Has some potential, but also needs some serious work clearing out some of the "fairways." (I use the term loosely since alot of the fairways aren't fairways as such but just paths littered with trees in random places. I don't mind "tight" but there is a difference between tight and undefined. As a result good throws often don't get rewarded and bad ones aren't necessarily punished any more severely than good ones.
Shot: 56; Last played, July 2009.
Anderson Park Disc Golf; Carrboro, NC
Glenn C. Hilton Memorial Park; Hickory, NC
I'm all for tactical pin placements in order to make otherwise reachable holes more challenging, but I had 6 of my first 9 holes hit basket (or within 5 feet) on approaches or putts and roll more than 40 feet away from the hole.
I call courses like these ankle killers. Lots of pins or fairways on inclines. Lots of that rocky North Carolina ground and plenty of tree roots to stumble over and give your disc an odd bounce. The distance is certainly fine, but the fairways are such in many holes that they don't really reward a good shot (because of inclines or weird bounces as well as caged/guarded pins).
Also...and I really can't stress this enough...I despise courses with multiple pin positions and no mechanism on the course to indicate which position the pins are in, especially if many of them are blind.
Needless to say, not my favorite course, but it was immaculate. And the 18th (elevation to elevation) was a nice view.
Last played: June 2009
Jefferson Barracks Historical Park; Saint Louis, MO
Nice course, but...
Okay, well, I don't like long blind holes, and I don't like elevation holes over sticker bushes. So here's my round:
1) Go up to tee.
2) Check signage.
3) Walk a couple hundred feet up fairway and around obstacles to see what pin position the hole is in.
4) Go back and throw a decent shot that perhaps nicks a tree and falls into heavy rough or clears it but is equally hard to find in thick grass.
5) Spend 10-30 minutes looking for disc.
6) Repeat eighteen times.
Last played: June 2009
The Fun Farm; Corydon, IN
This course is on a private farm about ten minutes from Louisville. The first half (it is 21 holes) is fairly open, and while they make good use of the land they have, it tends to favor boomers. (I took a tip in four on the 740 foot hole, but still...)
The second half goes into the woods. Some holes are long and tight.
That's the bad. The good is that the course is well maintained. Brush is clear in the woods and shots are fairly well maintained. Nice mix of elevation and left and right shots. First half rewards good shots, second half punishes bad ones.
I had four deuces, and two bad fives (on short holes, but one had an OB). I also took a four on the 740 foot hole and another on one of the woods hole. I missed two holes in the woods. Good tee signs, but the "Next Tee" wasn't always evident.
Last played: June 2009
Warwick Town Park: Warwick, NY
Rank: 1
Best Score: 57
My friend Todd at Warwick Town Park DGCI wandered all around southwest New York for two hours looking for this course one summer afternoon, finally pulling in around 8 p.m. I only got in an hour and fifteen minutes of play, but, boy, was it worth it. The course was beautifully laid up and maintained, with dual baskets permanently installed and dual tee pads, allowing four layouts per hole. With great use of elevation changes and a nice mix of wooded and open holes, Warwick is as challenging as you want it to be. A great course for intermediates (playing the short course), with room to grow. I returned in July 2005 and again had a good round going. Then the rains came and I was +3 the last six holes.
Rose Lane; Toccoa Georgia
Best Score: 52 (18 holes)
My former home course is a beauty. Thoughtfully designed by John Nisewonder (form U.S. Amateur Champ) this course combines distance holes on front nine with wooded holes on back nine. Challenging without being for pros only, the course gives you lots of opportunities to make shots. Okay, it is a little short for advanced players, and the landscape is a little wide open, but the layout makes you make a variety of golf shots.
Buckhorn DGC at Harris Lake; New Hill, North Carolina
Best Score: 48 (White Tees)
I played Buckhorn once and then didn't play it again for almost a year. Perhaps it is the placement of the signage at the pro tees to make the alternates the shorter ones that offends my vanity. (I may have tried to play the longs first and got my teeth kicked in.) Perhaps it was because the very first throw I made at Buckhorn, I lost a disc. (Deep rough, but come on, I looked for over an hour.) Perhaps it is because if you are not willing to risk going over water at +200 feet, at least three holes are unplayable (from the pro tees). That said, this course has been steadily growing on me. Well defined fairways that are not too tight but that you better stay on make it so that there is trouble on nearly every hole, but birdies are not impossible (just harder to come by for intermediates). There are some good pin placements that make you approach accurately and not just drive.
Hornet's Nest; Charlotte, North Carolina
Best Score: 64
I played this course as part of a two day, four course excursion. Boy did it live up to its reputation. Although I only got to play it once, I was impressed by the variety, challenge, and upkeep of the course. In spite of being challenging, it is fun. Unlike, say, Winthrop, it finds a variety of ways to be challenging besides just making holes longer (although there are some boomer holes on front nine). You need to bring your whole game here; some elevation changes, some putts on ridges, some long approaches, some left, some right. Returned in January of 2004; I like it quite a bit, even if it is a challenge for an intermediate player.
Cedar Hills Rotary Park; Raleigh, NC
Rank: 5
Best Score: 57 (Mix of Short and Long Tees)
I used to like this course more than I do now, perhaps because it was the first course I played when I moved to North Carolina.
Very nice variety of holes.
The front nine is a little shorter (though nothing's a gimme), with some longer, more challenging stuff on the back nine. First played it in the summer of 2004 on the way to a job interview in
Oxford DGC: Bradford, Vermont
Rank: 6
Best Score: 58
The first five hole are rather pedestrian, move around the perimeter of the high school grounds type holes, then, unexpectedly, BOOM, it's up into the mountains and the course takes off. Spectacular views, longer throws, and big elevation changes. July 2005.
