-
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
Hilner Park reviews
12
0
Neighborhood Rec Course 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 20, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
- 9 well mounted Mach Vs, all in good repair. Large colored plates on top have the hole number.
- 8 level concrete tee pads with appropriate texture and size.(Hole 5 is a natural tee)
- Nice little course map at the parking lot.
- Tee signs have Hole number, distance, and a squiggly line "depicting" the flight path.
- Designer did nice job of using the available trees to create forced lines and a couple guarded greens despite the park not being particularly wooded. Hole 1s green, Hole 4s tunnel, Hole 6s "goalpost" trees are all great examples. Definitely nothing mind blowing but good for what's there to work with.
- Good mix of holes length for a beginner track with holes ranging from around 150' to 280'.
- There's a little drainage creek that comes into play on a couple holes adding variety.
- In a park with minimal elevation, they got a couple holes to not be flat. 5 is a nice mini TOTW shot and 6 has a mild uphill grade. Nowhere near enough variation for my taste but what was there was nicely used.
- No user conflicts as the park has nothing else there.
- Free to play.
- 8 level concrete tee pads with appropriate texture and size.(Hole 5 is a natural tee)
- Nice little course map at the parking lot.
- Tee signs have Hole number, distance, and a squiggly line "depicting" the flight path.
- Designer did nice job of using the available trees to create forced lines and a couple guarded greens despite the park not being particularly wooded. Hole 1s green, Hole 4s tunnel, Hole 6s "goalpost" trees are all great examples. Definitely nothing mind blowing but good for what's there to work with.
- Good mix of holes length for a beginner track with holes ranging from around 150' to 280'.
- There's a little drainage creek that comes into play on a couple holes adding variety.
- In a park with minimal elevation, they got a couple holes to not be flat. 5 is a nice mini TOTW shot and 6 has a mild uphill grade. Nowhere near enough variation for my taste but what was there was nicely used.
- No user conflicts as the park has nothing else there.
- Free to play.
Cons:
- The biggest con for me was the neighborhood. Not a super nice part of town, it won't give you that nice vibe that some courses will.
- Lot of animal poop in the park; dog poop, deer poop, and other various critter poop, yet to be identified.
- Not a ton of challenge to score well for most experienced players. As stated, they used the trees, creek, and hillside as they could, but there just isn't a ton of substance to the land and the distances are all beginner-rec friendly. Higher skilled players would likely get a little bored with repeat play here.
- Not much for variety in hole length. Decent range for low skill levels but would be nice to see some more range.
- You can see all 9 baskets if you stand in the right spot.
- Lack of elevation outside the couple holes just leaves something to be desired. Again, not much to work with which just speaks to quality of land, more than the actual course design. But I could see a couple more opportunities left on the table.
- Navigation is pretty easy but there are a couple places where next tee signs would prevent wandering/confusion, particularly for the intended audience of new players.
- No bathrooms or amenities of any sort. I mean, there are structures there that were bathrooms but eeek.
- Lot of animal poop in the park; dog poop, deer poop, and other various critter poop, yet to be identified.
- Not a ton of challenge to score well for most experienced players. As stated, they used the trees, creek, and hillside as they could, but there just isn't a ton of substance to the land and the distances are all beginner-rec friendly. Higher skilled players would likely get a little bored with repeat play here.
- Not much for variety in hole length. Decent range for low skill levels but would be nice to see some more range.
- You can see all 9 baskets if you stand in the right spot.
- Lack of elevation outside the couple holes just leaves something to be desired. Again, not much to work with which just speaks to quality of land, more than the actual course design. But I could see a couple more opportunities left on the table.
- Navigation is pretty easy but there are a couple places where next tee signs would prevent wandering/confusion, particularly for the intended audience of new players.
- No bathrooms or amenities of any sort. I mean, there are structures there that were bathrooms but eeek.
Other Thoughts:
January 2021 update - Tee signs, course map, and hole number plates on baskets are installed except for Hole 6(assuming it's awaiting sponsorship?). All said, this is a fine little beginner/rec course installation in a suburb with a need as the closest course is 15 minutes away in Billings proper. Really, outside of a couple holes, they all have something decent to offer. Newer players can hone some basic skills and gain confidence and more experienced players can enjoy mostly all ace runs or shoot for the 9 under round. Not too far off the interstate so if you're on a bagging run this is completely worth the stop. Outside of the neighborhood being kinda meh, I really enjoy this course. Design and infrastructure have been pretty well maximized for the available land. Probably won't go out of my way to play it again when I'm back in town but if I venture East or South of Billings on the interstate, it'll be worth stopping again.
