Novato, CA

Stafford Lake County Park

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4.315(based on 84 reviews)
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12 0
jasonc
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.5 years 281 played 35 reviews
5.00 star(s)

The best around! Nothing's gonna ever keep Stafford down!!

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Absolutely amazing California mountain/hill scenery and views throughout the course and park.
-As of July, 2023 this course is no longer Pay To Play. No park entry or parking fee was required in October, 2023.
-There used to be a crazy long walk from the parking lot to Hole 1. Now it's a short walk to Hole -2. Next is Hole -1. Then Hole 0 before walking up the hill to play the old/original/current Hole 1.
-After Hole 4, we played 4A through 4E for a total of 26.
-Hole 6 provides a beautiful "top of the world view" and well worth a break for some pictures.
-Excellent concrete teepads.
-Multiple pin placements on each hole.
-Great signs on each hole that appear to be updated regularly as the baskets are relocated.
-Huge elevation changes, bring good shoes.
-High risk/reward factor on a lot of holes due to the elevation. I had a few roll away out there.
-We saw multiple groups of wild turkeys roaming the course.
-No cell reception here via T-Mobile to give you another level of feeling secluded/off the grid. (also a con in case of emergency)

Cons:

-Poison Oak. Keep an eye out for it throughout the course!
-No cell reception here via T-Mobile. Bring a paper map or make sure you have pictures of the map on your phone before you arrive at the park. (also a pro! ;-))
-This course is not beginner friendly at all. Bring a spotter, even for experienced players.
-Prepare for a very physically demanding round that des not offer a stop at the parking lot to grab more water/snacks.

Other Thoughts:

I played a solo round here in 2009 and normally look to add "new to me" courses while travelling out of town. Just had to take the opportunity while in San Francisco for a weekend to replay Stafford Lake after hearing about the recent improvements and added holes.

Although Stafford was already on my long list of favorite courses, now it is on my Top 5 list without a doubt.

This is a course that should be on every disc golfer's wish/bucket list and I sincerely hope that I have another chance to play it again.
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11 0
jdfergie348
Experience: 6.8 years 4 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Mountain Majesty 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

So beautiful - a full on nature preserve of a course, with 23 playable holes and lots of wildlife to see and enjoy. This course rewards the big arms and will punish errant shots. Other reviewers have mentioned tall grass in summer, but this year the fairways are mowed pretty well. Off the fairway is another issue..

Cons:

There are maps on each tee box, but it's still hard to see the baskets from a lot of holes. Not much guidance to where the next tee is - take a picture of the course at hole 1 or use UDisc to find the next tee pad. Several blind shots, beginners might want to use a spotter on some holes (2, 5, 7). It's really hilly, so wear hiking boots or other shoes with traction. No water or other amenities available on course, so bring what you need. It will take 3+ hours to play a round unless you're solo and really fast..

Other Thoughts:

This has been my home course for the 3 years I've played. It's really hard, I think I've been under par only twice in about 50 rounds.
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7 2
slippingdiscs
Experience: 27 played 27 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fun Challenge for Novices 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 25, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very challenging
Beautiful scenery
Different types of holes
A lot of animals - turkeys, hawks, rabbits
Decent workout on the uphills

Cons:

POISON OAK!!!
Very challenging
Blind holes
Difficult to know which basket is being used
A lot of brush to contend with if your shot goes wonky
Poor tee signage

Other Thoughts:

This is a lovely course with a lot to offer. As a novice, it s very challenging but really fun. It would be difficult to play alone, as a spotter is needed to find the baskets and your discs. The course is located near parking area #2. Follow the signs to the Terwiliger Trail. Take the trail for about an eighth of a mile. Where the trail bears to the right, go straight ahead and you will see a set of stairs that takes you to the first tee. Beware of poison oak - pre-treat your skin with Tecnu or take other precautions.
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3 1
coyotepower
Experience: 19.2 years 87 played 34 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Killer views and killer leg workout 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Nobody else out there
- Challenging
- The view of the lake
- Not too far off the 101

Cons:

-Long
-Hot
-Dry

Other Thoughts:

When we started on a 450ft+ uphill on hole 1 I knew it was going to be a bear. This is not a beginner course.

