Santa Cruz River park is by far the best course to play in Southern Arizona. 18 baskets with short…read moreand longs tees. It was one of the first twenty five disc golf courses ever to be built in 1983. Located directly behind the Arizona school for the deaf and blind, and running next to the Santa Cruz River this course is the place to be!

How to get there: From Speedway, turn north on N. Riverview Blvd. (traffic light). It will bend to…read morethe right and go all the way until you have to dog leg left. Look for the sign that says "Santa Cruz River Park" on the right. You will also see a Disc Golf Course sign above it. I'm surprised that this disc golf course was not listed in Yelp when the Marana course is. Can't believe that I added it to Yelp and that I'm the first to check in and review. Are there really no disc golfin' Yelpers out there? This review is for those who have never disc golfed before as any one who is a disc golfer already knows about this course and the descriptions of the course can be found on the PDGA (yes, disc golf is a professional sport) or the Disc Golf Course Review (dgcoursereview.com) websites. If you are new to the sport, then I recommend that you do an internet search on "disc golf" and you will find many "how to's" and the rules and online stores. There are many, many tutorials on YouTube. Bottom line: disc golf is fun, cheap (waaaaay cheaper than round-ball golf), takes a lot less time to play, no club house membership fees, no tee times, and is a very forgiving sport in that anyone of any skill level can play, have fun, and is totally accepted on the course and even encouraged. Try it! It is free! And equipment costs are very low. ($45 can get you a driver, mid-range, and a putter.) Great to play in groups. This is an excellent course for beginners and can give advanced players a good enough challenge as there are A & B tee boxes (different distances/challenges). (Good for rollers, too!) The A boxes are all concrete, but only one or two B tee boxes are concrete. There are now nice signs at each tee-off showing the possible basket placements. (Occasionally, they change the location of the basket to make things fun.) This course is an 18 basket course, all dirt, no grass. No real water hazards unless you really throw hard and far and slice it hard into the Santa Cruz wash when playing baskets 5 through 9. And even then, there's no water. Trees are hazards, but none are really too high that you will lose a disc and only very, very occasionally will one get stuck. No snakes, only lizards and gophers. Watch your step--don't twist your ankle stepping into a hole! Layout is not bad. Flight paths can be a little problematic and cross traffic on the south side with baskets #12, #18, #14 & #15. Basket #18 ends close to #1 and the parking lot, so it is circular. There are two putting warm up baskets areas. There are three pavilion picnic shelters. Only a port-a-potty for restroom at the parking lot and by basket #5. Very decent water fountain. Bottom line: easiest course to get to in Tucson and a moderate course, not a long one with elevations like Marana. Excellent place to first try this fun sport.

Marana Rock DGC has been considered by many in the disc golf community to be the best Tucson area…read morecourses and although I have yet to play any of the other courses, this course is a true treat to play. Especially considering I'm a player from Cali and the desert environment is totally foreign element for me to play in. The course is laid out in a water basin which, on this March visit, was dry except some mud near the middle of the basin. While this course is set in the middle of the desert, there's a lot of non-desert elements including some marsh land including green grass and a few pine trees full of pine needles. I could hear the sounds of frogs in the area as well. But most of the course is set in the desert with plenty of holes involving a dry clay riverbed, a monster 800 plus foot hole played out in massive sand dunes, and rocky bluffs. Unexpectedly there are several elevation changes throughout the course. Finding the course might be a challenge since there's no real address (the address I used is the one given to me by Google Maps for where the course is closest to). There will be a blue pump station on the right hand side of Coachline / Milligan and a driveway leading to a dirt road. Follow the road to the parking area and park. There's a sign right by the driveway saying "Marana Disc Golf Course". Be sure to wear shoes with traction and bring water since it does get warm even on cooler March days like the one I ventured out on (it got into the upper 70s). The course was actually quite hard considering all of the obstacles (trees, bushes, rock mounds, bluffs) you have to deal with. Quite a few long holes with two par 4s mixed into 18 total holes. Tee pads are all nicely put together with cement and very cool numbered tiles to dictate what tee pad goes with what hole. Each hole has a sign and usually there's a marker on what basket position is in play. The course has some really impressive views of Marana's desert landscape including mountain views with cactus lining the mountain ridges. Like any non-urban course, be sure to be aware of where your walking as reports of snakes (including rattlesnakes) and other wildlife have been known to cruise the area. A few of the tee areas have shade and benches, so you can take breaks from the desert sun. I think Marana Rock is still a mostly unknown course since only a handful of people were out on a Sunday afternoon playing. Most people here in So. Cal who know of some of the more popular AZ courses (Fountain Hills, Vista Del Camino) have never heard of this course. It's really a shame this course isn't played by more people since it's really a trip of a course. On the way to Pheonix or coming into Tucson via the 10, Marana Rock is a must stop for any disc golfer looking for a unique experience.

