It's a course.

Signs are not or not good. First hole did not agree with the sing or with the map I downloaded. Crazy walk from some weird parking place to get to the tee pad. Hole 2 the small trees on the left are filled with trash to the extreme...could be dangerous garbage. To many basket in and around picnic benches and play grounds. I played during the week during school hours so I was all by myself.

If my family is picnic-ing here I'd play it again. Otherwise...

Tam O'shanter Park is a recreational/intermediate nine hole course located in the city of Kelso, WA. Just minutes off the freeway, this course is easy to locate and fairly quick to play. Played through a multi-use park, this course plays over grass and through trees making for a relaxed round. This is the type of place to bring families, friends new to the sport, or those looking to practice their skills. Par for the course 27, with holes ranging from 141-502 ft, but averaging closer to 220ft with the exception of hole one. The DGA baskets are in great shape and the tee signs, although basic, help with course navigation. The course plays fairly straight forward with some holes more technical than others due to distance or natural obstacles but most will find the course quite easy.

Favorite Hole(s): Hole #9 - Hyzer over the water toward a cluster of trees with a pin tucked in the middle of them. A building near the water's edge adds another element of danger off the tee. It is the only hole with real risk/reward.

The course layout just doesn't flow well here. Hole one is way out of the way from the parking lot and nine doesn't loop back toward the start. Although it makes most park near four to save time a good layout wouldn't need this. They should have a kiosk with a course map and ample room near the first hole or at least closer than a ¼ mile like this one.

Some of the OB's can be quite treacherous as well. The fence line near holes two and four and water on nine can be disastrous to those who lack control and therefore there will be players who lose discs which is never fun.

Last, the cousre can be quite congested making it near impossible to play an entire round. There are multiple ball fields, picnic shelters, and a playground, making this park very popular during certain times of the year.

Least Favorite Hole(s): Hole #1 - 502 ft of open field making a birdie literally impossible unless you have an arm like Avery Jenkins. There are zero obstacles in the way and is in the furtherst part of the park 1/4 mile from the parking lot.

I stopped here with my buddy on our way down to Eugene from Seattle and it was the perfect place to stop, stretch the legs, and have a little fun. Although this wasn't a top tier course in the Pacific Northwest it did meet the need for those looking for a quick round when traveling along I-5 (Similar to Twin Cedars, Leverich, Pekin Ferry, and Paradise Point). While there, I managed to watch my buddy hit an ace on hole #9 by throwing lefty with a huge anhyzer over the water, skipping on top of the building then hitting the generator on the roof before hyzering into the basket. I wouldn't have believed it unless I'd seen it as it was truly the luckiest ace I've seen to date! We both had a good laugh, threw a high five, and then got back in the car. Good times!

Tam O'shanter is a course laid out in the open fields of a park with other activities present as well. The course is easy to follow and is friendly towards families, newer players and anyone who hates obstacles getting in their way. The course is a breeze to play on as you are walking through nicely kept green grass. This is located right off of the freeway and easy to get a few holes in coming to or from Seattle or Portland.

With the exception of a few trees most of the holes are wide open and holes five and six are completely open and boring. luckily none of the holes are over 300 feet so at least you don't have throw multiple boring drives to complete the holes here.

The walkouts and course layout is a bit screwy. After hole one you walk to hole two and after three you walk across the street to hole four and after five there is another walk to hole six. When you're done with your nine holes it's time to walk a third of a mile or so back to your car.

I make the trip to Portland from Seattle a few times a year to play courses and it is so nice to have this course and the one North of it in Castle Rock as little leg stretchers. I also use Leverich down south in this way as well. With its terrible flow this little nine hole course actually takes much longer than your standard nine hole pitch and putt so keep that in mind.