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Iwen Park - North reviews
10
0
Most Challenging FM area course 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 4, 2020
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
+Very nice tee pads that are plenty adequate for the longer holes on Iwen.
+Nice baskets although they are not all the same kind.
+More elevation than expected for being in FM and especially right next to the river. They use the small inclines well for basket positioning.
+Great variety of distances. There are some holes that you can park or ace with the right line but there are also many that are two drive type of holes where you will be throwing full power with a driver twice.
+Makes good use of the water as a hazard without making it too easy to accidentally lose a disc.
+Definitely a course that will intimidate beginning player but will be good for intermediate players who want a challenge and advanced players.
+Overall, very clean and well maintained park. Woodchips were put down on a few potentially erosion areas.
+Nice baskets although they are not all the same kind.
+More elevation than expected for being in FM and especially right next to the river. They use the small inclines well for basket positioning.
+Great variety of distances. There are some holes that you can park or ace with the right line but there are also many that are two drive type of holes where you will be throwing full power with a driver twice.
+Makes good use of the water as a hazard without making it too easy to accidentally lose a disc.
+Definitely a course that will intimidate beginning player but will be good for intermediate players who want a challenge and advanced players.
+Overall, very clean and well maintained park. Woodchips were put down on a few potentially erosion areas.
Cons:
-Coming up with a plan for trimming some trees along fairways to consistently provide clean throwing lanes would be a good idea. I feel like a few holes used to be easier/had a more defined throwing lane in the past and then became overgrown.
-Can be a bit wet and buggy being this close to the river. Can flood in the spring and put the course out of order for a bit.
-Newer players have to worry about tossing a disc in the river.
-Signage is average and somewhat inconsistent. The layout is kind of funky with the South course in the area and they seem to overlap a bit here and there. Definitely have a map ready for when you play. If they added better signs and cleaned up the layout, I think this could bump up to a 4.
-Bike path can come into play, keep your eyes open on those holes. Not the biggest issue but worth mentioning.
-Can be a bit wet and buggy being this close to the river. Can flood in the spring and put the course out of order for a bit.
-Newer players have to worry about tossing a disc in the river.
-Signage is average and somewhat inconsistent. The layout is kind of funky with the South course in the area and they seem to overlap a bit here and there. Definitely have a map ready for when you play. If they added better signs and cleaned up the layout, I think this could bump up to a 4.
-Bike path can come into play, keep your eyes open on those holes. Not the biggest issue but worth mentioning.
Other Thoughts:
-Most challenging course in FM for sure. This is the course that I would recommend if you are a better player. Oak Grove might be more fun overall but this course is more rewarding to score well on.
-Fun for bigger arms but I also had fun here. The holes are solidly layed out and are fun to play even if they are longer than I usually like.
-Fun for bigger arms but I also had fun here. The holes are solidly layed out and are fun to play even if they are longer than I usually like.
3
0
Fun in Fargo 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 12, 2016
Played the course:once
Pros:
Great teepads
Grass mowed nicely
Good mix of par 4s and par 3s
Course map by hole 1
Serene park right on the river
Grass mowed nicely
Good mix of par 4s and par 3s
Course map by hole 1
Serene park right on the river
Cons:
Long grass (rough) can be miserable
Layout is a little confusing at times
Holes too close to other teepads
Lack of airspace on several holes
No park sign at the road to let you know where to turn
I would not play after a rain. Lots of dirt areas mostly on paths that would make for a lot of mud.
Layout is a little confusing at times
Holes too close to other teepads
Lack of airspace on several holes
No park sign at the road to let you know where to turn
I would not play after a rain. Lots of dirt areas mostly on paths that would make for a lot of mud.
Other Thoughts:
What a great little park! I came in with relatively low expectations and I left with a smile on my face.
The holes were really well designed. I enjoyed the mixture of long and short, open and woods, easy and tough holes including several quality par 4's.
The water actually never really came into play on the course. Looking at the map it is daunting but the water is usually in your line of sight but not the flight path of the disc. There is usually enough long grass to catch your disc before it would get to the water. The holes which had baskets very near the water were either short or a par 4 where my upshot was short so it really showed some thought went into the design.
