Western Pennsylvania DG Courses

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I'm planning on taking a short weekend dg trip relatively soon and thought I'd get some input on my course selection. Here are the ones that I have planned to play:

Moraine State Park DGC in Portersville, PA (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=126)
Deer Lakes Park in Tarentum, PA (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=125)
Knob Hill Park in Warrendale, PA (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=124)
IUP College Lodge in Indiana, PA (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=123)

and a possibility for the drive back home is:
Lake Shore Park in Ashtabula, OH (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=122)

After reading up on the area these seem to be some of the better courses but if you have other suggestions I'd love to hear them.

[MattK]

Hey Tim, you beat me to it :D #1 on my list of ones I want to try is Moraine, due to its location and reputation. The only one not on your list in the area is Pittsburgh's "old school" course at Schenley. (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=106) It is centrally located relevant to the other four, and would give you the chance to see the city, and smack a disc off a few trees. Just be ware if you go this weekend the Vintage Grand Prix auto race runs in the park.
As far as the way back goes, the new course at Pymatuning (http://www.4141discgolf.com/pymcourse.html) has caught my interest. As far as I can tell from the web page the course is under construction / partially complete.
-Matt

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The earliest I'll be going is 7/21 so I don't have to worry about the races :) Schenley and Pymatuning look interesting but I think it will be pretty tight so we may not be able to play them.

The plan is to drive down to a hotel Friday after work and then get an early start on Saturday. Then stay somewhere else and try to play a course or two on Sunday before making the long trek back to Rochester. It'll be a lot of driving but hopefully the courses will be worth it.

[MattK]

I visited Deer Lakes on Saturday for the first time. The scope of the course is humbling. I took my first snowman there...and worse.:o I've updated some of the course info - added pics and noted the multiple pin placements. I'll post a review soon, but needless to say I look forward to playing it again, now that I know what to do - and what not to.

[timg]

Awesome pics.. looks like a fun one. Assuming the weather cooperates, I'll be playing that Deer Lakes on Saturday.

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I think we may have to check out Schenley since we'll be so close. I'm not a huge fan of heavily wooded courses but since we're there.. :)

[shark7d12]

Hey guys. I live 5 min from Deer Lakes, 20 from Knob Hill, about 45 from morraine, and I go to school at IUP, so I've played all four of those courses numerous times. They're all fantastic courses. If you haven't already gone, you should really enjoy them. I did get a chance Ashtabula last summer, and it was definitely the most beautiful course I've ever played.

Me and some friends are trying to plan a trip to eastern PA and maybe NY to play some courses out there sometime is August. Just wondering if you guys had any suggestions of where we should go.

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Hey shark,

We actually just got back today from playing those courses. They were all great courses and we enjoyed them a lot, I just wish we didn't live so far away so we could play them more often. I tried to get pics of each hole but I missed a couple on Knob Hill and Schenley.

As for Eastern PA, Codorus Creek State Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=37) has 54 holes and has some great lake views as well as some challenging holes. If you do all 54 like we did then it ends up being a test of endurance to make it through all of them.. be sure to bring plenty of water if you attempt it.

Jordan Creek (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=32) was a great course and so was Little Lehigh (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=19). Try to get a map of Little Lehigh if you can since some of the holes are very far apart and there aren't any tee signs to speak of. Roland Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=21) was also nice and I really enjoyed Tinicum (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=22) as well.

Where in NY were you thinking of playing?

[MattK]

Welcome back, Tim. The pics look great. Moraine and Knob Hill should have been all decked out from the A-level tournament last weekend, so I'm sure you saw them at their best. I look forward to hearing what you thought about them.

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I will slowly start posting reviews as I get a chance. I enjoyed all the courses with the exception of Schenley which just didn't rank too highly with me for a few reasons.

[MattK]

Yeah, I worried about that when you said you weren't a fan of woods courses. Schenley does kind of pale in comparison to the newer and bigger courses outside of the city. One reason I keep going back is its location - in the middle of things instead of the middle of nowhere.

[timg]

Well I didn't mind the woods and they weren't all that thick compared to some courses. I think it was the fact that it was in the middle of the city and it was so crowdy were a couple of factors that turned me off. Also, as you mentioned, the course is short and I didn't find it too challenging either (maybe I just had a lot of lucky shots).

I tend to prefer courses in the middle of nowhere since you don't have to deal with the crowds. At IUP the only sound we could hear was the occasional bird, otherwise it was dead quiet. It was sort of relaxing :)

[JoshC]

my thoughts on our area.... wish I could have posted this earlier.

Schenley - best for its time, recreational use only now.
Knob Hill - world class, still tough at tourney setup. Always fun.
College Lodge - some unique shots, placed on a ski slope hill.
Moraine - New and HARD... this course can eat you alive.
Pymatuming - not completed, havent played. heard it is a good setup and will be great when complete

Deer Lakes - newer course (1 year installed).. read below...

