Best Disc Golf State

[PhattD]

Let me start the debate.
I'm claiming Michigan we have(I think) the third most courses of any state.
We have 2 in the top ten rated on this site.
And I play here:p
Now tell me I'm wrong and why:cool:

[jedwards]

Now tell me I'm wrong and why

You are wrong because everything "Michigan" is "wrong" -- GO BUCKEYES!

[Three Putt]

The traditional top 4 are California, Texas, North Carolina and Florida. I'm not sure what order you would put them in, since I've only played a handful of courses in California and Texas and I've never been to North Carolina or Florida.

Iowa and Michigan are two Midwest states that have very good disc golf scenes. I'm not sure where they would rate nationwide.

[Innovadude]

I won't give away whats the best and whats the worst right now, but after playing almost every state and 800 courses, I can't imagine why anyone would put California, Florida, or Texas in the top 4 (well maybe Texas, I am there now and will play half the courses this month so we'll see).

California is extremely overrated, not only is the state miserable, but the good courses are literally half a day's drive apart (save for Lake Tahoe area). No other major disc golf state makes you drive 5 hours to play two decent courses in one day. Most courses out there are poorly marked, bad neighborhoods, too hot in season, the discs skip too much, woods holes poorly designed, low ceiling and way too many holes where all you do is throw blindly at a wall of trees and hope to hit the right one on the way down.

Florida is great, but it's flat, you can't go in the water, and the bugs, hurricanes, etc can ruin the fun if your timing is bad.

Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Upstate NY, Kentucky, that's the loop where it's at. Colorado is probably the best western-half of the country state for disc golf.

CA, TX, FL courses did not make the top 10 list on this very site.

IS there an easy way to calculate the average rating for en entire state?
Like all the ratings for every course in a state added up and divided by the amount of ratings? Obviously it won't be an exact science but it would be interesting!

[Three Putt]

IS there an easy way to calculate the average rating for en entire state? Like all the ratings for every course in a state added up and divided by the amount of ratings? Obviously it won't be an exact science but it would be interesting!I suppose if you added up the average rating of each rated course and divided by the number of rated courses, it might tell you something. That way each rated course in the state would be weighted equally. If you added up all the ratings and divided by the number of ratings, one particular course with a lot of ratings would skew the data.

[adam423]

Texas has 27 courses rated 4.0 or above, but I bet they're really spread out. Wisconsin and Michigan both have 17. NC has 16. Minnesota has 14. Iowa 13. Colorado has 12.

Of course, courses w/ only one review of 5 or something would mess that up, but I thought that might help.

[DGtourist]

The calculation might just say that people in a given area are prone to overrating/underrating things because of their over all outloook.

[Three Putt]

The calculation might just say that people in a given area are prone to overrating/underrating things because of their over all outloook.Probably. But if you buy into that completely then we should shut down this site, since all the ratings are hogwash anyway. Flawed thought they might be, the ratings are what we got. I'm willing to buy into the notion that the over/under ratings will even out at some point.

[DGtourist]

Probably. But if you buy into that completely then we should shut down this site, since all the ratings are hogwash anyway. Flawed thought they might be, the ratings are what we got. I'm willing to buy into the notion that the over/under ratings will even out at some point.

haha, yeah, I agree! More reviews = more accurate picture. I wonder where that point is, 100 reviews per course? 10?

[Three Putt]

Hard to say. I noticed that on my profile it says my average review is a "2." :eek: Actually it's a 2.4 or something like that, but it comes up as two discs on the profile. So may average rating is a little bit above average, but compared to what else I'm seeing I think I might be underrating the courses here. That would be in keeping with my cynical world view. Anyway, I'm not quite sure what to do about it. I call 'em like I see 'em.

[DirtyMittenDG]

well since ive only been to 23 courses, 22 of them being in michigan, Im gonna have to say michigan is the best disc golf state!!! lol, no but for real its probably in the top 3 at least. There's alot of signature courses up here like Flip City, Beauty, Beast, Kensington Tunnel, Kensington Toboggan, Hudson Mills, Firefighters Park, those are just a few and there are alot of courses on the west side of the state that I hear are real good that I havnt been to yet.

go- "michigan"
boo- "suckeyes"

lol

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g175/its_gotta_be_dro/michigandiscgolf.jpg

[Three Putt]

I was thinking that one course with a lot of reviews would skew the data, but a lot of courses with one high review could do the same thing.

I was looking at the 4-5 rated courses in Illinois...Campton Hills in St. Charles? It's a "2" at best, probably a "1.5."

Pioneer Park in Kirkland is no better than a "2."

Eagle Ridge in Oswego is a "2."

I would have given Rockton a "1" because the place was a mud pit the last time I was there...170ft hyzer shots set amongst piles of dirt and rock, and somebody rated it a "4."

Channahon is a "3." I mean, come on. I like Channahon, and the last time I was there I thought Frank Grimes should get a medal for all the work he has done there. But it's flat and not all that wooded. Frank can't make hills and woods, and you can't make Channahon a "4."

All these over rated courses with one or two reviews will skew the data as well. I just don't think we have enough data to really get an accurate view of anything yet.

[ERicJ]

Hard to say. I noticed that on my profile it says my average review is a "2." :eek: Actually it's a 2.4 or something like that, but it comes up as two discs on the profile. So may average rating is a little bit above average, but compared to what else I'm seeing I think I might be underrating the courses here. That would be in keeping with my cynical world view. Anyway, I'm not quite sure what to do about it. I call 'em like I see 'em.
If you aren't real picky about the courses you play (and subsequently review) then a profile average of 2ish is right where it should be.

However, I think most of us are inclined to play "better" courses. Meaning we're not going out of our way to play a known, or suspected lousy course just for the purpose of reviewing it to balance out our overall average rating.

There are a couple courses near me (Mason Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=1523) and Clinton Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=1129)) that I have no desire to play based on word of mouth. But if I did I suspect I'd rate them poorly. That would more accurately bring my overall average rating closer to what "average" should be.

When I made my recent trip to Denver the courses I played were mostly chosen based on high DGCR ratings and recommendations. So when I get around to rating them I'll probably rate them highly because I did enjoy most of them. This sort of practice "inflates" a DGCR member's overall average rating.

BTW I'm currently a 3.12 overall average on 37 reviews.

ERic

[ERicJ]

well since ive only been to 23 courses, 22 of them being in michigan, Im gonna have to say michigan is the best disc golf state!!!
What'd Tim call that...? "HBB"
Home Boy Bias at its finest.

ERic

[Three Putt]

If you aren't real picky about the courses you play (and subsequently review) then a profile average of 2ish is right where it should be.

However, I think most of us are inclined to play "better" courses. Meaning we're not going out of our way to play a known, or suspected lousy course just for the purpose of reviewing it to balance out our overall average rating.

There are a couple courses near me (Mason Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=1523) and Clinton Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=1129)) that I have no desire to play based on word of mouth. But if I did I suspect I'd rate them poorly. That would more accurately bring my overall average rating closer to what "average" should be.

When I made my recent trip to Denver the courses I played were mostly chosen based on high DGCR ratings and recommendations. So when I get around to rating them I'll probably rate them highly because I did enjoy most of them. This sort of practice "inflates" a DGCR member's overall average rating.

BTW I'm currently a 3.12 overall average on 37 reviews.

ERicI suppose so. I rated two courses a "0." Throw those two out and my average becomes a perky 2.66 :D

[DirtyMittenDG]

What'd Tim call that...? "HBB"
Home Boy Bias at its finest.

ERic

yup thats why I said, "lol",

I wouldnt be surprised if michigan was in the top 3 though (through the perspective of someone whos played in all states)

[magictenor1]

I haven't been to all states but I will say Texas is loaded with great courses ( I don't live in Texas) and I would definitely rate it above Florida. Haven't played in Michigan. It seems to me very few people have any idea which state is best since most have'nt played in all or almost all the states.