I loved hole 8 (long straight windy par 4 with long grass on either side) but I hated having to look in the long grass for 10 minutes for my disc. I loved lots of the holes actually and lots of the split route options. The overall design is wonderful.
The layout is a bit roaming. If I hadn't taken a picture of the course map with my phone I am sure I would have never played the holes in the right order. It's not a bad layout, just some signs are needed to point new players in the right direction.
I'm not sure what kind of baskets are used on this course. They almost seem like a homemade knockoff of innova discatcher pros. They caught fine and looked fine so no complaints.
There were several holes that seemed like the biggest challenge was just that no limbs had been cut and there was no airspace to get a disc cleanly where you wanted to throw it. Unless you kept your disc 5 feet or less off the ground. Other areas seemed like limbs just hadn't been trimmed in since before winter maybe because limbs were hanging down onto a teepad on one hole and weeds were growing up 4 feet in front of another (both limiting routes you could throw).
Overall the only hole I didn't like was 15. There was a tiny gap off the tee (which I kind of like) but the shape of the hole after the gap didn't make much sense. There was no real airspace to get a disc to the basket that I could tell.
The biggest problem with the course though is that there are way too many areas where a basket is way too close to a teepad or throwing lane of another hole. Safety should always be the #1 priority and there are too many examples of teepads in the putting areas of other baskets. There are a few blind shots as well and these cross into other holes which is extremely dangerous. I never want to leave the course with a broken nose or even worse having hurt someone else accidentally. Individually the holes were really well designed, but the course as a whole seemed like an afterthought.
I will be back to play this course again. It's definitely worth your time if you are in the area.
The holes were really well designed. I enjoyed the mixture of long and short, open and woods, easy and tough holes including several quality par 4's.
The water actually never really came into play on the course. Looking at the map it is daunting but the water is usually in your line of sight but not the flight path of the disc. There is usually enough long grass to catch your disc before it would get to the water. The holes which had baskets very near the water were either short or a par 4 where my upshot was short so it really showed some thought went into the design.
I loved hole 8 (long straight windy par 4 with long grass on either side) but I hated having to look in the long grass for 10 minutes for my disc. I loved lots of the holes actually and lots of the split route options. The overall design is wonderful.
The layout is a bit roaming. If I hadn't taken a picture of the course map with my phone I am sure I would have never played the holes in the right order. It's not a bad layout, just some signs are needed to point new players in the right direction.
I'm not sure what kind of baskets are used on this course. They almost seem like a homemade knockoff of innova discatcher pros. They caught fine and looked fine so no complaints.
There were several holes that seemed like the biggest challenge was just that no limbs had been cut and there was no airspace to get a disc cleanly where you wanted to throw it. Unless you kept your disc 5 feet or less off the ground. Other areas seemed like limbs just hadn't been trimmed in since before winter maybe because limbs were hanging down onto a teepad on one hole and weeds were growing up 4 feet in front of another (both limiting routes you could throw).
Overall the only hole I didn't like was 15. There was a tiny gap off the tee (which I kind of like) but the shape of the hole after the gap didn't make much sense. There was no real airspace to get a disc to the basket that I could tell.
The biggest problem with the course though is that there are way too many areas where a basket is way too close to a teepad or throwing lane of another hole. Safety should always be the #1 priority and there are too many examples of teepads in the putting areas of other baskets. There are a few blind shots as well and these cross into other holes which is extremely dangerous. I never want to leave the course with a broken nose or even worse having hurt someone else accidentally. Individually the holes were really well designed, but the course as a whole seemed like an afterthought.
I will be back to play this course again. It's definitely worth your time if you are in the area.
14
0
Anon
Experience:
24.9 years
35 played
9 reviews
Championship level DG in FM 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 19, 2013
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
PLEASE PARK IN THE LOT NEXT TO THE BOAT LAUNCH.
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- Very nice teeboxes / baskets (Frolfware)
- Relatively protected from winds.
- Very few muddy areas after rain. Most of the course is nice grass.
- Some woodchipping around baskets
- Wide variety of shots required. You'll use your bag here.
- Great challenge, distance and use of elevation.
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- Very nice teeboxes / baskets (Frolfware)
- Relatively protected from winds.
- Very few muddy areas after rain. Most of the course is nice grass.
- Some woodchipping around baskets
- Wide variety of shots required. You'll use your bag here.
