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Fritz Park reviews
12
1
My Old Stomping Grounds Beneath the Pecan Trees
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jun 22, 2018
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
This long-standing course has endured for good reasons.
+ pleasant and well maintained city park incorporates old-growth trees, meandering creek and pond as natural obstacles for course
+ several holes test one's ability to throw for distance
+ good course for rollers
+ practice baskets available near parking lot
+ pleasant and well maintained city park incorporates old-growth trees, meandering creek and pond as natural obstacles for course
+ several holes test one's ability to throw for distance
+ good course for rollers
+ practice baskets available near parking lot
Cons:
Lengthy walks on course compounded by poor directions.
- lack of both adequate tee signs and directions for determining layout while on the course
- several repetitive grip it and rip it throws without substantial obstacles
- a few lengthy walks between holes
- lack of both adequate tee signs and directions for determining layout while on the course
- several repetitive grip it and rip it throws without substantial obstacles
- a few lengthy walks between holes
Other Thoughts:
INFO
Disc golf at Fritz Park is divided into two sections separated by deep, steep-banked Delaware Creek cutting through the park. On the north side of the creek, park land dedicated solely for disc golf use spreads out under a canopy of mature, pecan trees where two-thirds of the course is situated. On the south side of the creek, the middle third of the course winds its way around and shares the park with other prominent features such as ball fields, picnic areas, seasonal petting zoo and a children's safety town. This southern section expands into nooks and crannies along the woods and then broadens out to encompass a gently rolling hillside before returning players across the Delaware Creek bridge to rejoin and finish in the northern section.
Though the creek certainly presents challenging OB for a few holes and there's a small pond with a water fountain on one hole, mostly it's the large trees and distance which provide the majority of obstacles for this long-standing course. Two holes throw just under 500 feet, and the longest hole carries 701 feet uphill. All of the shorter <300 foot holes lie in the front nine while back nine holes play much longer, averaging over 100 ft. more per hole than those at the start of the course.
EVAL
Known as a good roller course thanks to its level ground and regular maintenance, Fritz's long, shaded and wide fairways measure one's ability to throw or roll far. This is less a finesse course and more a "drive for show" course. Along with being tasked to throw for distance, one must also avoid several water hazards at Fritz which can quickly swallow errant shots. One particular hole borders the creek in such a way that playing across it almost feels like playing an island green. In other spots on the back side of the course, hitting small gaps between trees will test one's accuracy and patience, too.
Despite its many trees, this course plays fairly open with lots of space to make shots. All baskets are visible from their respective tees with the exception of two holes. The wide gaps between trunks provide good alleys for making throws beneath tall trees, and elsewhere fairways open up entirely to expansive fields. This tends to make the course feel rather forgiving of drives which miss their mark since opportunities abound to catch up with a great second shot. Be careful not to waste too many drives, though, as the best chances for birdies occur on the earlier, shorter holes. Bad throws on the back nine will leave one scrambling just to save par.
This is my original home course where I learned to love and play the game. It's been like a familiar friend to me for 30+ years, so I am biased in my opinion of what I and many others considered for several decades as the best 9 hole course in the area. Then it permanently expanded in 2014 to a full 18 holes, making it even better. There may be more difficult or better designed courses in the area, but Fritz remains as one of my favorites. There's just enough water hazards and trees and OB to avoid while ripping shots to make for an interesting and challenging round. I'll always return to my old stomping grounds beneath the pecan trees, eager to best my previous marks on the course and perhaps finally sink that elusive birdie on #17 (previously configured as #8 and before that as original hole #3) where I've only hit chains in the past. I have lots of good memories associated with this course. Hopefully, I'll continue to make more long into the future.
