The Course Less Traveled
5 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - Starts and ends right next to the parking lot. A couple of practice baskets nearby too and some open space to warm up.
- Another parking lot near holes 27 and 28 if you want to jump in on a less crowded part of the park.
- Tends to be less crowded than it's older, more notable neighbor.
- Awesome locals, played with a bunch of guys that I met at the course and people were pretty friendly.
- 19 and 20's tees are so close to the parking lot that you can really start on either hole.
- A good mix of difficulty. Holes 19, 23, 25, 34-36 all were somewhat gettable in every pin position. Not gimme holes but very refreshing because all the other holes are pretty challenging.
- A great blend of Par 3's and Par 4's. The par 4's are true, 2-shot par 4's. You have to throw targeted and precise shots to get to the green in regulation. Pro level distance won't be getting you any eagles here... except maybe on hole 36 in the C position.
- For the most part this is a hard but fair course. Hole 27 in the C position comes to mind as one that could be considered unfair. It takes two absolutely perfect tunnel shots to get there.
- Baskets are great, no issues with spit-outs or rust or anything.
- Teepads are concrete and excellent.
- Navigation is a breeze even without UDisc. Hard to get lost with this flow.
- Temporary Whiteboard Tee signs were great. Did see one or two that were misnumbered but other than that they were great. I suppose that could be considered a con as there are woodcarved tee signs on the other course...
- Makes great use of terrain. Whether it's elevation changes, log piles, trees, bushes, etc, the course is really well integrated into what's in the park.
- Cool that there is a lost and found box for discs at the bulletin board! Not sure if people actually use it though. Read on the Facebook page that some rogue guy has a key and keeps stealing returned discs.
Cons: - Crowded multi-use park, the parking lot will fill up during peak times and you will definitely encounter plenty of walkers. They usually don't venture onto the holes but sometimes do.
- The rough is straight up dangerous. Tons of thorns, poison ivy, rotting logs and wood that may or may not split in half if you climb on it.
- The overgrowth makes disc losing a very real possibility if you get off the fairway. The rough in between holes 28 and 29 is SO GNARLY. Insane thorns, super thick, so easy for discs to penetrate below 3 layers of brush. Getting off the fairway on hole 27 is also a death sentence--lost one here that was thankfully returned.
- Hole 35 is definitely a filler hole. Just a 250' straight shot in an open field.
Other Thoughts: It goes without saying that of the two Tyler courses this one is inferior. Between the tee signs, the lines off the tee and the cleared rough, the winner is clear.
That being said it's still a great course and makes for a fun day playing both courses together! I think in a couple of years and with a little more TLC this course will close the gap to the East course and earn a 4 - 4.5 star rating from me.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
A Return to Glory!
3 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - Plenty of elevation to challenge your mental game and shot selection.
- Shorter than the East Course but much more technical
- 2 tees and 3 basket positions on most holes
Cons: - Course still needs some work but there are 18 holes open again!
- Signage is lacking on some holes, but they will come once the club finishes installing pads and tees and can measure.
- Still some dense patches of debris/thorns on some holes but the club has made progress removing them
Other Thoughts: The West course was utterly devastated by the tree removal and it's amazing what the club has been able to do. The new island hole (25) felt like it was just thrown in initially but it's a real challenge! After hole 27 in the A position, it's a long walk to the end of 27 fairway at the C position. There you'll find a path leading downhill that will eventually take you to hole 28's tee located near the Boardwalk Parking Lot. After that the signage is pretty solid.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Tyler West is redesigned, open, and ready to challenge you!
3 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros:
- My first time at Tyler. I played West first because of crowds on the East when I showed up. I was lucky enough to hook up with a couple of regular players.
- The redesign you read about in earlier reviews is complete. Come and play!
- This is a tough wooded course. It's fair though - it's just hard when you play it the first time. My suggestion is to try to play with others who know the course, or leave enough time to walk some of the holes before you throw. There's a lot of "local knowledge" to be gained, due to elevation changes, roots and rocks near landing areas, OB lines, rollaway areas, and of course the lines through the trees.
- The signage is great. There are a few long walks between holes, but the signs are well-placed.