Dragan Field; Auburn, Maine
Rank: 7
Best Score: 61 (Wish I could have putted better, but I did have one long chip. Only got to play it once.)
A beautifully constructed and well maintained course on sprawling farmland. Lots of elevation changes, some thick roughs, obstacles, and a great variety of holes. July 2005.
Veterans Park; Lexington, Kentucky
Rank: 8
Best Score: 57
I liked the course. I was fortunate to be met by a local named Nate who showed my wife and I around the harder to find holes. (He was karmically rewarded for his kindness when the Disc Golf gods granted him his first ace that day.) A nice mix of wooded and open; not too many deuces for ams, but not oppressively hard. Well maintained.
Richmond Hills; Asheville, North Carolina
Rank: 9
Best Score: 67
This will be a very good course, but it was still under construction when I played it. I think the 620 foot hole is a bit silly, but what do I know? It's the type of wooded course I like. It punishes you if you leave the fairway, but there is plenty of fairway to drive through. There are two very tight fairways (13 and 17) and two elevation to elevation holes that are too similar. This is a longer course than you expect in the woods, but it is fun for being challenging. I deuced the very first hole I threw here--little did I know that would be it for the round! Oh, and there are a lot of recreational players on the course, which normally I don't mind, but not much disc etiquette the day I was there.
Earlewood Park; Columbia, South Carolina
Rank: 10
Best Score: 62 (Only got to play once; 45 degrees and driving rain.)
Not a super long course, but it does have a lot of amateur par 4s and 5s. Good course with lot of obstacles and a lot of trees. Kind of a 1/2 wooded course. It is not like playing in the woods (like Chapin), but there are more trees than an open course. Wish I could have played it some more, but the rain drove me away.
Northside Park; Gainesville, FL
Rank: 11
Best Score: 53
I played this course on a Christmas road trip to
La Mirada Regional Park; La Mirada, California
Rank: 12
Best Score: 57 (18 holes only--Rumor has it that real men cry on the back 9)
Another course that was too long for me to do much with the first time I played it. Pros and advanced amateurs will like it for the challenge. Intermediates will have a tough time. In the course's defense (like it needs it), all the pins were in the long position the Monday I played it because of a tournament they had just finished. Remember to say hi to Monster the Cat at or around the pro shop. He was purring even before I picked him up. I returned to this course in July 2004 and took 12 strokes off my round (from 2002). Maybe I am getting better. Maybe the holes were easier.
Sherando Park; Stephens City, Virginia
Rank 13
Best Score: 52
Like Rose Lane, this course is a nice mix of open and wooded holes. There is trouble on nearly every hole, but it is not a super hard course. Lacks the difficulty to be a top-tier course, but for amateurs it offers variety and challenge without being terribly frustrating. Last played in July 2004.
Valley Springs Park; Durham, North Carolina
Rank: 14
Best Score: 52 (18 holes--they've added "fo mo" since)
There is a special kind of pain reserved for the intermediate who shoots +1 on a new course. This is a short, tight course, with many birdie opportunities (from the short tees). Tight but not particularly punishing fairways make this course fun. July 2005. Three sets of tees allow you to vary the challenge to suit your skill level and makes this a very nice course for me to play with my spouse.
Timmons Park; Greenville, South Carolina
Rank: 15
Best Score: 51
Okay, I've only played a lot of these courses only once. My initial reaction, therefore, may be based partly on how hot I was that day. My infatuation with Timmons might be helped by the fact that I had six deuces the first round I played. This may mean the course is too short or simple for top tier players. For amateurs and recreational players, though, it is a nice mix of holes and is very playable. I have been told that this course was decimated by a tropical storm a few years back and may no longer be open or playable. If/when it gets rebuilt it may not be the same course I played.
Lazarre DGC; West Monroe, Lousiana
Rank: 16
Best Score: 50 (Doubles with Cindy)
A couple of caveats. I played what was called the “high water course,” and I played it from the short tees. Apparently when the water rises the course can be mixed up. Back 9 is more open, though the front nine has some long holes as well. Very nice use of park land to create a lengthy and challenging course with all variety of holes.
Muse Park; Jackson,
Rank: 17
Best Score: 50
Dual tees on each hole, excellent signage, and nice use of elevation changes makes this short, wooded course a lot of fun. Probably too short for advanced players, but a fun course for intermediate players who like birdie opportunities but don't necessarily want everything so short it's pitch and putt. The signature hole, #12, is rather nice to look at, with a goalpost (tree split) in the middle of a fairway.
Last played: Summer 2006
Pioneer Park: Billings, Montana
Rank: 18
Best Score: 61 (Had 3 OBs--Would love to play again some day)
Although it is in a city park (I even went
Last Played: Summer 2002
Calvert Road Park: College Park, Maryland
Rank: 19
Best Score: 53
The layout predates distance revolution in plastic, but the new tees extend the course's length while retaining a classic feel. Hole 14 is a moderate length (for this course), with a right fade and a pin by the edge of the creek. Very flat, with old growth trees.
Last played: Summer 2006
Warrior's Path: Kingsport, Tennessee
Rank: 33
Best Score: 53 (18 holes only)
Close to my in-laws, this course is a nice mix of wooded and distance throws. The signage was bad when I was there, and there are a couple of very short holes (one is under 200 feet) and one ridiculous tee placement that asks you to turn right on a dime. Still, it is a pleasant course. Course has steadily declined in rating as each time I've gone some of the better holes (including #6) have been taken out. Still a solid course, but less aesthetically interesting than it used to be.
