Get it before it's gone
14 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: 1) Initial impression upon approach is a well maintained city park, with lots of patrons utilizing the walking trails, ball fields, and area in general. Very small parking spot and pavilion adjacent to course sign.
2) Tee signs updated recently and new course sign as well.
3) Most of the course is sort of charming and gives you the feel of a quaint wooded course despite being set within a busy city park.
4) Recently added "Red" basket layout providing 2 playable pin locations/course layouts on pretty much every hole. This allows you to choose your difficulty level and mix and match if you want to keep things fresh.
5) Good sized concrete tee pads, nice signage and next tee directional markers.
6) Solid mix of left, right, and straight shots as well as a solid mix of distances.
7) Demanding gap hitting line holes sprinkled with open air it out shots which gives players of all skill levels a chance to work on their game
8) Challenging but fair is how I would describe the layout. There are not any holes that feel impossible to par, and not every hole feels like an automatic birdie either. There are a few holes that are definitely infinitely harder to birdie than others and probably quite rare, but they do not feel like you can't just play it for par and succeed.
9) Most holes have "cute" nicknames like "Annhyzer Bush" which is a rhbh hard turnover shot protected by a giant bush, and "Pinball" which is multiple tight tunnel gaps filled with a mix of mature trees and tiny spruces. It's a charming addition to the course.
Cons: 1) There was a pair of port-o-johns inside the circle on Hole #4's green and at least one has been there every time I have visited. This green also serves as overflow parking, a cross over on the walking trail, and is right beside #1 tee and the regular parking lot. I'm doubting this was an initial course design intention when installed, but it is somewhat inconvienent and leads to hole #4 being occasionally unplayable.
2) Baskets (Yellow) showing signs of age a wear.
3) Several of the holes have grown in over the years and the intended gaps appear to be non-existent. The new Red basket locations help with this but it still makes a couple holes forgettable and "meh" just take my 3 and move on.
4) Probably one of my least favorite finishing stretch of holes I've ever played. #16 is the above mentioned "pinball" hole, followed by #17 which is a small gap one line rhbh spike hyzer with a low ceiling and little space to push long to get the correct angle, all while being forced to throw that shot by a mando. It is very long as well, probably requiring at least a 450 foot power spike hyzer to get into circle. #18 is just a ho-hum 400 ish foot wide open field par 3 to get you back to the parking lot. It feels like a let down, especially for tournament play as I prefer holes that present the opportunity for scoring separation.
5) This course does not handle rain well. This is evidenced by multiple areas where pallets line the fairways, logs, and other items have been placed so you can navigate through standing water. Along with that note, mosquitoes are often horrible here during the summer months so come prepared. Footing in fairways is almost always slick or squishy regardless of time of year.
6) Several holes have a walking/running trail cutting through them so please be cautious and alert before throwing.
7) There are several small creeks and heavy thick brush throughout, so lost disc potential is pretty high here for the lower skill level players.
8) I wouldn't consider this course "beginner" friendly, but definitely novice friendly and a great introduction to woods golf.
Other Thoughts: I have heard recently that McCracken County will be building a sports complex on this property and several holes will be lost to this venture and have to be relocated and/or redesigned. As is, the course is crammed in small back area of the park along a creek in a flood plain and I'm not sure how this will change the course in the long run. The club pouring their heart and soul into this course are awesome and they keep fighting for, improving, and maintaining the course for everyone to enjoy. I suggest getting out to Stuart Nelson and enjoying it yourself before this course loses several of it's holes and is forced to redesign. Highly recommended if traveling through the Paducah area.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Fails to Finish
11 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Paducah's 18-hole course plays through mature woods with a lot of gaps to hit. Underbrush is kept low by the thick tree covering and the course flows nicely from hole to hole.
Concrete tees, updated tee signs with the addition of a new pin spot on ten holes, DisCatcher baskets in ok condition (some slight rust is creeping in), and many holes have new red baskets to add some replayability, and each hole has its own quirky little name.
Tree gaps abound here and are the main challenge. Whole tunnels on 1-4 and 8, getting a line to access the green of 5, 10, and 14, or getting just around the guardians on 2, 6, 7, or 15, none of these ever feel too gimmicky and only one is truly unfair *cough* read Cons *cough*
Some minor elevation in the middle of the park to keep it interesting. Rising up on 9, down on 10, and back up again on 11 adds some spice to a flatter park. Smaller downhills on 13, 14, and 18 are also welcome additions.
A nice amount of distance in the holes. Eight true par 4s throughout if the long baskets are played which all feel gettable, but never an easy bird. Some more open, some heavily wooded, all fair 4s.
