Portage Lakes Disc Golf Course - Akron, OH

Portage Lakes Disc Golf Course

Portage Lakes is situated in a State Park, south of Akron, set around a number of small lakes that offer fishing, boating, beaches and some pleasant residential real estate.

Just like most disc golf courses in state parks, you drive to the remotest corner of the park to begin your journey. Andy and I began our journey through the first leg of holes that work their way through a wooded ravine. Fairways are tight and a solid technical shot is needed to put you in position to par. Many of the holes on this course are well protected by the surroundings, I mean perilously well protected – the lakes in Portage Lakes will come into play.

One nice feature, Portage Lakes has the best signs I've ever scene. This one was called “The Big Dipper” - these seem to signify certain geographic features of the course.

It also included some rules of the game, Hole 3 had some harsh rules on moving or damaging items on the course between the lie and the hole. Only the Red tees had rules info, the Blue tees couldn't be bothered. Not all holes, most holes offered multiple tees. Basket location could vary. 

The next few holes had us throwing down hills, through more woods, a couple more open holes on holes 7 and 8 and then hole 9. Hole 9 was a mystery for me. It took us a while to find. Couldn't really see the tee, no clear fairway. This is a newer course (2014) and a bit unrefined.

Hyzer Bay

This takes us to hole 10. The signature hole of the course. A basket that sits at the bottom of a wooded hill, sitting 6 ft. off the ground and decorated as a fancy flag pole. The lake sits 15 ft. behind it. The hole begs you to go for it. It's an ace run. It's a good way to lose a disc.

Telling our story in pictures we have the protagonist, Andy - going for it. Gentleman, he nails his drive, it looks beautiful. I thought I was going to hear chains, instead I hear nothing, Andy misses by very little. He is down one star valkerie.

The next few holes play into and out of the woods near the lake. Here is where I apologize for not having better pictures. It is a mostly wooded course, only a couple open holes, and, well, the lighting just wasn't very good.

Hole 14 was a challenging left to right shot straight through several trees. You see the trees in the sign posting. You like how the demonstrated flight path listed on the sign has you hitting several trees. I did that. In reality, I hit one, and then it went sideways into where it says OB: Lake. That was my orange, Diagram z-glide. It had become my favorite disc. I won it on a CTP on a course outside Ann Harbor, narrowly missing my first ace, as it hit the pole and bounced out onto the ground just below the basket. I still had that z-glide to remember it by, until Portage Lakes.

Hole 16 was also a beauty. That basket on 16 sits on top of an earthen mound with the lake just on the other side. If you go too far, well, the pictures here do it justice. That is a picture of Andy saluting me as he readies his put for 16. His shot initially hit at the top of the mound. There were steps to get down there. Objects in picture may be closer than they appear.

Portage Lakes has the makings of an awesome course, It is still fairly new and could use some additional trimming to better define the fairways. The first few holes near the parking lot are littered with broken glass and beer cans. Some people aren't down with the park system's 'you take it in, you carry it out, no trash cans, philosophy. This luckily did not extend too far out into the rest of the course. The signage was excellent, although the navigation was a little mediocre. I do look forward to playing this course again. Andy won, by the way, but scores were nothing to brag about.