Orchard Park, NY

Chestnut Ridge - The Ravine

3.735(based on 47 reviews)
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12 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.3 years 316 played 298 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Still Worth the Trip

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

- set in a beautiful and well maintained multi-use park
- area of the park is mostly dedicated to disc golf
- incredible elevation change on holes playing near the ravine
- some decent elevation change on most other holes
- almost entirely wooded with some great technical challenge
- solid Innova DISCatcher baskets
- three tees per hole, though only can find all three on some holes
- concrete paver tees on most holes (at least one of them, anyway)
- picnic tables and garbage cans throughout course
- challenge factor can't be beat with baskets near ravine edge
- rough is very forgiving and light on debris
- nice use of built-in bridges over creek/ravine where needed
- course map on back of course information sign
- not many safety hazards
- huge variety of possible hole lengths across the various tees

Cons:

- as noted by virtually everyone, tee signs are insanely high up and many are missing entirely
- alternate tees are not clearly marked and in some cases can't be found
- navigation can be confusing; you will want the course map
- next tee indicators and signage in general are pretty terrible
- pars are overly generous on almost every hole

Other Thoughts:

There are clearly some polarizing opinions on Chestnut Ridge. This was my #1 course in the Buffalo area I wanted to check out, and I'm glad I did. It appears there have been problems with vandalism and garbage in the past, and this is why the tee signs ended up mounted on trees 10-12' up in the air. It's definitely weird and they are hard to notice, but I guess there's a reason. While some garbage cans were overflowing here, I didn't find the course exceptionally messy overall.

The reality is the equipment here isn't great. There are 3 tees per hole, but some only have one done in concrete pavers and the others are rubber, or worse, natural and not really marked. I can deal with natural tees but if they aren't well marked, especially on a woods course like this, they just disappear into the forest over time. Similarly, so many tee signs are missing. Navigation was difficult and I feel like it didn't have to be if there were decent next tee indicators. The baskets were fine, but that was about it.

The hardest part of navigation may have just been finding the course itself - the first tee is by the main building you see across the entry drive from the parking lot. If you go towards the back of this building there is a dropoff/sledding sort of hill and this is where the first tee is. This hole is mostly out in the open and after that, you barely emerge from the woods until the end. The natural beauty here cannot be overstated - no, it's not the mountains, but it's crazy hilly with mature trees and is a beautiful park to play disc golf in.

Now, onto the actual gameplay - if you can overlook some of the warts and the navigation, what a fun course. This is not a place to take beginners, and if you are going to get upset about finding a way to climb down a ravine to find your disc - best stay at your municipal park's local flat 9 hole. At least one reviewer referred to the ravines as dangerous - well, yeah, if you fall off the edge it's going to hurt - but this course is no more dangerous than any other course with dropoffs. Exercise care and you will be fine, but you'll want to bring your hiking boots and keep an eye on your shots for this one.

I played the white tees (at least where I could tell which tee was white) which is a nice middle ground. There is lots of variety in length depending on the tee you choose, but for your given tee, lengths are pretty consistent throughout. You be making plenty of differerent shots here and you will be challenged to hit your line. I can't overstate the fun factor here if you love woods an elevation.

There are so many noteworthy holes with cool ravine shots here, practically from start to end. For me, the signature hole is 15, a long shot thrown from elevation out over the ravine, parallel to it's length, finishing at a basket on the ravine edge at much lower elevation - what a cool view and line to hit.

While the course par isn't that big of a deal to me, it is unquestionably too generous here - about one stroke too generous per hole. I scored -17 on my round which... is not a score I get. 17 birdies in 18 holes makes you feel good about your round, I suppose!

I didn't note many safety hazards here - a few holes played near roads and walking paths but nothing egregious. Hole 14 to hole 15 required backtracking through fairways which was not ideal. I was here early on a Saturday morning and it was pretty quiet, but it was still early. This particular traversal would not be great when busier, and it sounds like this course does get busy.

If the equipment and navigation here were a bit better, there's no question this course would be a 4.0 - 4.25. However, with all of the cons noted being fairly significant, I think it's playing like a 3.5 for now. It's still absolutely worth the trip here for a really cool and unique course. Highly recommended if you are in the vicinity.
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10 1
paul2432
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.4 years 123 played 15 reviews
0.50 star(s)

What's not to like? Most of it.... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course really helped establish disc golf back in the early part of this century. Lots of challenging shots as you play up and down and around a ravine through a fairly wooded course.

