Debary, FL

River City Nature Park - Alpha

3.915(based on 50 reviews)
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River City Nature Park - Alpha reviews

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5 0
dsswee220
Experience: 5.9 years 4 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Totally Worth It! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 23, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

My son and I snuck out of the family festivities to play River City for the first time. Glad we did....beautiful day to play and what a great course. We're not extremely long distance throwers, but thoroughly enjoyed the lay out, the tee pads, and signage. Yes, after reading some other posts, the middle holes are a bit timely to find....but who cares. It was a gorgeous day to be outside and didn't mind the extra walking. All the other players were cordial, patient, and friendly. Highly recommend playing this course no matter your level of play. A huge "thank you" to all involved in building this course and to all who maintain it! Will definitely play again!
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9 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.1 years 764 played 387 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Central Florida Enjoyment 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 21, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

River City Nature Park sits just off of I-4 between Orlando and Daytona . The 18 hole Alpha course starts near the parking lot .There is a nice park board near the lot to keep you updated for upcoming tournaments or leagues . There is a shelter house near the lot with benches to relax between rounds . The park was mowed and in great shape when I played . Wood benches are at a lot of the holes and there were trash cans in several locations . The course is yet another Gregg Hosfeld/World Champion DG Design . He must know where the bodies are buried in Florida , because every time I step on a course of his , I get a challenging course coupled with 2 tees and 2 ( Two ! ) baskets . First of all , print the map . If you are not a local , you will be confused a couple of times even with the map . Both of the tees are good sized cement , flush with the ground . The baskets, both Discatchers , are colored red for the short basket and yellow banded for the long . Every hole has 4 distinct possibilities to play on any given day . On top of that , there are several pin placement per hole , too . with the longest hole , #14 , at 700' + , having up to 10 ? There are next tee signs on the course of at the bottom of the buckets to try to keep you going the right way . Still print the map . There is pretty good signage at every hole and every tee pad , with hole # , par , and all of the pin possibilities , along with their flight paths . They even have a colored zip tie put into holes on the sign indicating pin position , changing every month . If you lose a disc here , there is a lost and found at the park that someone might turn your disc back into . If you need one right away , Disc Golf Center is located right across the street from the park and has a good selection . You can print off a score card online at DGR , but don't count the distances or pars on it . The course does NOT play 5954' but more like 7154' + . I won't go hole by hole on this course , but the course will treat you with tunnel shots , dog legs left and right , Hidden baskets , baskets guarded by large trees with canopies .
Hole 1 is a good warmup hole , between 294' to 346' from the longs , and having small trees guarding the front of a narrow entrance to shoot at . #7 is a longer hole , as long as 615' even from the red tee and a par 4 . Some shot shaping will be required to angle a left to right drive into a semi tight fairway . a lot of pin placements here . 12 is a long fairly straight drive from the longs ( White Tees ) 581 to one of 4 basket placements slightly left . 13 is another near impossible pin placement if back in the E position , guarded by many fairway trees right to left , then left to right , par 4 . 17 is a short tight alley throw with heavy brush on both sides and trees protecting the C pin position . : #14 . Even from the reds , it goes as much as 700' , and the placement is a long fading tight left to right . Then a straightaway shot to a severe right to the pin , a great hole and my 2nd favorite .
My Signature Hole : I really liked #2 , a tight drive over a small dry creek to a slight left and an alley to the pin slightly uphill . Without the time I spent looking for my disc , I would have completed it solo in about 80 minutes . Not sure if the fun factor had kicked in yet , but I had a great time . Figure a foursome to play close to 3 hours .

Cons:

#1. Navigation . Once you get into the middle holes of this course , alleys can fool you along with the pin placements , even with a map . I had to walk down the course a few times to figure out my pin
#2 The rough . I looked for close to 15 minutes for my disc on #6 on the right , and it the dead of winter . Rough spots can eat up a disc in a few spots . Disc Risk ; moderate . Be careful of the trees here , too . Large and high , some palm variety , they can grab a disc in mid-flight . Other than that , it's just tastes and preferences . Technical , very flat , any elevation leaves the course after about hole 5 or 6 . I was hoping that 18 would ba a good finishing hole but it was an open area drive to either basket , close to the parking lot . Bring bug spray . They are said to be horrible in the spring or summer .