NOTE: This and the other reviews are of the _course_, not the _club_, which maintains the _course_…read moreand sponsors tourneys on the _course_. The name of the course is the MARANA ROCK DISC GOLF COURSE. (I'm working on getting this listing changed. If I fail, I may create an entry for the _course_.) This was my first time here. Definitely go to the club's website and follow the directions on how to get there as it can be difficult to find. This was a fun course. Fun because it had a lot of variety. Some of the baskets were on unique elevations such as on top of an old asphalt pile, on a plateau next to a ravine, on a hill, etc. As a matter of fact, most were on elevations. The others were behind or through trees or brush. The most straight-forward basket was the longest--at 824 feet. The scenery is beautiful as this is in the foothills of Marana on the west side of I-10. Hills, trees, mountains, crags--it's all there. A wonderful backdrop for disc golf. I do not recommend this course when the wind is blowing, though. That was the case for us this Saturday morning. Not a great way to introduce me to this course. It already is a challenging course, and then to add 7 to 15 mph gusts is to make for one frustrating game. On putting some of the elevations, because of the wind, even a couple of four foot putts were missed. Gr-r-r-r-r-r-r. The course is basically at the end of a subdivision. #18 ends right by #1 so it brings you right back to the parking lot. Nice. #18 also ends right by a fairly new neighborhood park, so there is a good drinking fountain. It is a long course, so factor in more time to play a round. It is also a long drive from where I live, about a 25 minute to 30 minute drive from Campus Farms. It is a nice change of pace and a different challenge.

Attended a workout group at himmel park ! What a vibe …read more The park is huge , plenty of space for all the things . Very peaceful.

I first came here about two years ago to photograph the beautiful mural painted by local muralist…read moreJoe Pagac. It's the mural on the outside of the Himmel pool. He painted it in 2021 as a thanks to his childhood neighborhood in the historic Sam Hughes district. Red brick and adobe homes line the streets here. Mature trees line the paths. It is a pretty and quiet neighborhood. I took my dog Gretel to walk the mile perimeter. It was a Saturday afternoo and the park was busy! Kids and their families were outside playing, picnicking, skateboarding A few dogs played frisbee. A homeless man was off to the side on the south side pleasing himself under his sleeping bag. I walked past two more homeless encampments along my perimeter walk. I used a portapot near the tennis courts. It gets cleaned weekly. It is a nice park for the neighborhood and a good leg stretcher for travelers coming through, but I imagine this place could be a little scary at night with people sleeping al fresco.

The paved path around Tucson is a real gem for cyclists, walkers, jogger and roller bladers. A few…read moreyears ago I decided I was going to walk the Loop in sections. It took me over two years (two falls and winters) to finish it. There are free parking areas every few miles for easy out-and-back walks. My very first section was the section east of the Tucson Mall. I walked it with my GSD Sadie while in the area and turned around at Campbell Avenue. The path was busy with all kinds of recreationalists, but it also had a large population of homeless people under the bridges. I don't have a particular favorite part. Each section is different. The Rillito River Park has several nice parking areas and water stations and lovely art statues. The parks are lighted at night. The Pantano Wash is more quiet. The section just to the east of the Air Force base is secluded. That is were I was followed by javelina. The ugliest section is the industrial section along the Julian Wash. The wash is full of trash and homeless encampments The section along the Santa Cruz wash that gets close to town is nice as there are places to eat nearby, with benches to rest. I walked a short section again yesterday near the Tucson Mall and noticed at least two walking police teams. The Rillito Wash was trashed again, and the section east of the mall had no trash cans, so people just threw their trash along the wash. Tucson maintains the actual path and will post construction or closures on the Loop's Facebook page.

