Lorem Ipsum and So On
13 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Peninsula has a good set of woods to play with on the banks of the Iowa River. Tall mature trees will challenge the shot-shaping abilities of the best around.
The amenities are all in order. Two tee pads, each with their own sign. A MachIII basket in decent shape on each hole, and signage on how to get to each of the next tees. To further credit the course, the maintenance is well done. Rough is left rough, fairways are clean of debris, and the paths between holes are kept up very nicely. Going off the fairway is sometimes punished a little harshly, but that's part of the design.
The woods begin at hole 2 and don't let up until hole 13. Some very tight tunnels on 4, 9, and 10 are complimented by some larger gaps on 3, 6, and 11. Some slight uphills and downhills throughout but nothing massive apart from hole 11 with a big drop off the tee before moving to the left.
Hole 13, but only in the par 4 spot. A 15ft wide gap which jogs the fairway to the left sits about 200ft off the tee, then the river runs the rest of the way down the right side to the pin. The rough separating the short green and long fairway is too high, but apart from that it's a great multi-shot hole.
The elevation holes are few, but memorable. The aforementioned hole 11 has a similar drop to hole 15, which plays straight away or to the forehand player. Hole 17's long pin slopes away behind the basket which could make for a tricky putt, and hole 10 is slowly but steadily uphill for all 560ft.
Two tees on each hole, and each one brings something different to the course, whether it's adding distance, a different line, or completely changing how you attack the hole, none of them feel unnecessary. It's a big advantage this course has over others.
Cons: Lack of fairways. Holes 2 and 6 just have... nothing, and hole 8 isn't much bigger. A small gap is fine, but a non-gap is an issue. There are ways to get there, but the margins for error are so fine that a birdie is going to come from a big throw-in rather than a skillful drive.
Hole 1. The only obstacle is air.
The last couple holes are weak in comparison to the rest. Hole 16 is a simple right-finish, hole 17 is a bigger right-finish, and hole 18 is a dogleg right... which can be beaten with - you guessed it - a right finish. All three of these are also severely lacking in obstacles and feel jarringly different from the rest of the course.
A few of the long tees in the woods were overgrown - I believe it was holes 5 and 8.
Other Thoughts: Having a course with two tees on every hole is always going to gain it points. The course isn't perfect, being bookended with boring holes isn't great and having unfairly tree-cluttered holes in the middle won't help, but in the end, the park did a fine job with this property when there wasn't much else to do with this land. It stays out of the way of the rest of the park, and the woods are dense enough to keep the course in its own little world. It's worth your time for a quick, but solid course.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
A Riverside Paradise
9 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Peninsula is full of variety that will bring fun, challenge, and wooded holes to every round. Signage is excellent, with lots of signs directing you to the next tee, even when the red and blue tees aren't close to each other. The Iowa River is visible on several holes but only comes into play on the long pin on 13. I played the day after a lot of rain, but the ground was hardly soggy at all.
There's not a ton of elevation change, but it's always fun when it's present. The elevated tee shots on 11 and 15 are really cool, giving several options and a little risk/reward potential, while still being completely fair. Holes 8 and 10 are uphill and provide some spicy challenge as well.
The course is mostly wooded, yet manages to have no two wooded holes feel even remotely similar. Some holes are just throw-it-straight (5, 8), some have you threading the needle (4, 6, 10), and some allow you to shape a wide S-curve (3, 12). All of these have early danger, but lots of reward if you hit your line correctly. Most holes have alternate pins that keep the identity of the hole the same, while changing the challenge a little bit.
I also like holes 11-16, which are still somewhat in the woods, but have much more open fairways than most of the rest of the course. They have room to air it out, but still plenty of danger if you go off the fairway. They also have at least some elevation change on just about all of them. It was a little disappointing that the red tees are pushed down the hill on 11, 12, and 15, but it makes those holes a little more approachable and doesn't take away from a challenging tee shot.
There are two teepads on every hole, and they are used excellently. The red tees are certainly a lot easier than the blues, but don't compromise on any of the awesomeness the blue tees offer. They're still challenging and fun. On a few of the wooded holes, the red tee isn't necessarily shorter, it's just off to the side where the line is a little more open. Other times, the difficulty of the two pads are similar, so you can play different pads on different rounds for a unique experience.
Cons: The open holes (1, 17, 18) are a little too open. They hardly have anything in the way and overall aren't all that exciting. Now, the long tees and long pins help with this, providing a little more distance and making a slightly technical tee shot on 17 and 18, but I still don't think they're exciting enough.