[t i m]

There's another thread somewhere on here that talks about places to take a disc golf vacation/road-trip to that addresses some of this. I haven't played everywhere yet, but I've played in about 20 different states, and have spent a lot of time talking with golfers who've had different experiences across a lot of different places, and there is more that factors in than simply the courses -- there is also the course proximity to one another, the group of local players, the TDs who put together events (and bring in national talent), the Web sites that make it easier for players to connect to one another), etc...

I will say up front that I haven't spent time in MI, nor have I been to Idlewild/Mt.Airy, and from what I've heard, both those areas have amazing disc golf.

From the places I've played, I'd rate NC first because they do everything right. Amazing courses well distributed across the state, totally devoted locals, proximity to Innova East (which helps), huge tourneys and amazing TDs, lots of private courses (which add a whole different dimension to play), and a lot of energy and enthusiasm that is driving the growth and development of the sport.

For simply an amazing set of courses, I'd have to go with PA as having the most top-level courses of any state I've been to. They've got Tyler, Nockamixon, Morainne, Deer Lakes, Knob Hill, Quaker's Challenge, Lehigh Valley, Jordan Creek, Patapsco, Whispering Falls, etc... and less than an hour from the state borders you add in places like Paw Paw, Warwick, Seneca, Iron Hill, etc... The overall scene doesn't equal NC, and the courses are more spread apart, but if you want to live in one place and have easy access to a sick, sick number of top-tier courses, there are few better places on the planet.

For sheer numbers, you of course can't beat Texas, but you also need to remember that Texas is friggin' HUGE, and therefore lots of courses should be expected. A lot of other states have one or two big cities, TX has six cities in the top-25 in terms of population (Houston-4, San Antonio-7, Dallas-9, Austin-16, Fort Worth-17, El Paso-21), and six more in the top 100.

Of course, as far as disc golf in TX is concerned, the vast majority of the courses are basically in a much-smaller subset of the state, the triangle between Houston, D/FW, and San Antonio/Austin. This area -- which is basically the size of a "normal" state, does contain some pretty amazing courses, but Texas is limited by its geography. The sheer beauty possible from elevation and trees that exist other places simply doesn't exist often enough in Texas. There are a lot of great tournament courses -- where a decent piece of land has an amazingly well-designed course on it -- but that doesn't approach nearly the same degree of beauty as playing some of the PA courses...

Of course, Texas does have thousands of holes of disc golf, so you can play for weeks straight and never play the same hole twice if you wanted to. And they do have a very friendly local community and some very decent players. And pretty good weather year-round. So I would recommend Texas as an A-list "winter disc golf" place. But if you can live in PA for the rest of the year, do.

[ZMan44]

I should be headed to Michigan next summer for a trip so I am looking forward to playing those courses. Kentucky has a really solid selection of courses although they are spread out throughout the state. But with all of those states mentioned so far it doesn't seem like you would be able to go wrong.

I like this thread because it shows the difference in styles of DG. I have done a little bit of traveling and the one thing I have noticed is that in order to find a course different than what you are used to playing, you need to leave your region. I like the courses in Tennessee and Kentucky, but I really enjoyed the course I played in Maine, because it was different. I really liked the courses in upstate New York, because they were different than what we have here. I have heard that in Texas and other western states, there are more open holes, that are typically longer. Here we have thick forests and the fairways are fairly tight for the most part. Many guys that just want to air it out may not like the style of DG in our region. It all depends on tastes. The only way to get an actual answer to this question would be for someone to have played in every state, but that would still be only one man's opinion.

[ZMan44]

This discussion will end up like Little League....no matter how bad you are, you still get a trophy so that no one has esteem issues or feels left out.

[Adam Schneider]

I live in Oregon, and while I'd never claim it's a top disc golf destination -- for one thing, there's a lot of distance between courses -- I will say that we've got variety. That's one thing the west coast has going for it: you've got mountains, deserts, foothills, flatlands, deciduous forest, evergreen forest, beaches, you name it.

Someone should find a list of how many courses each state has, and divide those numbers into the land area of each state. Because, sure, Texas has a lot of courses, but I'm guessing Iowa would come out on top in terms of courses per square mile.

[sidewinding]

Someone should find a list of how many courses each state has, and divide those numbers into the land area of each state. Because, sure, Texas has a lot of courses, but I'm guessing Iowa would come out on top in terms of courses per square mile.

Everyone should search for courses within 25 and 50 miles of your zip code. Whoever has the most wins. I'll start.

I have 15 courses within 25 miles.

I have 28 courses within 50 miles.

[iDisc]

michigan... all the way. my state and we got the best courses

[Texconsinite]

I certainly wouldnt claim it is the absolute best, but Minnesota has both qualtiy and quantity. Ive only played a dozen or so of the courses in the eastern part sofar, but the design is very good, with elevation changes and lots of trees.

One thing i will argue for Texas courses, they may not have the elevation changes or thick forests ofMinnesota courses, but whoever designs courses in TX knows how to use those water hazards! Many of the TX courses I`ve played have more water in play than those in the "Land of a Thousand Lakes". Not that parks in MN have less water((quite the opposite), just that many courses (Kaposia, Basset Creek,Lakewood Hills) weave around and avoid the lakes. The Texans make far more out of far less, IMHO, so in some ways, having flat "boring" land to start with can yield more, if done right.

[DGtourist]

For me, I LOVE playing in a different state, and having an obstacle that is completely unique to that state. This is one reason why I don't care much for park courses. From Huge ass evergreens in WA to arid mountain pine in Colorado, to rolling prairie and cliffs in Wyoming, to Cedars and creeks in Texas, To Seaside weeds that grab your disc like a hand in CA, and the dense forest courses in New England. It’s the differences that I LOVE and find it very hard to rate one above the other.

[Adam Schneider]

Everyone should search for courses within 25 and 50 miles of your zip code. Whoever has the most wins.
If you're going to do it that way, I'd count the number of BASKETS, not the number of courses.

[Three Putt]

Everyone should search for courses within 25 and 50 miles of your zip code. Whoever has the most wins. I'll start.

I have 15 courses within 25 miles.

I have 28 courses within 50 miles.

I have 0 courses within 25 miles.

I have 0 courses within 50 miles.

Do I win anything?

[Donovan]

I have 29 courses within 25 miles.
I have 37 courses within 50 miles.

And they are almost done building 1 more that will be added to both of those. And to think I used to hate that I lived in TX now. :D

[DirtyMittenDG]

Everyone should search for courses within 25 and 50 miles of your zip code. Whoever has the most wins. I'll start.

I have 15 courses within 25 miles.

I have 28 courses within 50 miles.

I have 20 courses within 25 miles

I have 35 courses within 50 miles

Clarkston, MI 48346
:D:cool:

[PhattD]

I have 8 within 25 miles (two more going in soon)
1 is on our top 10 list and two others are 4 or more discs.
138 baskets

30 within 50 miles.
10 are 4 disc or more.

[Luke@DiscTrips]

It was pretty well-established on a recent thread that in terms of pure course density, i.e., number of courses in a radius around a downtown zip code, that the Chicagoland area wins (I think it was 66 within 50 miles) and Minneapolis/St. Paul comes in second (54).

Now, we all know this is an entirely different conversation than "best" courses or course quality, because you never hear anyone on this site sticking up for Chicago courses. I will, however, stick up for Minnesota courses while we're at it. The city hosts a major event every year (the Majestic) attended by the top pros, and at least 5 different championship-18s have been involved in it over the years. But for people like me who couldn't care less about tournaments, the city is just teeming with feel-good, beautiful courses of all shapes and sizes. You drive 10 minutes and stumble over another 9 or 12 or 18-hole round.

I think it's clear that we all have our own criteria and our own limited exposure to disc golf's personality around the country. I still haven't played in the breadbasket of KY/OH/TN/NC etc. that I hear so much about on here, but when I do, I'm sure I'll a) love it, and b) find it hard to compare fairly against MN and New England and CO and all the other crazy corners of the country. THAT's what's great about this game.

