The River Course reviews
14
0
lots of potential, lots of problems 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Feb 26, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
-brand new discatchers
-tee signs on most holes but distances are a little off
-some really fun shots with elevation and the Chattahoochee River in play
-uses the water well to create danger for RH hyzers
-beautiful park with walking paths, a zip line, aerial obstacle course, and great views of the river
-tee signs on most holes but distances are a little off
-some really fun shots with elevation and the Chattahoochee River in play
-uses the water well to create danger for RH hyzers
-beautiful park with walking paths, a zip line, aerial obstacle course, and great views of the river
Cons:
-there are a number of really unsafe holes
-holes 1 and 2 criss-cross each other
-holes 1 and 18 criss-cross each other
-holes 1, 6-8, and 10-16 have a well-used pedestrian path in play
-obstacle course and zip line in play on hole 8
-park users along the waters edge can be in play on half the holes
-a few holes, especially 8, don't have reasonable lines through the fairway
-tees for 4, 5, and 18 are not obvious at first; the tees are marked by paint on the rock
-many tees are on slanted ground where footing is an issue and downright dangerous in wet conditions
-disc retrieval is possible but difficult in most areas; clear water but steep shorelines with deep mud
-almost no parking nearby except private lots
-checking in a Whitewater Express is a pain, i didn't and wouldn't ever if i lived nearby and played often
-holes 1 and 2 criss-cross each other
-holes 1 and 18 criss-cross each other
-holes 1, 6-8, and 10-16 have a well-used pedestrian path in play
-obstacle course and zip line in play on hole 8
-park users along the waters edge can be in play on half the holes
-a few holes, especially 8, don't have reasonable lines through the fairway
-tees for 4, 5, and 18 are not obvious at first; the tees are marked by paint on the rock
-many tees are on slanted ground where footing is an issue and downright dangerous in wet conditions
-disc retrieval is possible but difficult in most areas; clear water but steep shorelines with deep mud
-almost no parking nearby except private lots
-checking in a Whitewater Express is a pain, i didn't and wouldn't ever if i lived nearby and played often
Other Thoughts:
This course has some really fun holes with the water in play and takes advantage of some great elevation changes. The river is scenic and the park is mostly pretty clean and pleasant. It's really close to the downtowns of Columbus and Phenix City.
While the land has some great features, I'm not actually sure this is the best place for a disc golf course. The park is very narrow, being bounded by the river and the edge of the park, and is full of pedestrian on the walking path and along the water's edge. The walking path extends through the length of the park and is in play on at least half the holes. I feel like it is only a matter of time before someone gets hit with a disc out here.
This design is a classic example of the "must have 18 holes" mentality. Not only is it obvious in the design but one of the co-designers literally said it to me. I prefer a course to have a number of holes that is a multiple of 3 but this park should only have about 12-15 holes. Otherwise you are going to have some very short pitch and putt holes or the safety nightmare that the course is currently. Personally, I think they should scrap holes 1, 8, and 11 and either scrap or redesign holes 14 and 15 so that they don't play straight down the pedestrian path.
I also thought some of the holes had tees in places that were not the best location, both for safety and for framing a good, reasonable tee shot. Hole 8 is a great example of a poor tee for both those reasons and is really just an all around poorly designed and dangerous hole. The rock tees on 4, 5, and 18 offer some pretty scary footing and tee 17 was also pretty intimidating in wet conditions.
All that said, there are some really fun holes like 5 and 18 in particular but I also liked 10 and 12. I think it's possible to have a really solid and fun 12 holes that don't pose a threat to other park users. Unfortunately, that advice is probably not likely to be heeded. Coming up with a number for the rating was tough but I felt the cons outweighed the pros here. Worth playing if you're in town but Flat Rock Park is an immensely better course if you have the time to make it over there.
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While the land has some great features, I'm not actually sure this is the best place for a disc golf course. The park is very narrow, being bounded by the river and the edge of the park, and is full of pedestrian on the walking path and along the water's edge. The walking path extends through the length of the park and is in play on at least half the holes. I feel like it is only a matter of time before someone gets hit with a disc out here.
This design is a classic example of the "must have 18 holes" mentality. Not only is it obvious in the design but one of the co-designers literally said it to me. I prefer a course to have a number of holes that is a multiple of 3 but this park should only have about 12-15 holes. Otherwise you are going to have some very short pitch and putt holes or the safety nightmare that the course is currently. Personally, I think they should scrap holes 1, 8, and 11 and either scrap or redesign holes 14 and 15 so that they don't play straight down the pedestrian path.
I also thought some of the holes had tees in places that were not the best location, both for safety and for framing a good, reasonable tee shot. Hole 8 is a great example of a poor tee for both those reasons and is really just an all around poorly designed and dangerous hole. The rock tees on 4, 5, and 18 offer some pretty scary footing and tee 17 was also pretty intimidating in wet conditions.
All that said, there are some really fun holes like 5 and 18 in particular but I also liked 10 and 12. I think it's possible to have a really solid and fun 12 holes that don't pose a threat to other park users. Unfortunately, that advice is probably not likely to be heeded. Coming up with a number for the rating was tough but I felt the cons outweighed the pros here. Worth playing if you're in town but Flat Rock Park is an immensely better course if you have the time to make it over there.
**Like this review? Hate it? Message me and let me know why! I want to make them better!**