- 2-3 pin positions on every hole, so you're not going to get tired playing the course a bunch of times.
- Almost every hole has multiple lines. Lots of opportunity to use RHFH, or flex, or anny. Every tee makes you think before you throw.
- The "bomber" holes near the end are made more challenging by making the high grass OB. This is especially true for 36, where the OB lines make you play for placement, not just distance.
Cons:
- The only problem with the multiple pin positions (and different pars) is keeping track on UDisc for stats purposes. Today when I played, some holes in the "A" position, some in "B" and some in "C". This isn't a fault of the course though - the multiple possible setups just overwhelm record-keeping.
- I really wish the baskets had bright bands on them - they'd be much easier to see.
Other Thoughts:
- Especially when it's combined with East, this is a disc golf destination.
- I can't imagine ever getting tired of playing Tyler: every hole presents a challenge, and I imagine it really rewards experience that comes from multiple plays.
- Like others have said in their reviews, I'd be careful about bringing beginners here. Maybe from the short tees, maybe if the pins are in the "A" and "B" spots, and maybe just on the East course!
- I live over an hour away from Tyler. It was definitely worth the drive. I just wish I was closer so I could play it more often.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Not As Accomplished As Big Brother, East Tyler!
5 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros:
I played the West course right after tackling the mighty East course. The West course has all the same amenities as the East course. Same great signage showing not only which position the basket is in but also what the par is then. This done with a little swivel marker that might read, B 4, meaning the basket is in the position and the par is 4. The course plays through similar terrain but not as spectacularly beautiful as the East course. Same large tee pads. Same Mach II baskets with the blue number plate on top.
The holes on West are numbered 19-36. Hole # 20 was a very cool 350' downhill where you have to hit your line. #'s 21 and 23 we're both 200' downhill Ace runs. Ahem. This would be the place where I would indeed mention if I had Aced either of these holes. Uh , no mention! # 25 was another cool downhill only this hole played down the sloping hillside.
This is where I now mention that I now proceeded to get lost as hell. This is also the point where I mention that I did have the DGCR course information sheet, which by the way, gives explicit directions about where to go after 25 and how to follow with path, etc. But being a guy, I don't listen to directions. I don't read them very well so I'm putting this getting lost experience on me.
I somehow managed to get on track and #' s 35 and 36. They didn't impress me much. So what's the deal with the Island basket at the end? It's number
plate says it's # 29. If that's correct, then I'm still wondering around lost.
Cons: Possibly the biggest problem the West course has is measuring up to the East course. That's a pretty difficult comparison. First, I think the East course has the more interesting terrain to work with.
Many of the handwritten signs only bothered to confuse me more.
What's with the basket that is covered up with the black plastic?
The # 35 Sign is broke off and the bag holder has been broken off.
I'm going to cut the West course a lot of slack here since it's a work in progress and I can't read the directions correctly.
Other Thoughts: Okay, so the West course is not as awesome as it's big brother. Well, Brad Pitt probably has a big brother, Peter Pitt, who's not as handsome as Brad is. The West needs to be given a nice long breaking in period. From what this club has accomplished with the East course, I'll be expecting big things out of the West course.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Bring Your Best To Tyler West
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: + Most of the holes have solid tee pads with enough room to get a good start. The newer ones are tessellated brick. They are sturdy and flat beneath your feet.
+ One pin per hole, but three possible pin locations provide some nice variation.
+ I very much enjoyed how the course felt like it was part of the landscape itself. Hills, trees, shrubs, stumps, boulders, dirt mounds and ditches are all utilized whenever possible to give the player the sensation that each layout sprouted up as part of the environment.
+ The fairways are clearly distinguishable from the rough and OB areas, and the rough itself can be treacherous but isn't insurmountable.
+ I love how each hole has a name of its own and a diagram that is hand-made with painted illustrations for the locations of the tee pads and targets- including their distances. The newer holes will likely have them installed in the near future.
+ Many of the holes have sturdy wooden hook stands for the players' disc bags and benches to sit on. Many considerations have been made for the players' comfort and convenience.
+ The elevation challenges are some of the steepest in the region. Lofty tee-offs downhill and steep throws uphill will force a player to put more thought into their throw instead of mindlessly tossing.
