Bowling Green, OH

Carter Park

3.235(based on 31 reviews)
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2 0
DiscinOhio
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 200 played 191 reviews
1.50 star(s)

An extreme round at a not-so-extreme course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 19, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

So I played Carter Park during torrential rain and a wind advisory. Gusts were exceeding 30 MPH, turning the discs into boomerangs. Within a few holes, the low lying areas were flooded. It was a crazy experience on a course that would otherwise be forgettable.

+ Nice concrete tees with a map of every hole on a concrete block. There is a two basket practice area at the beginning of the course.

+ 18 holes of mostly beginner friendly golf. There are a few interesting holes that take advantage of the scattered trees.

Cons:

- The park wasn't maintained very well. Long grass and a monsterous amount of dandilions on every single hole.

- Baskets are old and none of them are numbered. When you can see multiple baskets from the tee, this is a little annoying at times.

- Poor navigation, nothing that will guide you from hole to hole.

- Most holes were pretty uneventful. Mainly flat with a few scattered trees. Really didn't like the layout either, it felt way too congested.

Other Thoughts:

Carter Park was a major let down, and I'm not letting the extreme weather affect my rating. It was just bland and forgettable.
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4 0
OSUDSCGOLF1
Experience: 18.9 years 4 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

“Course Crunch” 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good tee pads
Good map at the beginning of course
Good tee signs

Cons:

18 holes are smashed into a small park. When there are short tees and long tees on holes there's not much difference. Not many mature trees to navigate through. Could be harder when windy was very light when I played it. Baskets are old and spit out putts. The baskets are all bunched up together and on a few holes I threw to the wrong basket. Confusing. Needs updated.
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7 0
mrclc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.6 years 733 played 46 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Windy Golf in "Blowing Green" 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Carter Park is a windy, conveniently located routing that shows its age with open, by-the-numbers golf. Bowling Green is known for being consistently breezy, and this little park course is no exception. Most holes are pretty open and may feature a couple of trees, but the wind is the primary challenge. Beginners will have an excellent time learning about headwind, tailwind, and crosswind and their various effects on discs in these conditions, which are relatively uncommon in the Midwest.

Concrete pads play to older DGA baskets that still catch surprisingly well, and almost every hole features a plaque that shows the distance, vintage rec par, and a hole diagram.

Carter is conveniently located near Bowling Green State University, a large off-campus student housing development, and I-75. College students and road trippers alike will enjoy stopping by for a quick round.

Cons:

The course was designed in 1995 and it's starting to get a bit long in the tooth. Holes 6-10 play in a fairly compact area that wouldn't have posed a safety concern 20 years ago, but sits right on the edge of comfort with modern disc technology. Courteous golfers should probably wait for nearby pads to clear in this portion of the course. There's also some fairway bleed to watch for on Holes 13-16, especially if a strong gust of wind takes your disc off its line.

Most holes are instantly forgettable, which is more a fault of the land than the design, but Carter nonetheless leaves rather little to write home about.

Water retention appears to be a real issue here, with the Hole 15 green being the first area to saturate. Other trouble spots include Holes 5 and 6 along the edge of the property, as well as a handful of other low spots scattered throughout the circuit.

The routing can be a little confusing the first time, especially after Hole 2. Head left toward the road for the Hole 3 pad, not to the right for Hole 12.

The distances seem to be off on some holes, especially in the aforementioned section of Holes 6-10.

Other Thoughts:

Carter would be a 2.5 were it not for the saturated fairways and greens nearly every time I've played. Slogging through the water kills the fun factor for me, and in my four visits I don't think I've ever seen the course completely dry. As a result, I feel obligated to dock the score.