Do you like biking? Then you will love the Loop around Tucson. The Loop is well maintained. We…read moreenjoy riding our bicycles everywhere. The Loop is full paved so the riding is not bumpy. There are elevations throughout but they are not excessive. Benches placed throughout to take a rest. Since the Loop is so long, it is not overly crowded. Many places to enter an exit the Loop. Many of these are marked with signs. You can ride as long as you want. The Loop is 131 miles car free. Now that is a long ride. No matter how far you want to ride it is excellent for bikers and walkers. We enjoy the Loop. I did not feel unsafe any part of our journey. Have a nice ride or walk.

I absolutely love this course I've been playing here for years and still remember when the TDGA was…read moreable to scrape the money together to but 6 baskets for the course and now we have 9 brand new baskets with a new layout.

The neglected, seemingly now abandoned step-child disc golf course of Tucson, I'm surprised at how…read morefun this course is. Since a change in workplace takes me by this course riding my bike, my curiosity was piqued seeing the baskets. I decided to try it out today and here is my experience. The course is laid out around the ball fields of Sam Lena Recreation Area, accessible from Ajo Way or S. Campbell. The ball fields are the only out of bounds (OB). designated. I recommend going to the Tucson Disc Golf website and getting the course map: http://tucsonchainlightning.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/SamLenaMap2016.jpg. It is a six basket, played three times from different T-pads to get 18. It never really felt like repetitive basket throws and there was only once or twice during my play that I felt that "I've done this before" where the throws were a bit similar. You do need to have access to the course map as there are no tee boxes. And I found markings for tee boxes for only #2 and #5/8/9. #2 is painted on the curb and the tee for #5/8/9 are two yellow bricks sunk into the dirt. My guess is that at one point they were all marked but many were lost when they put asphalt on the paths, covering the concrete. So some tees you are just going to have to decide for yourself where they are. There are moderate throws and around three to five long distance throws, depending on what is "long" to you. Measuring using Google Maps, there is a 414' throw and a 383' foot throw. All the others are around 182' to 310'. Terrain is mostly flat, though there will be several throws with elevations. There is grass for some of the baskets, otherwise you are walking/throwing on gravelly dirt (see my photo). This is such a nice change from the fine dirt at Santa Cruz, which gets all over your hands and discs. The gravelly dirt here doesn't even stick to your discs. There are obstacles all over the place which makes this course fun. Trees, light poles, the ball fields, fences, ramadas, and exercise stations along the asphalt pedestrian/bike path make for fun shots. As mentioned before, the ball park is OB, and unless you have confidence in a long throw to go over it, you don't want to go OB as I didn't see any unlocked entrance to retrieve your disc. You will need to scale the 8' fence. Maybe an issue with playing here would be dodging people if the park was being heavily used as the course runs all around where people would be. But I was here on a Saturday from 7:30 to 9:15 and there were no people around. There was the occasional jogger and cyclist passing through. There was a very small birthday party in a ramada at the top, which was totally out of the way of any throws. It was a very pleasant morning and I didn't have to wait for any park user to throw, nor did I ever have to worry about hitting anyone. The restrooms are clean and there is a clean and working water fountain there. I like this better than Sears Park. It has way more interesting throws. It is a pleasant park to be in. There is lots of real shade. I will need to play again, but I even think I like this as much as Groves Park.