Last played: March 2009
What I Throw
(and Where I Throw It)
My Favorite Disc Golf Courses
Ranked (More or Less) by How Well I Like Them.
| 0.5 | Course | Notes | Best Hole | What I Scored (Feel free to write and tell me my scores suck if you think I don't know it) |
| 1 | I wandered all around southwest | Hole 11 is a risk-reward uphill shot. Some woods have been narrowly cleared to invite the agressive player to shoot for a deuce (or even an ace, I guess). Alternately, one can take a wide hyzer around the trees for a straight shot to the basket beyond them, allowing for an easier three. | 57
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| 2 | My former home course is a beauty. Thoughtfully designed by John Nisewonder (form U.S. Amateur Champ) this course combines distance holes on front nine with wooded holes on back nine. Challenging without being for pros only, the course gives you lots of opportunities to make shots. Okay, it is a little short for advanced players, and the landscape is a little wide open, but the layout makes you make a variety of golf shots. | I'm scared to say, because then John will chane it! Hole #11 is a beautiful hole along a ridge that overlooks the park. The fairway has a parking lot to right and a long, sloping hill overlooking ball fields to left. As you come over the ridge you are elevated and can see who is entering the park and who is finishing up 18. A flag pole behind pin lets you see wind direction easily. A beauty. | 52 (18 holes only) | |
| 3 | I played this course as part of a two day, four course excursion. Boy did it live up to its reputation. Although I only got to play it once, I was impressed by the variety, challenge, and upkeep of the course. In spite of being challenging, it is fun. Unlike, say, | The back 9 is in the woods, but it is divided by a clearing made to lay gas lines underground. Hole #15, rather than shoot along the clearing (as holes 12 and 18 do), shoots through it, starting on one side and falling into the woods. Once you are in the woods, the fairway goes quickly downhill and fades left. I love this hole because it is challenging, but you can make the shot. At 320 feet, you have to throw your drive hard enough to get the distance and still have enough accuracy to hit the window. | 64 (12 was in the long position.) | |
| 4 | I played Buckhorn once and then didn't play it again for almost a year. Perhaps it is the placement of the signage at the pro tees to make the alternates the shorter ones that offends my vanity. (I may have tried to play the longs first and got my teeth kicked in.) Perhaps it was because the very first throw I made at Buckhorn, I lost a disc. (Deep rough, but come on, I looked for over an hour.) Perhaps it is because if you are not willing to risk going over water at +200 feet, at least three holes are unplayable (from the pro tees). That said, this course has been steadily growing on me. Well defined fairways that are not too tight but that you better stay on make it so that there is trouble on nearly every hole, but birdies are not impossible (just harder to come by for intermediates). There are some good pin placements that make you approach accurately and not just drive. | Hole 15 is an elevation to elevation shot with the pin on a narrow ridge, behind which is a scummy pond. At around 240 feet, this is reachable, but you can't overshoot it, and a well placed tree makes it hard to hyzer in to the bottom of the slight hill. If you practice putting steeply up hill, the safest bet is to throw something with a slight turn (like a Leopard) hard enough to make it turn and just slam it into the side of the hill. | 52 (White | |
| 5 | There is nothing I didn't like about this course: the signage is the best I’ve seen, the holes are varied, the grounds are impeccable, even the parking is good. The front nine is a little shorter (though nothing's a gimme), with some longer, more challenging stuff on the back nine. First played it in the summer of 2004 on the way to a job interview in | The course made more of a corporate impression than did any individual hole. I liked the one with the anhyzer curve uphill and the tight fence line threatening an O.B. if your drive is too high and falls back. | 57 (Short tees on 7, 10, 15 & 18)
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| 6 | The first five hole are rather pedestrian, move around the perimeter of the high school grounds type holes, then, unexpectedly, BOOM, it's up into the mountains and the course takes off. Spectacular views, longer throws, and big elevation changes. July 2005. | Hole 8 is a blind approach off of a tee pad just wide enough to stand on at the top of the mountain. The course is a work out just to walk, and there are better golf holes on the course (like 9 and 10), but oooh, it's purty. | 58 | |
| 7 | A beautifully constructed and well maintained course on sprawling farmland. Lots of elevation changes, some thick roughs, obstacles, and a great variety of holes. July 2005. | Hole 11 is a downhill approach with a carefully placed water hazard. Very pretty, and it didn't hurt that it was one of my two deuces that day. | 61 (Wished I could have putted better, but I did have one long chip in.) | |
| 8 | I liked the course. I was fortunate to be met by a local named Nate who showed my wife and I around the harder to find holes. (He was karmically rewarded for his kindness when the Disc Golf gods granted him his first ace that day.) A nice mix of wooded and open; not too many deuces for ams, but not oppressively hard. Well maintained. | Hole #11 finishes two that start the back nine a bit more open. Not a totally original hole, but it's aesthetically pleasing. | 57 | |
| 9 | This will be a very good course, but it was still under construction when I played it. I think the 620 foot hole is a bit silly, but what do I know? It's the type of wooded course I like. It punishes you if you leave the fairway, but there is plenty of fairway to drive through. There are two very tight fairways (13 and 17) and two elevation to elevation holes that are too similar. This is a longer course than you expect in the woods, but it is fun for being challenging. I deuced the very first hole I threw here--little did I know that would be it for the round! Oh, and there are a lot of recreational players on the course, which normally I don't mind, but not much disc etiquette the day I was there. | Hole #12 is a beautiful 345 foot hole that starts with a 260-270 foot drive and plunges down the hill to the left another 60 feet or so. If you fall off the fairway too early, you can make it up to the pin at the bottom of the slope through a wooded area, but there isn't a natural alley. If you crush a drive, you can dive off the slope and have a chance to go down the hill and maybe get a deuce. At the bottom is a small creek that makes approaching slightly more challenging and risky. This is a really fun hole. | 67 | |
