Holtwood, PA

Muddy Run DGC

4.695(based on 42 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Muddy Run DGC reviews

Filter
14 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.4 years 300 played 287 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Muddy Run is a lot of fun!

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 21, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

Muddy Run Park is located about an hour and a half's drive west of Philadelphia. After seeing several horse-drawn carriages on my drive in and out, I looked it up and discovered that this is one of the most prominent Amish areas in the USA. The park features a large campground, observatory, views of a lake which I believe is man-made, and 18 great holes of disc golf.

The course is set on some large rolling hills, and those hills are used to create lots of fun holes with significant elevation changes. #4 is a right turning fairway playing sharply uphill in the woods with lots of exposed rock. #6 was my favorite hole on the course - a gentle downhill that starts in a beautiful grassy wooded area and opens up over 300'-400' to the basket. #10 is a another gentle downhill in tighter woods, with a steep drop-off behind the basket. The visuals throughout most of the course are wonderful - I kept stopping to admire the scenery.

Other holes on the course are more open. The first hole is a mostly open uphill slog, but players are then rewarded for their efforts with an equally open downhill bomber hole on #2. The overall variety is great - with open, moderately wooded, and tightly wooded holes mixed in throughout.

The baskets are DGA Mach V's with flags on top for visibility. One per hole.

There is a long tee position and short tee position for each hole. The tee pads are both large concrete slabs. The short Silver layout plays at an intermediate level, but will be approachable for rec players and campers who don't mind scoring over par. I played this layout and was happy to finish three over par. The gold tees stretch out the distance and clearly also offered different throwing lines/playing experience on many holes. I think that advanced players would be challenged by this layout.

The tee signs are some of the largest, and the best that I have seen. Seriously, these must measure 18" x 24" or something. They have the hole number/distance/par, an elevation profile, and a detailed hole map along with not only a suggested line but also distances to key points like other tee pads or kinks in the fairway. The signs are color coded per layout, and the Silver tee location is indicated on the Gold sign which is appreciated for those of us walking past the long tee pads to reach the short tee. :) Even with all of that info displayed in a larger format than I can remember ever seeing on a course, there is still room on the right side of each one for a large sketch and detailed description of a bird.

The navigational signage is adequate - there are clips in the bottom of baskets pointing towards the next tee, and a couple of extra standalone signs at the longer transition points.

There are benches at some tees (a few more wouldn't hurt, but overall it's enough). A large kiosk with a course map is at the first tee. There is a practice basket, but it's easy to miss. It's in the middle of a grassy "island" surrounded by cement that you drove by just before parking.

Cons:

The reason why I'm not giving Muddy Run a 5.0 is hard to put into words. I guess it just didn't blow me away enough? I do agree with what others have said about #16 being tough if the grass were not mowed, which apparently it isn't until Memorial Day each year. I visited in late June, but was getting pretty tired by that point in the day/round and managed to miss the fairly wide mowed area - and had to look for a couple of minutes to find my disc in the tall grass off the fairway.

Beyond that, only a few nitpicks:
- A couple of the "Next Tee" clips were missing when I played.
- The lake never comes into play, but that space appeared to be claimed by the campground and I'm glad the course designers put safety first.
- There is no porta potty convenient to the course, and the only trash can is at the parking lot. These amenities are available elsewhere in the park though.

Other Thoughts:

When you get into the park you'll have to drive through an entrance booth which is presumably for camper check-in. However, there is no charge or reservation needed to play disc golf - I just told the attendant I was there to play disc golf and he said "Have fun!"

The cell service here is spotty. I had good coverage on top of the hills, and less so at the bottom.

This was my first course played in Pennsylvania, which was my 20th state overall! It capped a day where I played three new-to-me courses in three new-to-me states (Stafford Woods, Iron Hill, and Muddy Run). Out of those three courses, Muddy Run was the clear #1 in my eyes.

This course is very good. I'm not sure if it is quite as good as its current ranking of #12 in the world on this site, but I would definitely put it somewhere in the best 15-20 courses that I have personally played. Muddy Run is enough fun that I added it to my Favorites - and it is worth a lengthy drive to visit!

EDIT: Can't resist adding one more personal note - this is also my 250th review!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
16 0
itsRudy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.3 years 80 played 68 reviews
4.50 star(s)

PA DG at its Finest

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 7, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hmm... if you're gonna have a single course in this bit of a DG desert (of 20 minute driving radius), it may as well be this absolute bomber.

I played Muddy Run twice by now, the first time in late November until daylight ran out of steam around #13. I didn't even remember playing here until arriving at the fenced-in compound and the familiar gates yesterday.... but now I got my second run in, I can fully appreciate the experience of a nearly perfect mix of open golf and rocky hillside golf, simultaneously lots of elevation, flat, with a healthy dose of running on top of flat hilltops. This is a course that will undoubtedly become more and more endearing with replays.

I rarely tee off advanced pads the first few times on a course, but took all the Gold ones here on. The results for this beleaguered noodle arm were predictable (+14) but weren't so demoralizing that I wanted to quit. Just a little less than one off per tee for par. Seems doable.

But the silvers also seemed inviting and much better designed than simply being 20-50ft less than their big brothers and beginners can give it a try with a good chance the course won't be just a slog-fest.

The nice thing even on longer holes, the trees were enough to be a challenge but more often than not passable, so each section was its own miniadventure. It gave the course a good balance on playability and challenge not centered merely on distance.

