogey), or throw 300+ dead straight, resulting in encountering an OB walking path that you should never see.
13. In my opinion this is the Echo Valley signature hole. Lush green fairway dominated by large mature trees with defined lines. If you get off the line, you can hit every third tree. I've snowmanned this hole. Two good shots off the tee both end up 'right' at the end of their flight. Option 1 is the flat, strong forehand up the left side that finishes with a flair skip right. Option 2 is the backhand turnover that finds the right open fairway line and floats down to the landing zone valley. Both shots require missing the huge tree directly in front of the tee. Don't let it dominate you, make sure you are well left on your shot. The safest upshot is a wide hyzer working right to left finishing soft as the hill slowly slopes down. I have buzzed the basket with the straight shot, but when you inevitably miss, you are moving slightly downhill and end up in C2. This is a great par on the 4th hardest hole (4.78 average).
14. The third easiest hole (4.04 average), and would be much moreso if not for the OB fence lining the left of the fairway on the drive. This fence goes into a park neighbor's property. If you go in there, please do not retrieve your disc. We need to respect the No Trespassing signs. The other threat is the dead tree dominating the fairway right in front of you. Ignore it. Aim for the gap. Hit the gap. I used to say 'Hit the tree' and I'd avoid it. Now I keep hitting it so I just pretend it isn't there. Works sometimes. The best play off the drive is to throw dead straight 230-250 feet with a disc that will finish left as it tires. I prefer a slightly overstable fairway or a neutral mid with some height. This should put you in a landing zone leaving an uphill 150 shot with a really wide gap straight to the basket up on the soccer field. I wish this basket would be pulled back into the copse of trees (and turned into a par 3).
15. One of the few ace runs on the course, which my buddy hit on his first time playing here. Requires a dead straight shot, although you can get lucky with any angle approach (but there are tree limbs everywhere!). The best play is to keep a straight midrange low and drive it into the uphill slanting fairway in front of the basket, counting on the skip/slide up the hill. A fairway can work, but often will result in being 40+ long if you don't hit the hill right.
16. The fifth hardest hole on the course (3.78 on a par 3). Going early left is the definite worst. Look at the vine-encrusted large tree dead center fairway. A straight shot just to the left of that tree, or a slightly hyzer just to the right are the two ways to give yourself a chance at a birdie look. Be careful of the huge skip if you hyzer too much, OB lines the entire (admittedly large) green. In addition, the green slopes away, so be careful with your approaches or risky runs, as you truly risk a birdie-to-bogey (or worse) scenario if you get an unlucky roll.
17. Currently, the second hardest hole on the course before it is lengthened and changed to a par 4 (3.92 on a par 3). There is an OB road crossing the fairway about 275 ft off the drive, making it a risk-reward decision on the tee. Ideally, a shot will be driven straight off the tee, with good 2nd shot options for both the slight turnover and baby hyzer finishes. If you drive short of the road, the hyzer upshot up the right side if the best play. If you can finish past the road on the left, there is a back door perfect for a FH approach. The land does slope slightly downhill past the basket towards a pond, but I've never seen anyone get close, so you'd really have to yank your upshot to worry about OB.
18. A fun finishing hole that pulls you out of the woods (and into possible vigorous headwinds!). I've seen multiple tournaments flip leaders on this final hole. While is it the easiest hole on the course (the only one scoring under par, 3.93 on a par 4), score separation still is highly probable. If you have 350+ ft of power, you should drive over the 'bog' OB. You won't likely be in putting range, but will have a much simpler upshot. The best drives move slightly left to right as they go over the bog. If you don't think you can get that distance, throw a putter/midrange 200-220 ft, setting yourself up for your actual drive (~300) on your 2nd shot. Be careful of throwing too far on the first shot as the land starts to slope down and makes for awkward footing on your 2nd. I've found the the best approach is to try and land near the only tree in the fairway (up the right side). This allows for a hyzer drive into the green (recognizing you need to keep it low as the green is protected from the right).

Echo Valley DGC is located in a large, beautiful park and nature preserve between Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio. The 18 holes of disc golf play in an area mostly well removed from other park amenities, giving the feel that you are out in nature.

The layout here is well designed and makes great use of the land that the park has to offer. Many holes play over rolling terrain, and in a couple places the slopes get relatively steep. My favorite hole here was #5, which plays 335' (short tee) or 435' (long tee) straight down a fairly steep hill. It's a definite birdie opportunity (or ace run for you dreamers out there) but not without risk - dense woods line both sides of the fairway.