My legs were burning after playing here. Worse than Delaveaga. The elevation changes make for a long round - 4+ hours with only 2 people. No water on this course so its dry as a bone. Lots of skips and rollaways to be had. Still had fun. Tired afterward as we played around 9am but it was nearly 95 degrees that afternoon.
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4 1
BBB-SoCal
Experience: 26 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Wild times and Wildlife 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful views
Great Scenery and variety of terrain
Wildlife abounds
Wide open shots
Variety of holes to enhance strategy
Different pin layouts
Not crowded (even on a weekend)
Free to play (except perhaps for parking)

Cons:

Layout/Map is confusing (the 'next tee' sign after basket #4 is not correct for the standard 18 layout)
No water/facilities once on the course
Many blind/long shots from the tee will either necessitate a spotter and/or discourage beginners and/or cause lost discs.

Other Thoughts:

This course is truly a gift if you love nature and wildlife. I was able to take some great photos of turkeys, hares, deer, ducks, geese, and herons to name a few.

Being able to play here for free (parking is free the first Saturday of the month) was an added bonus.

The course itself is very challenging and not too beginner-friendly nor is it easy to figure out the layout if this is your first time here.

We played the first weekend in June and the temperatures did get pretty hot by mid-day. Normally I carry a lot of discs and a little bit of water. For this course in the summer I would recommend the opposite. Bring a large water bladder and a few discs. There is no water after the parking lot. And it is a long hike back to the car if you get thirsty mid-way through a round.

There are ticks in this area. Be careful if you put your bag on the ground at any time. I had to inspect my bag and found a tick on it when we were leaving. Also, I got poison oak as well. So please be careful and bring some bug spray / itch ointment with you just to be safe.

Also, this is/was a cell phone dead zone for all of us. I would recommend downloading the map (both as a picture and through your favorite scoring app) before getting to the park. That way you will have a reference for your entire round.

All in all it is a beautiful, natural course that has a lovely variety of holes and elevations -- it just plays best if you have a spotter and an idea of the layout ahead of time.
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4 1
blazerico
Experience: 19.4 years 321 played 37 reviews
4.00 star(s)

expectation was greater than reality 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

The view was amazing. Great setting for disc golf and easy access to other amenities like the killer bike park. I wish I still rode, it looked real fun. If it weren't for the view, this course would be 3.5 or lower due to it's other issues. A lot of the holes were fun downhill bombers

Cons:

The map was okay once you find the first hole. As a first timer, it wasn't clear if hole one was over the tiny bridge, down the dirt path or the dirt road over the little stream. I'm not a fan of blind throws.
this coarse had at least three holes where you're driving over trees to a landing you can't see, which ends up in lost discs too often for me. Perhaps if the grass was mowed, then I wouldn't have been so worried about never seeing my plastic again. High grass was a problem throughout the coarse. Signage was okay on some holes, but I rarely really knew the pin location. A few holes weren't marked. Another problem was the random baskets throughout the coarse which added to the general confusion here.

Other Thoughts:

The bike track was getting lots of love the day we were there, heavy machinery seemed to be upgrading their track. Meanwhile, the disc coarse had one dude with a weed wacker trying to tame a mountain of grass
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7 13
porchmike
Experience: 21.8 years 34 played 19 reviews
2.50 star(s)

locals only apparently 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 6, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

scenic

Cons:

impossible to figure out layout. tee pads and baskets everywhere, some baskets have numbers, some not. some have wrong numbers on backwards number plates. 14's long pin has a #13 on it. 18 short has a backwards 9.
almost all pins not visible from tee pads. spotter is 100% mandatory on most holes.
a bunch of temp? baskets after hole 4, "next tee" sign points you to them instead of actual hole 5, then you have no navigational help. no numbers on baskets or pads. if you're playing solo for the 1st time like me, go left at 4's basket, don't follow the "next tee" sign. i guess those holes are for some tourney layout, but i have no way of knowing.
some of the holes are stupid. 2, 5, 7,16,18 are the ones that come to mind. 2,7,16 have no fairway.