I usually hate lengthy uphills but the ones here just seemed perfect, with #1 and 3 being amongst my favorite and memorable holes in DG. What Muddy Run gets right, and imo better than other top area courses like Green Lane's Green Monster is just overall flow. I like that in a tough course, that even when it's beating me, I can see some beauty and zen in it.

MR has this in spades on holes that a bit different than the common community course. Especially those lengthy rocky forested ones where you don't necessarily see the basket off the tee. #1, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15.

Gold #14 was especially my favorite. Forested, rocky thoughout. You toss slightly uphill some hundred feet and then turn left for more flat with some curves. Several hundred feet until a big, somewhat cliffy downhill that is just cluttered enough to be a headscratcher on deciding trajectories.

Cons:

Eh, it might just be my out-of-shape behind talking, but I find in a lot of these super courses that the tail ends taper into a kind of phoned in situation with long bombs on open fields. Camp Sankanac does this at #14 and after and here it's #16 and after. Green Monster gets points for not going this route.

Bombers are a legitimate and beloved part of the game, just not in my arsenal and not my favorite note to end on. Especially multiple times in a row. It already reminded me of #2 and #8.

#16, a downhill 700' bomber wasn't mowed, almost kneehigh with less than 10ft disc visibility. I see it's even listed on Course Info, after the fact, that this is the norm in May. When it isn't, could be one of the few disc loss traps on this course.

Otherwise I think finding flaws here is picking nits. But there are a few nits to pick.

The tee signs are really cool with the various birds as topics (I stopped and read), but the map part is just Google Maps with a line overlaid. Most of the time it really didn't matter, but for those longer, curvier forested holes, I was wishing for a more detail illustration of what I throwing into.

These grey baskets, DGA Mach Vs, on the longer holes were invisible sometimes, even with a flag as many of them had. I had to pull uDisc out more than once to make sure I was throwing in the right direction. On #10 and #12, I was less than 175 from the basket and tossing in the wrong direction.

Also, the amenities are sparse once you get into the course, you might find bathroom at a Pavilion left of #3/4 but that's about it. On the upside, once playing, non-DGers are also rare.

Other Thoughts:

Took me a while to find the info, but Muddy Run Campground, which this is part of, is part of Constellation Energy, formerly Exelon.

The park is at the northern part of the Muddy Run Pumped Storage Facility, built in 1968, and was the biggest pumped-storage facility in the world at the time, saving the nighttime nuclear energy in pumped water for later usage.

It's complements nearby Susquehannock State Park but isn't part of it.

Nice work, dudes. The rest of the campground seemed inviting and it even had a space Observatory. Neat.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
27 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.3 years 447 played 414 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Not Flashy, But One of the Best

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 20, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

A championship caliber course that will test skills…and endurance. Nothing really flashy, no trickery - just 18 holes that say: "Go ahead - make the shot."



+ Two sets of tees with significant difference in distance and some different looks. The Silver tees are 6000', and the Gold tees push the layout over 9200'. But the difference is unusually well compensated by adding 9 strokes to par. As others have noted here, an intermediate player really can play Golds and expect to do about as well against par as playing the Silvers


+ There are some really intimidating uphill holes here (#3, #15, #17), but the course doesn't keep beating on you with the same challenge, hole after hole. Depending on the hole, you'll need distance…or angle control…or groundplay control (or some combination). Each hole is it's own fresh challenge, and while not all the holes are excellent, none of them feel exactly the same


+ The overall layout is designed with great balance. The first three holes alternate elevation (up, down, up) and shape. They're followed by a pair of short flat holes in the woods along the ridge, and then a handful of open holes before returning to the woods, and ultimately finishing in the open.


+ Large, level poured tees, excellent signage, intuitive navigation supplemented with clips on good DGA baskets. The maps use lines superimposed on aerial photos and they're not particularly helpful at explaining the details of the hole, but most baskets are visible from the tee. The signs also include elevation change (like + 66 and +71…that's where the endurance comes in)


+ Pay extra attention when throwing for the baskets on wooded holes #10 and #12: the greens are terraces at the edge of steep drops - you could end up with a 100' rollaway. Small rock walls to keep the slightly errant shots on the green; these are terrific examples of designed risk


+ Muddy Run is a huge multi-use park, but with the exception of a few grills near the first green, disc golf appears to be entirely off by itself



Cons:

- What's there is perfect, but it's missing a few things like water features, alternate baskets to create more varied layouts, or an iconic hole (the downhill holes are dramatic, but not visually striking). Muddy is phenomenal, and maybe it's unfair to criticize a course for what it doesn't have, but I'd rank it slightly below the very best newer courses like Ryan Kelly Green Monster or top multi-basket layouts like Brakewell Steel. But Muddy was good enough to host Am Worlds, it remains a destination course, it should be on your bucket list



Other Thoughts:

~ The steep hills are not cart-friendly, and if you're off the fairway on some of the wooded holes, your cart will become a liability. Although much of the course is smooth rolling, I would advise against using a cart unless you really don't mind dragging it uphill


~ Pro Tip: There are a number of places where you can leave your bag to play out a hole and pick it up on the way to the next one. Some of these are obvious to the first time player, but the best ones for experienced players come near the end of the round: After your tee shot on 15, you can leave your bag and carry just a disc or two as you climb the hill. The 16th tee is all the way back down. Similar on 17 and 18. You'll avoid having to carry up two of the steepest holes on the course, and save some energy as you near the finish


