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West Portsmouth, OH

ETC Fire and Smoke DGC

2.55(based on 1 reviews)
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ETC Fire and Smoke DGC reviews

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Luckj
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.4 years 66 played 50 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Average Course with some Great Views

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

I played the ETC Fire and Smoke Course in the early morning hours while traveling through the area for work. This course was just recently expanded to 18 holes, the previous 9 hole layout was rated around 1.89 on DGCR, but it does seem the 18 hole layout has improved the course a considerable amount.
-The main highlight of the course is the scenery. Once you get away from the main park area the course plays towards the Ohio River with the foothills of Kentucky rising beyond, it is quite lovely. Holes 8 and 9 also play right along beside the river and there are several access points that allow you to walk to the river bank.
-The park has lots of amenities, including shelters, restrooms, trashcans, plenty of parking, tables, and a well maintained park.
-Baskets were in good condition
-A few standout holes, particularly near the river and in the wooded areas from 5-12 or so.
-Next tee arrows at the bottom of baskets.

Cons:

There are a few big cons that affect my rating.
-No teepads at all. 2 holes tee from a paved path, but everything else was just a warn out spot next to the tee signs and occasionally got pretty muddy.
-Speaking of tee signs, they could really be improved. Each hole had a laminated sign with par, distance, and a map but these signs were haphazardly placed. On several holes these signs were stapled to the back of trees and impossible to see from the prior baskets. A more permanent solution is needed.
-Soy beans. Not a problem on most courses, but apparently this park is also used to raise soy beans and it's really easy to end up several rows deep in it. As they grow higher it becomes very easy to lose a disk. This was especially apparent on holes 1-3 and a few near the end, but primarily 17 which a 300' carry over soy the entire way with no "bailout" zone for a safe shot.
-Safety: 2 holes require shots to cross the paved walking path, several others play along side it. I skipped holes 14 and 16 because there were soccer games going on and their were people walking across the fairways.
-Variety: It seemed like this course offered a lot of 2 things, 360' open shots with soybeans lining the fairway and 200' wooded shots near the river. There were a couple of nice par 4s and the woods were utilized fairly well, but several shots felt repetitive.

Other Thoughts:

Ultimately, if/when the teepads and signage is updated I think this is probably a 3.0 in my book, but as is this is a fairly average park with a wonderful view. A couple good midwest comps would be Riverside Park in Rushville, IN and Heritage Park in Cincinnati.
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