Broad appeal. Practice basket. Options for non-players.

Course appears to be going through some re-work, so some of the numbering on the back nine is currently incorrect. Use the map available on this site, and you'll have no problem navigating this course. Some signs missing, teepads and baskets a bit tired.

This public park is absolutely huge, with playing fields of every type, a large play area for kids, and a swimming pool. The front nine plays along the right and back side of the land next to the pool, and the back nine is located to the land left and behind. The course begins fairly easily - slight elevation changes, only a couple of large trees to avoid, mostly just straight throws required, baskets easily accessible. Holes then begin to lengthen, and #8 has a fair amount of trees to get through near the basket. The back nine is quite different - holes lengthen, fairways/windows become narrower, some shots are blind, gentle/moderate turns are now required on most holes, elevation changes more severe, although no hole would be classified as steep.

Favourite hole #13: Fairway starts wide enough, but narrows as lines of trees and bushes pinch in from both sides. Annoying tree creating a chokepoint about 2/3rds of the way to the basket, which is tucked several feet into the woods at the end of the fairway.

This course should be attractive to a wide spectrum of players. The front nine is very suitable for beginners, w/o being merely a wide-open grip-n-rip. Intermediates will still find some challenges in the front nine, and the back nine is a good introduction to the next level of hole difficulty. Advanced players should have many birdie opportunities on the front nine, and find a variety of challenges on the back nine. Pros, I imagine, since I don't know any, will find ace and birdie opportunities galore, but still find some challenge on the back, especially #18, a long right-turner through a narrow window.

Shilito Park is one of the older courses in the central Kentucky area and is set in a nice large park. The front is by far shorter than the back nine. There are some large trees that do come into play on holes 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 on the front, but none of which really make you thread the needle. (possible exception on 6). Hole # 6 and 7 have had a lot of work on the underbrush to make it less likely to lose a disc. The back 9 adds a little more distance, specifically on holes 11, 13, 17, and 18. The closest thing to a signature hole would probably be #11, and downhill open throw that then you have to go through a wood line to get to the hole. Also the prettiest hole, at least in the Fall is probably #17, with some beautiful large trees on the right and a marshy pond on the left.

While the course is really nice, there are some cons as well. The front nine is pretty short. It flows well, but then trying to get from 9 to 10 is a pain for a new person. Hole 10 is on the completely opposite side of the pool from basket nine, plus, you have to walk past the tee pad for 11 and go down a hill to get to 10. The signs use to be pretty nice and infomative, but many are missing, or broken. they also do not help navigate from hole to hole. There are not a lot of technical throws required for most of the course.

This is a nice course, and if you are in town, you should come by and play. There are frequent leagues and tournaments. This is probably the most popular course in the area, being more friendly than Veteran's and Riney B, and has 18 holes, unlike Lake Ming, River Hill and Centennial.

This is a nicely manicured course in a beautiful park setting. The course plays fast, has little schule, and is great for beginners, rec and novice players, or more advanced players looking to hone their mid-range game. There is some elevation change on many of the holes.

The course has DGA signs, very good, concrete tee pads, and good DGA Mach baskets. In addition, there are multiple pin locations on the majority of the holes. There is water on the course near the practice basket and at the pool.

For a novice rated player, this is, for the most part a great course. Most of the holes are in a good range to allow for many birdie opportunities.

This course is by far the most popular in the Lexington area with lots of people out on most days and tons out on nice days.

Perhaps the biggest con for this course is its setting in a very family oriented park. There are shelters very near the course, picnicers and sunbathers in various places, volleyball and corn hole games going on, plus lots of shirtless, extremely casual players who are ignorant of the rules and disrespectful. You are liable to be waiting on a group of 9 shirtless kids throwing everywhere ahead of you, and when you are finally able to play the hole, the next group behind you may be throwing in on you.

Similarly, there is a through street that is very popular that comes into play on holes 3-5 and 18, and that you have to cross between holes 17 and 18 and 18 and 1. Cars go very fast on this road despite the speed humps, and some cars have hit the tee sings on holes 3 and 4, so be careful.

While the course is a rec course, the front 9 is substantially easier than the back 9. In addition, holes 16-18 are not rec friendly. Hole 18 is both long and especially treacherous as it is a blind, uphill throw with the busy road to the left and a busy train track to the right. These train tracks are the most common place for people to lose discs. The rough is very thick, and it is difficult to find discs that sail in there, especially when they do so out of signt due to the hill.