First hole offers a stunning view of Buffalo in the distance.

Has three sets of tees.

There is at least one tee pad made of some kind of rubber material at each of said tee.


Decent tee signs.

Most of those course is played in the woods and there are some decent lines you can hit to score well.

Only 5 year old Innova Pro DISCatchers

Playing through the woods provides some nice hikes between holes. Most of the course is away from other park activities.

Cons:

OMG - where to begin.

The county refused to allow a local club to install concrete so they installed those rubber like tees that even on a dry day like today feel a little bit slippery (and it was sunny and dry when I played). If there's rain or snow on them, you now have roughly 22 4' by 10' ice skating rinks. And only some of the holes have two tee pads. Also I saw one red brick out of 18 holes marking the rec tees.

Because the course is popular what the locals called "the Ridge Rats" - kids from around the area who destroy everything and anything they can in the park, the local club had to install tee signs about 12 feet up trees so the rats wouldn't take them home as souvenirs. So the signs are there but they're hard to read.

Most of the holes are about the same length - not much of a variety in distance. And while most of the holes have lines to hit to get near the basket, more times than not - that great drive you just threw nicked a tree and is suddenly kicked at a 90 degree angle into the woods. You can easily get a two or a par on a hole and the next round you can get a double bogie by one bad kick. You have to have nearly perfect shots to hit the proper line or you end up hitting anything but the fairway.

A few holes by the ravine are simply dangerous. I mean really dangerous. Overshoot a putt on a basket that's on the edge of the ravine and you're heading for a five minute expedition to retrieve it.

There are waaaay too many dead trees (also known as widow makers) that need to be taken down. One just came down and crushed one of the foot bridges.

Some of the baskets are higher than others due to either frost creep or when they installed new ones they used part of the old collar and they're two inches higher than the ones properly installed. (not a huge issue mind you but still.)

Finding the next basket can be brutal as directional arrows are few and far between,

At this time of year the garbage wasn't so bad, but in the summer months, the recs/ridge rats litter the place up terribly.

Other Thoughts:

The course almost feels like it has been abandoned even though that's not the case. The local club is doing what they can trying to keep the course playable. But the club just gets little if any support from the park's department. And sadly it shows.

By no means is this a destination course. Maybe 10 years ago, but time has been cruel to the Chestnut and there comes a point if it's worth keeping in the ground or pulling the baskets and starting out fresh in either another part of this park (it's huge) or another park all together.

On one hand the course is quite popular with recs and those ridge rats, so it serves a purpose for a lot of players. But anyone looking to play a solid round at a decent course - do not stop here. It's as simple as that.
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2 1
The Don
Experience: 8.3 years 18 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Walk In The Woods 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 11, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great course. It was an awesome walk in the woods with my buddies. Constantly hitting trees gets annoying but it's so cool to be in the woods and crossing creaks and walking up and down ravines and little hills.

Cons:

Hole 1 starts on the left side of a fence but the basket is on the right side. Don't throw too far right or you'll go over the cliff but take the safe shot in the field and you gotta go over the fence.
Hole 10 is hard to find. After you finish hole 9 cross the road and walk past tee 17 and then you'll find tee 10 on top of the little hill.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely worth the drive. I highly recommend it.
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3 1
whitefedora
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.1 years 947 played 36 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Real Wow 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 barstamped discatchers in surprisingly good shape.
3 tees per hole in relatively good shape. Not perfect, but good enough.
Tons of great shot shaping required. Plenty of elevation changes and risk reward. Just really fun, challenging golf.
The ground cover is mostly non existent, so losing a disc means you don't want to try and get it out of the ravine.
Plays remote from the rest of the park. Feels very much like disc golf dedicated land.
Mostly easy to navigate with just a couple tricky parts.
Really nice large sign/map by hole 1 and the giant sledding hill.
Two 9 hole loops that go near the parking lot.
Really nice wood work. Loved the bridge that crossed the ravine in the back nine.

Cons:

A couple of the holes felt a little bit tree heavy, but I feel like you mostly just have to figure out how to play the hole.
The tee pads could be leveled again.
Some of the signs are missing.
Very popular amongst the "chucked" crowd. I was pretty surprised to see as many people as I did for how challenging of a course this was.

Other Thoughts:

There are some really unique and fun holes here and some more typical looking holes that are just fun to play. The bomber hole right off the back down the slope was super fun to crush a putter down. Loved playing around and in the ravine. This is the kind of course that feels special and with a little bit more love could be really premiere. The longs are crazy challenging and you'd really have to be on point to play well from those. Surely if you played here all the time, you'd start to get good pretty quick. Or quit. One of the two.