Here is the Google Map Plus Code and Longitude & Latitude to where you should park:…read more 649Q+34X Tucson, Arizona 32.217743, -110.862154 This is the only all (real) grass course in Tucson currently! (There will probably be another one by the end of the year.) Yes, real grass. The whole course. After a frustrating year (or more?) of putting up with the city's (contractor's) messing this park up--and I mean messing up--it is back into shape. All baskets back in place, all baskets fixed. Most tee bricks are in place. Very, very little goats heads any more. There are B pads for you gunners, some of which are pretty challenging, maybe even sadistic. haha Many of the original A pad locations have changed, making it more challenging. I don't know about #11 with such a severe left dogleg shot, though. Kind of ridiculous. But I guess if you play it enough, as in a ton, you will eventually find the line with the right disc. The rest are OK. Many of the new tee placements take away some of the easiness of some of the shots. This course is a great course to take beginners. Not many obstacles. There is, however, The Wall. And The Substation. Those are the worst OBs. The Wall is worse when the mall is open and there are cars parked and also driving on the road. I know the future is going to be good for this park as Trevor, one of the supervisors of this course, told me there are going to be concrete pads put in and the city OK'd multiple pin positions. The permanent tees will be nice as right now, some of the tees are ground indentations in the dirt and you have to tee off to the side to avoid twisting your ankle and at the very least, messing up your shot. The city also took out the old drinking fountain behind the backstop and put in a new one on the other end of the backstop. They also took out a really nice tree behind #1, which I really don't understand. 5* = A top favorite. Mind-blowing good. I will definitely return and I will go out of my way to go here. Worth every dime of my money. 4* = Outstanding. Top-tier. Some elements not quite as good as it gets, but it still is worthy of my regular business. 3* = Good experience. I might do repeat business if it is convenient, the only option, the only one in its category, or on a whim, but would not be among the first thing to come to mind. Would definitely recommend you trying it to get your own take on it. 2* = Not so good. Would not recommend at all. Waste of money. 1* = How are they still in business? Stay away at all costs!

Huge shout out to everyone who stepped up to help pour 18 concrete tee pads today!! We couldn't be…read moremore grateful to our Disc Golf community for helping out with this project.

I stopped in this week to see the new location and love it! Lots of parking and a friendly entry…read moreway to the store. Becky is lovely and very knowledgeable about inventory. They carry a solid variety of discs as well as everything a disc golfer might also need or want for a round. I know that they will do pop-up shops at various Disc Golf tournaments which is cool! Definitely check out their new spot if you haven't yet !

Been here multiple times, the employees are always very nice and helpful. They have the best…read moreselection of disc golf equipment locally and have returned a good handful of lost discs to me through the years. I wish we had more stores like this in Tucson

It's a nice little 9 basket course, there's is a great playground for your kids as well.read more

Having now played there several times, this course has grown on me. What this course really excels…read moreat is a great place for beginners and anyone who wants to work on their long throw. For the latter, the "B" boxes are adequate. For the former, the "A" boxes are mercifully short at times and the whole course really does not have many obstacles. So this makes a great place to try out your different discs and put them through the paces to get used to their flight characteristics. This park is also a great place to watch Big Guns heave their plastic. You can watch and learn and become inspired. I think there are more Big Guns that play here than at the Santa Cruz Disc Golf Course. Some of the players here can really throw l-o-n-g! For you ladies, there are sufficient number of women who play here. Many are good at their art and it would do you good to watch them for some inspiration. Indeed, there are definitely more women that play here than at Santa Cruz, based on just my observations. There are also more large groups (5+ in a group) that play here than at Santa Cruz. You will want to start at a different basket so as not to follow a large group around. Once I played there in a threesome, and we were behind a 10+ group who didn't have the courtesy to let us play through. Honestly, I don't get inconsiderate disc golfers. Most are very friendly and considerate. Another thing to like about this course is it mostly grass. A nice welcome change from Santa Cruz. There is still enough dirt around to where you will have to use your cloth to wipe it clean, but it sure looks better and it is definitely nicer to be walking in the green stuff, you know? As the tip I posted says, there is not a working water fountain at this park. Take your own water.

Located within Chuck Ford Lakeside Park is the newest 18 hole disc golf course. 18 Prodigy baskets…read morewith concrete tee pads the short to long holes will create a nice challenge with tall mesquite's and some elevation. Mostly dirt course but plenty of shade trees to hide from the sun.

Beautiful 9 hole course located in Sahuarita that offers some difficulty and technical shots with…read morenot much distance. Mandos, elevated baskets and concrete tee pads. The terrain is open desert so rattlesnakes, cactus thorns, and wild life might be a present while playing especially during the summer season so be careful where you step. No drinking fountains or bathrooms facilities are available.