| 10 | Not a super long course, but it does have a lot of amateur par 4s and 5s. Good course with lot of obstacles and a lot of trees. Kind of a 1/2 wooded course. It is not like playing in the woods (like Chapin), but there are more trees than an open course. Wish I could have played it some more, but the rain drove me away. | I kind of like hole #16. An up and down intermediate par 5 that, if you shoot a gap, you can make in three. At the bottom of the hill is an ampitheater for the park that gives it a nice look. | 62 (Only got to play it once, in 45 degrees and steady rain). | |
| 11 | I played this course on a Christmas road trip to | No particular one. | 53 | |
| 12 | Another course that was too long for me to do much with the first time I played it. Pros and advanced amateurs will like it for the challenge. Intermediates will have a tough time. In the course's defense (like it needs it), all the pins were in the long position the Monday I played it because of a tournament they had just finished. Remember to say hi to Monster the Cat at or around the pro shop. He was purring even before I picked him up. I returned to this course in July 2004 and took 12 strokes off my round (from 2002). Maybe I am getting better. Maybe the holes were easier. | I liked hole #13. It was a double mano with a slight right fade to the bottom of a hill. There were a lot of similar holes, though. | 57 (First 18 Holes Only) | |
| 13 | Like Roselane, this course is a nice mix of open and wooded holes. There is trouble on nearly every hole, but it is not a super hard course. Lacks the difficulty to be a top-tier course, but for amateurs it offers variety and challenge without being terribly frustrating. Last played in July 2004. | Lacks a true signature hole, but both holes 3 and 9 are a lot of fun. Hole 3 starts in the clear and goes into the woods where there is a down slope and then a rise in elevation. The change means you have to hit the alley right to get in the woods, but if you do you can deuce it. | 52 (18 holes only--they've been trying to put in more) | |
| 14 | There is a special kind of pain reserved for the intermediate who shoots +1 on a new course. This is a short, tight course, with many birdie opportunities. Tight but not particularly punishing fairways make this course fun. July 2005. | Welll I was -1 after 17 and +1 after 18 (hit a tree off my drive). Still hole 18, a 300+ foot, slightly uphill drive, makes a great challenge to finish a couse that might have been too short without one really long hole. | 52 | |
| 15 | Okay, I've only played a lot of these courses only once. My initial reaction, therefore, may be based partly on how hot I was that day. My infatuation with Timmons might be helped by the fact that I had six deuces the first round I played. This may mean the course is too short or simple for top tier plaeyrs. For amateurs and recreational players, though, it is a nice mix of holes and is very playable. | I like hole 7, because it gives amateurs a taste of risk-reward factors that make a good golf hole. It is short, but it curves around the water. You can shoot strait at the hole if you are confident you can carry past the water, but you risk going | 51 | |
| 16 | Lazarre DGC; West | A couple of caveats. I played what was called the “high water course,” and I played it from the short tees. Apparently when the water rises the course can be mixed up. Back 9 is more open, though the front nine has some long holes as well. Very nice use of park land to create a lengthy and challenging course with all variety of holes. | Hole 9 is short enough to reach, but it has a blind pin below a crest with the river in the background. You can get a two, but you have to be brave. | 50 (doubles with Cindy) |
| 17 | | Dual tees on each hole, excellent signage, and nice use of elevation changes makes this short, wooded course a lot of fun. | The signature hole, #12, is rather nice to look at, with a goalpost (tree split) in the middle of a fairway. | 50 |
| 18 | Although it is in a city park (I even went | Hole #11 is short, but I love its layout. Set diagonally over the creek, it is about 140 feet. You can take a wide anhyzer route for an easy 3, or you can go over the water and at the hole. Just don't be short. | 61 (Had 3 OBs--Would love another shot at this course). | |
| 19 | The layout predates distance revolution in plastic, but the new tees extend the course's length while retaining a classic feel. | Hole 14 is a moderate length (for this course), with a right fade and a pin by the edge of the creek. | 53 | |
| 20 | I liked Kilborne, though I only got to play it once. It is long and in the woods. Although well maintained, its signage could be better. The fairways are fairly wide, so most of the challenge comes from length rather than accuracy. Other than that, its only real draw back is its lack of imagination. | No real signature hole stood out to me. Though, as I said, I only played it once. | 63 (Pretty good round for intermediate amateur's first time on course) | |
| 21 | There are many things that can go into enjoying a round besides the course. Here I happened to show up in time for weekly doubles, and I have to say the group I played with was among the nicest I've run across in the 13 or so states I've played. July 2003. July 2005, two holes had been taken out, alternates made it a little longer. | Hole #3 was a nice drive over water. | 55 (Doubles) | |
| 22 | I drove an hour in 95 degree heat (and no AC) to play this course, so I wasn't in the best mood when I got there. I ran out of energy by the end. Nice course loses points for poor signage and having a lot of trash on it. July 2003. Replay in Summer 2006. Was much nicer, though I couldn’t remember any of the holes. | It was nice to finally get to chuck a drive on #17. | 54 | |
| 23 | Windy the day I played, and I threw one | Hole #4 is a tight little dowhill deuce hole. Hole #18 is a long up and down. Get your drive over the hill (or at least high enough) and you have a chance at 3. | 56 | |
| 24 | Laugh at me now. I had one day in | Hole #3 was a long downhill fairway, but it was slightly different in that you had to shoot a hedge and had woods if you go too far. Maybe I just liked it because I deuced it. | 57 (I was even par the last 10 holes--I would like to play this a couple times. Still there aren't too many birdies here for those who can't drive over 300 feet.) | |
