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Powerhouse Wooded Course



5+ 7/27/2019 7/27/2019 5+7/27/20197/27/2019 Review By: Derek B

Played: 302 Reviewed: 45 Exp: 18.3 Years

This review was updated on 7/28/2019 3024518.3 YearsThis review was updated on 7/28/2019

4 Helpful / 0 Not

Pros:

1) Short and long concrete tees with some middle tees as well

2) 9 alternate targets that are permanent

3) Beautiful scenery

4) Solid course design

Cons:

1) Tee signs are minimalistic

2) Trash

3) People fishing on the course and walking around on the course

4) Long walks between some holes (1-2, 7-8, 8-9)

Other Thoughts:

Course design: 4.5/5

Scenery: 4.75/5

Tees: 4.5/5

Signage: 3/5

Navigation: 3/5

_______________

Average/Total: 3.95/5 rounded to 4/5



The Player's DGC at Alum Creek has evolved over the years. It started as an 18 hole course with 1 set of tees. Several holes were re-designed due to park changes that were made about 7 years ago or so. Then, about 3-5 years ago, they had a massive tree cutting due to the ash borer disease. Within the last 2-3 years, they did a bunch of add-ons and made alterations to it, really making it shine.



The property is beautifully set within mature forest that is right next to alum reservoir. You get nice views of the water from at least a 1/3 of the course (and also dangerous water holes as well). The design, woodsiness and water holes on the course make up for the lack of elevation changes.



One of the outstanding features of this course besides what I wrote above are the varieties of layouts that you can play. They installed 9 alternate permanent targets (red top band) to complement the regular 18 yellow top band targets. All are Innova discatchers which are perfect for a wooded course as they stand out with the colored band. The 9 alternate targets are located on holes 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, 13, 17 and 18. These alternate targets add variety and challenge to the course. In addition, they installed extra tees on most of the holes, which also adds variety and challenge. Holes 1, 3 (long is carpet), 5, 6, 14, 15, and 16 (long is carpet) have 3 tees. Holes 2, 4, 9, 10 (long is brick), 11, 13, and 17 have 2 tees. When you combine all of these additions, you have a nice selection with very different hole shapes. A hallmark of a workhorse course that will have you sharpshooting in no time!



The holes will test all shots and unless you're shooting from the short tees to the yellow targets, I would say this is an intermediate to advanced to pro course depending on the layout that you shoot. BTW...six of the holes involve water, so beware! Many people have lost discs in the water so I highly recommend bringing a water disc (something you don't mind losing) for those holes, or bring a disc retrieval tool!



Now, there are a few negatives about the course. First, the signs are virtually non-existent. A PVC pipe with distance on it is all you get. Navigation cues are also lacking. AFA navigation goes, just remember the course is basically in two loops: 1-8 and 9-18, with both leading you back to the parking lot. There's a long walk over the road from 1-2. There's a hefty walk from 7 to 8 (recommend walking up the park road toward the entrance once you complete the hole to avoid people shooting on 2's fairway - 8's tee will be on the left side of the park road).There's also a long walk from 8 over the parking lot and past the restroom building to get to 9.



A couple more negatives, and you can't fault the designer...there's pedestrians wandering around the course all the time and fishermen like to post up where you shoot over the cove on 9, on 10 by the basket, and 11 along the right side of the fairway and at the point by the basket as well. Also be aware that many people have no idea what disc golf is. I remember one time that there were some fishermen directly in front of me on 9's fairway, fishing in the cove and I raised my disc and said, "Heads up I'm shooting that way." The response was, "Is it really worth it, man?" I ended up skipping the hole because I explained it to them and they still didn't get it.



The last negative of the course is the trash buildup. People seem to love leaving their garbage there. I know that people must think that the trash makes the park look very appealing, but rules are rules and so we must remember to pick up our trash and haul it out with us when we leave.



