The name Picnic Island conjures up an interesting picture when it comes to a Disc Golf Course, something easy, laid back and friendly, maybe. We played here the day after Cliff Stephens Park and started our morning with a sit down on a bench, overlooking the sea with a coffee and a Dunkin Donut!
Picnic Island Park is a community park with a free to play Disc Golf Course, as well other outdoor activities. It has ample parking, a pavilion with benches and tables, toilets (restrooms) and drinking fountain. There was a course map before you get to Hole 1, towards the beach left side of the car park, however we used UDisc.
The Disc Golf Course has 2 concrete tee boxes per hole, both Par 60, 5154ft - 6660ft. Mainly an open woodsy course, which is beach side and exposed to the gulf winds. Slightly undulating in parts with some tunnel shots. You need a spotter on Hole 1 in particular, as the basket is unseen from both tee boxes and is on the beach (pictures below). There is plenty of vegetation to lose your disc in on your first throw, as you have to go over it to get to the basket. So watch out for beach users and of course when the tide water is in.
Despite Hole 1's introduction to the course, the rest of the play there was pretty easy going, not too scary. This is a wind exposed course but we were lucky arriving early, with no wind and flat calm sea. The beach side holes were gorgeous and as we worked our way around we didn't feel too intimidated by what faced us on the others. Some technical tunnel shots forced some thinking on what to throw, so I just went for my Innova Rat, forehand. I was able to practice both my forehand and backhand shots here, without getting into too much trouble. I dare say on a windy day it would be different, as there are scrub areas which would eat your discs.
We had a most enjoyable play here and again went around twice. The course gave us the chance to play different shots, was challenging yet didn't make us feel it was beyond us, on that particular day. We virtually had the course to ourselves, only seeing a couple of senior gentlemen, who stopped to have a quick chat with us.
During our drive home we both agreed we would play both Cliff Stephens Park and Picnic Island again. They were different from each other, easily accessible just an hour up the highway. So that was 5 courses, all free to play, all within an hours drive of our home and all offering something different. Being retired and time rich, with all these courses to practice on, we felt lucky.
My mind started thinking more and more towards returning to the UK and what was on offer there. Before I get into that, I'd found another course on UDisc just 30mins south of our home so I'll share our visit to that one first.
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