| 25 | Close to my in-laws, this course is a nice mix of wooded and distance throws. The signage was bad when I was there, and there are a couple of very short holes (one is under 200 feet) and one ridiculous tee placement that asks you to turn right on a dime. Still, it is a pleasant course. I last played it in December 2003, and hole #1 was dismanteled due to erosion. | Hole #6 is an elevation to elevation shot with the hole placed slightly left and in a flat putting circle next to a utility buidling. A beautiful hole to watch and play, its tee shot comes out of the woods. | 53 (I only played first 18 holes) | |
| 26 | Admission to the park was $4, which is a bit steep if you want to play it regularly. The back 9 is a bit longer and more challenging. I lost one disc in the lake, though. | Actually, I like hole #1. From an elevated tee, you have to either go high over a tree and then hyzer it in or drive it with a slice. | 57 | |
| 27 | This course is not in the best area. A youth on a bicycle offered to sell me brass knuckles, and I had to step over a dead raccoon by an access road. Still, it was a challenging course, and the local players were friendly. | Hole #4 or #5 was over water. It was very aesthetically pleasing. | 62 (Winddddy)
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| 28 | I played Sylmar 3 times while on vacation, and I have to say it grew on me each time. The initial reaction towards the course was disappointment; there were eroding tees and little signage. Apparently it was hit hard by El Nino. Once you start playing the course, though, you find some interesting layouts. It is challenging without being impossible. No par 4s here, but they make you work for your 2s. Last played, June 2003. (They lengthened some holes from last time) | Hole #10 is blind approach that you have to turn right, and it has a line of trees at about the 70-100 foot mark. It is doable, but the uphill rise makes you elevate the disc and the pin is by a slope that carries you away if you miss high or don't get enough anhyzer. | 55 (Shoulda been under par, but my putter failed me.) | |
| 29 | | Everything fell right when I played this course in the Summer of 2006. After a horrible tee shot and putt on #4, I made a long putt out of the ditch to save bogey. After that I made 5 birdies without another bogey, including 4 on the back nine. It was a little windy, but I got it before it was too windy. If I have a knock on this course it is that the holes are too similar. There are a lot of old growth trees and the fairways aren’t well defined. As a result, a number of holes are throwing in the direction of a hole and hoping to find an alley. Short enough, though, that an intermediate player can make birdies if he misses trees. | Don’t know if it was the best hole, but #1 was the most memorable simply for coming out of the woods and thus being a little different. | 50 |
| 30 | I first played this course in July 2004. My PDGA rating was something like 815. I shot a 49. It's fun for an amateur to be in the 40s, but I think it might get boring after a while. | There was one hole that shot over a small creek into a slightly protected wooded area. There was some variety with elevation changes that made | 48 | |
| 31 | A great campus course, it uses its limited space to good advantage. I played in December 2003, and it looked as though some holes had been lengthened, so the signage wasn't always accurate. I deuced the first hole but that was it. | Hmm. A lot of right fades here, and a lot of similar holes. I guess I liked #1 best since I deuced it. A well placed tree makes the tee shot more difficult than its length would suggest.. | 58 (I think I could have shot this better with another chance.) | |
| 32 | Higher Ground; | Very nice private course with home made baskets. | I enjoy Hole #2. It’s a blind downhill that is reachable, but it’s on a slope. | 40 (I’ve only played doubles here. Needless to say, my partner was pretty good that day.) |
| 33 | I played a tourny here in 2003. I arrived at last minute. It was slooooow play. It rained towards the end. I don't remember the course much. | The short one over the pond, Hole 11, I think. | 61 (Includes a lazy 5 on 18) | |
| 34 | The course I grew up on was a wooded course, more about accuracy than length--hence the low best score. I threw this course four times a week through most of late high school (mid 80s), with a classic Aero. I've thrown two aces on this course, one on hole #2 and one on hole #4 (although it was hole 7 at the time and there was a tree in front of the basket that is now gone). There is a lot of traffic on this course. | Hole 5 was an intermediate par 5--a long hole wrapping around the lake. After the first time I eagled it, it became the make or break hole for a good round. ( I went back in summer 2002, and this hole was gone. I guess hole 17 is my favorite now.) | 46 (With, no kidding, one disc: an original Champion Aero) | |
| 35 | It's not politic to bash Redan in | Hole 15 is supposed to be the signature hole, but I kind of like #5 (with pin in the medium position). A long drive with a dip into a sparse wood, it is a tough hole that can be a 3 and can be a 5 (for us lowly amateurs). | 61 | |
| 36 | Beginning in August of 2004, this will probably be the closest course to where I'm working. I checked it out on a trip to my new job, and I was fortunate enough to find a weekly doubles. Seems pretty short (especially the front 9) for a course established in 1993. Two holes had recently been added in back 9 to make it longer. | So many courses end with a long hard hole to cap the course that it is nice to have a birdie opportunity on 18. Teeing from a small island in the parking lot, the fairway goes over a low fence, into the woods, and ends in a very slight right fade. The pin placement makes it a bit harder than it looks to get a deuce, but it is short enough that even intermediates have one last chance to shave their score. | 48
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| 37 | A bit longer than most classic courses, Druid Hill was one of the first courses I played in a "downtown" park. Open courses are not my favorite, but this one makes good use of elevation changes so that it's not all just long. Excellent use of signage to designate alternate pins. July 2005. | Probably the two tiered downhill over the road (7? 8?), though I confess that the propped up tree branch by 15 or 16 is a nice psychological barrier. | 56 | |
| 38 | Was feeling pretty good about my game after an early summer, so I thought I would try a new course. Got there around | Hole 17 is about 280 feet from elevation, although it's a blind approach. It was nice to have a makeable shot on the back nine, but by that time it was soooo hot and I was draaaaaaging. | 59 | |