All in all, this is one of the best courses in central Ohio, if not all of Ohio, between the property setting, the course design and the additional targets and tees. I recommend stopping here if you are in the area. Dare I also say that it is a destination course?! Play this and the Brent Hambrick Memorial course in a day and you'll have hit the two best courses in Columbus. Kudos to us for having this great addition to the area!

4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

The Players The Players



2-4 8/29/2018 8/29/2018 2-48/29/20188/29/2018 Review By: ad166809

Played: 55 Reviewed: 24 Exp: 6.6 Years

5 Helpful / 0 Not

Pros: Tee pads are great. I love anywhere with concrete pads.



Foliage maintenance is great. This is a state park and they keep it very clean. Everything was well mowed and trimmed when I was there in August.



Lots of benches and trash cans. This is what helps keep courses clean. If you throw a couple of trash cans around the course most people are sane enough to just walk a little bit to throw away their trash.



There is for sure an Epic Hole out here. Everyone that plays this course will know #6 is one of the most epic holes you have seen. Hyzer throw across water to land by the hole. A nice walk through the beach to get to your disc. Btw I lost my XXX opto on this hole if youve seen it please contact haha.



It is a state park so I think there should be camping around.



Lots of restrooms around this course. Great addition.



Lots of running water as well. It was 91 degrees out with massive humidity and I needed that running water.



They actually do a great job of a variety of hole distances.



I used a ton of different discs in my bag at this course. To navigate through the trees and to take off or add some distance you have to be able to throw a ton of discs. I used XXX Opto on hyzers and opens, thunderbird for shorter and a little less open, I used a shark and an OS Buzz a lot on the back for driving, I found myself bringing out my Boss a lot on the back as well. I actually used my Thunderbird a lot for rollers out here. It seemed to work really well.



For sure a mix of tight and technical and open bombs. The back 9 is almost all tight and technical but the front offers enough variety to give you your fix.



This course is for sure an overall challenge. I found myself cursing a lot when a tree would grab my disc. It all works out in the end though, you won't shot to terrible because the holes are so short.



Parking is great and right by #1.



This course has tons of scenic beauty. Maybe the most of any course I have played in Ohio so far. Right next to the lake and through the trees. It was really refreshing to go out and play a course like this.



Attitude of locals was great. Super nice people out here. Let me play through. Another guy helped me navigate after #8.

Cons: I am probably the only person that really hates these baskets. My discs chained out so many times it was annoying.



THEY HAVE TO GET BETTER TEE SIGNS, MAPS and MARKERS. This is such a huge failure by this course. The first time I played it I had no idea where to go until I pulled up the map on DGCR. Also the tee signs are literally just pvc with questionable distances and an arrow telling you how the hole plays.



General course design is not very good either. You have to walk across the parking lots way to much. Which is not safe. Also after 1 and 8 its a trek to the next hole.



Not a great amount of elevation. I am really not sure if they could add some in is the bad thing.



This course was super crowded when I was out there. Not only from discers but boated and campers and animals. Everyone wanted to come to Alum Creek State Park at 3PM on a Tuesday for some reason.





Other Thoughts: Final Thoughts: If anyone sees a purple Paul McBeth Thunderbird on #10 shoot me a message. I threw a low line drive and it skipped hard into the water. My XXX Opto got eaten by the water on #6 as well.



I really hate the Maps on this course. You really should be prepared before coming out here or it will add a lot of extra time to your round.



Other than that Alum Creek offers some of the most scenic discing I have ever played. Its short back 9 makes for a fun but challenging round. The locals there should be able to help you navigate. This course was worth the 30 minute drive from Columbus and I will be playing it again.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Well on its way Well on its way



1 4/14/2018 4/20/2018 4/14/20184/20/2018 Review By: GoobyPls

Played: 31 Reviewed: 15 Exp: 4.3 Years

5 Helpful / 0 Not

Pros: This heavily wooded, technical course plays around a reservoir in a state park area that only disc golfers and boaters frequent. Scoring low here can be a challenge, with tight-but-fair lines through the woods available on all holes, and water coming into play frequently. About half the holes have two permanent baskets (all in good shape) to mix things up for those who play here frequently. Some holes have alternate "pro" tees that add quite a bit of additional challenge, in case you're 1000-rated and need it. There are probably a few more LHBH/RHFH-favoring holes, but layouts are mostly balanced.



