-Decent Baskets
-Good Signage
-Wide variety of open/wooded, long/short, up/down/flat

-Natural tees
-Long walk between #9 and #10
-Punishing summer rough (mostly 3-9)
-Above average disc loss potential
-No benches/trash cans

Osborne Park DGC plays in the northern section of the very large Osborne Park in Clayton County, IA (About 5 miles south of the town of Elkader, IA). The course is really split in two sections. The front 9 is a sprawling track with mostly wide open shots. Mowed fairways give way to a pretty tall summer rough that can swallow discs. The back 9 (mostly 11-17) is short, heavily wooded and heavy on elevation change. Long and straight is the name of the game on most of the front 9 (A short uphill on #2 is the exception). Bigger arms will excel here. The back 9 need tight, short, technical throws. #11 dives down to right with a ravine behind, and a guy I was playing with gave a little flick and overshot the basket and the ravine by 75'. Tees are natural, which was OK, but pads would be nice here. There is a long walk between #9 basket and #10 tee, but also a long walk back to the start if you want to dump out at 9. Overall a test of many skills, but definitely 2 very different sets of 9 holes. Maybe playing in spring would be a little less punishing with less growth in the rough and the fairways of 11-17. I probably won't play again.

This review is based soley on the first nine holes of the course. My description of the back nine is below in 'other thoughts'.

There were signs at each hole with a tiny map.

No tee pads, but that did not hinder from the experience!

Baskets were easy to spot, hole to hole navigation was easy to follow.

There are a few holes where trees are the main challenge to work around, but on six of the front nine, the challenge was hitting the narrowly mowed fairway and not landing in the tall, tall prairie grass and weeds. It was nice to have to aim to land in an "area" on some of these holes, too many courses soley use trees and trees alone to make it a challenge.

This could have doubled as a nice walking trail. Elevation changes were aplenty!

I feel like no one really knows about this course (only one review prior to this) and it really is a hidden gem of a nine hole course in the peace and quiet.

It was easy access right off of highway 13.

Distances varied from 190-400ft.

No tee pads, but that did not hinder from the experience!

Prairie grass is TALL, so an errant throw too far off the path and your disc is gone.

One hole was labeled 477 feet, although 340 was probably more accurate.

Another labeled 250 feet was probably around 320.

The 'hidden' back nine... rough walking... more description below. The back nine was NOT involved in my rating number though.

Online stated that there were nine baskets at this course. After hole nine, we took a path (there was a fork in the path) to the left, which led us back to the car after a 7 minute 'hike' down the narrow walking path. As I got to the car, I looked and saw a basket off to the north that I had never played. I went to see what the tee off was labeled, and sure enough it was #18. The back nine i then discovered felt like a whole new course, with much shorter holes and heavily wooded in a very hilly, rocky area. To be honest the layout was cool but it was hard to walk the course on the back nine, you kept stepping on loose rocks and large tree limbs and you felt like you could roll your ankle at any time.

I don't want to say the back nine were 'dangerous', but I would NOT bring kids there as they will fall down a few times Im sure with the rough terrain.

Also, park to the NORTH shelter across the Volga River, not at the actual Osborne Nature Center parking area (you are two miles too far south of the course from the main nature center area).

My rating for the front nine is a 3, the back nine is a 1.

Course is well designed, utilizes hills and trees to make appropriately difficult shots without being unfair. Views from the course are excellent. Open holes are in the prairie, so accurate distance is rewarded.

Mowing patterns have yet to be established, as this is a new course. This leads to tall grass and mower widths fairways on some holes. Landing zones for moderate to low arm speed players is currently unforgiving. Some trees also need to come down to make holes 2 and 7 more fair.

This is a brand new course with only 9 of the planned 18 holes in place. Mowing patterns are still in the works, as well as some tree maintenance/removal. I have spoken with the course manager, and all the cons we came up with from playing a round are already in the works to be addressed. The provided course maps are accurate enough to not get lost, and can be gotten from the Osborne Nature Center staff. Highly recommend this course for all skill levels.