Reviews: 106
Avg. Rating:
Classic, great variety, gorgeous
2 Helpful / 6 Not
Pros: Great beauty and variation of shots. Wide open, technical, elevation, forehand, backhand etc. did I mention beautiful and iconic?
Cons: Poison oak, slightly crowded, parking can be a bit annoying, but not enough to put off the experience of playing Dela!
2 of 8 people found this review helpful.
17 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: An iconic course, DeLaveaga lives up to the hype. This course has several, unique and unforgettable holes, and I'm not just talking about the 'top of the world' Hole 27. Hole 3 has a slightly downhill drive with with just enough room between tree obstacles; Holes 7, 8, 9 and 10 are all terrific wooded tunnel holes with dangerous pin positions that satisfy in terms of fun factor. Hole 11 is another wooded tunnel hole that demands a perfect low-trajectory drive to get anything better than a bogey.
My favorite hole may be the famous 'refrigerator' Hole 12, which plays like a water hole and also requires ample skills to negotiate. Hole 13 (nicknamed the 'I-5' hole for obvious reasons), has an open drive with a hard left turn with a low ceiling and protected basket that can cost several more strokes, but is mostly fair enough to not be a crap-shoot. But the course doesn't let up, with Hole 15 being somewhat similar in nature to Hole 12, with a dangerous water-hole like fairway requiring a high-trajectory right turn. The so-called 'gravity hole' 17 can be a birdie (or even an ace), but can also be double bogey capable with bad upshots. Hole 26A is a hilltop (almost tabletop-like) flat hole with treacherous slopes on either side. And of course, the aforementioned Hole 27 is one of the most famous holes in all of disc golf.
Cons: There are a couple of filler holes here, such as the awkwardly uphill Hole 8A and Hole 26 that aren't in the same class as the rest. Walking on this course can be slightly hazardous, with numerous roots and sandstone craters that have likely resulted in a fair number of injuries. Not sure if this is a con, but this is a very long course. Plan on at least three and a half hours to play a full 29 hole round, possibly more if you are in a big group or if the course is busy.
Other Thoughts: Deserving of its iconic status, this course deserves to be at the top of your bucket list. There is a pro shop with a few discs and water available, which can be a life saver if the course is 88 degrees like it was on one of the days I played. One more note....coverage of the Masters Cup has a slightly reworked 24 hole layout with Hole 1 starting at Hole 25. It costs an entirely fair two dollar fee to play.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.
9 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This course has the most iconic and signature holes I've probably ever seen. From hole 1 with a double mando up to a platform green all the way to hole 29 top of the world. This course can create amazing scoring separation, with every hole being amazingly constructed. Keep your disc flat you can do well however easier said then done. 29 holes will take you all day but with not one bad hole out here that's a plus. Like I said so many iconic shots I can go on and on. The kitchen hole I5, and many more great shots, will have you throwing every which way and every disc in your bag. Beautiful tee signs with hole nicknames on most/long enough tee pads when you need them on big holes, and mach x baskets that catch well just don't miss weak side. Great mix of elevation and hole distances. Navigation is super easy as most holes pads are right by last hole without much walkouts. Pro shop on site with disc for sale and friendly help. Saftey nets on the areas that need them. To me this course is challenging and I love every aspect of it, not many courses leave you saying wow but you will always remember playing this course and the holes here
Cons: There's 29 holes here but there is a 8a and 26a might confuse some just play it as 29 and it flows great. Couple of the fairways cross fairways with each other ...some Saftey concern for that reason. Hole 20 I think it is by the clubhouse crosses fairway with 21, and the pin position by the road is really bad and shouldn't ever be there. This course will take a long long time plan for it you don't come back to parking lot until hole 19 I think. Rollouts are a huge factor hear, and I'm sure you've all heard the saying you got DeLa'd try to land flat I like the death greens and to me not really a con. The cliffs on the side of some of these holes are insane and dangerous again I like it if you miss fairway you should get punished however this isn't great for new players families or older people if they go down there.