Hole 5 is probably the most spectacular I've seen in person. The short tee has a gorgeous view of the lake, with both baskets right on the water. That's followed up by an awesome water carry directly over the lake on hole 6.



The final hole dumps you out right at the parking lot for a short walk back to your car. There are three separate dedicated bathrooms on the course, though only one was open when I played.



Locals are friendly and helpful.





Cons: There's a long walk from hole 1 to the hole 2 tee, especially from the red basket.



This course does need some signage. There were no tee signs at all, and the only reason I was able to determine distances was that it was included on our scorecard. The local club is always improving this course, so I'd expect to see some before too long. I don't remember seeing any "Next Tee" signs either, which would have helped the navigation a bit, though it wasn't too bad to start with.



There are several areas where thorns are growing in the rough, and even near the walking paths between holes. The club has done a good job keeping them cut back, but I still got caught a couple of times.



My biggest complaint is with the basket positions. There are probably 4 baskets where the water is inside the circle, usually with a downslope of bare compacted dirt leading to it. Once or twice is actually a nice challenge, but 4 ended up taking away from my enjoyment of the course. Having to lay up that many putts for fear of a lost putter isn't fun. The last one is the worst, with a 4' vertical drop into water just 15' away from the pin. If your shot ends up right on the edge, you can't even stand near there safely.



After heavy rains, some of the holes can get swallowed up by the lake and won't be playable.

Other Thoughts: I played this course for the first time at a recent tournament. Even with all the issues, I found this course very enjoyable, and I'd like to get back out here for another one at some point. From what I understand it's undergone a lot of improvement, so if you played it a while ago, check it out now. It's better than you remember.

5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

It Will Get Better! It Will Get Better!



1 4/14/2018 4/15/2018 4/14/20184/15/2018 Review By: jjtwinnova

Played: 156 Reviewed: 94 Exp: 5.3 Years

6 Helpful / 1 Not

Pros: I played this course for the first time during a tournament, and I will tell you what, playing a wooded course blind is tough when trying to score low. Trying to figure out lines, judging distances and landing zones, etc. Luckily I had two locals on my card to help out.



My tournament experience led me to play the short tees to the Red baskets, the latter being on 9 holes throughout the course.



The tees were concrete, a little narrow/short, but not awful by any means, and the baskets were fully functional Innova Discatchers.



Navigation was mostly intuitive, with a couple places not super well marked, but most holes had relatively easy flow from hole to hole.



With most holes playing in the woods, there was a lot of variety in the shape of the shot you are throwing. While the short tees were mostly putter/midrange shots throughout, the long tees gave way to an opportunity to throw some finessed distance lines every few holes.



There are a couple holes that play around the waters edge, something I was not used to. It definitely added some challenge, as a couple greens had water within circles edge of the basket. The water was high when we played, so it really got in your head.

Cons: The biggest con of this course is the lack of tee signs. While I was able to play the course, and able to put together my division's hot round (to toot my own horn :)), some holes from the longer tees would be impossible to play well blind. Especially when some holes have multiple baskets, and some holes have two or three tees, signs would be absolutely necessary, and it was really detrimental to the course.



There were a few holes that I could see would be better with a tree or two taken out, making the line a little easier. No horrendous offenders off the top of my head, but a little more openness on one or two holes can go a long way.



Navigation was mostly a breeze, as I stated above, but the walk from hole one to two was a little weird, you had to cross the road and go by the nature trail sign before you find the tees. Hole 8 to 9 is across the parking lot.

