Reviews: 108
Avg. Rating:
Times Square, SD
18 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: A well-loved course that's the fun and busy center of San Diego disc golf.
-Amenities and Extras: A lot of good components here. The tees are weakest, a mix of rubber and small concrete pads. Great signs have all info, maps, and pin position indicators. Numbered DISCatchers. Lots of benches. There's a pro shop on site, an optional ace pot, and a great disc return system.
-Multi-Pins: Tons of alternate pin positions, which are all marked on signage.
-Maintenance: Real, short grass. Fairways had very little debris. Mulch was being spread over some greens during my play. I think this cultivated style is part of what makes Morley so popular - it's very pleasant.
-Community Feel/Vibes: One of those courses that has a huge community around it. Morley seems to be buzzing all the time, and a bunch of people all know each other. Comparable to Mt Airy or Sedgley Woods, the community center of their cities.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Definitely a mix of better and worse, but on the whole it's basic shapes very well done with foliage and/or elevation. A lot of holes feature straight starts with varying steepness of finishing turns, which requires a surprising amount of finesse to choose the disc that stalls at just the right point. A generous number of gentle downhills are fun drives where you can enjoy the flight of the disc. Mixed in are some shorter ace runs, which tend to be more technical. While no holes floored me with their design, most of them were very fun and featured good variety.
Cons:
-Busyness: For me, easily the biggest drawback is how much traffic the course gets. On a Thursday morning playing solo at 7:30am, I waited to tee off on more than half the holes, and my round lasted over 90 minutes. I can't imagine playing at a peak time. I think you should expect to be waiting no matter what size group you have at any time.
-All 3s: Morley doesn't have any multi-shot holes, and its longest pin tops out under 500'. Not to say what's here isn't good, but a truly stunning course should incorporate more gameplay variety.
-Tees: Slippery when wet. Neither the rubber nor the concrete were grippy in the least, which definitely detracted from the gameplay. They also seemed to attract dirt, which contributed to the issue.
-Safety: With so many alternate pins, many are close to the following baskets. The back half also features multiple crossing fairways. Considering the traffic it gets, best keep your ears open for a Fore.
-Poke and Hope Holes: On my visit, four holes (7, 9, 12, 17) all felt like they lacked a true fairway, and instead necessitated a general shot and some luck. A blemish on an otherwise very fair design.
Other Thoughts: Morley definitely reminds of other old community hub courses in other cities. It's lovingly kept, busy constantly, and features basic but very fun gameplay that attracts a wide variety of players. The huge drawback is the amount of traffic, but that's not an issue if you're enjoying a long round with good company. I confess I don't see why it's nationally known, but it's still Very Good.
~Similar Courses: Mt Airy Forest (Cincinnati, OH); Flying Armadillo - Big (San Marcos, TX); Sedgley Woods (Philadelphia, PA); Kereiakes Park (Bowling Green, KY).
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.
8 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: Easily the most beautiful course I have played. Majority of holes are visually stunning
Ideal combination of wooded and open shots
There are usually a ton of fun ace runs to attack with hyzers or turnover shots
The course is immaculately maintained. You can tell people care about this course and take terrific care of it!
The iconic must-play course if you visit San Diego, hands down the best in the city
Locals in my experience have been very friendly and helpful
Pins are moved frequently to create new challenges, and the hole signs have the pin position marked to help you with the line and distance to throw
Cons: Parking is very lackluster
There are overlapping fairways all over the course
Other Thoughts: I love this course dearly and the Morley Magic is real!
8 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Expensive crowded and tight
1 Helpful / 6 Not
Pros: Course is definitely fun with challenging shots.
Cons: 6 bux on the weekend seemed quite pricey for what you get. The course was very crowded with groups of 6 not trying to keep a pace but making everyone slow up. Some vwry tight area where 3 tee pads are theowing over each other gets a bit sketchy.
1 of 7 people found this review helpful.
So Much History: so Much Fun to Play
13 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros:
+ A classic course with lots of history and a great traditional disc golf vibe: many players carry small bags or just a few discs in their hands. They're serious about the game, but laid back and welcoming to visitors. The guy in the pro shop (more of a "pro shack") speaks with a lot of pride about the course, and has great stories
+ You don't need an especially big arm to play Morley. The game here isn't as much about distance as it is about placement, elevation and slope.
