great course. easy to navigate. the property is maintained pretty well for a public park

only con was the course is soaked from all of the rain that has been getting dumped on us the last couple of months

I love this course

Challenging in both long and short.
Clean
Clear signage
semi regular layout changes
fairways are groomed nicely

BUSY

Great course! Majority of my rounds are played here. There isn't really much more you could ask for with this course. The scenery is great and the layout challenges you in every way. The options each make the course feel so different so your play does not get stagnant. The regular upkeep is on point!

As one who learned this amazing sport playing in the Carolina's, and a recent transplant to Florida, I was looking for something that wasn't flat, flat, flat. I need a course with some teeth. And it seems that all the courses I have played so far can be described as 'flat-hyzer left, flat-anhyzer right'. Wash. Rinse. Repeat...sigh. Some have low hanging branches you have to navigate, but none had quality tunnel shots, epic fairways or superb course design.

Until now, that is.

What an amazing array of forehand, backhand shots, some with elevation, some without. The first hole is a bit pedestrian, just a lefty or righty hzyer shot. But the first hole should be fun. The 2nd hole adds teeth - snap, snap. Great design, slight anhyzer through the gap, then a climbing, turning uphill shot! THIS is Carolina's golf. And if you liked #2, #3 is going to make you drool. Long , flat, slow turning anyzher that dumps hard left ('C' position). Great design of a hole!

The first 5 holes are touch shots mostly, nice, wooded with Elevation. Once you step out of 5, the course opens up for some big-arm, grip and rip holes.

We were playing the long tees and #7 was a huge 715' to the basket. But not all wide open. One big drive then plan your attack on the basket.

Then back to the woods with some nice wooded holes, #9 looping you back to the parking lot.

The back 9 being mostly open over a magnificent carpet of mown grass. With the tall pines and palms, it was incredible. Very little rough, just find your line through the trees and hit it. Though long holes, the course was fun to play for a pair of guys in their 50's, the design extremely fair.

Hole #18 was a great finishing hole. 475' to a hanging basket in a thicket of bushes and trees with a keyhole slot to approach through.

Very few. Our biggest issue was that only half the holes had 'next tee' signs. We spent a good bit of time walking circles trying to find the next tee.

And some of the tee signs were not even closely representing where the basket was. After walking up and down the fairways to find the baskets, we gave up and played by the info on the sign...nearly always wrong.

This park is absolutely amazing, beautiful and extremely well laid out (despite the signage). Playing in late July, mid-afternoon during a record heat wave wasn't the best idea! This place is big, best to play in the fall.

Course is amazingly clean and in excellent condition. Tee pads were room and grippy. If we'd had time, would have loved to play a round from the RED tees.


Best of all...no water or alligators!

I don't really think the course is a 4.5, but it's very, very close to it. Just a couple of small issues keep it from being a solid 4.5. But because we loved it so much, it received a 4.5.

Good layout
Good mix of left and right shots
Good tee signs and Baskets
Clean
Lots of Parking
Nice pads
good mix of woods and open shots.
friendly locals
The place is beautiful
easy to find discs, even in the woods.

No facilities
Hard to figure out which position the baskets are in for some shots.
drainage could be better in some spots
Large hornets ..Biggest Hornets nest I've ever seen..It wasn't a problem really, just concerning.

I'm from Miami and was visiting friends in Orlando and this place was a bit out of the way but was worth the trip. Just bring snacks and drinks and a cooler maybe.

Easy to navigate,at least 3 pin placements per hole most have an average of 5 or so placements,concrete pads tee,challenging yet fun from both long and short pads,the local DG club and city keep it well maintained.

No facilities (bathrooms or water fountains) not a huge deal just a heads up.

This course meanders through pines and palms with well thought out fairways for all the pin locations and great flow to the course. There is not much around this very pretty property so you will see some wildlife,eagles and snakes and so on, which is always nice. The Debary Disc Golf Club is constantly working to add to or improve this course and you can see the love thats put into the course everywhere you look while navigating it. They also do a great job of moving pin locations which means I never get the feeling that I am just grinding through a round. Overall this is my favorite local course to play in Central Florida and its a course that should be added to your itinerary if you plan on visiting the area or live locally and haven't played it yet.

