Tom Pearce Disc Golf Course: A Profile

Tom Pearce is a great resource for the naturalist or disc golfer. The Josephine County Park is splayed out over hundreds of acres of lush riverfront land just a few miles from the city of Grants pass and I-5.

The park costs 2$ per day use or 25$ for a yearly pass which expires with the New Year.

To get to the park take I-5 exit 55. At the first light take a left (if you are coming North on 199 turn right at the light just before I-5), turning South on NE Agness Avenue. Drive 1/4 of a mile and then turn left (East) onto Foothill Blvd at the 4 way stop sign. Drive for another 1/2 mile until you see the Brown Sign for Tom Pearce Park where the road forks. Fork to the right and follow this road for a mile until the road ends and you are in the park. Most folks drive around the field and park on the other side near the bathrooms.

If you are absolutely broke you can park outside the gate and avoid paying but please don’t. It reflects poorly on Disc Golfers in general but more importantly it looks bad to the Josephine County Parks and Rec. Department. Parking outside the gate in essence works against new courses and course improvements in Josephine County. It is easily worth the 25$ a year or 2$ for a single visit.

The course is strait forward, visually nice, and a hearty challenge. With an average hole length of 320 FT It is likely not the hardest course for seasoned pros but for just about anyone else it is plenty to deal with! The front 9 wrap around through shady riparian forrest to the east and then come back along the river. At hole 7 we again see open field after crossing the parking area toward the western half of the park where the remaining holes are.

Get your kicks in on the front 9 where the holes average 287 FT because on the Back 9 the holes stretch out and get bit wilder. Holes # 13 and # 16 are both tough pars and Hole # 17 clocks in at 481 feet. The average hole length for the Back 9 is 353 FT. Enjoy the birds, check out the river and be sure and come to the park early if the weather is good so that you can enjoy a serene experience. An ideal time to aim for is 10:00 AM because the dew should almost be dry but the course will still be quiet.

Hole #1

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This shot would be 195 feet strait to the basket if it weren’t for the two poor little maple trees directly in the way about a third of the way to the basket. A lazy hyzer or big anhyzer will do the trick but if you are determined to be a smat ass you can go for the tunnel shot under the tree branches.

A typical looking Birdie Put on Hole 1.

Hole #2

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After the first hole, Hole # 2 is quick step up in difficulty and requires a straight shot with little fade. Or, alternately, one can put up a lazy, weak sauce shot, which is destined to go in the road, EXCEPT, for the nice row of trees which will catch you most of the time giving you a good look at an easy par. This may sound like a dumb strategy but it is a lot better than ending up in the looming Sequoia trees butting out into the fairway. In all seriousness I like to throw a disc which will turn over hard up the middle usually turning it over into the dirt safely and ending up…

...to here, for a second shot with an easy look at par.

Hole #3

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Hole 3 is much more forgiving than Hole 2. A nice line drive here can offer a birdie and even most bad drives have a look at par.

This is from a typical short drive up the middle. The twin trees near the basket don’t offer much of a prblem from this side. In fact if you are trying to play it safe the base of both trees are crooked and offer a nice target to slide a putter into preventing potential problems.

Hole#4

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Hole 4 has its pitfalls. Amongst which, the road, the pines on the left, and the thick forest to the right, consistently add up to give this hole some sort of thrill. The shot used for hole 2 is ideal for here as well if you are a backhand thrower, a hard turning over line drive, while flickers should have a better time of simply hyzering it in.

Here is a perfectly reasonable, but short, place to be after your first shot. The basket is mid photo, just to the right of the pine lit up in the background.

A look at the putting "green." The basket is mid frame, just to the left of a tree.