Other Thoughts:

this place isn't for tourists. as a solo tourist, it was maybe the least fun course i've ever played. such a shame for a course on such a beautiful piece of property. the park should steer some of the fees towards navigational aids for tourists, or just take this course off dgcr and leave it to the locals- i'm sure there are enough locals to keep up the place and they can just keep the layout secret or whatever. in any case, if you're not a local, taking a picture of the course layout at hole 1 is mandatory if you're gonna find your way around. and remember, take a left at 4's basket, not right like the next-tee sign says- the holes up to the right are from i-don't-know-what and are not part of the original layout. or the standard layout or whatever, which is pretty cryptic on its own.
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3 0
Django Chained
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A Monster 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 30, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Built on a huge track of open land dedicated to the course
- Has several massive launches which allow you to fully air things out down a hillside with ~15 second flight times
- Some technical short holes mixed in as well
- Stunning views of Marin grasslands and Stafford Lake
- Mutlple pin placements keep things interesting on return trips
- Concrete tee pads, decent baskets

Cons:

- A bit of a hike to get from parking lot to first tee
- Hard to navigate first time. Need spotters on a number of holes.
- Hole 1 is a painful uphill slog, but after that, oh mama...
- When the grasses get long in spring and early summer don't bother coming. Fall is the best time
- On the mega launches, if you are just slightly off, you could find yourself walking several hundred feet down into a ravine for your next shot - think ultimate risk-reward
- Not really a con, but this is not a beginner course
- Hard to find a solid map...apparently there's a few secret holes on the front nine but I have never seen that part of the course diagrammed out
- Hard to score well if you're not a regular

Other Thoughts:

Stafford is and epic destination course and probably the best in the Bay Area (when the grass isn't high.) With its open layout, this course just plays "BIG" again and again across a mountain side and then down towards the shores of the lake. If you like getting in the car and going somewhere special for several hours of disc glory and big air shots, Stafford should be on your list if you are in the SF area.
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7 0
lazrman778
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 264 played 100 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Stafford Lake County Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 12, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has practice basket

Has concrete tee pads

Some holes have an alternate short or long tee pad

Has tee signs with locations of the various basket placements

Has many benches throughout course

Has multiple basket placements for all holes

Course flows pretty well

More open than wooded fairways with most holes having changes in elevations and some having doglegs

Challenging, long course with variety of pars

Park is exclusive for disc golf and you won't see other parkgoers

Nice scenery

Cons:

Baskets are hard to locate on some holes - need flags or bright paint

Needs more next tee signs - recommend a course map for the first-timer

Some holes require blind shots - recommend a spotter

Grass is high in certain areas - watch where your drives land

Long walks between the parking lot and first tee/last hole

Pay to park but worth it

Other Thoughts:

This a nice, challenging 18 hole course in Marin County that I enjoyed playing while vacationing out here. This course and surrounding area has very nice scenery especially during the wet season when there's a lot of green. I had a little trouble in finding the first tee when I wandered too far on the trail but once I located the stairs then I knew that I was close. Playing hole 1 was one of the steepest holes that I ever played. After playing the first hole, the rest of the holes were easier to traverse. Some holes were wide open but not necessarily easy since the wind is a factor at this course. Holes 4&5 were pretty tight and are opportunities to lose discs here. At the time I played this solo round, the grass was green and pretty high in certain areas so that presented another opportunity to lose discs. Holes 6, 14, and 17 had some nice, breathtaking views before teeing off. Hole 7 was interesting in that there is a left and a right tee. There was an orange cone on the right tee so I thought that I should play on the left tee. It turns out that the basket was in the far right position - not sure if I played that hole correctly or not. I got to see some deer out on holes 8&9 afterwards. Hole 9 is a long hole that I almost played the hole 11 basket instead. The Mach 3 baskets are my least favorite but they were in good shape and caught well. Some of the baskets are hard to spot from the tee pad with the trees in between. This course has an extra four holes between holes 4&5 that are technical but I couldn't find them. All in all, this course was challenging and fun to play and I'm glad I played it before leaving California. I recommend playing it if you're in the area.
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6 2
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.5 years 356 played 203 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Quality Concrete Tee Pads with some alternate and short tees
- Every hole has multiple basket placements
- Tons a variety of distances
- long opens shots and plenty of short technical holes
- Tons of elevation change to add challenge
- Multiple Top of the World type throws
- Beautiful Scenery

Cons:

- At Least a 1/4 mile walk to the first tee pad
- $10 to park on a weekend
- The Tee signs are getting old and beat up
- Some navigation signage would make the course a little easier to get through
- The baskets are okay, but they could use and upgrade.

