Nesbitt Park Disc Golf Course in Wilkes-Barre, PA

Basic Information

Course Location: Nesbitt Park

Geographic Location: west side of the Susquehanna River in Wilkes-Barre, PA (41.25344, -75.88280)

Date Visited: September 2023

Number of Holes: 9

Course Length: 2609 feet, par 27

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, low

Carts: should be fine here

Potential to Lose Discs: very low

Park Information: https://downtownwilkesbarre.org/go/nesbitt-park

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/nesbitt-park.9086

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/nesbitt-park-wyeQ

Course Walkabout Video: (coming July 12)

Driving Directions: From downtown Wilkes-Barre, cross the N Street Bridge to the west side of the Susquehanna River, then turn right onto 1st Avenue at the first intersection.  1 block later, turn right to enter Nesbitt Park.  Cross the levee and park at the main parking lot at the end of the main park road.  #1 tee is beside the parking lot near the entrance road.

Course Constructions:

Tees: concrete pavers, 1 per hole

Baskets: Mach V, 1 per hole

Signage: (none)

Amenities: picnic tables, bike trail

Summary Review: 1.5 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Nesbitt Park occupies a nearly flat sparsely treed plot of land inside the Susquehanna River levee between 2 Susquehanna River bridges.  There are some beautiful old sycamore trees here, and the bridges add some interesting architectural scenery to this course.  Unfortunately, the previous sentence might contain the two best things about this course.  While some holes have decent length, most holes are completely open with no obstacles between the tee and basket.  Thus, skilled and experienced disc golfers will find nothing of interest on the disc golf front here.  The grass had been mowed recently when I came here.  This course sits inside the Susquehanna River levee, so mud and flooding can be a problem here with enough rain.  Perhaps surprisingly, this course is rather popular: there were 2 other groups playing the course when I came here on a beautiful Saturday afternoon.  The fact that this is the only course in Wilkes-Barre might have something to do with its popularity.  In summary, this course is worth playing once for the riverside scenery/location and maybe more often for a quick and casual half-round, but it offers no holes you will remember for the disc throwing and thus almost surely won't make your list of favorite courses.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from dgcoursereview.com; link provided above.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 187 feet, par 3

Comments: a couple of large trees guard the right side, but there is plenty of room to the left.  A left-to-right disc flight with controlled height should set up a birdie opportunity.  #2 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #2: 311 feet, par 3

Comments: while there are a few trees to the left or right, there are none directly between the tee and basket.  Thus, a straight throw below the tree canopy will get the job done.  #3 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #3: 249 feet, par 3

Comments: very similar to hole #2 but with a tree on either side of the basket.  #4 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #4: 236 feet, par 3

Comments: a cluster of large trees stands between the tee and basket, but there is plenty of room to go around either side.  This is the only hole that forces you to pick a line and execute a throw.  #5 tee is to the right.

Hole #5: 324 feet, par 3

Comments: a completely open and completely boring hole.  The Susquehanna River bridge behind the basket is the less attractive of the two river bridges on this course.  Watch for pedestrians and cars on the park entrance road to the right.  #6 tee is to the left and back toward the tee, at the base of the levee.

Hole #6: 357 feet, par 3

Comments: now the course turns to play the opposite direction for the last 4 holes, which could matter on a windy day.  The levee is close to the right, and it could affect your throw or stance if you miss while trying to stay right of a medium-sized tree.  #7 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #7: 239 feet, par 3

Comments: some large trees guard the right side, but there is quite a bit of room to the left.  The tree limbs overhead also present an obstacle.  #8 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #8: 393 feet, par 3

Comments: you need to avoid one large tree in front and to the right of the tee, but beyond that this hole is completely open.  #9 tee is behind the basket on the other side of the parking lot.

Hole #9: 282 feet, par 3

Comments:  There are no obstacles between the tee and basket, but the aesthetically pleasing bridge behind the basket makes this hole my favorite hole on the course.  The parking lot is to the left.

Randolph Park Disc Golf Course in Dublin, VA

Basic Information

Course Location: Randolph Park

Geographic Location: south side of Dublin, VA (37.09050, -80.69914)

Date Visited: September 2023

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 6143 feet, par 61

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: intermediate

Carts: usable, but beware of fallen limbs in the densely wooded areas

Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to dense woods

Park Information: http://randolphpark.org/

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/randolph-park-dgc.2934

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/randolph-park-lL6f

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: 

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9:

Driving Directions: In central Virginia, take I-81 to SR 100 (exit 98).  Exit and go north on SR 100.  Drive SR 100 north 0.5 miles to Alexander Road and turn left on Alexander Rd.  Drive Alexander Rd. west 0.6 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, then bear left to begin heading around the park's loop road clockwise.  Park in the paved parking lot at the north end of the loop; #1 tee is up the gravel road and to the left (west) of the small pond near the practice basket.