In general, holes here range from wooded to mostly open. There was nothing unfairly tight here, but definitely tight enough to require plenty of shot shaping. The first 6-7 holes stood out to me as having particularly strong variety - from #1's long, open fairway to start things off, to #2's tight wooded line, and beyond. Things are also made more interesting by several potential water hazards. Hole #17 has a pond in play behind the basket, and hole #18 requires a carry over a low-lying and potentially wet area. Don't be fooled by the hole info page though - the rest of the water hazards on the course consist of small creeks that cross fairways on 5-6 different occasions. Even on the early April day that I visited, these creeks were pretty much dried up. Advanced players might want the risk of potential disc loss in the water, but recreational players will likely be glad that the only place here where that looks to be actually possible is hole #17.

The tee areas are great. There are two per hole, and they are set up exactly the same - large concrete pads in good condition, and detailed tee signs consisting of laminated paper mounted on wooden posts. I also noticed some small white flags in the ground, that were located in areas that suggested to me that a third "short" set of tees is in the works. This would be a welcome addition and make the course more accessible to newer players. I played my round from the current shorter (Blue) tees, and even those offer plenty of length - averaging around 410' per hole. The long (Gold) tees push this number up even higher to 495' average. The one thing I will say is that it did often seem like the long tees were basically just located behind the shorter tees, and not really appear to offer a different challenge other than the increased distance. But since I only played from the shorter tees, take that with a grain of salt.

The baskets are "sponsor-banded" DISCatchers. One per hole in great shape. Navigation between holes is generally easy, thanks to separate blue and gold tape on the basket rungs. The only spot where I would have liked to see a couple extra arrows is on a longer walk between holes 7 and 8.

The front of the course has a practice basket (plus an open field large enough to practice drives), kiosk with large course map, and restrooms.

This course made a "destination level" impression on me over the first few holes, but unfortunately I do feel that the rest of the course is not quite as good. Some of the middle holes started to feel similar for me. Holes 8, 10, and 11 are all semi-open, flattish, longish designs with the basket tucked off to the left at the end. It could be argued that Hole 9 follows that same theme - the basket is just on the right side instead and tucked a little further back. A couple of the later holes were also a little bit underwhelming, like #14 which is a dogleg left around private property bordering the park.

Newer players (and my noodle arm) would like to see a true "short" layout, or at least a couple of shorter holes. The current Blue layout only has five holes that are less than 380' long.

The walking paths next to some holes are a bit of a concern. Mostly line of sight stuff at least.

There were only a couple of benches near the course and they were located along the walking paths, so not in ideal locations for disc golfers. This is a lengthy enough course that I found myself wanting one by the back nine. There were also no trash cans on the course except for one at the beginning.

In summary, this is a solid and challenging course in a nice setting. It was my first course played in the state of Ohio (my 11th state overall) and it did not disappoint! There were not enough standout holes for me to push my rating higher than 4.0, especially with the other minor concerns present as well. Nonetheless, don't let that stop you from checking this place out. If you are in the Cincinnati/Dayton area and have played Idlewild, Echo Valley should definitely be on your itinerary!

+ Flat, sturdy, long and wide tee pads of concrete on every hole.
+ All tees have their own brightly colored and detailed tee signs with the hole number changing color, depending on which tee position you're playing.
+ Nice variety of open, wooded, elevation and a few water features.
+ Eye-catching numbered baskets have different colored tape on the spokes to guide players to their intended next tee.
+ Everything is so crisp, clean, well presented and maintained.
+ Correct me if I'm wrong. I think I counted three practice baskets and two info boards, but...

- ...no lost disc box? It's a huge course, so I probably walked right past it and didn't notice. But, if there isn't one, then there really ought to be because...
- ...some of the roughage areas can be really dense and grabby. Keep both eyes on your disc if it ricochets.
- The action gets a bit samey during part of the back nine.
- Very few player convenience features (benches, bad stands, etc.)

Hole1 is just a bumpy wide open gentle downslope. It has the fewest features, which is why it was my least favorite, but the rest of the course more than compensates.

Hole6 is a gorgeous example of just how good a disc golfing fairway can look. A random stand of tall pines blocks out most of the Sun. Straight ahead from the tee is the basket perfectly framed on both sides by those shadowy giants. All around you is that foresty type of serentiy. Moments like that make me happy to be a disc golfer.

