Reviews: 121
Avg. Rating:
Worth the drive
19 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: The Nati Disc Golf pro shop! There are lots of pros to this course, but this is what pushed it up to a 4.5 for me.
Decent variety of shots needed to succeed.
Solid, concrete teepads that are appropriately long for the holes
Good to decent tee signs. They do tend to exaggerate HOW much a hole will move, but they're good enough to allow new players to not walk up on every hole and will provide a good reminder once you've played here a couple times.
Multiple restroom opportunities throughout the course. Always a nice bonus.
Trash buckets and benches at every hole, and larger trashcans throughout the course.
Multiple pin positions ensure you won't get bored.
Cons: The damn Nati! I leave broke every time!
Crowded. I've never been here when it wasn't busy. When a course is good, accessible and has a pro shop that's to be expected, but it doesn't mean it's not something to be aware of.
Other Thoughts: Yes, it's always busy and yes the tees and baskets could use some refurbishing, but I'm honestly not sure how you develop a reputation as a top notch, classic course and also look like you were freshly installed. TBH, a $2 greens fee that went into making improvements would be a great solution to both problems.
It's southern Ohio. Be ready for elevation. This will not be a nice flat walk in the park.
Be cautious and courteous. If you're in a rush, this isn't the course for you. It's busy and plays near park roads. Plan on delays for disc golfers and other park goers.
This is a long course, even with pins in the shortest positions new players will be highly challenged here. Not saying you shouldn't play here if you're newer, but be ready to allow people to play through.
The pins aren't all in the same position, but they are all accurately indicated on the course sign. It's sad how uncommon this is. Columbus Flyers/Brett Hambrick Memorial, take note, it can be done!
This is roughly a 60 minute drive for me to play and I feel like it's worth it (especially given my other options or lack thereof). Everyone I've met in the park seems to be there for a good time and seems to share the space well. Again, this is uncommon enough in my experience that it's worth mentioning.
Objectively, this course is closer to a 4 than a 4.5, but top notch amenities throughout push it over the top and make it a nice place to spend some time.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.
Hub with Solid Design
18 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: The Nati disc golf hub, a land of personality and upper-intermediate golf.
-Personality: The only course I can think of with this level of disc golf personality is Sedgley Woods in downtown Philadelphia. With the pro shop, swarms of golfers, and lots of banter, this seems to the HQ of Cincinnati's scene. If I were a new player, this would probably be where I'd go if I wanted to have someone teach me the game.
-Amenities: A few cons are noted below, but overall Airy has everything needed. Mach IIIs are in good shape, concrete tees, and very good tee signs that are accurate and detailed. Multiple pin placements add excellent variety and are well-marked with an indicator system.
-Par-4s: The inclusion of several par-4s distinguishes Mt. Airy to the next level. These par-4s are, generally, the most interesting holes, mixing shot shapes to create a more interesting and varied style of play.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A very solid sequence that is only part forest. The course is predominantly park-style holes that are moderately open, which are fine but not amazing. The most interesting ones use low ceilings and treelines to play a smart shot shape. However, the more forest-like holes are very good, and interspersed throughout the course. These include substantial hills, narrowing fairways, a creek, and miscellaneous other challenges. The course finishes with four of its stronger hole, making it a satisfying conclusion.
-Bonus Holes: I believe some more wooded holes connect (3) and (4). I didn't get the chance to run them myself.
Cons: A course that may be a little overhyped.
-Park Roads: The majority of the course plays parallel to park roads. This poses a safety hazard, but also detracts from the gameplay and the beauty.
-Park Style: The open holes aren't particularly interesting. A couple have tunnels, elevation, or bends that are interesting, but as a whole the middle of the course is vanilla and full of straight shots.
-Overlap: Due to the openness, it's not uncommon to have bad shots end up on other fairways. Not a disaster, but another safety hazard.
-Crowds: Two aspects. First, lots of groups play that can slow down a solo traveler. Second, the erosion at the baskets is pretty bad, again reminiscent of the trampled earth at Sedgley.
