Nine holes with a chance of birdie at every one is always a good thing.

The park itself is a very pleasant one, with a nice drive in and lots of scenery to take in. The power plant near by leads to a couple of interesting sights on the course, as well, as industrial features pop up in the middle of the grass fields. Nothing that should interfere with a shot, of course.

A mix of open and treed holes allows for some easy and challenging shots, making sure that play stays a bit varied. Multiple tees also help with this, as well as varying length holes. The sixth may be the only spot where a long range drive is really needed, but the rest of the course is still enjoyable to throw.

Unlike most nine hole courses, I never felt like this one was cramped or shoehorned in. Everything felt nice and open, spread nicely over the available land.

The signage is excellent and the layout intuitive. Even without the helpful signs, the course would be easily navigable. The course was well groomed and maintained, with few chances to lose a disc.

The first negative aspect I noticed was the fire ant hills. There are many and they are large. If a disk lands on one, you would have a hard time regaining it without paying dearly.

The land the course is on is vast for a nine hole... they could have easily fit in another three holes and not crowded it up too much. A practice basket would have been a nice touch as well.

The shortness of most of the course is a minor issue. Nine holes are not usually known for many holes over three hundred feet, but it would have been nice to have more than one that was.

Speaking of that hole... from the red tee, the sixth is a very managable par three at 380 feet. However, from the white tee, the sixth jumps up to 535 feet and remains a par three according to the signage. For many people, myself included, that extra length is the better part of one full drive. Perhaps that should be re-marked as a part four instead. Though it does tend to balance out the birdie opportunities on other holes...

Overall, this course is strong and well laid out. There are some areas that could use tweaking, as with almost all courses. Despite the shortness of the holes, there was never a point where I felt bored or particularly un-challenged, though it isn't a punishing course by a long shot.

I would definitely put this course on a list of those to play in Florida, but it likely won't be considered a favorite.

1. Good variety for distances (short and long tee pads - 165' up to 555' depending on basket placement)
2. Multiple basket positions for each hole
3. Course not overly technical (this could also be a con, depending on your skill level)
4. Offers fun for most skill levels (short tees are very good for beginners, while long tees will give more advanced players slightly more challenge)
5. Good use of space in park (some smaller parks will try to cram in holes and make things very crowded - not so at River City
6. Easy to navigate (next hole signs and tee box signs are more than adequate)
7. Easy to see baskets (the yellow upper rims help, and baskets are numbered)
8. Concrete tee pads for both short and long tee boxes
9. Benches located throughout the park

1. Only 9 holes
2. Basket positions were all short (easy) positions when I played (would be best if things were mixed up a bit more!)
3. No facilities on site
4. Lacks degree of difficulty to really challenge highly skilled players (at least it did when the baskets were placed as they were the one opportunity I had to play the course)
5. Tee pads are a little short/small
6. Would like to see more garbage cans, but overall the park was very clean

I played this course (from the long tees) with my wife (from the short tees), and we both found it to be a fun and well put together course. There were plenty of open spaces, opportunities to throw multiple shots (tight s-curves, big hyzers, anhyzers, hammer throws, thumbers, etc...), and a few technical spots [approach on Hole #6 (wooded tight fairway bending from right to left), tee shots on #7 and #8]. While we were there, we had no problems with bugs (and the bugs do love the Mrs...)
Overall, the combination of space and some technical aspects make the course entertaining for most skill levels, though it may leave the very skilled players wanting. If I was in the area (or lived close by), I'd definitely play the course again.

If you're in North Orlando, and your playing time is limited, play River City Nature Park!
If you're looking for more of a challenge and more holes, I'd recommend Turkey Lake and Barnett Park courses (two 18 hole courses at each park), as they are a slight step up from River City Nature Park.

The Local Club has been working on this Course. They have mainatined Greg Hosfeld's orginal design. There are now 18 baskets for 18 holes. Repeat......................................
River City Nature Park in Debary Florida is no longer a nine hole but it is an 18 hole course.

There still is no bathrooms.
Club is currently working on getting concrete tee pads for the other nine holes.

The Club plays Handicaps on Saturday and
Best shot Doubles on Monday. Please visist DiscGolfersRUs to see updates and additional information regarding the Club, it's progress, and the Course.

The scenery alone makes this course worth the trip. There are palm trees all over the course, and some are grouped with pines to make for some wooded shots. There is a nice variance of wooded and open holes. Each hole has two concrete tee pads (which makes for a slight variance in your tee shots on several holes). Each hole has a colored tee sign that shows the multiple pin positions and where the basket is presently with routes on the signs. The course has very easy navigation and the next tee sign on several holes make it that much easier. The yellow rim of the discatcher's make the basket super easy to see against the green landscape. There are handmade benches on hole four and between seven and eight. Trash cans are located on six, eight and nine.

The worst part of this course is the grass. It is ankle high at the lowest parts and almost knee high at the worst areas. This of course makes it easy to lose your discs (I spent over thirty minutes looking for my discs over the course of my round) A small stream that follows the first few holes that smells kind of like sewage. Small fire ants also are all over this course which sucks. I was picking them off me for several hours; they were also super itchy. There are no bathrooms (unless of course you count the woods, so sorry ladies).