Other Thoughts:

What a great deal . This is definitely one of the better courses in Florida . Another great design . And what can you say about parking your car and playing both this course and a good course like Barwick right beside it for 36 total holes of disc golf ?! Thank You , City of Debary and the parks and Rec Dept. and Debary Disc Golf Club for establishing such a fun course and letting me play here . My Recommendation : 2 pins , 2 tees . Good for everything from newbie to pro .You can get a different look from this course both daily and monthly . I met both a 5 person family playing on 18 that was having a great time , and a twenty something year old playing with his grandfather . The locals were friendly and more than polite . That should tell you something . You might want to check out the park and club homepage or Facebook page so you don't run into any doubles , tournament or league play . This course is popular and a great hangout with the locals . Spend the day and PLAY IT !!!!
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5 3
Fletch50
Experience: 13.9 years 12 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best in area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Best course in the area!!

This place never ceases to amaze me. Nice fellow players, awesome mature trees. Really a great place carved out of God's beauty.

Two tee pads and two baskets on every hole for a wide variety of play from beginner to advanced. Hole placement changes about every-other month. Course maintenance is good.

Great layout, many potential pen placements. 36 holes onsite that will wear you out, a destination place to play.

Cons:

during the wet time of the year some of the holes can be a little soggy. Gets crowded on weekends with backups on every hole; but everyone is friendly!

Other Thoughts:

Across the street is one of the best stores - Disc Golf Center. Tons of inventory, good prices, friendly. Huge online store, probably 20,000 discs or more on-hand!
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7 0
riltim
Experience: 13.3 years 36 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I'll definitely be back. 2+ years

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

Pros:

Red and yellow basket positions with two teepads per hole give you plenty of options. Long pads to yellow baskets is a fun and challenging round, while short tees to red baskets is a great way to work on your midrange and putter shots off the tee.

The scenery around the course is beautiful and it seems like the entire park is dedicated to disc golf. I didn't encounter a non-disc golfer the entire time I was there.

Ample seating at each tee and great tee signs marking the basket positions with colored zip ties.

Cons:

I feel bad putting any negatives down because they are mostly outside of anyone's control. But if I have to list some it would be:

* Some tee signs are extremely faded and tough to read from the Florida sun.
* The rough on some of the holes on the front 9 are extremely thick. A lot of potential for lost discs. The 4' black snake I stumbled upon looking for my disc on hole 2 had me worried about climbing into the rough.

Other Thoughts:

Disc Golf Center is right down the street and it was a lifesaver for picking up some discs while traveling.

