Waldport, OR

Red River DGC

3.645(based on 7 reviews)
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10 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.4 years 323 played 306 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Short, Awesome Technical Oregon Woods!

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 26, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

Basics:
- large, grippy concrete tees
- full color tee signs with maps are passable
- baskets are older but serviceable
- course appears to be generally well maintained

Amenities/Extras:
- practice basket
- next tee indicators on some baskets
- nice built in bridges over creek

Course Design/General Thoughts:
- mild to moderate elevation change incorporated throughout
- a few open, longer holes mixed in
- navigation fairly straightforward
- decent mix of hole lengths, though overall a short course

Difficulty/Uniqueness:
- absolutely breathtaking PNW beauty
- scenery reminiscent of a temperate rainforest
- high level of technical challenge despite short length
- densely wooded feel throughout
- isolated areas of significant elevation change
- finesse and shot placement are critical to scoring well
- some baskets mounted on slopes make for challenging shots

Cons:

- rough fairly dense in places, though this fits feel of course
- baskets with colored bands would be more visible in woods
- maps on tee signs could be better
- "ankle buster" terrain - described below
- crosses some service roads, but minimally used
- "Red River" is a creek at best and not much of a water hazard
- some tees are not level
- some long walks between holes
- navigation would be more clear if missing next tee indicators were replaced
- course heavily favors right-rading shots

Other Thoughts:

Wow, what a hidden gem! While it didn't feel suitable to give this course more than a 3.5, it might have been my favorite course played on this trip - yes, I enjoyed it more than Riverbend/Milo McIver. If you love courses that emphasize technical acumen over distance and play through dense woods with beautiful scenery, this is the course for you.

Red River is a very short course but is far from easy, with notable elevation change and tight shots throughout. You likely won't need your drivers for more than a couple of holes, such as 5 and 6 which open up a bit more. However, you'll still be utilizing a large variety of shots to score well. The course starts out playing pretty quickly, but about a third of the way through the elevation change starts and the terrain gets more rugged.

Equipment here was decent; the concrete tees were good, but the baskets could be more visible and the tee signs, while decent, could have better maps. Most amenities and extras are pretty limited. There are next tee indicators on some baskets but many are missing. There are no hole numbers on baskets. There is only one tee and basket per hole for the most part, although some holes have multiple pin positions.

Navigation was a bit confusing where the next tee indicators were missing; if this were made better this course could be traversed more quickly and it would be a better experience. There weren't many "typical" safety hazards here, although as wolfhaley pointed out already, be careful moving too quickly on the ground in the woods. There are spots with thin "crust" that initially looks/feels firm with soft, spongy ground underneath. I had my foot bust through one of these and sink over a foot into the ground - I fondly refer to these as "ankle busters", and one day I'm going to be the victim of something like this, alone in the woods at 6 AM.

The Red River was admittedly a bit disappointing; it's a creek, and a tiny one at that. It adds to the ambience of the course and is a nice touch, but doesn't come into play as a true water hazard. The built-in bridges over the creek are nice. With that said, the scenery here is beautiful and there's no road noise on this one, it's all nature. The Sitka Spruce forest is amazing and not something we have in the midwest; you can literally smell the spruce trees on the air.

This may not be a 5 disc course, but with a big of navigation cleanup and improved signs I'd be really tempted to bump this up to a 4. It's certainly not the most challenging course you'll play, but it will push you while still giving birdie opportunities. This course for me falls into the category of "some of the most fun disc golf you'll ever play." I loved it and would love to come back someday.
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11 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.6 years 1176 played 760 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

Red River DGC is a short, heavily wooded 18 hole course with some pretty substantial elevation in play throughout, especially on the back half. The woods are beautiful here. It's quintessential Pacific Northwest rainforest.

The baskets are Mach X's. These are the main baskets and are featured on every hole. Six holes (2,4,5,7,11 and 13) have a second basket on each of them. These were Mach III's I believe. All are in great shape and catch nicely, especially the X's. I never understood why you don't see those baskets more often. They're what Prodigy baskets want to be when they grow up.

Nice, brushed concrete tee pads on each hole. These are decent sized and have great traction, even in the damp woods. One tee pad per hole.

The design is pretty damn good here. The course is entirely wooded with the exceptions of holes 5 and 6 which play down a dirt access road lined with trees to either side. There's some awesome up and downhill holes and many on the back half that play over or around the ravines that run through the course. If you're not on point you will struggle out here. This is one of those courses where placement is more important than distance. Lots of rollaway potential so even throwing upshots takes some strategy. Much tougher course than the distances would make you believe.

The tee signs are very rudimentary. Simple hole diagram, hole #, par and distance. These do have next tee arrows on them at least which is very helpful in spots.

