West Wetlands Park Disc Golf Course in Yuma, AZ

Basic Information

Course Location: West Wetlands Park

Geographic Location: west side of Yuma, AZ (32.72961, -114.63766)

Date Visited: February 2024

Number of Holes: 9

Course Length: 2425 feet, par 27

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, low

Carts: should be fine here

Beginner Friendly? yes

Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to nearby canal

Park Information: https://www.yumaaz.gov/Home/Components/FacilityDirectory/FacilityDirectory/72/236

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/west-wetlands-park.3602

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/west-wetlands-disc-golf-0taJ

Course Walkabout Video:

Driving Directions: From downtown Yuma, drive 1st Street west 12 blocks to 12th Avenue and turn right on 12th Ave.  12th Ave. dead-ends at West Wetlands Park.  Take the 2nd exit from the traffic circle at the park entrance and park in the large blacktop lot for the park's disc golf course and play area.  #1 tee is at the southwest corner of this parking lot.

Course Constructions:

Tees: 1 per hole; grass, marked by plastic markers buried in the ground

Baskets: Discatcher, 1 per hole

Signage: course map near #1 tee

Amenities: playground

Summary Review: 1.5 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at West Wetlands Park needs to be redesigned.  The course has 9 baskets in decent shape and plays across a nicely mowed grass area, but those are the only 2 good things I can say about this course.  The dirt/grass tees are marked only by plastic markers buried in the ground, and most of these markers are difficult to impossible to find.  Thus, you need to take a picture of the course map near #1 tee to have any chance of being able to play this course as designed.  Then again, the completely flat and very open ground on which this course exists lends itself to safari golf quite well.  There used to be a set of yellow posts that created contrived mandatories (mandos) and doglegs for added difficulty, but most of those posts are gone now.  A few trees and other possible obstacles exist on the property, but none of them are used to any effect.  A heavily used playground sits near hole #2, and I saw several people using this course as a dog park.  Thus, there are safety hazards on this course as well.  The course route does not form a loop: you have to walk across 3 different fairways to get to the parking lot after finishing hole #9.  This park has enough available land that a decent course could be built here, but what is here right now isn't it.  That said, this course is the only course within 100 miles of Yuma.  Hopefully local leaders will see the potential and make necessary improvements to give the Yuma disc golf community a course they can enjoy.

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: 250 feet, par 3

Comments: A completely open hole except for a pair of tiny trees directly between the tee and basket.  A slight right-to-left disc flight should easily get you around the trees and set up a birdie opportunity.  #2 tee is to the right.

Hole #2: 325 feet, par 3

Comments: A completely open hole with the play area a little too close for comfort on the right.  The course sign says this hole is a dogleg right, but the mandatory pole on the inside of the dogleg is missing.  #3 tee is to the left.

Hole #3: 150 feet, par 3

Comments: The shortest hole on this course, it plays the opposite direction as the previous hole.  This hole is completely open except for a few small trees around the basket, which is right beside a concrete seating area.  #4 tee is to the right.

Hole #4: 250 feet, par 3

Comments: Designed as a dogleg left, the mandatory pole is missing, but you can use the #9 basket as a mando: it is near where the mandatory pole used to be.  The paved bike path to the right of the basket is out-of-bounds (OB), but it is about 30 feet right of the basket.  #5 tee is back toward the tee and to the left, inside the dogleg of #4.

Hole #5: 450 feet, par 3

Comments: The longest hole on this course plays into the west corner of the disc golf area.  This hole has no obstacles between the tee and basket, but the 2 OBs, one left and one right, start to converge when you get close to the basket.  Thus, the area around the basket is somewhat constrained.  #6 tee is to the left and back up the fairway.

Hole #6: 250 feet, par 3

Comments: This hole plays out of the corner the previous hole played into; it is completely open with no obstacles between the tee and basket.  The canal about 30 feet to the right is OB, and a disc that sails over the fence into the canal will likely be lost.  #7 tee is to the right.

Hole #7: 200 feet, par 3

Comments: A completely open and completely boring hole.  The single medium sized trees on either side of this hole could be used as obstacles, but no.  #8 tee is to the right and back up the fairway.

Hole #8: 325 feet, par 3

Comments: A completely open hole except for a few small trees near the basket, i.e. the same as #3 but longer.  #9 tee is to the left.

Hole #9: 225 feet, par 3

Comments: another completely open hole to finish; what else did you expect?  The parking lot is to the right and across 3 different fairways.