A few wooded holes are just a little too tight. Hole 6 has no reasonable gap past 150 feet or so, and hole 8 is just too far, even from the red tee, for the gap that it has. A few others (4 and 10) are fair in my opinion, but may require a little luck getting through one of the early gaps. Finally 13 in the long position has no reasonable line that I could see; cutting down or trimming one tree would help, but would make the short pin real boring.
While the course is fair for right-handed and left-handed throwers, there are a few holes that aren't. In my experience, holes 2, 6, 15, and 18 are a bit LHBH/RHFH-friendly, and holes 3 and 11 are the opposite. However, had I been playing on different tees or pins, my experience may have been a little different.
A few walks between holes are pretty long, mostly because the sets of tees and pins are sometimes a long way from each other. Fortunately, the excellent signage will make sure you always end up where you need to be.
Other Thoughts: Despite being an older design, Peninsula has maintained its status as an excellent course with a lot of excellent holes. I would like to see room made in the woods for a few more holes, some holes that start in the open and finish in the woods (or vice-versa), or possibly more holes like 11 that are in the woods but have a wide fairway.
The pars listed on this site don't reflect the tee signs very well. I don't think there's a single par 5, and only around 2 par 4's (depending on pin placements).
If you come here, make sure you walk across the bridge over the river to the northwest of the course.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Challenging for any skill level
11 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros:
This course is a beast. It will challenge every part of your game including your mental focus and commitment.
1) Each hole is challenging. Whether its the distance, a tight fairway, restrictive tee shot or elevation drops behind baskets, you won't be able to just relax and throw very often. Getting par on some holes will feel good, birdies are great.
2) Great variety in all aspects of the course. Almost every hole has multiple lines of attack and allow you to develop your game and approach each time you play the course. Depending on wind and course set up you can play different shots every time. Each hole has 2 tee pads and 2 pin locations for a total of 72 possible different configurations.
3) I've seen and heard many complaints about the rough nature of this course. I've been playing here 10+ years and every year it gets a little better. Fairways get pushed back a bit, the nettles aren't as thick, the brush cleans up and the low branches fall off. This course is aging well and will only get better which is encouraging as it takes many play throughs to appreciate each hole.
4) This course is mentally challenging. Playing solo, causal or in a tournament.
5) Great tournament course. Due to the variability in each hole, each player can navigate the course in a unique way to earn a low score. Almost every hole can lead to a 2-3 stroke swing so you never feel like your off the lead pace after a bad hole or two.
6) Multiple signature holes, mostly from blue pads that rarely get used.
Holes 1, 3 and 5 from blue pads, hole 6 is a par 4 from either pad in long, 10 is a par 4 from blue, 11 blue long is amazing after holes 2-9 play through thick forest and you walk out into the open sun and a 600 ft par 4. 13 long from red or blue is a par 4 that plays along the river, the tee shot from 15 blue is elevated but still plays into a tight fairway, usually into a head wind and hole 18 has multiple right dog-legs to reach a protected green with guardian trees and canopy.
7) You'll find lots of discs.
8) Pretty friendly for players using cart bags.
Cons:
1) Some holes have too many small trees cluttering the fairway and good tee shots that stay clean can get chopped down by random obstacles. Even worse, clean drives can end up behind one of these trees and the overall experience feels like getting cheated out of a good tee shot. The same can be said about low canopies that change with the seasons. Either dead branches that get caught and hang down or older trees with heavier limbs, these can be frustrating and ruin otherwise decent shots.
2) Course isn't pretty. The layout is great, but the course has a rough, beat in look and feel. Most fairways have a lot of debris and stick piles pushed off into the rough.
3) Stinging nettles can be annoying but they are much better than several years ago. Each season the fairways get trimmed back a little more and it's slowly clearing the nettles.
4) Getting stuck behind chuckers on a busy weekend is rough and slow going.
Other Thoughts:
This course really needs multiple play throughs to build up a good repertoire of shots and learn how the wind plays. Doing so takes time and with a lot of errors but in the end you'll be better for it. Playing the course once is doing it a disservice and most people skip the blue pads entirely.
This probably isn't the best course to bring young kid or inexperienced players for a casual round either.
Conclusion: Great course, very challenging, lots of diversity, a few really special golf holes that will make you want to come back and try again.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Good Course
0 Helpful / 4 Not
Pros: Course is well maintained with good signage. All holes playable. We enjoyed the scenery.
Cons: The few holes near river were a bit rough (long grass, uneven walking).
Other Thoughts: Updating review since none since 2018.
0 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Solid Course
2 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Great signage, fun holes in the woods that are quite technical, garbages on most holes. When you land in the rough, it isn't too thick to lose a disc but it's still unforgiving in that you don't have many lanes to get out. It's a course that has the fun factor built in with many open but tight lanes to get to the basket. It's a course that can be hard to par if you don't have a very good drive which is the way it should be.