I was going to mark this as a con but it really wasn't fair; there are a ton of ant hills throughout the course. You need to keep an eye where you're putting your foot or before picking up your disc because they move fast. It's probably common down here in FL but it's not something I'm used to up north.
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17 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 658 played 636 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Kick back and relax. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.982 Rating) The most laid back course I've ever played (141 courses played as of this review)
- CHILL AREAS - Amazing lounge areas on this course. A few tee areas have several awesome wood benches with backs and nice wooden tables. It's the equivalent of an outdoor patio furniture arrangement. I kind I wish I didn't show up here solo and on a time crunch. I wanted put these features to use.
- CHARACTER - In addition to these chill areas, the additional amenities and extras on Alpha is among the best I've seen, and I see this course as the ultimate after work relaxation course. To start, two nice concrete pads that are generally well shaded and they each have their own tee signs. All the signs have basket location pegs. There's also a community board with a disc return, two practice baskets and a shelter, all near tee (1).
- BASKET PLACEMENTS - Far and away the most basket placements I've ever seen on a course. Almost 80 of them. Local players will be entertained with a constantly changing course. For those of us out of town, It will really temp us to make a return visit. There is one issue with all the basket locations. It requires a constant upkeep on the peg markers in the signs. There were a few marked incorrectly on my round and a few of the tee pegs were broken in the slot.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - From tee view alone, there really wasn't any hole that blew away, just lots of great holes. However, hole (14) has to be the signature hole due to its tee sign. There are 11 basket placements on this hole! Everything from a 700 foot par 5 to a 300 foot par 3. This may not be practical and can actually be sort of annoying on first play, but it's definitely a unique experience.
- CHALLENGING - To be fair, I have no idea due to the multitude of basket locations that have a significant challenge separation. I figure that the difference from the hardest to easiest 18 hole layout could vary by as much as six throws in relation to par. This stated, I think an average layout will challenge intermediate players to break par and advanced players should be a few down. When baskets are placed in the most difficult layout, I could definitely see advanced players struggling to crack par.
- UNIQUENESS - For a course without water or elevation in play, Alpha is still well above average as all the other variety items are accounted for. Doglegs, pockets, sweeping 3's, windows, scores of blind baskets and more. Also a bunch of par 4s and one par 5 if basket (14) is in the (K) position.
- SHOT SHAPING - Not as much as the adjacent course (Barwick) but there are several holes that have to be thought out well to leave good birdie opportunities. Several holes have optimal defined throwing lanes with the option to play a more risky tight line to leave a closer birdie putt or to make an ace run.
- SKILL LEVEL FRIENDLY - Alpha is ideal for a wide swath of seasoned skill levels. The red tees are perfect for rec players. The white tees are balanced right in the middle between intermediate and advanced level players.
- MAINTENANCE - The grounds were amazing and they appear to be constantly mowed, trimmed and manicured. There is also a proper amount of garbage cans and trash was pretty much non-existent.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - A very eloquent course setting. Beautiful trees, great fauna and minimal manmade features in view. I haven't played every course within 50 miles, but I currently have Alpha scored the highest of the 13 courses that I've played in that zone.

Cons:

Other than a few ticky tack navigational gripes, I'm grasping at straws to find issues with this course.
- COURSE MAP - No course map at the community board at the time of my visit. Seriously how much effort does it take to print an 11 x 17 map and post it. Hopefully its absents was just temporary for some odd reason. The course map I downloaded online from DGCR was adequate.
- SIGNAGE - Very nice looking signage. However, not accurate enough for a first timer on this type of a course. I shot down the wrong lane three times from the red tees (8, 12,14) Google earth satellite imagery versus the signage's tree callouts, do not match well enough to define the correct line in a few instances.
- NAVIGATION - Doable with a map first time through, but considering the multitude of basket placements, there can, and will be some navigational questioning. There are lots of directional ques along the layout, but a course with this type of set-up needs way more. In addition, expect several longer walks between holes as well.
- OVERGROWTH - Less than at the Barwick course but still expect some extended time searching. I will state however, for a course this wooded, surprisingly less than I excepted. Several holes in the pines, have just about no overgrowth, and are laid with a bed of pine needles.
- POISON IVY - I spotted poison ivy two times during my round. So during the summer, you may have to weigh comfort now, over comfort later.
- ELEVATION AND WATER FEATURES - Really nothing of substance on this course. No more than 10 feet of change on any one hole. Water elements are really only in play in fringe situations. Basket (D) on hole (5) crosses a very very small creek.
- PARKING - Unpaved. OK for now, but it will continue to deteriorate

Other Thoughts:

Clearly one of the better courses in the state of Florida. This is one of those places that even an awful day on the course will still leave you with a smile on your face. This is definitely a destination course, highly recommended for all skill levels but beginners. Be sure and check out the Barwick course as well. Not as refined as Alpha, but a unique experience in its own right.
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10 0
thrembo
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 48.9 years 242 played 195 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Big And Bodacious! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Absolutely fantastic course in which everything is large and in charge! Big fairways with multiple pin placements, big trees, big challenges, and big fun! Two tee pads with nice signage and plenty of next tee signs. I probably used every disc in my bag here and all of my throws including the most rollers I've thrown on a course in a long time. The course also has a nice vibe to it and is set in a dedicated area. The course is also free to play and has a full-service disc golf store like right across the street from it.