+ Lots of opportunity for both forehand and backhand tee shots
+ The course is really well-kept, and features 4-6 baskets placements on every hole. Excellent scorecard with map. Three of the holes feature "pro" tee placements, but you'll need a local to point them out (the one on #9 is up the hill 75 feet or so back, and you throw through a "V" formed by a couple of trees)
+ Living in the Northeast, this was my first time playing true SoCal foliage: low, scrubby and very grabby trees. They really represent a very particular type of hazard
+ A couple of standout holes: #9 has a beautiful shape to it. It's long down-and-up, with a distant fence of trees to navigate off the tee. I saw rollers, flex shots, and even a few high hyzers watching others on the tee. Hole #11 is a beauty with an elevated tee and a gap that opens up to a wide fairway. When the deepest basket position is guarded by a double mando in front of the green. The trees that cover #17 are pretty spectacular: gnarled, twisted and in your face. If you can keep them out of your head, there's a pretty clear line for a laced BH, FH or even a FH roller
+ The course is very manageable for new players. I brought a coworker who had played only a few times
+ It's pay-for-play but very reasonable ($4), and there are plenty of discs for sale in the pro shack
Cons:
- This "classic" course shows it's age in the tees, baskets and signage: you'll see that most of the concrete teepads seem a little "raised", because of erosion and years of foot traffic around them. Some of the greens have wood chips, but a lot of them are very very hard packed dirt: watch out for bounces and rollaways
- The tight layout creates some really sharp doglegs (hole #10 comes to mind). If you can't see the basket it's worth walking ahead and taking a look. There's a handful of blind tee shots that also benefit from taking a look: but there's so much traffic on the course that you're always risking slowing down play
- "FORE!" Four of the last five holes all cross the same valley. When you're in that valley and you need to keep your head on a swivel - they're firing from all sides!
Other Thoughts:
~ So many great stories about this place. Like the late addition of hole #19: the owner was away for a few weeks and the regular players put it in,so the course could finish at the parking lot. Paul McBeth aced #13 (look it up on YouTube). McBeth, Wysocki and so many other pros have made it to Morley
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
1 Helpful / 5 Not
Pros: The course is fun and quick. You don't see a layout like this very often, with fairways crossing over each other, which makes it really unique and iconic.
Cons: The close quarters, while endearing and memorable, can make the course feel crowded at certain times.
Other Thoughts: I love this course and think it's a must-see if you are in San Diego.
1 of 6 people found this review helpful.
3 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Morley Field Disc Golf Course is located just outside of downtown San Diego. This course located is located in Balboa Park and attracts quite a lot of people. Morley plays through somewhat of a hilly terrain.
Pro shop includes quite a few discs that you can rent if you are just starting. You can also purchase some of them as well. Baskets are for sale as well as some other accessories.
I love the two practice baskets that they have just because with that many people stoping by it makes it much easier to practice putting than when your jam packed into one practice basket or none.
It costs 3 dollars to play which I think it is worth it just because it is some what well kept and there are some fun downhill shots.
-Brand new discatcher baskets make it SO much better. The old baskets had extra chains going every which way and they were mach 1s or 2s.
Holes include pretty good tee signs and large concrete tee pads.
My favorite hole is hole 11. This hole plays as a down hill flex shot that just sales down into the valley. Most of this course plays on dirt but hole 11 does not.
There are two sides to this course the first about 14 play on one side of the pro shop and then the last 5 play on the other side.
(Pictures are outdated).
Cons: I was wondering if they had yearly passes just because the monthly passes are a little pricey if you live kind of far away. If you live in the area it is worth it.
This course is very busy. Also there are very large groups ahead of us that we had to wait for.
There are a lot of Fore's going around on this course. It is a little jam packed but its not to bad.
Parking is very hard. The parking lot is so small there are only about 20 spots.
Honestly I don't think there should be about 6 pin locations on each hole. It makes it fun but its not very necessary.
Other Thoughts: I definitely would play here again this course is fun but busy. For $3 its definitely worth it. They definitely made the right decision to switch to Discatcher baskets.
I do like the blind shot holes just because it reminds me of Delaveaga.
Netting around the last hole deffinetly helps that part of the course is so tight. But I did get my disc stuck on top of it woops.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
3 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Has a nice pro shop. Very well maintained, multiple pin locations to keep it fresh. Some really fun technical shots. Great pads and baskets with flags on top, so you can see the pin from pad. Beautiful setting with some cool shots/elevation change. Makes you throw different shots
Cons: No real holes to air it out but great technical course. Main issue I have is some fairways cross and this course gets a ton of player traffic.
Other Thoughts: Most players were very nice and yelling fore is big here as a lot of fairways are close and the place is very crowded with all skill set of players. However a great course and would love to play anyway
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
California Knows How to Party
4 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: On Site Pro Shop
Cool California Foliage--Palm Trees!!
Great community feel
Great mix of holes
Sense of Nostalgia
Cons: Small space overall be prepared to dodge errant shots and to yell Fore!!!