I'm excited to get back here again some day for sure. Shoot, I'd like to try that giant sledding ramp sometime in the winter too, lol
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2 0
toddnick
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.4 years 86 played 31 reviews
3.50 star(s)

So Good and So Bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 25, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great design utilizing the ravine on nearly every hole.
- Lots of elevation change/you will be hiking as well as disc golfing.
- Beautiful water features on several holes.
- 15 holes are spent in the woods; each is unique and fair.
- Lots of risk/reward on tee shots and also on approach shots with baskets next to the ravine.
- Some memorable holes (1, 3, 9, 12, 13, 15).

Cons:

- Trash, by far the worst course in the Buffalo area.
- Crowds
- Tee signs that are hard to read because they are up so high on trees.
- Takes 20 minutes to get your disc from the bottom of the ravine and several baskets are less than 5 steps from the edge.

Other Thoughts:

I love short, wooded courses with lots of elevation change and beautiful scenery. This course has all of the above in spades. But it also has real issues with crowds and trash.
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1 3
osborncl
Experience: 18.6 years 7 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Unique & technical course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- BRAND NEW Terrecon tee pads for the whites and just about half the blues have Terrecon as well (very similiar to concrete but more sustainable & earth friendly)
- BRAND NEW signage along with some of the most unique yet well put together old school signage
- Designed by Doug O, the man who made the WNY Disc Golf scene what it is today
- "The Ravine" is a major obstacle on just about every hole, some holes more than others. Easily one of the best obstacles to have to deal with while playing a round of golf
- Heavily wooded, very technical
- The locals
- Hole 1 & Hole 9 both are signature holes although you could say that for most of this course

Cons:

- The biggest problem is and (for now) will always be the amount of bad people this course attracts. People who do not treat the course with the respect it deserves. After theses latest additions to the course all the locals are hoping to change the face of this course. So far, so good
- The amount of traffic during peak hours as this is the most popular course in town as of now
- Course can be very sloppy after long periods of rain
- Could use a few more benches on some holes but that is just getting picky

Other Thoughts:

I have played 86 disc golf courses around North America and I feel as if this place would easily make my Top 10. I can't imagine calling any other course around my "home" course. I was raised on this course and it has never looked any better than the way it looks today! Keep up the good work WNY Disc Golf, NRDG, and everyone else involved at this place, the hard work & dedication is bound to pay off.
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2 4
LKiener3
Experience: 23 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Love it! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Brand new teepads!
Brand new signage!
A dedicated group of people who try to keep it clean and well maintained!
Fun and challenging holes.
A great mix of long and short holes with natural obstacles.
Plenty of fun events held there.

Cons:

It can get a bit overcrowded at times.
There has been a general lack of respect for the course with littering and vandalism but the baskets are always sound and there have been great leaps forward with the dedicated Ridge group at keeping it clean and maintained well.
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1 1
oneCarney
Experience: 11.4 years 36 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Great variety of shots.
-Good Overall course flow
-Handful of Ace runs
-No Gimme Holes
-Plays well for both RHBH & LHBH players.
-Memorable shots and holes

Cons:

-Signage could be updated/improved
-At times this course can get trashed. I have personally filled a Garbage bag full of bottles and other various garbage and have seen others doing the same, but there is too much left
-Finally, the biggest con about this course are the Treacherous tee pads. Nearly all of them are uneven and are hazardous when dry.
-Tee pads are even worse after a snow/rain storm
-Did I mention, how bad the Tee pads are there?

Other Thoughts:

This is and will always be one of my all time favorite courses to play. On a clear day you can see Ralph Wilson Stadium, Downtown Buffalo, and Niagara Falls from the Tee of Hole 1. Also Hole 15 has a great line to it another one of my favorite shots.

CAUTION: The Ravine is very steep, so you must be careful retrieving discs. After heavy rain or when the snow is melting in the spring the water level can be high and very fast moving, it can take your disc from hole 7 back through the tunnel at hole 3, I seen'd it.
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5 1
obi1keno
Experience: 12.2 years 12 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

On my way to Buffalo, NY 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 5, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is a good variety of 18 holes. It is fairly long in my opinion and took about 1.5 hours to play in it's entirety. It's a good mix where some holes are nice and long while others are shorter and technical. There are also a few really challenging and fun putts where the basket is just feet from the edge of a 10-15 foot ravine. Can make for really ballzie putts.