+ The tunnel shots, like the elevation challenges, force a player to improve on the spot if they are not normally accustomed to throwing through narrow passages of trees.
+ A few opportunities at the back nine to wind up and unleash.
+ Plainly visible and numerous 'next tee' signs. They are vital to guide players through the new holes.
Cons: - A few of the tee pads haven't been installed yet. I suspect that this will change in a few months' time.
- As much as I love those hand-made diagrams, I felt as though their relative scale inaccurately represented how far each pin location was relative to the other pins and to the tee pads.
- The course is nestled within a state park, which means a lot of other people are walking around, and there is no guarantee that they will understand what you are doing there. Occasionally, you might have to patiently explain to someone why you didn't want your disc thrown back to you.
- Despite the picturesque landscape, it began to feel repetitive to my mind until I arrived to the more open holes. Grand elevation challenges and fun little hikes between holes do not make a person forget that they are still surrounded by trees in all directions.
Other Thoughts: The Tyler West update has been completed! Normally I would wait until everything is in place before updating my review, but my previous review had wildly incorrect information as it pertains to the course's current state. So, I am breaking form here and updating the review a bit early with the hopes that the course will reflect what I've written.
My favorite hole here is the fifth hole: hole 23. It is a splendid downhill tee off that can fly forever if you throw it just right. I have a soft spot for downhill tee-offs (probably because it makes me feel like a better player than I actually am!), and hole 23 delivers. My least favorite hole might be the new 28 hole because of the plain and direct nature of the hole.
As for the course as a whole, Tyler West is a good continuation of Tyler East. The recent updates to the course have had the unfortunate result of eliminating some of the sharper elevation challenges, which I think is a bummer. They don't have much character yet, and there is still a bit of work to do. However, it is all to make Tyler West a complete 18-hole course again. So I am glad to see such progress happening.
The holes that West offers utilize the landscape's hills and forest like any good wooded disc golf course ought to do. The trees all around force the player to focus and work around any obstacles.
And those hills make for some good exercise! Pack your hiking boots. Be careful about coming here after any rain. The hills mean that some of the lower areas will inevitably get soaked to the point where they become unstable.
Of course, wet conditions always mean mud and slippery leaves no matter where you are, but a hilly park like West becomes just a little more dangerous than other places under soaked conditions.
In closing, Tyler West is a classic wooded disc golf course that has survived a partial redesign. There are hills, tight tunnels, open hallways and a vast meadow or two. Tyler East is far and away superior to it, but you would be doing yourself a disservice by skipping it.
Just have fun. It's hard not to at Tyler West.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Good
0 Helpful / 9 Not
Pros: Tough holes, good variety
Cons: It felt like some holes they just forced in were they could cause they wanted 36 holes and end up with just some poor holes.
Other Thoughts: Also 27-32 were unplayable at the time so that didn't help my opinion any
0 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Tyler Durden - West
5 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Vast course amenities including multiple large concrete tees and tee signs with pin locators, bag hooks, and benches. Great use of the available elevation, mostly wooded terrain, creeks, and incorporating some of open field space to provide a variety challenges from short ace-run par 3s to some hard par 5s. The wooded fairways are well defined and tight while the open holes allow you air out some, however still require precise landing areas with the OB and well placed trees.
The Tyler SP courses have the manufactured feel of some ball golf courses for better or worse as they do add to the challenge of some of the holes. The courses play well from rank beginner to expert. Port-a-potties in parking lot.
Cons: Like Forrest Gump said, playing Tyler is like a box of chocolates, you never know what pin positions you are going to play unless it's a tournament. Being the more newer part of the course, the West Course needs to be broken in more and is rougher than the more established East Course. I wish the holes were numbered 1-18 instead of 19-36. The tightness in the woods can be a little repetitive, and there is no real grip and rip here.
Beware of other park users and discers roaming around the course. I had some random park user walking down the fairway of hole 32 who didn't realize he was on a disc golf course. He was fascinated by the pin markers and thought they were some kind of explosive device until I told what they really were for. There is not much seclusion from other holes and park activities. Lots of foot traffic on the course and erosion although some control measures have been taken.