Other Thoughts: Parking is only 2 dollars and worth every penny. Some massive uphill shots like hole 2 and 24 I think it is bring lots of water hard ground to walk on can give you big skips and rolls keep that in mind on your shots
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
20 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: -DeLaveaga. Where to start. This magnificent property has to be the St. Andrews of disc golf, being home to one of the oldest courses and one of the oldest tournaments in the game. I would venture to say that this has to be the most well-known course in the sport of disc golf.
-The Scenery. DeLaveaga Park, at first glance, seems better suited for a nature hike than for a disc golf course. The thick woods, steep canyons, and panoramic views are incredible but it must have taken a lot of creativity and imagination to envision and then carry out the construction of a disc golf course on this property. Enter Tom Schot.
-I'm not too well-versed regarding the history of DeLaveaga and which holes remain from Schot's original routing, but nevertheless the present routing is world-class. Every single hole has a unique character. Particularly well known holes include Gravity, The Refrigerator Hole, I-5, and of course the Top of the World. It's the sign of a fantastic course when multiple of its holes are imitated by designers at dozens of other courses.
-It's needless to describe any hole in detail as Youtube can take care of that, but my personal favorites were #3, #6, #8, #11, #12, #13, #16, #17, #19, #25, and #27. Wow. That's a lot.
-The incredible variety of holes requires a player to use their entire arsenal of shots. It's not a wide open course that only requires a few overstable discs. It's also not a heavily wooded course that only requires your straightest fliers. DeLaveaga includes both of these types as well as a handful of "Type Z" one-of-a-kind holes that will leave you drawing a blank deciding what is the most effective shot. These types of holes are what elevate courses from excellent to outstanding.
-Putting is a challenge. Most greens are ridden with obstacles: large trees, downed logs, roots, low hanging tree branches, and of course, steep canyons that are more than willing to make you exclaim "I just got DeLa'd!" Being comfortable manipulating your style of putt is a certain stroke-saver.
-The course strikes an unmatched balance between challenge and forgiveness. A score of Even par with all long baskets is traditionally rated 995-1000 in the Masters Cup. It's the only par three course on the professional tour, but remains a player favorite. Ricky Wysocki, Matt Bell, Sarah Hokom, and Madison Walker are among the touring professionals that have named DeLa their favorite course. In addition, the fact that it is a par three course makes it a favorite of players all over the skill spectrum. Even a novice player can have fun making a few pars in a row.
-Large concrete tees, Mach X baskets, excellent tee signs, and super size benches adjacent to every tee box are just a token of evidence of the hours and hours of hard work put into this course by the local community. A small pro shop with discs for sale is on-site as well.
Cons: -Chance of lost discs. A slight mis-release or a bad kick off of a tree can easily send you down into a canyon. Holes #8a, #9, #12, #15, and especially #26a pose the greatest risks.
-Poison oak. Stay on the fairway, and you should be A-OK, but send one down a ravine, and, well, best of luck.
-Crossing fairways - Holes #5 & #6 and holes #13 and #16 share fairways. In addition, errant drives from #27 pose a risk for several holes and the parking lot.
-These things can and do make for a miserable round at many courses. However, they add to the charm and experience of DeLaveaga.
Other Thoughts: -This course has lost a lot of trees in the last five years. In fact, a large portion of one of the huge oaks guarding the #15 basket has just fallen (as of Jul 2019). It's nice to see that new trees have been planted in several spots. I don't know how many trees have failed due to environmental factors as opposed to contact from discs, but I'd like to see some of the trees in high-impact areas be protected with wraps or screens.
-Almost every hole has an alternate basket position, which helps ease the wear and tear on parts of the course. While it's a bit disappointing to come to an iconic hole and find the basket in the secondary position, the lines are fun and well thought-out.
-The elevation change is not as extreme as it is made out to be. The only large hill on the course is climbed on #1 - #2, and #25 - #26. The rest of the layout is of only moderate elevation change unless you find yourself at the bottom of a canyon searching for a disc.
