Aquatic Park Disc Golf Course Review

The Berkeley Aquatic Park Disc Golf Course is part of the picturesque Aquatic Park down on the marina. Although the park is spitting distance from the freeway – making rumbling cars a slightly unpleasant part of the experience, it retains a level of natural beauty in its surroundings. The park doubles as a wildlife preservation area and cranes are a beautiful and common sight. Though the park does sport a nice dose of natural beauty, the park’s grounds are coated with litter. The course could really use some love from pedestrians and players willing to pick up some of the trash.

Though the course itself is peaceful, it is surrounded by the evidence of the urban world encircling it.

Another problem with the course is the fact that it lies right in the middle of the Aquatic Park. The area is not strictly designated for disc golf, and there is almost always someone riding their bike or walking their little dog in the fairway, which can lead to some uncomfortable waits and lots of “fores” yelled at strangers. Not only are there dangerous shots for other people enjoying the park, there are dangerous shots for your hard earned collection discs. The Aquatic Park sits on the edge of a lake. In some places, baskets are only feet away from suckering your putters into a watery doom. This danger can lead to some exciting shots, but more often than not when I play the course shots around the lake lead to more frustration than fun.

One of the Aquatic Park's Thrilling water crossing holes.

Though the lake adds significantly to the course’s difficulty, it’s not enough to make the course as fun or as challenging as surrounding courses. Most holes are short and boring, aside from a few standouts with incredible over-the-water drives. If you’re looking for a course in the east bay on the west side of the Caldecott Tunnel, the Aquatic Park is your only option. If you can make the trek, it’s totally worth it to drive to Golden Gate Park or the Stafford Lake course in Novato.

Difficulty: 4/10

Atmosphere: 3/10

Playability: 2/10

Tilt: 2/10

Overall: 3/10