Tuscaloosa, AL

Bowers Park

3.965(based on 38 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Bowers Park reviews

Filter
10 0
kmlwhite9
Experience: 4.8 years 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Awesome course! drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 29, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Pretty well kept, maintained and manicured
- Really fun layout that challenges a lot of shots in your arsenal
- Good length, nothing too terribly short that doesn't have a challenge to it and nothing too long that you really question the par
- Tee pad signs are all in tact and mostly informative

Cons:

- Some of the holes feel like you're throwing into other fairways/tee boxes
- Signage wasn't 100% correct on distances
- Directional signage to the next hole would be really nice. I believe some had it but many others did not
- A little more course maintenance could be done to make things just a little more presentable. The green areas need some attention in some spots, maybe add some mulch around certain basket locations
- Some benches weren't in the best shape, one in particular was breaking each time someone used it
- Tee pads could have been bigger on some holes
- I noticed some carpet tee pads around. Not sure if those are used or not but it would be nice to replace those with turf at least if they are used

Other Thoughts:

Fantastic course overall, nothing will be perfect but this was definitely one of my favorite courses I've played! I will definitely be back for more Bowers!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 10
wtbryant
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Best shape ever 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 20, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a championship level course. The pics do not do it justice. The local club along with park and rec have really worked hard to clean it up. This is a must-play if you're near Tuscaloosa.

Cons:

None.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 0
blake833
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.9 years 160 played 140 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I'll take it! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 24, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Bowers Park really sneaks up on you! It starts off letting you think this is an open course, a few trees, and you're wondering, why is this park rated so highly? Then you move into the woods, and you get it.

Bowers park is tucked into a park off the highway. You'll find some great holes carved through the woods with a few challenging holes, a few nice and easy birdies. The forest is very hilly, and wide open fairways abound. But the hills were never so daunting that you hate having to walk up before you even throw. The widest fairways are still bounded by pretty thick forests.

The tee pads are concrete or carpet, depending on which tee you throw from. Each hole has two tees, and three potential basket placements. I usually don't, but I do love the variety. The basket position wasn't all short, or all long, which created a good balance. It looks likes the other layouts were similarly designed. A great idea for people who don't want to play all short or all long tees. I wish a local course to me would do that.

The tee signs were very simple, but wow I don't think I've ever seen more helpful hand-drawn signs on any course ever. I have to commend them. They were as good as most designed signs in terms of helpfulness.

Cons:

The carpet tees can be a little wonky. Or hard to find. But can be a little hidden or overgrown.

Navigation is pretty straightforward, but there a couple parts where the two tees are farther apart and have a different trail from the last basket. After several holes of easy navigation, it's just slightly more jolting than normally. Really not that bad.

Other Thoughts:

This course seems like that older style, mainly par 3, but done with enough creativity and diversity of holes that it's really a pleasant round.

I stopped to play this course on my way from the family in Johnson City to home in Louisiana. It was a great stop to play a quick round from the short tees. I was so surprised by how great this course is I may stop and play it each time I drive through!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
12 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.1 years 652 played 629 reviews
3.50 star(s)