There's numerous foot bridges over the creeks and stairs built into some of the more treacherous hillsides. The trails between many of the wooded holes are lined with downed branches which helps define the paths. Just a lot of extra things you kind of take for granted out here.

Cons:

A few of the holes could use a tree or two taken down. There's a few too many poke and hope shots off the tee. These are mostly on the back nine, which in general, feels a bit more unpolished.

The navigation isn't the easiest out here. I'd definitely advise having a map available to help you find your way around. The reception isn't the greatest out here either so even Udisc was having trouble locating my position.

The course is quite the hike. Be sure to have sturdy footwear and take your time navigating the hillsides. The ground is very mossy and slick since the sun doesn't really penetrate the canopy. There's also some places that look to be solid ground but are really a moss "web" between the tree roots that your foot will go right through. This happened to me twice out there.

Very real potential to lose a disc off the fairway out here. Lots of ferns and other thick brush.

Other Thoughts:

This course was a pleasant surprise. I'd heard a lot of good things about Twisted Pines just up the road but this one blew that one course out of the water in my opinion. Awesome woods course that's scoreable for players of all skill levels, if you're accurate that is. Definitely recommend this one if you find yourself over this direction. It's only a few minutes off of the 101 too. Very fun course.
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14 0
douglowe
Experience: 14.5 years 48 played 10 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Disc golf course or enchanted forest? drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 28, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

The scenery is simply breathtaking. We don't have wooded courses like THIS in Ohio. Sure, we have wooded courses but not this type of wooded course. It was just unrealistically beautiful. I also love shorter, technical holes like this course has many of. They are a great equalizer. People that can bomb drives have no advantage here. As someone that's a little older (50) and not in my best shape, I also enjoyed the workout. That, mixed with the fresh Oregon/Pacific air made me feel great!

Cons:

1. For those not willing to hike terrain and traverse steep hills, skip it. There is a LOT of up and down.

2. I would recommend not playing alone so you have at least one spotter. There are a LOT of opportunities to hit a tree and redirect into a heavily wooded area. I hate to even think about the amount of discs I could have lost by playing solo.

3. Navigation can be tough. The uDisc hole maps had us somewhere in Europe for some reason, lol. That, combined with a noticeable lack of signage can make navigating very tough. Luckily I was with a few people that had played the course before.

Other Thoughts:

This was the last course I played while visiting a friend that lives in Corvallis. Prior to this we played Adair Park, Willamette, and Milo (27 then 18). Surprisingly, this course is the one that ended up being my favorite memory of the trip. Sure, seeing the "Philotross" hole at Milo was cool, but walking down the fairways at Red River was something special. We don't have forests like this in Ohio, and I just couldn't stop smiling about how playing here felt. Most of the time the disc golf felt secondary to the views. If you're not from Oregon and want to get a taste of some beautiful, wooded disc golf this is a must.
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8 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.6 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
3.50 star(s)

This Red River DGC Is Full Of Valleys! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

And gullies and treacherous hillsides. If your idea of a fun course is some gut wrenching throws combined while constantly navigating hillsides that would bring a Sherpa to his knees, then this might be the course for you. The course is built in the quintessential Oregon coast rain forest just filled with ancient Cedar trees and ferns, all covered with a soft coating of moss. Walking through it is like walking on a bed of sponges when you're not tripping on roots and tumbling to your death.

The course begins right beside the cities skateboard park. Hole # 1 sets the tone right away with it's 200' throw over a small gully to a basket barely visible in the thick forest. The tee pads are good sized concrete and the metal tee signs provide any needed information. They're also helpful in your navigation as they stand out nicely against the greenery you'll find everywhere.

In the middle part of the course is a series of over the gully holes. They are great fun but have an element of danger or maybe a better description is inconvenience in that your may find yourself having to go stumble to the bottom of the gully and then scaling the steep, log-covered hillsides to get back up again.

# 14 might be one of the easiest, scary holes in all of disc golf. It's just a straight 130' throw across but the you have to miss two trees which aren't that tight. The problem is a carom and down into the abyss you go.

You finish at # 18 with another up and over the gully shot to a basket set atop the hill. By now, if all your body parts are still functioning and you haven't given up the cause, this could be the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. You can hear the shouts from the skaters executing their maneuvers. But there is something about this basket. It seems to be looking down at us and mocking all who cannot reach the his summit and after another exhausting round here, I fear that includes the majority of us. I think I see the hint of a smirk on his chains.

Cons:

Lots of places to lose a disc here.

For some mysterious, unknown reason, the large number on the basket is always facing away from you. They have added smaller numbers on side facing the fairway.

There are two very obvious next tee arrows for # 10, yet # 12 has none and could use some help.

Although short, a spotter is helpful on many of the holes.

No hole to really let loose on.

Physically challenging for some of us.

Navigation the first time through the course is tricky. I had a heck of a time finding # 12. It's not clearly marked and 5herecare three paths to follow. I tried all three and obviously, I dudn't go far enough on the correct one.