[Olorin]

For me, I LOVE playing in a different state, and having an obstacle that is completely unique to that state. This is one reason why I don't care much for park courses. From Huge ass evergreens in WA to arid mountain pine in Colorado, to rolling prairie and cliffs in Wyoming, to Cedars and creeks in Texas, To Seaside weeds that grab your disc like a hand in CA, and the dense forest courses in New England. It’s the differences that I LOVE and find it very hard to rate one above the other.

I totally agree! We think alike. How about adding in the forests of NC?

[Olorin]

It's impossible to determine the BEST disc golf state, since the criteria can't even be conclusively decided.

However, it should be possible to determine the 10 best states (top 20%) and maybe even the top 5 best (top 10%).

[Olorin]

If I were the Grand Poobah of Course Quality I might try this:

You have to take population density into account.

1) Wait until course in the U.S. has a DGCR rating from 0-5.0. Assume that these ratings are as accurate as you're going to get. (Assume that the HBB would be uniform among all states.)
2) Add together all of the rating stars for each state. Call this number "Total Stars".
3) Divide "Total Stars" by the state's population (in millions).
4) Divide "Total Stars" by the state's square miles.
5) Divide "Total Stars" by the number of U.S. Congressional districts.
6) Add together 3-5.

How's that?

[Donovan]

If I were the Grand Poobah of Course Quality I might try this:

You have to take population density into account.

1) Wait until course in the U.S. has a DGCR rating from 0-5.0. Assume that these ratings are as accurate as you're going to get. (Assume that the HBB would be uniform among all states.)
2) Add together all of the rating stars for each state. Call this number "Total Stars".
3) Divide "Total Stars" by the state's population (in millions).
4) Divide "Total Stars" by the state's square miles.
5) Divide "Total Stars" by the number of U.S. Congressional districts.
6) Add together 3-5.

How's that?

Is this grading on a curve? I've heard of that. :p ;)

Hmm, actually brother, I this will be partial to smaller states in the long run, don't you?

[Disc_Pro]

Why?

[DGtourist]

I totally agree! We think alike. How about adding in the forests of NC?

Its gonna happen I think 09 looks likes KY, MI and NC and a move to TX, maybe I'll be at 200 before I know it.

[Donovan]

Why?

I was just thinking if the big numbers are smaller (size and population), the end result will be bigger if the avearge ratings are even close to the same. But hell, I am just guessing here.

[PA_Disc]

I think as far as numbers are concerned, PA ranks fairly high. There are 72 courses listed here for PA. Thats one course for every 622 sq mi...

[magictenor1]

Some of this is quality vs quantity and as most people have'nt played in all or even most of the states there is really not much chance of getting any kind of credible answer at this point. For both quality and quantity I know that Fort Worth is a great area but ther are so many places that I have not played.

[Olorin]

1) Wait until course in the U.S. has a DGCR rating from 0-5.0.

There was a mistake here. It was supposed to read, "Wait until EVERY course in the U.S. has a DGCR rating from 0-5.0"

[garublador]

Everyone should search for courses within 25 and 50 miles of your zip code. Whoever has the most wins. I'll start.

I have 15 courses within 25 miles.

I have 28 courses within 50 miles.
20 within 25 miles.

32 within 50 miles.

[magictenor1]

I only have 2 within 50 miles and both are only 9 holes. Do I get a sympathy prize for that?

[PA_Disc]

20 within 25
30 within 50

[ZMan44]

What if we divided it into regions like the Little League World Series is. * regions and pick the best of each. I have only one "beef" with this geographical allignment. Here is what it would look like...

New England - ME, NH, VT, RI, MA, CT
Mid Atlantic - NY, PA, NJ, DE, MD, VA, WV
Southeast - FL, GA, AL, MS, TN, NC, SC
Great Lakes - MN, WI, MI, IL, IN, OH, KY
Midwest - ND, SD, KS, MO, IA, NE
Southwest - AZ, NM, TX, OK, AR, LA
West - HI, CA, NV, UT, CO
Northwest - AK, WA, OR, ID, MT, WY

Now we can discuss best state by region since it is so hard to campare courses in different regions. My only problem with this was that by Little League directive: KY, WI, MI, and MN are all in the same region. Those all have great courses. Other than that, I think these regions can provide good discussion as to the best in each region.

Based on what I know, I think NC probably wins the southeast. Let's hear what everyone else thinks about their respective regions.

[JR Stengele]

Oregon in the Nw and CA. on the west altough Hawaii is great.

[PhattD]

I'd be willing to vote for Hawaii for best disc golf state because even if the courses suck you're still in Hawaii :D

[Donovan]

I only have 2 within 50 miles and both are only 9 holes. Do I get a sympathy prize for that?

My heart goes out to you bro!

[magictenor1]

PhattD has a great point there. The only problem is getting there to actually play.

[Donovan]

I'd be willing to vote for Hawaii for best disc golf state because even if the courses suck you're still in Hawaii :D

You know, you may just have to buy a couple of portable baskets and find somewhere that you can place them. Then find multiple places to tee from to play in toward them. Heck with some of that gas money you save, those baskets will pay for themselves.

Man, I really do feel for you.

[mndiscg]

The Twin Cities Metro area of MN is great. I live 1 hours away and on the weekends me and some friends drive in play 8-10 courses and go home. It's a blast! Most courses are only 5-10 minutes apart.

[stargator231]

michigan all the way
flip city enough said

[tomjulio]

michigan all the way
flip city enough said
..and with the triad of Beast/Beauty/Goliath just north of there in Ludington, along with the TRUE pro challenging Leviathan...West Michigan is the psuedo mecca of disc golf pilgrimage in the US.

Stargator...noticed you HAVEN'T left a review for Flip City. That is a MUST to keep the St Andrews of disc golfing at the top of this sites list. Rightfully where it belongs.

[TimSyl]

Eight within 25 miles, including two with 2 miles.

Twenty within 50 miles.

Obviously, you'll never get a consensus...too much HBB. I've only played MI, IN (northern part), KY (BG and Cinci areas), one course in IL and one in AR so I wouldn't pretend to be an expert. I do know that some of the courses I have played that get rave reviews on here don't thrill me that much. Some examples are Banklick and Kerieakes...both okay courses to me, but not as great as others think they are. I do agree with some others...Idlewild, Flip City, and Leviathin are all great. At Worlds this year most people loved Timber Ridge...I thought it was b-o-r-i-n-g. Different strokes for different folks, which is why a consensus is impossible.

[RustyP]

Haven't read all the replies, but has anyone guessed "Texas" yet? ...because I'm pretty sure that's the correct answer :D

Let me check real quick...yep, "Texas" would be the correct answer.;)

[Donovan]

Haven't read all the replies, but has anyone guessed "Texas" yet? ...because I'm pretty sure that's the correct answer :D

Let me check real quick...yep, "Texas" would be the correct answer.;)

We do have alot of courses for sure!
I have 29 courses within 25 miles.
I have 37 courses within 50 miles.

I have not seen that beat yet. :cool:

[RustyP]

We do have alot of courses for sure!
I have 29 courses within 25 miles.
I have 37 courses within 50 miles.

I have not seen that beat yet. :cool:

*sigh*

That's what makes me miss living in Dallas the most! We have 2 courses here in Texarkana, but one of them is just 9 baskets scattered throughout a wide-open, flat field. The other is alright and has a few interesting holes, but it's nothing compared to my old home course(s) in Dallas at Lester Lorch Park.

I grew up in Mesquite, and right after I moved here all these new courses started sprouting up all over the DFW. Mesquite got 3 courses, Ft Worth got a few (I think), and there are still several more in the works! Why oh why did I move? ...oh that's right, my job :mad:

[ERicJ]

Houston's "25/50" course counts are 23 & 29.

In terms of hole or basket count the "25/50" numbers are 296 & 377.

ERic

[The Valkyrie Kid]

First of all, do away with the HBB or "Home Boy Bias" by not allowing anyone to vote for their home state. Secondly, this is a "Best Disc Golf State" not a "Best Disc Golf City " or "Best Metropolitan Disc Golf Area".