Simply the best course in Florida in my opinion, and I have played most of them now. Glad to see it moving up the ratings, as it just keeps getting better and better each time I drive out to play it and should be #1. I'm a hard @$$ when it comes to my rating, and this course deserves a 4.5 or BETTER. Here are the top 10 reasons I think this course is the best in Florida. #1) It is always extremely well maintained. Grass cut low for great skip shots, no major "rough" or unmanicured areas with too much brush / trees. 2.) There are 3-12 different basket positions for each hole, so it never plays the same. Sometimes a hole will be a par three, then a par four the next time. Always something new. 3.) Two HUGE tee pads for each hole offer Amateur and Pro players a challenging course. 4.) Awesome diversity in holes. You will need to throw both backhands and flicks, and even a roller or two on long holes and maybe a tomahawk or thumber if you land in a rough spot. 5.) Disc golf is the ONLY thing in this HUGE park, so no pedestrians to watch out for. 6.) VERY pet friendly. 7.) Several Practice baskets to warm up on. 8.) ACCURATE and easy to read signs on each hole for each tee pad. Golf tees also mark exactly which position the baskets are in. 9.) Never had an issue with bugs or mosquitos on this course, which can be an issue on many Florida courses. 10.) Just a great terrain that is unparalleled. Perfect amount of shady / wooded holes, semi-techincal holes and open shots. Holes make use of the little elevation throughout. It just doesn't get better than this.

You REALLY have to work to find ANYTHING wrong with this course. The first two or three times I played this course I accidentally skipped holes 8-12 and had to go back and play them again. Because hole 7 has so many positions it is VERY easy to miss the 8 pad, depending on where you end. Also, course has very little elevation, but SOME. This is of course common in flat 'ole Florida.

Holes 7 and 8 change dramatically depending on recent rains. I have played both holes "dry", and both holes with decent size ponds on them. Either way, they play awesome. One time, on hole 7 after a very big rain the basket was actually IN the water. Usually, especially over summer, expect ponds on these holes, especially 7. Make note of these holes! The ONLY things that this course is missing, LITERALLY, in my opinion are a pro shop, concessions and a restroom. For it to be a perfect 5 in my book, it would need these. Again, you REALLY have to work to find anything imperfect about this course. Instead of that, This course is pretty much perfect. It is a short drive from Orlando, Daytona, and Jacksonville, and is WELL worth it! I also can't wait to see how the other NEW 18 hole course on the property turns out once it develops. Courses that are NOT this good in other states are rated 4.5 or higher. This course is UNDER rated!

Enjoyable place to talk a walk
Interesting variety of long and short, tight and open left and right.
A bit more challenging from short tees than Turkey Lake T1 or T2 or Barnett Parkside. Less challenging than Barnett North. But very playable from short tees as a novice. And difficulty can be adjusted dramatically by multiple basket locations.
Locals are very nice and very proud of their course.
Signage is excellent.

Navigation requires paying attention. Make sure you notice "next tee" arrow on tee pad sign.
It would be nice if current basket location was noted on tee pad sign. Had some diffulculty finding a few baskets. Played to the wrong basket once.

Will definitely play here again.

Great mix of shots and long/short holes. Beautifully laid out and makes the most of the land its located on. Tons of pin positions as well as two tee pads for each hole. Usually well manicured and each hole has its own characteristics/identity. The flow of the course is good and i've never had a bad time here.

Im struggling to come up with some. No bathrooms and the course gets a little soggy after a nice rain. No elevation but that's Florida's fault.

Overall this is one of my favorite courses to play. I've played at least 15 different courses and this one ranks right up there as one of the best. I thoroughly enjoyed this course when it was just 9 holes and now that its 18 its pretty close to perfect.

This being a WCDGD course I held high expectations going in for my first round, and it delivered!

My first pro was driving into the park. It's clear that you are entering a dedicated disc golf course, and the quality grooming is apparent. Hole 1 sits adjacent to the parking lot, with hole 9 bringing you back here as well for easy access to leave or reload.

Some other stuff you will notice upon arriving:
-2 pads per hole (red/white)
-signage every hole (both tees)
-large, grippy pads (both tees)
- great condition Innova discatchers & a prac basket

Something that falls into both pros and cons for me is the amount of pin locations, which I have very mixed feelings about. Hole 1 has 4 positions if I recall correctly, and this was suiting. I really like that some holes were given room to "grow" or "evolve", and that one day you may have a par 3 and another day a long par 4, dramatically changing the way the course is played, and keeping you focused and preventing complacency in your game if you are lucky enough to be a local.

Next tee signs were also very helpful, but I would give them a 3.5 out of 5 as a micro rating. Many times they grabbed my eye and brought me to the next pad without much struggle, in fact finding the next pad was only hard once; from 14 to 15. 14 was in a newer, shorter position and the walk to 15's pad brought you through a couple bends.

Another thing I always enjoy in a DG course are its level of amenities. RCNP had plenty of benches and trash cans. This is always a huge plus for the course's well being. I also very much enjoyed the aesthetic of the bridges that cross a few streams that run the course.

