Portage, IN

Glenn C. Nicholson Memorial DGC

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3.255(based on 8 reviews)
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Glenn C. Nicholson Memorial DGC reviews

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8 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.3 years 114 played 105 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Quirky Variety 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course set in a multi use park. Some of it is wooded and some very open. The first 4 holes have some brutal elevation changes which is very nice. There are some open holes and then starting with hole 13 it gets very very tight and wooded for the remainder of the course.
- 7 is a very scenic hole along the lake.
- After climbing the hill to the #4 tee the bench was very much appreciated.
- Tee pads are concrete and many of them seem very new. Just wish they were a little bigger.
- The shiny new Veteran baskets catch great and are the perfect color IMHO in a navy blue.
- The biggest thing this course has going for it is the variety. It has everything from REALLY long bomb shots to tight and short wooded shots and even a top of the world type of hole in #4.

Cons:

- I thought 2 was ridiculously tight and almost unplayable. Bring a spotter if possible for this hole. With the super duper thick shule on the right side of the fairway this looks like a very easy place to loose a disc.
- Not a fan of how 7 plays over and parallel to the walking path.
- 9 thought 12 were a strange layout. Especially the 12 tee. I think 9, 10 and 11 really add nothing to the course. Just wide open disc golf.
- 5 and 6 are pretty close together so errant throws from 5 can wind up on the 6 fairway.
- 14 should have a mando on the fairway to prevent errant drives from ending up on the 13 green.
- I do not understand the need for the rather silly double mando on 17.
- I also do not get the need for an island on 19. Kinda like its an island hole for the sake of an island.
- Not a fan of the really long poke and hope 20.
- The 21 fairway is really close to the 15 fairway.

Other Thoughts:

With all the variety here there's just enough weirdness in the course design to hold some of my score back. I enjoyed the course but I just don't see the need to do some of the stuff the course designers did. It's just strange. Looks like they are adding new tee pads so I guess there is a long set of tees and short set on many of the holes. Hopefully they can find some time to work out some of the other things mentioned here. However, don't let my whiny cons stop you from playing here. Its a nice 21 hole experience and I think most disc golfers will enjoy it.
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0 3
discgolfanimal
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Love this course. Good mix of open and wooden holes. Just recently they cleaned up the rough. Looks great. Brian Cummings did a great job designing this course.

Cons:

Tee pads need to be updated Especially hole 9, I always slip on that green rug.

Other Thoughts:

The tee pad on hole 11 can easily be pushed back 100 feet making it a great 355 foot woodsy turn over shot. This easy change can help this course a lot. Good job designing the course Brian. I have over 100 rounds here.
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11 0
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.3 years 1038 played 214 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Variety and fun! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Half wooded, half open course in a somewhat multi-use park.

The baskets were blue and white powder coated (apparently Arachnid..I've never seen them before), and easy to spot, which is very nice. They're a bit different, as the cage seemed huge...but they caught well.

Navigation is fairly intuitive, and the tee signs gave decent information, including distance, and some obstacles. We particularly liked the sign that distinguished between "log" and "big log".

Great use of elevation on the first 5 holes. Hole 4 was a nice sledding hill "top o' the world" shot, which also had the extra pucker factor of a pond not too far behind it. Even the shorter holes (1/2) made for fun shots.

Nice, technical holes through the woods. The lines were tight in spots, but every hole had a good line (or two) to hit. I felt like the wooded holes were nicely designed.

Nice variation in distances, with the wooded holes ranging in the 200-300' area, and the open holes from the 200-600' range. Something for everybody!

Decent use of the pond on a few holes...too bad there's not a legit water carry, though.

Cons:

The gravel tee pads were meh. Not terrible, but not great. Some concrete here would go a LONG ways.

Some safety issues, especially around the pond, and coming back out of the woods. We were there early in the day on a Friday, and there was a decent crowd around the pond watching the wildlife. I'd have to imagine it's even busier on the weekends. Coming back out of the woods on hole 9, it's conceivable that there could be some families enjoying the park...directly in the fairway.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course, and felt like it had a nice replay factor. It wasn't a bomber course, it wasn't a technical course...it was both.

It's a picturesque park, with a duck pond and historical site on one side, and playgrounds and sporting fields on the other. You can start your round on either side (we started on 10), and there's parking on both sides.

