Nice property; a little bit of elevation change; baskets catch well.

Tees and baskets not numbered in general (see below); short (average length is 200 feet); only 6 holes and 4 of them are wide open. Pads are black mats in short wooden frames.

My recommendation is when you enter the property from Brandywine Lane, park in the first spots on the right. Then you can walk down the hill toward Brandywine to find the first tee. The course flows counterclockwise around the church avoiding the hilly drop offs (i.e. pretty much stays up on the ridges).

Hole #1 goes uphill and forces you to curve around a tree. The basket is labeled "2" which confused me until I found the pad for #2.

The tee for #2 is next to the parking lot and is labeled with a '2' (only tee with a label) which is how I knew that I hadn't missed a hole somewhere. The basket is tucked in between a few trees and is labelled "CC1" (I wonder if it came from Codorus which had a CC course at one time). Slight rise to basket.

Follow the top of the ridge to find the tee for #3. This is a flat wide-open hole but at least the basket is labeled "3" (only basket correctly labeled).

Cross the asphalt strip to get to the tee for #4. The basket is on a little hill so you can get rollaways (otherwise wide open). No number on the basket.

The tee for #5 is a bit farther away (longer walk than the previous transitions). This hole is slightly downhill and should be a par 2. The basket has a "1" on it.

The tee for #6 is on the far side of the fenced-in area (close to Brandywine Lane) with the basket near the entrance (and with no number on it).

Pleasant but extremely easy; not a lot of replay value. Lots of open space with some interesting hills that could be used for expansion. I added a course map with my meager map-making skills.

~ It's just six baskets in a loop around the open property, but there's nothing really bad about it. A pleasant 15 minute stop to throw mids and putters


~ The property is wide open and it drops away from the church building on all sides - so the layout has some elevation change to incorporate (most notably uphill #1, and downhill #5). Basket #4 is on a bit of a mound, and long throws can glide beyond circle 2


~ Windy days on this open hillside could make things interesting


~ Framed rubber tees, DisCatcher baskets, no signage. It's easiest to start of #2 or #3 from the parking lot


~ Only six holes with no hazards, but everything is in the 200' range, so it's a very good place to bring newbies who need to learn that throwing discs is different than tossing frisbees

Zion Lutheran Church sits on a hilltop with gently rolling elevation and scenic views of the surrounding hills and valleys. The first two holes have a tree or two that require some shot shaping, but the remainder of the course is wide open.

The basic course equipment is solid. Rubber tee pads are grippy and level. Yellow-banded baskets are easy to spot, mounted level, and caught well. No tee signs, but each basket is visible from the tee. Near zero chance of disc loss, unless you turn your drive over on hole #2 or get an epic rollaway on hole #4.

A "next tee" arrow is mounted to a spoke on each basket to help you find your way around the course. With one exception (see cons), navigation is pretty straightforward despite the lack of tee signs or posts.

The course loops around the church, so you can play from whichever tee you find first (I started on hole 3). Safety seems to have been considered in the design, and there were no obvious conflicts with other activities.

This is a short, 6-hole course with few to no obstacles on four of six holes. Distances ranged from 170 - 225 feet, although some holes played longer or shorter due to elevation change. I played with a midrange and a putter, and only came up short on one uphill drive.

I had to check the navigation app to find the hole #6 tee, which is located on the far side of a white-fenced stormwater retention area. No tee signs or course map on site.

The design does what it can with the land available, but there is a limit on how interesting a short, open course like this can be. Course equipment is solid, and rolling hills bump up the enjoyment factor a bit. I played on a calm day, but wind could be tricky on this open hilltop setting.

The course seems designed to introduce children to a wholesome outdoor activity. If that was the goal, the course design seems entirely appropriate. But experienced players will not find much of interest beyond the lovely views and a few wide open ace runs.

I debated between a rating of 1.0 or 1.5 for this review. Most courses I have rated 1.0 included glaring deficiencies with safety, playability, or equipment. This course does nothing particularly wrong so I settled on a rating of 1.5 ("passable").

For those looking to play a top-level course, you can find other options aplenty in south central PA. But if you are a course bagger, Zion Lutheran is a quick sping just off Route 30 between Gettysburg and Lancaster. Jump off the highway, check that box, and move on.