And hole5, my favorite to play at this course, was the star of the show. After a striking downhill fairway, the basket teases you in an open area at the bottom of the hill while trees and shrubs on both sides of the fairway threaten to ruin your throw. It was a joy to play.

That's a sentence that prefectly describes the course as a whole, isn't it? For those disc golfers who love wooded fairways or more open park-style/hybrid holes, Echo Valley won't disappoint. Enough of the fairways bend one way or the other to challenge a player's various throws. Even those golfers who prefer to air out their drives can appreciate this place for the kinds of challenges it has. Echo Valley also has a satisyfing footprint. The designers were able to create an excellent venue for our sport because of the sprawling area they were given to work with. Peaceful woods, trickling streams, breezey fields and two or three healthy hills punctuate the disc golfer's visit.

But then, at around hole14, I got the feeling that the course was starting to run out of steam because I noticed that most of the fairways in the back nine were somewhat interchangeable variations of "tree-dodging in a half-open field." I was still having a ton of fun, mind you, but my mind kept revisiting holes5 and 6, and I lamented the realization that the experience wouldn't be returning to that level. That dimmed my enthusiasm slightly, but I still loved playing at this place. It's the type of course that wish I lived closer to.

I strongly recommend Echo Valley. It's so good and so popular that the club has installed a second info board at hole10 to welcome those who walk to the park instead of driving. (I suspect it also informs other parkgoers that they are strolling through a disc golf course.) The upkeep is stellar. The fairways are fun. The venue is peaceful and at times quite pretty. If you ever find yourself in between Dayton and Cincinnati, do yourself a favor and stop by Echo Valley.

This course is in contention to be the highest-rated course in Ohio, and rightfully so. It features spectacularly beautiful scenery with many cool tree types, at least one top signature hole, decent elevation changes, and a wide variety of hole types in a mostly dedicated area of a large multi-use park. The course typically has two decent sets of concrete tee pads per hole and one pin placement. The tee signs are some of the best and have all of the necessary information on them. The course is a fun and pleasant play. The course is of the longer variety with the average hole length from the shorts around 425' and features possibly the most par 4's of any course that I have played thus far. We played the blue tees and the course took our lunch money. No one in my group of 3 got a two on any of the holes and not a lot of 3's were had, but we enjoyed every minute of it. Even without the many navigation aids, navigation would have been a snap and most baskets are visible from the blue tees or follow the logical fairway. The course is well designed and makes good use of the available terrain.

As much of a gem as this course is, there is still room for improvement. The tee pads could be a little larger. There could be multiple pin placements.

There are a couple of hiking trails that intersect the course on a few holes so it's possible you may have to wait for a random or two to pass by. There was a big event going on in the park while we were there with several parking lots closed so we had to park a little bit farther away than would be normaly possible. Not a con, but large events could affect other park activities.

This course blew everyone in my group away and became an instant favorite. It's long and somewhat difficult but not overwhelming, incredibly gorgeous, and on par with other top courses. I think it may be a little easier than other "gold" level courses but there is plenty of room to make the course harder if need be. It is a must-play and as of now my favorite Ohio course. I still have to play most of the other highest-rated courses in Ohio though and we'll see where they stand. Anyway. PLAY THIS COURSE!

Echo Valley is one of the most touted new courses I've heard about in awhile. And with good reason. This is a championship caliber course located in an absolutely gorgeous park between Dayton and Cincinnati.

There are two tee pads on every hole here. The gold and the blue tees offer a good amount of variation in distance between the two on most of the holes. The tees themselves are nicely sized, level and have excellent grip. These are all framed up to help with erosion.

The baskets here are Discatchers. One basket per hole, but up to 3 possible pin positions on every hole. The baskets are mounted level and catch great. The baskets also have a spoke on the bottom of the cage painted either blue or gold pointing in the direction of the next tee. This is such a nice, simple touch that I wish more courses would adopt.

The design here is top notch. The course isn't hilly necessarily, but the terrain undulates throughout and the tee and pin placements are set up in spots that accentuate this feature to perfection. There are trees on every hole as well, but there are a couple options to attack them on almost every one of them. It's like this property was destined to have a disc golf course on it. Just phenominal.

