Wildcat Hollow Disc Golf Course at Pike Lake State Park near Piketon, OH

Basic Information

Course Location: Pike Lake State Park

Geographic Location: west of Piketon, OH (39.15903, -83.22616)

Date Visited: October 2022

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 3718/4785 feet, par 64

Cost to Play: free

Difficulty Level: intermediate

Carts: would be difficult to use here due to steep terrain

Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to dense woods; high if you play in the fall due to leaf litter

Park Information: https://ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/pike-lake-state-park

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=58

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/pike-lake-state-park-FbD2

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: 

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: 

Driving Directions: From Piketon, go west on SR 124 7 miles to Morgan Fork Road, a narrow paved road, and turn right on Morgan Fork Rd.  In 4 miles, where the road forks, bear left onto Pike Lake Road.  The park is 2 miles ahead.  Turn left onto Egypt Hollow Road at the park's main intersection and park in the perpendicular parking area beside the first picnic shelter on the right.  #1 tee is to the left of the picnic shelter.

Course Constructions:

Tees: 2 per hole; concrete back tee; unfindable front tee

Baskets: 1 per hole; in good shape on my visit

Signage: course map near parking area; hole sign on each tee

Amenities: benches on most holes, vault toilets, practice basket, picnic shelter, other amenities elsewhere in the park

Summary Review: 3.5 Stars (out of 5)

Built in 2004, the Wildcat Hollow Disc Golf Course at Pike Lake State Park is a once-great course that is now showing its age.  Located in a remote area, this heavily wooded course features a mixture of wild holes with extreme elevation change and flat straight-forward holes.  In general the "wild" holes play up and down the sides of Wildcat Hollow while the flatter holes play along the park road.  The course offers a nice mixture of short and long holes.  15 of the holes are heavily wooded with tight lines, which may be too many for some player's preference.  In theory there are 2 sets of tees, but on most holes I was unable to find the forward tee.  The course is organized into 2 loops, so you could play only 9 holes if the terrain becomes too much.  The hole signs look dated, but at least they exist.  Some of the pars also seem too high to me: they seem to date to an era of inferior equipment and player skill.  The course maintenance was fine except for a large amount of leaf litter that made footing tricky by covering rocks and roots.  In fairness, most of those leaves had fallen within a week or so of my visit.  For a middle-aged fat guy like me the terrain and bad footing made for a rough round, but I can see how a more athletic person might enjoy this course.  If you live in Cincinnati, Lexington, or Columbus and want a nice daytrip with some adventurous disc golf, then this course may be exactly what the disc golf course reviewer ordered.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) back tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 230/345 feet, par 4

Comments: The first two holes play through the flatter area in the bottom of the hollow.  This lightly wooded hole is a slight dogleg right with a dry rocky streambed guarding the inside of the dogleg.  Given that this hole has a somewhat wide fairway, it should probably be a par 3.  (Aside: I will make several statements like the previous one in this review.  The inflated pars are not a big deal to me: they do not affect how you play the course.)  #2 tee is to the left.

Hole #2: 227/261 feet, par 4

Comments: a flat and straight hole, medium-sized trees guard either side of the fairway, which is wider than you would expect for a wooded hole.  Again, I would prefer this hole as a par 3.  #3 tee is across the road to the left.

Hole #3: 177/219 feet, par 3

Comments: now the course's wild side emerges as it heads up the steep sides of the hollow.  This hole plays across a dry creek and directly up a steep hill.  The tight fairway demands a long, accurate throw if you want to get close to the basket with your tee shot.  Some constructed wooden steps help you climb the hill, and they are very appreciated.  #4 tee is to the right.

Hole #4: 270/378 feet, par 4

Comments: a rolling hole that plays across the side of the hill.  The fairway has a left to right cross slope, and any disc missing right could go all the way down into the hollow.  The large number of trees make this a fairly tight hole as well.  #5 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #5: 165/248 feet, par 3

Comments: another heavily wooded uphill hole, but the slope is much more gradual than on hole #3.  This hole is also a slight dogleg left, and the large number of trees enforce the dogleg.  #6 tee is to the left.

Hole #6: 214/369 feet, par 4

Comments: kind of the inverse to hole #4, but there are also many differences.  The cross slope is not as severe, the drop-off into the hollow is not as close to the fairway, the basket is in a small ravine, and the fairway is wider.  The fairway is wide enough that this hole could be a long par 3.  #7 tee is to the left.