NOTE
Fritz Park began as a 9-hole course in 1984, and was the fourth course with baskets installed in Texas after Fort Hood Army Base, Skyline in Dallas and Bartholomew in Austin. (Of those four only Bartholomew and Fritz still exist.) Occupying the land north of Delaware Creek, the course was bisected by a park road (since removed) that separated former signature hole #3 from the rest of the course. During the 1990's the course was temporarily lengthened by a mix of nine additional, sprawling holes set up across the creek for tournament play once or twice a year until a period when the Parks Dept. quit allowing the course to be lengthened for any reason.
In 2001 major redevelopment of the creek within the park closed the course for over a year and dramatically changed the layout such that only a few holes still resemble previous configurations. Fritz remained a 9-hole course until 2014 when the Parks Dept. allowed for the permanent installation of nine additional holes across the creek and throughout the southern half of the park. This new and current 18-hole layout differs from past temporary designs and actually flows in the opposite direction to those previous layouts in the southern half of the course.
The number plate on hole #1 honors the memory of Glenn Hale, and the number plate on hole #8 honors the memory of James Grider. Both are original members of the local club who helped design and build up the course and its popularity. James is also father to current professional disc golfer Nolan Grider.
LAYOUT
Course starts west of parking lot by bulletin board. The first five holes are all straight ahead shots. Play begins atop a slightly elevated tee on #1 and then travels down a lengthy fairway on #2 that borders neighborhood backyards and a line of trees closer to the green. (Note that #1-2 greens play close to meandering Delaware Creek which can be reached by overthrown shots and rollers wandering too far left.) On the other side of the tree line, tightly stacked holes #3-5 throw back and forth on former homesites facing Shady Grove Rd.
Cutting across #2's fairway leads to creekside holes #6-8 which risk throws over or near intimidating bends in the creek. Hole #7's far right side slope towards water is easily avoided, but stress-inducing drives on #6 & #8 flirt with potentially hazardous OB on direct routes over water. Wide lanes over land to the left of the fairway exist for those seeking a safer, alternate path on both those holes.
Across a bridge and up a walking path to the left, backside holes #9-14 continue through parkland on the other side of the creek which only really threatens nearby hole #9. The other holes leave the creek behind to pick up after a short walk past a petting zoo where #10 follows alongside a park road to reach an opening in woods near the park's south entrance. Holes #11-12 throw around the edge and beneath the shade of those woods with park boundary Oakdale Rd close by.
Holes #13-14 follow the spacious contour of a rolling hill just across the park road. Thereafter, a long walk returns players via that same bridge over the creek to the final four holes of the course. Hole #15 flies past a small pond toward another creekside green, and #16 turns around to throw into a corner of the park beside neighboring homes and street. Hole #17 crosses a long, wide expanse for a memorable penultimate challenge. Then hole #18 skips a tiny creek to loop back beside the parking lot.
Disc golf at Fritz Park is divided into two sections separated by deep, steep-banked Delaware Creek cutting through the park. On the north side of the creek, park land dedicated solely for disc golf use spreads out under a canopy of mature, pecan trees where two-thirds of the course is situated. On the south side of the creek, the middle third of the course winds its way around and shares the park with other prominent features such as ball fields, picnic areas, seasonal petting zoo and a children's safety town. This southern section expands into nooks and crannies along the woods and then broadens out to encompass a gently rolling hillside before returning players across the Delaware Creek bridge to rejoin and finish in the northern section.
Though the creek certainly presents challenging OB for a few holes and there's a small pond with a water fountain on one hole, mostly it's the large trees and distance which provide the majority of obstacles for this long-standing course. Two holes throw just under 500 feet, and the longest hole carries 701 feet uphill. All of the shorter <300 foot holes lie in the front nine while back nine holes play much longer, averaging over 100 ft. more per hole than those at the start of the course.
EVAL
Known as a good roller course thanks to its level ground and regular maintenance, Fritz's long, shaded and wide fairways measure one's ability to throw or roll far. This is less a finesse course and more a "drive for show" course. Along with being tasked to throw for distance, one must also avoid several water hazards at Fritz which can quickly swallow errant shots. One particular hole borders the creek in such a way that playing across it almost feels like playing an island green. In other spots on the back side of the course, hitting small gaps between trees will test one's accuracy and patience, too.