| 39 | Another course that is within an hour of my new residence. Arnette does a nice job varying holes with the limited land it has. Odd thing--I was there on a Wednesday morning and there was nobody else on the course and cobwebs across several tees. The course as a whole didn't look in disrepair, but it also didn't look like it got much traffic. There were a few tight holes on front nine. The alternate course is long, and it is comprised of alternate pins, not tees, so if you get that configuration—too bad. | Hole 15 is a tad over 300 feet; you need to get a good drive before the fairway turns right. It is not a spectacular hole, but it was nice to finally get to rip a drive. | 56 (missed about three putts inside 15 feet) | |
| 40 | This is a long and fairly open course, though it does use trees as obstacles and to mark fairways. The rough is rough, particularly when wet. | I beleive it was hole #3, a two-tiered fairway with a pin just inside the woods. The slope up to the second tier makes you decide whether to try to carry the incline on your drive. If you can't, your approach is shorter but at a bad angle. | 60 | |
| 41 | Played +5 on two holes and -1 on the other 16. Talk about a frustrating round. Tended to like the wooded slightly better than the open. | Hole 13 (I think) is an uphill shot with a tree in the way. It's reachable, but you have to choose whether to go either left or right. | 58 | |
| 42 | Opened in 2003 about three miles from my door. How can I not be ecstatic? Later that year, I moved across the street from the park. I can literally see the course from my front door. The first round I ever shot there was a 68. I managed to throw par before I left, though. | Hard for me to say. There are quite a few similar holes. (The front 9 is mostly uphill with straight, tight fairways.) I like Hole 11 because of a real cool looking tree at the end of the fairway and because the fairway is a little more reasonable than some of the tighter fairways. | 54 | |
| 43 | Played in December 2005. Great signage. Long tees are a bit too tight, short tees a bit too short. Still a fun course for intermediates, since there are a lot of birdie opportunities. | There is an artificial island hole, but I like #16, a downhill from about 194 (from blue tees). I also liked #4, which has the feel of a real island hole with an anhyzer on a hill. Watch your footing. | 53 | |
| 44 | Played in October 2006. It was windy, and I was getting over the stomach flu. Main thing I remember not liking was that it was easy to lose a disc (which I did), and that the terrain could be steeply inclined in the woods and thus hard on my ankles at times. From a strict golf perspective, the short tees were basically straight shots. There were some elevation changes, but these were generally used to make downhill shots longer rather than to add character. Good signage, clear layout. Not a bad course (except for the wind), but not a particularly distinctive one. | Well, I suppose Hole 17, which was either 261 or 300 feet downhill, to the edge of a wood, was the most memorable, but only because it was the one I parked for a key birdie. Aesthetically, I’m not sure that the required throw was much different from other tee shots, so I’m really just feeling nice towards the hole on which I played well. | 0 (Played a Skins game) | |
| 45 | Eight deuces the first time I played, so this is a fun little course, even for amateurs. Also had two double bogeys from atrocious tee shots. There is not a hole on the course that can't be birdied. Wooded holes give lots of shade. There are quite a few right turning holes. | Hole 9 or 10 (I forget which) was a short right hook, but it was elevation to elevation, making it slightly more interesting to me. | 47 | |
| 46 | Little windy, but well maintained. A few too many similar holes (two elevation to elevation holes back to back), but a fun amateur course that is short enough to let ams get birdies but not so short as to be no challenge at all. | Hole 9 or 10 was a downhill to a slight return to elevation with well placed foliage and a creek to create a challenge. | 52 | |
| 47 | A couple of the wooded holes are a bit too similar (long and straight through a defined fairway), but decent use of elevation changes and a fair mix of challenging and accessible for the amateur player. July 2005. | Hole 9, I think. Nothing like having a stone wall in the middle of a forest to make you say, "Who put that here?" | 55 (The dreaded double nickel for a one time only course.) | |
| 47.7 | Kind of a boring layout, but that has a lot to do with the narrow strip of land they had to work with. One of the busier parks I've visited. A lot of 250-300 holes, mostly open, with a few obstacles. | Hole 14 or 15 was an elevation to pin shot that is blind off the tee because of some bushes that you have to throw over. Takes a fairly routine whole and adds a bit of spice. | 53 | |
| 48 | | Really two courses in one. Seriously. You have to leave the park to get from front nine to back nine. Front nine is relatively long and open, the back is short and wooded, and less well maintained. | Hole six uses parking lot and one tree to make it a bit more than just another 300 foot, wide open shot. | 54 |
| 49 | This is not a bad course, but it is fairly one dimensional. Although the footage is short, there are a lot of elevation changes that make it play longer and a lot of narrow fairways. It's a wooded course. Watch your step; it's easy to turn an ankle with the steep ups and downs. | Hole #1 is short, with a very steep downhill grade. You can't just throw your drive soft or it will fade; you have to line-drive it straight down. | 59 | |
| 50 | Seven | Have I mentioned how much I prefer alternate tees to alternate pins? Why? Well, if the pins are in the long position, you are playing the long course. And I did. Kudos to Raleigh Area Disc Golf for at least posting on web site when pins are in the long. If you are in | Hard to tell because I played a weird configuration. Hole 9 was short enough for an amateur to hit it. | 61 |
| 51 | Not my favorite course. Built on old farm land, the course is more distance than accuracy oriented. There are a lot of open throws with the pin tucked behind a grove of trees. | Hole 15 is a beautiful two-tiered fairway with the slope of the tiers being wooded. You have to throw well on your tee and position yourself to get up the rise with some force. | 62 I know I've thrown this better, but I've only recently kept my socrecards. | |
