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Glenn Bell Memorial DGC reviews
13
0
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
15.8 years
588 played
178 reviews
Double the fun in Portland
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 22, 2023
Played the course:once
Pros:
Previously a fairly-open nine-hole course in Richland Park, the recently renamed Glenn Bell Memorial course has doubled in size and now offers a heavily wooded back nine as a pleasant contrast with the original layout.
H.B. Clark designed both halves of this course and the boost to 18 holes definitely improves the experience and hole diversity at Richland Park. Most of the front half requires navigating just a few trees per hole while bringing some elevation into consideration, while the back half is full of tricky lines deep in the woods and not quite beaten in.
The front nine makes good use of its limited palette to provide several worthy holes. Hole #1 is a cool par-4 that requires a specific line through a wooden section to find the opening before prompting an accurate approach to a downhill basket. Hole #7 is a nice par 4, and while it includes avoiding the amphitheater and barn on the right, the fairway funnels slightly downhill to a lovely green under a few trees. Hole #9 forces a decision in picking a line through a few trees with OB sidewalks also an obstacle for consideration.
The teepads are good, though with two possible pin locations per hole, you will need to figure out which basket spot is being utilized on a couple holes. If all the pins are in the short positions, it's a par 57. All the baskets in the long positions add up to a par of 64. I don't know often they switch the basket locations, but it's a nice touch. The Mach7 baskets are newish and catch quite well.
Navigation seemed fairly easy. Most of the time, the next teepad and sign can be identified quickly, and for a few that were hidden, the correct direction seemed instinctual.
I appreciated Hole #2 having a tall flag on top the basket because the pin is blind from the teepad.
H.B. Clark designed both halves of this course and the boost to 18 holes definitely improves the experience and hole diversity at Richland Park. Most of the front half requires navigating just a few trees per hole while bringing some elevation into consideration, while the back half is full of tricky lines deep in the woods and not quite beaten in.
The front nine makes good use of its limited palette to provide several worthy holes. Hole #1 is a cool par-4 that requires a specific line through a wooden section to find the opening before prompting an accurate approach to a downhill basket. Hole #7 is a nice par 4, and while it includes avoiding the amphitheater and barn on the right, the fairway funnels slightly downhill to a lovely green under a few trees. Hole #9 forces a decision in picking a line through a few trees with OB sidewalks also an obstacle for consideration.
The teepads are good, though with two possible pin locations per hole, you will need to figure out which basket spot is being utilized on a couple holes. If all the pins are in the short positions, it's a par 57. All the baskets in the long positions add up to a par of 64. I don't know often they switch the basket locations, but it's a nice touch. The Mach7 baskets are newish and catch quite well.
Navigation seemed fairly easy. Most of the time, the next teepad and sign can be identified quickly, and for a few that were hidden, the correct direction seemed instinctual.
I appreciated Hole #2 having a tall flag on top the basket because the pin is blind from the teepad.
Cons:
Hole #5 struck me as one of those awful filler holes that shouldn't exist. It's 385 feet, wide open and the only obstacles are two wooded utility poles in the direct line from the teepad and basket.
The back nine is still a work in progress, with some wood debris and rutted areas present. Hole #17 appears to be in a construction transition. While it is playable, most of the hole goes over a wide open and recently tilled field. That area was a bit muddy when I played, so try to keep your disc on the grassy path to the left, if possible.
On several holes in the woods, the basket can not be seen from the teepad. One such hole is the wonky Hole #11, which has a very sharp dogleg right design. The par 4 demands a fairly straight shot for 150 feet, then a right-angle turn for the remainder of the hole. It's a weird hole.
The tee signs can be a little misleading, considering the rudimentary graphics used to indicate trees and fairways. Also, as can be common on H.B. Clark-designed courses, par gets blurred. There are a lot of 350- to 450-foot holes – some of which are long par 3s and others are short par 4s. I guess the overall par seems accurate for the course.
The back nine is still a work in progress, with some wood debris and rutted areas present. Hole #17 appears to be in a construction transition. While it is playable, most of the hole goes over a wide open and recently tilled field. That area was a bit muddy when I played, so try to keep your disc on the grassy path to the left, if possible.