Hole #7: 168 feet, par 3

Comments: a dramatically downhill hole that does not play more than 120 feet.  A dry creek guards the front of the basket.  This hole would be ace-able except that the disc comes almost straight down on the basket.  This is the most memorable hole on this course.  #8 tee is to the right.

Hole #8: 303 feet, par 5

Comments: now the course returns to the flatter area at the bottom of the hollow.  This hole plays along an asphalt road, and the road basically acts as the hole's fairway.  This arrangement is problematic: the road is a public road open to vehicles, and I did see several vehicles on this road.  Thus, you have to watch for vehicles, not only for your disc flight but also for your personal safety.  A cluster of big trees directly in front of the basket forces you to fly your disc over the road to the left.  Also, this hole would be a better par 3 than a par 5.  This is my least favorite hole on this course and one of my least favorite holes anywhere.  #9 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #9: 220 feet, par 4

Comments: a flat hole through dense woods with a tight line.  You will either appreciate or hate the fact that this hole is much more conventional than some of its predecessors.  I would prefer this hole as a par 3.  #10 tee is beyond the vault toilets behind the basket on this side of the park road; the parking lot is across the road to the left.

Hole #10: 160/220 feet, par 3

Comments: a fairly flat and straight hole, this hole plays across a stream that was a dry rocky channel when I came here.  The channel also guards the basket on the left, so thoughtful and accurate throws are required on this heavily wooded hole.  To get to #11 tee, walk back to the bridge across the stream and head uphill on the purple-blazed Wildcat Hollow Hiking Trail a few hundred feet.  The tee is on the left side of the trail.

Hole #11: 160/250 feet, par 3

Comments: this dogleg right plays uphill, but the terrain is not nearly as steep as some of the holes on the front nine.  The fairway is surprisingly wide for a heavily wooded hole, and the area around the basket is quite open.  #12 tee is to the left.

Hole #12: 230/420/540 feet, par 5

Comments: this tee location gives you the top-of-the-world feeling much like the tee shot on hole #7, but that is where the similarities between holes #12 and #7 end.  Whereas hole #7 is the shortest hole on this course, this hole is the longest.  It is also a par 5, although I would prefer it as a par 4.  This hole is a sweeping dogleg right around the hollow's steep side on the right.  I thought about flying my disc over the end of the steep ridge to cut the dogleg, but I decided that shot was too risky: the large number of trees force accurate throws.  Though the terrain is not as steep, this hole is just as memorable as any on the front nine.  #13 tee is to the left and behind the basket.

Hole #13: 200/221 feet, par 3

Comments: a slight dogleg right and slightly uphill, the basket is located at the base of a steep hillside to the right.  The tight fairway requires an accurate throw.  #14 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #14: 191/240 feet, par 3

Comments: the good use of the hollow's steep side continues: this downhill hole doglegs right around the end of a ridge.  The basket is actually located behind the ridge as you view it from the tee; it is at the very base of the hillside.  As with hole #12, you could possibly fly your disc over the ridge to cut the dogleg, but that throw is risky due to the large number of trees.  This is another very memorable hole.  #15 tee is to the left and behind the basket.

Hole #15: 210 feet, par 3

Comments: the inverse of hole #10 in the sense that it plays back across the rocky channel with the channel guarding the basket on the right.  Also, several large trees grow less than 50 feet in front of the basket.  #16 tee is to the left.

Hole #16: 219 feet, par 4

Comments: after 6 holes surrounded by dense woods, you can see daylight from the park's open areas behind the basket while standing on the tee, but more dense woods will need to be negotiated with your tee shot to get to the daylight.  Despite the very tight line, to me it seems obvious this hole should be a par 3.  #17 tee is to the left.

Hole #17: 174 feet, par 3

Comments: although the line of play through the smattering of trees is tight, this is a flat and straightforward hole.  This is actually one of the more boring holes on this course.  #18 tee is behind the basket and across the park road.

Hole #18: 200 feet, par 3

Comments: the most open hole on this course.  A stream/rocky channel crosses directly in front of the tee and continues up the right side of the hole, guarding the right side of the basket.  This is a fairly tame ending to what can be a wild and wooly course.