-This is an incredible course. Very few courses can boast being on public park property, having land used exclusively for disc golf, and being among the world's finest. DeLaveaga checks all three boxes.
20 of 21 people found this review helpful.
Iconic course, variety of elevation, difficulty, length, starting to feel years of wear and tear
8 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: Top of the world - hole 27 is epic. I hit the chains on my birdie shot, which was super rewarding as I normally can't drive even 300.' Elevation changes. Nice baskets. Multiple pin placements. Variety of difficulties and hole lengths. Cement tee boxes. Pro shop is pretty awesome. They have a spreadsheet for lost discs where they hold them for 30 days before selling them for $5 if you don't pick them up. Camaraderie among locals and patrons is second to none. Everyone was super friendly, social, and helpful.
Cons: Pay for parking. A couple of holes require a spotter or need to be skipped unless you want to lose a disc (at least for an amateur like me.). This is hole 15 in particular. As a RHBH player, I just don't know where to throw this one as it is a steep cliff to the left. Can get busy as it is an iconic course. The course is definitely feeling the effects of the constant heavy foot traffic. Perhaps at some point in the future, they could touch up the landscaping some.
Other Thoughts: A must play, destination course, one I hope to play annually at a minimum. It's only just over an hour away for me and definitely worth the trip. I played first thing in the morning, which is recommenced if you want to avoid the crowds.
8 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Absolutely Amazing Views and Course!!
15 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Delaveaga in Santa Cruz, California is one of California's best disc golf courses. This course offers amazing views from the iconic top of the world hole. This course is challenging for all players.
This course is maintained pretty well but many holes play in hard compacted dirt like Morley Field in San Diego, California. There are quite a lot of fun holes at Dela such as the refrigerator.
Some of the first holes play in the woods.
One of the holes I especially liked is called Gravity. This hole is on the side of a steep hill. They call it gravity because it is the shortest hole on the course and you can float your disc right down to the hole. Tee signs I believe were added quite some time ago but are very nice in many ways because of blind shots and other reasons.
- There is a pro shop in the parking lot near the back side of the course. They sell quite a few discs, bags and Rovic Disc Golf carts.
The Masters Cup is held at this course. They play 24 out of the 27 holes there are at Dela.
- One of my favorite holes is the refrigerator. Apparently someone dumped a old fridge down in the ravine and the name kind of stuck. If you go to the course they give you the full description of why they called it that.
- They do not water this course so you will get enormous skips, especially on the top of the world hole.
- The top of the world hole is around a 500 foot down hill shot that has amazing views of Santa Cruz.
There is poison oak now I don't mean that it is bad but man it is there. Just stay away from it and you will be good. Overall the some of the wooded holes are just amazing. Just like in all the videos I have seen of Dela there is nothing like just playing there in the morning. Although it does get crowded this course is definitely worth playing. The Delaveaga Golf course is a nice change and I would like to come up to Santa Cruz again to play it.
Overall this course is spectacular I really wished it was much more close to me. The variety of the shots is amazing. What a Great Pro shop and other spectacular holes. This course is one of my favorite courses by far. I do not live close but I really want to play the other Dela course on the golf course. But that course is much harder and admission is so much more. Delaveaga park is free though.
There are no maps to this course. I thought it was really fun to walk in-between the holes just because you don't see that on the videos on youtube. When I played the refrigerator hole the pin was in a different spot. Just about every hole has a second pin location. At the fridge the hole was off to the side which was a little annoying. I was hoping to go over the trees like you would see on youtube.
Hole 25's top basket has been removed this hole plays as a short par 3. I believe due to mud slides and stuff like that they removed it.
Cons: There are not very many cons on this course because of how amazing this course really is.
-One concern is that on the top of the world hole there is a road that runs on the back of the basket. Quite a few cars come threw there which makes it hard if you throw long.