The fairways and paths between the holes are made out by stomped down grass. Make sure to bring bug spray and high socks for the aforementioned fire ants and mosquitoes. It is a great beginner course (not overly technical three disc course). Hole eight is an awesome tunnel shot; with palms and moss hanging in the fairway it's one of my favorite. Near tee one there is a rule sign and an ace sign with small wood chips. To write your name on.

Great for the beginner!!! Short little course with nice shots!!! Nothing hard. Pretty much straight foward shots. Great to learn on. Losing disc is pretty hard to do on this course! But it could happen! There is some trees and bush!!!

Only 9 holes!!! Plenty of room to make more!!! BUgs!!Bugs!!! Bring spray!!!

Nice course!! Right off the highway!!! Easy to get to!!! Quick to play!!!

Dual Concrete pads per hole.
Multiple pin positions with signs that seemingly tell you which position by showing you the throwing line.
A decent variety for a 9 holer.
Some really nice, cool Florida shade on some holes.
The guy who lives on the park grounds maintains the park to the best of his ability and also supplies bugspray at the rules sign...very cool.
A cool ace board with little wooden tokens available to write your name on if you make one...pretty cool feature.

Only 9 holes?
Very narrow fairways...see below.

There is a guy who lives on park grounds and maintains the park...apparently he doesn't even play but he takes good care...so given those conditions the narrow fairways are understandable.

We met a really cool guy who gave my stepson a disc and traded for another, we sat and talked for nearly an hour, a very cool experience.

This course has way more amenities than most 9 holers in GA so we were very impressed. It is hard to get used to Florida obstacles (thick prickly brush) vs. GA obstacles (mostly elevation and pine) but it was a welcome change. The old trees with the moss hanging off is a nice site to us "northerners"
We really enjoyed this course.

The park is very attractive and relaxing with a nice view of the water. Thus far there aren't other activities in the park, so there are no issues with pedestrian traffic on the course.

The tees are great, the signs are the best in the business, there are no safety issues, no flow problems, and the navigation is very easy.

Schule is minimal and there's almost no chance of losing a disc.

For a fairly new course, it is drawing a good amount of play and appeals to a range of ages and skill levels.

The park gets pretty swampy/buggy during rainy times.

Most of the holes are fairly average in character. There's a lot of untapped potential on that land. I understand that room has been saved for another nine that may be constructed at some point in the future, but it seems that a more interesting layout could have been designed while still leaving room for more holes.

I don't fault the designer for creating the two sets of tees for the red and white level, but I think there could also have been blue and gold tees designed, even if they were only natural. It does not appear that there is room on most of the holes to add these at some point in the future.

This is my "home" course and I play it frequently. It's a very good place to practice during the day when the park's usually empty. It is a very nice, relaxing place to play and a welcoming introduction to the sport for new players.

Note: I automatically deduct .5 points from 9 hole courses. If another 9 of comparable quality goes in this park, the review will go up to a 3/5.

Remember: Don't be a dirty disc golfer. If you pack it in, pack it out!

I really enjoyed this course, it has a great mix of short to medium shots. Some are technical and some aren't. Every hole is different and plays well for new players and long time players. The red tees were great for my girlfriend, she had a blast because they were short and she could get par. The white tees offer a bit more distance and make the shots more technical. The place is well kept up and there are no opportunities to really lose you discs. The tee signs and next hole signs are amazing, the even tell you where to go for if the hole has multiple tees. It's in a great park the setup is amazing.

umm none, well I just hope they upgrade to 9 holes one day. The land is there to do it.

here is a great link with pictures and information http://discorlando.com/coursedebary.html

This course is relatively new and although it's only nine holes it was worth my 45 minute drive to go to it. The wide open holes are nice but the wooded areas are beautiful and can be pretty technical. There are two tees per hole so it makes a fun 18.

The only thing I will say bad about this course is that it needs to be 18 holes.

Hopefully there are plans to upgrade this course to 18. Pics coming soon.

Pros: Easy to navigate with your legs and your discs.
Great tee pads and signs. MANY new pin placements! Extremely versatile course!
Neither intimidating to new players nor boring for avid players. 3 minutes from I-4.

No restrooms or water...yet. Although word has just come down that there will be a pavilion in 2014 and water may follow. Not certain about future restrooms. White tee pads could be longer. (Both sets of tees are 5'x10')

Oil company owns easement through park and 2 power lines also cut through.
The #7 'white' tee is carpet because it sits in easement where no 'permanent' equipment is allowed.
Park is in 2nd lowest grid in the county, so there may be standing water in the rainy season. Gortex is your friend.

It's a fairly rare opportunity for disc golf to be the first amenity in a park. Such is the case with River City Nature Park. The parks director had played and when he visited the Innova booth at the Florida Recreation and Parks Association convention, he understood that disc golf would be the perfect inexpensive way to utilize the land without developing it. Not a single living tree was cut in the construction of this course.
Located halfway between Orlando and Daytona, RCNP perfectly bridges that gap.