Hole 8 makes you choose whether to risk getting into the trees but be further up the fairway, or playing safe off the tee and having a long second shot. It's a nice "decision making" challenge that you don't see very often.
Looping right back to the start is always nice.
Cons: Holes 1, 2, and 14 are not par 4s and were not included in the earlier count. All three are very deuce-able and don't come anywhere close to the quality of the rest of the par 4s. But listed as 4s they are.
As mentioned by previous reviewers, the final 3 holes are probably the worst stretch on the course. Hole 16 is titled "pinball" and plays just as such. It's a very justifiable par 4 in the long setting, but not a fun one. After that comes hole 17, which doglegs out of the woods immediately off the tee at an angle you'd have to see to believe. A roller is the only play to even get close to a 2. And hole 18 is the blandest hole on the course: nothing but a 2ft drop in the fairway about 50ft from the pin. At least 13 (the other wide open hole) has some runaway behind it's green.
There's a creek that can be seen from multiple tees, but you're always teeing away from it or have a thick wall of trees/roots before your disc would reach it. Even though it runs down the left side of 15's fairway it only comes into play if you make a really bad mistake. Always looming, but never dangerous.
Other Thoughts: Parking is right between the first tee and 18th basket. Porta-johns are right there as well.
The big trees are the highlight of the course and make a stop here well worth your time if you're coming down I-24. Plenty of shot shapes to be hit and errors to recover from. Lost disc potential is low since the rough is so sparse and the course steers away from the worst areas.
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Pinball Wizard
15 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: (3.465 Rating) A scenic woods course fitted out with the typical HB Clark equipment.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - This is a very charming course, and in my opinion this is the course's greatest strength. Lots of moderately to heavily wooded lines with a few monster sized trees sprinkled throughout. If I had to pick some favorites, I'd go with (1), (10) and (14), but there were several other nice-looking tee shots as well. Overall I'd score it 80 percentile for beauty.
- MAINTENANCE - The course was in good shape, but not perfect shape. I played at the near peak overgrowth period (July) which is one of the more difficult periods to keep courses in this region in shape. Add to this fact that the course layout is big and heavy equipment can't get to all the spots. For this reason, I could tell people were volunteering here to keep the course in check. So kudos to these volunteers and thank you.
- EQUIPMENT - The core items were done right. Good sized concrete tees and DISCatcher baskets. I think I counted 9 extra red baskets along the layout as well. Great for locals and great for return visits. There were also high-quality benches at every tee and a few garbage cans spaced in as well. There's a practice basket by the parking area. Off the course there's a portable toilet and a shelter with picnic tables.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - Excellent course map by tee (1) and well built tee signage. The transitioning between holes is so so, as I didn't notice any cues other than some tee signs having a next tee arrow indicated. Several transitional paths are intuitive, but I had to take a peek at my map a few times.
- HOLE VARIETY - An even mix of right, left and straight shots. A good mix of distances that range from the low 200s to the low 500s. There's also a mix of very open to insanely wooded holes. There are several par 4s and also a couple holes listed as 4s that should be relisted as long par 3s. Water can make an impact on three holes and hole (14) is the course's best elevation shot being an 8 foot down shot.
- CHALLENGING - The perfect challenge for an Intermediate level player like me. Several crafty shot shaping holes, but also a few times to let it rip. Holes (6), (16) and (17) look near impossible to birdie without a long throw in. However, there are going to be opportunities for eagles for those with 400 foot power.
Cons: Just one major issue, the rest of the cons listed have little to no impact on my score.
- POKE AND HOPE - There are 3 poorly designed holes that sour the conglomerate a touch. First I'll mention hole (6), which is a 370 foot hole with a quickly disintegrating line starting at around 200 feet out. To make matters worse on this hole, there is water on the right claiming ricochets and the best open gap is shooting towards (7s) basket. Perhaps there's a local roller route. Hole (16) is literally called "Pinball". I quickly snapped a photo of the sign before turning to look down fairway, which delayed my expectation of being disappointed. I then turned right and sure enough, disappointment. Although not a poke and hope, hole (17) is a lame automatic par hole for many players. The arc required from the tee is ludicrous. Maybe a 450 foot powered sky hyzer with wind aid or maybe a roller can get close. In 78 DGCR recorded rounds, holes (6), (16) and (17) have three recorded birdies combined. In addition, a few other holes had their largest gap under 8 feet wide.
- FINISH - The worst three hole stretch on this course is the last three holes. My displeasure in (16) and (17) are already noted above and hole (18) is a flat open 360 footer to get back to the parking lot.