Other Thoughts:

The course plays across a huge peace of land that works very well for disc golf. Be prepared for a big hike that plays across rolling hills. A quality course that with some updates to Tee signs, navigation signage, and baskets it could easily be a 4.5.
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6 2
Skirby000
Experience: 12.4 years 7 played 5 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Favorite course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very Challenging
Even number of fade left and fade right holes.
Great balance of finesse and hulk smash shots.
Short and long tees and 3-5 pin placements for each hole.

Cons:

Hard to play solo because there are a lot of blind shots on the side of a steep hill. Best to have a spotter.

Other Thoughts:

I learned to play on this course. I love the challenge. It doesn't matter how many types of shots you have in your repertoire you will probably use them all on this course.
Tip: on hole 6, take the trail to the right of the normal tee pad all the way up to the fence. This is Stafford's "Top o the World". It Gives you a 520 foot shot that drops over 100 feet In Elevation and an incredible view.
Tip #2: if your arm gets thrown out easily (like mine), start on hole 10. This gives you a string of 3 par 3s under 300 ft for a great warm up.
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7 0
mattdabbs
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.4 years 104 played 61 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

If you are in the area, this is a must play course. We traveled up from Southern California and were not disappointed. I feel for whoever designed this course. It had to have been an incredible amount of work getting this course put in on the mountainside. The elevation couldn't have been used better with plenty of shots up and down the hills. Hole 1 is a nice punch in the face, welcoming you to the course...400+ straight up hill to the pin. Crazy scenic views as you walk the fairways. This course requires a ton of power to get your pars.

We got a bit confused after hole 4 as they added some bonus holes if you go past the pin and to the right (4 or 5 new pins back in there that are mostly shorter shots through the woods). We thought we were on 5-8 and were trying to match that up with the map and were confused for a while until we stumbled into hole 5 and realized that it was a bonus loop. I wish I had known that in advance so I am pointing that out now. Not sure if those are permanent or not but I hope they are...great addition to the course.

Lots of blind shots...be prepared to do a lot of extra walking on the fairways before you throw to see what is out there. This makes for a great use of the land and adds a TON of challenge. Also makes it a bit easy to lose a disc here or there if you aren't familiar with the course and where you disc might go when throwing over a wall of trees into a valley. Not trying to be too critical about that because that is very much what makes this course amazing to play!

Bring extra discs, wear good shoes and be prepared to get worn out playing some of the best disc golf in the country. I heard someone say this was Avery Jenkin's favorite course...not sure if that is the case or not but I can certainly believe that is possible and speaks to what a beast this course is. Be prepared to be humbled and congratulate yourself if you even come close to shooting par.

Cons:

Three cons:

1 - The lack of signage on the bonus holes. I am not complaining they are there...they are awesome and more holes in the shade are always welcome but it was confusing.

2 - The ground is too rough for rollers, which would be nice to be able to throw on some of these holes that are too long for my backhand shot but would have been reachable with a roller.

3 - The 1000 foot hole was incredibly challenging and awesome (how often do you get to play a hole that long?). That wasn't the problem. The problem was you could see 2 pins in view at the end and the one visible first wasn't the correct one. Not a big deal, just confusing.

Other Thoughts:

Awesome park. We saw lots of wildlife (deer walking the fairways with fawns, geese, etc). Friendly people in the park were very helpful and made the course easier to follow. The views are spectacular. It just makes you want to stop here and there and take it all in. Can't wait to play this course again!
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1 2
dgyp
Experience: 36.4 years 42 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Huge layout, decent workout hike. lots of alternate tees and baskets. Huuge bombing 1000' and short technical aceables. Extra 5 precision holes between 4 and 5 makes it 23. Seemingly impossible holes you can eventually figure out. Rarely crowded, even more rare are pedestrians since its the far side of the lake.