The most annoying part of the course and what would make it a bit unfriendly to first time players is that the front and back 9s are on opposite sides of the pool. There are no signs directing you to hole 10, but there is a long walk between holes 9 and 10, and the shortest route takes you right over 11's tee pad. The walk between 18 and 1 is also somewhat long and requires you to again cross the busy road.

Another issue for tournament play is that, due to the compactness of the front 9, there is a good deal of fairway interference (even during casual play).

There are plans on the books to redesign Shillito due to a paved walking path that is coming in. This redesign will result in current holes 6, 10, 17, and 18 being eliminated and replaced. It will also affect to a lesser degree holes 7 and 13. The upside of this redesign is that the new 18 hole layout will significantly reduce the long walks and eliminate some of the holes that are most problematic. The new design will make Shillito an even better course than it currently is.

In the big picture, Shillito goes very well with Vets and Riney in giving every level of disc golfer a course that is challenging and enjoyable for them.

Its easy enough for everybody to play on yet fun and challenging for the more experienced player. It is well maintained and is very compact. also its right next to a swimming pool so when you are done you can cool off in the pool. It is a pretty fast moving course as you can get in 18 in around an hour to an hour and a half

Its too close to the roads as I and others have hit many a car. it also can get very packed where you can be backed up all the way around the course.

If you plan on playing this course go earlier in the day as the course wont be as full. rush hour on shilito is around 5:00

Fun course to play, has some variety of shots, and a couple holes play through and into the trees.

All concrete tee pads, plenty of length and in good shape. Mach baskets in good condition. Some tee signs are there, but the map on here is more than adequate to navigate the course. Facilities are adequate, and plenty of parking available right at the course.

The grounds appear to be very well taken care of, no trash or any other visual detriments that I could see.

My memorable holes:
7 - Neat shot up over a rise, then into the trees a little to the pin. Blind pin from the tee, might want to walk it the first time to get an accurate drive.
10 - Hyzer out from the trees along the treeline on the left, to the basket on the edge of the treeline. Nice challege to keep it out of the trees but still place it close to the pin for a deuce putt.
11 - My favorite hole on the course. Slight downhill, through the treeline to the basket on the other side.
16 - Through the tree, up a hill, gentle hyzer.
17 - Long flat hole, but semi tight fairway with some nasty stuff left to avoid.
18 - Across the street from the rest of the course, but long hole up over the hill, around a tower, very neat looking, and tough to judge.

If you'll notice, most of my memorable holes are on the back nine, as it seems much more substantial and better laid out, but the front nine are fun nonetheless.

Very simple course. Most holes are deuce-able by decent throwers. It makes decent use of the available land, but overall is pretty bland.

Signage was not very good. You won't get lost, but the course map on here will save you a lot of time on the course. With it, you can play this course in an hour and a half with light traffic.

My rating of a 3 is based on the fact that the course is very fun, and makes good use of the available land. It could really benefit from reevaluating the hole layout to see if more of the natural topography could be incorporated into the course. Considering it is only 11 years old I would have thought it would be much tougher, especially designed by David Greenwell.

Still a very fun little course, and great way to get a quick 18 in as long as it's not crowded, as this course gets pretty busy in the summer from what I hear. (see map)

Don't get lost looking for ten, you have to walk around the front of the pool to the other side, 10 is along the long treeline, just right of the pavilion.

If you are in Lexington and pressed for time, you can knock this one out pretty quickly. If that is your situation, I suggest hitting it up.

Very open with a lot of opportunities for birdies on the front 9 with a good first shot.

Some of the holes on the back 9 are much longer than the first 9. This may not be a problem for a pro player, but I have difficulty reaching some of the baskets in two shots to set up a par opportunity.

I enjoy playing this course a lot. It has been great to play here while living in Lexington, I am going to miss it when I move down to Florida.

It's not that Shillito is easy exactly; it has some long holes and some tricky shots through and around trees. It's just that if you miss your shot, your disc will probably land in a well-mowed, green field so that you'll have a simple, open recovery shot. Shillito has minimal risk with lots of reward - which can make it really fun.