The tee signs are, like everything else here, fantastic. The hole map shows you every possible detail that you'd ever need. All the possible pin placements, any OB, walking paths etc. They are have the hole #, Pars, distances and next tee arrows. Literally everything you'd need.

This course will test your whole game. I really wished I could throw a decent sidearm or even flick roller numerous times throughout my round. Player's who have all the shots will fare much better than myself.

The course is permanent and free to play. The flow is pretty easy to follow, especially with all the different next tee markings. There's a nice big kiosk with a course map by the parking lot as well.

I don't have much to be honest. It would be nice if the tee signs had some kind of system telling you which pin is currently in play. Some of the holes are a bit long to want to walk up the fairway to scout it out.

There are no restrooms on the course or by the parking area for the course. I'd assume there is one somewhere else in the park, but just be aware of this before heading out on your round.

The gravel park road runs through the course in a few spots and can come into play. A minor annoyance if you play it as OB. Only a factor on a few holes though.

The course can get pretty busy it seems. Understandable because of the quality, but be prepared for back ups and potentially lengthy rounds during warmer days and peak hours.

This was one of the most beautiful courses I've ever played. I remember looking at pictures of the place when it first came out and thinking the pictures must be doctored. There's no way a course can be this visually appealing. The course IS that beautiful in person.

I've only played a handful of courses in Ohio, but 4 of the top ten. This one is hands down my favorite. I can't recommend this one enough. If it's not in your wishlist, put it there. I had to see the hype for myself and boy am I glad I did. Must play course, soon to be the top course in Ohio without a doubt.

~Clean manicured park
~Demanding yet fair layout
~Great technical fairways, an abundance of variety
~Concrete tee pads, beautiful baskets, great signage

~Long course with a great number of Par 4's which leads to long rounds and could be considerably slower when busy
~Lacks benches and trash cans spaced throughout
~Will develop better as the course gets worn in

Played during my 4th visit to a good friend living in the Dayton area. This was the first course we played on this visit, and Echo Valley is easily one of the best in the area for a multitude of reasons.

The overall layout is fairly technical and moderately wooded throughout. There is nice use of elevation, creeks, and other natural features that lend to a scenic and extremely enjoyable course. Ample concrete tee pads, custom baskets, and wonderful signage are all fresh and spectacular. There is a nice amount of variety throughout the course. The holes are all designed extremely well, and the par 4's are tough but fair.

A casual round will take a good amount of time, but the scenic setting and impressive course design keeps things fresh and friendly. We played in early spring, so I can imagine the fairways tighten up considerably during the growing season. There honestly isn't too much to find fault with at Echo Valley provided you are an experienced disc golfer.

-Concrete tee pads
-Clear and helpful tee maps with accurate distances
-Dual tee pads for every hole
-Diverse holes that make use of terrain and trees
-Most tree-filled holes still have a lane to shoot, if your aim is good enough
-Well mowed and kept, even during the fall. Leaves were controlled and did not pose a risk for losing discs when landing in reasonable areas.
-Hole lengths are diverse, ranging from ace opportunities to long bombers.

-there are some weird OB lines. A few gravel roads or paths cross fairways and can lead to what feels like an arbitrary punishment
-tee pads seem to be a little shorter than normal, but not a real complaint
-Drainage can be a little limited, leading to some swampy areas on a few holes

This is by far my favorite course in the Dayton area. The variety of the holes, the challenging par, and creative design have made it the standard to which I measure my improvement.

Multiple tees for every hole.

All concrete tee pads.

Nice mix of terrain and shot types needed

Multi-use park means plenty of amenities like bathrooms, benches etc...

The teepads are a hair short. Not egregiously so, but another 1' would have made a difference given the challenge associated with the course.

Most of the Gold tees are just longer versions of the Blues. To me this is the difference between giving this a 4 and a 4.5 or 5.

Very few trash cans (that I saw).

So far I've only played the blues and felt like they're a really nice challenge without being absolutely soul-crushing. The course itself is built in almost perfect terrain for disc golf (as far as Ohio goes anyway). Rolling hills, plenty of trees and thoughtful design have lead to a course that will challenge most players without horrendously frustrating a reasonably experienced player. It's not somewhere you should bring someone to introduce them to the game, but if it were, it wouldn't be rated as highly as it is.

