Basic Information
Course Location: Ardmore Regional Park
Geographic Location: north side of Ardmore, OK (34.21286, -97.15905)
Date Visited: February 2024
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 6658/5055 feet, par 56/53
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Carts: usable but expect a couple of steep and rough areas
Potential to Lose Discs: low
Park Information: https://www.ardmorecity.org/332/Ardmore-Regional-Park
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/regional-dgc.9122
UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/regional-dgc-hguY
Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming October 18)
Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming October 25)
Driving Directions: On the north side of Ardmore, take I-35 to SR 142 (exit 33). Exit and go east on SR 142. Drive SR 142 east 1 block to Rockford Road and turn left on Rockford Rd. Drive Rockford Rd. north 2 blocks to the stop sign at the park entrance and turn left to enter the park. Follow signs for the disc golf course, which means driving around the softball fields and then turning right. Park at the parking lot at the end of this park road; #1 tee is near the course map to the north of the parking lot.
Course Constructions:
Tees: 2 on most holes, blue concrete long tee and red dirt short tee
Baskets: Prodigy, 1 per hole but some holes have multiple possible basket locations; like new on my visit
Signage: course map near parking lot; hole sign on each blue tee
Amenities: some benches, practice basket, ballfields
Summary Review: 4 Stars (out of 5)
The disc golf course at Ardmore Regional Park was redesigned a few years ago, and that excellent redesign still seems to be a work in progress. The course features a nice mix of wooded and open holes as well as long and short holes. The course route forms a true loop around a wide peninsula in City Lake, so there is some scenic value here as well. The wide peninsula has an open prairie area at its middle surrounded by heavily wooded areas, and the course goes back and forth between the two areas. There are a couple of longer walks from basket to next tee, so you might want to take a picture of the course map near the parking lot to help ensure smooth navigation. With that suggestion, it was also the case that a couple of holes differed from the course map when I came here, in particular holes #4 and #14. Thus, course navigation can be an issue while the redesign is ongoing. Walking/jogging trails wind throughout the course, and I saw several people using those trails when I came here. Thus, there are safety hazards. Some of the pars seem too low to me especially if the wind is up, which it frequently is in Oklahoma. The prairie was nicely mowed and the woods clear of underbrush when I came here, but there were a few missing tee signs. Overall, this is one of the best courses in southern Oklahoma. Although it may not stand out as superlative in any way, at only 2 miles off of I-35, it is well worth stopping here to play a round if you are driving between Dallas/Fort Worth and Oklahoma City.
Hole-by-Hole Review
Distances taken from hole signs. Picture sequence for each hole is 1) blue tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.
Hole #1: 270/150 feet, par 3
Comments: The course starts with 2 short and heavily wooded holes. This hole is a dogleg left with a mandatory (mando) inside the dogleg. Normally I don't like mandos, but this one protects a jogging/hiking trail to the left. (Aside: as it turns out, that jogging trail comes into play on nearly every hole.) The fairway is reasonably wide for a heavily wooded hole, so a good right-to-left throw will set-up a birdie opportunity. #2 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #2: 126 feet, par 3
Comments: The shortest hole on this course is also one of the tightest, and it will take an accurate throw with a slight left-to-right disc flight to get close to the basket. A medium sized tree directly in front of the basket complicates matters further. #3 tee is several hundred feet away; walk behind the basket to the open prairie area and angle left.
Hole #3: 435/315 feet, par 3
Comments: Now we break out into the open prairie area. This slightly downhill hole plays across a large, sunny, grassy prairie area, but the basket is located in the middle of a small dense grove of cedar trees. Thus, you need to pick your angle of attack carefully and possibly get a little lucky. #4 tee is behind the basket; hole #4 has been redesigned compared to the course map as of my visit.