On several holes in the woods, the basket can not be seen from the teepad. One such hole is the wonky Hole #11, which has a very sharp dogleg right design. The par 4 demands a fairly straight shot for 150 feet, then a right-angle turn for the remainder of the hole. It's a weird hole.
The tee signs can be a little misleading, considering the rudimentary graphics used to indicate trees and fairways. Also, as can be common on H.B. Clark-designed courses, par gets blurred. There are a lot of 350- to 450-foot holes – some of which are long par 3s and others are short par 4s. I guess the overall par seems accurate for the course.
Other Thoughts:
The previous review and 1.5 rating by Trusted Reviewer Shadrach3 was written when the course was nine holes. Most of his pros and cons are still very true.
Glenn Bell Memorial belongs in the Good category now. A couple problem holes and the need for some beating in on the new wooded holes keeps the course at this rating, though with some tweaks and time, there is room for a higher ceiling.
Glenn Bell Memorial belongs in the Good category now. A couple problem holes and the need for some beating in on the new wooded holes keeps the course at this rating, though with some tweaks and time, there is room for a higher ceiling.
11
0
Where Open Holes are Better 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Dec 8, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
A new layout with nothing special but a few mistakes.
-Amenities: Except tee signs, solid. Course kiosk, concrete tees, Mach VIIs.
-"Friendly": Easy to play, hard to lose discs.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Generally, a suitable open challenge. Occasional trees dot the landscape, such as hole (3) forcing a calculated hyzer shot or the approach of (7) through shorter spaced out trees.. A couple of holes have thicker woods, but those are addressed below. There's also mild length variation, though most fit into the 300's. If looking to work on a drive, this would be a pretty solid option.
-Amenities: Except tee signs, solid. Course kiosk, concrete tees, Mach VIIs.
-"Friendly": Easy to play, hard to lose discs.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Generally, a suitable open challenge. Occasional trees dot the landscape, such as hole (3) forcing a calculated hyzer shot or the approach of (7) through shorter spaced out trees.. A couple of holes have thicker woods, but those are addressed below. There's also mild length variation, though most fit into the 300's. If looking to work on a drive, this would be a pretty solid option.
Cons:
Far too many for a brand new course.
-Tee Signs: Pretty, but not good. The maps are either misleading or downright wrong.
-Navigation: With multiple baskets and tees in sight on most of the course, it can be hard to navigate around. Some next tee cues would be a good investment.
-Unreasonable Lines: The wooded holes are not artfully designed. Hole (1) is a two-shot shape, but under 400' and a par-3, which yields no real birdie line. Hole (4) should be the best on the course, a gentle downslope to a protected basket. Unfortunately, the trees and/or tee is in the wrong place, and there's no real line.
-Openness: Much of the course has zero shaping requirements. Wide open shots are the norm, and we all know how interesting it is to throw those hole after hole. This has an aesthetic effect as well, as it exposes all the telephone poles and asphalt that are a bit of an eyesore.
-Park Hazards: Park items come into play out here. Walking paths, a barn, and most egregiously, an amphitheater within the fairway space of hole (7).
-Tee Signs: Pretty, but not good. The maps are either misleading or downright wrong.
-Navigation: With multiple baskets and tees in sight on most of the course, it can be hard to navigate around. Some next tee cues would be a good investment.
-Unreasonable Lines: The wooded holes are not artfully designed. Hole (1) is a two-shot shape, but under 400' and a par-3, which yields no real birdie line. Hole (4) should be the best on the course, a gentle downslope to a protected basket. Unfortunately, the trees and/or tee is in the wrong place, and there's no real line.
-Openness: Much of the course has zero shaping requirements. Wide open shots are the norm, and we all know how interesting it is to throw those hole after hole. This has an aesthetic effect as well, as it exposes all the telephone poles and asphalt that are a bit of an eyesore.
-Park Hazards: Park items come into play out here. Walking paths, a barn, and most egregiously, an amphitheater within the fairway space of hole (7).
Other Thoughts:
Richland is a layout that I don't remember with any fondness. Holes were wide open except for ones that had no fair lines to the basket, or amphitheaters in the way. It has decent amenities and believable holes for the most part, though, so it earns a Passable rating.