Other Thoughts: Overall, this course is very solid. There were a lot of fun holes that led to some very fun shots, and I really enjoyed playing it in a tournament setting. When in it's best condition, the course is a lot of fun to play, and I can see myself coming back.



When this course gets tee signs, it will be a lot better, but it is still a great course, and I can see the work that the club puts into it. Kudos!

6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Beautiful, with Some Flaws Beautiful, with Some Flaws



1 10/17/2017 10/17/2017 10/17/201710/17/2017 Review By: DiscinOhio

Played: 136 Reviewed: 131 Exp: 11.5 Years

4 Helpful / 3 Not

Pros: "The Players Course" is a beautiful 18-holer on the banks of Alum Lake. The course features mostly technical holes that will certainly challenge different elements in your game. A good chunk of holes play right along the shores of the lake, offering a few memorable water shots.



Most holes have two sets of concrete tees, as well as two baskets. While I'm really not a fan of a two Basket system, the baskets themselves were nice Innova's, and easy to spot due to their color.



The surrounding area is really beautiful. A lot of holes give you a clear, panoramic view of Alum Lake. Water was crystal clear when I played.



If you enjoy technical courses rather than bomber courses, you're in the right place. Tons of holes that test your accuracy.



Plenty of amenities around the course. Benches and trash cans are plentiful. There's also a permanent restroom behind #7's basket.



Navigation from hole to hole is pretty easy for the most part. Fresh tape on the bottom of the baskets guides the way. Some holes have wooded signs as well.



#6 is up there with some of the most intimidating holes I've played so far. The fairway is actually a beach, with crashing waves and everything. The basket sits on a steep embankment right on the edge of the water. Definetly a scary hole if your disc tends to cut right.



For a weekday morning, there was a pretty good amount of players here. Glad to see a solid course like this get a lot of players active out here.





Cons: Well, there aren't any tee signs. And that's a huge negative in my book. With a 2 Basket design, it's really important to have a descriptive tee sign that shows where you're throwing to.



There aren't really any holes that you can't use your big boy arm on. The course plays through wooded areas on almost every hole.



Having a few pin placements with a slope and water behind are cool. But when you have 4,5,6, etc. it gets pretty old. Many approach shots forced you to play it safe and layup. It'll get old pretty quick.



There were definetly some long walks in between holes. #1 seems completely out of place and away from the rest of the course. Not sure what the deal is there.



A couple of fairways are too close together. #2 and #8 almost overlap each other. #12 and #13 (I think) also were way too close to each other.



Couldn't play #15 because there was a car parked on the "Island" where the basket is. The pin sits right in the middle of the roadway.



16-18 were really forced in there to make 18 holes. Not a fun way to end the round.





Other Thoughts: I think The Players DGC would have been more enjoyable with descriptive tee signs. Many holes I was just throwing kind of blindly down a chute of trees. Made for a few frustrating experiences.



This might be a bit harsh, but the whole two Basket system is just plain stupid. It'll confuse the hell out of you sometimes. Just seems like a waste of money, time, and effort.



This would be a strong 3.5 if they swapped the second set of baskets for new tee signs. While the course was beautiful, it got confusing at some points.



With all that being said, I give The Players DGC a 2.5/5.0. The pros and cons just about even out, making it a pretty average course. Thanks for reading!

4 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Updates Make for a Quality Course Updates Make for a Quality Course



5+ 6/23/2017 6/25/2017 5+6/23/20176/25/2017 Review By: WildlyMediocre

Played: 1 Reviewed: 1

3 Helpful / 3 Not

Pros: - Lots of variety. Likely that every shot or disc in your bag has a chance to come out and play.



- Variable difficulty. Multiple tees/pins on most holes let you pick the kind of course you want to play.



- Continued improvements make it more fun to play each year.

Cons: - Drainage still leaves some work to be desired. Wet periods and high water can cut off entire sections of the course.



- A few holes are still rough around the edges, leaving an uneven feel to the course as a whole experience (but still seeing progress).



