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St Joseph DGC reviews
9
0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
10.3 years
659 played
639 reviews
One Awesome Hole 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 17, 2018
Played the course:once
Pros:
(2.548 Rating) A lightly wooded city park course that's fun to play and walk.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - Without question its hole (9). As of this review, I have it on my list of all-time favorite holes at right around 100th place. A thirty foot down shot along a gorging headwater spring. The play is also a tunnel shot requiring a well-executed shaped shot. Anyone who rings up the chains on this hole has likely had their all-time favorite ace.
- ACEABILITY - Lots of obstacle free 250 foot gets out here. Also a few light technical shots that are under 200 feet on holes (4), (12) and (15). Players are probably twice as likely ring-em up twice as often compared to the typical 18 hole course.
- CHAINS - All 18 DISCatchers were in great condition on my round.
- NAVIGATION - I decided not to download the map before coming and then upon arriving there was none posted at the new community board. There are no navigational cues. I completely relied upon the numbered baskets, simple hole signage, intuitive paths and seeing the next tee post. My intuitive guessing was apparently just on this day or I got lucky. Either way, I personally had no problem following the layout blind despite all the navigational omissions. The map on DGCR appears accurate upon my inspection after the round.
- RECREATIONAL FRIENDLY - This is a total feel good course. The lines are wide and forgiving. Water is only in play twice, but it's a shallow clean water creek that I'd have no problem jumping in to grab a disc. I personally threw up 11 birdies with two turkey runs. This course would also be great for beginners and families.
- QUICK PLAY - For an 18 hole course, this should play fairly quick. Figure 45 minutes to an hour for a solo and 90 to 120 minutes for a foursome.
- MAINTENANCE - The grounds were in great shape on my play.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - Without question its hole (9). As of this review, I have it on my list of all-time favorite holes at right around 100th place. A thirty foot down shot along a gorging headwater spring. The play is also a tunnel shot requiring a well-executed shaped shot. Anyone who rings up the chains on this hole has likely had their all-time favorite ace.
- ACEABILITY - Lots of obstacle free 250 foot gets out here. Also a few light technical shots that are under 200 feet on holes (4), (12) and (15). Players are probably twice as likely ring-em up twice as often compared to the typical 18 hole course.
- CHAINS - All 18 DISCatchers were in great condition on my round.
- NAVIGATION - I decided not to download the map before coming and then upon arriving there was none posted at the new community board. There are no navigational cues. I completely relied upon the numbered baskets, simple hole signage, intuitive paths and seeing the next tee post. My intuitive guessing was apparently just on this day or I got lucky. Either way, I personally had no problem following the layout blind despite all the navigational omissions. The map on DGCR appears accurate upon my inspection after the round.
- RECREATIONAL FRIENDLY - This is a total feel good course. The lines are wide and forgiving. Water is only in play twice, but it's a shallow clean water creek that I'd have no problem jumping in to grab a disc. I personally threw up 11 birdies with two turkey runs. This course would also be great for beginners and families.
- QUICK PLAY - For an 18 hole course, this should play fairly quick. Figure 45 minutes to an hour for a solo and 90 to 120 minutes for a foursome.
- MAINTENANCE - The grounds were in great shape on my play.
Cons:
A fun average course with a few of the typical city park problems.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - I think the listing of moderately wooded for this course is a bit generous and it inflates the difficulty factor. At a recent tourney in June 2018, a 54 was netting an 856 rating. Thus this course is kind of tweener between Recreational and Novice level. Way too many short obstacle free shots for my preference.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - A few obvious hazards. Hole (2) plays blind around a building. Hole (11s) best route is down a park road and next to a playground area. Hole (12) and (13) plays along and across a park road. Hole (17) plays adjacent to a baseball field fence.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - This park has enough exotic terrain to deliver a higher rated course. Only hole (9) and pro (11) use the 30 foot ridge. Only two holes are fully cut into the woods, (4) and (9). There's a frigg'n unused cave feature! Seriously, how did they miss that?
- TEES - Too small but at least they are concrete. They are 4 feet by 8 feet.
- CHARACTER - Other than nice baskets and sub-par tees, the disc golf related amenities are lacking. No seating other than at hole (1). The hole signage is simple being just a number, par and distance. A few do have a diagrammatic line for fairway direction. Five holes, according to the scorecard, are supposed to have multi-tees, but I only observed hole (3). I know I missed pro (11) due the picture on this site. No alternate basket locations are listed but I stumbled upon one on (10). There's a practice basket near tee (1) and there are free scorecards. Also, lots of shelters in the park with picnic tables and a restroom facility.
- UNIQUENESS - There's an ok variety in hole types here, but there are far too many featureless and light obstacle shots. I only felt challenged to hit the lines on (5), (9), (11) and (12). The last two because of the water. Hole (1) thru (3) have zero trees. The remainder were generally wide or with undefined lanes requiring simple movement.
- PARKING - Gravel and fairly small. I could see a busy day causing issues.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - I think the listing of moderately wooded for this course is a bit generous and it inflates the difficulty factor. At a recent tourney in June 2018, a 54 was netting an 856 rating. Thus this course is kind of tweener between Recreational and Novice level. Way too many short obstacle free shots for my preference.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - A few obvious hazards. Hole (2) plays blind around a building. Hole (11s) best route is down a park road and next to a playground area. Hole (12) and (13) plays along and across a park road. Hole (17) plays adjacent to a baseball field fence.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - This park has enough exotic terrain to deliver a higher rated course. Only hole (9) and pro (11) use the 30 foot ridge. Only two holes are fully cut into the woods, (4) and (9). There's a frigg'n unused cave feature! Seriously, how did they miss that?