- DRAINAGE - I don't take off rating points for this, but it is obvious the course doesn't drain well. A few holes had mud and standing water on my play. There are lots of pavers and boards located along the high traffic pathways, which to me indicates additional drainage issues. I'd put mud boots in the car just in case.
- MULTI USE HAZARDS - A couple holes have walking paths in play, a very minor concern though.
- FORGIVENESS - The disc loss potential is moderate here. The highest risk is on (6), (14) and (15), where ricochets and grip locks could end up in the creek. There are also some heavy to moderate overgrowth areas that could take some time to find a disc.
- FLAT - The course is in a flood plane. I don't think any of the holes change by more than 10 feet in grade.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - This course is not beginner friendly. Too many trees and too many chances for them to lose discs. I recommend the Midtown Golf Complex.
Other Thoughts: I've played four courses in the Paducah area as of this review, and this is far and away the best. I haven't yet played Massac or Mike Miller, but after some additional research, I conclude that this is either the top course or in the conversation. This course will be appreciated the most by woods players that have a skill rating between 840 and 940. Other players could enjoy it too, but it may not be their favorite in the area. Definitely worth checking out if traveling through the area. Could be a decent regional destination day trip when combined with Massac and Mike Miller.
- TIME PLAY - It took me an hour solo. Figure two hours for a foursome.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
Technically it is a very technical course
10 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: - Great location off Hwy60 which is conveniently just east of I-24
- Park is popular and that shows that it is a solid and loved course
- Locals are friendly and seem eager to make your game more enjoyable with company and guidance
-Yellow and Red Pins, as well as A/B locations
-Concrete tee boxes, benches, and great signage at the beginning of every single hole, YES! There is interestingly a nickname for every hole posted with the signage, such as "Bogeyville" on hole 7 (from memory)
- Use of Mandatory signs on two holes
- Fair amount of left and right hand approaches
- Great course to build your defined throwing arm, it's tight, has a lot of technical turns, trees, elevation, more trees, walkpaths, roads, a creek, and even more trees to work around, but with an occasional open shot to throw you break
- Course flows from hole to hole, newbies could easily find their way, especially with the hole signage
- Clean, well maintained, and respectable course, even the brush in the woods is kept relatively down
- Is worth a road trip to play, I drove 1.5 hours of back roads to get here from Missouri, and would do it again
- Excellent parking at Hole 1, where you could easily start playing from hole 1, 4, 12, 18, to skip to an open spot in the course, despite this, the course is still well spread out and not claustrophobic
- Well shaded, perfect for a hot summer day game, you are out of the sun 70% of the course
Cons: - The course map at hole 1 has seen some age
- If you hate heavy wooded courses, this place is not for you
- It would be hard to call this course beginner friendly, it really requires a little bit of skill to live up to and enjoy
- Is potential of taking a disc from you, especially if the creek is up, or you grip lock and throw hard into the woods, just bring a friend or two when you play
Other Thoughts: - A lot of these baskets are in blind spots, take the time to spot them out, it will be well worth it for your game
- Great course, I will surely return to play in the future, just wish it was a little closer to myself in Missouri
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Tight Course!
1 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: Awesome scenic course, with really tight drives. I played when it was all long pin placements so a lot of 400-450 ft holes in tight driving areas. Great benches on every hole.
Cons: Some long pins not listed on signs (hole 12 had 300ft listed and was about 450-500 for a deep pin on a really tight line with OB on each side). No elevation changes but for a lazy bastard like me that didn't bother me.
Other Thoughts: Great course and really challenging on the long pins.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Good Solid Course
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This course is in an unused corner of a mulit-use park, so other than a hike-and-bike trail there is little interference with other park users. For the most part the course is wooded, though many of the holes play at least partially through open ground. There are several where you tee off in the open to a basket in the woods, or where the tee is in the woods and you are throwing to a basket in the open. These holes, mixed with a couple of totally open and a few totally wooded holes give nice variety.
Hole lengths vary from 215 to 515 feet, with most in the 250' to 425' range. Nice variety of straight, right-finishing and left-finishing holes, but nothing that I would describe as a tunnel.
Good level concrete tee pads, decent signs, and Innova baskets that catch well but are showing quite a bit of rust on the chains.
Decent sized parking area with a Porta-John.
Cons: No elevation makes this a pretty straightforward woods course. Some of the tee signs don't show the basket position accurately, apparently due to some new pin locations.
There is a creek bordering many of the holes, but it isn't really in play on any except Hole 15 where your drive may fade into the creek if you are too far left.