As far as shots needed, you'll play L to R, R to L, up and down hill and have water come into play occasionally. It's abundantly clear that plenty of time was spent crafting lines on most holes, which is where my biggest "con" comes in: When you take the time to have two sets of tees, it's simply not acceptable to stack one 100' in front of the other and call it a day. IMHO, the long tee should increase the challenge of the hole in other ways in addition to distance. Simply moving 50' left or right can completely force a player to completely rethink how a hole should be played and adds much more replay value to a course. Obviously that's not an option on every hole at any course, but obvious opportunities to do this here were missed/skipped. In the grand scheme of things though, this is a fairly minor complaint given everything else Echo Valley brings to the table.

+ Well upkept.
+ Fairways are well maintained.
+ Many technical shots required.
+ Multiple tee pads on all holes.
+ Baskets and tee pads are in great condition (to be expected, as the course is new).

- Tee pads are on the shorter side. They're concrete though which is great.
- Disc loss potential on Hole 5 if you aren't the kind of person to throw straight.
- The walk from Hole 7 to 8 is on the longer side.
- Some of the holes throw next to other park activities or across the sidewalk.
-- Hole 16 in particular tees off next to a soccer field and throws next to picnic tables. Be mindful of this, so as not to get hit by a soccer ball or accidentally strike someone sitting at the picnic tables.
- Slightly awkward navigation - have a map ready.

Amenities:
- Parking: Plenty.
- Restrooms: One in the rear of the parking lot near Hole 1.
- Running water: None that I saw.
- Benches: None that I saw.
- Trash cans: None that I saw.
- Bag holders: None.
- Tee signs: New - a map of the hole, par, distance, and directions to the next tee.
- Next tee/direction signs: None - only the tee signs tell you. Have a map ready in case you forget.
- Wheelchair/cart friendly: No.

Having walked and worked this parcel of land for years and years in order to set up the annual Echo Valley temporary course, Carl Chiles and crew had to have gotten a real clear picture of what they would do here, once the go-ahead was given. And go ahead they did! This used to be a course marked by 20' wide honeysuckle paths and gaps, and rugged punishment for errant throws …which kept the temp design often shorter than the designers really wanted.

Now, the place is gloriously defined by often 50 to 80 feet of beautiful, wide, park-like fairways, interspersed with mature trees, with healthy grasses growing underfoot, and even more width of underbrush cleared for a 'second cut', so that you usually can keep reasonably controlled shots in the fairway. But they've lengthened the holes so much that you feel a temptation to press a little to hit that long, beautiful line you've chosen …and sometimes can manage. The course is clearly geared to be a challenge for advanced (blue) to open (gold) level players, and will likely be playing host to some big tournaments in no time.

They've used the elevation well, including a really fun, steep-dropping ace run on hole 5, rolling ridges and valleys to add flair, uphill basket positions on occasion, and even a marshy 'preserved' area on the finishing hole that serves the same purpose as a water carry. The trees are gorgeous, the underbrush is cleared, and the place looks like it's been in play for years. I kept asking myself, "how did they get this 'mature' look by the grand opening?" Obviously, planning, patience, and a huge amount of effort. The result may already be in contention as one of the best courses in southwest Ohio (and I'm including Caesar's Ford and Mt. Airy in that statement).

The established amenities include plenty of parking, a fantastic kiosk/map, perfect signage at all 36 tees, and good-catching, blue banded baskets (plus a temp basket to the right of the main disc golf parking lot. The play tends to slightly favor left to right lines, but has many, many optional flight paths available for all techniques. I liked the variety, which even included a straight, pine woods, shorter hole 6, to go along with the occasional open bomber. You need to play here and find your favorite. Mine was pulling off a luck/skilled River drive straight through my intended tree gap on the downhill gliding hole 16, then putting in a 45' putt. For a (909 rated, 60 year old) guy who prefers short/approach type courses, I expected to find too much challenge here, but the blue tees were awesome for me. I hope to come back and get more than one deuce next time!

Not a whole lot to complain about, but I did need to pull out the map several times to choose the correct path (first time through), so I'd love to see some next tee signs. The perfect, level concrete tees were fine for me, but I thought it was interesting that they only were able to pour them 4'x10', when 5'x12' is becoming the 'standard'. They are level, and allow run up and follow through, but…

I don't think they could have designed much better based on the land they were working with, but it did feel like the gold tees usually (maybe three fourths of the time) didn't add anything 'different' than the blues except for distance. Some folks don't consider that a 'con', as the challenge level is similar, but 'scaled up' for bigger arms.