Cons:

Even with all of the signage, navigation can be somewhat tricky in spots. Thankfully, the course is heavily played and the very friendly locals were more than happy to keep us on the right path.

BRING BUG SPRAY!!! Mosquitos can be brutal at times.

The course lacks some real standout/signature kind of holes. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of really nice holes here, but the course isn't quite as interesting or diverse as say a Medard or New World IMO.

Other Thoughts:

This is a wonderful course and a pleasure to play. There is another 18 hole course on site here making this park a destination for a fun day of throwing plastic.

Oh yeah, a warning for the tinfoil hat wearing people: The course has several holes directly underneath some high power lines.
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4 0
Jiggy202
Experience: 13.9 years 63 played 25 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Top Notch! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-2 concrete tee pads, great tee signs, and multiple pin locations on every hole
-Excellent tee signs with distances to every pin position from both pads and decent current pin location marker.
-Variety of hole types here is excellent, a little bit of everything in the very nice park dedicated to disc golf.
-Free to play

Cons:

-No restrooms on site
-Some hole with unnecessary extra pin placements. 3 or 4 cool, but 11 pin placements is a bit much
-Could use a few more next hole signs to make flow a bit easier for first timers.

Other Thoughts:

I was hesitant to make the drive out to play this course, but we got a recommendation so we decided to give it a shot. I was NOT disappointed, this course is great. There is a ton of variety here and its designed to challenge players of all skill levels. Sure this course doesn't much elevation, but it uses the little bit it does have perfectly. The low spots can get some standing water and they become OB water hazards, love how this is noted on the tee signs. You can tell that this course is consistently well taken care of, I hope they keep improving this course. Not having restrooms and the fact that it was a bit difficult to navigate for a first timer is the only real downside to this course. I would definitely come back and play this course again. Probably my favorite course I was able to play in FL.
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4 1
Discdude1414
Experience: 9.4 years 4 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 2, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

First I want to give props to the course designer, for making this course with many different types of holes. There are some holes where there is a marked fairway, and you know where you need to go. Some other, there are trees everywhere and you have to be creative and find your own path. The tee boxes are always cleared off and you can see them. The signs at the tee box is good, and accurately shows where the hole is. There are 2 tee boxes on every hole and at least 3 hole placements, even up to 11 on one hole!! This gives much variety to every hole. I go there often and about 1/3 of the holes are moved about every week or two. Bottom line is this is one of the best courses I have played and I am proud to call it my local course.

Cons:

The course is beautiful, but I wish that it would be maintained a little bit better. I know it's hard to do that with a free course, but the trashcans usually have tons of beer and I wish they were changed more often. There are no facilities on the course, but if you really had to take a leak you could find a bush. When going hole to hole it can be confusing finding the next hole, but there are some signs pointing you in the direction.

Other Thoughts:

Great course, lots of variety and also got my first ACE there so hole 18 is even more special to me.
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2 6
ricklev
Experience: 30 played 30 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Course is in good shape 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

The grass is fairly short and there weren't many ant hills. It had cooled down to the 60's, so the bug count was lower too. The shots are fair, where you get rewarded if you keep the line to the basket and often penalized if you don't. The beautiful St. Johns river is nearby.

Cons:

The baskets weren't easy to spot. As others have mentioned, there are so many pins, it's hard to see where the basket is. Often the tee marked the basket location, but I (or my wife) still had to walk the course to see where the basket was. Not a big problem, but we did have to do this.

