Echo Valley Disc Golf Course is an Ace!
Echo Valley Disc Golf Course, located at Hoffmann Reserve in Patricia Allyn Park, officially opened in 2021. Carl Chiles, a longtime member of the Professional Disc Golf Association and active member of Dayton Disc Golf, designed the course, and Clearcreek Parks Department maintains it. The course consists of 18 baskets, provided by Hazy Shade Disc Golf, and two tee pads per fairway, offering players a short or long course. Beginning at the southwest parking lot in Patricia Allyn Park, players can warm up using a practice basket before heading to the first tee pad near the pond. The par 64 course takes players through the beautifully maintained Hoffmann Reserve, ending along the tree line near the parking lot.
Carl Chiles first came to Echo Valley in 2005 to play the temporary course set up by Tony Waterfall. He fell in love with the property after receiving a tour from Bill Hoffmann. In 2019, Carl became a seasonal park employee for Clearcreek Township and started working on the hiking trails and the permanent disc golf course, a design he had worked on for a decade. This same year, Carl was inducted into the Ohio Disc Golf Hall of Fame as a course designer and course volunteer. Carl has been involved with many course designs around Dayton and is currently working with several cities on new and redesigned disc golf courses scheduled to open in 2025.
From amateurs to professionals, Echo Valley is a popular destination for disc golfers. According to UDisc, an app for disc golfers, in 2024, Echo Valley was the fourth most-played course in Ohio, 131st in the United States, and 208th worldwide. UDisc lists 410 courses in Ohio, 10,609 in the United States, and over 15,000 courses worldwide. App users came from 42 states, including Hawaii and Alaska. Echo Valley received players from seven countries: Canada, Sweden, Germany, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Malaysia. UDisc recorded 10,965 rounds played by 3,537 visitors, 1,871 of whom were first-time Echo Valley visitors in 2024. From Anhyzer to Tomahawk and every throw in between (even you, Pizza Putters), we are thrilled to have people from all over enjoy our course.
From league play to tournaments, Echo Valley hosts many opportunities to participate in Dayton’s dynamic disc golf community. Whether you prefer to play solo or in small groups, the course is free to play and open daily from dawn to dusk. Park Superintendent Tony Hale and Carl Chiles are currently devising some improvements they hope to implement in the coming year, which are sure to be a hit. In the meantime, grab your disc bag and check out this gem of course.