One Of Alabama’s Finest 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.739 Rating) A typical city park course through 3 holes... then awesomeness.
- SKILL LEVEL FRIENDLY - Three sets of tees, albeit only the middle set is paved. This fact really makes Bowers accessible to a wide range of skill levels. IMO, I thought the white layout was Recreational. The Red layout read as Intermediate and the Black layout reads as Advanced. My only quarrels with this, is that this set up does not follow the standard color levels as established by the PDGA and it will be confusing to out of town visitors. I get that these are school colors, but not switching the red and white designations is a head scratcher.
- CHALLENGING - The Black tees are going to be whooping grounds to non-advanced players as they require a great deal of accuracy and some length. Lots of shot shaping and needle lines to thread as well. There are a few holes that work in some creek elements around the basket placements. Holes (1) thru (3) from the blacks are going to require some bombs. Depending on placement, several of these par 3s or 4s go well over 400 feet.
- RAW BEAUTY - After 3 holes I was a bit disappointed thinking "What an overrated course." Then on Hole (4) "Nice." Hole (5), "Very Nice." Hole (6) "Cool." Hole (7) "Wow, this is a great trend." Hole (8) "Solid." Hole (9) "Excellent." Hole (10) "Flip'n Awesome!" The pleasant words to describe the remainder of the course continued all the way to the end. In totality I scored the course roughly a 4 of out of 5 for beauty which would be in my top 40.
- ELEVATION - One of the most moving layouts I've played in Alabama. Several shots have over 30 feet of grade play in them. The Black tee play on (10) no doubt has the most change approaching 60 feet down. For Alabama, the only courses that I know of that go more extreme are Inverness, Clay and Lake Point.
- UNIQUENESS - In addition to elevation, just about all the plays are here. Benders left and right. There are defined pocket shots and tree gaps to split. A few water elements in the form of a 15-foot-wide creek. There are a couple park style par 4s in the beginning and a number of shorter technical plays. If I were to call out a missing element, it would be placement par 4s and 5s.
- RED TEES - Concrete tees of above average size, 5 feet by 12 feet.
- CHARACTER - A bunch of amenities as to be expected from an established course. A Community board at tee (1), although no course map was posted. The one on DGCR seems to be accurate. Adequate handmade signs showing distance, obstacles and large hole #. Seating is on just about every hole. Lots of extra basket placements. I want to say that every hole had at least 3 locations and (13) had 4 locations.
- NAVIGATION - I downloaded the map on DGCR yet I rarely ever glanced at it. Perhaps I was a good guesser on this day but there were lots of intuitive pathways and some direction cues as well. Tee signs show next tee direction.

Cons:

A solid course with most cons being just preferential issues.
- FORGIVENESS - Lots of tighter fairways on this course and I would not advise bringing anyone newer to the game out here. I don't care how good a player thinks they are, they are going to have a bad ricochet a few times and the disc is going to land in some substantial thicket. Some of my recovery plays had no good look at the basket. There are also a few water plays on holes (11) thru (13) where some of basket placements will make a player question their determination to throw at the chains. The creek level on my play was low enough to easily retrieve a disc but I could see lost discs in the creek one or two days after a heavy rain.
- POISON IVY - Not surprisingly, the overgrowth has some patches of poison ivy. The center cut fairways were generally clear of this awful plant but players will no doubt ping a tree at some point and end up in it. I suggest wearing pants or developing an immunity.
- BASKET LOCATION INDICATOR - With all the basket placements, I would have loved to have seen this feature on the tee signage. Players may have to run down fairways to check basket placements on a few holes. Note, they may have been there at one time as I could see nails to nothingness below the tee signs.
- LACK OF MULTI-PLAY HOLES - Yes there are a few par 4s on the first three holes depending on basket placement, but there really aren't any placement holes. I realize this is getting epic picky but I always enjoy it when a course throws me at least a couple holes where I have to accurately execute my plan to leave a play towards the basket on a hole or two.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - Holes (1) thru (3) play along roads and playground equipment.
- DISCONTINUITY - Hole (18) finishes a good 500 feet from tee (1).
- WHITE AND BLACK TEES - These tees are just carpet and I'd say a good majority were uneven. They are just a slight upgrade over natural ground. It seems that the Red Layout must get almost all the plays as a few lines from the alternate tees seemed a tad overgrown out of the shoot.
- TERRAIN - Anyone with bad knees should stay clear of this course. Some of the natural bridges crossing the creeks seemed a bit sketchy. I don't even recall seeing a bridge for the far placement on (11). Perhaps I missed it in my haste considering the basket on my play was up against the creek and not across it.