Other Thoughts:

I only got in 7 of the first 9 holes before I had to leave, but I enjoyed playing this course.
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14 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 484 played 183 reviews
4.00 star(s)

River City's a real gas! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 30, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wonderfully designed course in a clean, quiet area where I didn't see much else happening.
• Design: The park is full of hammocks, (dense stands of trees), separated by open meadow. The naturally occurring spaces between the hammocks comprise most of the fairways, but it's the masterful way in which the tees and pins were placed that allows you to appreciate just how much good discing they squeezed out of this parcel. There's plenty of open space to work different lines, but pretty much every hole narrows at one or more points, forcing you to hit certain windows (regardless of the route you took to get there) to get to a nicely tucked or otherwise well-guarded green. Almost the entire course is some variation on this theme, yet the course never felt repetitive or boring - probably because you always have to think about how you're going to get around this or that obstacle to set up your next shot for a good look at the pin.
• Variety: Nice balance of L/R/straight and some more complex shots off the tee. Distances range from short Ace Runs to bombers and everything in between. Distance can definitely help on some holes (especially from the longs) but every hole requires placement to score well. Long and short tees often present reasonably different looks. Combine with a plethora of rotating pin placements (I'm not kidding), and locals have a course that plays a myriad of different ways.
• Equipment: Textured concrete was grippy, even when wet. Nice signage at both sets of tees show hole layout, and distances for multiple pin placements. Yellow Innovas are easy to spot.
• Navigation: Intuitive routing, generous use of next tee signs and easy to spot tee markers making getting around a pleasure - only had to check the map 2-3 times.
• Aesthetics: Lush, green, and quite eye appealing IMO. I like courses that intersperse open areas with wooded sections. Not much nasty underbrush, although there are some places where discs could be tough to find.
• Risk/Reward: Full of holes that appear seemingly innocent are misleadingly tricky. They set up for easy pars and birdies if played well, but can easily cost a stroke if misplayed, particularly if you cut into the woods early. Unlike some open holes where worm-burners can be made up with a longer 2nd shot to set up a par, you may need to back off on your 2nd shot to hit the window to set up your approach and putt for a bogie. Rewards you for playing within your game, and punishes you for taking things for granted - most of the times I got burned were for being too ambitious on tee shots I knew I could pull off ...if I hit 'em just right.

Cons:

• No no elevation to speak of, and lacks variety in terms of different fairway types.
• Gas pipe installations are a bit of an eyesore on a course that's otherwise very pleasant to look at.
• Fire ant hills all over the place - watch where you place your bag (and your feet).
• More of an FIY than a con: the abundance of possible pin placements means you'll have to walk numerous fairways to see where you're throwing. That said, River City features an almost embarrassing number of pin placements on some holes. Several tee signs show 5 possibilities, and # 14 lists eleven! (although a local told me only 5 of those 11 actually have collars).

Other Thoughts:

Loved playing here - just might be my favorite course in the state. They did a wonderful job laying things out to create a course that's fun, challenging, and makes you think your way through your round in a setting that's visually appealing as it weaves it's way from open fields into the woods.

Makes up for what it lacks in terms of elevation and differing fairway types with cleverly laid-out holes using multiple tees/pin placements... this place is chock full of good spots to nestle a basket in amongst the trees. As much as River City kept me engaged the entire round, I love me some elevation, and think this could've been a 4.5 if the terrain had some real ups and downs.

There's an orange tree near 9's short pin.

Just 11 miles from the camp grounds at Blue Spring State Park. Even if you're not camping, it's worth a visit to see manatees, tarpon, gars and more bathing in the crystal clear, warm, spring waters feeding into the St. Johns River.
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2 4
Marcwrosejr
Experience: 10.9 years 23 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 22, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was the first time I've played here and I thoroughly enjoyed it. There is a good flow of the course. I've heard threw the local league players that the signs were recently updated and I gotta say they pretty sharp.

The course is pretty well maintained with short, but technical fairways. Good for all levels of players. I love the scenery, it reminds me of Georgia or South Carolina minus the mountains.

A lot of great people to socialize with about the game.

Cons:

They could use restrooms and water fountains. I could see someone posting up a hot dog stand on the weekends and making some $$.