Navigation can be tricky in a couple places, some backtracking, a map is helpful for the uninitiated. Tall grass OB and the large creek to maybe lose some discs and some poison ivy. Only one loop of 18 holes back to parking lot. For whatever reason I had a number of spit outs here on the normally trusty ole Mach IIIs.
Other Thoughts: As the Tyler Durden review title suggest this course is pretty bad ass and you never know what to expect layout wise which can be a pro and a con. It's probably quite rare to ever play the same layout here casually as the local club seems to move baskets often and constantly improve things. As noted the Tyler SP courses have a manufactured design element to them that make them feel like ball golf in a way, which can also be seen as both a pro and con - being it takes away from the more natural and organic design element that disc golf has traditionally used and been praised for.
The West course definitely boasts more elevation and more left or right turning shots and some fast greens. Some of the more fun elevated tee shots were just touch putter shots where I'd like to be able to rip them harder off the tee and watch them soar longer. This course might be enjoyed more by shorter throwers although the West still has some teeth on many holes. I can't remember which hole (#29 maybe?) it was, but it was a new hole that was my favorite on this course, it was a fairly flat and straight shot off the tee, slightly right, with the basket raised on a large natural mound.
Regardless taken as a whole the Tyler SP courses are supremely enjoyable to play and some of the best disc golf you will find in the area that is renown for disc golf.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Nearly as great as east
1 Helpful / 5 Not
Pros: Great variety, well mapped out, hot women walking around the park, multiple pin and tee pad locations, awesome club, scenic.
Cons: The new holes feel like they need to be broken in.
Other Thoughts: Tyler is the best course I've played. I cannot say enough about it. The course and club are 2nd to none. Play it ASAP.
1 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Still a little bit rough around the edges
4 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: With the massive addition of 9 new holes, I think that this is truly a destination course, and the new holes added on the east course make this place all the more great. This course is thoroughly enjoyable, and will continue to grow and get better with the efforts of the determined local players
Great variety-right turn left turn s curves, this course will require every shot in your bag multiple times. Even on a good round being in the middle of the fairway most of the time there were multiple routes to the baskets and the various routes could require different types of shots that you wouldn't use on your average course. With the added 9 holes, an abundance of variety is available at this destination.
Downhill bombs and huge uphill throws are just part of why this course is in the top ten- on almost every hole there is some sort of elevation changes whether it be a slight downhill or a massive elevation rise that tequires a huge bomb to put it 350 feet up the fairway.
Water- while water is not an immediate hazard, a creek runs beside and behind several holes and if you make a bad shot (like me) you could find yourself adding a few strokes to your score. I really enjoyed the use of water on hole seven, where if you were to overshoot the basket or have an unfortunate rollaway, you could find yourself in the river.
Creative greens- greens were fair yet also made you think about whether to go for it or lay up. Rollaways are prominent bit if you execute your shots well you can stay up. I especially like 9 in c position if you run at you could end up in the water because the green drops right away and you could easily rollaway. If you lay up you can consistently get a 30 ft putt for birdie. A huge amount of work is put into this course, and dedicated locals are always adding to the intricate greens, creating tiered, and elevated baskets, which make the course that much more interesting
Risk reward shots- this course is both mentally and physically grueling in the c positions and can cause you to think if you actually can make that shot. You are rewarded if you execute well here and punished if you don't make the right choice.
Good tee signs as well as good teepads- the tee signs were not only unique, but amazing as well, and you cold tell that great effort was put into them. The concrete teepads were in good shape and provided good grip. Each teepad had a number on the concrete.
Log piles-i like the extra hazard of log piles or "bunkers" it looks pretty nice and turns a short hole easy birdie hole into a hole with multiple lines and being at different heights, the require some height to get over. I especially like the use of these on hole 17 where the teepad looks right at the basket but there is a pile of logs 20ft in front of the pin location. It fits well into this hole because it is not that narrow but the log pile and tree make you execute a variety of different lines.
Cons: This course is certainly still quite rough around the edges, with the long pins playing very difficult if one is not consistently hitting the fairways. The rough/thorns are often very unforgiving, and can result in great frustration. However, I am sure that this will be taken care of in due time, as the locals are very good about keeping the course in tip top shape.