Despite its many trees, this course plays fairly open with lots of space to make shots. All baskets are visible from their respective tees with the exception of two holes. The wide gaps between trunks provide good alleys for making throws beneath tall trees, and elsewhere fairways open up entirely to expansive fields. This tends to make the course feel rather forgiving of drives which miss their mark since opportunities abound to catch up with a great second shot. Be careful not to waste too many drives, though, as the best chances for birdies occur on the earlier, shorter holes. Bad throws on the back nine will leave one scrambling just to save par.
This is my original home course where I learned to love and play the game. It's been like a familiar friend to me for 30+ years, so I am biased in my opinion of what I and many others considered for several decades as the best 9 hole course in the area. Then it permanently expanded in 2014 to a full 18 holes, making it even better. There may be more difficult or better designed courses in the area, but Fritz remains as one of my favorites. There's just enough water hazards and trees and OB to avoid while ripping shots to make for an interesting and challenging round. I'll always return to my old stomping grounds beneath the pecan trees, eager to best my previous marks on the course and perhaps finally sink that elusive birdie on #17 (previously configured as #8 and before that as original hole #3) where I've only hit chains in the past. I have lots of good memories associated with this course. Hopefully, I'll continue to make more long into the future.
NOTE
Fritz Park began as a 9-hole course in 1984, and was the fourth course with baskets installed in Texas after Fort Hood Army Base, Skyline in Dallas and Bartholomew in Austin. (Of those four only Bartholomew and Fritz still exist.) Occupying the land north of Delaware Creek, the course was bisected by a park road (since removed) that separated former signature hole #3 from the rest of the course. During the 1990's the course was temporarily lengthened by a mix of nine additional, sprawling holes set up across the creek for tournament play once or twice a year until a period when the Parks Dept. quit allowing the course to be lengthened for any reason.
In 2001 major redevelopment of the creek within the park closed the course for over a year and dramatically changed the layout such that only a few holes still resemble previous configurations. Fritz remained a 9-hole course until 2014 when the Parks Dept. allowed for the permanent installation of nine additional holes across the creek and throughout the southern half of the park. This new and current 18-hole layout differs from past temporary designs and actually flows in the opposite direction to those previous layouts in the southern half of the course.
The number plate on hole #1 honors the memory of Glenn Hale, and the number plate on hole #8 honors the memory of James Grider. Both are original members of the local club who helped design and build up the course and its popularity. James is also father to current professional disc golfer Nolan Grider.
LAYOUT
Course starts west of parking lot by bulletin board. The first five holes are all straight ahead shots. Play begins atop a slightly elevated tee on #1 and then travels down a lengthy fairway on #2 that borders neighborhood backyards and a line of trees closer to the green. (Note that #1-2 greens play close to meandering Delaware Creek which can be reached by overthrown shots and rollers wandering too far left.) On the other side of the tree line, tightly stacked holes #3-5 throw back and forth on former homesites facing Shady Grove Rd.
Cutting across #2's fairway leads to creekside holes #6-8 which risk throws over or near intimidating bends in the creek. Hole #7's far right side slope towards water is easily avoided, but stress-inducing drives on #6 & #8 flirt with potentially hazardous OB on direct routes over water. Wide lanes over land to the left of the fairway exist for those seeking a safer, alternate path on both those holes.
Across a bridge and up a walking path to the left, backside holes #9-14 continue through parkland on the other side of the creek which only really threatens nearby hole #9. The other holes leave the creek behind to pick up after a short walk past a petting zoo where #10 follows alongside a park road to reach an opening in woods near the park's south entrance. Holes #11-12 throw around the edge and beneath the shade of those woods with park boundary Oakdale Rd close by.