Hole #4: 464 feet, par 3
Comments: a long lightly wooded hole that plays across a couple of small shallow ravines. This is the first of 2 truly new holes (the other being hole #14) in the sense that they differ from what is shown on the course map near the parking area. Given the trees, this hole seems too long for a par 3, and I am thinking they might intend to make it into a par 4. This hole would be a very nice short par 4. #5 tee is behind the basket and to the right.
Hole #5: 424/295 feet, par 3
Comments: back out in the prairie, this hole is gradually downhill and completely open, and it is the most boring hole so far. The basket's pole is twice as long as usual, which at least makes putting more interesting. #6 tee is to the left.
Hole #6: 380 feet, par 3
Comments: playing gradually back uphill, this hole is completely open except for a dense cluster of trees guarding the front and right sides of the basket. There is plenty of room to the left, so make sure your miss is left. #7 tee is several hundred feet away; walk to the left and follow the left edge of the prairie area.
Hole #7: 411/200 feet, par 3
Comments: this would be a straight, open, and boring hole except that the basket is located atop an 8-foot rock outcrop. This is a great use of the rocks and the small trees in front of them. #8 tee is through the woods to the right, near the lake shore.
Hole #8: 300 feet, par 3
Comments: a gradually uphill hole, there is a narrow gap in the trees with a fairly low ceiling about 75 feet in front of the tee. If you can get through that gap, this hole opens up and becomes a birdie hole. #9 tee is to the left.
Hole #9: 303 feet, par 3
Comments: a slight dogleg left with dense woods on the inside of the dogleg but plenty of room out to the right. The lake behind the basket is in play if you overshoot with your approach throw. #10 tee is to the right.
Hole #10: 475/155 feet, par 4/2
Comments: a moderately uphill hole, this is a strange hole in that the short tee is less than half the length of the long tee. The hole is completely open from either tee. #11 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #11: 430 feet, par 3
Comments: This downhill hole starts in the open prairie area, but the basket is about 50 feet into the dense trees. Also, the lake to the left and beyond the basket is definitely in play, especially if you get a bad ricochet off of a tree. With all of the trees near the basket and the lake nearby, maybe this hole should be a par 4. #12 tee is to the right.
Hole #12: 498/291 feet, par 4/3
Comments: similar to the previous hole except that this hole is a dogleg left and the lake is not as great of a threat. This would be a nice hole but for the repetition. #13 tee is to the left near the lake; note that the current 13th hole is shown as the 14th hole on the course map near the parking area.
Hole #13: 189 feet, par 3
Comments: the steepest uphill hole on this course is also one of the shortest and tightest. If you are lucky enough to get past the trio of trees about 80 feet in front of the tee, then birdie becomes a possibility. This hole is a nice change from the long open holes that precede and succeed it. #14 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #14: 555/318 feet, par 3
Comments: at 555 feet and uphill to boot, this is one of the longest par 3's I have ever played. It is completely open, so there's that. #15 tee is to the left near the edge of the prairie area.
Hole #15: 364 feet, par 3
Comments: another completely open hole except that the basket is in a small cluster of trees in the middle of the prairie area. A bigger arm than I could try to get as far as possible with the tee shot and hope you have a clear/treeless line for your birdie putt. #16 tee is to the left.
Hole #16: 596/340 feet, par 3
Comments: another hole similar to hole #11 or hole #12 but without the lake and a wider path of approach to the basket. At nearly 600 feet, surely this hole should be a par 4. #17 tee is in the woods behind the basket.
Hole #17: 261 feet, par 3
Comments: The course closes with 2 shorter heavily wooded holes. Neither of the closing holes are super exciting, but they contrast nicely with all of the long open holes that precede them. This hole is a slight dogleg right with a well-defined fairway. It is a tight hole, but there is enough room to maneuver a well-thrown disc. #18 tee is to the right.
Hole #18: 177 feet, par 3
Comments: This hole is tighter than the previous hole but also shorter. It's an unremarkable end to a solid course that maybe doesn't stand out in any way. The parking lot is behind the basket and to the left.