-Navigation: A couple of awkward places, mainly (3)-(4), (4)-(5), and (6)-(7).
-Tees: The concrete was quite slippery when wet.
Other Thoughts: Mt. Airy is an enjoyable course, and the life of the Nati disc golf party. However, it has quite a few cons that limit its appeal. It solidly joins the ranks of the Very Good, but in terms of gameplay, it's not the finest option around. Consider it an asset, but not a jewel.
18 of 18 people found this review helpful.
(Not quite a) Mount Airy
15 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: 1) The atmosphere and amenities at Mt. Airy are top notch. Walking out of the parking lot towards the practice area and first tee you can already tell you are in for a good time. The practice area has two baskets spaced pretty far apart so you can warm up on putting and approaches as well as a net with a few tees to throw into to warmup on drives. There is also a full scale pro shop that carries everything you would expect and a shaded area with tables out front to rest and/or just hang out before or after your round. The post with arrows and distances to a bunch of other top courses is really cool, too, and this all makes the whole experience at Mt. Airy extremely unique before you even start your round.
2) Multiple pin locations on every single hole. Nearly all of the holes only have one permanent location, but from what I can tell they keep the pins moving around relatively frequently to keep the layout fresh.
3) Quality, grippy, and plenty large enough concrete tee pads on every hole. Though, there is only one pad per hole. But, with the plethora of pin placements that isn't a very big deal. Tee signs are also detailed, accurate, and have markers that indicate the current pin location on the hole so you don't have to guess or walk down the fairway on the blind holes. The signs also include 'next tee' indicators to help first timers with navigation.
4) Baskets are brightly painted red Mach IIIs and are in great shape. They are easy to spot in the woods and they catch like you would expect Mach IIIs to catch.
5) Benches and trash bins at nearly every (if not every, I can't recall exactly) tee so plenty of places to rest if you need it and very little litter around.
6) The layout here strikes a very good balance between challenging and fair. There is a great mix of technical, open, wooded, left, right, up, and down holes. The hole shapes play pretty evenly for lefties and righties and the elevation is used to great effect everywhere on the course; you'll need your whole bag to score well here. Depending on pin locations, the par 3s range from must get bridies (like hole 8) to challenging holes that require great shots to get into the circle (like hole 16) and everything in between. The par 4s (with the exception of hole 5 which is probably the hardest hole on the course) are all pretty short and should be in range for most players to get birdie looks with good shots but still technical enough to keep them from being 'gimmies' for most higher level players as being out of position or getting off the fairway very easily takes bridie (or even par) out of play. Other than the awkward mando on hole 3 I have zero complaints and only good things to say about the layout. My favorites were holes 1 and 15.
7) For the most part, very cart friendly. The stairs between 16 and 17 certainly gave me some grief and I had to carry my cart for a short bit, but other than that it's all smooth sailing as long as you don't mind pushing/pulling up and down hills.
Cons: 1) The biggest con here is the possible safety issues with the rest of the park activities in the area. A few holes play very close to or over roads in the park. Hole 2 plays across the road and is blind off the tee. Hole 3 plays alongside the road and a parking area and despite the mando it's still very possibly to end up over there with a kick or if players ignore the mando. Hole 4, 5, 7, 8, and 14 all play along side the road and any errant shots have a good chance of landing on or going across it. Holes 5, 6, and 8 all have parking lots in play that are pretty close to the baskets/fairways, hole 5 long pin is by far the worst offender here and could possibly make the hole unplayable if there were people using the parking area. Holes 1, 13, and maybe 17 also bring the road/parking areas into play but it would take a substantial mistake to find yourself on/across them. Lastly, hole 18 in the longer pin placements brings the pro shop into play where anything pushed left is probably hitting the building. When I played there was also quite a bit of other park users around the park but, with the exception of the road, the other uses do stay relatively separated form the disc golf course. While unlikely, you may also be at risk of getting hit from adjacent holes when on the pads for 3, 13, and 15. 3 and 15 would take a pretty big shank to get near you, but it is possible, and there is a large tree next to 13s tee that does a pretty good job of catching anything coming towards you but I heard the tree get hit no less than 4 times from people driving off 7s tee when I was trying to tee off on 13 so it's certainly worth paying attention to.