Next question, how many of us are really qualified to actually cast such a ballot? Even those of us who have played in 10-20 states, have we actually played enough courses in other states to cast an informed vote?

Next, under what critera are we voting? Most courses? Best courses? Our own particular favorites? Most highly rated? This is a most subjectiable (Is subjectiable a word?) topic.

There are certainly a few metropolitian areas which have high concentrations of courses, Minnapolis, Chicago area, Milawaukee to Green Bay, Houston, Cincinnatti, Portland, the Detroit area, etc. I'd love to visit those cities and spend some time sampling their courses. California has over 100 courses but they seem very spread out over a very large state. Same with Texas, other than Houston. I haven't played any Florida courses but haven't read any really glowing reports about that state's courses in general. If I had to venture an educated guess, I would say NC, PA, Michigan, maybe Kentucky, Texas and NY would be among the top 10. Interesting topic, though????

As far as my home my home state of Washington, it would probably rank in the lower 50%. I've played enough Oregon courses to feel it probably ranks in the top 20.

Respecfully submitted,

September 30, 2008
Douglas C, Neidemeyer
Sargent At Arms

The Valkyrie Kid

[brokenfixed]

New Jersey Rules!

[heelboycraig]

New Jersey Rules!

O'Doyle rules!

[heelboycraig]

There are certainly a few metropolitian areas which have high concentrations of courses, Minnapolis, Chicago area, Milawaukee to Green Bay, Houston, Cincinnatti, Portland, the Detroit area, etc.

You forgot the #1 disc golf city http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showthread.php?t=498.

[JR Stengele]

I love Portland but am sure it is not the best. Very chill area though and the micro breweries are great too.

[brokenfixed]

O'Doyle rules!

God?....I know that I just forget it at the moment

[PhattD]

Haven't read all the replies, but has anyone guessed "Texas" yet? ...because I'm pretty sure that's the correct answer :D

Let me check real quick...yep, "Texas" would be the correct answer.;)

TEXAS!!?!?? Only 2 things come from Texas boy and..... Oh wait sorry Basic training flash back I'm better now.

Actually just got done watching the Alamo.. Cool Movie.

[agentdozzer]

Kentucky is the best disc golf state. In Northern Kentucky you have two top ten courses, one of which is idle wild. Plus you have AJ jolly a "scenic course" with salza behind the new boone woods to be done this year it should be much improved. Plus there is bowling green with many courses in a small area, The ville and Lexington. Then if you want to drive through the country Jenny Willey has a awesome course that is so far away it is overlooked by most crowds.

[Donovan]

*sigh*

That's what makes me miss living in Dallas the most! We have 2 courses here in Texarkana, but one of them is just 9 baskets scattered throughout a wide-open, flat field. The other is alright and has a few interesting holes, but it's nothing compared to my old home course(s) in Dallas at Lester Lorch Park.

I grew up in Mesquite, and right after I moved here all these new courses started sprouting up all over the DFW. Mesquite got 3 courses, Ft Worth got a few (I think), and there are still several more in the works! Why oh why did I move? ...oh that's right, my job :mad:

This is another sign you are addicted to disc golf...when you think maybe a job change would be better than your job moving you....due to the number of courses the change will affect.

[Donovan]

Houston's "25/50" course counts are 23 & 29.

In terms of hole or basket count the "25/50" numbers are 296 & 377.

ERic

Oh for the love some one else's mother! No bro, I am not about to start counting the holes just to compare....:rolleyes:






1,2,3,4,.....

[DirtyMittenDG]

TEXAS!!?!?? Only 2 things come from Texas boy.


lol, I love that line, no offense

[sidewinding]

Raise your hand if you'll be playing in shorts on Christmas day? I will...In Austin, TX. Hopefully with a new disc I just unwrapped.

[magictenor1]

The south has a definite advantage with weather conditions and all year play. Texas is a great state for DG.

[bazkitcase5]

more people should come play in MS, especially if you like technical courses - we are starting to branch out some too

I live here and still would not vote it among the "best" states from my experience, but we do have a lot of good courses in short driving distances (comparatively) - you can drive the length of the state in about 5 hours haha

also, when I was in Dallas on a business trip, it was nice having so many courses close, but if the course was 30 miles away, it took an hour to get there - here in MS, if the course is 30 miles away, you get there in 25-30 mins (at least where I live)

I still have yet to travel to a lot of the distinct disc golf regions, but I have played a lot of courses and a lot of MS courses are every bit as good as the ones I've played elsewhere

[bazkitcase5]

I am still figuring this site out, but as time allows me and with a little extra work, I'll have the MS courses I play the most more up to date in the near future

I bet I'm one of the few if there are any others, on this website that lives in MS, so I gotta talk it up lol

in MS, courses are popping up everywhere, but disc golf is slow to catch on so far, but we are getting there!

[Camgolfer]

We have some of the most beatiful DG Courses out there. Many of our course are the beautiful Rocky Mountains. Colorado disc golfers can do it a Mile High (or better)!

[magictenor1]

I am still figuring this site out, but as time allows me and with a little extra work, I'll have the MS courses I play the most more up to date in the near future

I bet I'm one of the few if there are any others, on this website that lives in MS, so I gotta talk it up lol

in MS, courses are popping up everywhere, but disc golf is slow to catch on so far, but we are getting there! I live in Meridian. Where do you live and what courses do you play? You are right that there are not many that I have seen from MS. on the site.

[eegor]

I've only played in Texas. I would like to play elsewhere...

29 courses within 25 miles.
37 courses within 50 miles.

[Greg Layton]

I've only played in Texas. I would like to play elsewhere...


So do it! Get a couple of friends together and drive up to Oklahoma City and Tulsa. OKC is only about 3 hours away. There's at least 3 or 4 decent looking courses in both places; you could make a weekend out of it.

You'll want to check out Redhawk/Blackhawk in particular. I know people have spoken highly of those two courses in the past.

[JesusShoes]

I don't really know? Maybe because it snows there?

[JesusShoes]

I live in Meridian. Where do you live and what courses do you play? You are right that there are not many that I have seen from MS. on the site.

That is Clayton. He is from Tupelo

[landon77]

I KNOW THAT THE STATE OF OHIO SUCKS, go nuts!!

[landon77]

the one state that is no good is Ohio, they have the worst everything

[Cradical]

33 courses in 25 miles.
54 courses in 50 miles.

pwnd o.O

[ERicJ]

the one state that is no good is Ohio, they have the worst everything
My favorite course that I've played so far is in Ohio! Arboretum-Spiker Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/reviews.php?id=188&page=1&mode=rev#3250)

[DirtyMittenDG]

I havnt even flicked a disc in about a month 1/2 because its a$$ cold and I jus dont find playing in the winter fun! And I just heard it snowed in texas? With that I change my answer from michigan to HAWAII!!!

[landon77]

Thanks Eric I'll add that course to my wish list. I guess I should come clean and say I hate Ohio State Buckeyes (what a stupid moniker) the football team, overrated and underachievers. --- Eric how does Arboretum-Spiker Park compare to Flip City?

[landon77]

Ahh I see you haven't played any Michigan courses yet, thats OK I have not played any other states disc courses yet either.

[tomjulio]

Ahh I see you haven't played any Michigan courses yet, thats OK I have not played any other states disc courses yet either.

As I sit here in cold ass Wisconsin, wondering why I choose this state to winter down as opposed to California like last year, all I can dream about is the spring and summer hurrying up so I can once again play the Michigan courses...they do affect you that much.

[kyflash]

Kentucky is the best disc golf state. In Northern Kentucky you have two top ten courses, one of which is idle wild. Plus you have AJ jolly a "scenic course" with salza behind the new boone woods to be done this year it should be much improved. Plus there is bowling green with many courses in a small area, The ville and Lexington. Then if you want to drive through the country Jenny Willey has a awesome course that is so far away it is overlooked by most crowds.


