Arboretum-Spiker Park

I think the course is great. This is my home course and I play it all the time. The drawbacks are: 1) There's not much variation from hole to hole. It's mostly just long bombs. It's great to work on your drive distance, but doesn't help with technical shot growth. 2) This can be a positive or a drawback - the multiple pin positions. It can be fun because it adds challenge to the course. It can be frustrating because there is no indication that the pins have changed and you can play expecting the ...
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I think the course is great. This is my home course and I play it all the time. The drawbacks are: 1) There's not much variation from hole to hole. It's mostly just long bombs. It's great to work on your drive distance, but doesn't help with technical shot growth. 2) This can be a positive or a drawback - the multiple pin positions. It can be fun because it adds challenge to the course. It can be frustrating because there is no indication that the pins have changed and you can play expecting them to be in their original spots, or in the spots they were in on your round two days prior, and SURPRISE, they're not. 3) Signs don't show multiple pin spot locations, measurements, or par changes (if applicable), which means the signs are sometimes useful only as a bag hanger.
The pros: Concrete tee pads are GREAT, and Arboretum has concrete Pro and AM pads (on most holes). There are multiple trash cans around the course. The course loops around to the parking allowing for multiple breaking points on the 24 hole course. There is restroom right off the main parking lot. There is a practice putting basket with bricks marked with the distance from the basket. Last fall they even put brooms at multiple tee pads to sweep off the leaves.
It really is a great course. They have recently planted trees to help with the openess of the course. I think marking current pin placements on the board where you get the scorecards would be awesome, and new tee signs with information on all pin placements would be HUGE!
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well maintained course. good use of the land (and water), but the flow felt a little off. a few baskets were a little close to other baskets, and not marked all too well, making for a difficult round. we had to walk up on the majority of pins just to know where they were at, and sometimes in what postion. and for being a fairly open course, it's pretty damn difficult. seemed to be a lot of shots favoring lhbh throwers, so if you're a right, and your anhyzer shot isn't working, you could be ...
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well maintained course. good use of the land (and water), but the flow felt a little off. a few baskets were a little close to other baskets, and not marked all too well, making for a difficult round. we had to walk up on the majority of pins just to know where they were at, and sometimes in what postion. and for being a fairly open course, it's pretty damn difficult. seemed to be a lot of shots favoring lhbh throwers, so if you're a right, and your anhyzer shot isn't working, you could be in some trouble. i'd like to play this course again...knowing the layout a little better would probably help me enjoy this course more. i will be back.
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I give this course 4.5 out of 5 stars. Pros - Plenty of parking at hole #1 with a pavilion for gathering - The entrance is well marked by the disc golf course sign - The billboard provides a lot of information and also has boxes for scorecards and comments. You can tell that the people who maintain this course really care and put a lot of effort into it. - The map was very accurate and helpful. #6 long tee could be added to it though. - Practice basket with round the world game - Two ...
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I give this course 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Pros
- Plenty of parking at hole #1 with a pavilion for gathering
- The entrance is well marked by the disc golf course sign
- The billboard provides a lot of information and also has boxes for scorecards and comments. You can tell that the people who maintain this course really care and put a lot of effort into it.
- The map was very accurate and helpful. #6 long tee could be added to it though.
- Practice basket with round the world game
- Two tees per hole. #6 long is natural with a wood kickboard.
- Concrete tees
- 24 holes!
- Nice tee signs
- The flow is done well and utilizes the full space provided on this very large park
- Excellent mix of hyzer and anhyzer shots
- The scenery and landscape are pretty with rolling hills and water holes with stone sides and bridges
- Bathrooms are located at the parking area
- Trashcans are provided around the course and the course is very clean
- There is no vandalism
- I think the grass could be cut more often as it can get somewhat high but overall the course has good upkeep. The wooded areas are kept clear.
- The distance and elevations are absolutely spectacular! Arboretum-Spiker is one of the longest courses in Ohio. Rolling hills on long holes, obstacles causing you to use a different throw than you might have otherwise used, water hazards on 7 holes!

Cons
- There are only a few benches around the course. This long course could really use a few more.
- The baskets are a mix of mostly old and a few newer, with a mix of good and rusty conditions.
- Those that love the technical wooded course, you will feel this is too open. This course can favor the big arms much more than the risk/reward seekers.
- Use a map the first time. You have to cross over to the different parks between holes #5 to #6 and #14 to #15.
- More strategically placed trees would be a huge addition!

Other Thoughts
- This is a very technical and challenging course for everyone. The disc golf course covers two different parks, Arboretum and Spiker. Beginners beware, the water hazards will be very dangerous for you.
- There is some traffic by walkers and those sitting around the water holes on benches. There is a lot of traffic by disc golfers. Very busy course. Because of the courses size, I do not count this as a Con.
- The most challenging hole is #20. The pond really makes you consider playing this birdie hole safe and going way around to the right towards the road.
- The water hazard around holes #20, #21 & #23 probably has around one thousand (PLUS) discs sitting at the bottom. Be extra careful on these holes because you cannot retrieve your discs from this very stinky, swampy water. I would love to be there when that pond get drained one day!!!
- My favorite hole is #14. Absolutely beautiful and it scares the hell out of me at the same time. I choose the not so safe path of across the water from the long tee… and I’ve dropped right in the water before. You will think about this hole 30 minutes before you get to it, and probably 30 minutes after you leave it.
- Set a day aside, make the trip, you will be grateful you did. A truly fantastic course!
- DESTINATION COURSE, DESTINATION COURSE, DESTINATION COURSE!
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Great course to go out and release your stress.Very forgiving fairways, nice easy walk through a beautiful park/neighborhood. The ponds and baskets need some attention. As the sport of disc golf evolves, there will always be changes and I hope to make them for the better. With long and short tees, I would give the short tee's a c+ only because getting 2's is fun, there is not much challenge besides the wind and almost 30 year old baskets. I give the long tees a b+ because the shear distance of ...
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Great course to go out and release your stress.Very forgiving fairways, nice easy walk through a beautiful park/neighborhood. The ponds and baskets need some attention. As the sport of disc golf evolves, there will always be changes and I hope to make them for the better. With long and short tees, I would give the short tee's a c+ only because getting 2's is fun, there is not much challenge besides the wind and almost 30 year old baskets. I give the long tees a b+ because the shear distance of the holes is a challenge, and many of the routes from the longs are much tighter, ob's are also more in play from the longs.
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The course is fairly open, but has water in play on 1/3 of the holes. Two tee pads per hole, and withing the next couple years hopefully 2 pin positions for each hole. The course is pretty well maintained, but not perfect, can always use some work no matter what course you play, there is always something that can be done to improve the aesthetics of any course. Course is very popular and gets alot of use. Holes 4 and 6 are the only holes with alternate pin placements for now, 4 is extremely diff ...
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The course is fairly open, but has water in play on 1/3 of the holes. Two tee pads per hole, and withing the next couple years hopefully 2 pin positions for each hole. The course is pretty well maintained, but not perfect, can always use some work no matter what course you play, there is always something that can be done to improve the aesthetics of any course. Course is very popular and gets alot of use. Holes 4 and 6 are the only holes with alternate pin placements for now, 4 is extremely difficult in the long pin, but alot of fun. I'm sure Eric would have liked it alot. UPDATE 4-19-11 Second set of pin positions have been marked, hope to have them cleared and installed within the next 4 to 6 weeks, if all goes well. Will have a total of 36 brand new baskets, with the expansion planned, should be complete or close to it, depending on sewer work being done, by the end of the year. IF all goes well.
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