A beautiful park, lots of elevation to consider. A short - but not easy - nine



+ Poured concrete tees, DGA baskets in good shape, adequate signage, navigation arrows hanging on baskets


+ The course uses the woods to shape holes and to protect baskets, but it isn't a "woods course." Wide fairways on all the holes


+ Significant elevation changes to consider on half the holes. They vary the challenges: a long gliding downhill on #1, a blind basket up and over a steep rise on #2, a cliffside tee across a valley on #3, a hillside basket on #4. Things settle down a bit for the later holes, but even then, it feels like most of them require uphill throws


+ The #8 basket is set up on a rock so it's just a bit elevated. Very pretty, and it will add challenge to your birdie run if you're inside the circle for a 300' hole

- The DGA baskets are a little bit hard to spot when they're tucked in the woods, but that's really only a problem for your first round. The poured tees aren't huge, but in the unlikely event that you need that much run-up, they're almost flush to the ground

~ This a lush and pretty course with a surprising amount of challenge for the length, due to the elevation changes, and the clever placement of baskets to use the woods. Everything was mowed for a perfect summer day, and the course was more like a secluded private property than a State Park. My friend Ryal would likely call it a "sylvan setting" for disc golf.



~ Cart-friendly, although there are a few difficult green-to-next tee transitions early in the round


~ Samuel Lewis State Park is a solid 3, and one of the prettiest courses I've played, even accounting for only 9 relatively short holes. There's enough challenge to make it fun to replay and it would be absolutely great for after work leagues (although no alcoholic beverages are permitted in the park).

Cement T-padsIt's not a big hike like some coursesFair amount of right-handed to left-handed shots All different trains

It's only a nine oldThe rough off the course can be pretty rough

They play league out here some nights on this course and that's really fun. It's a great group of people to go play with. Check UDisc for when they play in their legs.

Hole layout is smooth and course is easy to navigate. Good signage and next tee arrows. The course is on the shorter side (about half the holes are under 300 ft in length) but the hole layout and obstacles make up for the shorter course. There is great elevation change with more uphill shots than downhill. Tee pads are rubber attached to a wooden frame; all pads are in good shape and offer level throwing surface.

In general, the various shots from the holes are fun; you need a little bit of every shot off the tee. Hole 9 is the only hole that is completely open, and primarily serves the purpose of taking you back to the lot. Hole 8 has a sweet basket location; the pole of the basket is elevated on a larger rock making for a more challenging put if you are outside the circle.

Obviously the main con is the course is only 9 holes. It seems like there is enough land in the park for more, but I'm not sure on park property as there were some houses nearby around holes 3, 4, and 5.

Tee pads were a tad short for a run up on some holes. Hole 7 tee sign was hand marked to show a modification.

Course is set in a wonderful park on a scenic hill. The park has benches, picnic areas, grills, bathrooms, parking area, etc.

When you enter the park, you have to drive past the first parking area and around back. After the bend, you'll see a wooden sign guiding you to the disc golf parking area.

9 intermediate level holes with rubber tees, nice tee signs and Mach V baskets. Course plays over some awesome elevation changes and well defined wooded fairways and one open hole on 9. Good variety of left, right and straight shots and varying distances. Looks like they did a lot of clearing as the underbrush off the fairways was fairly minimal. Navigation is a cinch once you find the disc golf parking lot. Course plays well for beginners to more experienced players. Disc golf only area of park. Restrooms at the summit/main parking lot.

Only one tee per hole - I made my own long tee on a couple holes. The tee pad on hole 9 must have been caught on a mower, it's missing part of it. Plays a little close to park/residential boundaries. Could use some benches at the tees. Only 9 holes...this course has the potential to be great if it can expand.

Samuel S. Lewis State Park has one freaking awesome panoramic view from the top overlooking the Susquehanna River and mountain tops in Amish country! I mean - the road next to the park is called "Picturesque Drive", and the road you come in on is called "Mt. Pisgah Road". I'm not a religious person, but Mt. Pisgah is a significant Bible reference where Moses climbed the mountain and God showed him "the whole land" from the highest summit, and then Moses built some altars and sacrificed some goats. After playing here that kind of sums up the experience, I was ready to sacrifice some goats!