A con that I have read in previous reviews does not add up for me. Elevation at RCNP, while nothing to brag about, is present. hole 3 comes to mind immediately, with its sloping right to left hill which I know could create trouble. A few more holes throughout had slight changes around the basket or at the tee to give some shots that extra need for consideration.

Flora - RCNP is, to me, what Florida should look like. The pines, oaks, and palms throughout are very FL. Around many baskets you will find a sandy bottom, which also gives me that good old FL feel. There are several runoff/streams that add an aesthetic to this place too. As for the fairways, most are clear cut and without much underbrush at all, although this place will CERTAINLY punish your errant shot on many holes, a big PLUS to me.

Another big factor here was the courses ability to make me throw different shots and think about lines very intently. There were several holes that demanded you to pick your line and TRUST it. Every time I was not confident in my shot things went poorly and I was off the fairway. This certainly added to the challenge factor, as it made me want to play smart and focused, while many courses allow you to fall asleep at the wheel.

The pros far outweigh the cons, but one thing certainly stands out for me and others; pin navigation. This can be a nightmare for a first time visitor, and in my opinion, the tee signs did not reflect where the hole was on many occasions. This created a lot of walkups before throwing. Lose for the infrequent player, but a win for the local and weekly player. Also, depending on the frequency of basket moving, I would imagine some pin locations would be seen only once or twice a year, personally defeating the purpose of having so many, although thinking pragmatically, one could imagine this is a way of testing the hole configurations out, with intentions to remove pins as they become less desirable.

Only other con that comes to mind is that I did not see any bathrooms, although a port-o may have been nearby.

This was my first trip to RCNP, after many times saying "we should go". I didn't know what I was missing!

We made it out later in the day and were only able to complete 15 holes, but are headed back there today.

This course was a refreshing change for my general enjoyment of our sport. Now, as a resident of Orlando, I will be at RCNP as much as I can.

Before this gets too long, I would lastly like to say that a course review should sometimes express opinion towards the local club that maintains and runs weeklies at a course. Great job out there Debary Disc Golf Club!

Course is well maintained. Fairways are all mowed and clear of normal Florida overgrowth. Pads are in great shape and very grippy, plenty of variety available in various pin placements. Holes can be in very hard positions one day, much easier positions the next week. Nice variety in difficulties between the various pin placements and the club does a good job changing up the basket placements in small batches so you can learn one placement really well if you play the course often.

No restroom facilities or running water. The only negative about this park and facility. I think many people would rate this course as the best in Central Florida if it had at least one bathroom facility similar to Turkey Lake park

Would love to see this course grow to a permanent 22 or 24+ hole setup.

Overall Score (4.6)

Tee pads (4/5): Level, rough concrete tees that are suitable for size. Nearly every hole has multiple tees, and many tees had a broom to sweep it clean. The only reason that the tees aren't a perfect 5 is because they're unusually rough.

Baskets (5/5): New DISCatchers with yellow tops. Baskets were very easy to identify on all of the wooded holes. They caught well, and all chains were in good condition.

Layout/Design (5/5): This is perhaps the best designed course I've ever played. I don't know where to start. First of all, for having no elevation to use, the course uses the land perfectly - loops back to the parking lot after 9 and 18 and includes a great variety of entertaining holes. Every hole challenges you, even the short ones, while remaining highly "par-able" if played correctly. The variety of possible pin locations just blows my mind! Every hole seems to have a minimum of three possible placements, with four or five being the average. Hole #14 has 11 different placements! Don't believe me? Look at the tee sign! Which reminds me, the tee signs are immaculate. The only thing they could use is a better method of marking what location the basket is currently in. This course also makes good use of arrows to show where the "Next Tee" is.

Scenery/Surroundings (4/5): Beautiful course that lacks any eye-popping sites. As mentioned in other reviews, look for bald eagles around hole #4. The locals seem to be very nice and into the sport of disc golf quite a bit. The course was incredibly clean, and very few overly rough patches off the fairway... but that's expected.

Likeliness to Return (5/5): I would absolutely have to return to this course. The word is that they're going to be adding more holes. And I can't wait to see what the other pin locations are like in the future.

Park now has 18 Baskets, and the concrete pads are in except for the pro pad on hole 7. Great layout, easy to follow for the most part. People are friendly. Wooded area are pretty easy to retrieve disc if toss into a woods.

No Bathrooms

My Favorite coarse in the area. Quite and peaceful. reminds me of growing up in Deltona and playing in the woods as a child.

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

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.