It's practically on the route from Central PA to Buffalo, NY or Niagara Fall if you're traveling Rt. 219. The park that the course resides in is very large and there are plenty of other things to do there so if you're on a trip with the fam, they can do other things in the park while you disc it up!

One final nice feature is a place just behind the main building (to the left of Hole #1) that can be used as a driving range of sorts. It's downhill and wide open so throw away and get some practice in why don't you!

Cons:

While the holes have a great variety, some are just down-right impossible. The trees are just too thick on some holes with absolutely no clearing what-so-ever. Basically you'll be launching you disc tree to tree. It really stinks on Hole #18 because you can't even see the basket from the tee and there is basically no way to avoid the trees to get there. It would have been nice if some small clearings were made as tiny fairways of sorts.

Also, I played around 530PM on a Monday and the place was packed! There were large groups playing with 5+ people playing which slowed things down a bit. Groups were kind and let me play thru though. Lots of high-schoolers there playing / chatting / smoking so expect some bizarro stuff if you're going after school ends for the day.

One final con was that it was SUPER muddy. I'm told it hadn't rained there in days, yet some holes had giant mud pits you had to walk / putt through. It's likely due to the high foot traffic.

Other Thoughts:

This being my first time to the park, I had a REALLY hard time finding the first tee/hole. Basically you want to park in the GIANT parking lot at the main entrance (there will be a giant, green sign there for Chestnut Ridge Park). Once parked, head over to the main building (looks like a big camp hall) and go to the right side of the building. The first tee is the dirt pad on the right-back side of the building and you are throwing your disc down the hill, over the fence on the right to hit the hole in the wooded area at the bottom of fence. This was very strange to me.

I also was a little disappointed with the tees. They were just dirt (which I had read in other reviews) but really you can forget about having three to choose from. Most of the blue tees were mud pits and there were tree roots everywhere! It made it difficult to get a big approach for long drives. Frankly all the players I saw on the course throw from the same spot. Sometimes it's the white tees, sometimes it's the blue. It all depends on the mud really. If it's your first time playing there I highly suggest staying behind a group so you can see where they throw from and where the holes are. Better yet, ask if you can join them. With being so close to Canada, you're sure to meet up with some friendly folk! I'll be playing there again next time thru (although I will be bringing some other shoes to wear).
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2 1
Safbo
Experience: 30.4 years 8 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course is among the older ones in WNY, so is has the status of being good. Good thumber, tomahawk, roller, etc course, being as wooded as is it is but mind the ravine!

Cons:

Again course is older and could use some repairs. Also can be confusing in the back half to find your way from hole to hole.

Other Thoughts:

Over all an ok course if you really don't like driving far of the tees and want to get close to nature. Could stand a make-over, but is still a busy place.
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9 0
lcra0825
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.2 years 156 played 41 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beware of the Ravine 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- some very nice looking scenic holes centered around one big ravine
- good mix between hyzer and anhyzer drives
- three sets of well marked tees that stick out of the ground for easy finding (Although you might have to look abit to find certain ones because they are not always near each other) The signs can be useful to find the tee you are looking for
- There are signs, but they are not always where you would expect to find them

Cons:

- The big con is no tee pads which are very important to this course because of all the tree roots. On almost all the holes you have to be careful about tripping on roots
- It can be difficult to navigate certain holes I have gone to the wrong hole several times and had to go back and play the earlier holes. They have added some directional signs, make sure you pay attention to them. Also a map is available on this site or the niagra region disc golf site. When you go from 14 to 15 you have to cross back over the tee of like hole 12 or 13.
- Some of the baskets are awfully close to the ravine. It is relatively easy to have your disc go over the ravine. There is no ropes or steps leading down which means in order to get your disc you have to shimmy down the pretty steep ravine which could be even more dangerous in wet weather
- Although some of the holes are excellent (15 for example) after a while many of the holes tend to be be monotonous
- Because of the high traffic of the course, this course is run down with lots of trash and bottles lying around.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this course is fun but it can be frustrating not to be able to get a drive because of the lack of tee-pads. This is a also a very technical course so if you are looking for a course to really fling it, this is not for you. There are only three holes that are not in the woods. If you play this course on a weekend make sure you start early (8am or before) because it gets busy awfully quick.
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1 4
swil91
Experience: 19.5 years 22 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

chestnut 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

you're in the shade during the summer heat
good for beginners

Cons:

quite short, pars 5 play more like long par 3s or short 4s

Other Thoughts:

short, finesse course, what do we need to do to get the other Chestnut course put back in?!?!
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3 3
i2bdiscin
Experience: 13.3 years 15 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

down the ravine! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 5, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

its a challenging course with a nice layout that flows nicely with good signage. you need alot of finesse shots on some holes or you will find your self going down the ravine. theres acouple holes that you can just use power, but still need some luck to clear some trees. its definetly one of the better courses in new york., one that i would say compares is perhaps basil marella in rochester? its an easier emery i can say that if you ever been there. overall great course.