Finally, I think the course plays for the most part separated well from other park-goers, but there appeared to be a walking path not far off the 13th green, and the 14th fairway does turn a tight dogleg R-L around a fenced, ob, no trespassing parcel of private property. Gonna be some discs over that fence, so don't climb: ask for help retrieving if you throw there.

In all, this course is definitely worth the hype you're hearing, and absolutely road trip worthy. If you're coming in to the region, I can think of at least ten courses within an hour or so that will put a smile on your face, and make a week's stay in the Cincy/Dayton area a great start to a disc golf vacation!

First and foremost, thank you to everyone who helped to make Echo Valley possible. The amount of work that was poured into this thing is incredible, and if you saw this place two years ago, you'd hardly recognize it now. While this has surely been a team effort, I'd like to give a massive shoutout to Carl Chiles for designing an absolutely spectacular layout, and for all of the time and effort he has given to make EV a reality.

Hello and welcome to the latest reason why Dayton should be in the running for top disc golf cities in the world. EV is another gem in an already extraordinary lineup of courses in the area. You like beautiful shot shapes? No worries. How about pristine fairways? They're here. Want lots of trees? Me either, but let's be honest, disc golf wouldn't be the same without them. With so much to offer, EV is just shy of having everything you could want in a championship level course.

One of the first things you'll notice about EV is the fun factor. So many upper-tier courses are upper-tier because they are stupidly difficult. Make no mistake, EV is a challenge and a half, but fun is built into the design. I've played both sets of tees now, and even from the golds, the top of the world hole, the must-gets sprinkled in among the overarching difficulty, and so much more, make this course just really, really fun to play. Opening day was just as busy as expected and my group was waiting a lot, but even after a round just shy of three hours, I found myself wanting to play again.

While I think that overall EV is a RHFH/LHBH friendly course (and I say this as a RHFH player), overall, there is a good mix of backhand and forehand lines. In fact, many of the holes have multiple options. Whatever you choose, placement is key. The fairways are shaped beautifully in order to punish bad shots and reward good ones. The out of bounds feels necessary on nearly every hole with the possible exception of the path on 17.

As others have already mentioned, the course looks absolutely fantastic. With the work that so many volunteers in the community have put in, the course feels very established, even though it's less than a month old. There's still the occasional branch here and there that probably won't be around in a few months (I'm looking at you, vine on number 4), but, for the most part, you wouldn't be able to tell it was just opened if you didn't already know.

I sat for a very long time debating between whether to give EV four or four and a half stars, but ultimately decided on four, and here's why.

The first reason is the amount of tweener holes on the course. Depending on your definition of a tweener hole, there are anywhere from 3-5 that are right in between pars. I personally would consider 3, 16, and 17 to be par 3.5s. There's also a case to be made that 13 could be a par 5 from the golds, but with two really good shots it is possible to get it to the basket in 2. Either way, it can be frustrating to have multiple holes that a roughly 50 person advanced/open field don't get a single birdie on from the golds.

While elevation certainly impacts some holes (5, 12, 14, 16), for the most part, a lot of the holes don't really incorporate much at all. This isn't inherently a bad thing, but when so many are in a row it can get repetitive. Holes 8, 9, 10, and 11, while all having their own personality and shot requirements, are relatively flat and are all roughly the same distance. While we're talking about these holes, it's worth mentioning that the turn is about as far away from the parking lot as possible, and the layout makes it tough to play a quick round or just skip a few to get in only 9.

Tick tock: It's comparison time, everyone's favorite. Even in its early days and weeks, the community has debated whether or not this course beats out Caesar Ford as the best course in Dayton. While I respect their opinion, I think that the people arguing in favor of EV are doing so out of recency bias. There is no doubt that EV is championship caliber, but there's not really a case to be made for it being better than CF. Where CF offers two (or three if you count 18) absolutely beautiful par 5s, EV doesn't even have one. CF also offers a fantastic mix of open and woods golf. EV has holes that are more open than others, but with the exception of 1 and 18, pretty much everything here requires a set line. While EV is a solid second place in Dayton, it is second.

Come play Echo Valley. With the perfect mix of simple and difficult shots, EV offers something for all skill levels. From the blues, rec and intermediate players will have a fun yet challenging round, while advanced players and above can find a slightly easier course that still makes birdies feel rewarding. From the golds, everyone will probably cry at some point or another, but a good round feels like a great round, even for the best players. Regardless of what tees you play, the course is almost certainly going to make you throw bad shots, but it only makes the excellent ones that much more rewarding.