Other Thoughts:

This is in the top 2 of Central Florida in my opinion. Turkey Lake t2 is my other fav. I live 15 mins away from Barnett Park and that's a nice course too, but I will make it a point to play more out here!
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3 5
blueblur
Experience: 35.8 years 196 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Solid course worthy or repeat play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 25, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

One of the best courses in Florida. Impressive repeat play value because there are so many alternative basket positions and at least some baskets get moved about every 6 weeks. Fair fairways and no gimmick holes. Some true Par 4 holes here. Designed by Gregg Hosfeld, one of the best designers in the country. Bring every shot you have because you will need them all.

Cons:

No facilities or running water. No elevation and very minimal water hazards but this isn't something that can be designed. However, there are a couple of low lying areas with high grass marked as OB with string lines and flags which is a great substitute for water OB.

Other Thoughts:

Home of DeBary Disc Golf Club (www.debarydiscgolf.org ), which is one of the best disc golf clubs in Florida.
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5 4
Curtis Loew
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

The secret is out! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 1, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course requires many different tee shots ranging from low touch flicks to long back hand bombs so you WILL be tested!

A couple of unique features of this course are the multiple pin placements and the seclusion of the course. There are no walking trails or playgrounds on around the course. It is very peaceful and the park is beautiful! It is common to see bald eagles and other cool wildlife.

I played the course multiple times preparing for the recent Debary Open 11/23 & 11/24/13. The DeBary Disc Golf Club was very active and the course has many recent improvements:
•New Tee Signs - they look terrific!
•New NEXT TEE signage which makes it very easy to navigate between holes.
•Multiple new trees were planted both Oak and Magnolia for shade and aesthetics

Cons:

There are no facilities at this time. I understand the City of DeBary is working with Club to add a pavilion and rest rooms in the future.

Other Thoughts:

It is hard to pick a signature hole because the pin placements can make such a big change but #17 is a short par 3 under a full canopy that is a beautiful hole and # 14 with the awesome large trapezoid pad and 10 pin placements are both great holes!

The recent tournament created a huge buzz about what a great course this has become. The secret is out!
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10 1
fuzzbomb
Experience: 11 years 23 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Can't wait to get back! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 30, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

What a great course for Central Florida! We spent some time in Daytona for the holidays and made the drive over to River City to check out the course and I'm glad we did. I ended up playing this course every day I was in town.

In the shadow of a giant power plant on the edge of Lake Monroe is tucked River City Park... and the course is the centerpiece.

The course is very well-maintained. Example: the first day we played there were very high winds and the palm trees were shedding leaves left and right. We came to play the next morning (Thanksgiving day, 9am) and there was a guy there who had already cleaned the course of deadfall and was cutting limbs off the driveway.

There are two concrete pads at each hole and a variety of pin placements. The pin placement is indicated by a marker on the signs at each pad. The signs were bright and well made and present without exception and the pads were grippy and clean. These guys even had brooms on most of the pads to help keep it clean.

There is a good variety of short and long holes, with plenty of longer holes to stretch out your throws. There isn't a lot of elevation change in general (it's central Florida), but the course was able to incorporate the elevation changes at the park in the design.

After playing so many Charlotte courses this one was a breath of fresh air. It was very nice to stand on tee pad and not feel like every tee shot is bound up by a hallway of trees and obstructions. I *really* liked the open tee shots and the opportunity to unload with the drives... time after time. But even with that aspect, shot placement is crucial or you will quickly find yourself in a thick rough or with a very poor shot on a tricky pin placement.

From the long tee pads this course is not a "quick play" (unless you know the course, play solo and hustle between shots). I played with one other and we usually played around 2 hours plus. This is a positive in my book.

The setting is beautiful. I imagine this place gets brutal in the summer, but on a cloudy day in November this place is practically paradise.

Cons:

Could be more benches and trash cans, but there aren't so few that it affects my rating.

A couple holes are a little on the bland side (6 and 15 come to mind) but I can recognize that it is tough for every hole to be a signature hole.

There really is very little about this course to complain about. No bathrooms or water, but I didn't subtract for that either.

Other Thoughts:

Can't wait to come back!

I was able to play this course in varying conditions (high winds, occasional gusty winds and calm) and I enjoyed all three.

Saw a bald eagle out there on consecutive days. Awesome.