Other Thoughts:

Bowers is one those courses that teases players with the notion of a blah open park style course, only to dive deep into a majestic forest. There has been a lasting memory on so many tee shots at Bowers that it inclined me to favorite the course soon after. As of this review, Bowers is one of only four course I've favorited in Alabama (61 AL courses played as of this review). The other 3 courses are Inverness, Indian Creek and The Admiral. The course is very similar to Seven Oaks in Nashville TN and Richmond Hill in Asheville NC. Is this a destination course? Absolutely for those that live in Mississippi or Alabama. Overall I have this course as a tweener, falling just shy of the 3.75 threshold for a 4. I actually inputted the numbers three separate times for Bowers and had it fall just shy of 3.75 twice and basically right on the number once. I'd definitely give it a 3.75 if I were allowed to do so. It's a great course.
- TIME PLAY - Average or a touch longer in time play for an 18 hole course. This one took me a hair over an hour to complete solo first time through. Figure 2 to 2 ½ hours for a foursome.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 0
wericsson
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.8 years 53 played 45 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I have to push the pram a lot 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 5, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Baskets are Chainstars in decent condition - age is showing a little, but not much. They feature yellow flags for visibility. Three pin positions per hole (plus one extra on 13). Red tees (which are actually the middle set) are good-sized concrete; these are the tees which a majority of disc golfers will want, being around intermediate level in difficulty; the white (short) and black (long) tees are carpet tees playing at roughly novice and advanced levels, such that the course has an appropriate set of tees for the overwhelming majority of players. Although they look like death on a pale pony, none of the carpet tees were slick or otherwise difficult to tee from - maybe the heat bakes them dry. Tee signs are painted wood with tee color, distances, and hole maps (better drawn than the ones DGCR has pictured). No signs of chipping/fading; all were in good shape. Present pin position (typically all A, all B, or all C, save for some tourneys) is indicated at the course board, and they rotate, I believe monthly.

15 fully wooded (and I mean heavily, but beautifully wooded) holes, testing pretty much every line you could name, with plenty of elevation change as well - from long uphill shots to downhill ace runs, valley shots, etc. You'll need to be able to throw both FH/BH to play well (the whites are a bit more forgiving to players with only one). The rough is rough enough that "putting it down there" won't do you any good if you can't stay in the fairway. Conversely, if you hit your line, you will be putting - there's no poke and pray unless you decide you want to play it off the fairway on purpose. Good luck with that idea - it won't work. The distances are also enough to really add to the challenge - it isn't just a putter chucking contest. Several of the woods holes play in the 300+ foot range from red, and only about a third play under 300 from the blacks, with some out past 400. Being able to hit some lines with a driver is a must. Water comes into play on 3 holes - a clear, flowing stream which makes for some challenging greens.

The first three holes are far more open long boomrippers, but still with some tree guarding, starting one-sided on 1 and developing into a city park-style corridor shot on 3 before the real woods begin on 4. The first three thus add some further variety - and ease you into what you've undertaken.

Signature hole for the course would be number 18 for sure - long (293-398 feet from red, depending on pin) valley shot, but with the uphill side slightly dominant. Runs through a fairly tight corridor, with huge shule banks waiting to either side, especially if you leave the line early. The shot from the black tee actually runs over the top of the shule on the left-hand side for about half the length of the hole. Absolutely gorgeous - pictures don't capture the valley effect well, but they're still worth checking out. I sat down recently to make a course out of my favorite holes anywhere for each number 1-18; this was my choice for 18.

Cons:

There were some maintenance issues with the black tees - 13 and 16 were badly grown up, such that overhands or pitching out were the only viable tee shots. Seeing old footage of what they once were was saddening. 12 had a large tree down on the bridge in front of the black tee (only added a small detour to another bridge) and on the tee sign. They must be pretty sturdy, though; I think the sign did more damage to the tree than vice versa. I went looking for my loppers and saw in my car's trunk after my round, but unfortunately had taken them inside recently in order to effect a joke about my toenails.

Although next tee signage was pretty good overall, it was only unambiguously great for the red tees; a few signs could be added in a few places to point to the others (there are some already), but it's fine enough as it is. There's no map onsite, but the one linked here on DGCR is excellent.