The course is in a relaxing, well-kept, and well-used park. The tees are good size. The course is reasonably easy to follow; when the new signs are completely installed it will be better. Restrooms are available when the pool is open. Trash cans are easy to find (though not always used). The signs are mostly old an beat up, but are in the process of being updated to reflect the new course layout.

You'll find the first five a little cramped if you have a big arm. If you are new, you may find some of the newer holes a little challenging. Many of the tee signs are broken or defaced (but are being replaced). The front nine (particularly the 4, 7, and 9) can get sloggy when it rains. And a few holes on the tighter front nine run parallel, which can lead to errant throws crossing into the wrong fairway.

The big negative is that this course stays CROWDED. It's popular; that speaks well of the course. But that popularity has meant - on more than one occasion - that I've been stuck behind 4 or 5 groups of 6 or 8 people. Once I got caught behind a group of 14.

I've never seen this course empty, and usually I've seen both serious players and total beginners. That it attracts so many players of such a wide skill level speaks well for the course. If you want a serious challenge, there are a few other courses nearby that'll beat you up and make you better. If you want to enjoy some good disc golf on a lovely day, go visit Shillito.

Shillito is a fun, short course in a nice, well populated park. It is mostly open with a few strategically placed trees and some moderate elevation changes. This is a great course for newer players to learn the game.

The front 9 is short and a decent shot can easily result in a birdie. The back 9 is longer and a bit more challenging.

Some of the holes have two pin placements which seem to really change how some of the holes are played.

There's a walk between the front and back 9. After hole 9, go to the other side of the pool, past 11's pad to find hole 10.

There isn't a good shot variety here. Most all the holes require a hyzer or straight shot.

I believe this was the first course in Lexington and it is what it is; a great beginner course. Veterans Park and Riney B are near by making for a nice variety of courses in the area.

More advanced players will tear this course up. Go to Veterans Park or Riney B if you're looking for a challenge.

***UPDATE 5/5/10***
Some changes have been made to this course since I last played here, so some information in my review could be out of date. I will update it once I play here again.

Shillito is short, but enjoyable. The front 9 starts off with three easy shots, but gets a little trickier with some wooded shots. Hole #7 is my favorite at this course, it is about 320 feet with a well defined fairway. The basket is protected in the edge of the woods making accuracy important, as an errant throw could go into thick schule. The back 9 plays a bit longer and can sometimes be windy - especially the 2 finishing holes which are near the road. The final hole is around 400 feet over a hill. The main obstacle on this hole is an electrical tower, although a busy road comes into play on the left side of the fairway. A shanked drive could go into thick schule on the right, or onto the railroad tracks.

A plus of this course is that it has good basket locations. Many of the baskets are surrounded by several trees - one basket is strategically placed between two large bushes.

Shillito is great for begginers. It is not too challenging and can be played in a little over an hour.

The course could benefit from being longer, even if it was only a couple longer shots. Unfortunately, the layout doesn't allow for much additional length.

Course is usually busy, and there are 2 or 3 holes where you will be throwing parallel to a busy road.

No par 4's here - you will have to go to Veterans Park for that kind of golf.

The location of the course is convenient (easy access, right behind Fayette Mall). There is also a lot of traffic because of this.

Shillito is great place for beginners to learn the game, or for a casual round of golf. I've introduced several people to sport at this course, and they are now regulars.

Veterans Park is within 10 minutes and is a much better option for experienced players.

Kudos to the course designer as the first few holes are challenging, but not too intimidating for the novice. The course gets progressively more challenging on the front 9 and is a good warmup for the back nine which are longer with denser trees.

We had difficulty locating the tee pad for hole number 10 as there were no signs pointing to it.

This a fun course to play and as evidenced by the number of people that regularly play it.

good combo of open fairways with a few percision shots required

other than the fact people are parking on hole #5 no complaints

I can see myself getting hooked on this sport....I am hooked! This is a great activity with little cost.

Mostly open, not much chance of losing discs, though there are strategic trees on many of the holes. There is some use of elevation on a few holes. Most of the signage is intact, and it is easy to find the tees.