~ Championship caliber, and the two layouts are really well calibrated to a wide variety of players. Intermediate players on Silver will find plenty of birdie opportunities - then there's the Gold to challenge advanced players


~ Of the 160+ courses I've played in Eastern-to-Central PA, Coyote Hills, the Green Monster and Muddy Run stand out above the rest. This, in an area that also has Kline's Run, Tyler East and West, Prompton Lake, Camp Sankanac, Quaker's Challenge, Jordan Creek and so many others. Muddy Run is not flashy, but it's a destination course that earns every bit of praise it receives



Was this review helpful? Yes No
23 1
jamespenn
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 4.7 years 43 played 44 reviews
5.00 star(s)

It's as good as advertised, and a long walk 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 22, 2022 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Every hole seems like it's set in it's own little world, even though you can see other holes nearby

Logs have been flattened into benches on pretty much any hole, and you'll need them!

It's not a brutal, torture track, but it also doesn't give up shots easily

So many fun downhill throws! Even the sharply uphill holes are fun.

Odds of losing a disc are very low. There are a couple of places where you might lose sight of the disc going over a hill, but the woods are entirely rocks and grass so you should eventually find the thing even if it's way off line.

The odds of you getting lost are low. Sure it's a big course, but it's easy to see where to go.

Cons:

The rocks! Some of the holes in the woods are on a steep hillside that is mostly rocks. Some are loose and really you shouldn't step on any of them if you can help it.

The course has a Gold tee and a Silver Tee (shorter) but if you are playing the Silver tee, you have to walk by the Gold tee anyway. There are a couple of holes where the Silver tee gives you a somewhat different look at the basket, but there's really no reason to not play the Gold tees. You're going to score about the same over/under par anyway.

When they say the grass is long in May, they mean it's thigh high and you're going to not see your disc in it unless you're within a few feet. Holes 16 and 18 are deeply satisfying long downhill tee shots, but in May you're throwing it into this thigh-high grass. You must get a good line on where your disc lands. 17 is perhaps the best uphill hole I've ever played, and you are in the same grassy field, but for whatever reason it was easier to find the disc

It's nice to have 2 tee pads, but they could really use two baskets too. They have plenty of room, and they could create 2 more layouts, one even shorter than the current Silver card, and one longer Gold card. They could position the baskets to cut down on some of the walks if you're playing the Silver tees to the short baskets.

The stretch from 6-9 isn't as exciting as the rest of the course, but they aren't exactly bad holes. They're good parkland style holes. 8 would be the best hole on pretty much any typical park style course in the area.

Other Thoughts:

It's like a fantasy world for disc golf. You're in a park, but there are no pedestrians to avoid, unless for whatever reason they're wandering through the woods. The holes the woods have some pretty tight lines, but you can miss your line by miles and still find your disc. Oh, you won't have much of a shot, but you can at least find it and advance it.

Usually uphill holes are painful and boring slogs, but this place has found a way to make them exciting. 1, 3, 15 and 17 are all sharply uphill, yet strategic and fascinating too. And to reward you for your trouble, there are some fantastic downhill throws too. 16 and 18 are incredibly satisfying, as is the long approach shot down the rocky hillside on 14.

I'd probably avoid going here when it's really hot or in May. This place is no doubt a total blast on a nice calm 60 degree day in October.

If you're familiar with South Hills and Lenni Lenape in Lebanon, Muddy Run would be like the 9 best holes at each course combined into one, and then all of them stretched out 200 feet farther, with much wider playing corridors.

The fact this is a free course to play is almost hard to believe but here it is!

I debated between 4.5 and 5 discs because while there are 2 tees, Gold and Silver, the Silver layout just isn't as good as the Gold. If you can throw the disc 250 feet and relatively straight, the Gold course isn't going to be too hard for you and is way more fun. It is possible to par every hole and you'll have a few decent birdie looks. The Silver layout reduces the distances some, and lowers the par accordingly, but you still are walking the Gold layout and missing out on some really fun gold tee shots. For example, 16 and 18 gold tees both play from the top of a hill, and the silver tees don't. . Also, if you play Silver 14, which is a still a fun par 4, you are missing out on one of the great par 5s in disc golf.

The Gold layout is clearly 5 stars. The Silver is more of a 4.0. If they added another set of baskets to each hole and found a way to cut down a little on the long walks if you're playing a shorter layout, this would definitely be a Best of the Best course. Several other reviewers have said this is a 4.75 course, and I'd agree with that but I'm still giving it 5 discs. From the back tees it's a brilliant, thoughtful and fun course that is not overwhelming to the average recreational player.. Just because the forward tees are a bit weak doesn't mean I should downgrade the rating.

It's a wonderful place, worth the drive to the relatively remote location.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
23 0
gtg888h
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.4 years 40 played 27 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Tremendous Design 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

+Incredible use of the land. Huge elevation changes factor heavily into the course, including through the woods, which is one of my favorite elements of a top DG course. Very challenging.

+Beautiful scenery - rolling hills, towering trees, well-kept meadows, some grassy fairways in the woods...really well done.

+Two tee pads per hole with very informative signs (distance, elevation change, and interesting facts about local birds). Baskets are top-notch too.

+Lots of interesting greens and basket placements make for challenging upshots and putts.

+Great combination of technical lines, open bomber holes, and Narnia-style throwing down a hill in the woods.