Cons:

could use concrete or at least rubber pads! tough to play here in fall with the leaves very easy to lose your discs!!

Other Thoughts:

its a great course for pros and amatuers. great for a challenge every time and if you live close by then it does the job that some of the rochester courses do with a less driving! defintely give it a 4.0 rating would be a 4 1/2 even a 5 with concrete pads. its a great wooded course!
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4 1
JacksonV1993
Experience: 4 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun, challenging course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 24, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This a very challenging, yet fun course to play. I had fun here and was able to impress myself a lot, but it put up a big challenge for me at the same time. The course has a few open holes in the beginning, and several wooded holes throughout. This is a great course to work on accuracy, but there are a couple holes that allow you to throw bombs in the open

Cons:

It is very easy to lose a disc on this course. The heavily wooded fairways and deep ravine make some discs difficult to locate. It doesnt help that there are several hills throughout the fairways that sometimes prevent you from seeing where it lands

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this was an amazing course. My first time playing it I played two rounds, and would have easily played more if I had enough time. Although I would not reccomend this course for a beginner or first-timer, it is an excellent challenge for anyone with little experience to several years of experience. Two thumbs up
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2 3
EricBoski
Experience: 15.3 years 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

4.5 Star Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This Course has a bit of everything, a couple open field drives right off the bat, as you move on into the trees your drives need to be more precise, and to top it off the death drops where you may think you have a good shot as it rolls all the way down the hill into a ravine. With that said I have never actually lost a Disc there, and it is my Home field Course. In all, the holes are well spread apart which makes it for a great round of Disc Golf...

Cons:

Begginers Beware! There are trees all over the place, which can make pros second guess themselves.

Other Thoughts:

The tees are not concrete but most holes are easy drives.
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5 0
jayman33
Experience: 18.6 years 49 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

the ridge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 30, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

description: most holes are quite tight and run around/through a giant ravine making a very creative course layout

multiple tees: small wooden markers with par and distance written on them allowing for slight variations of each hole.

hole design: first three holes are more open before you hit the woods and never leave them. hole one starts on the top of a giant sled hill and gives you a 381 foot downhill shot that you can weave through a fairway in some woods or swing out into the open far to the left over o.b. and hope to drop back right over a fence much closer to the basket.
holes in the woods provide a lot of variety. fairways run right and left, many holes have slight or drastic elevation, and holes run alongside or cross over the ravine. for instance, 9 is an awesome hole that tees off on one side of the ravine, over an island/plateau at the same height, and onto the other side of the ravine. 15 is my favorite hole of the course, teeing off along the side of the ridge, zig zagging 341 feet over the ravine to a basket probably 20 feet below the tee. another great hole is 12, which has a tremendous drop off behind the basket, easily 20 feet.

difficulty: high. chestnut is not very long, but the course is tight. with that said, the fairways are fair and can really test your concentration.

uniqueness: to design a course in this location was genius. the only other wooded courses in wny with so much variety are basil (rochester) and joralemon (check it out if you're ever in albany).

Cons:

tees: horrendous. natural tees that are very worn with roots nearby to avoid. concrete would be a HUGE help.

signs: old. not every tee has one. Need to be updated.

pars: to make every blue tee a par three (as listed on dgcr) seems a bit ridiculous to me for such a tight course. we play the blue tees but refer to the different pars written on the signs

crowds: you must show up early. we arrived around 12 on a saturday. horrible mistake. it was so busy, we skipped the first 9 and played the back, thinking the crowds might dwindle. when we returned to play the front, it was even more crowded then before with HUGE groups. that sucked.