Course Constructions:

Tees: 2 or 3 per hole; middle/white tee is concrete, the rest are dirt

Baskets: 2 on most holes, a yellow basket and a white basket

Signage: hole sign on each tee; some signs pointing to next tee

Amenities: practice basket, restrooms, benches on some holes, athletic fields, picnic shelters

Summary Review: 4 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Randolph Park encircles all of the park's other amenities.  The first 9 and last 2 holes are densely wooded, but holes #11 through #16 are mostly open.  Thus, this course has a nice variety of holes, both wooded/open and long/short.  The terrain has only mild undulations, and some of the heavily wooded holes feel repetitive and mundane.  Even though the course route forms a loop, there are a few long walks from basket to next tee, and there were a couple of times I needed the course map from the park's website to find the next tee.  This course and park are fairly popular: there were 2 other groups playing the course when I came here on a hot and humid Thursday afternoon with thunderstorms threatening.  Some walking trails wind through the wooded part of the course, so you have to check for other park users before you throw on several holes.  The grass was nicely mowed and the fairways were clean when I came here, but 2 yellow baskets and a hole sign were missing.  Most holes have 2 baskets.  In general the yellow basket is where I would expect the basket to be for that hole while the white basket is in a more "clever" location, sometimes more interesting and sometimes contrived.  Some people think this is the best course in the New River valley.  While it has its flaws, this course keeps you interested more often than not, and it is worth playing here if you find yourself driving along I-81 in southwest Virginia.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

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

Hole #1: 264 feet, par 3

Comments: a tight, heavily wooded, slightly downhill hole.  The white basket is in a very tight cluster of trees, while the yellow basket is in a slightly more open area.  Be sure to warm up a little before you start: you will need an accurate throw with some distance to have a chance at birdie here.  #2 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #2: 265 feet, par 3

Comments: another tight, straight, heavily wooded hole, this hole plays over a small rise.  A dirt/gravel walking trail crosses right in front of the tee, so check for pedestrians and runners before you throw.  #3 tee is to the right.

Hole #3: 246 feet, par 3

Comments: the tee sign shows 2 possible routes of play, but both fairways are tight dogleg lefts that play across a small swale.  Thus, there seems to be no advantage to taking the longer route.  A large area of poison ivy grows behind the basket, so take care if you miss long.  #4 tee is to the right.

Hole #4: 183 feet, par 3

Comments: this is the shortest hole on this course, and it may also be the tightest hole on this course.  This hole plays slightly uphill to boot.  There is a high probably you will hit at least 1 tree, so throw the disc and hope you get a lucky ricochet.  #5 tee is to the left and back toward #4 tee.

Hole #5: 250 feet, par 4

Comments: the scorecard says this hole is a par 3, but the tee sign says it is a par 4.  Regardless of the par, it is another very tight hole that plays slightly uphill and as a slight dogleg left.  Given the tightness, I prefer this hole as a short par 4.  #6 tee is a few hundred feet away.  Walk downhill to the left to the two-track dirt road, then turn right and look for the bench on the left.

Hole #6: 448 feet, par 4

Comments: a long sweeping dogleg right, and yes there is a mandatory (mando) on the inside of the dogleg about 50 feet in front of the tee.  Given the heavily wooded setting of this hole, the mando takes a risk/reward calculation out of play.  Thus, I don't like this mando, although you could argue it protects other park users on the two-track dirt road you crossed en route to this tee.  This hole is not as tight as previous holes, and its length adds some nice variety to what so far has been a collection of somewhat repetitive hope-you-don't-hit-a-tree short holes.  #7 tee is to the right near the dirt road.