The rest of the cons below are all relatively minor, but worth mentioning.
2) Navigation can be tricky in some spots, even with the 'next tee' indicators on the tee signs as there aren't (that I saw at least) markers anywhere except the tee signs for indication of where to go on the less intuitive walks. The walk from 3 to 4 tripped me up my first round (just go left down the road). I could see the walks from 4 to 5 (same as 3 to 4, go left down the road) and 6 to 7 (again, left, down back past 5s dogleg and across the road) potentially causing issues for some people as well. The long pin placement on 11 also requires substantial backtracking down the fairway to get to 12s tee.
3) The rough is very rough. Many holes have thorny bushes and/or steep hillsides along the right side (almost none have this trouble on the left sides) so despite the distribution of hole shapes, the course plays quite a bit less treacherous for RHBH/LHFH players who don't have to worry as much about finding themselves in the super thick stuff. I did cut up my arm a little bit on hole 11 getting a disc out of the right side rough, so long pants and maybe long sleeves are highly recommended here.
4) Parking is quite limited. The course didn't seem all that busy once I got on the course and started playing but the parking lot near hole 1/the pro shop was completely full and people were parking at the lot near hole 3. I could imagine on very busy days that parking in the small lot by holes 8/9 and starting on 9 might be better than trying to find a spot near hole 1.
Other Thoughts: The Mt. Airy Forest Disc Golf Course is one of the 'big 3' in Cincinnati, along with Idlewild and Lincoln Ridge, and after having it on my wish list for almost a decade I can say it certainly lived up to my expectations. When I played the grass was very long (nearly unacceptably long) in many spots but a local I talked to said it was the longest he had ever seen it in over a decade of playing the course, saying it's usually kept up pretty well, so I didn't consider it a con as it didn't seem like it's the norm. But if you are hitting the course in the spring like I did, I'd keep that in mind if it's something that may bother you.
Overall, Mt. Airy is a very solid course. The 'excellent' descriptor of the 4.0 rating hits the nail right on the head. The potential safety issues are definitely concerning, but I played on an absolutely beautiful evening and the course/park wasn't busy enough to cause any real issues. Though, on a day where the park was really busy you may need to skip a hole or two if you don't want to risk hitting some cars. Considering the whole course, it's certainly not enough to knock the rating down, but even the complete removal of the safety issues wouldn't make me push the rating up to a 4.5 either.
Either way, Mt. Airy is certainly worth your time to play. But, if you are looking for the best of the best I wouldn't recommend a stop here over Idlewild if you only have time for one course in the area. If you've got time for two courses it's a toss up between adding here or Lincoln Ridge to your plans depending on the style of golf you personally enjoy more.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
When A Course Challenges What It Means To Be "Best of the Best"
24 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Mt. Airy Forest is an expansive, 1,459 acre-park located less than 15 minutes from downtown Cincinnati. This park was the first municipal reforestation in country, and has plenty of picturesque trails and locations for park goers to enjoy. Among the many amenities in this park is the 18-hole disc golf course, which in my opinion provides a fine example of what makes a disc golf course a top tier experience.
Mt. Airy's location is hard to miss if you are looking at Cincinnati on Google Maps. The disc golf course is located in the northern half of the park, and can be located using the signage found all around the park. Interstate 74 bisects the forest, so your route to the disc golf course will depend on what direction you are coming from. Outside of the park, you will be able to find restaurant and gas station options for whatever drink, snack, or gas needs you may have before or after your time at the course. Being so centralized, this course is close to a lot of the other courses in the Cincinnati region; if you are hitting the big 3 in Cincinnati, it's not hard to get to Mt. Airy, Idlewild, and Lincoln Ridge all in one day if you start early enough. Mt. Airy is also close to plenty of other attractions and hotels in Cincinnati, which is convenient if you are making a disc golf only trip to the area, or if you are in town with family or business and want to get a round in.
