Whenever you play a college course , first you don't know if you are able to get on the course ( Like U of FL not allowing you on Lake Wauburg ) , and many times , the course isn't all that good . This course looks more non college-friendly and is a good course , too . USF Riverfront Park has plenty of parking at the entrance to the park . There is a large bathroom near there that is also the left of the fairway to #18 . The cement tee pads are solid but short ( maybe 3 1/2 ' X 7' ? ) , the signage is informative with hole # par, distance and flight path . The baskets are yellow Discatchers that catch very well . A putting basket can be found on the right of the parking lot . There are multiple pin positions for the holes . There are some benches and trash cans scattered throughout the course , along with a couple of pavilions down near holes 1 & 2 . The course was mowed and the grounds look well kept . The course flows pretty easy , but know that you have to turn about face to get to the #10 tee from the 9 basket , and the long walk out of the pathway to the 18 tee pad . The course plays more technical than open . The most open holes are 1-4 and #18 . 5-9 have some open spots to them , but you are going to have to rely on some shot shaping for them . Holes 10-17 play along a pathway and are very narrow . The rough is magnified here and some of the baskets hide either to the right or left of the path . This back 9 are going to be tough on newbies or players that can't throw on a straight line .Make no mistake , this course is not suited for tournaments , but it is a good fun course . It plays very flat , and it is a fast round if playing off peak , but the course can get crowded in the evening . A lot of students must use this course to blow off a little steam , and the locals populate the course a lot . I went past at least 2 groups of 4 men and an eight-some while playing . It took me about an hour solo during a Thursday evening . Signature hole : #14 ( 234' ) . The tee pad is hidden to the deep right of the path and throws across it between two 2 X 2 of trees . You may want to give the basket area a look . There is some standing water directly in front of the basket to add to the challenge .

I don't wish to slam this course because for a college park that is lax on throwing enthusiast off , I already like it , but ,,,, #1 Safety . There are pavilions near the first couple of holes , and some of the people are likely to spill out onto the fairways . Use good judgement . getting to #18 tee pad from the 17 basket forces you to cross fairways. Be aware because it is a long walk . Same with the hole #18 fairway , with the parking lot on your right and the bathrooms down on the left . You could easily let go of your drive when someone is walking out and tag them with your driver ( hey , it's the longest hole ) . #2 The elements . They say that since the Hillsborough river water down on the right of #2 fairway can flood after long sustained rains , it can eat up not only that fairway , but the tee pads to 3 & 5 and the basket to 4 . The rough her can be very thick and unforgiving . It can come into play some on the first 9 holes , but since the pathways are thin , it is really pronounced on the right and left of the 10-17 fairways . Watch your drives closely or take turns spotting for each other Disc Risk : You really have to make an error to dump it into water here , but the heavy growth can make your disc disappear I would say it is medium . . #3. Bring bug spray . being close to the woods and the water will bring these bloodsuckers out in droves . The tee pads are smallish , but , unless they add some pavers,,,, we all can deal with it .

This course is both popular and technical . Leave your big arm in the car and get ready to shot shape . It will also be a good possibility that big groups of both students and locals will be playing here and are friendly , most letting you play through . Bring your patience . The campus police have been pretty nice about letting outsiders onto this course . The course is short at 5097' , but it has variety and fun in a fairly nice looking park . Thank You , USF for letting me play one your course . My Recommendation : Great for students , even locals . Good technical shot shaping for the better players . Just off of I-75 and can be coupled with 22nd Street or Showmen's , so good for travelers, especially for those heading toward the Clearwater Beach Area and needing a stretch . I wouldn't totally endorse it , but I would tell you to think hard about giving this course a play .

The course is very well organized and maintained. The route sticks to the outer edges so there is little interference if anyone is using the ropes course or pavilions. The signage provides clear directions but the back 9 can be tricky to find if you don't know to walk I to the woods after hole 9. Once you look down the road, the tee for 10 states right in your face.
The course has concrete tee pads and quality baskets.

I know it's Florida but being a riverfront Park still overly influences the amount of water on the course. The front 5 are easily flooded out after some good rain.
The tee pads are quite a bit shorter than most courses.

Overall a quality course with excellent maintenance. A solid course for an both an avid player or a beginner.

