Anacortes, WA

Rotary Park DGC

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2.635(based on 8 reviews)
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6 0
Dadio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 40.2 years 174 played 75 reviews
3.50 star(s)

improved but still a ways to go. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 4, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

This fairly wild park is not far from Downtown Anacortes. I had been expecting a flat open park and was pleasantly surprised to discover it is on a hillside by one of the Padilla Bay marinas. Since it has been in place for a few years now and is the only course that I know of in the immediate area it seem to see a fair bit of traffic. This means it is well wore in and is easy to follow.
Some reviews have talked about the rocks in the area as a con, but it was wet today and without those it would have been hard not to slide off the trails. Either way, it is rough terrain altho the brush and branches have been mostly cleared out. It looks and plays like a mature course.
There are kind of multiple tees. The blue tees(listed as red here) are wood boxes with gravel that have been well made and are mostly flat. Aren't showing the kind of extreme diviting that gravel tees often have. More on other tees under cons.
Signs, while well placed and easy to see had a minimum of information. Disc catcher baskets were well marked with numbers in top band which was good because there are a couple holes that you could see multiple pins from some tees. Nothing crossed but it is a small area to fit 9 holes into, even short ones.
Since it is built along a hillside there are only a couple that are relatively along the same level. I expected it to be tighter but they seemed to separate holes fairly well.
9 and 8 are tough tunnel shots that are possible but not easy at all.

Cons:

Not too many. It is short but they compensate for that with difficulty. Part of that is hiding pins behind trees so I had to walk most of the way down the thankfully short fairways to find pins. Not a problem when used to the course but not great for infrequent players. This is not helped by the very minimalist signs. Hole, par and distance with no indication as to pin location.
A couple holes, mainly 7, had no real path to the pin that I could see. Never a fan of throw and pray holes.
While there are multiple tees(red shorter, White longer that signed blues) the red and white ones are unimproved and rough. good for a standing throw but look hazardous to try a run up on.
No bathrooms or play area, but there is a picnic area close to beach on point of park.
Finally, this course is rough. Between rocks and slick mud this one will be challenging for some to walk all year. I'm pretty sure footed and about fell a couple times despite being careful.

Other Thoughts:

I like this course well enough, but not enough to drive the 45 min it takes to get there, at least not on a regular basis. I will add this course to the rotation when visiting family in the area but it will be low on that list. That being said, if you lived close this is a great course to hone your accuracy.
I will get out there again sometime soon and pace out and add distances for red and white tees.
Toss up between 3 and 3.5, would tend to 3 but my gut sez 3.5. I was genuinely impressed with how well this course is placed and plays on a less than ideal piece of land.
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6 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.4 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Short Hilly Course Has This Nepalese Vibe! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 12, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Rotary Park in Anacortes is a small (maybe three acre), hilly park just off the water. The park is bordered by neighbor's fence lines on one side and a nice little walking path on the lower, waterfront side. The park is fairly rough with rocky areas and lots of downed/broken branches making trekking through it hazardous. I thought maybe I was in Nepal but when I didn't glimpse any Sherpas, yaks or prayer bells, I came to the realization that I was just playing a disc golf course in Anacortes, Washington.

The course features a nice new kiosk at the beginning showing both a map and hole distances. I should have taken a photo of the map but assumed that this little 9 hole course would be easy to navigate. There are nice new metal signs which show the hole # and distance. The baskets are Discatchers with the yellow bands, numbers and next arrow signs hanging from the bottom.

The course is short with the longest hole playing about 260' but with elevation changes combined with thick underbrush, fallen trees and blind basket placements, there is a certain challenge here.

I played on a PERFECT September afternoon with blue skies and 75 degree temperature. With the boats in the marina partially visible below you and the leaves blanketing the ground, it was lovely but then why did I have less than a wonderful experience here?

Cons:

What I didn't like...

The steep terrain is so rock strewn and covered with downed logs, broken off tree limbs, stumps and other ankle breakers, that it really is not pleasant to walk through especially for an older gentlemen, like myself.