Park amenities are plentiful in Mt. Airy. There are miles upon miles of hiking trails for folks to enjoy, as well as trails for mountain biking and horseback riding. These different trails are mapped out and are accessible on the park website. This park is also home to Everybody's Treehouse, a whimsical, fully wheelchair accessible treehouse that is free to the public. The park has 3 reservable shelters, along with almost two dozen picnic areas. There are also 3 different reservable wedding venues to choose from for your special day. Just north of the disc golf course is the Mt. Airy Arboretum, which houses specialty gardens, gazebos, and picturesque lakeside views. To the south of the interstate, you will also find a dog park that has separate zones for large or small furry friends. Then you add in the restroom facilities and playground areas, calling Mt. Airy's amenities plentiful may sell the park short. You could easily spend a full day at Mt. Airy, whether or not that day includes to disc golf course.
Speaking of the disc golf course, let's talk about course amenities. Coming down Lodge Road past the playground area, you will come across a small parking lot and building. This building houses The Nati, a disc golf pro shop located on property. Its not every day the closest pro shop to a given course is on-site. With the selection of discs and unique setting in the older building, The Nati is a great place to check out before or after your round. Next to the parking lot, you'll also find a fun directional sign that shows distances to many notable courses around the country and globe, including Flip City, DeLaveaga, Winthrop, and even Pomiena Reserve in Tasmania. Beyond the parking lot, you will find what is the best warm up area I have seen on any disc golf course thus far. There's a long patio area with a large net at the end that will allow you to warm up with some power throws that won't require you to walk hundreds of feet to get your disc. There are also two DISCatcher practice baskets located in a large open area behind the pro shop. These baskets provide not only large spaces to practice putts, but approaches as well. At Mt. Airy, you have plenty of options with your warm up routine to make sure you're set for your round.
The course equipment at Mt. Airy also includes some great features. The tee pads are long concrete pads that felt nice and grippy on my round. The tee signs provide a graphic of each hole, pin locations and distances, the direction to the next tee, and which pin is in use. The baskets on course are DGA Mach 3s that are in great shape. The baskets at red, and stand out very well among the woods and greenery, making them easy to spot from a distance. Each hole also has a bucket for trash, so don't be a litter bug.
Mt. Airy's course design has a largely park-style vibe to it, which may be surprising considering it's in a forest. The course makes its way around tree lines of a more open area of the park, with only a few holes truly traversing the wooded environment that surrounds the course. While there is a playground area that the park goes near and other roads that the course runs along, the disc golf course largely uses land not shared by other amenities given the dead-end road that the course start and end resides at.
Variety is plentiful at Mt. Airy when considering multiple factors. While this is not the longest course you will find by any means, the pin distances throughout the course can range from 200 to 700 feet. There's a nice mix of longer and shorter holes on site, with different distances peppered throughout your round. The course also has some good elevation changes throughout. While there are a good number of largely flat holes, there are other holes that will require shots uphill, downhill, over small valleys, and over hills. In terms of shot shaping, there's a mix of fairways that go straight, left, and right, making for a course that both fit and challenge disc golfers dominant in either hand and favoring either forehand or backhand throws. While some holes on site are pretty straight, others offer either multiple shot options or force you to throw a particular shape. This course may slightly favor players whose go-to drive fades right, but as an almost solely RHBH player, I didn't have any issues on this course.