| 52 | My friend John really likes this course, and he was surprised I didn't like it more. I generally like wooded courses (accuracy over distance), but some of the holes here were just ridiculous (like #11). I don't mind having to shoot a gap or having a punishing wooded area if you miss the fairway. There is a difference, though, between shooting a gap to a fairway and shooting a gap to more woods and hoping you "find a hole." One caveat: I played in a tournament, so we had to use the pro tees. I might have enjoyed it more if I had started with some of the amateur tees (although some of these looked way too easy). | A lot of people at the Ice Bowl considered the island hole the signature of the course, and I did deuce it, but for my money, hole #2 is a nicer golf hole. It is 311 feet with the road off the woods on the left of the fairway; this hole slopes gently right. At about the 280 mark there is a creek that you have to pass over, and the the pin is accessible on the other side, but you do need to get through the obstacle around the creek. An interesting hole. | 69 | |
| 53 | It's always nice to have a few courses that an intermediate player can step on and throw in the 40s. It was a bit windy that day. More of an obstacle course than a fairway course, it was pretty accessible all the way around. Summer 2005. Summer 2006. | I'd have to play it more than once. | 49 | |
| 54 | For a campus course, this is a nice course. Some holes on back 9 are a little too open, but a nice variety from beginning to end. It is probably a little short for the pros (16 holes under 300 feet), but it is fun for amateurs. I played one of my better rounds here. (2 holes were not playable b/c of construction in Summer 2002) | Hole #4 plays to a corner of a boxed-in area with a perimiter of fir (or possibly pine) trees. One of the longer holes that is still deucable, but it has a lot of obstalces. | 49 (17 Holes Playable in 2002) | |
| 55 | By definition courses less than 18 holes have a hard time getting high marks on the list. I like the layout here, though. Although the holes have to go around the perimeter to share the park, there are some nice pin placements and obstacles to make is challenging. I like the Mach IV baskets too. The fact that I shot a -3 helped, too, no doubt. | I believe it was hole #5. It is not too long, but the hole is placed in between rows of small trees. Right now you have to go over the top, which makes it longer. As trees grow it will get interesting. I got a deuce, but I had to fight for it. | 33 | |
| 56 | This course was really busy on a weekday when I drove through, and the locals were not exactly sober or courteous. I guess there was not much else to do. The course had nice variety, though I would have stood a few more wooded holes. | Hole #6, while not quite "spectacular," does offer a great view of the river valley. | 58 (Not my best day.) | |
| 57 | The signage was rough, and I came within a few feet of getting a black ace. Decent variety of hole types. I couldn't play last 9 (of 27) because there was a wedding at the park. Okay, I could have played it, but I was trying to be a nice ambassador for the sport. I left a disc on the course and a local returned it to my hotel room after calling my cell phone. I thought that was pretty nice. | No comment. | DNF | |
| 58 | Yeah, yeah, I know. World class course. Site of 2001 World Championships. Perpetual USDG Nationals. It is a good course for pros and advanced, I guess. But it seemed to me to be about one thing: long drives. It didn't help that the signage was poor (many tee pins and driving areas did not match up) making it hard to tell where you were throwing to. If you are a distance thrower, you might like it. | Depending on the signage it was either hole 17 or hole 2. An elevated tee shot going over the road with an interesting pin placement making it harder to hyzer too much without bringing the ropes course (which is OB) into play. | (Couldn't keep score as I didn't have score cards or proper course layout.) | |
| 59 | A bit longer than I expected, and while it's not quite as tight as Chapin, I did still feel too often that I was throwing at a wall of trees 200 feet up and hoping that my disc turned into a snake. Didn't help that I through my Sidewinder into the pond on 11 only to discover I was throwing at the wrong pin. July 2005. | Hole 16 is an elevation shot that goes over water. Those are always fun. | 60 (Didn't feel that bad, just no birdies to be found that day.) | |
| 60 | A bit short and a little unimaginative, the front nine has a few uphill shots to make it play slightly longer. The back nine mixe open with closed better. Not as short as | Hole 15 (I think), is a very gently sloping right turn that descends past a crest. After some shorter holes, this one has a few danger spots in it. | 49 | |
| 61 | Well if | Hole 10 is marked at 270 feet, uphill, wrapping around the back side of a building. With a sloping hill on your left and a creek running around the bottom, it is the most aesthetically pleasing hole | 44 | |
| 62 | This is a well maintained course that predates (I think) the plastic revolution. Many holes were under 200 feet, with the wooded section (in the middle) often under 150 feet. | Hole 17 finally took me out of the woods. The signs said that it was only 250 feet, but the steep uphill angle made it the best hole to pull a drive. | 51 Missed a few putts. | |
| 63 | Rained on me, so I only finished 11 holes. The front was short but windy. (Seems like a trend in the | Hole 10 (I think) was a fairly long drive along a treeline that ducks into the woods. Can't go in to early if you want an angle for the approach. | 32 Throuh 11; then the lightning came. | |
| 64 | I probably would have liked this course better if the lights for "night golf" had been turned on. Yeah, I'm the weird guy who goes to | Well, the one's I played before the sun went down. | DNF | |
| 65 | Front nine is very short; no fairways to speak of here, just dense trees. All of them are reachable. The back nine is longer but mostly open. | Hole 11 is a traditional long open drive into a forest at the very end. | 53 | |
| 66 | Okay, it was November. The wind was gusting 25 mph, there was poor signage, and nobody else was on the course. On the plus side, however, I got | Well there were a lot of nice ones, but I'm not sure I played them right. | DNF | |
| 67 | I shot a 47 the first time I stepped on the course (and I'm not a great player), so you know this course is short and easy. Predating the plastic revolution, it is still fun, but not particularly challenging. Mosquitoes were particularly bad the day I was there. | No particular signature holes. | 44 (And I didn't putt well) | |
| 68 | Actually there were some pretty interesting holes for the amount of space they had. It would be better if they had more holes (I hear rumors there is a back 9 in the woods, but I couldn't find it.) | Hole #8 is a short blind shot from the base of a small hill. You have to go over a hill with enough accuracy to miss trees and bushes on top but still hit your target area. You can take a safer hyzer route, but it is harder to bird. | 29 (Front 9 only) | |