Holes #13-14 follow the spacious contour of a rolling hill just across the park road. Thereafter, a long walk returns players via that same bridge over the creek to the final four holes of the course. Hole #15 flies past a small pond toward another creekside green, and #16 turns around to throw into a corner of the park beside neighboring homes and street. Hole #17 crosses a long, wide expanse for a memorable penultimate challenge. Then hole #18 skips a tiny creek to loop back beside the parking lot.
10
0
A great course if you're visiting DFW! 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Feb 27, 2019
Played the course:once
Pros:
+ Other reviewers have hit a lot of the high points (good signage, good flow, great use of water and trees, good teepads).
+ I will add one additional compliment regarding the signage: on the dogleg hole 10, the sign even indicates the distance to the turn. That's a player-friendly touch that I wish other courses would include.
+ This was my first visit - I was in town for business and booked a later flight so I could play a round somewhere near DFW airport. The first holes are Fritz aren't all that special - they're good (because of how they use the trees), but not great. Then you come to #6 - hugging the river. It's a beauty. All about risk/reward. If you have a dependable hyzer disc - use it!
+ Hole #8 is similar risk/reward with the water in play on the right and in front of you. But there's plenty of room to play safe (I aimed for the big tree close to the pin).
+ Hole #9 tests your ability to compensate for fade when you're throwing downhill. The hole looks innocent enough, but it can bite you hard (and leave you wet!).
+ Hole #10 is a terrific tester. If you can throw 300 of the tee, you're playing for par. If not, you're playing for bogey. Tough hole!
+ 11 is another dogleg - and it's easy to get boxed out trying to make your second shot. The doglegs are a nice challenge coming midway in the round. For the most part, the previous holes have been straight - and the challenge has been in navigating the trees and the water. Suddenly: doglegs!
+ 15 is a pretty hole. The water doesn't really come into play: it's more about figuring the line through the trees on the other side of the pond.
+ I will add one additional compliment regarding the signage: on the dogleg hole 10, the sign even indicates the distance to the turn. That's a player-friendly touch that I wish other courses would include.
+ This was my first visit - I was in town for business and booked a later flight so I could play a round somewhere near DFW airport. The first holes are Fritz aren't all that special - they're good (because of how they use the trees), but not great. Then you come to #6 - hugging the river. It's a beauty. All about risk/reward. If you have a dependable hyzer disc - use it!
+ Hole #8 is similar risk/reward with the water in play on the right and in front of you. But there's plenty of room to play safe (I aimed for the big tree close to the pin).
+ Hole #9 tests your ability to compensate for fade when you're throwing downhill. The hole looks innocent enough, but it can bite you hard (and leave you wet!).
+ Hole #10 is a terrific tester. If you can throw 300 of the tee, you're playing for par. If not, you're playing for bogey. Tough hole!
+ 11 is another dogleg - and it's easy to get boxed out trying to make your second shot. The doglegs are a nice challenge coming midway in the round. For the most part, the previous holes have been straight - and the challenge has been in navigating the trees and the water. Suddenly: doglegs!
+ 15 is a pretty hole. The water doesn't really come into play: it's more about figuring the line through the trees on the other side of the pond.
Cons:
- Others have written a lot about the long walks, and they're right. But if you're playing with a friend, these walks are a good chance to take account of your round, and give sh*t to one another.
- There are some unremarkable holes (3-5 come to mind). But to me they were outweighed by the goodness of the good holes.
- This is the kind of course that makes me wish for something like a "Par 3.5 hole" - At 500 ft, #2 is a bit long for a par 3, but it's pretty open and straight. The doglegs (10 and 11) are another thing though. Hole 10 requires 300ft straight shot to see the basket for your second shot - and even then you're in C2 with a narrow path. If you're at all short off the tee, you're playing for bogey 4. Maybe if I have the chance to play here again, I'll figure out the right strategies. Don't get me wrong: 10 and 11 are very good holes. But they're tough as Par 3's. Although they make me want to come back for another shot at them!
- There are some unremarkable holes (3-5 come to mind). But to me they were outweighed by the goodness of the good holes.