Course difficulty at Mt. Airy is very accessible to a variety of players. As other folks have said, this course feels like a nice balance between Lincoln Ridge and Idlewild in Kentucky. Lincoln Ridge is seen as providing a fun, relatively easier round of golf, while Idlewild is one of the harder courses you will find and is full of challenging risk/reward situations. I agree with the sentiment that Mt. Airy is a nice balance of the two. Newer players will be challenged by Mt. Airy, but will be able to bite off as much as they are comfortable with without punishment here. The park style holes mean that it's pretty easy to see where your disc lands on most holes, which is a nice plus for those who are looking for a most stress-free round. Intermediate players will find this course to have a good level of challenge, with longer pin placements providing challenging situations that will test both distance and accuracy for your birdie or par. While many of the shorter pin placements will likely be very easy for upper-tier players, the longer placements on this course are nothing to scoff at. The C placements on site provide plenty of distance and more extreme angles, which will challenge the vast majority of players. It looks like pin placements are changed often on this course, and you will find a mix of long and short placements on any given non-tournament round, making the replay factor at Mt. Airy high for all skill levels.
Course highlights, for me, would be holes 1, 5, and 15. Hole 1 is a beautiful opening drive over a hill to pin placements guarded within a wooded area - an exciting start to the round. Hole 5 is a long and tight hole that wraps to the right for a difficult par. On my round, there were two baskets to choose from on this hole, so if you want to harder pin placement, keep going along the street to the right to find the far placement. Hole 15 is probably the prettiest hole on site, with a long downhill drive to a B placement that is in an open spot of land surrounded by downhill slopes from the basket, making for risk-reward situations on every throw you make on this hole.
Cons: This course can get pretty crowded given its popularity and location. I finished my round before 9am, and the parking lot was pretty full when I left. I think having other disc golfers playing when you are is a positive, but keep in mind that this course gets busy enough on weekends that you may be waiting to play a hole at times.
I played after a period of snow melt and rainier days, and I was overall very impressed with drainage on this course. That being aid, two spots stuck out to me as areas that were still fairly muddy. One spot is in front of Hole 1's tee pad, and that other is around Hole 15's tee pad. This didn't negatively affect my view of the course, but be careful of these spots and other lower lying areas on course after rainy periods.
In terms of variety between woods and park-style holes, those who are looking for more wooded holes may leave Mt. Airy a little disappointed, as most of the holes are more open with more mature trees and tree lines making up the shape of fairways and shot angles needed. Some RHBH players also may not appreciate the course design here given the amount of right turning holes. Again, as a RHBH player, I didn't have any issues on this course, but there is a noticeable percentage of the course that seems to favor right-ending shots.
Safety may be a negative for some on this course. Some holes play pretty close to the road used to access the disc golf course, and some other holes play near a busier road as well. With the number of trails in the park, you may find hikers around the course area as well. I personally didn't find any of the areas on the course to be problematic, as you can see down the road or fairway on all of the holes that are impacted the most by other park uses. Just be careful and look before you throw.
Keep in mind that the rough around some of the holes can get pretty dense, especially when the vegetation on site is in season. Risk/reward is nice to have, but if you see your disc going towards the woods, make sure you watch closely to see where it is landing.
Others have noted navigation as being a issue, with some of these issues perhaps coming from earlier designs. Hole 5 to 6 and then hole 6 to 7 could be a little weird the first time you play, but I can't think of any other spots that had awkward transitions. I didn't have any issues navigating this course on my round, but I believe The Nati has maps available if you want one. Udisc will also get you through a round here easily if you are having any navigation issues.
Other Thoughts: I have been trying to think of how to properly describe what makes this course work so well, and the right words are failing to come to mind. I think the easiest way to describe this course, in my opinion, is that it's greater than the sum of its parts. At first glance, it doesn't look like a 5-disc experience. It is primarily open park-style holes. It's not exceptionally long. Holes 7 through 9 can come off as a bland section of the course. What's here to put the course above most others?
I think of the climactic sequence in the film Ratatouille when I think about this course (spoilers, sorry). When cooking for the extremely critical Anton Ego, Remo chooses, well, Ratatouille as the dish he serves the critic. This dish doesn't have any uniquely spectacular ingredients; it's made of a mix of tomato, eggplant, squash, and zucchini, with a sauce made of very typical and common ingredients. But when Ego tried the dish, he's left dazzled and humbled by the dish, which takes him back to his memories of growing up and eating his mom's cooking.