| 69 | The PDGA listing is deceiving. This is really a 9 hole course with alternate tees on some holes. Because it is a shared park, the holes have to go around the perimiter. Hence, you have a lot of moderate length holes (300-400 feet) with no obstacles. I will say this, the view of the mountains in the background was stunning. | I didn't catch the hole #, but there is one that goes over a small pond that is aesthetically nicer, although, in reality, the play of the hole was about the same as most of the others. | 29 (Another 20 feet on my drive would get me about 5 strokes here easy.) | |
| 70 | | Weird PDGA course listing made this course seem longer than I expected. It was okay for a city park, though poor litter and signage loses it points, as does being less than 18 holes. Still, for a city park, it’s not bad. The three bonus holes across the road were around the perimeter of a field and not very interesting. | The elevation hole that shoots over the trees. It’s not too hard if you can throw hard enough. | 49 (doubles with Cindy) |
| 71 | Mid | Fine for a 9 hole course, but it is a nine hole course. Of course, if I were going to school there, I would love it. | Hole 5 (I think) is shorter but uses a line of tees. Nice for some variety. | 27 |
| 72 | Basically a neighborhood park with a few baskets and some very confusing signage. The two or three holes that I could find where the tee sign matched the basket were pretty short. | I picked a spot and threw at a basket that was about 300 feet away. Then I picked another basket. Basically a nice practice field for the locals. | DNF | |
| 73 | Todd and I disagreed. He thought the course was dying; I thought it was a work in progress. Only four holes had baskets. I got rear-ended by a | Hole 7 (or is it Hole 4? I feel like I'm talking about Star Wars...the last one with an actual basket) borders the road, slighly longer, with a left turn. | 13 (Todd would not let me claim 2s for all the holes that weren't there.) | |
| 74 | The course was closed to the public when I went in July 2005. Thanks PDGA website. :-( | I played one hole to get NH on the board, but I couldn't really play the course. | 3 | |
| 75 | What a disappointment! I was visiting my brother in | Not a one. | Could not finish. |
Additional Parks Played and relative positions:
20.5 Boyer-Hedges Park; Tiffin, Ohio. Relatively new. A few long, open holes, and not too much variety on them, but some decent use of shared park land. Shot a 56 (-1) on 19 holes in Summer 2007.
64.5 Ohio Northern University; Ada, Ohio. Loses points for pointless and rather boring long tees that were mandated in tournament that I played. 20-30 mph wind gusts that I was told were common. OB sidewalks run through holes at seemingly random intervals that neither penalize bad throws nor rewards good ones. Don't need a variety of shots, just to be able to huck it long in the wind.
28.5 Johnson Street Park; High Point, NC. Dedicated park with lots of birdies from short tees. Good variety for a wooded/open short course.
46.5 Barnet Park; Kingston, NC. Not saying it is bad; this list is what I like, not necessarily the best. Again, I played a tourney and had four rounds from long tees. By the end, I was just too darn tired to care. Might like it better if I went back.
Rum Village Park; South Bend, Indiana
Deforest, Wisconsin
Acorn Park; St. Paul, Minnesota
Oak Grove Park; Fargo, ND.
Alimagnet State Park; Burnsville, MN
Carroll Marty DGC; Ames, IA
Long View Park; Rock Island, Illinois
Pioneer Park; Kirkland, Illinois
Newport News DGC; Newport News, VA (May 2008)
Iroquois Park; Louisville, Kentucky
Decent older course. Short for advanced but not automatic on every hole and some longer holes on back nine. Good mix of shots with some elevation and water in play by a few holes. I shot a 53 with a bad 3 putt (hit basket and rolled away). Mach 3 baskets can be a bit hard to see, and would shoot lower if calibrated to water--played conservatively first time around. Bit busy, but I played on a Saturday. Some recreational players but people were basically nice.
Played: June 2009.
Garry E. Cavan Park DGC
Played while scoring AP exams for a week in Louisville. Fun course for a neighborhood park. Number of short holes and nothing hugely challenging. Some thick brush makes it easy to lose disc on a few holes but locals are friendly. Signs are in general vicinity of tees, but generally in between front and back tees. I shot a pedestrian 52 that shot have been a 50 or so, but getting the lay of the land.
Played: June 2009.
McLean Central Park; McLean, Virginia
Rank: Unranked
Best Score: 22 (9 Holes)
This is a nine hole course with Mach 1 baskets that looks like it was established in the late 70s or early 80s (most holes still have signage that says PAR 4 for 200 feet holes).
Obviously it is not a competitive tournament course, but it's fine for what it is. Most of the holes are around 200 feet or less, but it uses the woods to make you be accurate and has some left and some right turning holes. Hole 4 is over 300 feet and does let you shake it out. Fun little family course or lunch hour course to work on your short game.
I also like it because I got my fifth career ace on this course--the 146 foot hole 9 that I threw with an Innova Dragon.
Last played: March 2009.
Wailoa State Park; Hilo, Hawaii
Rank: Unranked
Best Score: N/A (Safari Golf)
(Cindy playing from the drop zone of our double mando hole)Middle Creek DGC; Cary, NC
Rank: Unranked
Best Score: 54
Middle Creek is all the rage at the moment, and it is now the closest course to my home. There's nothing wrong with the course, but this list is of my favorites. I find this course rarely surprises me. The rounds are too much alike, in part because the longs are not really birdie-able for an intermediate player and the shorts are too short. (They are really junior tees rather than am tees. I've shot double digit down from the short tees.) I'd probably like it better if I did something like at Cornwallis where players often introduce an element of randomness into is so that sometimes you play the short and sometimes the long.
I'm sure advanced players like it quite a bit because it is challenging, and it is a good separation course--it tends to punish bad shots and make it hard to recover, so you tend to get separation of scores between skill levels. In some ways it reminds me of Zebulon in that the holes I can birdie are not that many and the holes that I can't even if I throw well predominate. Which tends to make for some frustrating rounds.
Again, it's not a bad course, just not one of my favorites.
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