Deer Lakes, after a few more dedicated work days, will surely become the best course in and around the Pittsburgh area. Par is the most fair. The changes in hole style, woods to open, are layed out well with what was available for use. There is GREAT backing by the parks department. Full concrete is coming for all three tees....

I may be bias as I do live so close, however, when you do get a round in I have no problem saying you will be saying the same.

I have some before and after pics of the grounds stashed away, as well as some gorgeous scenery shots. I'll try to post them here soon.

[shark7d12]

A couple of times at IUP, I've thrown my disc into the woods about 10 feet from a deer. The deer will just stand there and watch me throw, then go back to eating leaves. That says something about how much in the middle of nowhere the course is.

[shark7d12]

btw tim, what day were you at knob hill? I just played there on sunday, I might have seen you.

[MattK]

From what I've read here I'm going to make sure I hit Moraine and Knob Hill on one of my trips down 79. When it is completed, I may check out Pymatuning and post some info on that as well. As for IUP I'm not sure they'd let me in, being a Clarion grad.;) I've always been partial to Schenley because of its location, but the newer courses sound like they are worth going out of the way for.

[JoshC]

Deer Lakes is 20 minutes from Knob... I hear all talk of Moraine and Knob, Deer Lakes will stand up to those two courses everyday of the week. If you are truly coming down 79 to play go to Deer Lakes, the par 66 will not leave you disappointed.

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btw tim, what day were you at knob hill? I just played there on sunday, I might have seen you.

I was actually at Knob Hill on Saturday around 5pm. Played Moraine the following day and then made the long drive home.

Also, I agree with JoshC regarding Deer Lakes. I thought it was a great course and is definitely right up there with Knob Hill and Moraine. I just wish I didn't live so far from the area.. I want to go back and play them some more :)

[JoshC]

Also, I agree with JoshC regarding Deer Lakes. I thought it was a great course and is definitely right up there with Knob Hill and Moraine. I just wish I didn't live so far from the area.. I want to go back and play them some more :)

Tim, you are from Rochester?.. are you playing in the Chestnut Ridge Open on August 11th-12th?.. I am thinking of taking a drive North to meet some new people and play a new course... would it be worth my time?:confused:

Josh

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I am from Rochester but I'm not playing in the tournament. I actually haven't been to Chestnut Ridge yet so I can't comment on the course. MattK is from that area though, he may have had a chance to play the course so maybe he can give some impressions.

[MattK]

Well, the length at chestnut ridge is comparable to Schenley, and the distant view of the city skyline from the heights of the first tee reminded me of that at first. But with the exception of the lack of concrete tees, Chestnut Ridge is better all around. No big crowds picnicking in the course, good throwing lanes and viable landing zones. The thing that really stands out though, and the reason this is my favorite course so far, is the deep ravine that runs through it. I've played the kind of recovery shots here that I haven't had to play anywhere else. Something like standing next to your house and trying to put the disc on the roof next to the chimney. I saw a guy make a putt with the basket about 10 feet above him, though I suppose basketball players do that thing all of the time.
If you want something of the length and honest par of Deer Lakes, you'll be disappointed here. But if you want some unique terrain and don't mind scaling a cliff to retrieve the occasional errant throw, Chestnut Ridge is a good time, IMHO.

[JoshC]

thanks for the info Matt. With that all said, I'll probably just hold off. I am traveling the weekend before that as well so two in a row might turn out to be too much anyway.

[MattK]

In the July 25th edition of the Times Express (http://www.yourmonroeville.com/timesexpress/article/no-clubs-many-putters-and-drivers), Pittsburgh area disc golf expert Rex Nordheimer talks about the basics of disc golf in Monroeville Park. Some of the other local courses are mentioned in passing as well.

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Hey Matt,

Do you regularly go down to Pittsburgh? Seems like a bit of a haul even from Buffalo.

[MattK]

Hey Matt,

Do you regularly go down to Pittsburgh? Seems like a bit of a haul even from Buffalo.

I grew up in the area, so I go back several times a year for holidays and such, or when I just want to get away. I used to just play Monroeville and Schenley, but I think now I'll make more of an effort to hit some of the newer, better courses as well.

[timg]

Ah, alright. It seemed like you went down a lot and I wasn't sure if it was just for DG :)

You should definitely make it out to the newer courses, they're really, really good.

[adlacro]

Shark7d12, If you're out in the Lehigh Valley definitely stop at Little Lehigh in Allentown, Jordan in Whitehall, Nocky in Quakertown, and Tinicum in Erwinna. Don't bother with any Jersey courses. If you're playing Codorus in Hanover, come up 30 East to 222 and play Roland in Akron, Buchmiller in Lancaster. If you're out towards Philly, Tyler State, Brandywine, Kennett Square, and Sedgley are all fair picks. If you're in New York, you must play Brakewell Steel in Warwick off 94. I've never played it, but I want to. If you want, I can show you some of the Valley courses on a Friday. Jordan, LL, Nocky, or Tinicum.