I'm really looking forward to seeing how Echo Valley develops in the coming years both as a physical course and as a Dayton Disc Golf community staple. I'm excited watch the make-or-break shots hole 18 is going to force at tournaments. I can't wait to hear about someone finally acing 5 from the gold tees. And there's nothing like watching someone get a birdie here on the hole that they just couldn't quite get last time. Once again, thank you to all of the amazing people that made this place possible. Being from around the area, I know how much this course means to not only the dedicated players, but also the casual players who have grown up playing the old course at Patricia Allyn, Eagle Ridge. Seeing this go in now feels like a long time coming, even if it has only been in development for the past three years or so. On that note, I invite you to come out and have fun, and to join the buzzing community already building around this beautiful course.

Echo Valley DGC is an excellent challenge that stands neck-and-neck with Dayton's best courses. Fun fairways get the difficulty level right for MA1 to MA3 level golfers, daring the bold to disc up and see how much they can really bite off from the tee. Players who can line shape and split testy wooded gaps with fairway drivers will love the marriage of accuracy and distance required to score low. Heavily protected greens force very intentional upshots and birdies feel frequently within reach but highly gratifying when scored.

Highlight holes include a fun but beatable downhill run (Hole 5), a sharply angled uphill fairway that begs for that overstable forehand crush (Hole 12), an ultrafast 381 feet from the blues demanding the most delicate speed & height control...provided you can avoid the ocean of trees (Hole 16), and a clever risk/reward open finishing hole with a hazard so beguiling that it probably deserves to be named (Hole 18; see Other Thoughts). Echo excels in these moments that leave the player wanting to come back for more because they just KNOW they can get it right next time.

Echo is set on a beautiful piece of land that makes it the most attractive course in the area by a wide margin. Grassy fairways and a lush mix of junipers and hardwoods contrast well with the jungle-thick rough. This is a nice place for a walk through the woods, let alone a challenging disc golf course.

A lack of variety in the design dooms the course from achieving its full potential. Holes 3, 4, 9, 13, 14, and 17 lack nuance and blur together in an undifferentiable stew of slanted fairways, scattered trees, and hyzer or anyhyzer approaches. This land could've offered much more creative hole designs and instead no less than a third of the course feels like slight variations on the same thing.

The preferred fairway lines throughout the course are overwhelmingly RHFH/LHBH friendly. I don't mind as a nearly exclusively forehand player, but even I had to acknowledge that I was working half as hard as my cardmates for similar scores.

The gold tees seem largely unnecessary, adding little more than raw distance much of the time and rarely a different look or rarer still a different shot. Or are the blue tees unnecessary, only serving to make the holes slightly shorter, rarely offering a different look or dramatically different shot? Either way, one set of pads was designed with intent and the other seems tacked on as an afterthought.

Bring your rabbit's foot - the luck factor is high with many gnarled vines and twisted branches appearing at the least opportune times to Mutombo great shots. In a similar way, most greens are heavily protected by foliage but don't always feel crafted with care. Protected greens are great, but protected greens that reward great approaches are better.

In the early going, Echo has proven to be a SLOG on tournament days & crowded weekends. Be prepared for 3-4 hour rounds and backups on every hole.

A thin pâte of poison ivy covers the rough, so long pants are recommended if you're susceptible to the leaves of three.

Some teepads seem to have a water puddling issue. Watch your plant foot when it's wet outside.

There's no hiding from it - Echo Valley will draw inevitable comparisons to Caesar Ford Park because both courses are newer and longer than the rest of the manifold Dayton disc golf options. But while Echo can certainly make an argument with CFP for the best course in Dayton, there's no single hole here as creatively designed as any of the closing three holes on that course. If both courses were equidistant from my house, I'd still go to CFP more often than Echo.

When CFP was installed I had some concerns regarding the significant amount of maintenance required to keep the course in optimal shape. Those concerns turned out to be unfounded (thanks Greene County Parks & Trails!), and I'm hoping my same concerns about Echo turn out to be equally spurious. Hopefully the course looks as good two months in as it does two weeks in.

Suggested names for Hole 18's fairway hazard include Hoffmann's Bog, Springboro Swamp, or simply The Marsh. Fellow locals - please come up with something awesome. This thing deserves it.