Holes 1 and 3 gave me some slight concerns about interaction with other park activities and safety, but nothing too bad. The operative word is slight, and that's hard to avoid in a multi-use park. Holes 4-18, however, are problem-free in this regard, being buried in the woods.

Other Thoughts:

Tee colors (white short, red mid, black long) are obviously nonstandard - they're UATuscaloosa colors, though. There are also a number of Alabama football references as hole names etc., to which I say WDE. I won't hold that against anybody, though.

Gets very hot and very humid. There is probably about 75%+ shade once you get into the woods, but you will still want to bring plenty of water. I've seen a borderline heat stroke out here before, and that in a man who worked roofing for a living. Take care of yourself. There's a reason people joke about "when Tuscaloosa freezes over..."

I'm told there's poison ivy bad in the summer. I don't react, and frankly I barely remember what it looks like because of that, so I can neither confirm nor deny.

Overall, I have this course rated third out AL courses I've played (fourth out of all courses played), behind Inverness and Indian Creek (that one only barely). I haven't visited Heflin or the Mobile+ area, which I'm told house some serious contenders, but regardless, Bowers is AL top ten for sure.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
SWIBC
Experience: 7.9 years 24 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice Course to play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nice course with multiple pin positions.
Red Tees in nice shape and easy to find and see.
Challenging enough with tight fairways in the woods but not in horrible trouble if go into the ivy and woods.
Drains very well, played in rain with not much trouble.

Cons:

baskets can be hard to see, steel color and no yellow or bright colors to call out. On non-sunny days is tough for a non local to see pin locations. Several times had to walk 2/3 up fairways to find pin location.

Other Thoughts:

fun course and challenging enough for everyone.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
AlexAuB
Experience: 16.3 years 25 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Best in Tuscaloosa 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of, if not THE best-designed course I've ever played. Makes full use of an amazing piece of land. Lots of elevation changes, lots of different shot shapes required. Depending on where the pins are placed, you'll need every shot in your arsenal and some distance to boot.

3 pin placements per hole, each varied and interesting. 1 concrete tee and 2 carpet tees per hole, that provide vastly different experiences. Plenty of signage -- each tee has a clear (and hand-painted) map with all pin positions, and each basket has signs pointing you to the next tee.

Heavily wooded for the most part, but fair. There are multiple ways to attack each pin position. The woods offer plenty of shade, which is a godsend in Alabama summers.

Course drains extremely well -- aside from the creek/ravine which is in play on holes 11-13 becoming a bit more treacherous, there's hardly any water on the course even after heavy rainfall.


Cons:

There's a good deal of vandalism on this course -- thankfully the signage isn't disrupted much, but the benches on the back 9 especially are torn up.

The white and black tee pads are well-positioned, but the carpet pads are in rough shape and extremely slick.

Holes 11-13 play across a steep ravine / creek, and there's no good way to get across and back. The few footpads in the water are super dodgy, dangerous and are submerged after rainfall, and the only "bridge" across is a giant fallen tree that's very slick when wet and rotting quickly.

The rough out here is THICK, and encroaches into the fairway. Lots of underbrush, lots of vines, lots of thorns... But it is a wooded course.

For the most part, the disc golf course is separate from other parts of the park, but occasionally you'll run into some oblivious parkgoers walking around the course.

Other Thoughts:

This is BY FAR my favorite course in Tuscaloosa and at this point the best I've played in Alabama. It's absolutely worth a trip to play it.

HOWEVER! Between the ravine, the thick and vine-covered underbrush, and the slick gravel-coated hillside, this course can be treacherous. I actually broke my arm out here in 2016 trying to fetch a disc. Take care!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.4 years 115 played 79 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Pretty sweet 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Chainstar baskets and tees in good condition; Concrete tees are in between the pro and am tees and have great signage including distances and diagrams. Other tee pads are carpet, possible covered in pine straw. There are also benches at several tees. Current pin position is indicated on the big sign next to tee 1 which also has a map posted to it if you forget yours (take a pic w/ your phone).