Don't forget Freeman Lake Park. Might just be the best in the state. Not as pretty as Idle Wild but every bit the course and maybe better.

[33tango]

I have 0 courses within 25 miles.

I have 0 courses within 50 miles.

Do I win anything?

You win much sympathy!

[solomon.trenton]

i hear that cali, fla and tx are the best

[Three Putt]

You win much sympathy!At least if I had the time to drive 60 miles to a course today, it would be in the low 40's with just a few leftovers from the ice storm on Tuesday. I was born in the U.P., Michigan winters suck!

[landon77]

As I sit here in cold ass Wisconsin, wondering why I choose this state to winter down as opposed to California like last year, all I can dream about is the spring and summer hurrying up so I can once again play the Michigan courses...they do affect you that much.

LOL---- It is HARD to deal with this Michigan weather, sometimes you just gotta throw in the snow!

[ERicJ]

My favorite course that I've played so far is in Ohio! Arboretum-Spiker Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/reviews.php?id=188&page=1&mode=rev#3250)
Thanks Eric I'll add that course to my wish list. [...] how does Arboretum-Spiker Park compare to Flip City?
Based on every post I've read: nothing compares to Flip City. ;)

But seriously I loved Arboretum-Spiker Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../reviews.php?id=188&page=1&mode=rev#3250). I've read that they have installed beautiful new tee signs since I was there in July. I've only played that course once and it kicked my butt. I carded a 97 for 24 holes from the Pro tees: one 2, five 3's and the rest 4's, 5's, and a 6. But I can't wait to get back and play it again. The AM tees made for an easier round for my girlfriend while the Pro tees do more than just make the hole longer, they usually add something extra to the hole. The picture of the new tee sign posted on the DGCR gallery shows that they have short "Novice" tees now too.

ERic

[SigmaChris]

While Michigan and Wisconsin have some fabulous courses can you consider them the "Best DG State" when you can't play the courses 3 to 5 months out of the year. Yes I know die hards will still play, but playing in sub freezing weather with a snow layer can't be has good as playing in 60 degree weather down south somewhere in January.

[tomjulio]

While Michigan and Wisconsin have some fabulous courses can you consider them the "Best DG State" when you can't play the courses 3 to 5 months out of the year. Yes I know die hards will still play, but playing in sub freezing weather with a snow layer can't be has good as playing in 60 degree weather down south somewhere in January.

In all seriousness, I think I would rather play the majestic Michigan courses 7 out of the 12 months , than most mediocre courses in good weather all year long. I have been playing Wisconsin courses for the past month and there is just this huge void in my heart for what lies under the snow 90 miles to the east across the lake right now.

[tomjulio]

" Originally Posted by landon77
how does Arboretum-Spiker Park compare to Flip City?"

Based on every post I've read: nothing compares to Flip City.

Landon, you should probably ask someone who has actually played both.

[landon77]

In all seriousness, I think I would rather play the majestic Michigan courses 7 out of the 12 months , than most mediocre courses in good weather all year long. I have been playing Wisconsin courses for the past month and there is just this huge void in my heart for what lies under the snow 90 miles to the east across the lake right now.

Could not have said it any better myself! I am very pleased with the quality of courses that I have in a 15 mile radius!! Thank the frisbee golf gods!:D

[Olorin]

With that I change my answer from michigan to HAWAII!!!

Last Sunday I played the U of Hawaii course. They have severe restrictions to getting a permanent course on Oahu, so you've got to take what you can get. It's an object course and it's necessary for a local to show you around, but it was still DG in Hawaii! They have an incredible variety of trees and plants. Not the world's greatest course, but it took me back to my roots of "frisbee golf" going around my college campus.

In Nov I also played on Oahu HI at Sand Island. The local guys carried a portable basket around. A few shots overlook the ocean. We couldn't play one hole on the beach, though, because there were people on it. The course also has limitations, but the local guys were really friendly and doing the best they can under the circumstances.

[Lewis]

While Michigan and Wisconsin have some fabulous courses can you consider them the "Best DG State" when you can't play the courses 3 to 5 months out of the year. Yes I know die hards will still play, but playing in sub freezing weather with a snow layer can't be has good as playing in 60 degree weather down south somewhere in January.

It was in the 60's in Atlanta today. It's been raining for a couple of days (sweet, blessed, delicious rain!), and it's been windy for a week, but I went out and played anyway. I was about 20 throws worse than I normally am, but I blamed it on the weather and the fact that I've been working the night shift this week. :cool:

[SimonCarr]

I think you have to define the criteria of what it means to be "Best Disc Golf State".

Does that mean the state with the most courses? Most active players? Most tournaments? Or does it mean which state has the most top tier courses?

I have mostly played in Kentucky, Ohio and Tennesee - so I can't speak for the other 47 states. I know from what I have read that North Carolina, Kentucky, Michigan, Iowa, California, Oregon and Texas are great disc golf states. If I had to narrow it down to the top 3 I would guess it is Kentucky, Michigan and North Carolina (in no particular order).

[Lewis]

I would "define" the best disc golf state as the one we all want to move to. So I'd like to rephrase the question: if you had to move to another state, and could let your disc golfing addiction determine where you moved to, where would you go?

[SimonCarr]

I don't think that is the same thing.. There are a lot of factors that determine where a person would want to live.. I mean, would you move somewhere just to be right down the road from 1 awesome course? or is it more important to have 10 'good' courses within an hour?

[Disc_Pro]

My vote goes for United States.

[gusc2375]

I would also have to vote for Kentucky, I've played only a few states but mine is the best.

[Doktor John]

I've only played in 24 States, so can't make a definitive statement, but pound for pound, Oregon would get my vote so far...I have yet to play some of the most awesome courses in the country, so I can't wait to make a more educated guess some day :) So many courses, so little time...

[theGryphon]

Florida's nice because we can play year round. However I don't think we have great courses. I'm sure there a few very nice ones but I would think some of the more mountainous states would have the nicer and more difficult courses.

[crouchingwombat]

I agree with theGryphon, you guys are too rough on Florida. Things are flat down here but we are expanding our courses to include quarries and limestone carved out hills. http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1635 When was the last time someone from Oregon or Washington tried to put a course on top of some Mts... never. It would be the most physically challenging game ever, "Hey Frodo, the tee sign says the pin is 1000 feet down but only 100 feet away...better not put too much arm on this one."
Besides the weather is nice, except from 3-5 during the summer, and we have more hot chicks than any other state. Age 18-70 of course but I'm not picky.

[biscoe]

hey florida guys,
my inlaws have moved to brooksville and i'll be there for a week surrounding christmas- what are the must-play courses within 45 minutes or so? i can probably only find time to hit 2- my current plan is the redhawk and the quarry. if only the canyon were still playable!

[crouchingwombat]

If you are driving down I-75 stop by Northside Park in Gainesville, or the Greenway DGC near Ocala. I've never played those other two but want to someday. Oh and Magnolia DCG is off of 75 near I-10 but it's a fee course and I have not played it either.

[biscoe]

we'll be flying to orlando and driving over from there but my dg ops will need to be centered around brooksville. floral city appears to have potential in addition to redhawk and quarry.

[Adam Schneider]

We play year-round in Oregon. You just need good waterproof shoes and either a high tolerance for getting wet OR a willingness to pick and choose which days you play. (I'm in the latter category.)

[blang]

Innovadude,

How would your rate metro Atlanta in comparison to other areas in your travels?

[Adam Schneider]

When was the last time someone from Oregon or Washington tried to put a course on top of some Mts... never.
Ahem. They do it every summer at Mt. Hood, Mt. Bachelor, Willamette Pass, and Crystal Mountain.

[swarren1977]

NC is not too shabby. Lots of private courses. Hit up the HomeGrown Tour and you'll get to play a few.

[crouchingwombat]

I was just at Hood and Willamette Pass this summer and saw absolutely nothing pertaining to disc golf. I believe you, I just wish I would have noticed.

