How would you fix this hole?

[jobwilson]

First thing to think about: this part of the course is built on a reclaimed landfill, and planting any trees whose roots will break the reclamation cap is out of the question.

That being said, my top idea is to design an artificial island. Something that would reach to the path behind the basket and come out in front in a tear drop shape. It would also reach further to the left of the basket, because the right side of the basket is sloped upwards.


http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=16564&stc=1&d=1314900124
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=16565&d=1314900124
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course_pics/2800/72c429b0.jpg

[JSurmann]

Does it throw over a road/walking path? That would be the first thing I change if it is.

Otherwise, have you thought about elevated baskets? Railroad ties, pyramid style, 3' above normal height adds a level of difficulty to those flat holes.

[jobwilson]

It throws over a gravel lane which is about 100' in front of basket.

Elevated basket was my first thought, but then I started thinking about the island hole. Aesthetically speaking, an elevated basket could really make the hole look much cooler and it wouldn't make the hole significantly difficult like an island would.

Does it throw over a road/walking path? That would be the first thing I change if it is.

Otherwise, have you thought about elevated baskets? Railroad ties, pyramid style, 3' above normal height adds a level of difficulty to those flat holes.

[optidiscic]

280 feet

I like the Island idea but theres also the mound option

large mounds in front of the basket and all around with a peek a boo at the basket in the gap

sounds dumb but definetely adds a unique challenge to the hole

you can even plant trees on top of the mounds then and make one of the cooler holes ever

I'd go 6 mounds around the green and then plant some deciduous trees atop the mounds

[optidiscic]

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/view_image.php?id=43&p=40a5a4fb

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/view_image.php?id=43&p=7877361b

Lime Bluff in Williamsport PA has added mounds and trees atop mounds to enhance their flat tract of land

they also built a crazy stone wall on 18

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=43&mode=ci

[jobwilson]

Speaking of mounds, the baskets of 10 & 11 are situated on mounds.

It's hard to see in the picture, but the mounds are pretty severe if you blow by the basket or take a nasty roll.

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course_pics/2800/599ac969.jpg

280 feet

I like the Island idea but theres also the mound option

large mounds in front of the basket and all around with a peek a boo at the basket in the gap

sounds dumb but definetely adds a unique challenge to the hole

you can even plant trees on top of the mounds then and make one of the cooler holes ever

I'd go 6 mounds around the green and then plant some deciduous trees atop the mounds

[weeman]

Bambo gate USDGC style

[bazillion]

What about live bamboo? Its roots don't go deep at all and it grows fast & furious ...

[DSCJNKY]

^Bamboo is an invasive species. Best not to introduce it if you don't have to.

What's wrong with Hole 1 being a simple wide open, get the round under way, type shot. Usually with Hole 1 you want to make it an easier hole that someone could play while waiting for their friend to show up. A warmer-upper if you will. Something that won't discourage Ams.

Although the island idea still allows the top players to play it and the beginners to ignore.
So, I'd go with the island.
You could use boulders to make an artificial island like this:
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/view_image.php?id=3761&p=a7ffdc20
(Image 20 if it didn't go straight to that picture).

DSCJNKY

[jtencer]

You could plant some bushes near the teepad to give a smaller window or to force a high release

I think we focus too much on the pin location when the tee location is just as important imo.

[jeverett]

^Bamboo is an invasive species. Best not to introduce it if you don't have to.

Yeah, second the no bamboo thing. It'll take over the whole area if it's not frequently cut back. I'd go for some kind of earthwork barriers, too.. like Mississippian moundbuilder style or European bronze-age fortifications. :)

[notBOB]

i would make it longer. put the basket in the trees in the background er somethin. i cant stand 'field' holes..

[weeman]

^Bamboo is an invasive species. Best not to introduce it if you don't have to.

What's wrong with Hole 1 being a simple wide open, get the round under way, type shot. Usually with Hole 1 you want to make it an easier hole that someone could play while waiting for their friend to show up. A warmer-upper if you will. Something that won't discourage Ams.


Quite a few of the other holes on the course have as many trees as this one. This one just happens to be short enough to where an island green, gate, elevated basket... would work well or something else like that to spice it up.

[zenbot]

Giant Darth Vader (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=43508) in the fairway.

[TempleOfDoom]

Palm tree with a Mando about halfway to the basket.

[jasperpipestone]

You can't move the basket? Or create an alt/touney placement? It'd be a more interesting hole if it played into the next tree line that is north east of the current pin and below the no. 2 tee, putting the pin in the trees fairly close to the park road to make that little outcropping of trees near the current position come into play when you try to go for it or set up your up. Ideally, I'd want a 10-15' gap, low ceiling, and the basket 20' or so in an alcove in the tree line.

[oldguy]

First off, this is appears to be an awfully nice reclamation project. I think your fixes depend on your budget and the needs of the folks that do the routine maintenance (cut the grass, etc.). I like your idea of the island, but whatever you use to create it should't create too much extra work for the groundskeepers. Boulders are natural and look great, but you have to weedeat around them instead of just mowing. Whatever shape you make the island, you should do it in such a way that the groundsmen can easily mow around it. The point of your teardrop idea would make for several different passes to mow the area. A plain rectangle, though perhaps not as visually striking, would be simpler from a maintenance.

What I might like to do for this hole would be to place a large obstacle somewhere in front of the basket, but I don't know if the area gets enough non disc golf traffic that you would want to avoid a blind shot.