Other Thoughts:

we try to take a trip to chestnut every year, if not more than once. Good course to play first, then pair with como
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6 0
Chiefstang
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.4 years 101 played 21 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Ridge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Great elevation changes.
-Tight, technical course after the first three holes.
-Restrooms in the main building.
-A HUGE sledding hill in the wintertime. Bring a sled for a few runs!
-"The ridge", which runs through the course offers a great risk factor. You won't really lose your plastic, but you'll hate climbing down to get it!
-There are a few holes here that could be signature holes.
-Very scenic any time of year.
-Multiple tees on every hole.
-Tons of parking, and well marked signs from the highway make getting there easy.

Cons:

-Tee pads are horrible. This is the busiest course in the Buffalo area, and the natural tees are starting to become a hazard. I've heard concrete is on the way.
-Crowded. Not just crowded, but crowded with a pretty rowdy crowd. Hate to ding a course for this, but unruly groups all around you can detract from the round. Play earlier in the day.

Other Thoughts:

-I had Simpletwist show me around here earlier in the day, but even then the crowd was pretty boisterous. I guess the locals call them "Ridge Rats", and a couple of them tried to grab our discs too.
-They are adding another 18 holes here this year, which should absolutely help with the congestion.
-Crowding aside, this course is worth a stop. The technical side of this course will compliment some of Buffalo's bigger courses making a trip to the area a worthwhile experience!
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7 0
sloppydisc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 201 played 147 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Wow, that ravine again! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 12, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Multiple tee positions. Excellent variety of shots need, and lines to hit. You must have different skills for many of the holes. This course doesn't really favor FH or BH players. I never felt like anything was repetitive.

Risk vs reward is everyhwere here. The ravine along several of the holes is the obvious example. Put a disc down there and it will cost you strokes, as well as one heck of a climb. It got me once. Plan your shots and throw accurately, and you can score well here. A big arm isn't needed, but there are a few places to let it rip a little bit. No huge elevation, but a little bit to help mix it up. There is also a small creek throughout the course. You shouldn't lose discs, but it will make you think. Course is also easy to navigate.

Cons:

Just terrible natural tee pads. Nothing nice to say about them at all. There are signs, but they are in need of repair and/or updates.

For people that like to really throw bombs, this isn't your kind of place. Any length offered here still requires some control.

Other Thoughts:

I played horribly, but really enjoyed this course. The design and landscape really makes up for the poor signs and tee pads. Most of the course plays through the woods and tight fairways. But there aren't any fairways with no lines, and only a few that make you do a double take. They can be tight, but hit your spot and it's OK. With Emery not to far away there is something in the area for everyone. They are both challenging, but offer totally different feels and looks. Emery is the pretty girl, but Chestnut Ridge is a course that won't disappoint either.

May 30, 2012 UPDATE : Came back to see thenRavine again. This course has tons of upside, but looks like it gets no support from the park or maintenance. Garbage is at almost every hole, amd spread around the course. Pick your stuff up people. Pads still suck. There are a few plinko type holes, but this could be a very nice course with some work. Too bad it appears no one locally has the time, money or desire to take proper care of it. Great terrain and possibilities remain, but until someone takes up the cause this course won't ever reach its potential.
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Abystran
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Chesnut Ridge Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The Course is beautiful, and well designed. The main path winds in and out of the woods, and is slightly rugged (lots of roots and rocks), but a fairly easy hike... I'd leave your sandals at home though.

If you're looking to hone your thumber, or standard overhand shot- this course will give you plenty of chances, the course layout is almost entirely through a moderately dense deciduous forest. Just be prepared to hit some trees.

Picnic shelters, grills, and garbage cans are scattered throughout the park. For family (or large group) frolfers- its a great day trip if you have kids. If they get tired after the front nine- it's easy to take a sit-down, picnic/BBQ breather at almost any point.

Cons:

- No concrete tees... would be nice, especially in the springtime- gets a little muddy.

- A little more variation in hole types would be nice- all wood shots can get a little frustrating after awhile (Trees, Trees, and more trees)

- The ravine is beautiful, but terrible. Perfect shots can quickly turn into a 20 minute "slide down the ravine" debacle.

- While the shelters have garbage cans- can placement on the course is pretty sparse- sometimes the emptys can build up.

- Can sometimes be extremely crowded.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, a well designed, fairly challenging course (due to the high level of tree-obstacles)... Definitely worth a drive.
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OldSkoolKid
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good all rounder Course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 6, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Solid well rounded course. With plenty of holes for amateurs and seasoned players alike to be challenged and still enjoy playing. Favors accuracy throwing over power which allows younger players to keep up with older ones.

Cons:

The only really major down side to this course is it's very popular and can be crowed at times. That and the ravines that run along side the front nine are not fun to fetch a disc from.
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