Hole #7: 335 feet, par 3

Comments: the basket is directly behind the cluster of trees that stands directly in front of the tee, so 2 distinct fairways present themselves.  Both fairways will force you to contend with more trees near the basket, but the right fairway fit my eye better.  With such a choice, you need to mind pedestrians on the trail to the right.  This is the hardest hole relative to par on the front 9, and it is my favorite among the 11 heavily wooded holes on this course.  #8 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #8: 272 feet, par 3

Comments: another very tight hole, this one has a gap about 6 feet wide 30 feet in front of the tee that you need to throw through.  While I don't like cutting down trees, moving the tee to the left would give the player more room to maneuver a disc and more options.  The basket is on the side of a dirt mound, which makes putting more interesting.  A barbed wire fence to the left reminds you of this land's agricultural past.  #9 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #9: 216 feet, par 3

Comments: tight, heavily wooded, and slightly uphill.  This hole is very similar to several others you have played previously.  #10 tee is in the clearing to the left; the parking lot is beyond the gazebo to the right.

Hole #10: 297 feet, par 3

Comments: now the character of the course completely changes.  The next 5 and kind of 6 holes play through an open mowed-grass area and form a circle around the park's ballfields.  This hole has no obstacles between the tee and basket, but you still need some accuracy: dense woods lie only feet to the left, and a smattering of smaller trees guard the right side.  On other courses I would say this hole is boring, but it is a refreshing change from the tight wooded holes you have played so far.  #11 tee is several hundred feet away, and I needed the course map to find it.  Walk right to the park loop road, angle left to start walking clockwise around the loop road, then angle left again to leave the loop road and go sharply downhill on a gravel road/trail.  #11 tee is to the left near the bottom of the hill.

Hole #11: 246 feet, par 3

Comments: a dogleg right that curves around the rim of a stormwater collection basin on the right.  Thus, you have to decide how much you want to challenge the basin.  The basin was completely dry on my visit, but I still had to contend with the basin's steep bank just 20 feet in front of the basket.  There is plenty of room to miss long and left.  While not the hardest hole, this might be the most strategic hole on this course, especially if there is water in the basin or you play the basin as out-of-bounds (OB), which I think you should.  #12 tee is to the right.

Hole #12: 385 feet, par 4

Comments: this hole requires a forced carry over the stormwater basin's spillway, and some small trees make for a narrow window at the spillway (unless you fly your disc over them).  The rest of the hole is very open but moderately uphill.  #13 tee is several hundred feet behind the basket: go past the maintenance area and to the left of the soccer field.  #13 tee is near the far left (southeast) corner of the soccer field.

Hole #13: 899 feet, par 5

Comments: a sharp dogleg left, dense woods and the park boundary guard the inside of the dogleg.  Another stormwater basin sits to the right, and this hole plays across a deep swale.  Thus, the approach shot is moderately uphill.  A smattering of large trees guards the basket.  This is the most memorable hole on this course, and not just because it is nearly 900 feet long.  #14 tee is a couple hundred feet across the mowed grass area to the right.

Hole #14: 445 feet, par 4

Comments: another long, very open hole, this one plays on the opposite side of the stormwater basin from #13.  A smattering of medium-sized pine trees guard the approach to the basket, which is located on a stone and gravel constructed pedestal to make putting more interesting.  #15 tee is behind the basket and across the park entrance road.

Hole #15: 280 feet, par 3

Comments: much more "normal" than its immediate successor or predecessor, this hole plays down a broad ditch.  A strange wooden portal guards the basket.  The portal seems contrived to me, but the row of pine trees close to the left is not.  #16 tee is behind the pool house near the large parking lot; it was destroyed due to construction on my visit.

Hole #16: 560 feet, par 4

Comments: the last of the long holes, this hole plays across a third stormwater basin and back into the woods.  You want to aim for the gap in the trees beyond the left side of the basin, although it may take you 2 throws to clear the basin: it is almost 300 feet from the tee to the other side of the basin.  One or 2 more low and accurate throws to avoid the trees and tree canopy will get you to the basket, which is actually in a fairly open area.  This is the hardest hole on this course.  #17 tee is across the walking path to the right of the basket.

Hole #17: 268 feet, par 3

Comments: after all of the exciting holes you just played, the last 2 holes are pretty boring.  Now back in the dense woods to stay, this fairway is wider than some you saw on the front nine.  This hole is a slight dogleg left, but a well-executed right-to-left tee shot will set up a birdie opportunity.  Note: the yellow basket was missing on this hole when I came here.  #18 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #18: 284 feet, par 3

Comments: the final hole has another super tight fairway, but the basket is in a grassy area outside the woods.  Again, the yellow basket was missing, so I played to the white basket, which has a nice location on the side of a mound.  The parking lot is down the gravel road behind the basket.