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Manhattan, IL

Round Barn DGC

3.455(based on 22 reviews)
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Round Barn DGC reviews

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EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.8 years 256 played 243 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fallen into Disrepair

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 28, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

- really cool/unique setting on 120 year old farm with... you guessed it, a round barn
- 2 practice baskets
- 2 baskets per hole
- nice large concrete tees
- decent Mach baskets
- port o potties at course
- cool scenery plays around a lake and then through the woods
- high risk/high reward water shots
- mixed use park, but generally good isolation of disc golf area

Cons:

- tee signs in really bad shape
- wooded areas very overgrown
- red basket on hole 2 is missing
- water carry on hole 4 is really pushing what most people can manage
- navigation was pretty unclear in many places
- last third of course pretty wide open and uninspired

Other Thoughts:

This course was really a big letdown for me. By all accounts, this was a really neat course in recent years that has not been maintained well. I think in it's prime, it likely is a 3-3.5 course, but due to the general state of disrepair I felt it only warranted a 2.5 and was fairly frustrating. Tee signs were in terrible shape and often unreadable. Navigation aids were nonexistent and it was very unclear at times where to go. In the front 9 alone, I threw at the wrong basket 3 different times. I can't think of anywhere else in 140 courses I've had this much confusion. At least one of the baskets was missing, and the wooded area was so overgrown as to make finding discs and even fairways a real challenge.

Some of the shots around the lake are really cool, with some baskets right on the short and at least one really long water carry (that I made a god awful throw on, goodbye Halo Teebird). The scenery here is very picturesque despite being mostly flat and you can see the potential. The first third of the course includes the cool water shots, with the middle third mostly being wooded, and the final third being by far the least interesting with repetitive, largely open, back and forth shots.

The equipment was somewhat serviceable here; the baskets were nice and visible and the concrete tees were generally nice, although the tee signs kind of ruined that experience. Navigation aids would be the biggest immediate upgrade that could improve this course.

The park was mostly deserted when I was there on a Friday afternoon. A few kids were at the playground with parents which is fairly close to the first couple of holes but not enough that it was a real safety concern. There are walking paths through the wooded part of the course, but I think these mostly were just used by park staff on ATVs. I never saw anybody walking them for recreation.

I appreciated what this course could offer, but the navigation and overgrowth frustration were just too high to truly enjoy it. It's sad since others seem to have had a great time in the past. Hopefully it gets a facelift at some point, but until then I'd probably pass on this one.
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