Course Reviews

Rated
by jrowe100 on Nov 25, 2021 at 10:56pm

I played this course 10 years ago and the "designers" have tweaked this place for the worse. Used to have alot of pole holes on flat ground.. but now 80% of them are on steep 45 degree hillsides, so your missed putt often rolls 100+ feet down the hill and into the brush. I'd say terrible execution on hole placement. Very technical course, which is fine, but don't punish the players with cruel pin placement. Not ever going back. Also... CAREFUL on that Buena Vista course close by. I saw 3 rough homeless guys on the first hole alone... had to high tail it back to my car. NOTE the gang grafitti? yikes !

Rated
by LeeBalkin on May 4, 2021 at 10:34pm

Expect more hiking as compared to other favorite courses. A lot of brush and tree clearance has been done in the last year or two. However if you’re unfamiliar, do have a current course map and look for the signs and tee boxes. Finding the first tee box can be a challenge for first timers, but this is not a beginners course. Played all 28 baskets (pin placements vary) and although none of the baskets are extremely far for an intermediate, the sheer steepness of the terrain require many difficult and technical shots. Really pays to have both a forehand and backhand approach.
However you can still hit a basket only to watch your disc pop out and roll 100 or more feet down a steep hillside, or throw to high and go sideways over roads into dense brush. You will want a spotter for many drives or be ready to spend time looking for discs. Nice views of LA and Dodger Stadium. Bring water.
Overall I still prefer Oak Grove in Pasadena and Veterans Memorial in Sylmar, however Chavez Ridge is certainly a challenge, and good to keep in the rotation.

Rated
by Drin23 on Jul 31, 2020 at 8:05pm

Update JULY 2020, This place should not be on the map,this is more of a word of mouth,legend says type course. You will have a hard time finding baskets and tee offs,hardly any good maps on tee offs,baskets are missing(3-5)-(13-18). Be prepared to HIKE your butt off,do not wear shorts! Always have a spotter on tee offs,if your disc is not watched all the way thru it's flight pattern,you will most likely not find it. This place has no long shots,so if your trying to big arm or just get some good rips off the tee,this is not the place. This course gets one chain link only because I can't give it zero. I've played nicer 9 holes in my 20 years of playing,I do not recommend this course to anyone.

Rated
by [email protected] on Sep 2, 2019 at 5:31pm

solid short course that really represents what I have seen of southern California disc golf. It was a little tough with a baby in my stroller trying to navigate the terrain but the use of the various trails made it possible. Navigation to the first hole is tough but being that I've played 120ish courses I have implemented a strategy to start at the hole closest to my car and work the course from there(hole 14). Overall my 5 year old and I enjoyed the course and will be returning to shoot rounds worthy to be talked about.

Rated
by tropicalculus on Feb 4, 2016 at 2:37am

Finding the first tee was difficult. Besides that and getting "Chavezed," the highlights are the funny/interesting/informative hole descriptions and the amazing view of Dodger Stadium and downtown L.A. from the last 2 holes.

Rated
by itachi24 on Mar 14, 2013 at 9:32pm

Good course. Very challenging. If you like a bit of a hike to go along with your disk golfing then this course is for you! Wear good shoes! And if you're a little off of your game be prepared to brave some pretty steep hills when your disc goes rolling down them. Plenty of tree hazards! I went during the summer and it can get pretty hot up there. Bring water! The biggest drawback for me was finding out where to start. Parking is just pulling off the side of the road and if I didn't have the GPS I never would have found it. That hole that over looks the stadium is pretty fantastic and worth carrying the camera all day!

Rated
by ronfromchicago on Feb 12, 2012 at 3:31pm

This is an exciting course and should not be missed if you are in the area. I was in LA from Chicago soon after New Years and it was awesome. The course lies on several ridges along the top of a hilly park near Chinatown. This certainly is not a course for the timid, as miscalculations in speed, power, or direction result in your disc rolling way down the side of the hill. If you are not on your A game your disc will go bye bye and this adds an additional layer of excitement to the course.

The course is somewhat difficult to navigate for the newly initiated trying to interpret the course map. I was lucky enough to have met two local Sherpas who were kind enough to let me tag along as I worked to improve my fledgling skills. Had a great time bros! (Hit me up with an email if you read this.)

There appeared to be plenty of people around who could help out if the map isn't enough. Park at the top of the hill where you see other cars. Wear shoes with good tread as you may be walking up and down hills.

Rated
by scottmodel on Jan 23, 2012 at 1:34pm

This is a nice course. Challenging narrow short holes all set on a hill. If you're not careful, your disc could end up rolling all the way down the hill.

Plus, it was completely empty on a beautiful Sunday morning. Can't beat that.

Here's some quick help if it is your first time. Follow the directions above and park your car on the hill near #6 (if you see baskets you'll know you're there) then follow the path down the hill. The first tee is below this street about half way down the hill. There's a box for course maps here but it was empty when I got there. Or you could park down by the bathrooms and walk across the park and up the hill to get there.