For me (an INT player), this was a blast to play. I felt like it caters to all skill levels, though. Definitely worth a stop!
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6 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.2 years 316 played 268 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Goin' Up the Country(side) 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 31, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Countryside Park DGC contains a nice mix of moderate elevation, open holes of decent length (475', 521', 675'), shorter technical holes in a tightly wooded area, and a few well-placed water hazards. The longer open holes are well-suited for those with a bigger arm, while the thickly wooded back nine places an emphasis on placement, accuracy, and consistency. A large hill dominates the more open section of park. A thick patch of poorly drained woods comprises the bulk of the back nine. A small pond sits in the middle of the park.
-Great use of elevation, right from the get-go. #1 is a short uphill ace-run that offers a unique starting hole I've not seen elsewhere. #2 plays alongside the hill on a short downhill putter shot with some nasty roughage behind the pin. This hole's green is pretty fast and nasty, and will have you thinking twice about being cavalier about the tee shot. #3 likewise plays alongside the hillside (slightly uphill). #4 is one of the true gems, with a long downhill bomber (elevation like this is fairly scarce in northwestern Indiana) across an open field. The pin sits precariously in front of a drop-off to the lake. #6's pin is raised on a small grassy mogul. Again, the water comes into play on rollaways and blow-bys.
- Great use of water. Pins 4 and 6 are placed so that water comes into play on poor shots. #7 has a small water carry (that can be avoided by playing around vs. over) and another green where there's potential to get wet on an errant throw. #17's pin has the pond directly behind as well.
- The rest of the course plays mostly through a thick patch of muddy woodland. #9 tees off from the woods into an open grassy area on the back side of the park, and then 10-17 play through the woods, with 18 emerging from the forest and playing alongside the pond one final time.
- Good signage makes navigation a snap.

Cons:

-Gravel tees are not the worst I've seen, and I'm guessing an upgrade is in the works for this fairly new course; I'll adjust my rating accordingly when they are implemented.
- Poor flow/safety in a few areas. Similar to Hidden Lake, the designer makes a conscious decision to sacrifice flow and safety in order to squeeze out the best available bits of land. #3 and #5's pins are in pretty close proximity, with #5's pin definitely reachable from #3's tee on a slightly off-target throw or a bit of wind. The fact that neither pin is visible from the tee adds to the safety issue. #5 requires a backtrack down the fairway to reach #6's tee. Finally, and most alarming, is the cluster of tees and pins around #13-16...this is a cluster of unsafe design if I've ever seen one. Be cautious in this section when the leaves are out and visibility is low.
- Poor drainage in the wooded areas make the back nine mucky, mosquito-y, and a bit unpleasant to play. A maintenance worker (not a discer, though) mentioned that work was underway to help alleviate this. Perhaps French drains or something similar will be put into place?
- A couple of the wooded holes seem almost too tight (and I enjoy tightly wooded holes) without much of a line to hit. #17 seemed especially awkward, with a 90-degree turn to the left. This course is still very new and is probably still being tweaked...I imagine some of the lines will open with time and play.

Other Thoughts:

- This course fulfills a much needed niche in NW disc golf: elevation and water. The pros definitely outweigh any cons, and make this a fun course of moderate difficulty and moderate skill-level. Beginners could shoot well here with plenty of birdie opportunities, but the wooded section will make certain you're on point...or else. Overall, a positive, much-appreciated addition that puts a fun course on the map between Rogers Lakewood and Lemon Lake.
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1 0
River_love
Experience: 21.4 years 34 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

More fun than you might think! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great use of available land! The park is not really that big, but it is used very well. There is also a little bit of everything; right off the bat the first 4 holes play around a large sledding hill and feature an uphill shot, a short downhill blind run at the basket, playing across a hill, and hole 4 is the one where you want to throw every disc in your bag... the big wide open downhill bomber with a pond as the backstop! The rest of the course is just as fun, featuring water hazards, varying distances from 180ft to 675ft, and plenty of different lines through the woods. The wooded holes are all very close to each other, but because of the good design, the holes still feel fairly secluded. This course is still new, and every time I play I find one new thing has been added. For example, the last time I was here there was a new concrete tee on hole 2, and new drainage installed on hole 14 to cut down on the mud. I met some other players here who have a league on wednesdays and sundays, so I will definitely have to check that out.

Cons:

It appears like this con is temporary and already being addressed, but for now there is no real teepad on most of the holes. Some of the holes have a gravel patch, and that is perfectly acceptable to me, and hole 2 has a concrete tee. I just like a clear area that is not grass to tee off from. There can be quite a bit of mud on a few of the wooded holes, and like I said in the pros that also looks like it is being addressed. Really the only cons that looks like it is here to stay are THE BUGS and POISON IVY. Holy crap I have never seen so many mosquitoes in all my life! And I have gotten poison ivy really bad twice already at this course so watch out!

Other Thoughts:

This course by no means measures up to large professional grade courses, but it is probably the most fun multi-use park I have ever played. Much more variety and challenge than most multi-use parks. The signs are great and the grass is usually kept up well. I live just around the corner so I plan on playing here often.
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1 0
AppleGibson
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

cool course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Course is easy to access from major highways and is close to Hidden Lake in Merrillville and Rogers Lakewood in Valparaiso. All three courses can easily be played in one day.
-Course is easily navigated. Signs will point you in the right direction if it isn't clear where to go and every hole has a tee sign detailing the landscape.
-Although the park is fairly small, it makes use of the land for a variety of fun and challenging shots.
-The back 9 has many trees but not a lot of brush, not many discs should be lost here.
-Hole 1-3 are short, but make good use of elevation changes. Once the grass on the hill is cut there will be a high "risk/reward" for each hole. Hole 4 is 475 feet off the top of a sledding hill with a water hazard 20 feet behind the pin. From here on out the rest is fairly flat with holes ranging from 200-650 feet.
-Open and advanced players should be able to shoot a round in the low to mid 40's while rec and am players can easily shoot in the high 40's to mid 50's. There are A LOT of birdie opportunities and many ace possibilities. Once you shoot a round you'll want to go back and try it again.