The USF riverfront course is more challenging than that is presented on paper. At around 5000 feet long, the par 54 course will require precision not power.
- The 18 hole layout and uniqueness of the holes is better than your average course. The layout starts fairly open on holes 1 thru 4. Holes 5-9 have slightly more vegetative obstacles. Holes 10-17 are heavily wooded and are all tunnel fairways. The last hole, concludes with a fairly open shot at a course long, 385 feet. Hole types include, water obstacles, pockets left and right, slight dogleg benders, blind shots and plenty of tight tree gaps to hit.
- The course provides a fair amount of disc golf character items. There are several picnic tables placed along the layout for some good chill areas, adequate hole signage, several holes have multiple pin placements (great for a return visit or for regulars) shaded concrete tees, good heavy chains on the basket, public restrooms, shelters and a practice area with basket.
- The raw beauty of the course I find above average as well. The last time I played I saw a heard of white tail deer.

There are several concerning items with the riverfront course.
- The course spacing has a few substantial flaws. Holes 1, 2 and 3 play around a big picnic shelter. On weekends this is almost always occupied by large non disc golf groups and lots of young kids will be running around oblivious to the game. I've had to wait several minutes before and have sometimes even skipped a hole or two to avoid the perils of nailing a kid.
-- Due to the proximity of the Hillsborough River, hole 4 basket and hole 5 tee will flood for extended period of time during the rainy season.
-- Another spacing issue, after finishing hole 17, you will have to cross 9 and 10 fairway on the way to 18 tee, please be cautious on your journey, which is a 1000 feet away.
-- The last spacing issue is hole 18 itself, which is a head scratcher. The one somewhat long hole, splits the parking lot on the right (I have seen cars hit) and the restrooms on the left (I have hit the building)
- As mentioned before as a pro, concrete tees. However they are 8 feet in length and 4' wide. I hope this practice ends as I find gravel and dirt tees are sometimes better.
- Drainage on the course is another major issue as the course is almost entirely flat except for hole 18. I advise checking the recent rainfall totals before venturing out here. The course conditions are consistently poor from the middle to the end of the summer rainy season.
- The overgrowth and fairway tightness can be quite frustrating to the player without accuracy. It is very similar to nearby courses Picnic Island (Tampa) and Maximo Park (St. Pete) if you've played those courses and don't like them, you won't like this course either.

In all, an average to slightly above average course. If you like the shorter technical courses, you'll enjoy this one. If your prefer to see if your bomb flexes out beyond 400 feet, check out 22nd Street Park in Tampa instead.

Very nice park setting. Front nine winds around a semi-open area, making good use of trees and staying outside picnic areas. Back nine is a little more wooded, including many palmettos, but still has well-defined super cool fairways. Good flow/easily navigated. Not overly long for this old man's arm, so nailing your line gives birdie opportunities. That makes for a good fun vs. frustration ratio. Decent shot variety, helped by two pin placements on quite a few holes and good signs describing the hole layouts. Baskets getting older, but are in fine shape. Excellent drainage for being so flat and close to the river, never had a standing water issue. However, when the river rises, 4's basket and 5's tee can be submerged. Great local solution: play 4 to basket #2 and use teepad #3 on hole 5.

I'm giving extremely small deductions for these cons, but they added up to a point way from perfect. Concrete tees are a little short and several lack much room for run-up(otherwise in good shape). Pro players would likely want greater distance. There are picnic tables near quite a few holes, but I suppose you can nitpick for benches, bag hangers, trash cans. No elevation to speak of, but hey, it's FL. Which reminds me: bring bug spray in hot weather.

This is a fabulous park for being so close to Tampa. The Hillsborough River is beautiful here, close to holes 1-5, but not really in play. Hole 14 has a small water hazard to the left of the fairway that I didn't expect, so beware fading left just short of the basket. The "USF-only" rule doesn't seem to be enforced here, but I haven't played here enough to say that conclusively. It's worth a try to play this gem of a course.

Combination of deep woods and trees, with some water elements, as well as a few hills. Great tee blocks and baskets. Now they have a few alternate pin placements (10) that are very challenging if you have not played it in a while. Print the map from online just as a guide, but overall very easy to navigate.

A little muddy down by the water but that is to be expected. I would recommend to wear a nice shoe with good treat or you will miss a par put like I did and try and blame it on the mud.