- This course is not a very beginner friendly if you are one. Very steep cliffs and lots of hills make it very easy to loose your disc.
Other Thoughts: Overall the course is very nice and I would definitely want to play it again. This is one of a couple courses in Santa Cruz. One of the other ones was on a campus. I could not access that course.
There are many wooded holes where it is hard to loose your disc which can be nice because previous holes have very steep cliffs.
One thing to know is to go early in the morning because it will get very hot and dry in the afternoon. Dela tends to be kind of open on a few holes.
One of my favortie holes is gravity which I already mentioned. But there is nothing like it. it is the shortest hole on the course and it looks just like it does in the CCDG videos. Just let your disc float down and you are parked. Although this hole is on a steep hill your disc will definitely sit when it hits the hill.
There is also another course there that plays through the golf course. In the Masters Cup they play this course on their final day. Nothing Like playing here for a change this course is spectacular.
15 of 16 people found this review helpful.
Favorite course of all time
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: It's regarded as one of the best courses in the whole world, and for good reason. Signature hole after signature hole. Park is strictly used for disc golf and nothing else. You'll never forget throwing off the top of the world.
Cons: I can't say I'd recommend this course to a beginner. There are a couple blind shots and scary fairways with canyons so you must be careful not to lose your disc. That said, off the fairway doesn't have a lot of brush so you're usually fine as long as you don't shank one off a cliff. As an intermediate player, the last couple times I went I didn't lose any, so I think that if you are comfortable with your shots you'll be fine. Pay for parking but hey, it's so worth it! Imagine how much a premiere course like this would cost if it was ball golf.
Other Thoughts: My favorite course, ever. The pinnacle of the sport for me. Get ready to test every shot in your arsenal. Uphill, downhill, sidehill, gaps, trees, bombers, technical shots, you name it. Unlike some pro courses, this course offers a lot for your average player who takes the sport semi-seriously. You just need to be extra careful on ~3 holes, the rest won't be an issue, just be mindful of the steep drop-offs. There aren't any 400' water gaps or anything too ridiculous, but still has incredibly challenging holes in their own, very unique way. Would recommend to anyone intermediate skill and above. You'll need a good right turn shot for one of the holes that has a canyon on the left. It's a long course so pack water and snacks and make sure you're physically capable.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
DeLa Love
3 Helpful / 5 Not
Pros: Challenging course with opportunities to make birdies. Locals are friendly.
Iconic setting. 29 holes!
Cons: No maps.
First timers need help from a local to locate the pin
and the next tee in some cases.
Small parking lot.
Other Thoughts: A destination course, if you're in the area, make the effort to play here! I already want to go back.
It's on my top three list.
3 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Lived up to expectations
3 Helpful / 13 Not
Pros: Great layout and use of terrain
Good teepads.
Just the right amount of trees so you don't have to worry about constantly scrambling.
Pro shop on the property with super friendly staff.
Cons: Occasional trash
Other Thoughts: This course is a monster! The hike is worth it though. It lived up to my expectations after watching so many pros play here. I loved the change in elevation on almost every hole which constantly challenges your skills. Good spread of open and wooded holes and wooded holes did not have heavy underbrush which is always nice when you get off the fairway. Definitely loved throwing from the top of the world!! An experience like no other.
3 of 16 people found this review helpful.
Good Lord
5 Helpful / 9 Not
Pros: This course is beyond incredible, coming from Colorado this course was so much fun to play. The course made you hit your lines without feeling like every shot was down a tunnel. It felt fair to where getting dela'd was confusing. The rough was rough and the elevation was fun without being too extreme. Overall everything was incredible and it felt like how a disc golf course should play.
Cons: Nothing to speak of, holes on the hill were closed which was a letdown but the course still played amazingly.
5 of 14 people found this review helpful.
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3 / 258ft.
Par / Distance:
2-4 
6/18/2021 
6/22/2021
Review By: Mark R 
This review was updated on 6/29/2021
Hole #2 
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