Pros:
Aesthetics/vibe:
This is where this course is pretty much unmatched. The only other course that even comes close in this regard is Bucksnort in Colorado. The amazing desert landscape with these beautiful, vertical, red rock spires is unlike anything these eyes have ever seen. Coupled with the gorgeous Colorado River as a backdrop to the property and course combined with absolute quiet and solitude makes this place special. Wild life is abundant here as well, saw lots of lizards, chipmunks, all sorts of birds, insects. Did not see any rattlesnakes or cougars (mountain lion) fortunately. Although the course itself is wild and fun there is so much more to this special area than just a disc golf course.
Amenities of the property:
Tom (the owner) has several options if you're planning on staying a few nights. The hogans are primitive shelters made out of straw and mud and whatever is around when building, I didn't stay in one but looked at them up close and they look like fun, even fire pits are nearby for some true hippie guitar fun, drinking or any other substances that would be a blast to enjoy out here. You can rent ATV's here for much cheaper than in Moab and there are off road trails starting pretty much where his property ends. Fishing, hiking, canoe or kayak fun, even a sandy beach at the river. For an off the grid adventure you can't beat this place.
Course overview:
First up you should go and find Tom who is either inside or outside on the porch and meet up with him. He will give you a map that shows you both the blue and red tees and has hole information and comments/tips on those holes on the back of the map. A side note; even though there is no cell service for whatever reason Udisc was still working for me so I used that most of the time. Hole 1 starts behind Tom's place toward the river. Holes 1-3 throw around the cabin until hole 4 and this is your last chance for water (which is provided by Tom) or snacks or whatever you need from the car. This is where the course starts to get really fun!
You're throwing uphill by this point with baskets near all of the boulder fields and going long or left has your disc falling off a cliff basically. You play around the hogans and start making your way downhill again. Many awesome holes in this section have you throwing a top of the world shot to a basket tucked in to boulder fields and dirt mounds with trees and bushes blocking your way. After the long par 4 you play up the rocky side of a cliff face and this is where your discs get really banged up and you feel like this is what playing disc golf on the moon feels like only with gravity. You get another big downhill throw off the top of this section to a basket in front of a large flat rock face that you eventually make your way down to. The last couple of holes play mostly flat back towards to cabin and your car.
Cons:
Let's talk about the drive in. While it is a stunning drive, it is also freaky if you're afraid of heights even a little. You start out from town and see a bunch of people camping out by the side of the road and then nothing but silt/dirt until you start going uphill. Now when I did it the county recently graded it so it was pretty smooth and I didn't have to cross any creeks. If you're doing this early in the season you may have to get a little wet. When you start heading uphill towards Hurrah Pass the road gets rocky, I mean BIG rocks that you have to avoid. The road snakes uphill, is very narrow, and one mistake and you are falling to your death. We call these shelf roads because if you fall off the shelf you're a goner. You'll notice the closer and closer you get to Base Camp the worse the road gets. After Hurrah Pass you think you've accomplished something but there are still rough times ahead all the way down until you hit Base Camp. We made it in a Subaru Outback, my dad driving who used to do off road rally in the 70's and 80's. While he was concentrating, he was also smiling while I was half smiling and half pissing my pants. Having all wheel drive was helpful for sure and there were spots where if we didn't have it we might have gotten stuck. If you have confidence in your driving skill and have an AWD vehicle you can make it no worries as long as you go slow and pick your spots in the road. 17 miles took us 90 minutes.
Other Thoughts:
Make sure to check out his pet tortoise Kobae. Not sure how old this big guy is but he still moves really well and was expecting us to feed him I think. Take some carrots or something with you to feed this guy, way to cute not to.
Moab is a beautiful city and of course there are other activities around town. Canyonlands, arches, among other national parks are just outside of town. I recommend a good week minimum between Base Camp and Moab to do all of the fun things around there.
Overall this is one of the best experiences of my life disc golf or otherwise. This is the definition of a destination course. A truly epic adventure that no disc golfer should miss out on. I can't say enough about Tom and his hospitality. Go play it, make plans right now, purchase your ticket or load up the cart just GET OUT HERE!