Very friendly and helpful group of guys out there who gave us some tips and invited us back every Sunday. I have only played 3 courses, but I sure do love this one the best!

Fun, typical Florida Gulf Coast style course, that starts out mostly open by a nice river, meanders into some tighter areas, heads into some light woods, and finishes with a bomb throw.

One set of decent concrete tees, tee signs with hole layouts indicating new alt pin placements, and decent enough baskets make for good times.

The course is very easy to navigate, and flows well, except for the walk between 17 to 18.

The course has a huge fun factor, with plenty of route options, but may be a little short for the big guns.

Plenty of benches, picnic tables, garbage cans, pavilions, restrooms etc also enhance the experience.

Not much to complain about here. The course may be a little short for some. Some of the tee pads are eroded around the edges and could use a little build up.

The park is multi-use with nondg'ers moving around on the course doing their own things.

A solid, fun course. Signs say that the park is for USF staff, students, and their families to enjoy, and the local police do roll through the parking lot, but as long as you play it cool and act like you belong there, you shouldn't have a problem. Not a must play course, but definitely a should play!

Yet another one of those "tale of two nines" courses. The first one is more open and the second is more wooded, though both feature low scrub as the primary obstacle. On paper, I would assume that the wooded section was the better of the two, though on this course it is the open section that I enjoyed more. The reason is that the first five play around the river, which doesn't impact the course to a great extent and they aren't the most challenging holes, but there is a lot to like. The 1 pin is nicely placed on the bank. 2 runs parallel to the river, and its probably the best of the bunch. While 3 backs up to the river, the basket 4 is back on the edge of the water.

I also like how the scrub affects the mostly open holes and forces shot shaping. This is most evident on 6 through 8. Though more open, the scrub is just as difficult as that in the first few holes of the wooded nine. There is a solid variety of lines to throw and there's a fun factor present.

That said, I don't mean to slight the back nine. The first bunch of holes there offer some varied scenery to go with similarly-difficult, intermediate-level throws. Really there are just more trees around and it's a little more punishing to off-target drives, even if the fairways aren't any more difficult.

The last set of holes here represents one of my least favorite types of holes. They play along a trail that existed prior to the course's construction and which is still in use. The tee for this type of hole is usally set to the side of the trail as is the basket. This trail is fairly wide and it does make a solid fairway, but I just hate holes like this. It doesn't feel like a disc golf hole, if that makes any sense. It feels tacked on. But your mileage may vary with these.

I'm also not the biggest fan of 18. It really needs at least one next tee arrow as there are two paths that lead away from the seventeenth green. Then it's a long walk which feels out of place on the course, making you feel as if you chose the wrong path. The tee is back on the field where the course began, and the hole is a bit underwhelming. It should play to where the practice basket is, on top of a mound. It would be much more finale.

-Ace runs. This course can be difficult at times but there are a lot of fun ace runs! You still have to hit your lines but there are definite possibilities.
-Distance. I think this course is a good intermediate distance course. I think there is only one hole over 330' and only 3 over 300'. Very fun, definitely not pitch and putt.
-Variety. The front 9 is open and the back 9 is wooded making this a very fun course giving you a change of scenery.
-Finesse. The back 9 of this course is short but can still be very punishing if you aren't careful. Hole 15' is a 275-300'ish hole that has maybe an 8' fairway, you definitely have to throw accurate or you will struggle to par.
-Difficulty. This course is a ton of fun and I think the front 9 is unbelievably fun for beginners. If you are a more advanced player it will definitely show on your score, we have some locals who throw -11, but beginners will be able to throw their first birdies here.
-Florida scenery. This course has a definite Florida feel. Three of the first four holes play by the Hillsborough River. However, if you are wise you shouldn't have any problems of losing a disc. There are also palm trees which makes it fun for out-of-towners.

-OTHER PARK TRAFFIC. Make sure you do not come to this course on holidays, meaning times when they would have events for college students. They very often rent this course out to USF student organizations and they will have parties making 1-9 completely unplayable. The park is also closed whenever USF is closed. So this course is very fun if you get to play it, but there is a chance that it will be bombarded. I suggest calling USF and finding out first.
-Summer. This course gets muggy and dominated by mosquitos in the summer. It is also very prone to flooding.
-Palmettos. This course has saw palmettos all over the back 9, if you go in the woods, you will definitely lose some skin.
-Signs. They aren't accurate.
-Disc traffic. Some of the fairways have overlap so you should be careful that there isn't another disc golfer playing there.