Other Thoughts: I arrived at the course about 6:15 and was still not the first one there on a Tuesday. The reports about the course getting crowded are spot on. The people I met while playing there were all very cool just like the course itself. This was the first time I had played a course quite like this. Being from Texas our courses even when tight and technical have enough space between fairways that you don't really have to worry about errant shots. If you are in the San Diego area its a must do. Very highly recommended. I loved it. I will play it again the next time I'm in the area without a doubt.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Great Old School Golf!
14 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros:
- fun shots (predominantly "hit your line for two" golf but those lines are a blast)
- good disc golf amenities (tees, signs, baskets, multiple pin locations, pro shop) and impeccable course maintenance (including rotation among many pin locations)
- although busy, it's dedicated disc golf property
Cons:
- busy busy busy! (i.e. wait times unless you're here off peak hours, higher than average chance of hitting or being hit by errant discs, crowded parking)
- holes are fairly short, though this is forgivable with the technicality
- holes are generally crowded together, with overlap to some fairways and several baskets located relatively close to other tees
Other Thoughts:
This is a disc golf only property on the northeast edge of San Diego's famous Balboa Park. The property itself, and the experience, is pretty unique. The land is crowded both in terms of the holes (cuz they've really maximized this space) and the people (I got here around 8am on a Saturday and it was jam-packed). There's a very nice pro shop where you pay an entrance fee and can fill any lacks in your bag (I bought a nice Z Undertaker here).
Overall, I found the atmosphere very casual. There were tons of disc golfers, and about half appeared very new, alongside some more experienced players. Everyone was having a good time, and the relaxed atmosphere may have contributed to wait times. I had planned to get here earlier and play twice, but I ended up taking off after one round. No regrets, but I left to hit up some other good (and less busy) courses in the area. From CCDG Ian Anderson's Google review: "... really busy on the weekends. Get there before 8:30 am if you can." I agree.
The golf is extremely fun. Some hole locations are very short, and it's "old school" disc golf -- there's almost always a good line that can get you a two. The golf is done well, and there's enough challenge and variation that it's a lot of fun. Terrain and vegetation wise, it's similar to most courses in area. There are slight changes in elevation with California desert-type trees that are big enough to create good disc golf holes. Fairways are grassy and/or dusty. I ended up tagging along with two different groups of locals, and it helped tremendously that they knew the pin locations. As a side note, this would be a great home course because there are so many pin locations that it can be a very different course on different days given many different pin configurations.
I find only 10 courses on DGCR with 100 or more reviews and this is Morley Field's 100th. The others are a Who's Who of longstanding, popular and even legendary courses, e.g. Flip City, Idlewild, Blue Ribbon Pines, Mt. Airy, and Beaver Ranch. In other words, this is one of disc golf's popular and beloved courses. It's a classic in a populated area, and it's likely one of the most played courses in the world. Of those other 10, only Golden Gate Park and Idlewild have been played by more people (at least according to DGCR). Whether you're a bagger, disc golf history buff, or just a fan of fun courses, you too should get out here.
Rating: I'm going 3.5 for "very good." The golf itself may be a bit better, but it's just a little bit too crowded (both in terms of population and space) for me to go much higher. Nevertheless, if I'm back in San Diego this will be the first course I play (during off peak hours, if possible).
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Beautiful Morley Field
5 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: What a great location and setting! This park is incredibility maintained! The trees and brush definately come into play on most of the holes. Enough shot variety from big hyzers to low ceiling shots. There is slight hills throughout the course which add some character. Most holes are easy enough to get a par 3 on each. Tee signage was great, with stickers indicating basket location of which are moved weekly. Most holes have 4+ locations. Tee pads are a mix of cement with mats on top and worked well. Discatcher baskets in great shape with flags on top to indicate location and hole number. Pro shop on site with disc and snacks to sale. Nice scorecard provided with daily tag.
Cons: Knowing that land value is at a premium in Cali, I would like to see a longer/bigger course. Most holes are on the shorter side, about 300 feet. Not much chances to really let your distance drivers to fly. A fairway driver would probably be sufficient for this course i.e. Leopard or even midranges. This place gets packed! I got there right at 700am and was first on the course but by the time I was done, the small parking lots was already full with about 20 cars at 830 in the morning on a Wednesday! A good course for sure, but also because there is a lack of good alternatives in the area. I think pay to play may keep some of the traffic down.
Other Thoughts: Such a beautiful looking and maintained course! Everything was in great shape and well taken care of. I certainly enjoyed my time on the course and would love to play it again sometime. It has stuff to offer both a beginner and seasoned player alike. Longer length holes would help it out a bit. A really good course that gets used a lot for good reason.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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1 
10/6/2022 
11/17/2022
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