I'm a BG alum, and I wish I had discovered disc golf in college. I would've whiled away many hours at this park instead of hacking away at the nearby, now defunct Forrest Creason ball golf course. Speaking of, that land would make a great place for a disc golf course...
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4 0
JerrodStevens
Experience: 7.9 years 10 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Very slim chance of losing a disc (although I have found a disc there)
-Great Teepads
-Multiple Tees
-Course makes decent use of the few trees in the park, forcing good shot selection on a few holes, although it would take a very bad throw to get into tree trouble
-Good course for practicing long distance throwing
-A few short holes for hole in one opportunities
-Very close to BGSU, great for students looking to get in a round between classes
-Around the world putting game at practice basket (good way to pass time if there is a wait at the 1st tee, as this course can get busy)
-Very clean park

Cons:

-Some holes are not marked with hole #'s, and course can be hard to navigate as there is nothing directing you to the next hole
-No elevation changes
-Sometimes busy
-Possibility of throwing over someone's fence on hole 4

Other Thoughts:

Personally I think that this course is the second best course in the Toledo area, behind Woodlands, but better than Ottawa Park.
As for restrooms, they have nice ones, but they are a long walk from the first tee.
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4 0
cfair
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2017 Update Info 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-variety of hole shots
-very well maintained
-city support has them putting decent money into it every year
-very social player base being mostly college students
-1hr average play time for average player

Cons:

-if you are looking for a big challenge you won't find it here
-out dated signage
-crown of thorns trees will snatch discs out of the air and can be difficult to get down/climb
-bro-zillas will occasionally out drive you with a groove, but they probably have a sports scholarship from the state college in town.

Other Thoughts:

(((Bring a baseball, softball, something small to get discs down. I have seen people try to use water bottles and they get stuck in the trees too)))

Since the city puts reasonable money into it every year there is always something new. The last few years they have added big drains at certain locations that prevent flooding, secondary tee pads to make some holes harder, and landscaping that makes new OB. Unfortunately that money sometimes gets eaten up by tree removal and a year could go bye without anything being added yet something taken away.

Because it is a park with a small playground, several pavilions and softball diamonds nearby there are always other events and things going on. Most people in town know what the course but you'll have some people set up in the middle of a fairway not knowing what they are doing.

As to the college students. Most them are cool even though they don't know disc golf etiquette. They probably won't call you if they get your disc from a tree. There will be 20 of them in group all throwing David Wiggin's Blizzard Boss 200ft making fun of anyone with a bag. But they will let you play through, just park the hole with a mid or putter and they will be impressed.
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5 0
kinger
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 101 played 101 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Falcon's Flight 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 26, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

~Concrete tees are nicely sized.
~Great tee markers w/ map of hole & distance.
~Parking lot close to practice basket.
~Course loops around from start to finish.
~Easy to navigate to tee pads (baskets are another issue).
~Clean park, easy to find.

Cons:

~Very wide open, mostly straight holes.
~Clusters of baskets in numerous areas create confusion, and potentially dangerous situations if course gets busy.
~Some tee pads are close to flight path on adjacent holes.
~Many short, stand and deliver holes.
~Questionable distances and pars listed on tee markers.

Other Thoughts:

Visited this course the day after Christmas to take advantage of the 40 degree day filled with sunshine that is rare this time of year. Carter Park has been on my radar for a while now so I was very pleased to finally make the half hour drive from my in-laws house and visit one of the older courses in the area. An extremely windy day added complexity to what could normally be a low scoring birdie fest of a course. Course layout appears to be dated with mostly short distance holes that are fairly straight forward. It does start out and finish with some greater distances, but most of the longer holes are wide open. Terrain is flat, but that's expected from north west oHIo and can't be considered a negative. The largest detraction is the tendency for various clusters of baskets throughout the course. Twice I shot at the wrong basket, and three times I had to walk the hole before teeing off to make sure which basket I was supposed to be throwing to. The course is also cramped in a few areas, and I can't imagine playing an enjoyable round when it's busy. Too much close proximity to other fairways, tees, and baskets. The concrete tees are of ample size. The small fruit trees do create some neat lines and add a great dimension to the course. The last seven holes are the most fun, and really saved the modest rating given to this review. I would play again if in the area, but probably not during the busy season.
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1 4
Jernewt
Experience: 17.1 years 7 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Good course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very clean
Easy to follow
New design and technique due to cut trees and newly planted ones