- TEES - Too small but at least they are concrete. They are 4 feet by 8 feet.
- CHARACTER - Other than nice baskets and sub-par tees, the disc golf related amenities are lacking. No seating other than at hole (1). The hole signage is simple being just a number, par and distance. A few do have a diagrammatic line for fairway direction. Five holes, according to the scorecard, are supposed to have multi-tees, but I only observed hole (3). I know I missed pro (11) due the picture on this site. No alternate basket locations are listed but I stumbled upon one on (10). There's a practice basket near tee (1) and there are free scorecards. Also, lots of shelters in the park with picnic tables and a restroom facility.
- UNIQUENESS - There's an ok variety in hole types here, but there are far too many featureless and light obstacle shots. I only felt challenged to hit the lines on (5), (9), (11) and (12). The last two because of the water. Hole (1) thru (3) have zero trees. The remainder were generally wide or with undefined lanes requiring simple movement.
- PARKING - Gravel and fairly small. I could see a busy day causing issues.
Other Thoughts:
A recreational delight for sure and I'm sure the locals love playing here. If I lived in town I'd happily play here every day. However, for traveling skilled intermediate players and above, St Joseph doesn't really have much over any other city park course. I'm glad I played St. Joseph's however. Hole (9) by itself is a reason to stray here once.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Although there are a bunch of featureless holes, the course as a whole I'd grade about average with the before mentioned hole (9) picking up the slack.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Although there are a bunch of featureless holes, the course as a whole I'd grade about average with the before mentioned hole (9) picking up the slack.
7
1
May have been better as a 9-hole 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Nov 27, 2016
Played the course:once
Pros:
18 Discatcher baskets
Concrete teepads
Signage
Hole 9 signature hole!
Beautiful scenery.
Good beginner course if a beginner skips hole 9.
Great addition by the local park dept. in such a small town (similar to the size of town where I grew up).
Concrete teepads
Signage
Hole 9 signature hole!
Beautiful scenery.
Good beginner course if a beginner skips hole 9.
Great addition by the local park dept. in such a small town (similar to the size of town where I grew up).
Cons:
Teepads are too small.
Course design is pretty poor. Wide open holes have no obstacles. Safety issues throwing over walking trails and park roads often.
Course design is pretty poor. Wide open holes have no obstacles. Safety issues throwing over walking trails and park roads often.
Other Thoughts:
I was bored with this course until I got to Hole 9. Awesome hole! It may be a little rough for a beginner (which I figured this course was designed for). 9, long 10, 11, and 12 felt like a real disc golf course. A lot of fun.
This course may have been way better as a 9-hole course for the amount of available space the park had available.
This course may have been way better as a 9-hole course for the amount of available space the park had available.
6
1
2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 19, 2017
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Good mixture of open and wooded holes, with a mixture of distances, from the mid-low 300s all the way down to a 170ish foot tunnel. A fair mix of left turns and right, at least on holes that favor one or other, so not a NASCAR course. A clear creek is in play on two holes. Elevation adds interest to several holes, most notably hole 9, a beautiful, slightly curving downhill shot through trees along a gulley: definitely one of the more memorable holes I've ever played.
Concrete tees, and tee signs identifying hole number and distance (as well as indicating which are pro tees). New Discatchers, including a practice basket.
Beautiful, well-kept city park, and as mentioned above, the water is clear.
Would make a quality beginner course: yeah, they'd be playing pinball on 9, but this course is otherwise very beginner-friendly, and still introduces various challenges common to the game in manageable doses. Given as this was probably a fair chunk of the design goal, I suppose I ought commend Casey and the city.
Concrete tees, and tee signs identifying hole number and distance (as well as indicating which are pro tees). New Discatchers, including a practice basket.
Beautiful, well-kept city park, and as mentioned above, the water is clear.
Would make a quality beginner course: yeah, they'd be playing pinball on 9, but this course is otherwise very beginner-friendly, and still introduces various challenges common to the game in manageable doses. Given as this was probably a fair chunk of the design goal, I suppose I ought commend Casey and the city.
Cons:
If you're looking for some long holes, you're going to be disappointed, and the medium lengths are almost all relatively open holes - not all fields, but nothing too tight.
Getting down into the ditch (and then climbing back out) on 9 can be hairy - and necessary.
Tee signs do not indicate OB (not all of which is obvious), water (some of which - the outflow from the water facility - is surprisingly casual), obstacles/foliage, etc. Additionally, some have experienced... structural issues.
Cars (well, trucks mostly) occasionally park dead center of the fairway on 14, despite the actual parking lot right up the road.
Getting down into the ditch (and then climbing back out) on 9 can be hairy - and necessary.
Tee signs do not indicate OB (not all of which is obvious), water (some of which - the outflow from the water facility - is surprisingly casual), obstacles/foliage, etc. Additionally, some have experienced... structural issues.
Cars (well, trucks mostly) occasionally park dead center of the fairway on 14, despite the actual parking lot right up the road.
Other Thoughts:
This has been said elsewhere, but mind the walking track and the playground (and the ball field if in use).
7 was blind, but there is now a big arrow on a tree right before and to the right of the basket. While we're discussing 7, that green was made to roll discs away, more even than the grade would suggest.
7 was blind, but there is now a big arrow on a tree right before and to the right of the basket. While we're discussing 7, that green was made to roll discs away, more even than the grade would suggest.
