Cherokee Landing State Park Disc Golf Course near Tahlequah, OK

Basic Information

Course Location: Cherokee Landing State Park

Geographic Location: south of Tahlequah, OK (35.75849, -94.90891)

Date Visited: April 2023

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 4742 feet, par 54

Cost to Play: $10 park entrance fee
Difficulty Level: recreational, medium

Carts: should be fine here

Potential to Lose Discs: low

Park Information: https://www.travelok.com/state-parks/cherokee-landing-state-park

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=6993

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/cherokee-landing-disc-golf-7e7m

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: 

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: 

Driving Directions: From Tahlequah, take US 62 west 4.5 miles to SR 82 and turn left on SR 82.  Drive SR 82 south 9 miles to the entrance for Cherokee Landing State Park on the right.  Turn right to enter the park and park near the park office and maintenance building.  The course map and #1 tee are in the mowed grass area south of the maintenance building.

Course Constructions:

Tees: dirt/grass, 1 per hole

Baskets: Re-Tire Model A, some leaning or warped on my visit

Signage: course map near parking lot; hole sign at each tee

Amenities: picnic area, campground, other amenities elsewhere in the park

Summary Review: 1.5 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Cherokee Landing State Park occupies a scenic peninsula that juts out into the northern part of Tenkiller Lake.  The grass looked like it had been mowed yesterday, and the tee signs looked like they had been installed recently.  The course route more or less forms a loop.  Unfortunately, those are the only good things I can say about this course.  Most holes are short and nearly flat with minimal obstacles.  They could at least make some rough by letting the perimeter grass grow up, but the entire area was mowed short on my visit.  The baskets are made of recycled tires that rejected my disc on a couple of occasions, and some of them were in poor condition.  Proper and newer disc golf baskets need to be installed.  The dirt/grass tees create traction and mud problems if the course is wet.  The campground, picnic areas, and park roads will come into play on several holes, so you have to watch for cars and pedestrians.  This is a nice course if you just want to throw the disc around for fun, but it has little to offer skilled disc golfers.  Of the three Oklahoma state park disc golf courses in this area (Lake Eufaula, Tenkiller, and Cherokee Landing), this one is my least favorite.

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: 231 feet, par 3

Comments: a slightly downhill, almost completely open hole with the basket under a small tree.  A picnic table and bench stand about 30 feet behind the basket, so you need to check for pedestrians before you throw.  #2 tee is across the park road to the left.

Hole #2: 158 feet, par 3

Comments: the shortest hole on this course, it is another short open hole with the basket under a tree.  A birdie or even ace is possible here with a good throw.  #3 tee is to the right.

Hole #3: 227 feet, par 3

Comments: a slightly downhill, completely open hole except for 2 medium-sized trees to the right of the basket.  #4 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #4: 358 feet, par 3

Comments: by far the longest hole on the front nine, this is another completely open hole with a single tree guarding the back right side of the basket. Give it a rip and go for a birdie!  #5 tee is about 500 feet to the left; follow the park road behind the basket to the left.

Hole #5: 280 feet, par 3

Comments: finally a hole with a few trees in play.  A cluster of 4 trees stands between the tee and basket, and a tree to the right just in front of the tee mostly blocks a right-to-left disc flight.  Thus, left-to-right is the way to go.  #6 tee is to the right.

Hole #6: 226 feet, par 3

Comments: another completely open slightly downhill hole.  At least the lake makes a scenic backdrop.  #7 tee is to the left.

Hole #7: 254 feet, par 3

Comments: a slightly uphill hole with a few trees to the right, but they will not come into play with a good throw.  #8 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #8: 198 feet, par 3

Comments: the only obstacle on this hole is a single tree to the right of the basket.  #9 tee is about 300 feet away behind the basket; cross 2 park roads and look to the right of the campground.

Hole #9: 188 feet, par 3

Comments: the tee shot plays between 2 trees, but the trees are so close to the tee that getting through the gap is almost automatic.  More problematic is the park road 20 feet right of the basket; check for cars before you throw.  #10 tee is to the left.

Hole #10: 220 feet, par 3

Comments: two trees stand side by side between the tee and basket, so you have a choice to make: left, right, or (with higher risk) between.  Par is still likely even if you hit a tree, so why not go for it?  This might be my favorite strategy hole on this course.  #11 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #11: 418 feet, par 3

Comments: the longest hole on this course, it is completely boring and open.  #12 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #12: 234 feet, par 3

Comments: playing through an odd smattering of trees, this is one of the more heavily wooded holes on the course.  There is still plenty of space between the trees, so pick a line and let it rip.  #13 tee is to the right.

Hole #13: 275 feet, par 3

Comments: a single tree stands directly between the tee and basket, and the park road to the right encourages a left-to-right disc flight.  This is a very straightforward hole, but it does require you to maneuver your disc.  #14 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #14: 225 feet, par 3

Comments: another completely wide open hole.  This hole plays in the opposite direction as the previous hole, which could matter if the wind is up.  #15 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.

Hole #15: 300 feet, par 3

Comments: similar to hole #10 but longer and with a tighter gap between the trees.  #16 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #16: 248 feet, par 3

Comments: yet another completely open hole with a single tree behind the basket.  #17 tee is to the left.

Hole #17: 312 feet, par 3

Comments: believe it or not, this is another mostly open hole with the basket under a single tree.  #18 tee is across the gravel road to the right.

Hole #18: 390 feet, par 3

Comments: the angle of the tee shot requires a left-to-right disc flight.  Dense woods with poison ivy stand to the right as does a gravel road, so don't overdo your hyzer.  With a good tee shot, this becomes a mostly open and straightforward hole, but the tee shot makes this hole one of the more interesting holes on the course.  The maintenance building and parking lot are a couple hundred feet up the gravel road to the right.