- Great challenge, distance and use of elevation.
Cons:
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- Chance to lose discs on several holes mostly due to tall grass/thick brush. Using a spotter is highly recommended on some of the blind shots and especially hole 8.
- Sheer distance and challenge of the course might be off-putting to novice/casual players.
- Park is also a popular place to launch boats on the Red River, lots of trucks with trailers in the small parking lot
- Flood prone in early season
- Chance to lose discs on several holes mostly due to tall grass/thick brush. Using a spotter is highly recommended on some of the blind shots and especially hole 8.
- Sheer distance and challenge of the course might be off-putting to novice/casual players.
- Park is also a popular place to launch boats on the Red River, lots of trucks with trailers in the small parking lot
- Flood prone in early season
Other Thoughts:
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My review is from the perspective of a RHBH thrower.
Hole 1 and Hole 2 start out using part of the shorter course.
Hole 1 - Same as Hole 3 of the South course. From the tee its a relatively simple R to L shot into an open area that plays towards the right into a basket protected by some large trees.
Hole 2 - Kind of combines hole 4 and 5 of the South course into a complete beast of a hole. It might be weird for some folks the first time through without knowing the intended layout.
From the tee... 2 or 3 options present. Laser straight shot down a tunnel of trees, take the right hand side and skip around the tunnel or aim for the area around basket 4 on the South course. The first two options should leave you in an open area near the tee of Hole 5 of the South course. From this point a sweeping anhyzer is needed to carry into a small gap towards the basket which is, again, tucked in among some trees. The other option will leave you under a canopy of trees near basket 4 of the South course with a narrow gap through trees to the intended target.
All 3 options seem to be viable ways to get a look at birdy and, if nothing else, get out alive with a par.
Hole 3 - This is where North Iwen really gets to stretch its legs and starts moving north around the oxbow in the Red River. Nothing too tricky on this one, just a nice long hole with minor danger to the right hand side of the fairway. Basket sits on a green that slopes off steeply on the north side.
Hole 4 - Smack dab in the middle of the woods (well a small grove of trees). Very technical straight, albeit short, shot.
Hole 5 - Bit of a walk to the north west from the hole 4 basket but shouldn't be too hard to find. RHBH throwers will need to sneak a late fading shot under a little window of trees. From there you kind of need to hook around some trees to a basket that is relatively protected up in a grove of trees.
The view from this tee box over the river is noteworthy. Very nice design.
Hole 6 - Relatively short and technical hole. Laser straight shot under a massive tree that bends across the fairway from left to right. The gap is pretty small and the basket sits tucked under a low ceiling of trees protected by a large patch of brush.
Hole 7 - Great spot for a hyzer flip type of shot. Need something that can carry straight enough to hit a very forgiving gap but then heads towards the right into another fairway area. The basket sits at the back corner of the grove of trees, right by the paved roadway.
Hole 8 - Wide open ~690ft hole with a narrow fairway mowed through a massive field of waist high grass, thorns, weeds, etc. This type of grass LOVES TO EAT YOUR DISCS. Watch very closely if you have an errant shot, its definitely worth having somebody up in the fairway to get an accurate bead on where your disc headed into the tall stuff. Tons of time can be saved by having somebody spotting.
Other than that, 8 is a downright straightforward hole. Massive drive. Massive upshot into a basket that is tucked into some trees.
I believe the tall grass will be played as OB during tournament play. Something worth noting.
Hole 9 - Pretty straight forward hole. Drive out of the woods, across a bit more of that waist-high grass shared with hole 9 and hyzer into a basket tucked along the treeline.
Hole 10 - Very technical anhyzer line through dense forest. Accuracy is absolutely paramount here. The rough is brutal and sometimes you'd be better served to just chip out 10 feet to the fairway and have a cleaner look.
Hole 11 - 200ish ft shot through a 15ft gap, up over a hill and down to a basket that sits right on the edge of the Red River. This hole SHOULD be relatively easy. Longer putts have a bit of added anxiety due to the river lurking in the background.
Hole 12A - Tee shot requires you to clear a bit of a hill and place your drive along the left hand side of the fairway above. From there a laser of a fairway drive plays into the basket which sits in front of a small grove of trees along a slight slope.