Desert Sands Park Disc Golf Course in Palmdale, CA

Basic Information

Course Location: Desert Sands Park

Geographic Location: Palmdale, CA (34.59219, -118.12677)

Date Visited: February 2024

Number of Holes: 10

Course Length: 2287 feet, par 40/32

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, low

Carts: should be fine here

Beginner Friendly? somewhat, short but lots of safety hazards

Potential to Lose Discs: low unless you throw your disc over the park boundary fence

Park Information: https://www.cityofpalmdaleca.gov/816/Desert-Sands-Park

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/desert-sands-park-dgc.2795

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/desert-sands-park-lfcZ

Course Walkabout Video: 

Driving Directions: From the intersection of SR 14 and SR 138 in Palmdale, take SR 138 east 1 block to Division Street and turn left on Division St.  Take Division St. north 3 blocks to Avenue Q and turn right on Avenue Q.  Drive Avenue Q east 3 blocks to 3rd Street and turn left on 3rd Street.  Desert Sands Park is 2 blocks ahead on the left.  Park in the parking lot along 3rd St.; #1 tee is at the south end of the parking lot.

Course Constructions:

Tees: 1 per hole, concrete pavers

Baskets: Discatcher, 1 per hole, in good shape on my visit

Signage: hole sign on each tee

Amenities: ballfields, tennis courts, restrooms, a few benches, walking trails, playground

Summary Review: 2 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Desert Sands Park is the quintessential example of a course that has been threaded around the park's other facilities and amenities.  Several holes play very close to the park's boundary, and almost every hole plays near or over one of the park's other amenities.  Thus, you don't want to play here on a Saturday in the park on the Fourth of July, so to speak.  Also, the pars are clearly designed for beginner/recreational play, and even at that level many of them are too high.  That said, if you ignore the pars and manage to come here when nobody else is here, a passable half-round plus 1 can be had.  There are plenty of trees and other obstacles, and most holes will force you to skillfully maneuver your disc.  Only 1 hole measures over 300 feet in length, so accuracy is preferred over power.  I had no trouble following the course route.  The course constructions were adequate except for some graffiti and 1 missing sign.  This course is the only course in the Palmdale/Lancaster area, so it serves an otherwise unserved local disc golf community.  If you are in the area, it makes sense to come here for a quick half-round plus 1, but avoid this course when the park is crowded due to safety issues.

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: I mentioned this course is threaded around the park's other amenities, so let the threading begin!  The opening hole plays across 2 concrete walking paths with a row of pine trees close on the left and a concrete structure close on the right.  A couple of other trees create a low ceiling, so you will need a low accurate throw on this short hole.  #2 tee is to the left, right beside the park boundary.

Hole #2: 182 feet, par 4/3

Comments: another short tight hole that plays between two rows of pine trees.  The park boundary fence is close on the left, and basketball courts are close on the right.  #3 tee is behind the basket, around the tennis courts.

Hole #3: 228 feet, par 4/4

Comments: that tee photo is not a mistake: there is a small tree 10 feet in front of the tee.  Other than that ridiculous tree, this fairway is slightly wider than the previous holes but still has a low ceiling, and this hole has the fewest safety hazards yet.  #4 tee is to the right.

Hole #4: 232 feet, par 4/3

Comments: now the course route turns 90 degrees right to play north along the park's west boundary fence.  The basket is behind the row of trees on the right side of the fairway, so a left-to-right disc flight is needed to get close to the basket in 1 throw.  #5 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #5: 160 feet, par 3

Comments: another short tight hole similar to holes #1 and #2.  That concrete walking path is very close to the right of and behind the basket, so check for pedestrians before you throw.  #6 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #6: 273 feet, par 5/4

Comments: the longest and most open hole yet, but several trees will still need to be negotiated.  The basket is in a small patch of dirt between a concrete walking path and an utility building.  If you throw over the fence that surrounds the utility building, you might have a hard time getting your disc back.  #7 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #7: 210 feet, par 4/3

Comments: not only is there a concrete walking path on this hole, but a faintly visible brick "border" around the basket creates an island.  If your tee shot does not land within the island, you must go to the drop zone on the walking path and rethrow with a 1 stroke penalty.  This hole has 2 things I hate: a safety hazard and contrived difficulty.  A left-to-right disc flight best avoids the trees, and I would like this hole better without the island.  #8 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #8: 229 feet, par 4/3

Comments: a short and mostly open hole, this is easily the most boring hole on this course.  #9 tee is in front of the basket and to the right, about 100 feet from #8 tee.

Hole #9: 346 feet, par 5/3

Comments: the longest hole on this course, a large tree on the left and tennis courts on the right pinch the fairway, and of course there is a concrete walking path right beside the fairway.  The parking lot is just behind the basket, and you might want to end your round here once you read about the next (and final) hole.  #10 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #10: 230 feet, par 4/3

Comments: a single tree stands between the tee and basket, which sits on a pole that is twice as tall as usual.  While it is nice to get an extra hole out of some extra land, this is not a great finishing hole, and it leads away from the loop formed by the first 9 holes.  Of course, if you really don't like this hole, you can just not play it.  The parking lot is to the right and around the playground.