Often, while seeking the safest/easiest way down the hillsides, I discovered that the route I had chosen didn't lead me to where I was intending to reach.

Other Thoughts:

Because you will no doubt end up off fairway here, the constant humping up and down these hillsides, which are strewn with all manner of downed timber and other debris becomes somewhat of an physical ordeal. If you work as a choker setter for one of the local logging companies, you're probably quite familiar with this type of physically exhausting work. If you watch too much TV like many of us, you maybe will get fatigued here. But I think almost all of you will find some entertaining and challenging holes.
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8 0
Peltier
Experience: 29 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

short, technical, challenging. THICK woods 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Making a course from scratch in these woods is quite the endeavour. I'd say it was done quite well.
Cement tee boxes on each hole. New signs on each hole. About half the holes have an amateur pin and pro pin. Both baskets are in on these holes at all times.
The course is very short and technical with thick woods and narrow alleys between trees.

Cons:

Luckily I didn't lose a disc, but I did spend a decent amount of time looking for them, especially in the first few holes before I enlisted my friend to be the 'spotter.' This helped us locate the discs when they went off path. Hole 13 is confusing in terms of the mandatory right/left. The hole sign says left, but the arrows on the tree say right. Perhaps a typo. Signage is pretty good, but could be better for sure. We did get lost on one hole and walked around for a bit. Some of the holes with detailed direction signage were much more intuitive. Having the direction to next hole on every sign would have been helpful.

Other Thoughts:

Visiting my uncle in Waldport on a PNW road trip from Bay Area CA and have been playing several courses along the way. Read about this one and had to check it out.
18 hole course opened up earlier this year. Newest course I've ever played. Woods up in this area are thick. All in all a fun course and a great addition to Waldport!
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5 1
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.5 years 193 played 191 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good tee signs with nice baskets. You can tell this is a new course as everything is nice shiny and new. There's some ace runs and birdies to be had here as well as some bogeys and doubles. Even though most holes our short there's plenty of trouble and score separation to be had here. 5 or so of the holes have Amanda pro pins meaning a short and long which is cool to choose what you want to play. The pro pins also give some needed length to some of the holes. It has some good technical lines and a few fun holes like 1/14/18 and a couple others

Cons:

This course you can tell is new and some lines don't exist. There's way to many throw and hope holes here. Luck becomes to big of a factor on a lot of the course. Yeah most holes our short enough you can hit a tree and recover easy. Yet there's some holes that are just plain awful unless a few trees go down. Hole 2 and 10 our downright throw and hope holes. Don't go off left side of 11 or you're looking for awhile for disc. Hole 4 pro pin is ridiculous and requires luck.

Other Thoughts:

Course starts right by skatepark. All in all it's not a bad course but not a destination or must play. Short enough begginers will enjoy it but wooded enough that it will frustrate every player no matter skill level as there's probably a solid 6 holes that require pure luck and throw and hope. Like I said par is easily obtainable here so is a plus 10 lol everyhole can be birdied or doubled for the most part I feel I could play multiple rounds and who knows what will happen on most holes besides hole 1 lol
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9 0
Spectralmonkey
Experience: 13.3 years 186 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

technical woods adventure 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 12, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

another great course on the oregon coast!
i played the ice bowl tourney, jan 2019. great turnout, good dg community event.

this course winds its way through a coastal forest, most holes are shorter and technical with lots of elevation and even more trees! a couple big holes out in the open to air it out, but beware the rough on both sides!
some seemingly easy holes that turn into nightmares if you hit one of the many trees, can test every shot in your bag just to get out of the ravine, or run birdies if youre a boss!

some blind basket placements make you sweat a little on the tee, although most are not that long. some demanding lines, but also multiple ways to get across or up or down the ravine or through the forest. great use of the property, owned by the town of Waldport, who built some crucial stairs and bridges to get you across some gnarly landscapes.

baskets are solid and brand new. a few are very precarious on the hillsides and demand accuracy.
the risk/reward factor is high, which makes it quite fun for a course of this size.

signage and teepads are quality and rare for a brand new course to feature right away. navigation can be a little tricky at first but the paths are fairly obvious.
an available and quality course map helps.

Cons:

as it is brand new, it has some serious rough to eat discs. even with spotters on hole 6, some discs were nearly impossible to find, or lost in the tangle of brush or trees.

some might say its a bit repetitive with lots of RHFH or LHBH lines, but youll be tested on every drive.

some of the walk outs down and up the hills could be treacherous in wet weather, and will need more steps and stomping down.

mud.

Other Thoughts:

this, plus Wilder in Newport just up the 101 make this area a good destination for a big day of hiking and technical, challenging and fun disc golf adventure through gorgeous Oregon coast wilderness.

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