Cons:

I think most cons are part of the charm. Extreme difficulty, difficult to follow if you've never played the course. Spotters frequently needed. Long walk from parking lot. For me these add to the course but I know sometimes people won't like these features!

Other Thoughts:

This is my home course for 6 years now but I started playing this course in about 1998 or so.

This has been a 23 hole course for a couple of years (4a through 4e) so I'm not sure why there is a statement that it is 18. It's now secret!
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11 0
JR Stengele
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.5 years 255 played 191 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Stafford Lake - One of the Best in the West! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 20, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nestled in the hills of Novato, Stafford Lake is one of the premier places to play in California due to its beauty, remote location, and challenge. The course continuously plays up and down hillsides, incorporating a variety of natural obstacles along the way. Tall grass lines the fairways, with groves of trees scattered throughout. Stafford Lake itself sits below the course and is the backdrop for the entire round. Wildlife flourishes in the area, with wild turkey, lizards, raptors, deer, wildcats, etc., roaming the land making for a visually pleasing and exciting round!

Big arm throwers will have an advantage here, but accurate throwers with good placement can save strokes along the way. Stafford Lake has a handful of wooded holes (the letter holes between holes 4&5) which add a refreshing technical aspect to what is an otherwise open course. It gives players a chance to grab a few birdies before getting back to those longer and more grueling holes. Smart play can often times beat power and distance if you can stay on the fairway and sink your putt!

Par for the course is 58, with two Par 4's and one Par 5. At over 6,600', this course plays long. Each hole has multiple pin positions and excluding the letter holes, dual tee pads. Signage provides images of local animals, par, distance, and pin locations. However, when the grass is not cut navigation can be difficult. If possible, try playing with someone familiar with the course to help with the speed of play.

Cons:

Stafford Lake is known as a "pros" course. Intermediate and advanced players will experience a lot of pleasure but also pain. How much pain however, depends on your conditioning and mental fortitude. Due to constant elevation and sloped fairways/greens, discs can pick up and roll away. If you're lucky, it won't end up 50' downhill or in a patch of poison oak. Wind and heat can also play a major factor depending on the season and/or time of day. Bring lots of water, tissue, food, and sunscreen as the only restrooms and tables are near parking lot. The walk to the first tee is ¼ mile but a nice warm up in my opinion. Print off a map as navigation can be tricky at times and be prepared for the round to take a while due to the terrain. There is also a park fee of $8/M-F or $10/ Sat-Sun but again, I am more than happy to pay to play on a course as amazing as this one. If I was a local I would just pony up and buy an annual parks pass.

Other Thoughts:

The course sits perfectly in the middle of San Fran and Napa, making it the ideal spot for a quick day trip whether you're visiting from the city or the wine country. Growing up near Santa Cruz, I spent most my time playing De La and Hellyer. After 20 years of living in Cali, I moved to the Pacific Northwest but always felt saddened and a bit guilty that I had never played Stafford. I always said next time but never found the time. This time I did! My best friend and I flew down from Seattle and played a bunch of courses including De La, of course, but also Stafford. I was so happy that I could finally mark this course played as it instantly became an all time favorite!

Other must plays in the area: Golden Gate Park, Skyline, De LaVeaga
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7 2
yetipro
Experience: 12.3 years 29 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Not for the faint of heart 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is just incredible. I have played at a lot of courses, but even if you only play here once, you will remember it for the beautiful views and intense variation.

The location seems pretty remote, I was here on a lovely Saturday afternoon and there were maybe 3 or 4 groups on the course at any time.

Cons:

Not beginner friendly... At all. If you are not experienced at disc golf, I'd recommend keeping your discs in the bag and being the water boy.

You may lose a disc, unfortunately. Try to keep it in the fairway. Leave your first run Champion Ape at home.

The reason I haven't given it a 5 is that the course layout can be a little unfair. Hole 1 is literally straight up a hill, 450 feet. My arm nearly fell off by the time I reached hole 2.