If you catch this course at the right time it is a ton of fun, you will definitely enjoy it. However, if you come on a busy day it isn't even worth visiting. I gave this course a 3 for the days that I was on the course by myself. If I were including the chance that you won't get the full experience I would give it a 2.

Very clean course with good signage. There is a huge difference between the front 9(open) and back 9(wooded). I love this because it is an easy play for amatuer players and with its tight lines can still be a challenge for advanced players

Its not a very lengthy course, so big arms might have to hold back a little. You also have to be careful on the first for holes. Dependant upon the time of day there are a lot of non dgers walking through.

* Large amount of variety! Front and back nine are completely different!
* Signs are clear, pads are nice, and the course follows a good logical flow (other than 18)
* Good shot shaping is needed, especially on the back nine, I found myself considering all my throws.
* Scenery is gorgeous if you like river and woods.
* Huge fun factor. Course has many holes that can be birdied with well designed shots.
* Course was very well maintained in a nice area.
* Baskets are logically placed for maximum challenge.

* Because this park is for USF students, it is important, (if you are not,) to be on your best behavior. They have every right to ask you to leave if you are not a student or have not been invited by one. Essentially, do the right thing, don't litter, be respectful, and you will probably be fine.
* Hole 18 is quite far away from 17....It is located in the same open field as 1 to 9.
* I'm a Florida guy, and am familiar with the swampy areas and love them. BUT! do bring insect repellant. Do not expect the mosquitoes not to be around. They will be there, and I would assume will consider you a wonderful friend for entering their domain.

This is an easy to locate course that is property of USF (see above) The front nine plays in a reasonably open area near the beautiful Hillsborough River. Trees and scrub palmetto are used to make the front nine moderately challenging. The back is very tight, with curving tunnel shots, trees and more palmetto. the distances aren't too long, and other than 18, most holes played 220 to 290. Nonetheless, it was a very fun course to play that echoed some of the better technical courses in the area. The park is full of other activities, such as fishing, wall climbing and canoeing. The front nine is very exposed to other park activities, so watch where you throw. There is an active Sunday handicap, and this is definitely a course that I hope to play frequently.

-Concrete Tee's, Signs w/distance,
-Very enjoyable scenery. The moss draped trees and the lake on the front nine, and the Back nine walks through the woods. The back 9 is like a wooded walking trail.
-Excellent Variety of Shots. The Front is easier, more open field with trees to work around and some water to avoid. The back 9 is a lot more technical, Narrow fairways, with doglegs and guarded baskets.
-The Front 9 is very beginner friendly, while the back 9 may be more frustrating to newcomers, it's not terribly difficult. I was able to recover from a few deflected shots, with a decent approach shot. (No tree love today)
-Very clean and well maintained. Garbage cans located throughout the course. Restrooms located near the start/finish
-Good balance of right, left approaches, doglegs, as well as a straight ahead shots. 16 is the Ace Race basket coming in at 191ft
-One could easily get in a quick 9 round.
-Outside of a couple of places, navigation was easy and self-explanatory. .
-Maps are available at the Boat House.
-Has a Good fun factor, and the back 9 is technical and challenging.
-Other activities on site as well

-Here is the big one; This park is for USF students only! *See first paragraph in Other
-The front 9 primarily, could be unplayable if there are a lot of people using the park. When I played, it was dead, but I could see this park being extremely busy and unplayable on certain weekends.
-There are a number of times when the fairways play close to each other, and a couple of fairway crossings! After you finish 17, you'll follow the path out in front of the 10th Teepad. Then you follow that back up, to where the path crosses the 9th fairway, near the basket. So heads up.
-This may be on the park's map, but... just know that to get to 18, you have to backtrack out by crossing 10's teepad, down the trail, across the 9th fairway and the teepad will be on the other side of the white storage on your right. (Solely a first time only issue. I used an outdated map)
-The Front 9 and the 18th fairway all play around a common area. This is subject to any number of park activities. It would also behoove the park to put up "Beware of Flying Discs" signs throughout the park.