This course, to me, is the disc golf equivalent to that ratatouille. The course design has a lot of more simple attributes to it that you can find on many other courses, but I think it executes those attributes better than most other course that I have played. Many of the holes on this course may not immediately come off as exceptional on their own, but when all 18 holes are combined, they add up to a very enjoyable round of golf that results in a truly exceptional experience.
I think another thing about this course that relates to that pasta dish is how accessible it is. Mt. Airy is a course that a very wide range of players can play and enjoy. Newer players will not be overwhelmed by the majority of the holes here, but intermediate players will also enjoy the challenges of this course. No part of this course is overwhelming in its challenge, nor does it have to be. A course doesn't have to necessarily be difficult to be exceptional, and Mt. Airy is a great example of this. This isn't the course that comes to mind when you're looking for a pro-level tournament; Idlewild is just down the highway for that. But if I'm going to recommend a course for the average disc golfer to have a fun round, Mt. Airy is hard to beat.
Mt. Airy resides in the greatest setting for a course I have come across to date. The pro shop on site is such an amazing thing to have on any course, and Mt. Airy's is truly fantastic. There's plenty of seating around the pro shop to converse and chill before or after your round or rounds here. The practice and warm up area is the best I have seen on any course so far. And the forest setting makes for a truly sublime background for a round, far away from the noise and business of the city this park is surrounded by. I started my day of golf at Mt. Airy at the crack of dawn around 7:30am, and I went on to have what was the peaceful and relaxed feeling round of golf I remember having in my almost 14 years of playing this fine sport. This part of Mt. Airy Forest truly feels sperate from other park uses, something most other park courses can't say. That comes with having almost 1,500 acres of land to play with in this park, and this course takes full advantage, truly feeling like a slice of disc golf tranquility separate from other activities.
I know I'm in the minority with how high of regard I hold this course, but one thing most can agree on is that Mt. Airy is a fun course that lives up to it's play and favorite count on this site. This is a well-known course that is beloved by many, and it more than lives up to its reputation.
I chose Cincinnati for my first solo disc golf road trip because of Idlewild. The biggest reason I want to go back is Mt. Airy Forest. This course has stuck in my mind and will continue to do so for a long time, and I recommend that you add it to your bucket list. You won't regret it.
24 of 24 people found this review helpful.
Long, Hard, and Tons of Fun
16 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - Beautiful 18 hole course especially in fall
- Great variety makes sure you have numerous shots not only available but also perfected
- Incredibly challenging but also fair. In other words, if you hit your lines, you'll do great, but if you miss them, good luck with scrambling; however, it is not so terribly punishing that a slightly missed line will result in a scramble from the middle of the woods. Only if you completely miss your lines or shank a shot will you have a bad time.
- Holes 1, 15, and 17 are definitely the highlights of this course for me as all are huge bomb shots, though they are all very different. Hole 1 starts in the open but you then must shoot into the woods. Hole 15 is all open and all downhill (very risk/reward heavy). Hole 17 is all open with a few clusters of guardian trees by the basket, all over 3 rolling hills. All are some of my favorite holes of any course and I can't decide which of them is my favorite!
- Multiple basket locations allow for different experience almost every time you play. On top of that, this is one course that actually uses the multiple locations instead of just listing them and keeping the basket at one spot permanently!
- Baskets are high quality; spitouts are rare.
- Multiple putting baskets, a driving range (into a net), and an amazing disc golf store round out why this course is a must for anyone within an hour drive!
Cons: - There are two spots where you have to backtrack to go to the next tee which is not only confusing but hurts the flow of the course as well.
- Course is grueling and extremely tiring as all holes are long. In addition, there is quite a bit of walking between many baskets and the following teepad, though this is more of a minor critique.
- Course is often incredibly busy and the roads next to multiple fairways are well traveled, so be careful! (This is awesome for the sport though!)
- Very easy to lose discs, so make sure to hit your lines!