- This is the kind of course that makes me wish for something like a "Par 3.5 hole" - At 500 ft, #2 is a bit long for a par 3, but it's pretty open and straight. The doglegs (10 and 11) are another thing though. Hole 10 requires 300ft straight shot to see the basket for your second shot - and even then you're in C2 with a narrow path. If you're at all short off the tee, you're playing for bogey 4. Maybe if I have the chance to play here again, I'll figure out the right strategies. Don't get me wrong: 10 and 11 are very good holes. But they're tough as Par 3's. Although they make me want to come back for another shot at them!
Other Thoughts:
If you're around the area, play Fritz Park. As I said, I'm a visitor - so there may be even better courses around. But if you're near DFW, it's a great and convenient course.
2
1
Much better as 18 hole course then old 9 holes. 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 11, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
Nice concrete tee pads. Well maintained park. Great use of the land, trees, and water. Not an extremely long course and nothing close to a pitch and putt. Course makes you use a well variety of shots. Quality baskets - liked the arrows zip tied to the underneath of the baskets marking the way to the next tee. Park never seems to be pack, which makes for a nice experience.
Cons:
Only negative things about this course is the two long walks between 9 and 10, behind the petting zoo and Safe City. Petting zoo is not an ideal place next to a disc golf course. The other long walk is between hole 14 and 15. Both walks are pretty well marked, it's just that fact that you have to walk that far. The only other negative thing about this course is the small little laminated hole layouts at the beginning of each hole. Hopefully the local club is working on better and permanent signage for the course.
Other Thoughts:
Well worth playing if in the area. Much improve now with 18 holes. Some great courses in the area, but this one usually is never packed like some of the other great local courses in the area.
7
0
jtmoney
Experience:
4 played
4 reviews
Hard, but rewarding course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 26, 2015
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
There is a good variety. Over the water, through woods, a long bomb. Some low ceiling shots.Hole 2 could be a potential roller (if gass is short) A downhill aceable shot, and one uphill 400 ft par 3. My best score for this course is +4, but ususally I quit counting once I reach +10.
Cons:
10, 11, 12 need some tweaking.
A lot of times in the evenings a group of people use this fairway for soccer. They play like 25 on 25, so sometimes I just have to skip this one. It doglegs left and if you dont hit a 300 ft drive with a low ceiling it will end up in waist high poison ivy, but it does feel awesome getting a par on this one- pretty challenging. Hole 11 is very similar to hole 10. It doglegs to the left with a low ceiling that requires a good drive to get a possibility of par. This could be an interesting change if the tee was to the right and closer, maybe then someone could use a thumber over the trees to add a little risk/ reward. After the challenge of 10 and 11, I could use a little bit closer tee for 12- this would keep people out of the fairway from 11 and keep the street out of play. Also bad poison ivy behind this basket. There is a walk between some of the holes, but walking is a part of golf.
A lot of times in the evenings a group of people use this fairway for soccer. They play like 25 on 25, so sometimes I just have to skip this one. It doglegs left and if you dont hit a 300 ft drive with a low ceiling it will end up in waist high poison ivy, but it does feel awesome getting a par on this one- pretty challenging. Hole 11 is very similar to hole 10. It doglegs to the left with a low ceiling that requires a good drive to get a possibility of par. This could be an interesting change if the tee was to the right and closer, maybe then someone could use a thumber over the trees to add a little risk/ reward. After the challenge of 10 and 11, I could use a little bit closer tee for 12- this would keep people out of the fairway from 11 and keep the street out of play. Also bad poison ivy behind this basket. There is a walk between some of the holes, but walking is a part of golf.
Other Thoughts:
This course is really challenging and rewarding. If you are having a bad throwing day this course will make you pay. I have lost discs on six going for the ace or getting an unlucky roller and skip. I have bought my discs back from a local that isnt afraid of snapping turtles, listeria, or water moccasins and that's fine. On a good day it just feels awesome to get par on 10, or plant a drive on the money right on the first hole or hit a skip shot on 5.