- Course has a decent flow, though depending on pin position you may or may not see the basket from the tee.

- 18 ends reasonably close to 1, no long hike back to the car here.

-Elevation and changes in that elevation - check.
-Shot variety-check.
-Variation of hole distances-check.
-Reasonable hazards/obstacles-check-check.

Cons:

- The day I played my biggest complaint was spider webs. Not the big orbweaver webs, but small, fine webs. More of an annoyance than con.

- We couldn't find the regular tee for 12. The pro tee was daunting and proceeded to a bridge over the creek that was blocked off by fallen brush. Upon a quick search all we could find was the AM tee, so I played from there.

- Amenities are far from anywhere on the course but 1 & 18. Unless of course you live in the apartments that adjoin the property mid-course.

Other Thoughts:

I played in late September and the course was pretty well maintained. Any course w/ 15 holes in the woods is going to have some brush but as long as you don't totally shank your shot you'll find your disc quickly if you go off the fairway.

The legendary poison ivy I read about seemed pretty mild. I went off-fairway quite a few times and didn't have an issue.

As it was a Saturday during football season and a home game at that, there was no one on the course.

Be mindful of the pebbles/stones on some of the hillsides. It'd be easy to slip on them and ruin a good time. I have to say this place is pretty sick.

The use of elevation both up and down coupled with the clever use of foliage/trees and a variety of shots needed is simply great. I imagine after big rains the creek could become more of a hazard but the day I played it was more of a novelty than anything. Very scenic course. Bowers has a lot of things going on though, depending on the time of day/time of year, so I can imagine it's not always as empty and serene as when I played.

There are many other reviews for the course that touch on issues I haven't just for brevity's sake.

Finally, and this is nit-picky, despite how awesome it may seem, it's a little one dimensional in the sense that the only open/bomb shots are 1-3, and even then, 2 & 3 aren't THAT open. 15 straight shots in the woods can get monotonous after a while, even if most of them are high quality. I haven't played the other courses in the area but I hope at least one of them has the opposite ratio of woody/precision as this one in order to restore balance.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 1
Ziggy
Experience: 287 played 10 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Obstacle galore 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

15 of the 18 holes have a designed fairway for you to execute a throw. The luck factor is always fun with obstacles. Make no mistake, Bowers has an obstacle here, there, everywhere. That being said, it's got that fun factor inviting you to execute that one perfect throw or yell duh-oh!! After hole 3, there are clear hiking paths to help you find the next tee. I had no problem navigating this course the first time. Three pin locations that are rotated monthly. Amazing how they managed to get concrete for one set of tees on the course. Good use of elevation to give us a couple downhill throws.

Good mix of lefty and righty throws. Some of the pin favors the lefty backhand or righty forehand throwers but still enough room for you to try and nail the line.

Cons:

Hole 2 and 3 may share the same fairway with errant throws. Some of the baskets cannot be easily seen from the concrete tee. The alternate tees (carpet) have some serious wear and tear. I can understand that it's difficult to bring the equipment and pour concrete inside the jungle. The weeds grow something fierce during summer months and require at least a chainsaw twice a week. Chainsaw experts wanted!!

Other Thoughts:

Has an older school feel with 17 of the 18 holes (hole 2 through 18) being ace runs for the advanced 300 feet and stronger throwers but if you cant shape the designated shot, you are going to be scrambling

I cant give it a 5 star due to no par 4's on the course but this course has the f-u-n factor that keeps me coming back for more.

Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 2
Jonny T
Experience: 9.8 years 28 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Wooded Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a super fun course. The first three holes are wide open and fairly easy, but holes 4-18 are all in the woods with very tight fairways and lots of elevation change. Tough pin placements and tricky approaches.