On 9 I came up a little short with my hyzer shot and ended up in the middle of a roundish thicket... When I looked up to scout a shot out I saw I was surrounded by ripe oranges. Had a delicious snack, then got up and down for par.

It may be worth noting, one morning we decided to play the course in Daytona but when we pulled in and saw the course we looked at each other, and said "Let's go back to River City". And so we did.
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5 2
mullethead326
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 377 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nature Park, Indeed 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 24, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-This is a great design. It mixes open and wooded sections fluidly, and with multiple pin positions on every hole, you could conceivably play thousands of different layouts. In order to score well, you must understand how to shape shots in tight sections, place them on multi-shot holes, and manage OBs and mandos throughout. Nearly every hole has at least one valid line, and most long holes are followed shortly after by a shorter, touchier shot, creating a flow that keeps the course fresh. When the wind picks up, it increases the degree of difficulty dramatically.

-Look for the eagles' nest between holes 3 and 4.

-Tee signs are new and professional. Distances and pin positions are clearly indicated, with the current location marked by a golf tee. My only navigation issues were finding hole 12 (white) and 15. Didn't take long, but 12 red is most apparent from the previous basket and 15 requires a little hunting.

-Hole 7 is a good par 4. From either tee, it requires a solid drive and a controlled upshot to some of the nearer positions, and for the longer positions brings the OB into play on the second or third shots.

-Hole 10 is easily my favorite hole on the course. Off the white tee, there's the option for a RH flick line, or a skinny straight backhand. The red tee isn't dramatically shorter, but does open up both lines by removing the tight initial gap. If you execute this shot well, you know it, and if you make a mistake, you're liable to scramble for par.

-All of the mandos and OB play fairly, and are clearly indicated on tee signs and relevant obstacles.

Cons:

-Despite having all of these alternate pin positions, not all of them significantly change a hole's look or play. For example, hole 13 is a par 4 largely built on the tee shot. A good straight drive should leave an easy upshot to the shortest three positions, pretty much regardless of placement. The designer did say that in the future, the goal is to add a third set of pads to many of the holes, increasing the variety and potential difficulty, which may alleviate some of this concern.

-Hole 15's B and C positions are irritating. The most sensible way to get there is playing a big backhand hyzer (LH or RH), but there really isn't a defined line to get there. Playing up the middle, as makes more sense for the A-pin, has a good set of initial gaps, but the second set is more poke-and-hope.

-Several of the teepads don't align with some of their respective pin positions or fairways (1 is a notable offender). In talking with some of the locals, it seems that they point to the original pin locations from the nine-hole configuration, and others were added later. You can get used to working around it, and they are otherwise in good condition and adequately long and wide.

-At present, there are no facilities or running water on site. I could see some areas getting swampy after heavy rain. These considerations are not reflected in this review; only design and execution.

Other Thoughts:

-Everyone who plays this course will talk about hole 14, whether good or bad. It's pretty cool just to have more than ten pin positions on a single hole, but many of them are the same tee shot to one of the near positions, followed by a layup to a deeper one. Interesting concept that ends up playing a little boring. The tee sign for 14 should be rotated to reflect the actual orientation of the teepad and fairways.

-I have mixed feelings about hole 2. It's a great tee shot (from the longs, especially) because it requires hitting a reasonable gap while controlling distance and finish. Unfortunately, the second shot is kind of bland and it makes the hole a fairly easy 3 or boring 4. Granted, if you go left off the tee, you're fighting hard for that 4.

-Parking is adequate. Baskets are new Discatchers.

-The schule is thick. This is Florida scrub, and the palmettos and other undergrowth will eat your discs. As a design concept, leaving it this thick is great! It tends to reward good shots, and punish bad ones--although some greens have palmettos as close as 10-15 feet.

-As a parting thought, this course is really good and getting better. The volunteers have clearly joined together to create a quality course, and I look forward to playing it again, likely in a different configuration. Additional holes, as possibly rumored, would be great, but as it stands this is easily one of the best courses in the area.
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