Buck Creek State Park Disc Golf Course in Springfield, OH

Basic Information

Course Location: Buck Creek State Park

Geographic Location: east side of Springfield, OH (39.95905, -83.71713)

Date Visited: October 2024

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 5409/5117 feet, par 58/57

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, high

Carts: usable, but expect some steep areas

Potential to Lose Discs: high due to lots of dense, brushy woods

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

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/buck-creek-state-park.2502

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/buck-creek-state-park-4aQS

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming September 19)

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming September 26) 

Driving Directions: In Springfield, take I-70 to SR 41 (exit 59).  Exit and go north on SR 41.  Drive SR 41 northwest for 1.6 miles to Bird Road and turn right on Bird Rd.  Bird Road deadends at the park entrance in 1.9 miles.  Drive the main park road 2.5 miles to the signed disc golf course access road on the left; turn left on the disc golf course access road.  Park in the signed parking lot on the right in another 0.4 miles.  #1 tee is in the woods near the rear-center (north) of the parking lot.

Course Constructions:

Tees: concrete, 1 on most holes but a few holes have 2

Baskets: Discatcher, 1 or 2 per hole, older but in decent shape on my visit

Signage: hole sign on each tee, but a few were missing or in poor shape; arrow pointing to next tee

Amenities: restrooms near the parking lot, practice basket, picnic tables, other amenities elsewhere in the park

Summary Review: 4 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Buck Creek State Park is an entertaining layout that could use a little sprucing up.  The course has many interesting holes.  Most of the front 9 consists of shorter holes that play through dense woods, while most of the back 9 consists of longer holes that play through more open areas.  This course has more elevation than you might expect for central Ohio, and the elevation is used to good effect.  This course's most memorable holes involve steeply downhill or uphill tee shots.  The course route more or less forms a true loop, and I never had trouble finding the next tee without a course map.  The course maintenance was questionable on my visit: the paint on some of the hole signs was wearing or chipping off, and the shrubs in the understory seemed to be crowding the lines of play.  This course would be better if some of the shrubs and small trees were trimmed or removed to open up and better-define the lines of play.  Another problem is that many holes have 2 baskets, but both baskets are yellow Discatcher baskets.  Thus, there is no easy way to designate which basket you want to throw to.  This course offers enough challenge to keep skilled and experienced players interested most of the time while still being playable for beginners and weaker players such as myself.  Thus, if you can tolerate a little roughness around the edges, most players will enjoy their round here, as did I.

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: 197 feet, par 3

Comments: many courses open with a warm-up hole, but not this one.  Hole #1 is one of the tightest holes on this course, and it plays steeply downhill into a ravine.  There are 2 baskets to choose from, each a yellow Discatcher bearing the number 1.  The basket on the right seemed more accessible to me even though it is further away; there is no obvious line of play through the trees and brush to the one on the left.  #2 tee is up the ravine to the right.

Hole #2: 198 feet, par 3

Comments: this hole plays gradually uphill along the bottom of the ravine.  A dense cluster of small trees stands directly between the tee and the basket, but there is a tight line available on either side of the cluster.  Thus, even though this hole is short, you need to choose a line and execute a throw to have a chance at birdie.  #3 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #3: 231 feet, par 3

Comments: this hole plays back up out of the ravine.  The obvious line of play is straight: there are no obstacles directly between the tee and basket.  Yet there is another option out to the right.  Both possible lines are pretty tight, so again you have to choose a line and execute a throw.  #4 tee is behind the basket and on the same side of the park road.

Hole #4: 397 feet, par 4

Comments: short for a par 4, this hole plays across the upper end of the ravine you have been in for the past 3 holes, but here the ravine is more of a gradual swale.  More problematic is the large number of small trees that dot the area in front of the basket.  It will take a very accurate or lucky throw to get close to the basket with the tee shot.  #5 tee is in the woods to the left.

Hole #5: 259 feet, par 3

Comments: now the course route heads back west toward the park's lake.  This fairly flat hole looks pretty open with the mowed-grass fairway, but there is a large number of small trees between the tee and the basket including a cluster front right of the tee.  Thus, you will need a left-to-right disc flight and maybe a lucky ricochet off of a tree to get close to the basket in 1 throw.  While I don't like cutting down trees, this hole would be better with fewer small trees.  #6 tee is to the left.