Several holes are blind off the tee and I had to walk quite a ways up the fairway to finally spot the basket.

About halfway through the course, I finally deducted that there were both Red and Blue tees. Apparently, some holes have one tee and some have two. It took me to hole # 9 to finally determine that the Blues were slightly longer and were those where the tee signs were. . I had been trying to just tee off from where the signs were located. I never was able to locate the sign on # 7 so I presume I played that hole from the Blues.

The tee pads are sometimes just worn spots on the paths. They are mostly small, rough and generally not very good.

Hole # 8 is listed as a 122' Par 2. I have never like Par 2's and this basket was probably more like 190', uphill and tight. I would assume that players had complained that the original 122' placement didn't provide much challenge.

The only downhill throws weren't that enjoyable. They were a little too technical for me.

The course is thick enough, with enough forest debris on the ground, that it's very possible to have to hunt for your discs, even on excellent tee offs, as I did on one hole.

Other Thoughts:

I would've hoped that this course would have been cleaned up more by now. If I lived in Anacortes, I would show up with my large, steel pry bar and spend a hour here and there just digging up all the half buried rocks from the paths and fairways. Second task would be to either remove all the broken limbs or at least, try to stack them into some piles.

I love walking through leaves in the fall on courses but the leaves here just covered up all the tripping hazards. I would like to enjoy this course more than I did. I'm usually a big fan of these types of courses.
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4 0
kidtree
Experience: 16.4 years 28 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Verticality 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Taxes your ability to throw up and down hill, weave thru trees. Tees have been upgraded with official signs on 4x4 posts. Wildlife.

Cons:

No tee pads - just a wide spot in the dirt trail. Tee signs don't show lay of the hole - I sometimes had to scout ahead to see where to throw. A lot of brittle sticks and logs underfoot.

Other Thoughts:

Nobody's going to fly from New York just to play this course, but it's a fun 9-hole with challenges to improve my game for other courses. It's twice as far from home as the 18-hole, 7,000-foot NSRA course, but worth it for a change of pace.
The evening I lost my Nuke in the twilight, I almost didn't see the big mule deer doe browsing beside #6, and a few minutes later, as I walked back along the shore trail, I stopped to watch a pair of otters in the marina. (and both discs I've lost here have been returned.)
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2 0
JR Stengele
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.5 years 255 played 191 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Rotary Park DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Rotary Park DGC is a short nine hole course nestled in the hills near the water in Anacortes. With an ample amount of parking and easy to follow directions, locating the course is stress free. Once there, signs point first time players toward the first hole. From there, tee signs (spray painted pavers with numbers stenciled on them) are provided to help with tee location but can be difficult to spot at times due to the dense foliage. Discatchers are in great shape, with next tee signs marked on the bright yellow bands. The course has multiple tee pads as well to keep the course interesting. Holes range anywhere from 122'-258', rewarding accuracy over distance. The course can be played with mostly a putter and mid, but will require an array of shots (hyzer, flick, tomahawk, etc.). Elevation is prevalent throughout the course and even though the course lacks distance, it is quite challenging!

Favorite Hole(s): Hole #1

Cons:

As mentioned in the previous reviews, the course is treacherous! The amount of fallen trees, roots, brush, and rocks on the course make it near impossible to walk at times. Even though the locals have made a valiant effort to cut back some of the mess, it just doesn't get enough foot traffic to keep the fairways and walkways clear. Because of this, navigating from hole to hole or even locating certain tees and baskets can be near impossible unless you have a map. Even then, it can be tough.

Other Thoughts:

Rotary Park is off to a great start. Even though it is still in the beginning stages, it was easy to see the designer's vision. I played solo the day I was there and still found the course to be challenging and fun. It just needs more work but again, that will come with time and support. I look forward to playing this course again in the future and appreciate all the hard work that has gone into it so far. Thank you!