First order: I spoke with the lady in charge today and asked her about a Visitor Fee. She said "There is no fee; you must be escorted with a USF Student, Faculty, or Staff member." She then said "They don't check Id's all that often, BUT!!! ...if you give them ANY reason to, they will!" If you don't have a school ID or you are not the guest of someone with an ID, they will escort you out. ...if you give them a reason to check you for an ID!

The front 9 plays more like a rec course, but it does have a very nice setup. It made me think of the 22nd street course in Tampa. The back 9, on the other hand, was totally different. It was more challenging, with more tight technical shots. I'd almost classify as two 9 hole courses that play back to back. Just because they are so completely different.

I had a really good time here, and it is a lot of fun to play. If you can, check this course out! I wouldn't consider it a destination course by any mean, but it is a fun course! The good news is, it's not very far from I-75. If it was closer to where I lived, and it wasn't a "USF Only" course, I'd definitely frequent it.

Nice park with along the river and swamp. Great tour of the local flora and fauna, probably some reptiles in the warmer months.

Holes were all manageable lengths, and would be a very beginner friendly course.

Nice tee signs on every hole, concrete pads on every hole.

Tee pads seem a little short, I had to shorten my run up on a few holes.

Tee pad for hole 5 is dangerously close to the hole 4 basket, especially considering the best line is a skip hyzer shot that goes directly towards the pad.

Navigation between hole 17 and 18 causes you to walk across the 10th and then 9th fairway. Could be dangerous on busy days.

Hole 18 basket is way to close to the throwing line for hole 1, and unnecessarily so. The 18 basket should be where the practice basket is.

Really enjoyable round! There were plenty of other DG'ers around to follow, so navigating the course was really easy. No long holes, so this one was really friendly for a noodle arm like me. I was able to birdie several holes on my first round.

I liked the course so much I played it twice! I imagine this course could be an entirely different experience in the summer/rainy months. I played the course in January, and it was 80 degrees outside and relatively dry. Heat and rain/standing water could really add some difficulty to this course.

nice baskets. good variety of shots. front 9 is laid back while back 9 gets a bit techy.

pads are terrible here. watch out for gators in the river. navigating from hole to hole on the back 9 is a little tough

you must either be a student of usf or be with a student to play here. they do not check upon entering but occasionally they will ride around the course and ask for student ids from what ive heard.

Scenery is great, felt right at home here in central Florida. Tee pads are in good shape (concrete) and signage is very helpful. Course has a great natural flow that makes it very easy to locate the hole for the most part. River was very high at the time we played, putting it within 20 feet of one basket. Definitely a challenge and a great use for those floating discs!

College kids all over the place, walking over fairways. My wife drove once and almost (literally) hit some of them who where walking across the course. A little frustrating that they show no regard for sports in play, but some kids are just like that. Also, we played in late April, and the back 9 was so overgrown with standing water that the mosquitos were terrible. We weren't able to finish the end of the course for this reason.

Will play again in the winter when mosquitoes are gone and we can actually finish the back of the course.

Located on the Univ. of South Florida Campus. 18 hole course that features good Innova Disc Catcher baskets, sufficient cement tee pads and nice color signage marking hole number, distance and preferred flight path. There is very nice balance; the front 9 features a primarily open course with some strategically placed trees, while holes 10-17 take you into the woods before coming back out into the open for 18. Paths in the woods are well groomed and manicured. Many birdie and even ace possibilities exist yet the woods and palmettos will keep most advanced players honest and interested.

Will not appeal to those who prefer distance- the longest hole is around 360 feet. Doesn't really provide one the opportunity to throw an array of shots. One must be mindful of pedestrians/trail hikers and the ropes course & tower on the one end of the course gets heavy use. The potential to see unwanted critters in the woods might scare away the squeamish, although I saw none the day I played.

On a weekend visit to Tampa, I played the course twice- once by myself and once with some friendly locals who invited me to play doubles. I was very pleased with this course after the disappointments of the two Ft. Myers-area courses I played. It rewards accuracy and placement and the relatively short distances make it beginner-friendly. Although Riverfront Park is for USF students only, I experienced no difficulty in trying to play here. Water is present bordering holes 2 and 4 but with a conservative approach shouldn't be a factor. (Don't go in- A "Beware of Alligator" sign is posted behind basket 4 !!).
This is a good, well-maintained course which I'd play with great frequency if I lived in the area.