Cons:

There are multiple pin placements and multiple tees. This was slightly problematic as the current pin placement was not identified on the map, so I had to walk some of the fairways to spot the pin on blind drives. Other than that, the course was very easy to navigate and super fun to play.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 1
tailorholley
Experience: 10.1 years 95 played 10 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Frisbee Trail 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 6, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-18 holes
-3 sets of tee pads
-One set is concrete, other two are carpet
-3 basket locations for each hole
-Front three holes are more out in the open with some distance, while the rest of the course is very wooded and quiet challenging.
-Gorgeous course in the late fall through early spring months.
-Benches on most holes
-Lots of shade
-So many different ways to play each hole due to the multiple basket setups and tee pad locations
-This course uses its elevation to the max, while also utilizing the creek that runs through three holes
-Course has had some facelifts due to bad Tuscaloosa weather knocking over some trees.
-practice basket

Cons:

-Poison Ivy flares up in the summer months.
-Course requires a lot of maintenance in the summer months, sometimes it gets overgrown with weeds and brush.
-A few of the short pads need replacing dude to wear and tear.

Other Thoughts:

Wear a pair of high socks and bring a jug of water and this course is a fun time. Practice basket close to first tee but far enough away not to distract players. Used to be my home course so I'm somewhat bias but I was very truthful in my review. Waited until I had played more than 20 courses to write a true review for this course. Couldn't ask for a better set of locals that you will meet out on the course at all times. It's well worth the travel to play this tight, challenging frisbee trail.
True rating is about a 4.25 in my book but that's not an option on here so I rounded.
It's not an IDGC and its not a hippodrome but when maintained, you won't find a course with as much diversity, challenge, as well as scoring opportunities.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 6
zrxchris
Experience: 10.8 years 13 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Signature Alabama Woods Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

3 tee pads
3 pin positions
Easy access from interstate
Great use of Elevation

Cons:

Few alternate tees need new carpet
Lacking in Par 4's & Par 5's

Other Thoughts:

One of the best pieces of terrain in Alabama.
Water, old growth trees and varied elevation make this course one of the best in the state. Work has been done to clear overgrown areas but more could be done to provide more options from the tees. Lack of Onsite pro shop and par 4 & 5's are the only things lacking to make this course a 5 star.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 0
Charbachuk
Premium Member
Experience: 15.7 years 178 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Floridians Take . . . 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Big parking lot; I'd find it hard to not find a spot ever.
- Practice basket is set away from normal golf traffic; I like that because then you don't have to worry about being thrown on.
- Course flows very easily from hole to hole; the tee pad for the next hole is usually in sight from the previous basket.
- Some really wonderful use of elevation.
- Course really demands a bag full of diverse shots; every shot is required to complete this course.
- Course is very difficult. Very Risk and Reward based, must have perfect control of drives to pipe it right down the extremely tight fairways this course has.
- No real chance to lose a disc, water does not come into play too much, and when it does it is a very shallow stream.

Cons:

- You have a relatively good chance of twisting an ankle on the Teriann; a complaint from somebody who is from Flat Florida.
- The black (Carpet) tee pads are VERY slick. Good chance of slipping on them.
- No real signature hole. During my time here I didn't have one hole that really stood out as the "Postcard" kind of hole for the course.
- Hole 18 is nothing special; I like courses that leave you with a strong, signature hole right at the end. Hole 18 blends right in to hole 16 and 17.

Other Thoughts:

- Played this course for the Alabama Slammer, this was my first time playing disc golf outside of the state of Florida. Very different type of golf with heavy woods and a good amount of elevation. This course instantly became one of my favorite courses I have ever played and one of the more difficult i have ever played.
- I would road trip for this course again; the course is wonderful, the people of Tuscaloosa are wonderful, just a great all around experience.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
fallgnome
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Versatile, challenging course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

With three tees and three pin positions on each whole, the course has a ton of versatility. The addition of cement pads on the middle tees was terrific. The course makes great use of its varied terrain as well.

Cons:

The course is so heavily wooded that course maintenance is a constant issue. This issue is made more challenging by all the additional acreage added by the various tee and pin positions. It would be nice to see the other tees be replaced with concrete.