Overall I had a blast playing this course! I'd highly recommend this course to anyone passing through the area, even if not to play, but to check out the stunning view! Like the other reviewers, I would love to see another 9 holes and some longer tees and or basket positions for more advanced to pro level players. I wanted so bad to throw a disc from the top of the Amish world!

Tee 4'x10' pad atop gravel within wooden frame, level

Tee signs with all the basic info, including direction to next tee from basket.

Arrows on basket pointing to next tee; easy navigation, only walk of any length is transition from 2->3.

Only nine holes / single tee / single pin position.

Other than wide-open finishing-hole #9, which serves its primary purpose of returning you to the parking area/tee-1, the course plays through moderate-width fairways defined by tall, narrow trees, and their supporting brush. While only number-4 would be considered tight, beginning at roughly its mid-fairway point, a few scattered trees will need to be avoided mid/late on about half the holes, while the others tend to funnel towards the basket. You'll likely be punished if you're off the optimal line.

Shot-shaping is subtle, holes requiring a blend of straight, sweeping rights, or moderate lefts. Practically every hole has some elevation change, varying from continuous-but-gentle to sharply up or down, with one basket a bit elevated, due to the boulder is rests upon!

A really solid course, worth a visit. Hope it can be expanded, as there are some larger trees, steeper hills, and rock formations in other parts of the park (but these appear to be nearer other patron's usage areas, so maybe not).

Very nice course! Excellent use of elevation. It has a lot of grade change which the designer utilized well. Wooded except for the last hole. Requires you to hit your lines and punishes you if you don't. Lines are somewhat tight but not unreasonably so. Circulation was great - very easy to navigate. I always appreciate courses with the little arrows on pointing to the next tee. Nice signature hole on number 8 offering two lines to an elevated rock basket. Great job of construction on this. One of the nicest I've seen of integrating a basket into a boulder - seamless

A little weedy for me (i'm not a big fan of poison ivy/briars). Course could really benefit from some alternate tees/holes and I think there is some space to incorporate these. My only suggestion which is rather minor - would be to see some distance variation; particularly some longer holes would be nice. Most are +/- 300 though elevation makes them play differently. I'm also not a big fan of rubber teepads - would like to see concrete. Overall, minor complaints though.

On the whole it's done about as well as you can do a 9 hole course! Lots of fun - wanted to play more as soon as I finished and I wish there was more! Hopefully they can add another 9 in the future. If so, this will be a really top notch destination. Semi-difficult but fair and enjoyable.

Samuel S. Lewis State Park has nine Par 3 holes featuring some very impressive shots with attractive lanes through the woods and good variety and elevation changes. Most holes are designed so that both bogeys and birdies are plausible, which makes the course challenging and rewarding. Signage and baskets are first-rate, and rubber tees are good (although they can be slick and there often is limited room for a run-up). Great job to whoever worked to establish this course! This course will serve eastern York and western Lancaster counties well.

Holes 5 and 7 are ~375' slightly uphill holes through the woods, and I think they could be improved by making them a little longer (as a Par 4) or a little shorter. As they play now, it's hard to see anyone getting a 2 without making a very long upshot. I wonder if Hole 9 -- an open 325' hole with no trees -- could be made more interesting as a Par 4, too.

I'd guess that a score of an even-par 27 would be about 950-960 rated, and the course seems to be designed to a player of that level. The course reminds me somewhat of Roland Park's newest 9 holes, Buchmiller Park, and Prince Gallitzin State Park.

With such a successful first 9 holes, I hope to see 9 more in the future to continue the tradition of PA State Parks disc golf excellence.

Great job. Very good use of the available terrain, ups, downs, off camber, lefties, rights, straights, and very good tree cutting (trees left) selection. The tee pads are top of the line rubber on crushed stone that are perfectly leveled, with excellent fairway maps at the pads.

The course design is optimal, challenging fairways that reward accuracy. The relatively short lengths and minimal mid-fairway obstacles make this an ideal course for beginners too.