Hole 12B - The shot off the tee should be pretty straight ahead (again, careful to avoid thick rough on the left hand side of the fairway) to place yourself in the fairway and have a decent 2nd shot into the same basket that is on a bit of a slope, tucked next to some trees.
Hole 13 - Blind drive wraps around the left side of a pine tree and down into a relatively open fairway area. From there its probably 250 through more trees to another basket that is sitting precariously close to the Red River. The angle of approach is such that errant hyzers will be eaten alive by the river. The putting isn't as scary as hole 11.
IMO this is one of the most challenging holes on the course currently.
Hole 14 - Relatively open hole with (again) danger on the left side of the fairway in the form of the Red River. The drive is pretty straight forward with the exception of a tree that kind of forms a little canopy you need to drive under or flex a shot around. With good placement off the tee the 2nd shot should be a nice fairway driver towards the basket which sits near the left-hand edge of a grove of trees. Really the drive from the tee is the only shot that feels 'risky' on this hole. Only due to the risk of a disc fading back too early and off the left hand side of the fairway.
A nicely executed roller could be absolutely amazing on this hole.
Hole 15 - The teebox faces directly into a grove of trees and the gap that one must hit to get through can't be any wider than ~5 feet. If you can clear the gap and pop out to the right a bit, its a pretty standard hyzer into the basket.
Hole 16 - Nice little hyzer upshot out of a grove of trees and up a slope. Gaining maybe 20 vertical feet in the process. Basket is out in the open. The elevation is definitely deceiving but the real challenge on this one comes from just getting your drive out of the gap near the teebox.
Hole 17 - Nice midrange shot from an elevated teebox, through some trees and branches, across a relatively open space and down to the basket near another clump of trees.
Hole 18 - This is where North Iwen hooks back up with the short course. Hole 18 pretty much combines hole 6 & 7 of the short course into a nice, long, finisher. Another narrow gap sits right in front of the tee, but once you are past it, the rest of the hole is pretty open and straightforward.
Overall this course is a gem. Fargo really doesn't have much more elevation to offer and this course does a fine job of using every bit available. The layout is 100% challenging. Novice players might not have the best time. The distance will feel very long compared to any of the other FM courses. You will be punished for errant shots (but nothing too brutal... except that grass on Hole 8). Every shot in your bag will be utilized to get through this round. Very fun!
All in all, Iwen is a park that has come a long way from when it was first built. The underbrush on all holes has been cleaned up nicely and has resulted in a challenging and technical 9 plus this new championship level 18 hole course.
My review is from the perspective of a RHBH thrower.
Hole 1 and Hole 2 start out using part of the shorter course.
Hole 1 - Same as Hole 3 of the South course. From the tee its a relatively simple R to L shot into an open area that plays towards the right into a basket protected by some large trees.
Hole 2 - Kind of combines hole 4 and 5 of the South course into a complete beast of a hole. It might be weird for some folks the first time through without knowing the intended layout.
From the tee... 2 or 3 options present. Laser straight shot down a tunnel of trees, take the right hand side and skip around the tunnel or aim for the area around basket 4 on the South course. The first two options should leave you in an open area near the tee of Hole 5 of the South course. From this point a sweeping anhyzer is needed to carry into a small gap towards the basket which is, again, tucked in among some trees. The other option will leave you under a canopy of trees near basket 4 of the South course with a narrow gap through trees to the intended target.
All 3 options seem to be viable ways to get a look at birdy and, if nothing else, get out alive with a par.
Hole 3 - This is where North Iwen really gets to stretch its legs and starts moving north around the oxbow in the Red River. Nothing too tricky on this one, just a nice long hole with minor danger to the right hand side of the fairway. Basket sits on a green that slopes off steeply on the north side.
Hole 4 - Smack dab in the middle of the woods (well a small grove of trees). Very technical straight, albeit short, shot.
Hole 5 - Bit of a walk to the north west from the hole 4 basket but shouldn't be too hard to find. RHBH throwers will need to sneak a late fading shot under a little window of trees. From there you kind of need to hook around some trees to a basket that is relatively protected up in a grove of trees.
The view from this tee box over the river is noteworthy. Very nice design.