Cons:

Very high pars for total distance, doesn't give a challenge

Other Thoughts:

Very nice course for beginners. Allows easy tees, but can baby players. Most courses I've played are all par threes, but this course only has half par threes.
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2 0
DiscGolfJason
Experience: 6 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Space to Play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of space to play. Holes have a good mix of left and right turns. There is also a good balance of long and short holes. I like that the course has a bit of a pace to it. The holes start long and then go through a wooded area and then you go through another stretch of longer holes until you reach two birdie-able holes to finish out the round. There is a practice basket with around the world markers on the ground. There is a water fountain and a bathroom on the grounds which I've come to appreciate as too many courses lack this feature.

Cons:

Recent storms have downed some trees. This has caused some holes to be overly accessible. Carter can be windy at times and near unplayable but a ton of fun. It has been crowded in recent years and usually during the season when kids are on campus.

Other Thoughts:

Overall a very polished experience. In my travels I haven't seen many better so I've pretty happy to call it my home course.
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3 4
Coal train
Experience: 11.9 years 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 3, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Located in a well maintained city park.
Great practice hole.
Good course for all kinds of skill levels!
Friendly people.
trying to find it is easy. Look for the Giant Bowling Green water tower!

Cons:

Can get crowded in the evenings.
maybe confusing for first time players.
The city park has cut down alot of trees and bushes making it somewhat less chalanging

Other Thoughts:

I have been playing this course for awhile since it is near where i live.I always have a good time playing this course!
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8 0
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Carter Park is located just across the street from BGSU and is right off the highway so it's a great place for students and a convenient stop for travelers to play. There are tee signs at each hole attached to medium sized pyramid shaped piece of concrete making the tees easier to find. The tee pads are concrete and there are DGA baskets.

The course is mostly flat with large mature trees as well as a handful of holes with some kind of apple trees. There is no underbrush so the possibility of losing a disc is extremely minimal.

There's good variety here. Roughly one third of the holes are open, one third have some large mature trees and the last third have the apple trees.

The orchard holes are definitely some of the coolest holes on this course. Their low ceiling forces you to keep the shot low or try a big shot over the top.

Cons:

The course has some minor navigation issues. Finding hole 1 isn't terribly obvious as it is not the closest hole to the parking lot. After hole 2 there's an unmarked walk across the road to hole 3. After hole 16 you walk past 18's tee and cross the road to play 17.

I feel there are a few areas where safety is a concern on the course. Hole 10 is the shortest hole on the course at 192 feet and the tee pads for holes 6 and 9 are in or on the edge of the circle of 10's basket which is much too close IMHO. A drive from 16's pad can easily land on 18's pad. A few other holes and fairways felt a little cramped together so watch out for other people on the course.

There is no shot diversity here. Even with the mature trees, much of the course is wide open. Only one hole forces a turnover shot, the rest are straight or hyzer shots.

The tee signs are just ok. They don't provide a good illustration of some holes. Most holes are very straight forward so this isn't an issue, but on hole 7 I threw at the wrong basket, it was difficult to locate 14's basket and on 18 I almost threw at the practice basket. This won't be an issue after you played a round or two here.

Other Thoughts:

This is a good course to introduce new players to the sport which is great with BGSU less than a mile away. The variety of hole distances, trees and orchard will challenge a wide variety of players and keep them coming back for more.
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5 0
Puckstopper
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 36 played 36 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Tragic example of what NOT to do to a course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 30, 2005 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Updated after playing for the first time in 8 years 11/22/12
I'm leaving my original review as a tribute to a course that used to be very good and is now very average.


(No longer true)Mix of open and wooded holes.