[superberry]

If you don't want to do landscaping style work...

First move the tee back, make it OB with a drop zone (a +1 penalty) if you don't get past the first walking path, at about 325-350' (tee to first walking path) this would be enough for a blue level player to have high probability of getting past, but also punish a bad throw or enhance the pucker factor if wind was in play.

Then push the pin back to closer to the second path and make it a penalty stroke as well.

With the parking lot and roads, it doesn't appear you can do much else.

[Karl]

Or leave it just like it is! Every course should have at least 1 hole which appears to be bland and everyone thinks they should birdie it...but, in reality, a lot don't. This will then be the "coulda, woulda, shoulda" hole that will get under peoples (who missed it) craw, etc.

Karl

[New013]

i like the mounds idea... it's reverse bunkers.

if you do want to plant some trees with shallow root systems you can look at birches, pears, willows, apples, maples... especially bradford pears, those things have super shallow root systems.

[jtencer]

Bradford pears smell pretty bad when in bloom. Not a huge deal, but it's worth a heads up.

[jobwilson]

This would make it a 550' field hole with a basket in the trees. I think that would worsen it.

i would make it longer. put the basket in the trees in the background er somethin. i cant stand 'field' holes..

[Martin Dewgarita]

This hole needs a windmill.

[Lewis]

Is it windy there? That alone could make it a tough hole to birdie. I like the island idea, but the considerations for the landscaping/maintenance crews are worth keeping in mind. Flatish cobblestones or bricks might be your best bet to make your "island" shape. Another idea: make a mulch or wood-chipped area around the basket that you have to land in. You would have to maintain this regularly, but it would avoid problems for the mowers.

[LakeBodom397]

Island Green.

[weeman]

Is it windy there? That alone could make it a tough hole to birdie.

Yeah there usually is at least a breeze. The Ohio River boarders the course to the left of the first hole about 800ft away.

[jobwilson]

The river is actually 800' behind hole 1's teepad.

The park is breezy, but usually not windy. Not enough to have a huge effect on a throw.

Yeah there usually is at least a breeze. The Ohio River boarders the course to the left of the first hole about 800ft away.

[Goatman]

How about artificial "trees" made with used tires stacked and filled with dirt?

[oldguy]

How about artificial "trees" made with used tires stacked and filled with dirt?
I like this idea as long as the obstacles are large enough to genuinely add a challenge and it doesn't create a blind shot that could nail a non-dger.

[New013]

Bradford pears smell pretty bad when in bloom. Not a huge deal, but it's worth a heads up.

I think everyone can deal with 1/52 weeks smelling bad.

[jobwilson]

The course is in a nice city park, not a junkyard.

How about artificial "trees" made with used tires stacked and filled with dirt?

[Lewis]

I think everyone can deal with 1/52 weeks smelling bad.

The smell isn't the only downside of bradford pears. They're also physically fragile, lose their branches easily, and dump a dense spread of leaves every fall right around their base. It's next to impossible to grow grass under them. I've disliked bradford pears ever since my family had a pair of them in our front yard.

[Goatman]

FYI, many "nice city parks" use recycled tires as part of the playground equipment.

[jobwilson]

Can you show me what you're talking about? I'm imagining stacks of tires in front of the basket looking like... Stacks of tires.

Surely you can see how I can misconstrue how that would look?



FYI, many "nice city parks" use recycled tires as part of the playground equipment.

[jobwilson]

Are these the trees that we unaffectionately call, umm... Cum trees?

The smell isn't the only downside of bradford pears. They're also physically fragile, lose their branches easily, and dump a dense spread of leaves every fall right around their base. It's next to impossible to grow grass under them. I've disliked bradford pears ever since my family had a pair of them in our front yard.

[Goatman]

I was actually thinking that two stacks about 30' from the tee, 20' apart as double mandos. These can be painted and they wont eat discs.

[jobwilson]

Personally, I like to avoid mandos unless they are used to keep others safe (pedestrians, cars, other golfers).

There have been a lot of great ideas. I think I'm leaning towards the elevated basket, because it fits the theme of holes 10 & 11 on mounds.

Also putting something near the tee pad would be great. Even the "tire trees" would work, they wouldn't have to be mandos though.

I was actually thinking that two stacks about 30' from the tee, 20' apart as double mandos. These can be painted and they wont eat discs.

[Chutney]

Maybe you could run an OB "stream" in front of the pin using mulch or bushes outlined with landscape timbers. It could be 20-30 ft wide to ensure it's large enough to be a hazard. Leave maybe 10-15 feet between the hazard and the pin to give a bit of pucker factor.

If you feel this is unfair to the shorter throwers, run the stream behind the basket. The downside to this is that the closer you run the OB to the backside of the basket, the easier the par saving putt will be unless you force the player to drop behind the hazard (on the other side)

[Danger]

Are these the trees that we unaffectionately call, umm... Cum trees?

Are these the same cum trees found at El Dorado, in Long Beach CA?

[New013]

Trees that shed branches and leaves!!!! OH MY!!!!

[Lewis]

Are these the trees that we unaffectionately call, umm... Cum trees?

Probably. :|

[jtencer]

Trees that shed branches and leaves!!!! OH MY!!!!

^^ Big bradford pear fan

[DSCJNKY]

Are these the trees that we unaffectionately call, umm... Cum trees?

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who thought they smelled... Ummm.... familiar.
DSCJNKY