Very convenient access to the 1st and 9th fairways from the DG specific parking area. Navigation from basket to tee pad is easy, with minimal walks. The layout and use of tree cover means that you are safe from errant throws once at the next tee pad area. Great course flow.

Bathrooms, right on the course too.

This is a brand new course (finished late summer '13), as such I'm sure that the remaining woody debris will be cleaned up in the coming months. Trash, recycling and cigarette butt receptacles, and a few benches will make this a top notch 9 hole course. A couple tee pad boxes will need a little work to prevent erosion. I'm sure the course creators are on top of all this, and will address it as time and money permits.

I rated this course a 3.5 because it's 9 holes, not because of its quality. This is a very well thought out course, that has obviously taken a lot of work to get it to this point. Sure 18 hole courses are nice, but they are not always possible. Maybe alternate tee pads in the future will make it play like an 18 hole course. Of course you can always play a second round from your own alternate tee locations.

Great course for all abilities.

Great 9 hole course with a variety of different shots. Good for beginners, but there are some difficult shots for those who play at a higher level. The majority of the baskets are not very far away in distance, but are hard to get to thanks to trees and hills. Nice tee pads and tee signs. Overall, a beautiful course.

Would love to see 9 more holes put in some time.

Great job to everyone who helped put this course in! I don't have to go 30 min away to play now, and can practice more! The location is great as the park overlooks much of York and Lancaster County. Stunning views.

I cant emphasize enough how needed this course is to York. Getting street directions to any other course takes you 45 minutes in any direction. This course - is truly overdue! Lets keep the chains ringing on this course and generate good PR so other parks in the area are more open to disc golf.


Mind you, this course is brand new and is missing a few amenities - however, this 9-holer plays very well and is by no means "Not worth the trip"

From the drive into the park, you'll find that the disc golfers have their own parking area well away from the other activities in the park. Notice the bulletin board at hole one for (hopefully) future events.

The 9 holes are designed to introduce beginners to the game without the frustration of ever challenging and longer courses that are springing up. For the exception of two holes, you can see the basket from every tee. This isn't a bad thing. Likewise, a seasoned player will appreciate the little things, like flat and well constructed tee pads, durable, accurate tee signs, and a few holes where parking your drive next to the basket just wont happen with mediocre skill.

Although the course is brand new, you'd guess that the course has been well established. KUDOS to the volunteers!! There are no "Right off the fairway" briars, or any brush piles at all. Stumps have been removed. It just looks like the course has always been there! Navigation between holes is a snap with arrows on the baskets. The layout from one hole to the next is VERY diverse, and no two holes play the same. You'll be throwing nearly every shot in your bag. All of the holes, save for a few are technical as they play through the woods. Hole 3 is a well protected "over the valley" shot. Hole 4 will keep you guessing where the local route is. Hole 8 is memorable as an elevated basket, like Excalibur, is thrust into a boulder making a deuce attempt harrowing, with the bottom of the basket close to, or over 7ft. After working through the first 8, hole 9 rewards the big-arms with a 330ft (slight) uphill drive.

Of course, Hole 9 ends at hole 1.

Update: There are now scorecards in at the bulletin board. I do not know the frequency of restocking.

The 900 pound gorilla in the corner is the lack of 18 holes. It begs for it! Considering the quality of the front nine layout, you'll be finishing on hole 9 and your eyes will be gazing up the hill towards the top of the park and asking yourself "When is the back nine coming?"

the answer across the board? "I don't know"

Amenities like benches, and garbage cans are absent.

A "Lost disc box" at the bulletin board would be great!

The walk from the disc golf parking area to hole one is steep! you'll see what I mean.

There is a facebook page you can "like". you can find it on the bulletin board.

Getting the disc golf community out on this course would be great to generate interest for (hopefully) getting a back 9 proposed.

I would like to see future Tag events, or a sunday devotional league started.

I cant thank the local volunteers enough for the hard work involved with the design, layout, and installation of this course in a much needed area of the county for disc golf. ...And no...I wasn't involved with the creation or installation whatsoever. This is really just a great course.