[Doktor John]

[QUOTE=crouchingwombat;19393]When was the last time someone from Oregon or Washington tried to put a course on top of some Mts... never. It would be the most physically challenging game ever, "Hey Frodo, the tee sign says the pin is 1000 feet down but only 100 feet away...better not put too much arm on this one."
QUOTE]

I just played Mt. Bachelor in Bend OR in July....took a chair lift up about 5000-6000 ft and played straight down the mountain...had the best drive of my life...over 900 ft :)

Whistler's Bend in OR has a great hole that is straight down about 800 - 900 feet or so...I drove with my ROC and landed 10 feet from the basket...made me feel like a pro

As far as determining things by where you would want to move to...I wouldn't want to live anywhere other than San Diego...but we don't have alot of great courses close by...

[sonny]

NC was a great disc golf state today. Close to 50 degrees out and sunny.

6 courses in 25 miles
18 courses in 50 miles
37 - 100 miles

4 courses in my town.
One's a neighborhood pitch n putt
Two are beautiful courses through what used to be suburban homes before they were flooded out.
The newest is part of a local sports complex they found room for.
Just a little more work and they could all be 1st class.

[Brokensaint]

Saint Louis, MO.
16 courses within 25 miles, 24 within 50. The local club has an annual Iron Man tourney where you play 6 courses in a day, which I mention only to say that all of the courses are near one another as well as near my home. Also, I can head in almost any direction and make a two day disc golf road trip. Up towards Chicago there are tons of courses between here and there. To KC? Pop over to Columbia for a couple rounds on the way, and then make KC in 4-5 hours, play 7 or 8 courses in 2 days and be back home in time for Lost. I'm not going to say that I live in the greatest DG city, but I do feel fortunate that we have so many different yet quality courses in the area. Judging from the reactions I've heard from some out of towners who have come in for various tourney's etc, we have pretty good courses here.

[Brokensaint]

Oh, and I want to add that our courses are open 365. Rain, snow, whatever. I realize we don't get the punishing winters like Michigan, but it still gets pretty f-ing cold in the winter, sweltering in the summer, so on and so forth and I'm out there all year round. Who needs sunshine and 70 at christmas anyway?

[jdc03270]

Vermont is the place to go! Ha!!

[Lewis]

I don't know about the weather around the country, but I do know I got off work at 5pm today, drove 5 minutes to my local course, and played a whole 18-hole round in 65+ degree weather. It was fully dark just about when I finished, but playing a whole round that I started after 5pm less than a week before the winter solstice was nice. :D

[Lost in the Brambles]

Sounds great...we're not so lucky in Washington ST.

[Disc Chainy]

Sounds great...we're not so lucky in Washington ST.

Yeah no kidding. 3" of new snow today and sunset at 4:15. Not exactly ideal Disc Golf weather :(

[discinvan]

Saint Louis, MO.
16 courses within 25 miles, 24 within 50. The local club has an annual Iron Man tourney where you play 6 courses in a day, which I mention only to say that all of the courses are near one another as well as near my home. Also, I can head in almost any direction and make a two day disc golf road trip. Up towards Chicago there are tons of courses between here and there. To KC? Pop over to Columbia for a couple rounds on the way, and then make KC in 4-5 hours, play 7 or 8 courses in 2 days and be back home in time for Lost. I'm not going to say that I live in the greatest DG city, but I do feel fortunate that we have so many different yet quality courses in the area. Judging from the reactions I've heard from some out of towners who have come in for various tourney's etc, we have pretty good courses here.

I agree. you could spend a few days going between KC & stl and play till your arm hurts. there are all different types of couses; short & technical to long and open. The 3 courses in columbia are excelent but I think often get ignored because its not a large metro area. Indian Hills will challenge the best players with its tight (6 ft wide) fairways on the back 9; and Oakland with two 18 hole courses in 1 park.

[Greg Layton]

Man, the HBB in this thread is spectacular.

[magictenor1]

People talk about what they know. I did point out the good points for Texas especially the D-FW area and I don't live there so maybe it's not all HBB.

[Usher]

Colorado is probably the best western-half of the country state for disc golf.


Heck yeah it is!!!!!!!

[Usher]

42 Courses within 50 miles
72 Courses within 100 miles

[The Valkyrie Kid]

While Michigan and Wisconsin have some fabulous courses can you consider them the "Best DG State" when you can't play the courses 3 to 5 months out of the year. Yes I know die hards will still play, but playing in sub freezing weather with a snow layer can't be has good as playing in 60 degree weather down south somewhere in January.

This has to be a factor in determining best disc glof state. I learn towards Texas, maybe Kentucky, Virginia or NC?????????

[sidewinding]

33 courses in 25 miles.
54 courses in 50 miles.

DING DING DING DING!!!! It looks like we have a winner!!!!

[DGtourist]

42 Courses within 50 miles
72 Courses within 100 miles

Many of Colorado's great courses don't exist during the winter though.

[therealbigtrav]

I would agree on Michigan, but you cant leave out Wisconsin. Wisconsin has to rank high on amount of courses compared to any state outside of Texas with less room to have to travel. Highbridge Hills is the best single disc golf destination in the world. Justin's Trails, Vallarta, Plauman, and Telemark are all amazing courses too.

[DWill]

I would agree on Michigan, but you cant leave out Wisconsin. Wisconsin has to rank high on amount of courses compared to any state outside of Texas with less room to have to travel.

According to this site, here's the top 10 number of courses in the USA
Texas 179
California 138
Iowa 138
Wisconsin 135
Minnesota 127
Illinois 124
Michigan 114
Ohio 95
Colorado 88
North Carolina 88

[swellerdiscgolf]

After doing lots of research using this website, I came up with a criteria using 1. Number Of Courses
2. Number Of Holes
3. Number of courses per 1000 sq. miles
4. Number of holes per 1000 people
5. Number of holes per course
6. Average Rating

and using all 50 states the top 10 are:

10. Mississippi
9. Georgia
8. Virginia :)
7. Florida
6. Indiana
5. North Carolina
4. Wisconsin
3. Ohio
2. Kentucky
1. Michigan: 114 courses (7th), 1766 holes (4th), 2.0067 courses per 1000 sq.miles (8th), .1776 holes per 1000 people (21st), 15.49 holes per course (17th), and avg rating of 2.72 (5th)

The leaders in different catagories are:
# courses Texas (179)
# holes Texas (2614)
# courses / 1000 miles Delaware (5.6265)
# holes / 1000 people North Dakota (.5512)
# holes / course Hawaii (18.50)
Average rating per course Massachusetts (3.17)

(all info was compiled and tabulated ending 12/17/08, so it might have changed slightly)

[Olorin]

Wow Swellerdiscgolf! That looks like an unbelievable amount of time and work to compile all of that info. Thanks so much.

I'm glad to see NC on the list!

[DGtourist]

good read man.

[Olorin]

using all 50 states the top 10 are:

10. Mississippi
9. Georgia
8. Virginia :)
7. Florida
6. Indiana
5. North Carolina
4. Wisconsin
3. Ohio
2. Kentucky
1. Michigan: 114 courses (7th), 1766 holes (4th), 2.0067 courses per 1000 sq.miles (8th), .1776 holes per 1000 people (21st), 15.49 holes per course (17th), and avg rating of 2.72 (5th)


I must say that I'm amazed at some of the omissions, though. Missing Iowa, Texas, Minnesota, California.

No offense to those from the states, but Mississippi and Indiana don't usually come to mind as Top 10 best DG states. I also never would have guessed that Ohio would be #3.

[ZMan44]

While I could definitely not argue with a majority of these states, I would also consider Indiana and Mississippi to be surprises. I would add Georgia to my list of surprises as well. This is an awesome analysis. I hope it can be updated as the site gets more reviews and new courses are built. Kudos to swellerdiscgolf for some truly amazing work.

[agentdozzer]

WOW some time went into that, Very cool nice to see the state i live and work in so close to the top. Cincinnati is a great place to live for disc golf.