A recent change to this course is the relocation of the #17 Hole to the forest section of the course. This eliminates an unnecessary hazard (the shed) and resolves the safety issue noted by another reviewer.
For your information, the open hours of the park are 10:00 AM to dusk. It is closed according to the USF Campus Recreation schedule available at: http://usfweb2.usf.edu/CampRe...dar/index.htm

The riverfront park setting for this course is great. It has concrete tees and good tee signs. It has a great mix of open and wooded shots between the two nines. There are lots of picnic tables. The tee for hole #1 is right next to the parking lot as is the basket for hole #18.

The course has Innova Discatcher baskets with single chains. These have to be the worst baskets in disc golf.

I loved this park. The section of the park by the river has an amazing feel to it. There are huge cypress trees that stretch over the river with multiple knees around. There is moss hanging from the trees that stretches down to the water of the river. The first nine holes are in the open section of the park, but have obstacles and challenge to them. Be careful on hole #4. The tee shot is heading straight toward the river. The tee sign says that it is 290 feet toward the hole. I'm pretty sure that if you throw 290 feet, your disc will be in the middle of the river. It played more like 225 feet to the basket. The back nine is cut out of the woods. From reading the reviews I was a little worried about playing the back nine by myself, but it was not nearly as bad as described. Perhaps it is because I'm used to playing the North Fort Myers course, but this back nine seem pretty open. There are the dreaded palmettos, but they are not nearly as thick as many other Florida courses.

This park is a multi-use student park. There is a very elaborate ropes course right near the entrance. There were about 25 people using the ropes course when I got there. It turns out that I was lucky to have been able to play the course. It was only open because there was a ropes training group there and I had to rush through the last two holes because they were closing the park. The park is only open when school is in session. If you are here during Christmas break or Spring break you will be out of luck. You may want to check the school calendar before making the drive.

It is a wonderful course and I had a great time playing it. I would rank it up as one of the Bay area's best courses.

I like the combination of the open holes and the wooded holes that USF has. The front 9 along with 17 and 18 are mostly open with the rest being back in the woods and palmettos. I have never seen more than 15 players at one time so never a wait for the next hole. Everyone is friendly and park is very clean. This course can easily be pared with many birdie holes.

Yes this course is for USF students and staff members, but no one will bother you as long as you respect the park and look like you know what your doing. Hole #1 is directly in front of parking lot. And keep track of the time, they close at 7pm sharp.

On hole 2 the picnic area is about 70 feet on your left. The basket is straight ahead and water to your right 50 feet. If someone has a problem throwing with a large canvas, then they will be in trouble in the woods. Beginners only will have to watch out for water hazard/pavilion. Also don't overthrow on #4. Its a short hole and river is about 30' behind basket. Hole #8 is tight but can possibly birdie with a straight low drive fade slight left, or with a perfect roller. On your first visit, you may want to have a spotter on some of the back holes until you learn the paths. And I wouldn't use a green disc in the woods.

Mix of some open and some tight holes, variety of obstacles and challenges. Usually not very busy. The seven tighter holes in the back nine have improved as they've gotten more use. After playing the tight holes, it's nice to have 17 and 18 out in the open to end on a couple different holes.

I would prefer a few more holes over 300 ft - #18 is really the only one, and too many holes are 200-250ft. Most of the back nine (except for 17 and 18) are similar tight holes that are rather overgrown (although better than they used to be) and easy to lose discs. A couple holes in the front nine are too close to picnic pavilion, so people are often too close, so you have to skip the hole or play it very safe to avoid hitting someone. In general, the course is mixed with many other activities going on. Fenced park for USF means limited hours. After heavy rains, the basket for hole 4 and tee for hole 5 can be underwater.

In general, this is a pretty nice course. It's also the closest course for those of us living in Tampa. Be careful not to lose a disc in the river! A few of the holes play very close to it. I agree with another reviewer - I've overshot hole 4 and landed in the river too...

nice course with florida flora. a bit sunny, and some holes circle a big jungle gym looking thing. clean park and empty when i visited.

private course. not 100% navigated, but can fake it to find the next tee.

the reviews and description of this park made me weary of trying it. i was in the area and gave it a shot. asked at the front desk, they said we werent supposed to be here, but said play on!

so if you are in the area, give it a try. at most they tell you to get lost.