+A few real signature holes here. Holes 2, 6, and 16 are all a joy to throw. My personal favorites, though, were 10 (Narnia-like grassy fairway down a wooded tunnel to a precarious green), 14 (par 5 that wraps left over a ridge and then a huge downhill wooded shot), and 18 (another big wooded downhill shot that doglegs right into the open field to a pedestal basket). Honorable mention for 12 as well.

+Co-located with a larger park that includes a splash park and lots of picnic locations.

+Free to play. This and Iron Hill are easily the best free courses I have played to date.

Cons:

-One basket per hole reduces variability of the layouts, but the two options (whites or golds) to the single basket are both REALLY good. Probably would only matter if you were a local playing this course more than once a week...but I wouldn't complain with this as my home course!

-I'm not generally a fan of making a big uphill shot your hole 1. Not a bad hole, you just want to get the chance to rip something and see it sail far after getting out of the car.

Other Thoughts:

Neither con is worth demoting from 5/5. This is definitely a destination course, and was obviously a worthy host of 2019 Am Worlds. Absolutely worth the drive.

Bring water and good hiking shoes - I love hilly courses, but this was a workout, even for a glutton-for-punishment like me.

Not necessarily "beginner-friendly"...but it's not so punishing (no water hazards) as to be "beginner-discouraging".
Was this review helpful? Yes No
16 0
Par_Daddy
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

A worthy destination course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- This course routinely ranks in the top 50 courses in the world and it's free to play!
- No lack of parking, there are bathrooms on the premise just not directly on the disc golf course
- Multi-use park improves the experience not detracts from it, seldom do you encounter non-players on the course yet you still get to benefit from the park's amenities (campground, lake for boating/fishing, snack bar, splash pad for kids, nature center, multiple playgrounds and picnic areas)
- The large deer population in the park nearly ensures that you will see some every time you play which is pretty cool and unique
- Course is well maintained and beautiful especially in the fall
- 2 tee positions on every hole help modulate the difficulty level you are looking for
- Concrete pads that are flush with the ground allow for plentiful run up and follow through space (this is a personal favorite feature of mine at any course)
- Tee signs are accurate and include fun bird fact which is a cool bonus
- Elevation changes, technical wooded shots, open field bombs, risk reward options, this course has everything you could ask for

Cons:

- Playing this course is a workout, lots of elevation change leads to up and down hikes. There are some days where I do not have the energy to invest into playing 'Muddy' and would rather play a shorter flatter course like D.F. Buchmiller which is 20-25 min away.
- Muddy Run has a strict gate gate closure policy in the evenings which can lead to ending rounds early or rushing to finish so that you don't inconvenience the gate attendants
- The grass on hole 16 can get very long in the summer making it difficult to find your disc
- The tee signs are accurate distance-wise but the picture is just an aerial photograph with a white line depicting the fairway which isn't the most helpful especially on wooded holes
- Hole 3 is a brutal uphill double dogleg par 5 from gold (single dogleg par 4 from silver). The steep wooded rocky slope makes finding footing very difficult. This hole is almost always an automatic bogey for me.
- Muddy Run is pretty remote from any population center so getting here is a long drive for most people

Other Thoughts:

Muddy Run DGC is worth the trip from anywhere, a true destination course and it even is equipped with a campground. I think this course is deserving of an A-Tier tournament or even higher. A favorite hole of mine is the par 4 hole #8. Play the wind and the skippy green correctly and you have a good look at birdie. But if you get careless off the tee you could be pinched off against the left side woods that are full of long grass, thorns, and stinging nettle. Muddy Run is a great course and is worthy of a high ranking. Come see why!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 10
DCriola
Experience: 22 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

wonderful views 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 14, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Silver and gold driving pads for your level of play.Lots of different types of shots in the open and through the woods.

Cons:

Directions from hole to hole could be a little better.

Other Thoughts:

Good time of year to go, everything is still dead. It's a nice course but it needs better directions from hole to hole. It a large course so make sure you have your hiking shoes on cuz it a lot of up and down hills
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 8
blakem0714
Experience: 8.5 years 17 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

So Much Fun!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 26, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

this course will test everything you have from distance to short game, from wooded holes to open holes, from falt holes to large hills.

Cons:

not the most cart friendly but you can definetly use a cart as long as you are careful around some of teh larger hills.

Other Thoughts:

phenominal course quickly became one of my favorites i cant wait until i am in P.A. again so i can make the stop and play again.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 14
branlong
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Awesome course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great variety. Option to use silver or gold tees. Usually will see deer. (I saw 8+). A little more than half the holes are in the woods, but nothing is thick or at risk of really losing a disc.

Cons:

Too far from my house :p
Was this review helpful? Yes No
13 0
aredoubles
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.3 years 261 played 41 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Outstanding mix of holes. Open/wooded, straight/right/left, short/long, uphill/flat/downhill, you name it. And all of them are brilliantly executed, very challenging but very fair all the way through. High-quality multiple teepad options, beautiful tee signs, straightforward navigation, and even the snack bar and lake nearby add to the great experience.
Many of these holes are quite memorable, especially the epic downhill crushes of holes 2 and 16, and the intimidating uphills like holes 3 and 15. I also really enjoyed holes 10 and 14 from the gold tees, where placement drives off the tee prepare you for beautiful downhill tunnels to guarded baskets, very smartly designed disc golf holes. Neither the open nor the wooded holes are afterthoughts here, all parts are excellent on their own, and then are brilliantly strung together to make the whole course.
Fantastic use of this property to create a memorable and fun disc golf course.