[ERicJ]

and using all 50 states the top 10 are:

10. Mississippi
9. Georgia
8. Virginia :)
7. Florida
6. Indiana
5. North Carolina
4. Wisconsin
3. Ohio
2. Kentucky
1. Michigan
Interesting spin on the data, but I'll question a top-10 list that doesn't have Texas listed at all. I think the "course/raw area" criteria is misused as there are some states with some significant irrelevant area. But interesting data none the less.

ERic

[swellerdiscgolf]

Thank You to all the support.

All of the data was compiled during the 3 hours in the morning when my 1 yr old daughter would wake up before I had to go to work everyone else was still asleep. I am open to any suggestions that I can add to make it more "fair." I will try to update this every month or so, and also to make the rating section of my list more accurate since I just used the little orange dots beside each course as either whole point or half point, but it will be hard since I have a five year old, one year old, and a wife that just doesn't understand DiscGolf and why I spend my time on here. :)

While I knew Texas would want some love, they fell short in the amount of holes per course
(14.60 30th), avg rating (2.24 28th), and of course courses per area, and holes per person. The courses per area I did to give a fair shot to the little guys like RI and DE, also the holes per person was done for kind of the same reason. As far as holes per course, I can't stand going to a 9 hole course over and over and over again, while they might be fun and challenging (sp?), they would get boring to me. The course rating could be the easiest one to change. Texas only had 139 of their 179 courses rated, while other states like DE, NJ, & VA had all their courses rated. As far as the other mentioned, Iowa, Minnesota, and California they ere ranked: Iowa 11th, Texas tied for 13th (Illinois), Minnesota tied for 15th (Pennsylvania) and Califonia 20th.

[Lewis]

Great idea, and I'm pleasantly surprised to see Georgia make the list. How did you weight and calculate the data? Small states might have an advantage in courses per area, but couldn't hope to compete in the total # of courses category. At the same time, although California has a good reputation and lots of courses, we all tend to forget how vast a state it is by area, and how even more gianormous it is by population. Being super-huge would put a greater burden on it to produce more quality courses. I wonder if somebody else might use other statistics, or weight them differently? Then we could have a poll of polls, kind of like they do for national elections. :P

Seriously, though, great job. I admire your effort, and am interested to see that the top 10 is totally dominated by Midwestern and Southeastern states. Is this where the sport is strongest?

[swellerdiscgolf]

It wasn't as hard as it sounds. Just used the web and got area and population from a couple of diff sites (don't remember, but next time I'll write them down) and the rest of the info I got off the course tracker. I then did all the math (# courses divided by area) and rankings while I was at work. I'm kind of a stats geek but don't have the time or comp. knowledge to do all i want.

[ERicJ]

As far as holes per course, I can't stand going to a 9 hole course over and over and over again, while they might be fun and challenging (sp?), they would get boring to me.
It's your rating system so you can calculate as you wish, but this seems like the inclusion of some personal bias in what I would hope to be an objective system.

Personally I don't think 9-hole courses are a bad thing. I mean on a small piece of land would you rather have a 9-hole course or nothing at all? Especially if the 9-hole course has Alt tees, which many seem to, it shouldn't be counted against the state. Again, IMO.

The course rating could be the easiest one to change. Texas only had 139 of their 179 courses rated
Did you count the unrated courses as zero, or discount them from the population/average?

[Lewis]

Eric, you sound like one of those people who has faith in election polls, or (God Forbid) has faith in the BCS computers. No "top 10" list is going to be totally objective.

On the other hand, I agree with your point about taking points away from a state for having 9-hole courses. Adding to what you said, people will take into account the number of holes a course has in the ratings they give it, making Sweller's consideration a kind of double-jeopardy. I would hope he only calculated the average rating from the rated courses.

Call me crazy, but I'm sitting here thinking it would be fun to make a spreadsheet of these statistics and calculations.

[ERicJ]

Eric, you sound like one of those people who has faith in election polls, or (God Forbid) has faith in the BCS computers.
The BCS blows. Div1 football needs a playoff just like the other NCAA sports and Divs of football. 16 teams would be awesome, but I'd settle for eight. It's a long storied debate since the inception of the BCS, but I think it'd be easy to develop a playoff system that makes more money for the universites/bowls than the current one does.

No "top 10" list is going to be totally objective.Agreed. But if sweller is willing to take some input, perhaps his system could be a little closer.

[swellerdiscgolf]

I did include unrated courses as zeros, and I think I will make an exception for those 9 hole courses. This was a first draft, and done using wordperfect's grid maker since I don't have excel or anything like that. I think I'll go back after the Christmas and re-work the info.

Thanks again for all the input!

[swellerdiscgolf]

I didn't mean for the holes / course thing to be opinionated, I just thought it would be another way to add to my list. If I was treating this like the BCS, then some weird state like Confusion would have been in the top 10. LOL :)

[ERicJ]

Texas only had 139 of their 179 courses rated, while other states like DE, NJ, & VA had all their courses rated.Did you count the unrated courses as zero, or discount them from the population/average?
I did include unrated courses as zeros
Counting 40 of 179 TX courses as zero is gonna crush any accuracy of the average. You definitely need to change the calculations to only average the rated courses. And I might go as far as to only average the courses with a minimum of two or three ratings just to make sure that you're getting more accurate data.

ERic

[Lewis]

Have you ever tried OpenOffice? It's a freeware office suite, with a spreadsheet, word processor, database program, diagram drawing program, etc., and the version I have works pretty well. You can also save your work as a pdf without having to pay $$$ for Adobe Acrobat. :D

[ERicJ]

OpenOffice (http://www.openoffice.org/) rocks. I've been a long time user. Not willing to shell out for Micro$oft product.

[Lewis]

I didn't mean for the holes / course thing to be opinionated, I just thought it would be another way to add to my list. If I was treating this like the BCS, then some weird state like Confusion would have been in the top 10. LOL :)

I love it how every year we get better and better disputes about who deserves to go to the BCS "Championship." One year there'll be three undefeated teams. Another year there's only one 1-loss team. This year there's about eight 1-loss teams. The BCS basically gives us a 2-team playoff. Why not expand it to 4 or 8 teams? It's not like every other division of college football doesn't have a playoff. :mad:

Anyway, we'll be looking forward to your new numbers coming out in January. :)

[swellerdiscgolf]

Thanks for the Openoffice thingy I'll check it out once the Christmas confussion settles down.

As far as Texas missing 40 courses, they were still above the average for percentage of courses rated, but I am going to change that anyway.

[Olorin]

As far as Texas missing 40 courses, they were still above the average for percentage of courses rated, but I am going to change that anyway.

Good idea. I'd concur that you should calculate the average rating ONLY from the courses with ratings instead of giving 0s to unrated courses.

I'm agog that you crunched all of these numbers without a spreadsheet! That makes your feat even more amazing. You need to collaborate with a spreadsheet guru. I wonder if we have any of those around here? ;)

[Olorin]

I'd love to see a Top 20 list of the states that have the highest the number of courses rated 4.0 to 5. (Although I sure hope it wouldn't encourage more HBB.)

I guess that the percentage of courses in a state that are rated 4.0-5 would also be useful.

I'm assuming that all of the 4.5 and 5 courses have already been rated on here. Do you think that's an accurate assumption?

[Olorin]

Here are the stats for North Carolina:
15 of 88 courses rated 4.0 or higher.
17.0% of courses are rated 4.0 or higher.

FWIW, I'd say that 4 of the courses on the >4.0 list shouldn't be there, but the list is also missing 4 that should be there, so it evens out.

[Olorin]

You know, there are really a lot of inequalities between states... size, population, population density, inhabitable land area... How can you really compare Rhode Island, Texas, Montana, Hawaii, and Alaska? It seems that state boundaries were drawn for a number of reasons, but the end result is inequality. To be honest, for this reason, I'm not even convinced that determining "The Best DG State" really even tells us anything significant.

Hope I'm not being a wet blanket...

[DannyM]

Yeah....us smaller states like S.Carolina don't get many nods at all, but I do say that we have some good courses all within less than two hours...we have the upstate which has very hilly terrain, then Beaches on the opposite end of the spectrum. And then we are very close to the Charlotte, or the Augusta loop.