- Couple tricky jumps from one hole to the next if you're not familiar with the layout.

Other Thoughts: I moved to the Columbus area about 3 years ago. Of course the big name course here is Brent Hambrick. I played it, and I liked it, but it wasn't the kind of course that fit my play. When I first played The Player's Course, it was a solid 3-star for me. Not the most well-manicured course, only about half the holes had a long tee pad. But it was technical and fun. Mixed some length with soft touch shots. So I played it often.



In part due to the Women's Championships being held here a couple years ago, and just general improvements over time, it's earned the extra 1 1/2 stars from me. Is it Maple Hill? Well, no. But the fairways are cleaner, some trees have been cleared out to create actual lines instead of "poke and pray," and the variety is vastly improved. 9 holes now have a second basket placement, and all but 4 holes have multiple tees (5 holes have 3 tees). But like Maple Hill, the vast majority of these added baskets and tees are creating different shots, not just longer versions of the same hole. And that is a distinction that many courses miss when they make "pro tees."



As I put in the cons, sometimes high water days make the course all but unplayable. It's an unfortunate reality of the course's location. I've played at courses that got swampy and some good drainage vastly improved that. I don't think this course will ever have that luxury. The course itself plays through 2 different "peninsulas" (for lack of a better description) on the same lake. Extreme drainage through the problem fairways would only result in permanent water hazards.



Some holes in the middle of the 2nd half (12/13/14) feel a little unfinished compared to the new polish on the earlier holes. Nice wooded holes with decent fairways, but will benefit from some TLC along the way.



14 is especially jarring due to the layout (you can't see the pin really from the tees, and when you do get over the slight rise to the basket you are greeted at the bottom of the hill with a flower cross memorial for what I can only guess is honoring a drowning victim in the lake). Kind of unsettling putting down at the basket, knowing if you miss and go long you could smack right into the memorial. It's a shame because it's one of the best hole layouts on the course, but it's also the only one I would truly like to see revised in terms of pin placement.



In a couple years, I think this could be a true championship quality course that would be a great compliment to the openness of Brent Hambrick.

3 of 6 people found this review helpful.

Alum creek Alum creek



1 3/21/2017 3/21/2017 3/21/20173/21/2017 Review By: tonyfaurot

Played: 17 Reviewed: 15 Exp: 4 Years

3 Helpful / 1 Not

Pros: Very tricky course to play, i loved the layout, nice tee pads, very nice baskets, signage good, it was the toughest course i have played to date, not because of length but the line you have to hit between the trees on most holes . i loved the challenge. i can't wait to come back again. lot and lots of trees !

Cons: you will lose some disc on holes you don't play well as water comes into play, it was very wet the day i played, some swampy areas, i am guessing its dry in the summer months unless it has rained a lot, maybe some drainage issues in some spots

Other Thoughts: it was a little discouraging seeing a lot of trash laying on the course and i believe it came from disc golfers, lots of beverage containers, i didn't see many trash cans but that's no excuse for not taking your trash with you. stop it !

3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

LOTS of Fun! LOTS of Fun!



1 6/22/2016 7/5/2016 6/22/20167/5/2016 Review By: wkelly42

Played: 38 Reviewed: 25 Exp: 10.3 Years

3 Helpful / 0 Not

Pros: Variety. It is, after all, the spice of life, and The Player's has it. Long holes where you can let it rip, short holes where you'd better hit your line -- heck, even the in between holes are a lot of fun. Variety includes shot selection, too - and I used every disc in my bag and pretty much every shot I have (or think I have).



Challenging: The variety would be nothing if the course was a yawner. It didn't kill me (I shot +2 first time playing it, so I was kinda happy), but it DID punish wayward shots. Even on the longer holes, you'd best hit that line, or you're going to be in a bit of trouble.



Scenic: This is an absolutely beautiful setting for disc golf. #7 especially is worth a picture or two (BEFORE you throw that disc into the water, not after lol).