Cons:

-This park is fairly new, there are no tee boxes, trash cans, or benches YET. The developers have had their hands in almost all the courses in Northwest Indiana so there is no doubt that this park will eventually have all the amenities to make a great discing experience.
-The back 9 is fairly bland. The majority of the holes are between 200 and 250 feet with two holes stretching out to 300ish. Nearly each hole is a fairly tight fairway shot with some trees that can ruin your chance for a good birdie streak. Even if you have a bad drive, shooting for par won't be that difficult.
-The back 9 is smelly. It plays right by a swamp that is infested with mosquitoes. MAKE SURE YOU BRING BUG SPRAY! You will absolutely need it in the summer time.

Other Thoughts:

-Whether you're by yourself, with friends or with family, after you're done you can continue to another close park or enjoy the local amenities nearby. IMAX, bowling, dining and drinks are all within a ten minute drive or just hop on the highway and head to Merrillville or Crown Point for more fun for everyone.
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2 1
Chain_Raper
Experience: 22.4 years 44 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun and Interesting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 2, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Countryside Park is so much fun to play!!! This course is in its infant stage but appears to have been thought out well. Incorporating 4 holes on the sledding hill makes for some extreme elevation changes on the first few holes. The blue and white Arachnid Baskets look great and catch even better. The available land was used well to create a huge variety of different hole types with some dangerous pin positions and interesting greens/landing areas. Very scenic for the area with a beautiful view from the #4 tee. The water can come into play on #4, #6, #7, #17, and #18.

Cons:

This course is in its infant stage, as I said above, so most of the cons are only temporary. Muddy natural pads, lack of garbage cans, lack of benches, lack of tee signs, stumps that hurt your toes. The course still looks and plays awesome though.

Other Thoughts:

Countryside Park is quickly becoming one of my favorite courses in the area. Once this course is finished and has all the regular disc golf amenities it is going to be a fun and challenging course. There is definitely opportunity to score well but you will have to use every shot in your bag to do so. In a few years, once the course matures, it will definitely be a 4-4.5 rated.
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7 0
bigronbowski
Experience: 14.4 years 39 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

New and Over due 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very good hole variety and use of available land. This park is easy to access from major thoroughfares. Just take the highways all the way here. Entrance marked with digital display. Ample paved parking. Friendly park staff and locals. Arachnid baskets (so I was told. Pretty well identical to Alan Pier's spiderwebs I thought).

Cons:

Lots of fresh cut stumps and trip hazards. Needs signs, pads, benches, and trash cans.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 1 plays from parking lot uphill with a couple of pines protecting the basket. Probably in the 200 foot range, but plays like 300.
Hole 2 is a blind left hook that measures 180'(GPS), but plays like 150'. An overthrow will land you in deep rough with some dampness if not over a 6' fence without an easy way around it.
Hole 3 is blind uphill and straight plays like 300' no real obstacles a bit of a roll away hazard.
Hole 4 plays from the top of the sled hill down to the waterfront.
Hole 5 plays back across the base of the hill. OB fence on the left. No other hazards.
Hole 6 wide open with water if you go to far left.
Hole 7 plays right hook with water along the left. There is a gap between a big oak along the coast and woods on the right. Plays like 350'.
Walk through the opening in the fence to tee for hole 8. Basket is about 300 and right. A pavilion that's in good shape but has no tables is in the middle of the fairway if the pavilion ever gets use this hole will be unplayable.
Hole 9 throws out of the woods into a long wide open fairway with the exception of a baseball diamond on the right (I saw a disc land here) a creek behind the woods on the left (I saw a disc go in here) and a playground to the right of the basket maybe 200'. I didn't see anyone hit the playground, but some kids came running over to wrestle over a disc we threw.
Hole 10 is the beginning of a long stretch of wooded holes. It's about 300' of wooded corridor with the basket to the left.
Backtrack a bit to the tee for hole 11; wooded corridor hook right.
Hole 12 wooded hook left. Be careful not to go over the pointless 6' chain link fence.
Hole 13 wooded hook right.
Hole 14 wooded hook left with three options around trees in the beginning. Straight on is the best route but also the tightest. It's a little swampy around the pin, and if you go long you could end up in the wet ditch/creek.
Hole 15 wooded with left hook lots of trees kind of a get lucky gap. Long could mean wet.
Hole 16 wooded hook right.
Hole 17 longer wooded pin left, lots trees. Loong could be wet, but you won't likely have to worry until your second shot.
Hole 18 wooded hook right with water along the left.
Optional hole 19 over the pond to hole 4's basket. I lost my Wiggins blizzard boss on this one.

Nice course with lots of room to improve. It is brand new with baskets placed just a few weeks ago. Signs and tee pads will make a big difference. Locals and groundskeeper were enthusiastic about having an unfamiliar activity in their underused park. This is a solid course in a park that was a perfect candidate for one. I'm excited to have this course as an addition to the Northwest Indiana circuit. Hidden Lake to Countryside to Rogers Lakewood would make for a great day of disc golf.
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