Cons:

A few of the shorter holes feel like slight filler to ease navigation. I'm thinking particularly of holes 7 and 9, which are fairly straightforward wide-open RHBH hyzers, and feel disappointingly plain compared to the rest of the course.
The main quibble I have is that some of the holes, even the fantastic memorable ones, feel like repetitive copies. Holes 2 and 16 are both awesome downhill bombs to a guarded basket, but require nearly identical shots. Similar for holes 3S and 15 (very uphill wooded shots), and holes 1G and 17 (open uphill drives to very uphill wooded approaches), which feel like playing the exact same shots again. All of these are still awesome holes, but I wish each one of these was a little more unique and distinctive.

Other Thoughts:

The first time through, this seemed like a incredible course, one of the best I'd ever played.
The second time through, the two filler holes and the repetitive holes noted above bothered me a lot more. It felt like playing the world's greatest 13-hole course, then circling back and replaying some of the highlights. Of course that's still incredibly fun, but it feels like there were missed opportunities to create just a few more unique experiences, that could've elevated this course to an even higher level.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 0
RamsFan1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.1 years 92 played 92 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Tremendous in Every Way 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Championship-caliber course featured at the Muddy Run Recreational Area, an absolutely beautiful park featuring a lake, boating, a splash park and foot golf among other activities. 18 DGA baskets in great condition. Excellent use of elevation, a balance of both wooded and open holes & shorter and longer ones requiring one's full arsenal of shots. Fair routes to each basket. Navigation is relatively easy and intuitive. The signs are among the nicest signs I've ever seen at a DG course; 20" x 24" fiberglass placards with not only par, hole number, distance and flight path but a picture and information on a different area bird. A number of truly outstanding holes here- 2, 16, 17, 18 come to mind- any one of which could stand alone as a signature hole at most courses. Downhill hole 16 over a wide swath of tall grass and finishing hole 18 in a downhill shot through the woods and dog leg right to an elevated basket will be loved by players. Log benches, ample parking, snack bar, bathrooms and other amenities on the premises

Cons:

I must nitpick to find any. I did not see a practice basket. Despite the presence of a large lake, there is no water hazard on the course. Grueling terrain.

Other Thoughts:

I am not overstating in saying I believe this might be the best PA course east of Pittsburgh- which is really saying something given the existence of such places like Nockamixon, Quakers Challenge and Tyler State Park. It is a truly outstanding venue which will test you physically and mentally. And it's located on an immaculately groomed, beautiful piece of property. Rightly featured at the recent AM Worlds, Muddy Run is a marvel in design and concept. The work that went into this place and the routine maintenance required for its upkeep are considerable. Kudos to the guys that designed this magnificent course. A must play for anyone who loves the sport.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 6
adamsm
Experience: 24 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Superb course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Totally fantastic course.
Lots of elevations, big down bombs, nicely space trees that allow for long wooded shots. Totally fantastic course. I played during World Ams so course conditions and maintence was top notch.

Cons:

Nothing bad, just a bit far from everything.

Other Thoughts:

Top notch course, play it you can.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 1
where'sfinn
Experience: 6 years 29 played 14 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Awesome Scenic Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

The signage is one of a kind because it has:
a. Wildlife that can be found in the park on each sign, with
a description of the animal
b. elevation change
c. the total feet both too the basket and from the tee pad at
the start of a turn
Epic holes that have huge downhill shots.
Multiple concrete tee pads.
Great mix of tight technical shots vs big bombs.
Good mix of par 3's, 4's, and 5's.
Great elevation change.
Not crowded.
Very peaceful and scenic.
Benches on a lot of the holes.

Cons:

No trashcans
One pin per hole

Other Thoughts:

The park also has foot golf, which would be awesome to play too!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
toddnick
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.4 years 86 played 31 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Almost 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 25, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

- The course sits in a gorgeous park
- Variety of holes: short/long, hyzer/anhyzer, open/wooded
- Use of elevation: adds a tremendous amount of challenge
- Amenities: great tee pads, tee signs, baskets
- Though a newer course, the rough isn't an issue in most places
- Highlight holes: I loved holes 10 and 14, and really liked many of the others

Cons:

One big con that took this course from about a 4.75 down to a 4 rating for me. The high grass on the last 3 holes.

On 16, you tee off from an awesome elevated tee to a blind landing area in a non-fairway (there is none). It is simply a field of knee-high (or higher) grass. With depth perception difficult due to a lack of markers (just grass), I spent 15 minutes looking for my disc and could have spent longer.

On 17, you have a 10 foot wide mowed section with the same high grass on both sides for several hundred feet. I just skipped this part as I didn't want another disc hunt.

On 18, it is less bad, but you can easily end up in the same type fields of grass.

Other Thoughts:

The last 3 holes were a big letdown for me; the rest of the course was fantastic and among the best that I have played.