Cons: The first hole into the woods and the last couple out are boring. And currently 4 holes are flooded.
Other Thoughts: This course was a nice surprise on my trip to the area. I knew it had potential but I underestimated how good it could actually be. I really wish those 4 holes were not out so I could play the all but from everything else I saw, this is one of the better courses in the area just behind Shaver and Wildcat.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Good mix
0 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: A very well cared for and marked course. A good mix of moderately challenging holes.
Cons: If the Iowa river is up it can flood a couple of areas. Bugs, bring repellant.
Other Thoughts: A fun course to play without to many hills. It offers some challenging fare ways.
0 of 2 people found this review helpful.
Insert Corn-y Title Here
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Peninsula Park offers an excellent round of mostly-wooded disc golf. The course bookends a technical stretch in the woods with more open sections that help mix up play: there's a distinct feel between the holes in the woods and those outside them, especially the closing holes which loosen up gradually and even introduce a bit of elevation into the mix. The opening hole is a nice, low pressure warm up, whereas the closing stretch of holes challenges you with a nice mix of lines and stressed landing zones as they progress back out into more open terrain. In between is the wooded environment that defines the course, which features lots of multi-lane holes and different takes on wooded golf. Having a mix of FH and BH is rewarded. There are lots of trees in play, but lines are well-defined and undergrowth is well-cleared, so any threat of poke and pray is smartly avoided. The course's technical demands reward skill and minimize flukey tree kicks.
The two sets of tees offer some decent variety and enable you to calibrate the time and intensity of your round without losing interest regardless of which set you play. The orange baskets are a welcome touch that make the pins easy to find amidst the wooded backdrop. I definitely appreciated having them. The concrete tees were great. The course is easy to find and accessible off the interstate.
Cons: The course emphasizes par 3s, making the experience a bit less varied than it could have been. Design could be improved by having a few longer multistage par 4s, which definitely seems possible given the sizable wooded environment. Outside of this particular critique is the fact that the design while great is far from flashy: particular holes don't seem to stick in the mind's eye. It's a blue collar course (certainly not a bad thing, just a limiting factor).
I mentioned the barest hint of elevation that is present on a few holes, but it's just that: the course is largely flat. Not much can be done about this of course but it does limit the technical demands present and the amount of novelty that's possible. The course doesn't get repetitive per se, but it plays a bit safer than it seems it ought to owing to the absence of elevation, which would add a nice wrinkle.
A few of the open holes are a bit mundane.
Although there are two sets of tees even the shorter ones aren't truly beginner friendly. Many of the lines and lanes require at least high novice/low intermediate skill to properly engage with. This is a great course for an intermediate player to hone their precision, but a beginner is going to take a disheartening level of lumps.
I'm sure the bugs can get brutal here.
Other Thoughts: I hit this course to break up a drive between Omaha and Chicago and it was perfectly positioned to do that. I really enjoyed my round here: it was engaging course while being not so difficult enough as to punish me after being foggy from four hours worth of driving. I'd highly recommend making a stop here!
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Kill me now
1 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: This course offers a challenge to any disc thrower. It is loaded with trees and has a nice finish along the Iowa River. A number of the holes have multiple angles of approach so any type of thrower should find this course enjoyable.
Cons: Some holes it feels like there are too many trees. And a lot of undergrowth that can lead to lost discs for someone who isn't a pro. If you are a beginner I would play this course in spring or late fall when the trees are bare and the undergrowth is down.
Other Thoughts: Fun course that offers a real challenge. Free to play.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Wisdom+Disc Golf+Mother nature=LOVE!
1 Helpful / 4 Not
Pros: Exquisite,natural,wooded,riverside,disc-golf experience. Enjoyable all seasons. Power,accuracy,distance,finesse,luck, all required to score low. high-vis orange baskets are welcome. 5 min. off I-80
Cons: . I don't want to nit-pick this natural beauty. Long pants help for errant shot searches
Other Thoughts: This is disc-golf treasure, folks!
1 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Fun Course
0 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: Good variety of shots, from wide open to wooded, from FH to BH. Some very nice tight wooded shots, really enjoyed the back 9.
Cons: Signage was in very bad condition, but the next tee markers made it easy to find the next hole.
Other Thoughts: When I went, the course was in pretty good shape, wish people would not destroy the signs though. I would say this is definite must play if you are in the area.
0 of 3 people found this review helpful.
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4 / 340ft. 
1 
4/25/2022 
8/16/2022
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