Other Thoughts:

Alabama summers are too damn hot.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 1
WSP420
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 51 played 48 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Top Notch 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-3 Tees & 3 Pin Locations per hole
-Easy navigation
-Benches & trashcans at numerous holes
-Nice Variety of shots
-Good use of elevation
-Park drains well; very little standing water on the course
-Pretty, clean & well maintained park
-Restrooms are very clean and located near #5 & #18

Cons:

-It appears the basket locations aren't changed very often
-The holes are a little close together, making the course feel a little cramped at times
-Black (long) & White (short) tees do not have concrete tee pad like the Red ones do

Other Thoughts:

This is an excellent course for all skill levels. There are big differences between the throws required at the Black, Red & White tees, not just more or less distance.
One of two great DGC's in Tuscaloosa... worth the trip!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 1
1978
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 392 played 48 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Needs a hair cut 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 4, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

What a great design. I think this course had an excellent use of the natural elevation. Signage was very good. Although mostly wooded, the 3 or so open holes give you the opportunity to air it out. Fairways were "fair" for the most part. Holes 10 and 18 were my favorite and could be very scenic. Bowers will test your entire bag. One of the later holes has a pin placement right along the creek. Thats a great location to encourage stroke management. I played right after a rain and the course appeared to drain well. Tee pads were very nice. I loved the river polished stones everywhere. There were benches on all the holes. This is a great place to play.

Cons:

I had a number of issues with the course. I thikn the design and layout was a 4* but the maintenance was at 2*. The course was like your kids hair after a 3 month summer camp. The fairways were overgrown with 3' tall grass and sapplings. It wasn't "thick" but it really took away from my experience. A number of the holes were really closing in and I think somewhere between 14-16 one of the holes will soon be lost to kudzu.
There is a tee on 12 to no where, it is so over grown off the pad that I couldn't see the fairway. I ended up playing the short.
For most holes I couldnt determine what pin placement the basket was in from the sign. A simple peg or screw system would work. Edit* apparently if they are in "A" they are all in A and I missed this notification at the start of the course. So keep this in mind.
A number of the baskets appeared to be in new locations. Many of these were way too close to trees and bushes, leaving little to no putting surface/green.
The benches are made from 2 4x4's planted in the ground with a 2x10 across them. There was no supporting cross beam, so the bench top wiggles and more and more nails and screws are needed. A number of these have popped up so watch when you sit down. A simple 2x4 brace across the bottom of the bench top that spans the legs would eliminate this issue. There was a lot of trash on this course, I noticed a couple trashcans, but 2 of these were dumped out right at the tee pad.

Other Thoughts:

** I have updated my review from a 3 to a 4 after being informed that a number of the issues have been addressed.** I left the comments but have change the review.

I enjoyed this course but left dissappointed, holes 4-18 had some extreme potential.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 1
magictenor1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 347 played 90 reviews
4.00 star(s)

very nice 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

3 sets of tees for each hole. There are also 3 pin placements for each hole. Course has plenty of natural beauty. mostly shady for those hot summer days. easy to navigate with excellent signage. restroom close to the beginning of the course. Nice use of terrain with elevation changes throughout.

Cons:

not much bad to say. The long and short tees are not concrete but I did not see a problem with footing. Almost all the holes are in the woods so if you like open holes not much there for you.

Other Thoughts:

very nice course. One of the best I have played. The pins were in the short position when I played but I could see most of the other placements. I love the 3 sets of tees so that different skill levels can play together and/or you can pick the sort of challenge you want. There are lots of trees but there seemed to always be a path to the basket although quite narrow at times
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
bamagolfer95
Experience: 13.7 years 2 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent wooded course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 26, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

1. Conveniently located right off the interstate
2. Multiple tee pads/baskets
3. Ideal amount of elevation change
4. Requires a full variety of throws
5. Concrete tee pads (though still in the making as of 12/26/12)
6. Well maintained
7. Beautiful piece of property with some water holes

Cons:

1. Has but one restroom which can only be accessed on holes 4 and 18
2. Back/short tees poorly thought out, all with carpet tee pads and some having trees blocking the hole
3. Not enough trash cans, plenty of soda cans and beer bottles to be found throughout the course
4. Too many trees on some holes, including 5, 8, and 11, where you just throw randomly and hope for the best

Other Thoughts:

This course is an absolute beauty, and I feel that holes 10-13 are some of the best holes you will ever see. All four are downhill, with water in play on each except 10; nevertheless, 10 is my all-time favorite hole, where you throw about 50 feet downhill over a ravine--absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, the next 5 holes are a painful trudge uphill to get back where you started, so be in shape before you play (at least there are plenty benches on the course!).

The baskets can be difficult to see for a first timer, which is why I wished they would have flags on top, but no biggie; they have decent signs for each basket location.

And if you decide to visit bowers, I suggest you play the middle tees. It seems as though the course were designed specifically for them. The front and back tees are off the beaten path and are still hard to find even when I've played here dozens of times. They will often have trees directly in front of the tee pad and look as though they were essentially thrown in random places throughout the course. I bet these tees will remain carpet for the rest of their lives. As I stated earlier, the concrete tee pads for the middle tees are a work in progress, with the first 9 holes being completed (perfectly so far), and I hope the tees will be finished by summer.

Speaking of summer, if you play here during the hot months of June, July, and August, be sure to bring plenty of water and bug spray, and wear long pants, because there are plenty of thorns and poison ivy. Also, watch out for snakes! I've seen too many water moccasins in the creek already.

Anyway, I think this course deserves a solid 4 stars because it offers an excellent combination of beauty and variety, while still challenging players of all skill levels. To make this course 5 stars would require concrete tee pads for all three tees on every hole, more cleared fairways, more trash cans, and possibly basket-holders for the more "indulgent". Other than that, Bowers park is an excellent course, and is a must-play for any disc golfer in Alabama.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
Terry 44
Experience: 30.8 years 53 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

ravines! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great wooded holes! Loved throwing over the ravines, and nice hike. Found the next holes easy with the markers supplied.

Cons:

First couple of holes not much to talk about but gave a good warm up for the woods.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
rhynoman
Experience: 25.8 years 27 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

As Good As It Gets in the Woods 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 12, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Great, memorable holes with loads of character.
2. Beautiful wooded hike.
3. 3 pin placements and 3 tees per hole.
4. Obvious signs of improvement in progress.

Cons:

1. Restroom was out of order when I played.
2. Difficult to see baskets in some places.

Other Thoughts:

Other Thoughts:
I loved this wooded course. I played it in November with my 3 kids (15, 13 & 12) to almost no complaining for a pretty long-hiking course. I think that's because it was just beautiful to hike. It had a great variety of terrain and each hole gave you a new "look". I thought that the design was very well thought out. There are several memorable holes that are among the best I've ever played. . I've played some courses that were better maintained but very few with as much character.

There's good use of elevation, variety of shot types and differing distances. There are legitimate risk/reward decisions to be made on many holes. There are a couple of ravine holes with undergrowth to be avoided beneath. The creek also comes into play on several holes and is used to full effect. On one hole, you play across and then alongside the creek to a basket tucked into a cluster of trees.

I didn't find many poke-and-hope holes at this course, and I've played too much disc golf at wooded courses where that was the main feature throughout. The tightest one was the pinball wizard (and that's kind of the point). You've got to have some shots to play from the long tees for sure, but my kids had a great time playing from the shorts.

I think the course would be much improved by putting some large neon flags on top of each basket like I've seen at other courses. We probably spent too much time looking for them throughout, but it's obvious that there's still a lot of work being done out there. There were pallets of concrete under tarps and other signs of construction throughout.

We played on a wet day after a good rain and didn't have much problem with mud. There are now a lot of concrete tee pads (mostly for the middle tees I think) and there are solid bridges for the creek crossings. I played the longs for the most part and the kids played the shorts. We didn't have too much trouble finding our way to any of them.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top