Basic Information
Course Location: Hitzman-Optimist Park
Geographic Location: east side of Pensacola, FL (30.48732, -87.18124)
Date Visited: February 2023
Number of Holes: 9
Course Length: 2445 feet, par 27
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, medium
Difficulty Level: recreational, medium
Carts: should be fine here
Potential to Lose Discs: low
Park Information: https://www.cityofpensacola.com/facilities/facility/details/HitzmanOptimist-Park-52
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=5136
UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/hitzman-optimist-3BI8
Course Walkabout Video:
Driving Directions: On the east side of Pensacola, take I-10 to US 90 (exit 17). Exit and go south on US 90. Drive US 90 south 2.2 miles to Langley Ave. and turn right on Langley Ave. Drive Langley Ave. west 1.3 miles to the park entrance on the left. Park in the only parking lot; #1 tee is between the parking lot and Langley Ave.
Course Constructions:
Tees: concrete, 1 per hole
Baskets: Discatcher, 1 per hole
Signage: course map at parking lot; hole sign on each tee; sign to next tee at each basket
Amenities: playground, picnic tables, some benches
Summary Review: 2.5 Stars (out of 5)
When I first drove into the parking lot at Hitzman-Optimist Park, I thought I had to be in the wrong place: there is no way a tiny neighborhood park such as this one could offer a decent disc golf course. Yet a 9 hole course does exist here, and it is a surprisingly pleasant one given the constraints of the park. The course has 9 distinct tee pads and 9 distinct baskets, and it forces you to curve your disc both directions, right and left. There is no effort to create additional holes by duplication or any other strategy; neither are there sub-standard "filler" holes. The terrain is completely flat, but it offers a nice parkland setting with a smattering of tall pine trees throughout the area. The trees seem to grow in a row and column configuration suggesting this may be an old pine planting, though the rows and columns are not obvious at first. The course routing is easy to follow, and despite the park's small size it mostly avoids the playground and picnic areas of the park. I saw no maintenance issues when I played here. The course and park are heavily used: there were 3 other groups on the course when I played here on a seasonally warm Tuesday afternoon in addition to a large number of people near the playground. None of the holes are particularly memorable, and in fact all of the holes are very similar in distance and lack of elevation. Therefore, this course will not rank high with most players, myself included. With that understanding, the course designers did a fantastic job with what they had to work with here. If you want a lesson in design optimization for small areas in addition to a pleasant if unremarkable half-round, you can find far worse options than this course.
Hole-by-Hole Review
Distances taken from hole signs. Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.
Hole #1: 270 feet, par 3
Comments: there are no obstacles directly between the tee and basket, but the tall trees on either side of the fairway make for a very tight line. Those trees also form a low ceiling, which forces you to keep your disc low. There is a concrete sidewalk about 100 feet in front of the tee, so check for pedestrians before you throw. #2 tee is to the left.
Hole #2: 215 feet, par 3
Comments: though tied for the shortest hole on this course, a veritable thicket of tall trees between the tee and basket force you to curve your disc in from the right or left. The two sides offer lines of about the same width, so the choice is yours. The area around the basket is fairly open, and a good first throw will lead to a birdie opportunity. #3 tee is to the left.
Hole #3: 260 feet, par 3
Comments: similar in spirit to the previous hole, but now a fence tight on the left guarding private property encourages (forces?) you to come in from the right. The area over this fence is out-of-bounds (OB), but there is plenty of room to the right provided you miss the trees. #4 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #4: 275 feet, par 3
Comments: the slight dogleg left encourages a right-to-left disc flight, and a large live oak just in front of the tree forces you to keep your disc low. Also, mind the picnic table and playground area to the left of the basket. #5 tee is to the left and back toward the tee, beside the bench.
Hole #5: 330 feet, par 3
Comments: very similar to the previous hole but longer. Also, here a left-to-right disc flight could work too. #6 tee is to the right.
Hole #6: 310 feet, par 3
Comments: similar to the previous hole, but now a left-to-right disc flight seems preferable as it gives a slightly wider line to work with. #7 tee is behind the basket near the southeast corner of the park.
Hole #7: 270 feet, par 3
Comments: this hole plays due west between two of the rows of trees, so it has one of the best-defined fairways on this course. No obstacles stand directly between the tee and basket, and this hole would be much more interesting if the basket were moved about 10 feet to the left to the other side of a large live oak tree. The walking track and athletic field behind the basket are OB. #8 tee is to the right.
Hole #8: 215 feet, par 3
Comments: a couple of large trees stand right in front of the tee, but a good throw through the tight gap between them will set up a birdie opportunity: the rest of the hole is pretty open. This might be the easiest hole on this course. #9 tee is 150 feet away to the left.
Hole #9: 300 feet, par 3
Comments: dead straight with no obstacles directly between the tee and basket except for the overhanging branches of some live oaks. This hole is a nondescript finish to a nondescript course. The parking lot is behind the basket on the left past the playground.
