Lincoln Park - Massillon, OH 05-05-2010

I want to throw some love out to a course that is fast becoming one of my favorites. It has a great mix of length, elevation change, and just a great general mix of holes that you play throughout a round.

Massillon is a small city that sits around 5 miles east of Canton, OH. - around 15 miles south of Akron. It's general claim to fame was it being the home of football coaching great, and the last Cleveland coach to win a major sports championship, Paul Brown. They live and breath football in this city which displayed its football pride with a mural commemorating the game that fills the side of an entire 4 story building in the middle of their downtown area.

The park is fairly easy to access off the main road and following good form, hole one is right off the parking lot. The first thing I notice when I get there is the course has some new signage. This is awesome, because my biggest beef with the course in the past is it can be a bit confusing where the next basket is. The disc golf course winds its way around a rather wooded city park. In some sections where the course goes back and forth it was a little hard to know where to go next. I'm sure we've all come across this at some point or another.
Hole one is the first of many hole where you throw up or down a hill. This hole is 341 ft. up a hole and sits off to the right. I hope to up up with a bomb of a backhand and rocket the disc up the hill. As usual it goes half the distance I want it too and I start off with a bogey.


Hole two is a little hike from Hole one as you pass an old stone picnic pavilion on the right. It is a down hill hole where the hole finishes to the left. It is a natural forehand shot. The real challenge is not to over shoot the hole, because it could sale over the fence behind the hole and then you have to dig it out of some dude's yard.
I missed on the the forehand and landed another bogey.



Hole three is where it starts to get interesting. You have to throw through a bunch of trees and there is no real intended flight path dictated by the hole. It is pretty much a 'hope you can get it through the tree' shot. I throw the low hammer with success and get my first par of the day.

Hole four is a straight forward uphill shot around 237 ft. I par this one.


Hole five is the start of many holes on this course where you can't see the basket from the tee. The hole starts you off having to shoot through a narrow lane of trees. then as the basket sits off the right you have to get it through an opening in the woods and then the basket sits down elevation in a little clearing. I find it hard not to hit something on this hole. I bogey. I tried to approximate where the basket was in the picture with a graphic, so hopefully I do it justice. The hole is listed at 320 ft.


Hole six is a fairly short hole where you get to shoot through the middle of some more woods. This hole is good for birdies if you can land the right shot. I go for a low hammer again and put it in for three.


You have to cross the road to play hole seven. The park lies at a trough of two hills and you have to be wary of the locals screaming by in their pickups. The hole is only 212 ft. but it it is deceptive on how much of an uphill shot it is. The basket actually sits on top of a large mound that sits apart from the hill you are driving off of. I usually try to hit the bottom of the mound and play safe from there. If you over shoot the basket there is a 30 drop-off behind the hole. I get it in three was a bit of luck.

Hole eight is another shot where you throw up the hill. It is a bit more wide open and is probably one of the less interesting holes on the course. I par.

Hole nine reminds me of hole five. It is a forehand shot at 268 ft, downhill and to the right. You have to shoot a couple wooded gaps and then you can put it in the clearing. I muff this one too and bogey again. I'm plus 4 on the front nine, and feeling fortunate, I'm normally much worse.



Hole ten is where my luck begins to turn. This is another blind tee. But once you get past the initial tight corridor off the tee, it is a basic hyzer shot. I execute with my Buzz for my first birdie of the day.



Hole Eleven then comes and bitch slaps me. It is 394ft downhill shot to the right. This is another hole where you can't see the basket from the tee. I can open up with a big forehand here. To my dismay my trusty Star Wraith fails to turn over. I ended way to the left . My birdie high turns into a bogey low.




Hole twelve maybe one of the funnest on the course lifts my spirits. This is a great downhill hyzer shot to the basket which finishes near the road. There is a small water hazard if you over shoot the basket. I throw a DX Beast the zooms to within 15 ft. of the hole and I put it in for two.




Hole thirteen wants you to shoot through some trees and over the top of a hill to the basket on the other side. You end of near some neighbor's farmhouse and their dog will sit and stare at you, but thankfully not bark. I par.




Hole fourteen is one of the longer holes on the course at around 450 ft. You start at the top of a hill and need to shoot through a gap in the woods and get to the top of another hill . The basket then sits behind a huge tree. I'm not sure how I par this on my best day. I bogey.



Hole fifteen is another blind uphill shot to a basket that sits behinds some tree. Fairly open so if you don't blow the drive, you should be good. I par.



Hole sixteen is a blast. You start at the top of a hill and shoot down the middle of a small ravine to a basket that lies in the middle of a steep slope 260 ft. away. I pinball my way up to the basket. I end up behind the basket with s steep 15 ft. put for bogey. My Challenger slams in the chains and then rolls out the back of the basket. a wonderful double-bogey for me.





Hole seventeen is 360 feet and requires you to throw over the same ravine you just played hole 16 in. You need enough arm to clear the ravine and enough finesse to clear the trees in your way. The basket lies in a clearing surrounded by several tall tree. I par.




Hole eighteen is another great downhill shot with the basket on the other side of a small creek and near the road. I fail to get my forehand to turn over and finish with four. A slightly disappointing end to a mostly good day.



I finish +7 for the round which is a personal best for me at the park. Unfortunately the weather has turned rather sucky and I haven't disc golfed since.