Basic Information
Course Location: Winton Woods County Park
Geographic Location: north of Cincinnati, OH (39.25634, -84.50117)
Date Visited: June 2021
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 3340 feet, par 71 (not a typo; the signed pars add up to 71)
Cost to Play: motor vehicle park pass; $5 daily pass or $10 annual pass for Hamilton County residents; $8 or $16 respectively for non-Hamilton County residents
Difficulty Level: recreational, low
Carts: should have no problems here
Potential to Lose Discs: low; wide fairways but dense woods off of the fairways
Park Information: https://www.greatparks.org/parks/winton-woods
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=877
UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/winton-woods-u1Z5
Driving Directions: on the north side of Cincinnati, take I-275 to Winton Road (exit 39). Exit and go south on Winton Rd. Drive Winton Rd. south 3.2 miles to Lakeridge Drive and turn left on Lakeridge Dr. Drive Lakeridge Dr. east 0.7 miles to McKelvey Road and turn left on McKelvey Rd. Park in the parking lot on the right 0.3 miles ahead that serves the disc golf course and the fitness trail. #1 tee is across the entrance road and to the left of the restroom building.
Course Constructions:
Tees: asphalt, 1 per hole; some of them are in bad shape
Baskets: 1 per hole; double chained and older but in good condition
Signage: none except for a plaque at each tee stating the hole number and the par for that hole
Amenities: restrooms, picnic tables, drinking water fountain
Summary Review: 2.5 Stars (out of 5)
The disc golf course at Winton Woods County Park was built in 1981, and while it is not the oldest disc golf course in the area (Miami Whitewater Forest's disc golf course is 3 years older, for example), it is by far the oldest one I have played and reviewed. Sadly, while I appreciate the playability and historic qualities of this course, it is very much showing its age. The hole pars were probably reasonable in the early 1980's when few people knew how to throw a disc and equipment was poor, but they are out of whack today. I am a bad disc golfer, and even I can get around this course in fewer than 71 throws with a decent disc. The course is very simple with wide fairways and few obstacles, and accurate throwers will have a chance at eagle, birdie, or even ace on every hole. However, you can quickly end up in deep woods if you leave the fairways. Each basket is on an island of asphalt, which tended to scuff my disc when I played here. Mud will also be an issue if it has rained recently, and there is little perceivable elevation change on this course. Despite the drawbacks, this course is popular: there were 3 other groups playing here when I came here on a late Monday morning. The course is laid out in two loops of 9 holes each. It is easy to navigate after you find the first tee, and I saw no significant maintenance issues. Winton Woods likely won't make your list of favorite courses, but it is worth playing here once to see what disc golf was like 40 years ago and maybe more often if you want some relaxing, casual rounds.
Hole-by-Hole Review
Distances taken from dgcoursereview's website; link posted above. Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.
Hole #1: 200 feet, par 4
Comments: hole #1 plays parallel to the entrance road, and only a thin row of bushes separates the fairway and the road. I think the road should be OB, but I did not see it marked as such. Overall, a wide and gentle opening hole provided you stay clear of the road. #2 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #2: 150 feet, par 4
Comments: a very short par 4 (or even par 3), this hole is a dogleg right with a couple of trees guarding the basket. A good first throw will yield an eagle or even an ace. #3 tee is to the left back beside the entrance road.
Hole #3: 200 feet, par 4
Comments: another dogleg right that is kind of a combination of the first 2 holes. #4 tee is to the left back beside the road.
Hole #4: 275 feet, par 5
Comments: continuing along the entrance road, the fairway is wide and completely obstacle-free, but dense woods lurk on the right with the road to the left. #5 tee is to the right.
Hole #5: 180 feet, par 3
Comments: this hole plays along the entire length of the course's south boundary. Although this hole is longer than some of the par 4's, it also has a wider fairway. The dense woods on either side will be a problem for very errant throws. #6 tee is to the right.
Hole #6: 195 feet, par 4
Comments: unlike holes #2 and #3, this hole is a dogleg left, so I needed to use my anhyzer instead of my hyzer. Avoid the dense woods on either side of the wide fairway. #7 tee is to the left.
Hole #7: 210 feet, par 4
Comments: the dense woods are now close on the left, but the fairway is plenty wide to avoid them. #8 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #8: 190 feet, par 3
Comments: the longest of this course's 3 par 3's, this hole is also tighter than some other holes, but it is not "tight" by present-day standards. Thus, this hole may be the hardest hole relative to par on this course. #9 tee is to the left.
Hole #9: 145 feet, par 4
Comments: the tightest hole thus far, several trees located close to the basket will need to be negotiated, so pick your line of play carefully. The usual dense woods lie well to the left and right. #10 tee is 100+ feet behind the basket and to the left near the trash cans.
Hole #10: 165 feet, par 4
Comments: this hole is almost a copy of #9 but with the trees in slightly different positions. #11 tee is to the right back toward the tee.
Hole #11: 90 feet, par 3
Comments: the next two holes are my favorites on this course, and they are also the shortest and longest holes on this course, respectively. This hole has a tight cluster of 3 large trees directly in front of the basket, so you have to either risk going through them or try to curve a disk around them. Going through is riskier, but it is probably your only chance for an ace on this hole. #12 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #12: 290 feet, par 5
Comments: the basket is tucked behind a row of large trees to the right, so you have to strategize on when and where you want to weave through the trees. Also, glimpses of the park's lake, which lies well below and to the left, emerge through the dense woods. These heavily obstructed lake views are kind of the only scenic value this course offers other than the large trees and general parkland setting. #13 tee is to the left.
Hole #13: 240 feet, par 4
Comments: now the course reverts to a hole similar to #9 or #10, although the heavily obstructed lake view remains to the left. #14 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #14: 135 feet, par 4
Comments: a slight dogleg left with dense woods tight to the left, no other obstacles stand between the tee and the basket. Thus, this hole is very short for a par 4, and I view it as the easiest birdie/eagle on the course. #15 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.
Hole #15: 180 feet, par 4
Comments: a sharp dogleg right, a dense area of bushes hides the basket. Thus, you will have to flirt with the bushes to the right to get close to the basket in 1 throw. Some other large trees serve as obstacles, and more dense woods lie just beyond the basket. #16 tee is to the left.
Hole #16: 175 feet, par 4
Comments: this hole is a sharp dogleg left with the basket out of sight behind dense bushes to the left, so this hole is more or less the mirror reflection of #15. #17 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.
Hole #17: 170 feet, par 4
Comments: the basket straight ahead is #18 basket; this hole is a dogleg right with the basket out of sight over the corner of the bushes to the right. Thus, this hole is a minor variation on #15 but with a wider fairway. #18 tee is to the left.
Hole #18: 150 feet, par 4
Comments: the finishing hole plays over a small hump, and this hump is the only discernible elevation change on this course. A single tree guards the basket to the left. A simple straightforward finishing hole to a simple straightforward course.