Holes 10 and 16 are occasionally rendered unplayable by groups of picnickers and peewee football teams, respectively. The rough on 6, 11, and *especially* 18 is nasty. I don't even bother looking for discs I've thrown deep into the brush on 18 anymore, unless i think they're hit the train tracks. The only thing I ever get is cut up by the brambles and rusty metal fencing. Course can be extremely busy, and there are occasionally large groups of players who either do not know to let smaller groups play through, or flat out refuse (or agree when asked and then continue playing....).

Beginner friendly, a good place to work on drives. The road running through the park is a through street, and I have seen cars hit by errant discs on holes 3 and 18.

Excellent beginner friendly Course that is well maintained by Parks Dept, Course layout allows for a variety of shots. Most holes are short/average length and doesn't present a lot of areas where players have to be concerned with disc loss. About 4 holes present some serious rough. Nice course to learn the game or work on certain skills. Have played it well over 100 times.

Not extremely challenging for Pro & Advance players so the attraction of this course is dependent on the player level and the type of round you want to play.

VERY heavily played course in a busy Park and the Spring/Summer months can cause backups when you can run into groups of 6+ players on multiple holes. People picnicking at the shelters sometimes have a tendency to park in the grass blocking fairways or setup picnic areas near (talking a couple feet) the baskets.

More signage needed alerting other park users of the DG course and the potential danger.

New tee signs needed on many holes.

Nice course, A few holes I really like. Is a great beginner friendly course which every area needs.

I enjoyed some of the holes along the tree line, definitely created a bit more of a challenge. Wasn't crowded at all on a Saturday afternoon. Great upkeep and a nice park. Easy to find the next hole location.

Not very challenging. It was my first full course and I shot 7 under par. Some of the posts are missing the hole lay outs and pars. Too open of a course, I like to go in the woods.

This is a nice warm up course before heading over to Veteran's. I don't know if it'd be my only stop though.

Concrete tees. Decent mix of shots required and good use of available land and a decent mix of elevation. Plenty of ace runs. the possibility of shooting an exceptional round is very good at this course...even if you are from out-of-town.

Some of the baskets were in rough shape. A few throws were dangerously close to roads. Very short until the last 2 holes and those were still not very long. There is a pool in the same park and at times some of the kids might yell at you for a laugh. If you are easily distracted, even in your throwing motion, this can be a con.

Since we were canvassing central Kentucky this was not a bad stop. I wouldn't go out of my way to ever play it again but I might stop by if I am ever in Lexington and want to have a quick round. This course lacked any semblance of memorability. It was well kept and the fairways were well defined. The overall design was basic, but since it is in a public park with a nice pool, it is probably a great way to get youngsters integrated into the sport. When we played this course there was one hole that was playing to a basket different than normal due to some trees being cut down or removed by the parks department. This made things a little confusing.

Great place to practice you "mid" game, well maintained, multiple shot choices on almost every hole

Heavily played during the summer months, front nine has a tndance to flood and have deep standing water for days after rain (1-2 feet deep in several places), located on a heavily traveled road with possibility of hitting cars on 3 holes, run and gun course with very little risk

Open course with a lot of options for shots. Not limited to one certain type of shot on most holes. Well maintained and groomed.

Built around public pool, if you go errant on any shot around the pool you could loose your disc.

Easy on the legs. Not a lot of hills.

This is a great place for a beginner to work on distance and trying out different drives. The holes are very open, and the placement of the trees makes it more about getting around them than through them (unlike nearby Veterans Park). The front 9 are especially friendly to beginners: short, very open, few obstacles. The back 9 are longer and require greater accuracy but still aren't all that difficult.

The place is usually packed with people. During the summer, children are an added hazard. It's also not a course that's going to refine your game all that much. You can play the course with 3 discs.

Fun to play if you have an hour or so to burn, but not a course to play over and over and expect your game to improve.

Open course that I thought may have been a bit boring, however it was packed with players when I visited so it must be very popular. (Unlike the other course in Lexington which I enjoyed much more which had no one playing it) All holes except for the last one were pretty straight forward and on the shorter side as far as most courses go.

Nice tee areas, clean park. Easy to figure out where next hole is located. Not many trees if you like that. Interesting holes.

Not many trees leads to less skill needed on several holes. One hole often as cars parked near fairway and become "hazards."

Players tend to be very friendly. First 9 are all par 3. Back nine have more variety. Play almost every weekend, this course never gets boring.