6/6/19 - I just updated the course from 4 to 4.5 stars as I was informed that the high grass on the last three holes is temporary every year (it is grown and harvested every year to feed deer the rest of the year) and is completely mowed every year after Memorial Day. So, for the rest of the year it is a 4.5 star course. It would be nice if this policy was posted so that golfers early in the year are aware of what they are walking into.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 0
jcbnxll
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.5 years 76 played 25 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Tee pads - 2 per hole; big, not huge. (I think all 18 holes have two pads now. Dang near, anyway.)
Baskets - Nice baskets in good condition. Most baskets are guarded, even in subtle ways that you don't realize. They did a good job of rewarding players for hitting lines and being on the fairway.
Elevation change - Lots of ups and downs without feeling like you're just traipsing up and down the same dang hill over and over again.
Risk/Reward - This is a big one for me, and I felt like this course is one you could play safe on and throw a bogey-free round (though likely almost no birdies). However, there are some real opportunities to take some risks and try and gain some strokes.
Hole variety - Some wooded (though not tunnel-y) and some wiiiiide open holes, too.
Signage - Those signs are huge and helpful. Between them and the guys on my card, I was able to throw with confidence on every hole.
Seats/Benches - A lot of the holes have some kind of log or bench situation happening. I was very grateful for them.

It's just a good course. If this were your home course and you played it regularly, you'd definitely improve. You'd get in pretty good tournament shape, too, due to its length.

Cons:

Forgiving/Par problem - Both cards with whom I played agreed that the course was largely forgiving. Even what I would normally consider very bad drives had lines to get out. Almost none of the holes had "merciless" rough. The par decisions on the holes support the forgiving nature of the course. There are a couple of par 5s on the course that almost everybody birdie'd. And on almost all of the 4s, you could misthrow any one of your throws and still manage to save par pretty easily. On my second round, I only threw one bogey, and a guy on my card had a bogey-free round. Those guys who did get multiple bogeys botched a throw and usually missed a < 20' putt to make it happen (that's what happened on my lone bogey). Obviously you can call every hole a par 3 or 5 or whatever, and all that matters is your total throw count. But, regardless, I felt like the course was forgiving both in par and in layout.
Length - This course is on a big piece of land, and it really sprawls across the whole thing. This makes for some nice holes (majestic, challenging, unique, etc). But I don't think bigger is always better. It's a blast to rip a drive down 16(?), but if Muddy Run were my home course, I would probably skip it regularly. Even with a spotter, we waded through the tall grass to find discs. Without the risk of water on one side or some necessary landing zone, it's just a big dang throw and a pretty easy 4 (par). Especially given my comments about the forgiving nature of the course and the "par problem," I feel like they could have made 20+ holes and made them more engaging.
Elevation - This is small potatoes, but I felt like a lot of holes were either just straight up or straight down one hill. In contrast, the handful of North Carolina courses I've played did a really nice job of throwing over hills or from one hill to another. It makes for interesting shots and more challenging approaches if you miss your line on your drive.
Sign position/orientation - Seriously nit-picky, but why not have the signs positioned in such a way that you can see them from the box? They often have them behind the box facing away from it. So, you can see it as you walk up, and sometimes you can see it from the benches/logs around the teebox. But it's the thrower that needs it the most.

Other Thoughts:

The (13 y/o) kid who won the tourney was on my first card, and he had an amazingly long drive (600+ feet on hole 6). He had a complete package, but he could drive that full distance flat, hyzer, or anhyzer. The guy who won my second round card also had a really nice anhyzer drive. It's obviously an important throw to have, but I did feel like the flip-y (RH) backhand drive was very well rewarded on this course.

Somebody else said it, and I'll second it. It's a bummer there's no water on this course. There's literally nothing to be done about it, but it's just a bummer.

My favorite holes were #10 and #4, both from gold. They're very similar, but those were the holes that had the best risk/reward and most punishing roughs. Hit your lines or get a bogey and hit your risky lines and have a birdie chance.

I played two rounds here for a tournament (AM Worlds Preview) on a beautiful day. I normally wouldn't review a course after just two rounds/one day, but the TD was asking people to review. All that is only to say that I'm not a local and only played the course the one day. I had a blast, and if it weren't 2 hours away (w/o traffic) that I would add it to my regular course list. If you're local, you have to get out there. If you're not local, I recommend getting a buddy or two and making a day out of it. Plan on playing two rounds because you'll want "revenge" on a couple of holes. It's totally worth the trip.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
13 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 7.4 years 240 played 202 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Many Run To Muddy Run 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ All tee pads are solid, sturdy and long contiguous slabs of ribbed concrete. The are generously sized for players like me who take needlessly long wind-ups.
+ Most holes have both long and short tee pads.
+ The 'current tee' signs are among the best I have ever seen at a disc golf course. They contain an overhead satellite view of the general area illustrating the pin and tee pad locations. OB areas are colored differently to make sure the player is aware. In big and bold letters are the hole number, par, distance, and even the elevation change with a helpful vertical cross-section of the terrain ahead. Plus, each hole features a different species of bird and a few paragraphs about them. Cool stuff.
+ All pins are in excellent condition and are equipped with a very tall orange flag at the top to help the player spot it from far away or from a different elevation.
+ The elevation challenges are top-notch. Some are gradual and pleasant. Others are dramatic and dizzying. The flat holes are in the minority here!
+ The fairways are all very well maintained. In the grassy open holes, the wide playing areas were mowed, and the rough was not overgrown or too wild. In the dusty wooded holes, the fairways were as clean as one could expect they could be.
+ The course itself is pretty to take in. Breezy wide open fields and quiet hilly forests wait for you here. A lot of planning has gone into making this course feel as though it is part of the landscape itself.
+ A healthy balance of wide open holes for far-flung drives and wooded holes for precise placement.
+ Get ready for an invigorating walk. 15 of the long tees and 8 of the short tees are longer than 350 feet. Bring water and a snack.

