Alum Creek State Park

I rate this course 3.5 out of 5 stars. Pros - Very beautiful and heavily wooded course. The forest here is thick and you feel like you are deep into nature once the road is out of site. The terrain is easy to walk on but because of a lot of roots and bumps you’ll find rollers and skip shots hindered. - Because this course is so technical you really will use a plethora (3 amigos!) of shots to keep yourself out of some of the thick rough and also to get yourself out of trouble once you†...
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I rate this course 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Pros
- Very beautiful and heavily wooded course. The forest here is thick and you feel like you are deep into nature once the road is out of site. The terrain is easy to walk on but because of a lot of roots and bumps you’ll find rollers and skip shots hindered.
- Because this course is so technical you really will use a plethora (3 amigos!) of shots to keep yourself out of some of the thick rough and also to get yourself out of trouble once you’re in these tight spots. This course has a mix of left and right turning fairways that will have you changing up your angles of attack constantly.
- The distance from all the concrete Tee’s to Baskets is most likely around 5100’ for 18 holes. The overall distance of this course is short but because of how technical this course is the short distance does not really hold back my rating.
- There are only a few flat holes; otherwise the course is in a constant state of small rolling elevation changes
- The course flows pretty well. Hole #18 ends where Hole #1 starts which is also right at the parking area. There are a few holes that can be confusing to transition to because of a longer walk or a strangely located Tee; #2 to 3, #6 to 7, #7 to 8, #9 to 10, #14 to 15. In those situations the map can be very handy.
- One concrete Tee per hole, all in good condition. Hole #1 also has one natural tee.
- Nice Tee Signs showing location of the pin along with a Next Tee arrow
- Excellent water hazards have you calculating risk vs. reward! Holes #6, 11, 12 & 14 throw directly at the water while holes #7 & 10 throw over the water. WOOT!
- The baskets are in excellent condition and well labeled
- The park had some decent upkeep. The grass was well mowed but there could have been a little more clearing in the heavily wooded areas. Maybe some debris removal and some mulch. The weedeating, however, was done well around the baskets.
- Lots of traffic around the disc golf course but you shouldn’t run into too many non-disc golfers on the course itself as the course plays separate from other activities. I’d suspect that the disc golfer traffic is moderate to heavy.
- Signs at the entrance help direct you to the course
- There is a message board at Hole #1 but not much going on there
- Practice basket near Hole #18’s basket. Keep your eye open for people driving off of #18’s Tee.
- Plenty of parking from Hole #16’s basket all the way down to Hole #1’s basket.
- Bathrooms located at Hole #2 and Hole #9 (they are kinda nasty but at least they are there. Hold your breath or head to the woods)
- Amenities. This park has a lot! Kids nature walks, camping, beaches, swimming, marina, basketball, horseshoes, playgrounds, nature programs, dog park, hiking trails, rental equipment including golf discs… lots of stuff, etcetera.
- This park is just beautiful and full of nature. Old trees and lush green vegetation and it’s all located 5 miles off the highway so it’s easy to get to.
- Trashcan at Hole #1. Litter is a common complaint about this course but it was pretty clean when I was there, however, at least one or two more trashcans would help to keep it this way.

Cons
- Safety can become an issue on Holes #2 & #18. Hole #2 you are throwing at an intersection that is very busy with park traffic on nice days. Hole #18 has a clear straight and anhyzer path but the hyzer path to the basket could lead to big trouble as it goes over the parking area & putting basket and a long shot goes into the picnic area where golfers congregate. FORE!
- Map. Handy for your first time out but it is seriously outdated. It shows two tees per hole but only Hole #3 had two Tee’s that I could find. Looking at the map these holes had only Long Tees; 2, 3, 4, 7 (center Tee only), 9, 10, 13, 14, 15 & 18. These holes had only Short Tees; 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 16 & 17. Because of this the course could use a complete make-over on DGCR and possibly getting re-measured in the process would help as well.
- Signs were missing on Holes # 7 & #9.
- Drop Zone is not marked for Hole #16
- A few benches would be nice for those without a simian ::wink::

Other Thoughts
- This course has much more potential. Clear the areas and finish those second Tee’s, add some benches and more trashcans and then you’re onto something. I would also suggest starting Hole #1 where Hole #3 is. The course will still flow just fine. The reason is because the area where Hole #1 is now is very tight and unsafe to gather at. I was there for a tournament and as the tournament finished we were in a constant state of awareness that a disc could be flying at us any second. There is so much more room to gather at Hole #3.
- I think the tape was still on the baskets directing you to the Next Tee (but my memory sucks so not sure)
- This course is challenging especially for the non-technical player that just wants to grip and rip. This is not a course for those people.
- The most challenging hole for me was Hole #16. Per the Tee Sign, this hole is all O.B. except for the putting area. A very tough shot to make and this hole will make or break a close game that you may be having with a friend.
- My favorite hole is definitely Hole #7! Loved throwing that huge hyzer bomb out over the water to watch it fade back to planet Earth and plop on the green for the birdie putt.
- This was a very fun course but I do not label this as a course to travel a long way to play, however, this course combined with some of the other courses located nearby would certainly be worth a long drive and make a great full day of disc golfing.
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