Other Thoughts: Yet another great course near Cincinnati, Mt. Airy is a must play for anyone that is into disc golf, though beginners beware as it is brutal. It is incredibly beautiful and very well maintained. You can definitely see that a lot of care is put into keeping this course upkept to the highest quality. While I personally prefer Lincoln Ridge for the fun factor, Mt. Airy is, in my opinion, a better course overall. If you're prepared for a brutally long and hard course, you should have a good amount of fun. If you go in expecting an easy, short 18 though, it'll be rough. Still though, Mt. Airy is clearly one of the best courses in the Cincinnati area, and anyone coming to play Idlewild (or any other course here for that matter) needs to make some time to check out this amazing course. Who knows, you might even end up buying a few more discs!
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.
A Noble Member of a Fantastic Trio
20 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: What I can point to first when thinking about my review for Mt. Airy is the variety offered by this course. There are several shots that can easily be considered as signature holes by most courses' standard. Lots of long, open scenic shots that let you air out some big shots - also some shorter, technical par 3's that feel even more like "must-gets" among some of the massive adjacent holes.
While the course is what most would rightly consider "challenging," I think the golf at Mt. Airy is fair. With several holes reachable by all skill levels, a conservative, lightly skilled player can enjoy a great round here. Just the same -- an overzealous rookie or an over confident veteran will be quickly reminded that the picturesque views at Mt. Airy come with the cost of punishing rough and difficult scrambles. Risk V. Reward is something that is often mentioned in our sport and Mt. Airy is a great example of that phrase in many cases.
Mt. Airy Forest as a park, disc golf aside, is definitely not lacking in the amenities department. Several bathrooms throughout the course, a couple places to fill your water, multiple playgrounds, walking paths, hiking trails, etc.
Talking disc golf amenities? Its hard to beat Mt. Airy Forest, given its accompaniment by The Nati Disc Golf, a quality pro shop that is situated strategically between hole 1's tee pad and hole 18's basket. Multiple DisCATCHER practice baskets, along with an XL teepad pointed into a large net. I really enjoyed having the net - it let me warm up my arm and rip a few shots without having to spend time tracking down discs, I wish more courses had this!
There's great use and variety of elevation at this course. I played in the middle of summer, but I've heard the course drains well thanks to its use of elevation.
Cons: Mt. Airy Forest is a huge, multi-use park, so the issue of pedestrians or non-golfers potentially getting in the way is obviously present. This never stuck out to me as a glaring "con," but something I thought could be problematic, given how much the course interacts with the road that runs throughout the park.
A couple of teepads were less than level and that can make for a difficult run-up on a drive. Only a couple examples of this and it is most likely due to erosion over time.
Other Thoughts: It's hard to point to many flaws at Mt. Airy. The course has basically everything that a disc golfer could want at their disposal. Sweet Pro Shop with all the fixin's? Check. An unrivaled practice area, containing a hugely oversized teepad into a net? (My favorite bit) Check. A great, challenging, diverse round of golf through a beautiful landscape? Check.
I think this course fits great within what is known as "The Big Three," in the Cincinnati area, along with Lincoln Ridge and Idlewild. I think Mt. Airy falls into a sweet spot that makes it a unique, challenging, and really fun course to play. Not as challenging as Idlewild, but tougher than Lincoln Ridge - Mt. Airy was just right.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.
Fun Course, Nice Shop.
5 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: - Every hole presents its own challenge. Great mix of uphill, downhill, left hook, right hook, blind, and open shots.
- Park was clean, grass was cut for the most part.
-Decent parking near the shop.
-Signs are in great shape and give clear directions.
Cons: -It's tough. There is a reason it's on the Cincy Big Three.
- Definitely some thick brush areas. And the open lines can entice you to chuck one.....then it's gone.