[MattK]

Just played Moraine yesterday for the 1st time, and was wondering if anyone knows when they changed the tees. The scorecards still say gold and white, but now it looks like the whites are now blue and new whites have been added. (correct me if I'm wrong). So I played from the whites, which do for every course, and found it was playing easier than expected. Now I read on this page that the whites are actually rated 850...shouldn't they be red? And why did white tees (900) become blues (950), if this is what happened? Its a great course, but this just confused me.

[timg]

I noticed the same thing.. the score card must be an old version and I unfortunately didn't record the proper tee distances when I played to update the site. I think the white tees are new as they don't match the blue/gold ones.

[JoshC]

taken from PFDS website...
"The course features a set of Gold tees, rated at 1000, Blue tees, rated at 950, with a set of beginner-friendly White tees (850) also marked."

There is a new scorecard, I'll work on getting it posted at http://www.pfds.org so this doesnt happen to anyone else.

btw, what did you two shoot from the white?...

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Josh,

That scorecard and info was on here as well. I thought there might have been an updated scorecard since there are 3 sets of tees at the course and only 2 on the card. I actually played from the gold's but I'm not sure what I shot at the moment. I do know #6 did a number on me.. the length plus all those trees made for a pretty tough hole.

[adlacro]

Shark, if you're coming out this way, play Jordan, Little Lehigh, Nocky, and Tinicum. I'm up for a round on either Tuesdays or Fridays until end of month. Afterwards, just Mondays and Tuesdays.

[MattK]

btw, what did you two shoot from the white?...

I shot an 81, which isn't bad for me. I had never hit a deuce before from the whites, and I was happy to hit two of them here, then a bit disappointed when I started to get the feeling that they weren't really whites but reds that need painted.

[MattK]

These pics (http://www.pdga.com/msgboard/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=728723&an=0&page=0#Post728723) on the Pittsburgh website are incredible. I'd heard about the recent storm and the flash flooding, but I had no idea the course took this kind of hit.

[timg]

Wow.. that is quite a bit of damage. Glad I had a chance to play the course before that happened.

[MattK]

I'm starting to notice that woods courses play at their most difficult when they're first constructed. Then things tend to open up as trees are lost to pruning decisions, foul play, and in this case foul weather. Whether this makes Schenley better or worse in the long run remains to be seen; but it will never be quite the same.

[MattK]

I got back to Schenley a couple of weeks ago. Still some debris around the 13th hole, but other than that the course seems to be back to normal. There was quite a bit more sunshine in the woods than before, though. I still haven't seen the huge crowds that everyone else seems to see there (and I see in the pics). I guess I'm just getting lucky with the times I visit.:)

[Raptor]

REVIVAL!

Anyone know anything about Polar Bear Doubles at Monroeville this year? I saw it on the PFDS calendar; but there's not a time, and I couldn't find much info anywhere else.

[Beable]

Paying to play at Monroeville is beyond my comprehension.

PM tistoude or vslaugh though, they'll probably know more.

[Raptor]

Paying to play at Monroeville is beyond my comprehension.

PM tistoude or vslaugh though, they'll probably know more.

Hah good point. But I think it could be fun, and it's not much of a drive for me.

[mashnut]

Holy thread necromancy batman! Moved to the roadtrips forum that didn't exist when this was originally posted.

[snowren24]

nice resurrection, just what i was looking for actually. I'm off work the 8th, and if the weather sucks here in NE Ohio, I'm thinking about heading to the Pittsburgh area for a day trip. (provided the weather there is decent)

I'm looking at Moraine, Knob Hill, and Deer Lakes and wondering which two would be the best to hit in one day, or maybe it would even be better to just hit one and make a day of it. I'm not looking for the most challenging course of the 3, but the more fun of the 3. I like wooded courses, but not pull your hair out tight.

Our group would be 850-900ish range players. so the different tee options at all 3 are appealing.

If you suggest two of them, is there somewhere on the drive between that you would suggest grabbing some food?

Thanks

[tistoude]

My only suggestion would be to avoid Knob Hill for now. I am not positive but I think three holes have been pulled for contruction reasons. Also it is quite possibly the wettest course in history from March to May.

I would play Moraine, then drive right down I-76 and play Deer Lakes. There are alot of food options at the harmarville exit. Both courses are in pretty good condition. At Moraine make sure to play the blue tees since there is not much of a difference between Blue and White. At Deer Lakes I would stick to the Whites for your group, they are plenty tough. The pin on #15 at Deer lakes is in its toughest position (to the left along the bank of the lake) and I know alot of the locals just tee off from the red to make sure they don't lose any discs.

Hope you have a good day of golfing!

[discNDav]

I would play Moraine, then drive right down I-76 and play Deer Lakes.

I second this!

[allinpflop]

3rd this