Cons:

- The practice pin is a bit removed from the action all by itself in the middle of a circular curb island. I suspect this was done to remind the player what 10 meters feels like, but it looks just plain weird to have the practice tee so far away from everything else.
- There are very few 'next tee' signs. This is mitigated by most tee pads being so close to the previous pin. Plus, the next hole's sign is easily visible with their large fonts. However, I've always said that next tee signs are a simple courtesy for the players' ease of use. First-time players especially will heavily appreciate them if they are there because it takes the guess work out of navigation.
- No water hazards. At a place called 'Muddy Run,' I would have hoped to throw over at least one pond!

Other Thoughts:

My favorite holes here were 2 and 16. As I've said in previous reviews, I've got a soft spot for downhill tee-offs, and those two are about as downhill as it gets! If I were forced to choose, I think I would prefer 16 over 2 because 16 has a huge expanse of tall grass that I am sure has swallowed up a fair amount of discs over time. That made it more exciting.
My least favorite hole, if I had to pick one here, might be 9. It is a straight open shot on largely flat ground.

As for the venue as a whole, Muddy Run is a phenomenal disc golf course. Two tee pads per hole mean that even less experienced players can get a round in if they are feeling ambitious enough. Let's be clear; this course is not a simple flat park-style course. Certain holes may feel like that such as holes 6 through 9 with their hybrid-style configurations. But much of it is a test of elevation and/or woods management.

Everyone will find something enjoyable about this course. Wide open fields for your most powerful throws? With or without elevation? Check. Dense woods to practice your tree-dodging skills? With or without elevation? Check.
I will say that I was a bit bummed out when I realized that I wouldn't be throwing over any water. At around hole 10, a player can clearly see a river nearby, yet it is nothing but a tease. So that's kind of a let-down. However, the course manages perfectly well on its own merits without it. There is already enough to worry about without the need for water to be added to the mix!

In case it isn't obvious, I enthusiastically recommend Muddy Run. It's got the hills. It's got the woods. It's got the fields. It's got the distance. It's got the parking. It's even got dozens of pre-made high-quality scorecards.
Bottom line: Go there. Now.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
listentomorejazz
Experience: 14.4 years 55 played 11 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Excellent Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 24, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- I am excited to come back and update this review, having played both layouts yesterday- the golds and silvers. Phenomenal course!
- Large, grippy concrete teepads
- Signage is beyond reproach, with terrific detail and fun bird facts
- Great variety between elevation, woods vs open, shot length and types of fairways
- True par 4s and 5s, with the par 3s mostly a challenge
- Largely disc golf only, haven't had to wait for pedestrians except for one strange encounter...
- Baskets are in great shape (course is still new)
- Benches on most holes
- Usually a very well groomed course, but see the cons

Cons:

One really has to reach for cons here.
- Single Basket Positions
-Course maintenance can be difficult, with extremely high grass at times
- It sounds ridiculous from a guy who's shot in the 70s two of the three times he's played it, but I feel like parts of this course are too easy, especially for open players. Top level pros would put up some highlight clips here, but that may not be a con for most
- one 18 hole loop, I prefer to be able to stop between nines, but again, I'm reaching for cons here

Other Thoughts:

I left my previous thoughts below because I thought they are still applicable. However, with the incredible amount of maintenance and the two full layouts which change the looks to each basket, I would say this course it closer to a 5 than a 4.5 at this point. 4.83 or something.
-------
I really, really want to rate this course a 5, but can't bring myself to do it and I'm not fully sure why. It's at least a 4.75, but the lack of water/risk reward OB, a few filler holes (7, 9, 13, 15) and lack of iconic view shed hold me back, along with the fact there aren't 2+ full layouts. 2 and 16 have great top of the world shots, but they look at parking lot or a chain link fence and residential houses.

It cannot be stated enough how much work is going into this course. They have built rock walls on 12 that are quite beautiful, they listened to the previous reviews and improved some landing zones (a definite con on my first time or two out) and there are more benches every time I play.

Absolutely worth making a 2+ hour drive for (and I'm only 45 minutes!)

This course is a physical slog. It does not make a trip back at nine as mentioned above so make sure to take a lot of fluids.

The wind can be absolutely brutal here, like not fun to play in when 10 miles away would be reasonable.

There is also potential for a lost disc in a number of places. Not a con, but definitely worth noting.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.5 years 278 played 254 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Distance + Elevation = Great Disc Golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 29, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course plays through a wide variety of terrain from wide open to heavily wooded, with plenty of elevation included for even more challenge.

Thirteen of the holes offer two tees, gold and silver. While silver is shorter and "easier" it is still a formidable 6800+ foot, par 61 course. The gold stretches that out to 9000+ feet and par 68 for the full "gold level" experience.

I played from the gold tees, with hole lengths ranging from 242' out to 747', with an average of over 500'. Surprisingly, there are plenty of holes that I drove with putters and midranges because of the small gaps and narrow fairways. But there were enough open holes to allow the drivers to fly as well.

The course offers interesting transitions from Holes 1 & 2 which are partially open and partially wooded with significant elevation to the string of Holes 3, 4 & 5 which are extremely tightly wooded. You break out into the open for Holes 6 - 9 before plunging back into the woods for Holes 10 - 15. Hole 16 is a completely open 737 foot "top of the world" shot which drops 80' to the basket. You play back up that hill for Hole 17 before finishing on the raised basket-on-a-pyramid Hole 18.