- Park is not just for disc, and some of the holes cross areas where people are using the shelters, when busy, it can present some hazards. (cars parked at the shelter on the grass right in the throwing zones)
Other Thoughts: I thought this park was a lot of fun. My score reflects the difficulty of this course too. However, I enjoyed it (minus the rain). I did make a huge mistake on #18; When you come up the hill the first basket you see in a practice basket. And if you're already upset from throwing a bad game, you (like me) will not even realize it and throw to the practice basket, only to find out is the wrong direction. lol.
Great park!
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
The Nati
16 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Absolutely fantastic use of elevation on this course. It feels like almost every hole has one, and often times two, changes in elevation.
There is a good mix of length here. Some holes max out in the 280' range, while a couple others get up to 600' and beyond. There are also multiple pin placements on every hole, often times dramatically changing the difficulty of the hole.
Players with big, powerful drives will love this course. The fairways are not very tight and the trees remaining on the course are not too dense, allowing for maximum bomber potential. However, this course also requires some technical throws, especially when close to the dense woods. There are even a couple tantalizing ace runs, and plenty of opportunities for getting a long-distance make. The many high-reward throws here are extremely fun for both amateur players and advanced players alike.
This course is incredibly well-kept. The tee-pads are big and in good condition. The tee-signs are easy to read, adequately show the hole layout, and always mark which pin placement is being used. The wooded holes have clear fairways, and the brush isn't too thick or overgrown.
Hole 15, specifically in the B pin placement, is definitely the standout hole of this course and one of the best holes in the area. It is picturesque and begs that you throw a booming downhill bomb to get close to it. Other holes that appeal to me include 1, 10, and 14; in my mind, there are no holes that seriously detract from the experience.
Cons: The biggest con of this course -- and it is somewhat ironic considering the name -- is that there are actually few wooded holes. The course itself is great, but there probably could have been a better effort to incorporate the forest a bit better.
There are some roadways and walking trails that can come into play on this course, and also a couple shelters where people may be. For the most part, they are far enough from the course to not be an issue, but it is definitely something to watch out for while playing.
Other Thoughts: The Ohio portion of the "Nati Big Three" -- Idlewild, Mt. Airy, and Lincoln Ridge -- is a great course to visit. It is not as intimidating as Idlewild and not as casual as Lincoln Ridge, but falls nicely in the middle. It has excellent amenities, including an on-site pro shop, a couple putting baskets for warm-ups, and even a "driving range" to get loose on some of the big rips. It is definitely worth a visit, whether you are local, nearby, or visiting from anywhere in the country.
16 of 16 people found this review helpful.
Impressive Urban Park Course
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - The facilities here really are incredible! Having a pro shop, practice driving area, and two practice baskets goes way above and beyond what I've experienced at any other course.
- All of the holes are unique and offer a variety of shot shapes and distances. There is also a good balance between open shots, where you have to control where the disc lands, and tight shots, where you have to control how the disc flies.
- All of the baskets are in excellent shape and the tee signs on each hole are very helpful, as they show par, distance, and the preferred line. The tee signs also show you which pin position you're throwing at so you don't have to run up and check every time.
Cons: As a preface, these are both minor complaints about an otherwise phenomenal course.
- The concrete tee pads seem to be losing their grip as I had a couple of slips on the tee during my round today.
- I wish there were next tee arrows below every basket.
Other Thoughts: The park that surrounds this course is so beautiful! This course is just a slightly bigger, slightly better, and way more consistent version of my home course. (I mean this as a huge compliment btw.) To have a course this good be in the middle of a big city like Cincinnati is just mind blowing to me.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Pro Course Hosted World Championships
2 Helpful / 11 Not
Pros: Pro caliber course.
A decent mix of shot variety. Can showcase many skills.
Nice tee pads and solid baskets.
Cons: Since it is a local park, the course interacts with the roads and dog walkers, etc.
Perhaps a bit to many right turn fairways, so favors LHBH and RHFH players.
Other Thoughts: Bring your A game.
One of Cincinnati's best.
2 of 13 people found this review helpful.
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3 / 200ft. 
Hole #8 (Taken 7/2014) 
2-4 
2/20/2023 
2/22/2023
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