UPDATE:
Based off of the newest pictures uploaded on the site, it looks like the local club has raised enough funds to install nice tee signs! Great addition to the course which should help with course navigation.
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3 0
Phlick
Experience: 42.7 years 134 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Double Diamond 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 10, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of parking
Nice teesigns and baskets
Red and Blue tees for most holes
Next tee signs for both Red AND Blue tees on most all basket trays.
Challenging layout - lots of potential lines to the basket - if you look hard enough.
Good use of elevation
Well designed for future playability (as it sits today - not so much..)

Cons:

LOTS of downed trees on the course
Newly installed course - tricky/treacherous pathways and un-cleared fairways
Lots of Elevation changes - not family (or stroller/cart) friendly
Challenging for new players
Difficult to find discs in all the downed trees and brush piles on a slope.

Other Thoughts:

Tough 9 holes - even from the Red tees. What this course lacks in distance it more than makes up for with tight technical lines. Combined with a lot of elevation, this makes for a very challenging round. The course is new and ROUGH. Lots of downed trees and un-defined fairways, which will improve over time, but currently make for a difficult hike through this little park. In time it has the potential to be an epic 9 hole course.
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3 0
Tekkamaki
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Adventure Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 14, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Situated in a very Beautiful Forest
This course is an adventure!!
Not crowded
Challenging
Great view of Puget Sound
Wildlife

Cons:

This course is an adventure!
Can be hard to find discs especially in the Fall
Many trees in the "fairway"
Best for sure footed players

Other Thoughts:

This course is the DG equivalent of tree skiing at Mount Baker. If you love a good adventure, you will like this course. If you are expecting a well manicured course with established fairways and easy walking trails you have come to the wrong place. I suspect that it will become easier to play in a few years as it becomes more established.
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4 0
sk8architecture
Experience: 23.6 years 18 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Needs Foot Traffic 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of elevation shots though the tight woods. Views of the Harbor and water can be had throughout the course. Signage is in place for both red and blue tee pads.

Cons:

Its a shorter course so more experienced players will not need a driver.

Other Thoughts:

This is not really a review but more of a description of the state of the course. The course is brand new and has its faults of too much vegetation. City approved the layout, bought and installed the baskets. There has been no true work parties to date to really clean up and define the fairways. So the vegetation is raw at this point. The course needs foot traffic and locals have plans for some work parties. So be prepared in playing a more raw course at this point.
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3 0
Thomashasfun
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.8 years 496 played 494 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Bye Bye Birdie... 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 14, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The elevation, terrain and heavily wooded aspects of this course make for some fun throws although on the shorter side of things. Brand new Discatchers with double set of chains is a nice touch. Some of the basket locations are blind shots but with many ways to get to the basket which is going to make people 'discover' the course over time instead of being straight forward and dull which is not always the case with short nine hole courses. The area is teeming with wildlife (birds, squirrels, etc.) and you have beautiful views of the sound and surrounding mountains from the walking path 200 feet from the course.

Cons:

This course is brand new I think, based on the new baskets and that I've never heard of this course until recently. That being said you also get the bad with the good from this course being so new. I'm never in favor of cutting trees for courses but some play would cut down on the random branches impeding your path. Also walking this course is a frustrating and exhausting endeavor with downed trees, ferns, sticks, rocks, roots and anything else you can think of. Playing this course without the map is almost impossible and there is almost no way to determine the correct tee area. There are/were markers at some point but it looks as though they have been vandalized. There are a few signs still there but they are in the wrong place. Instead of making fancy next tee markers they needed to take the idea that's catching on with other local courses and put some yellow tape on the basket in the direction of the next tee pad. This is a simple, cost effective way of navigation without the frustration of someone destroying the work it takes to put together wooded signs.

Other Thoughts:

I really like the idea of this course and I think the shots are fun but it's going to take some years of people playing and walking through here to 'beat it down' and make it fun and enjoyable. This course maybe short and only nine holes but don't let anyone fool you into thinking it's "family friendly" because it is not. Like I said bring the map and stay positive and you should have fun.
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