#6 is missing the basket, so skip this one. Don't forget to cross the road to get to #9. There are arrows spray-painted on the road to guide you to the tee.

Other than that, just look at the maps at each tee to figure out where the following tee is.

Rated
by Think Blue on Nov 5, 2010 at 2:40pm

Located behind the right field parking lot of Dodger Stadium, this is my personal favorite Disc Golf course. It may not lend itself to beginners, or those righties, who don't have a back hand... but it's perfect for lefties (and I’m not a lefty). Although a small course, the tight lines, plethora of trees and of course the steep terrain you play across, it just may leave you in tears (because of being ‘Chavezed’ = when your disc rolls down hill towards the park below… and don’t freak out when your disc does several S-turns, and goes for a ride). Many people say they get frustrated by the lay out, being ‘chavezed’ and of course the branch you didn’t notice before you threw, but if you take the time you will find that this place is a hidden gem (and don’t be afraid to ask for help at the course, almost every local I’ve met over the years is friendly, and usually willing to give you the courses layout, and in most cases, tag along for a round to feel out the course). The crew who take care of the course do a great job, as evidence by the addition of good level rubber tees, and they are always looking for new pin positions (but due to recent theft of a pin, the crew has taken to making alternate tee pads instead… unfortunately the are natural, but in even more challenging positions). If you are looking to improve your game, this is a great course. I attribute all my improvements (and forehand) to this course… so give it a try, and just laugh it off, because you will get chavezed, and be humbled.

Rated
by user3 on Aug 23, 2010 at 6:57pm

Years of hard work by local non-profit Discsports In Southern California went into getting LA's 1st course in the ground. It is short, but the treacherous hillsides dictate that your shot lines be very precise. Nab a copy of the course map if it is your first time, but if you get to the 1st tee (the map locations and directions are good here for Chavez) and pay attention to the tee signs you should be able to transition through the course (over and across the ridge road to find 9's tee is the only tough transition). Great views of Dodger Stadium and the LA Skyline. Short but superbly constructed rubber tees. Enjoy!

Rated
by Bancroft on May 29, 2010 at 12:37pm

Hills, trees, good tee signs and tees. Shortish course (makes the shortish tees ok). Flowing on both sides of the Ridge up there. Premium on approaches that do not roll away. Nice design job given obvious constraints of topography and area.

This is a 3.5 course (there are some that should be rated 1 out there, but not this one - play Mills Park in Carson - that is a 1 or a 0). Printing the map or looking at the "next tee" arrows on the tee signs will help with the transitions for the first time player (the challenging one is over the ridge to tee #9 - actually reading the course description gives you that info). But - hey - we know that bad preparation can mar your experience out there playing new courses. Printing the course map and bringing it with you will help your good time at any new course - it is nice that the Chavez people have that course map up online.

Rated
by MarkT on May 4, 2010 at 6:54pm

I was originally really excited to play L.A.'s first course, but after spending 45 minutes finding a very terribly marked 1st tee (even with the map and GPS 1st tee location on my phone) my outlook was a bit bleak. I did like the tees, but thought they were a bit short (not a deal breaker though). Most of the tees had accurate hole descriptions and shot paths, which definitely helped. Chavez Ridge is a challenging shorter course, but the layout is confusing, and navigating it was not fun. For a course that lies on hillsides among lots of trees and doubles back on many of the tees, it could be marked better to help point you in the next right direction. I almost had my head taken off while trying to find a couple tees. Hole 9 was actually the easiest to find since I knew we had to cross a road. I ran into quite a few others who had either skipped unknowingly or were searching for tees that they couldn't find, so a few of us actually got together and finished the course. I'll come back, but not too often.

Rated
by unwrinkledear on Apr 20, 2010 at 2:43pm

Great course centrally located in the middle of Los Angeles. Lots of elevation and trees to deal with, so the relatively "short" nature of the course is still a major challenge. Multiple basket positions and teepads for each hole make it possible to play many different layouts, some of which are much longer than listed. Bring your mental game - requires a wide variety of shots to stay in good position. Right up there with san fran's golden gate park as far as wonderful courses in an urban environment.

Rated
by 36000 on Feb 6, 2010 at 2:46am

The holes on this course are extremely short. The PDGA Course Directory says 17 holes less than 300 feet. The baskets are nice and well anchored. The pads are rubber, but are a little too short. The woods on this course are very nice and the views of LA and Dodger Stadium are amazing. Be wary of wandering too far off course, as I walked 15 feet behind hole 9 and stumbled across a pile of used condoms.

Rated
by ARCOriginal on Oct 20, 2009 at 4:07pm

I love this course! All tees planted on two hillsides. Multiple basket locations for many holes changed fairly often. Lots of shade. Must have accurate throws, I've hit the chains many times only to watch my frisbee land and roll way down the hillside! I've only been playing this course for less than 2 years and find it an excellent change up to Sylmar and Oak Grove. Happy bird hunting!