Many of the woods holes were very tight, and getting off of the narrow fairway made saving par difficult. Often the smart play was to pitch back into the fairway and proceed from there.

With the elevation on the course there was plenty of rollaway potential near the baskets, with Hole 10 having a significant drop-off just behind the basket.

Fantastic trapezoidal concrete teepads are large with perfect texture. Some of the nicest tee signs in the game with the usual expected information and hole diagram along with a large side panel covering a different local bird species at each hole. Somewhat unusual (and welcome) was the elevation diagram included for each hole.

DGA Mach V baskets catch fine but are tough to spot in the woods. Orange flags on most of the baskets are a big help.

Navigation was excellent with most tee pads being close enough to the previous basket to easily spot. A few baskets had next-tee arrows where there was any question of where to go, and paths between holes were obvious. I didn't have a (usable) map and didn't need one.

Cons:

My main con is a couple of the more open holes. Holes 6, 7, 8 and 9 are mostly open and while that is not unwelcome they do stand out as being pretty ordinary.

Hole 3 might benefit from removal of a tree or two as the fairway was extremely tight.

Other Thoughts:

There is a huge parking lot adjacent to the DG course. A nearby campground store has bathrooms as well as drinks and snacks if you need a little snack.

There is a kiosk at the beginning of the course with maps and scorecards. The map is disappointing in that the hole numbers are impossible to read.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
jrodkelly1
Experience: 30 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Sanctuary for Birds and Disc Golfers 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 21, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Design- This course requires every shot in the bag off the tee, you will know it if your approach and putts are off that day because the course will show it.
The Par 4's on this course are top notch par 4's that are designed expertly.
Hole 10 is the greatest Par 4 I've ever played it was my favorite hole overall along with 16.
The course features two Par 5's both are very uniquely shaped for par 5's I'd say they are both true par 5's although they may play a little under par for the top pro.
Hole 14 is the coolest Par 5 you may find anywhere, throw a 220+ foot straight to hyzer finish up hill then throw your disc through a tight steep downhill fairway to shoot yourself down to the basket.
Elevation!- The variety here is top notch especially if you love elevation!
Tee Signs- Some of the best you may ever see, just the fact that they are so huge made them easy to spot and find the tee for the next hole. Love the bird facts too it gives the holes personality.
Navigation- Muddy run is very easy to navigate even without a map. The only holes that took me more that a minute to spot was 10 and 8.
Fairness- Very clean cut fairways even on the wooded holes, also there isnt much thick underbrush to be found. I finished the round pretty quicly parlty because I didnt have to look for any discs for long!
Difficulty- This course is a challenge for anyone but as an intermediate I still had a great time playing the gold tee's there were even birdie oppurtunites for my skill level. A well executed tee shot here still forces you to execute a great upshot and of course make your putt. That being said its not as difficult as say Maple Hill
Beauty- Beautiful piece of property for disc golf you cant ask for much more there is a great view on hole 6 looking towards the lake and 10 has a beautiful green in the woods.
Amenities- They had some nice natural benches on some holes, but the best part was the snack bar. I got excellent french toast sticks to start my round and I was able to eat lunch for cheap afterowords. You can even enjoy a day on the lake when you're there!

Cons:

I don't have many cons to list but I will say a couple of things that I think the course designer can improve on. This course deserves to be a PDGA tour destination!

This is a negative and a postive for some, no water features on the course, but it is surrounded by a lake.
The Par 3's on this course are a little easy for a gold level course. Hole 9, comes to mind and the low ceiling short hole 13. I think if these holes made the player decide I'm going to lay up for par or go for it it would be better. Im an intermediate player and I went for birdie on every single par 3. My favorite par 3's to least favorite were 6, 18, 7, 5, 9, 13. I think this could be remedied if some of these holes were just a little bit longer or required a tighter line.
This is nit picky and doesn't necessarily need change because they didnt do it in the way that made it feel repetitive. But hole 14-17 is uphill downhill, uphill, downhill, uphill. Although they have an excellent design so it didnt retract from my rating of this course.

Other Thoughts:

I was blown away by the beauty of this course and how much fun it was. After I was done I immediately wanted to play again. That says a lot about a course that is so long and elevated.
This course really shines with its amazing par 4's they are all some of the best I've ever played.
The Par 5's are really unique as well and I enjoyed them .
Muddy Run has something special to offer for every disc golfer. If you are in Pennsylvania don't miss out on this course it could be very well the best course in Pennsylvania after a few more reviews.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 2
Rhyno1
Experience: 7.7 years 9 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Beginner Friendly? YES 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 24, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The course is a beautiful hike. I see the course as 3 different playing levels. Beginner, (see below), intermediate and pro. I do work on the course and play every week and I always love playing. There is just so much variety.

Cons:

On hole 16 the grass can get high and it can be hard to find your disc.
If you line up where your throw lands they can be found pretty easily.

Other Thoughts:

Many reviewers have stated that the course is not for beginners. I disagree. I have taken many people on this course who have never played and they had great experience. Here is a way to play 9 holes that avoids the hills and the long holes. When you go into the park past the guard house keep turning right until you come to a pavilion at the top of the hill. Enter the woods here and start on 4 silver. Play 4,5,6 silvers then head to 9 and play thru to 13. Play 7 silver back to the car.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top