Now that Dayton has a decent number of above average courses, is it time to try and put together a bid for Am Worlds...? At least eleven public 18-hole courses rated 3.0 or higher are within a 40 minute drivetime of downtown Dayton, with two legit MA1 draws in Echo and CFP. Couple that with the best brick and mortar disc golf store in the country and it might be time to push Dayton disc golf for our game's most diverse and inclusive Major.

Echo Valley DGC is set in one of the most beautiful parks I've visited in the state of Ohio, Patricia Allyn Park. Rolling hills, lush woodlands, and plenty of wildlife are sprawled across the beautiful Hoffmann Reserve.

+ The course amenities are incredible, especially for a course that just opened to the public. There are two sets of concrete tees on each hole, featuring their own colored tee sign. Baskets are new, easy to spot DISCatchers. Plenty of parking, course map, and restroom located near the first tee. There's also a practice basket near the pond to the left of #1 Gold. Only thing I would like to see is more landscaping around the baskets.

+ I almost chuckled at the previous review, thinking to myself "Did he just compare an Ohio course to Idlewild and Harmony Bends?" Well, those comparisons are justified in terms of the grassy, wooded fairways. Fairways out of the woods are carved out in the fields and look more like well a ball golf course. These characteristics are very similar to the courses mentioned previously.

+ The design? Brilliant. This 18-hole track weaves through the stunning Hoffmann Reserve with a perfectly blended mix of technical shots and a couple of longer, "air it out" holes. Many of these holes end with guardian trees in your path, making the approach shots anything but a simple up-and-down.

+ The course is difficult, no question about it. But it's not overly difficult to the point that you feel like shooting a good round is impossible.

+ The blue and gold tees each provide their own unique way of playing the course. There is also a temporary, natural set of white tees on every hole. Not sure if there are plans to make these permanent.

+ The course flows very nicely. Navigation is made simple thanks to paths carved between many of the holes, as well as the east to read map next to the first tee box.

+ While just about every hole stands out in its own unique way, #5 is one of the more epic downhill shots I've played to date. The OB path in front of the basket adds another little twist.

+ The way #18 opens up for a near 600' bomber finish is awesome! There is a bog/wetland right in the middle of the fairway with two routes around it. Bigger arms will have a shot to clear it. Just a great finishing hole.

+ All OB is marked on both the hole maps, as well as with spray paint and flags in the ground.

+ Echo Valley is only 30 minutes from Caesar Ford Park. You could make the case for a "destination trip" to Dayton to play both of these epic courses.

- Could use some benches and trash cans. Maybe there's plans for this in the future, but for now they're non-existent.

- A couple areas may be more prone to pedestrian traffic.

- This is never an issue for me personally, but #9 doesn't end near the parking lot. The course is one 18-hole loop rather than two 9-hole loops.

Echo Valley is easily one of the best courses in all of Ohio, and likely a top 100 course in America. Glad to see expertly crafted courses like this one beginning to pop up.

Let's get a major tournament out to Dayton!

In a stunning turn of events, Caesar Ford has been dethroned as the emperor of Dayton disc golf. Playing through the woods of Hoffman Reserve, the now-permanent Echo Valley DGC offers woods golf similar to the great Idlewild, albeit with fewer wide-open holes. Gorgeous grassy, wooded fairways similar to those at Harmony Bends abound, and the natural beauty here is unmatched by anything I have played to this point. Almost all holes have elevation changes of some sort, and angle control and placement are critical to scoring well. Small streams and gravel access roads that intersect the fairways provide OB hazards that can affect your shot selection. Get off the fairway, and you can be left scrambling just to save a bogey. Blue and Gold tees, each with concrete teepads are available on every hole, with accurate tee signs on each. Brand-new Discatchers are installed.

As with most brand-new courses, the rough has not been worked-in and can be very thick in places. Send a spotter out.

3 and 17 are arguably tweener holes, with excellent shots required to even get a long look for 2.

I have never given out a 5 in a review before, but Echo Valley is right up there with the best course I've ever played (Idlewild). In fact, I actually have to say I slightly prefer it to Idlewild. I never thought Dayton would have a course better than Caesar Ford, but Echo Valley is clearly better, and up there with the best available anywhere. If you're in the area, you absolutely owe it to yourself to play this stunner.