Course design by 87 PDGA champ, Gregg Hosfeld of World Champion Disc Golf Design. All 18 were designed up front, but the 'best' entry level 9-holes were installed first to introduce disc golf to the area.

The first 9, installed in 2008, featured two sets of very grippy concrete tee pads at the red and white levels with only 1 pin position. Phase two was installed in 2013 by the newly formed DeBary Disc Golf Club according to the original design. All of the hole #s changed, other than hole #1, and many new pin positions were added. Well balanced but can lean toward a lefty or righty-flick bias.

25 new oaks and magnolia trees, along with brand new tee signs were added in November 2013 prior to RCNP's 1st sanctioned event. Extra 'temp' holes were added. The park has enough room for a 2nd 18 hole course.

Although an avid player can expect to be putting for "birdie" on most holes from the short (red) tees, the longer "white" tees stretch out enough to give an advanced player a bit more of a challenge. Designed to stress basic disc golf skills, RCNP will rarely punish a well-executed throw. All holes have at least one par 3 position, and 6 can play as par 4s. Longer "Blue" tees were designed into many holes, but longer pin positions and budget may preclude their phase-3 installation.

Located within eyeshot of the St. John's river, RCNP-DGC is a compact 18-holer with a fairly intuitive flow. From the red tees a duo can expect to complete the track within an hour. A wide variety of flora, including pines, palms and live oaks provide shade as well as a reminder of how Florida once was. Keep an eye out for the wild turkeys & deer that roam the property.

You shouldn't need GPS to navigate this track. This is one of the better "signed" courses in Florida. "Next-tee" directional signs after many holes and beautiful full color tee signs on every tee will give you more info than you need, since they list a "Nex-T" arrow and all pin positions, including those to be installed at a later date. There are anywhere from 3 to 11 pin positions per hole.

Hole #1 is a wide-open, "welcome" hole that looks easier than it plays, with 4 pin positions.
Hole #2 is an easy enough par 4 (from proper tee) that crosses a stream with a wide landing zone and takes a sharp left. A well-executed drive provides a run at an eagle and all but insures a birdie-3. There are 4 pin positions including a par 3 position.
Hole #3 is a left to right tunnel with the land sloping down to the left, with a scenic view of a swamp attached to the St. John's river. 3 PP's
#4's two tees are equidistant from pins, but approach from different angles. A short hole demanding accuracy. 3 PP's. Long pin allows hyzer bomb over "schule".
#5 is the shortest hole on the course, but can be tricky in the C (long) position.
3 PP's.
Hole #6 is wide open with 2 PP's bordering the right side hedge, set just a few feet from a creek. DON'T GO RIGHT on your drive! C PP is long and open, to air it out.
Hole #7 has 7 PP's and has FIVE par 4 positions ranging from EASY to BEOTCH! Long PP's must go over OB 'dry-swamp' for a run at birdie. It also has two par 3 positions ("B" was a mistake)
Hole #8 has 3 anhyzer par 3 PP's and a longer par 4 PP. Another swampy OB area can come into play for the aggressive driver.
Hole #9 is a hyzer to one of FOUR PP's under what was once the oldest and coolest of the live oaks at RCNP.
Hole #10 offers a straight tunnel under the oak boughs or a loftier left to right shot while never leaving the tree canopy. 4 PP's
Hole #11 is a fairly open straight shot that could find trouble to the left. A wider hyzer option is available from the white tee. C PP requires a well-placed hyzer. 3 PP's.
Hole #12 has two very diverse tees and was the only par 4 in the first phase. The red tee offers both hyzer and "annie" angles to an open area that should provide a shot into the liberal gap through the woods to the pin. And although the pin rests at a "reachable" 380', going for it is usually a sucker-bet, with a bogie in waiting.
The white tee offers no such reward. A strong, slow right turn to the opening should provide the follow-up shot to attack the pin. A "back-door" line requires well-placed landing for attack on green to C PP. 3 PP's.
Hole #13 ranges from par 3 to a short 5. Park the par 3 PP and you'll have an open line to the par 4 PP's. The par 5 requires at least 2 excellent shots for a look at an eagle. 5 PP's.
#14's trapezoidal tee pads allow run-ups from various angles, which is good because this hole has ELEVEN PP'S going off of 3 different fairways.
Hole #15's well-protected pins can be reached with a low-n-slow-turning left to right shot or a big arching right to left spike.
Hole #16's natural tunnel allows for straight or hyzer lines to 3 PP's and one (that I didn't want) on a slight right fade... and no green area at all.
Hole #17 is a signature tunnel shot through the oaks. A reverse view of the fairway reveals 5 oaken arches. 3 PP's. Short but precise.
Hole #18 brings you back to the parking area with an open shot with two pins 20 just beyond 4 well divided palms that look as if they are the living embodiment of the ATT "more bars in more places" commercials. 5 PP's.

Newer players are likely to enjoy "more pars in more places" on River City Nature Park's disc golf course than most other Florida courses. Parks dept offers rental discs (at their office in another park)
DeBary Disc Golf Club leagues: Handicaps Saturday evenings. Doubles Monday evenings.