Other Thoughts:

This course is an extreme challenge. I found my way out here one day while on a work trip and I was lucky enough to play along with another friendly group. In my two holes of playing alone I nearly stepped on a snake (hole 1, basking in the sun) and saw a ton of poison oak. It wasn't a rattlesnake, but I do believe they're around. That said, play alone at your own risk.

Also, I have a hard time understanding the complaints about the $5-10 fee. This is one of the very best disc golf courses in the entire world. Those who have played it are lucky to have experienced it in their lifetime. I'm trying to imagine what I'd rather spend $5 on.

You will be tired at the end of the day... This is a day long experience. Bring a camera.
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3 6
matt79d
Experience: 13.5 years 14 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

First Time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 22, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Stunning views, variety of shots needed, length, elevation, wildlife..

Cons:

$10 per car on the weekend

Other Thoughts:

Listen to the course discription.. it is VERY hilly with significant elevation change and poison oak everywhere. The views are amazing and feel like you are in the middle of a different country. We made the trip up from San Diego and there is nothing like this down there. This course tested my power, shot shaping, and creativity. it was a lot of fun. However, two days later and I am still extremely sore from the hike!
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8 0
Doofenshmirtz
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.4 years 124 played 72 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good use of Elevation and Distance 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 16, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This entire course is on hillside ranging from a steep to shallow slope. It's very similar to a ski run course with several opportunities to throw downhill bombs as well as a number of holes requiring uphill slogs. But all the holes are challenging and fair. I played this course over a weekend after playing Skyline, Taylor Mountain and Golden Gate. This course is clearly the more difficult of the four because it combines distance and some technicality with elevation in a more challenging way than the others nearby.

The uphill holes are fair but can be very punishing for those who haven't learned to use spin to control rollaways (and those RH throwers who can't throw forehand to reverse spin). The downhill bombs also require some restraint and accuracy as skips on hardscrabble and short-grass areas can lead to a skip and extra throw. Still, Watching your disc fly forever down hill is wonderful thing and several holes give you that opportunity while still demanding a controlled throw.

The holes that I really enjoyed were ones that required downhill shot shaping to give an opportunity for birdie such as 12, 18 and, to a lesser extent, 9 (second or third shot, depending on drive distance, requires you to pick you path around a large tree). The challenge of the opening uphill holes also really sets the tone well for this being a more difficult course than the others that have notable elevation.

Tee pads and baskets are all excellent. When you need a bigger run up, like on 9, there's a big tee pad for you. Most pads have extra texture for traction at the end. All baskets are in excellent condition.

Cons:

This course supposedly has 23 holes, but the maps online and at the course only show 18. The map also does not show all the numerous basket positions, and they cannot always be determined from the tee. You will just have to walk up and look for the basket, and hope some locals can point you to it in cases where the pin position is absent from the map.

There is no water and no bathrooms on the course, which starts about .4 miles from the parking lot. Bring plenty of water with you.

Poison Oak on many holes, forcing you to step around and over it on walking trails and even guarding the base of the basket on 15. Learn to identify this stuff and stay away from it.

Some holes are headscratchers. 7 can be just weird and may just reward skill and luck equally. It's a shot over tall trees to a hole only about 200 ft away in some basket positions. It is probably unreachable except with a luck drop under the trees which is how I got close enough to putt for birdie (and miss, @?%%!). 11 is prohibitively short (under 150) from the short tee and sticks out from the rest of the course due to its relative ease. 5, depending on pin position can be all but impossible to birdie, and very easy to par, just a hole to get you to the next one.

Although this course is bordered by a lake at the bottom of the hill it is on, the lake doesn't really come into play on any of the holes. There was no hole that I played that I reasonably thought that there was any chance that I was going to lose a disc. The closest was 10 which is a short hyzer with the lake on the right, but even so, the thought of my Wasp going into the water never really entered my mind. I think that this was a lost opportunity although I don't know what restrictions regarding the lake guided the designer in that respect.

Despite these minor things, I really enjoyed this excellent course.

Other Thoughts:

Two potential cons are the $10 parking fee and long walk in. However, from a course-crowdedness standpoint, these could just as easily be considered pros. The walk in is about .4 miles and it's the easiest walking you will do at this course because it's the only flat part.