(No longer true)Forces you to try different shots.

Perfect course for beginners,(<--True, now false-->) but challenging enough to keep long time players interested.

Well maintained park and short rough make it virtually impossible to lose a disc, which is a good thing, since...

Cons:

...Nearby college ensures the course is almost always packed. Fortunately, pace of play is good, and people are considerate about letting faster groups by.

Adding a few selectively placed trees would make the opening few holes more interesting.

(Update:) Massive removal of trees makes this course too easy and has highlighted how close some tees are to other baskets.

Other Thoughts:

(update:) Carter Park has been scalped! The signature, formerly extremely difficult holes 6 and 7 have lost over 20 large trees and are now virtually wide open holes. Other holes in this area have been thinned out significantly as well meaning that it's no longer safe to have certain tees in their current positions, as the open conditions encourage shots OVER those tees! Some moron didn't think before they busted out their chainsaw! In addition to the massive overthinning of the orchard area they have also removed a humongous oak tree that used to guard the basket on hole 12 leaving this as an overly easy straight shot, and they've also removed a huge patch of scrub bushes and trees that guarded the 16th pin. Overall this is now a boring course that will only interest beginners. Don't waste your time.


This is where I learned to play, and I used to shoot par or better using nothing but a Champion Eagle, so it's more than accessible for beginners. Given the proximity of BGSU, this is perfect, as it brings lots of people to our sport. However, as you add discs to your bag, this course becomes much more playable. Its a course that allows new players to enjoy the game, and then teaches them to evolve their game.

Some people want to nitpick the fact that the course is mostly open. They are obviously NOT locals, as when the infamous Blowing Green winds kick up, this course plays entirely differently than it does on a calm day, and par becomes an accomplishment instead of an expectation.

Now that I'm back to playing after an 8 year layoff, I can't wait to play Carter next time I visit BG.
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2 2
jasonorzel
Experience: 11.9 years 4 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Gem of BG 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Cement tee pads with exceptional tee signs numbering each hole and providing the hole par, distance, and a somewhat detailed map of the hole (some maps better than others)

Cons:

BG is known for its windy weather and that can be a burden while playing sometimes, but hey weather adds an obstacle to the game and gives it a fun twist which can be different every time you play

Other Thoughts:

the last time i played the basket from hole 16 was missing, not sure if it was stolen or removed for maintenance, anyways, after a few times playing towards where the basket should be we changed to playing it as if the practice basket was the target and treating it as a par 5
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2 0
thewishman
Experience: 75 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Clean
Tee pads are easy to find with raised hole maps
Well mowed
Long and short holes

Cons:

Completely flat
Minimal use of trees as obstacles
Basket on 16 is missing

Other Thoughts:

Was hoping for more of a challenge with an almost 3.5 rating. First thought to rate course at 3 for the clean, well maintained park, but decided on 2.5 for the easiness of the course. The middle holes make use of trees, but the other holes, not so much.
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1 0
DG_Josh
Experience: 13.6 years 14 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Since it is in a city park it is well maintained.
-Decent mix of holes; long, short, open, and some lightly wooded.
-Good use of space.

Cons:

-Baskets are not clearly marked and some holes can get confusing the first time playing.
-Can easily get crowded with the nearby university.

Other Thoughts:

This is a good course, but is far from being a great course. It's a fun park course to throw around in, but it lacks overall challenge and I found myself easily scoring birdies and eagles. However, for being a park course in a very flat part of Ohio, it is a well designed and maintained course. Definitely worth playing if you're passing through Bowling Green, but probably not worth going out of your way to play.
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2 1
jchlody
Experience: 16.6 years 9 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Carter Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Not a challenging course
-Nice baskets
-Concrete tee pads
-Maintained very well
-Nice signs at the tee off spot
-Mostly medium to short holes, but some distance throws
-Fast pased course

Cons:

-I think it was difficult to navigate for the first time playing there
-Holes run up and down near each other so fairways are close
-LOTS of traffic on the road that runs through the course

Other Thoughts:

I thought this was a nice course, but being my first time there, i had trouble throwing at the wrong basket. The first hole has basket 14 just to the right of the fairway so i started off throwing at the wrong hole. I would say that the course is not that challenging and if there wasn't any wind i would have had a lot better score than throwing even. There are a lot of technical holes where the trees play a big factor in your throw. I used my tomahawk throw more than anything. This is a nice course, but I won't go out of my way to play this course again.
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2 1
hooked312
Experience: 15.9 years 34 played 17 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Enjoyable Round 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 16, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- A mix between wide open shots and some lightly wooded holes.
- Good for beginners, not extremely challenging, yet has a few holes that will challenge any players.
- Good signs and easy to navigate
- Fun, quick round if your looking to squeez in a few rounds.

Cons:

- Some of the holes are pretty boring and including the first 3-4.
- Until you get in the trees not much to challenge besides distance and maybe wind.
- Trees can be dangerous with thorns.
- Can get busy, but most of the people were friendly.

Other Thoughts:

I had a fun time playing a different course in NW Ohio. Glad I played it, but most likely will not go out of my way to play again.
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3 1
Petercules
Experience: 20.8 years 35 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

College Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Open course that is well kept.
Balance of long and short holes.
Long cement tee pads.

Cons:

This late in the year the apples are on the ground rotting. Another tree related note is many of the trees have thorns
The back nine baskets are extremely guarded by trees. Not that I am one to ace allot of holes but these trees make it impossible regardless.

Other Thoughts:

Gets allot of traffic during the school year.
Best to play this course in the morning both to avoid the crowd and to avoid the winds.
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2 0
Zigzaggler
Experience: 42 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

If you like it wide open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Wide concrete pads
Well maintained,Very well mapped
pin placement really saved this course in my opinion.

Cons:

most flyways are wide open without many tight shots.
holes are piled on top of other tee pads causing for even more delays. As the course is mostly in the wide open, hot days can make the course uncomfortable to play more than one round. The low growing apple trees and thorns can make retrieving a stray throw somewhat painful and annoying.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course to get out and let it RIP!! Scores can be kept low with a good drive. I found this course to be good for trying out a new driver or specialty disc, as in loosing one out here on a bad throw is literally impossible!!!! Enjoyed the course and is worth returning to if I happen to be in the area.!!
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1 0
SuperG7
Experience: 18.8 years 164 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Not to shabby 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Concrete tee pads
Good signs
Open shots
Maintained very well
Good variety of shots to left and right

Cons:

No pro tee pads
No really tight shots
No real long bomber holes

Other Thoughts:

Play this course when going to visit friends at Bowling Green and was surprised to find a nice course close by. This course is a beginner course for sure with some really short shots but fun to play regardless.

Cops do patrol every once in a while but not that often
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2 0
fleeulrich
Experience: 15.7 years 53 played 29 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 18, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was a very nice, and clean park. This course had some real unique hole markers, with really nice signs on them. Each sign had hole#, par, distance, and hole layout on them. Nice concrete pads with plenty of room, footing was never a question. For the most part this course wasn't very difficult to find your way through.

Cons:

I didn't see any trash cans or benches on the course, although there were plenty of picnic tables and trash cans throughout other areas of the park. This course could have benefited from having a few "next tee" signs.

Other Thoughts:

The whole course is mostly wide open. There were some holes with bunches of trees in the fairway, holes 6 & 7 were probably the most difficult of these with pretty much no lane to throw in unless you break out the tomahawk or extreme hyzers. A lot of the holes were tucked behind trees or by trees making the wide open holes a little more difficult. Hole 16 is tucked in between two big bushes, making it a blind shot until you get in the fairway a little closer to the basket. All in all was a really fun course and definitely worth playing if you have the chance.
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