Hawthorne Park

Well, I hate to say it, but this review is probably going to ruffle some feathers. A very fitting phrase for myself because I am an avid birder and disc golfer who saw many more birds on this course t ... show more ›

Well, I hate to say it, but this review is probably going to ruffle some feathers. A very fitting phrase for myself because I am an avid birder and disc golfer who saw many more birds on this course than birdies. This, my friends and fellow disc golfers, is apparently the local righty course. Not that the course is bad for lefty throwers (like myself), but if you have a 300’ righty hyzer, you are likely going to shoot 8 or 9 down on this course. This, sadly, is one of my lesser complaints on this course even though I throw left-handed and have a terrible forehand (which is obviously not the course's fault). I digress. I am a disc golfer who absolutely loves playing as many different disc golf courses as I possibly can. I have played over 100 different courses in 13 different states. I only mention this because I want to show that I have plenty of experience with different courses in different areas. This is important to know when I say that this is probably the worst 3.9 rated (on UDisc) course that I have played. There is simply no way this course should have a rating of 3.9/5 with such a large sample size of over 400 reviews. When I travel for reasons other than disc golf, I try my best to find a short 9 hole round where I can get a quick round in. This is how I found Hawthorne Park DGC. I saw the 3.9/5 rating in over 400 reviews and had very high hopes for this course. The issues that I would mention for this course is mainly the safety of disc golfers and other park visitors alike. On Hole 2 you throw over a walking path (or road if you swing it wide enough). On Holes 3 and 5, you tee directly towards the tee for hole 4 which is between the two baskets with approximately 150’ of distance separating them. If you are planning on playing a tournament or doubles event here, make sure you wear a helmet for Hole 4. Furthermore, my drives as a lefty on Holes 6 and 7 followed the same exact path but in different directions. If I could have sent myself out on the course as player A and B teeing off on holes 6 and 7 at the same time, my discs would have the possibility of colliding. This is not a good thing and is also why I lean towards calling these two holes more righty friendly, because you shouldn’t have to worry about landing in another fairway barring a drive that really got away from you. If this wasn’t enough, I was stunned to find that Hole 8’s fairway was directly over the top of Hole 7’s basket. Yes, I realize that the basket was down in a ravine and should not come into play… until it does. If a brand new player visits this course and is teeing off on Hole 8 while another crew is putting on Hole 7, this could be their last round of disc golf. A possible early release could send that drive directly towards another player. Many of these things I’ve mentioned on this course should just absolutely not even be in question. I understand that as disc golfers, we always watch for other golfers and park visitors, but not everyone out there will do that. This course is just asking for an injury and baskets permanently pulled. Of course the holes themselves were mostly fun to play even though I played terribly, but I don’t ever want to worry about the safety of others when I am playing disc golf. Luckily, absolutely no-one was there playing disc golf when I played my round and there were very few other park visitors which were mostly in other areas of the park. If that wasn’t the case, I likely would not have even finished my round here. In addition to the safety concerns, the tee signs were nearly impossible to decipher and I rarely knew which basket position I was aiming at. Of course, I could see every single basket I was throwing to, but let’s be honest here, I am bad at disc golf and depth perception is not my greatest quality in life, so this made the course even less enjoyable to play. Rarely do I have this many complaints about a course and I hate leaving this type of review, but I have to be honest in my reviews. I’m not sure if I am just spoiled in the area where I live which makes these types of courses stick out more, or what, but I have played probably 30-40 more courses with worse ratings that I would consider better courses. In closing, I do want to say that the final hole on this course was probably my favorite thing about the course. It has some fun elevation and is mostly away from all of the other holes so safety shouldn’t be an issue unless a righty turns something WAY over near the gazebo in the middle of the field. This is unlikely, but certainly possible. In closing, I wanted to mention that this was my first time ever playing disc golf in Indiana and I look forward to playing another course in the state. However I can promise you, this will not be the course I visit next time. If you want to see this course on video, please consider checking out this video that my wife filmed for me while I played the course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RN-OdRgwKD8

Don't expect too much from this course. I discovered it while working in the area a few years ago and loved it, though. It finds itself nestled in a city park that generally had a lot of commotion whe ... show more ›

Don't expect too much from this course. I discovered it while working in the area a few years ago and loved it, though. It finds itself nestled in a city park that generally had a lot of commotion whenever i found myself there in the evenings. Yet, the course does a good job in creating a flow around the main attractions of the park so i never had any issues other than the occasional passerby to look out for. Great for beginners or those that just finished a 13 hour work day and want to huck some plastic to wind down. Got my first Ace here as well as another two holes later too! Every hole is hittable aside from maybe 8.

This is a little 9 tee pad course with 8 baskets. A great place for beginners, if you know where the first hole is. The first hole starts across from the volleyball courts. Unfortunately no navigation ... show more ›

This is a little 9 tee pad course with 8 baskets. A great place for beginners, if you know where the first hole is. The first hole starts across from the volleyball courts. Unfortunately no navigation, so you guess where you think the next teepad or hole is. Teepads are rubberized truck mats, with a bumper board. Ok when dry but a skating rink when wet! Most holes in the 200 to 275 foot range. Very few obstacles, and the course is fairly wide open. Signature hole #9 throw into a valley 310 feet away and curl around a large tree, almost aced it! Not a destination COURSE BUT FUN TO PLAY IF IN THE AREA.