When I played the course was soggy and muddy with a lot of standing water. They'd had considerable rain in the past week so it was understandable, but it looks like the course could hold water for a while.
Holes 13 and 18 are kind of duds. Wide open throws over grass without needing to hit a specific line.
Other Thoughts: The stated pars on the course are generous. This should probably be closer to a par 56 course.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Has grown on me.
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: I have been a transplant here in Paducah over the past month for school rotations. Having said that, this has become my home course in the area. After having first played this, I probably would have given this course a 3 star tops.... now I give it 3.5 stars... and would go as high as 3.75 if I could.
The Good:
This course was designed very well. Just within the first 4 holes, you get a hug variety in shots. This is one of those courses that you are just going to get better from playing it. This course has everything from tight fairways that force you to stay in the green space... to long bomber holes to play with the wind.... to awesome double OB. With well placed trees, I found myself throwing turnover shots where I would normally be throwing a forehand. Just really well designed.
Other great things: Amenities... there is a port-a-potty (better than nothing), nice benches at every hole.... the tee signs are great.
Cons: The Bad: These things are not necessarily fixable... but take away from the course just a bit. Drainage... don't come here after it rains without water proof boots. It will be a bad day. Bugs... yep it is basically a swamp. Bring bug spray or anti-malarials. Flat terrain... again not much you can do on a flood plain. I really wish that some of the holes in the back would have brought that creek into play. It is a beautiful creek... and could have made for some really fun holes. I don't take that away from the course really... and I know that you have to work with what the parks and rec gives you in terms of land.
Other Thoughts: This has been a great course to practice on this past month. I really appreciate having a course in this town. All of the dudes that I have had the chance to play with are super nice. Would love to see this course get the HB tournament treatment. Would make for a nice little 1 day C tier event.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Solid Kentucky Course
2 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: This is a nice wooded course that has some length to it too. It definitely requires you to hit your lines. Since the course has many par 4s, it is very scoreable even though the hole layouts are difficult. There are also a few more open, longer holes that can suit your needs if you have to have some long throws. The tee-pads were large and grippy even though they had puddles on them. The course really drained well from the inch and a half of rain there was the night before. You could tell the baskets were aging a little bit but they weren't in bad shape. The course was in really good shape with the brush being clean and it made the round much easier than a lot of wooded courses.
Cons: There were multiple baskets, but there weren't any ways to tell which spot it was in so we had to look. Also there were multiple baskets on some holes where it said there was only one which was confusing.
Other Thoughts: This course will lead to a fun round that challenges your abilities and how well-rounded your game is. It is a course that you could play at daily since it is an easy walk, and it would force you to improve. Overall, i really enjoyed it and hope to be back.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Nice Round of Disc Golf
5 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: * Very Nice and Grippy Tee Pads even when wet
* The landscape work done on the holes was nice
* The benches and bag holders were great
* Good mix of wooded and open holes
* You can score on this course or it can bite you
* Good Navigation map at the start
* All the holes had definite lines. Most holes provided some different options as well.
* Even though this course was in some pretty thick woods, we had NO trouble finding disc
* Nice baskets and a practice basket
* I got a chance to play alot of different discs on this course.
* Wide variety of shots required to get around this track
* We played after a heavy rain the night before an the course drained pretty well.
Cons: * A sign or two didn't seem accurate to me.
*Some holes had multiple pin locations with no way of knowing what location it was in without walking the hole to find it.
* We had a navigation issue on a couple of holes. Arrows on the baskets or ground would solve this.
Other Thoughts: I really enjoyed my round at this site. The course was heavily wooded and that provided good shade for the round. The fairways were very well defined and the rough was penalizing but not brutal. I am mostly a RHBH player, and the course seemed to set up very well for a RHFH. (Lots or long hard turns to the right) The course was very easy to walk. (no real hills) There are a couple issues with crossing other holes and non disc golf related obstacles that come into play. It was my first time at this course, but I will be back anytime I am in the area.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Just stopping by
1 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Good mix of open and wooded holes. Very fair yet punitive to drives that stray from the fairway. You will use just about every disc in the bag for this one: Hyzer, Anhyzer, Low Ceiling, High Shots, Skips, Rollers etc.
Cons: Bugs and nettles in the summer months.
Mud and puddles in the winter months.
A well used hiking trail runs next to some of the holes. On hole #13 there is a softball field that's out of bounds but tell that to the right fielder when you about take his head off with an errant throw. Hole 18 has a children's playground on the right side that comes into play also
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.
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Hole #2 (Taken 3/2010) 
5+ 
3/18/2023 
5/11/2023
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