Cons: Navigation was kinda hard in spots, but that's probably the newb in me. I usually like to follow people when I play a new course, but the locals were courteous and let me play through, so I couldn't follow them to see where the next tee was. Not usually a problem, since there are markings on the baskets to point you in the right direction, but I could have used a little more help heading to 8's tee pad.





Other Thoughts: I don't like to mention tight fairways as a con, since I don't really view them that way, but I will warn you here -- the back nine is TIGHT. There are lines there, but they are narrow, and if you miss them you're losing a stroke or two to par. I left plenty of strokes behind the day I played (and a couple of discs, too!), just because I missed my line by even a TINY bit. While there are some long holes here, throwing for power isn't going to give you a good score if you're not accurate. Throw it where you want it to go, and you'll be fine.

3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Slightly above average course, too wooded Slightly above average course, too wooded



2-4 5/10/2015 6/9/2015 2-45/10/20156/9/2015 Review By: zetterbeard

Played: 7 Reviewed: 7

6 Helpful / 3 Not

Pros: -This course has one of the longer holes in the Columbus area. I personally like airing it out, and it's nice to see a hole that I can say is a relatively legit par 5 (hole 2) since there seems to be so few longer holes in the Columbus area.



-A few holes are very scenic, overlooking the lake. An added bonus too if you're toasty and want to cool off!



-The first 9 or 10 holes in this course are great and provide a good challenge without being too hard or easy.

Cons: -Some of the wooded holes are far too wooded. On 11-15, you're pretty much praying not to hit a tree, but it's nearly impossible. It was very difficult to locate a "fairway," and those holes felt like they were plopped in the middle of a forest without much thought to the design.



-Water comes into play a few times on this course. On 7 you're forced to either throw over a beach or around a dense underbrush in order to get to the hole. It's not the end of the world to get your disc in the water, it's a shallow sandy beach after all, but you can easily lose a disc if you don't see where it landed. Hole 10 also plays over a shallow inlet of murky water that I doubt you'd want to go into to retrieve a disc. Perhaps water is a plus for some, but I'm not looking to lose a 20 dollar disc.



-One of the times I played this course, it was so buggy on 4-8 that one of my friends had to wait until we were out of the woods. Depending on what part of the season you come, bring some Off or long sleeves if you can handle the heat.

Other Thoughts: -This course is very average, at best. I like that it tries to put holes in the woods, but they need some work. Perhaps cutting a few more trees down to at least develop a fairway would be a good idea.



-Try this course once or twice to say you did, but if you're already driving 25 minutes from Columbus to play it, do yourself a favor and drive 15 more and go to the course in Delaware State Park.

6 of 9 people found this review helpful.

Fun, Fairly Technical Fun, Fairly Technical



1 9/15/2014 9/15/2014 9/15/20149/15/2014 Review By: Jaysauls

Played: 106 Reviewed: 64 Exp: 11.3 Years

6 Helpful / 2 Not

Pros: Nice course winding around a fairly picturesque lake. Most of the holes can be reached using mostly a control driver or midrange. I found that I mostly through a Roadrunner of Buzz around the course.



It is fairly technical, but for the most part fair. The underbrush is minimal so errant shots were easy to find.



Water does come into play on about 6 holes (sorry, didn't keep a list) but only one hole - maybe 7? which is a long throw over the edge of the lake. Providing you don't flip the disc, you should be safe.

Cons: Navigation isn't the easiest. Hole 1 wasn't marked, and I had no idea where hole 2 was. Found it across the road with the help of some local players. I found navigating to the back nine tough to find as well



There's a good bit of debris on laying around some of the holes which took my rating down just hint due to being kinda ugly in places

Other Thoughts: Found the course fun to play, add some course maintenance and better signage and definitely a 3.5 course. With a little practice on this course could easily shoot 5 down, so not all that of a tricky course

6 of 8 people found this review helpful.