Hole 6 - Relatively short and technical hole. Laser straight shot under a massive tree that bends across the fairway from left to right. The gap is pretty small and the basket sits tucked under a low ceiling of trees protected by a large patch of brush.
Hole 7 - Great spot for a hyzer flip type of shot. Need something that can carry straight enough to hit a very forgiving gap but then heads towards the right into another fairway area. The basket sits at the back corner of the grove of trees, right by the paved roadway.
Hole 8 - Wide open ~690ft hole with a narrow fairway mowed through a massive field of waist high grass, thorns, weeds, etc. This type of grass LOVES TO EAT YOUR DISCS. Watch very closely if you have an errant shot, its definitely worth having somebody up in the fairway to get an accurate bead on where your disc headed into the tall stuff. Tons of time can be saved by having somebody spotting.
Other than that, 8 is a downright straightforward hole. Massive drive. Massive upshot into a basket that is tucked into some trees.
I believe the tall grass will be played as OB during tournament play. Something worth noting.
Hole 9 - Pretty straight forward hole. Drive out of the woods, across a bit more of that waist-high grass shared with hole 9 and hyzer into a basket tucked along the treeline.
Hole 10 - Very technical anhyzer line through dense forest. Accuracy is absolutely paramount here. The rough is brutal and sometimes you'd be better served to just chip out 10 feet to the fairway and have a cleaner look.
Hole 11 - 200ish ft shot through a 15ft gap, up over a hill and down to a basket that sits right on the edge of the Red River. This hole SHOULD be relatively easy. Longer putts have a bit of added anxiety due to the river lurking in the background.
Hole 12A - Tee shot requires you to clear a bit of a hill and place your drive along the left hand side of the fairway above. From there a laser of a fairway drive plays into the basket which sits in front of a small grove of trees along a slight slope.
Hole 12B - The shot off the tee should be pretty straight ahead (again, careful to avoid thick rough on the left hand side of the fairway) to place yourself in the fairway and have a decent 2nd shot into the same basket that is on a bit of a slope, tucked next to some trees.
Hole 13 - Blind drive wraps around the left side of a pine tree and down into a relatively open fairway area. From there its probably 250 through more trees to another basket that is sitting precariously close to the Red River. The angle of approach is such that errant hyzers will be eaten alive by the river. The putting isn't as scary as hole 11.
IMO this is one of the most challenging holes on the course currently.
Hole 14 - Relatively open hole with (again) danger on the left side of the fairway in the form of the Red River. The drive is pretty straight forward with the exception of a tree that kind of forms a little canopy you need to drive under or flex a shot around. With good placement off the tee the 2nd shot should be a nice fairway driver towards the basket which sits near the left-hand edge of a grove of trees. Really the drive from the tee is the only shot that feels 'risky' on this hole. Only due to the risk of a disc fading back too early and off the left hand side of the fairway.
A nicely executed roller could be absolutely amazing on this hole.
Hole 15 - The teebox faces directly into a grove of trees and the gap that one must hit to get through can't be any wider than ~5 feet. If you can clear the gap and pop out to the right a bit, its a pretty standard hyzer into the basket.
Hole 16 - Nice little hyzer upshot out of a grove of trees and up a slope. Gaining maybe 20 vertical feet in the process. Basket is out in the open. The elevation is definitely deceiving but the real challenge on this one comes from just getting your drive out of the gap near the teebox.
Hole 17 - Nice midrange shot from an elevated teebox, through some trees and branches, across a relatively open space and down to the basket near another clump of trees.
Hole 18 - This is where North Iwen hooks back up with the short course. Hole 18 pretty much combines hole 6 & 7 of the short course into a nice, long, finisher. Another narrow gap sits right in front of the tee, but once you are past it, the rest of the hole is pretty open and straightforward.
Overall this course is a gem. Fargo really doesn't have much more elevation to offer and this course does a fine job of using every bit available. The layout is 100% challenging. Novice players might not have the best time. The distance will feel very long compared to any of the other FM courses. You will be punished for errant shots (but nothing too brutal... except that grass on Hole 8). Every shot in your bag will be utilized to get through this round. Very fun!
All in all, Iwen is a park that has come a long way from when it was first built. The underbrush on all holes has been cleaned up nicely and has resulted in a challenging and technical 9 plus this new championship level 18 hole course.