Hole #6: 191 feet, par 3

Comments: a gradual dogleg right that starts flat but then heads moderately downhill.  Dense underbrush sits on either side of the fairway to gobble up a stray disc, so be accurate!  #7 tee is uphill to the right.

Hole #7: 262 feet, par 3

Comments: similar in flavor to hole #5, but this hole plays more downhill.  Again, this hole would be better with less underbrush and fewer small trees.  #8 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #8: 187 feet, par 3

Comments: a gradual dogleg left through another dense forest of small trees, but this hole has a well-defined line of play.  Thus, an accurate right-to-left tee shot should set up a birdie opportunity.  #9 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #9: 245 feet, par 3

Comments: the last of the heavily wooded holes, this hole is a sweeping dogleg right.  The fairway starts tight and gets tighter: dense brush pinches the approach to a gap only about 5 feet wide.  Due to the dogleg, you won't be able to see your disc enter the brush if you miss the gap, so you will need some luck to even find such a disc, much less play it.  This is a tough short hole.  #10 tee is along the hiking trail to the left.

Hole #10: 228 feet, par 3

Comments: this dogleg left features the widest fairway we have seen so far, but dense woods line either side of the fairway.  The fairway initially coincides with a seldom-used hiking trail, but the dogleg takes it uphill off of the trail.  The park's lake sits through the dense woods to the right.  This is your closest approach to the lake, and not incorporating the lake more into the design seems like a missed opportunity to me.  #11 tee is to the left.

Hole #11: 202 feet, par 3

Comments: welcome to the (kind of) open area!  The next 4 holes play up and down a steep hillside.  This wide fairway plays steeply uphill, so it will take a big throw to get close to the basket with your tee shot.  Super dense woods sit tight to the right, but there is some room to the left.  As on some previous holes, good luck finding, much less playing, your disc if you miss right.  #12 tee is to the right along the edge of the clearing.

Hole #12: 389 feet, par 3

Comments: this long par 3 plays steeply downhill, so it isn't quite as long as the distance would indicate.  The fairway starts out fairly wide, but the area around the basket is very tight with some red cedar trees and dense shrubs.  This hole would be better if the basket area was opened up a little.  #13 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #13: 305 feet, par 3

Comments: you guessed it: back up the steep hill.  This hole is similar in spirit to hole #11 but longer.  Once again dense woods sit tight on the right, so be careful not to overcook a left-to-right disc flight if you are trying to get to the basket in a single throw.  #14 short tee is behind the basket; #14 long tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #14: 528/363 feet, par 4/3 (tee picture is from the short tee)

Comments: this hole plays steeply back downhill, but the hillside is so steep you will actually throw over the small trees at the bottom of the hill.  You want to aim just left of the small cluster of tall trees you see while standing atop the hill.  If you play the short tee, the downhill throw is the tee shot.  If you play the long tee, you have to make a decision as to whether you want to try to clear the grassy hillside on your first or second throw.  The fairway at the bottom of the hill is fairly wide, so there is some room for error.  This is the most memorable hole on this course.  #15 tee is to the left.

Hole #15: 331 feet, par 3

Comments: after this course's best hole comes perhaps its worst.  This mostly flat hole plays out of a chute of trees to a wide open mowed-grass fairway and basket area.  Throw it far and try for a birdie.  #16 tee is to the left.

Hole #16: 308 feet, par 3

Comments: similar to the previous hole, but the second half of this fairway heads steeply uphill.  Dense woods sit on 3 sides of the basket, so a modicum of accuracy is also needed even though there is a lot of room to work with.  #17 tee is up the hill behind the basket.

Hole #17: 477/420 feet, par 4

Comments: now back on top of the hill for good, the two yellow Discatcher baskets for this hole make the hole play very differently.  For the left basket, the hole is fairly straight with the steep hillside guarding the entire left side.  For the right basket, the hole is a sweeping dogleg right with dense woods inside the dogleg.  The right basket sits inside a cul de sac at the end of a park road, which does create a possible safety hazard.  The road is seldom-used, and I prefer the angles created with the right basket.  #18 tee is in the clearing to the left of the road's cul de sac.

Hole #18: 474/404 feet, par 4

Comments: long, straight, and completely open except for 1 small tree guarding the front right side of the basket.  This is a fairly uninspiring hole to end a fairly inspiring course.  The parking lot is behind the basket.