Teepads are only complete on the original holes, with may of the new tees having a flypad draped over the tee or stone dust that does not stay vey level.
Other Thoughts: Due to the fact that all of the cons will be fixed in a matter of time, I have no hesitation in giving this course a 4.5.
This is truly a destination course/complex, but make sure you come during the summer when more of the pins are likely to be in the longer positions.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.
The Western Front
9 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: 36 holes in two 18 hole loops from the parking lot
Best tee markers I've ever seen with awesome hand crafted maps and pin position indicators
Course is extremely well manicured
Long concrete tee pads
Multiple tee pads on several holes
3 pin positions on almost every hole
The huge scorecard/layout board/lost disc kiosk
Benches at (almost) every tee box
Water fountains and bathrooms abound
Bag trees at the tees
Tons of easy to find Next Tee signs
Two practice baskets, 1 open and 1 surrounded by large trees
Cons: The wait times on busier days can be excruciating
Some of the tee boxes aren't finished yet
Other Thoughts: Tyler Park is about as good as Disc Golf gets. The West course is already a strong 4.5 on it's own merits, but with the East course right there it bumps this destination course up to a 5. They are constantly switching around the pin positions, so the sheer variety of holes you get to play keeps it from ever getting boring. Whether the basket is in the ace run A's or the behemoth C's, every tee shot is going to make you work. The tee pads on this side of the course are marked 19-36. For the purposes of this review, and to hopefully avoid any confusion, those numbers are how I will refer to 1-18 West.
Elevation is the name of the game on this 18. Although there are a couple of flat holes, almost every hole takes advantage of some type of elevation change, some are pretty steep, some are long and steady. Wear good shoes here, you'll be hiking up and down hillsides all day. It's one of my favorite courses to play alone on a weekday when there aren't a lot of people around and there's a possibility of being almost alone on the course, super extra peaceful and the way the course flows through the park makes it a delightful nature walk. By the same token, one of my favorite places to play with a group of friends. It's just a great course year round.
Some course highlights:
Holes 20 and 23 are downhill wooded gems. Tight throwing lanes down to more open green areas. The short positions are straight in front of you with the longer pins making you also work your disc a little to one side or the other from where the shorts are (room for a bit of fade on the longer pins).
25 is the first hole of the 7 brand new holes on the West course. The short tee throws from up high next to the parking lot allowing you to really see what's going on with this hole. From the lower tee (behind the bathrooms) you're throwing on a tight line out of the box that opens up a little as you go along. There's a hill to the right and swamp if you go way left. The short pin is hidden behind a huge boulder making a straight on approach nearly impossible. B pin is behind the huge domelike mound that is directly behind the basket. C is on top of the second domey mound.
The climb up to 26 is a beast! Pin A is a short straight throw up a little hill that always plays longer than it looks. B and C are around a corner with the B pin placed precariously on a steep, long, semi-open hillside.
27 is a downhill bomb with a swamp waiting to eat any discs that go long.
29 is a bit of a walk across the parking lot.
Hole 31 presents you with a steep uphill throw that snakes left at the top of the hill before turning right and straightening back out for a long steady climb through the woods.
33 has a wide fairway for a hole in the woods. Makes the short pin a fun ace run and the long (at 711') an absolute beast that plays gradually uphill the whole way.
Now that your arm is completely spent, 35 and 36 are the big open field bombs you've been waiting all day for!
36 has a ton of OB waiting for you all along it's left side and further up there are woods to the right. As with the more open field throws on the East course, this fairway gets very skinny where the longer throwers are trying to place their drives, and where most of us are looking at putting our second throw. Pin B is up the hill to the left along the thin patch of grass that is bordered by the tall grass OB on the left and tree grabbing pines on the right. C is an island green in the turn-around of the parking lot.
Final Thoughts: Play Tyler! Make sure you download the map or find a local to play with your first time or three. Bring your A game and Tyler will test you. If you don't have an A game, Tyler is still a great place to come play anyway! It is truly one of the best courses (or technically two) in the country.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
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3 / 205ft. 
2-4 
3/11/2019 
2/25/2018
Review By: Ryal 
This review was updated on 3/12/2019
Hole #21 (Taken 10/2016) 
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