If I had to choose one course to play in the North Bay area, it would likely be this one due to the challenge and lack of crowds or Skyline due to the fun factor.
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4 6
NotFadeAway757
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Best Course in the Bay Area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 18, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Absolutely beautiful course
-Great Views
-very challenging
-good mixture of bomber shots and technical
-the extra 5 holes really add to the technical aspect of this course.
-top of the world is cool , top top of the world is Awesome

Cons:

-A lot of PO
-Can be pretty brutal to play in the sumer time.

Other Thoughts:

100% a destination course.
This in my opinion is not a beginner course,
Be sure to bring plenty of water because this is a work out for sure.
This is my favorite course in the bay area hands down.
It was sad and some what hurtful to see the lake diminish last year in 2014 but and I am so excited and to see it filled up again!
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5 2
prospector84
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is a great challenge! I've played here a few times and really enjoyed it each time. There is a good mix up of distance shots to take and more technical holes, but this course is mostly about distance. The average long T is about 500 to 600 feet from the pin, hole 9 is a absolute monster at about 1000 feet. It's never been busy, which is nice if you want to take your time, but I would like to see it get more use.

Cons:

Its easy to waste time searching for a lost disc in the high grass, especially if you're like me and have a lot of yellow and white discs. There's been a warning lately about a rattlesnake around hole 4 which I want nothing to do with. Other than that just be ready for a decent hike up to hole 6, it's a relatively easy walk after that.

Other Thoughts:

Great views!
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10 0
Thomashasfun
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 22.8 years 496 played 494 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Wildlife! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is an epic destination spot for playing, especially if you are a gold lever player or a top pro looking to challenge your game. There are many opportunities for long bombs off the tee and this is required in order to score well. You will be throwing a lot of uphill and downhill throws, with great variety in the shape of your shot as well. Landing areas and the way you land is crucial to avoiding discs rolling away and there are many tricky basket locations that don't help you out on that front. Punishment off the fairway is decent.

There are both multiple basket locations and tee pads for even more variety here. I played the course with all short positions but I scouted out the middle and longer positions as well to concrete my rating and overall thoughts on the course as a traveling player, being as I am not a local and am not completely familiar with the course.

The par four hole and par five hole(s) have very defined fairways and landing areas with lots of good punishment for those not hitting the lines and landings. As an amateur the par five, hole nine hole was very difficult based solely on length but looks like a very good challenge for pros with obstacles that I didn't really have an issue with. The large tree in the middle of the fairway and the tree wall on the right make a top player have to choose a shot/line here where I could just 'throw down the middle' and be fine.

Make sure you play the long tee for hole number 14; this is a sort of "top of the world shot" that is highly underrated as a hole. Sure it may not be as open or as high up as the `Whistler's Bend' hole but it's a much better, challenging hole at least in the far position that I didn't get to play sadly. This is a great downhill shot without just being there for fun, it's also a good, hard hole...Giggity...

Cons:

Its gets very hot and dry in this area during the Summer time and there are a lot of up and down hill walking in the heat with virtually no shade. Keeping with this theme there are some blind basket locations with require scouting before you throw. The grass can get very tall and make finding your throws much more difficult, I played it while this was the case. The new wooded section has poison oak all over it so bad when I was there that we didn't even want to go near those holes and only checked them out from a distance. $$$ It's a tad on the expensive side for some ($8 If I remember correctly) of those who want cheap golf. The long walk from the parking lot to the course is a bit of a hassle.

Other Thoughts:

Each tee sign has a picture of something on it from a rabbit, deer, turkey, tick, etc. and every hole that had whatever picture on it we saw all of those the day we played. I got pictures of deer, rabbits, chipmunks, wild turkeys, lizards and the lake of course. I also got my first tick ever stuck to me and I freaked out a little as we don't really have much of those near the Seattle area.

The views are awesome, the golf is awesome and the wildlife is abundant and awesome and there is lots of it. I wouldn't take a brand new player here unless I hated them but other than that you should be playing this course! Seriously get off of the computer and go play!
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