Walnut Ridge Disc Golf Course — Local services in Polk City

If I was just rating the course itself, it'd be a 5/5, but I also have to rate the signage and layout, which is all over the place. I had downloaded a course map PDF to my phone beforehand and still occasionally had trouble finding the hole/teebox. The layout is fairly disjointed as well. You'll start with a little warmup loop from 1-4, then cross the road for 5-7. From here, you have a little walk to the 8 box, which takes you into the forest for awhile. You finally emerge for a wide open hole 13, then back into the forest for 14 and 15. After 15 you have a walk back towards and past the 7 hole/8 tee to 16, which takes you along the forest before plunging you back in for 18.

The scenery is gorgeous. The holes are challenging. The signage for those without a map is lacking. There are two tee boxes for most holes, and the signs suggest two possibilities for hole placement, but it didn't look like they moved the baskets regularly. I think golfers would appreciate an arrow to the next tee box.

I also suggest there be more trash cans. I was pretty disappointed in the lack of places to throw away garbage, and could see quite a few cans and other detritus along the course.

All that aside: this was the most beautiful, challenging course I've ever played. Highly...

This may be the best disc golf course in the Des Moines Metro area (can I include it there). I most highly value not losing a disc so I can't give this 4 stars. For those who aren't cheap like me, it might be a 5 star. The tee pads are great. The pins are great. The signage is good. They have differnt pin locations. It combines wooded and open. It's not too short. There aren't many spots where you're likely to have to wait for people just enjoying the park. It's beautiful (that's very low on my rating but it is one of the prettier Iowa courses). I think there is decent score separation. If I lived close by, I'd come often. If I lived 30 minutes away, I'd still come pretty often. If you haven't played it, you really need to...

This is a fun course with multiple tee and basket locations. It winds in and out of a forest and provides a great view of Saylorville Lake. The difficulty varies widely from hole to hole and some tee locations can be a little tricky to find (e.g. The teebox for #5 is tucked into the patch of woods near the teebox for #1). If you're playing in the summer the bugs may be thick, so I would recommend packing repellent. There are plenty of opportunities to lose discs into hazards like tall grass, forested areas, and the bluffs along the lake, so play with caution if you tend to throw inconsistently. There are plenty of campgrounds and recreation areas near this course, so it could be a fun activity to incorporate into a camping trip...