[swellerdiscgolf]

One of the best things about DG is the fact that a course can be put up almost anywhere, regardless of terrain. I just wanted to give a fair shake to all the states out there. The next thing I am working on is the course ratings for each state to be alot more accurte, and I'll look into the 4-5 ratings for each state for ya Olorin.

[Aaron D'Angelo]

Nice work Sweller, I love seeing the Midwest up there (WI home) and VA (new home) too. People in Texas need to get out there and review/play they're courses and let us all know how great they are! :)

[Lewis]

You can't exactly put a course on the lava flows in Hawaii. :P

[ERicJ]

People in Texas need to get out there and review/play they're courses and let us all know how great they are! :)
I'm workin' on it (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/profile.php?id=519). But TX is a big freakin' state with a lot of ground to cover! ;)

ERic

[DirtyMittenDG]

and using all 50 states the top 10 are:

10. Mississippi
9. Georgia
8. Virginia :)
7. Florida
6. Indiana
5. North Carolina
4. Wisconsin
3. Ohio
2. Kentucky
1. Michigan: 114 courses (7th), 1766 holes (4th), 2.0067 courses per 1000 sq.miles (8th), .1776 holes per 1000 people (21st), 15.49 holes per course (17th), and avg rating of 2.72 (5th)



PERFECT!!

Looks about right to me!! atleast the #1 state, lol

[ZMan44]

Let's make this easy...what's the WORST state for disc golf. RHODE ISLAND! 2 courses (a nine holer and an 18)

Add in that the 18 is only barely playable according to Timg's update.

Rhode Island is neither a road nor an island...nor a place to play Disc Golf.

[bazkitcase5]

Being from Mississippi, I would probably agree after taking all things into consideration, that it would not be a top 10 disc golf state. However, out of all the many courses you have played Olorin and ZMan combined, you have only played 1 MS course, so it is a bit unfair to assume. There are several bad courses in MS that I have heard about and avoided, but other than those, most courses I've played in MS would hold up to a lot of the better courses I've played in other states.

Also, there are not a lot of pro level players in MS at this point, so most courses (not all, as there are some really good exceptions) are of the pitch and putt variety, but even then, those kind of courses are awesome for newer players, so most people on this site would rate them higher than experienced players would. Also, because there are not a lot of experienced players in MS, there are not a lot of players on this site who have played MS courses and can rate them. Feel free to check out my profile and play some MS courses that I have rated higher if you are in the area and I would say you would not be disappointed.

[WillA]

I'm pleasantly surprised to see Kentucky rated so high. We have had a lot of courses installed in the last three years.

[landon77]

I heard and I am not sure that Michigan was the state the Disc golf originated in, can anyone dispute or confirm this?

[BENFTS]

i am surprised to see that California is not the top state. we have 133 on pdga.com and several others i know of that are not listed. the weather here is awesome, i live south of San Francisco and my winters are 55f and 30f with little rain or days without sunshine.

every major metropolitan area has several average and some amazing courses within 30 minuets. we have the most played disc golf course in the world in San Diego's Morley Field. we also have the very first disc golf course in southern California, with the first bowl hole, btw it is okay to smoke here its legal, thanks prop 215. i understand that disc golf may have a stronger following in other states but in California you can play year round on 10 world class courses and over a 100 of others that are great or good.

Humboldt State University features a hole that you tee off on top of a 2,000 year old redwood tree.

DeLaveaga Park is world famous and is the host of the masters annually.

Oak Grove (Hahamongna Park) is the very first disc golf course in the world. here you can play where steady ED invented the game.

Morley Field has more people play it than any other course in the world and i am sure that it sees more annual visitors that all of Rhode Island's courses combine.

[discflinger]

Yeah, Midwest love! Hey, there's nothing else to do.

[SimonCarr]

I think this top5 is spot on...

5. North Carolina
4. Wisconsin
3. Ohio
2. Kentucky
1. Michigan

I could argue that #1 and #2 should be switched... based on the ratings on this site, KY has 3 of the top 10 courses.

[Olorin]

I think this top5 is spot on...
5. North Carolina
4. Wisconsin
3. Ohio
2. Kentucky
1. Michigan

Ohio also surprised me. Of the 10 OH courses I've played Pike Lake S.P. was the best. The rest didn't wow me. A few were pretty good, and a few were really bad. But I've only played 10 of 95 so it's a small sample. No Cincy courses yet either.

Here are some Ohio stats:
Highest rating is Pike Lake S.P. at 4.38
8 courses from 4.0-4.38
8/95 total in OH = 9.2%
11 OH courses are still unrated.

[SimonCarr]

There are about 30 courses in the greater Cincy area.. although some of the best ones are technically on the Kentucky side (Idlewild, Banklick, AJ Jolly etc).

Mt Airy is a good one, and the Brent Hambrick Memorial course in Columbus is supposed to be really nice... I haven't played many of the Ohio courses, but I'm also a little surprised that is #3. I would think NC and Wisconsin are both better disc golf states, but that is just a guess on my part.

[Olorin]

Ohio also surprised me.

Disc-lamer: No offense meant to those from OH. My remarks are based solely on my experience and what I've heard. YMMV.

[ERicJ]

Don't dis Ohio until you've played: Arboretum-Spiker Park (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/../course.php?id=188).

ERic

[ZMan44]

I have played a few in Ohio and I consider them to be quality courses. I really liked Lake Shore park in Ashtabula. I have actually played quite a few in Mississippi as well, I just have a bad habit of not marking all the courses I have played and just having them marked when I review them. I have played Tishomingo and some of the Tupelo courses along with Southhaven (which I reviewed). Granted I haven't been able to make it to the southern half of MS. I still find it a surprise in the top 10. I would put it on about the same level as Tennessee which is where I live. Lots of good courses here as well. I think they are both definitely top 20 states but probably not top 10.

[Lewis]

There are about 30 courses in the greater Cincy area

:eek:

By "Greater Cincy area," do you mean within 100 miles of the city, or are there really that many courses in and around the city?

[TheSloth]

I've played in 15 different states in all parts of the country. I would have to say that my best experiences as far as course quality have been in Pennsylvania. I've played out past Pittsburgh and loved it (Moraine) and in the northeast part of the state (Nockamixon) and loved it even more. As well as in soem other parts, Maryland also has some great courses.

[SimonCarr]

:eek:

By "Greater Cincy area," do you mean within 100 miles of the city, or are there really that many courses in and around the city?

Most of them are within a 30 minute drive from downtown.. Here is a link Cincy disc golf map (http://www.cincinnatidiscgolf.com/Courses/tabid/62/Default.aspx)

[Lewis]

7 courses inside 275. Wow. That's enviable. I wish Atlanta had as much as one permanent course inside 285, which is our perimeter highway. Here all the courses are out in the suburbs or exurbs, except Perkerson, which is not permanent yet, and is only set up on certain days of the week or for events. I'm lucky to be within a 30 minute drive of three or four courses. :(

[progprowl]

i am surprised to see that California is not the top state. we have 133 on pdga.com and several others i know of that are not listed. the weather here is awesome, i live south of San Francisco and my winters are 55f and 30f with little rain or days without sunshine.

every major metropolitan area has several average and some amazing courses within 30 minuets. we have the most played disc golf course in the world in San Diego's Morley Field. we also have the very first disc golf course in southern California, with the first bowl hole, btw it is okay to smoke here its legal, thanks prop 215. i understand that disc golf may have a stronger following in other states but in California you can play year round on 10 world class courses and over a 100 of others that are great or good.

Humboldt State University features a hole that you tee off on top of a 2,000 year old redwood tree.

DeLaveaga Park is world famous and is the host of the masters annually.

Oak Grove (Hahamongna Park) is the very first disc golf course in the world. here you can play where steady ED invented the game.

Morley Field has more people play it than any other course in the world and i am sure that it sees more annual visitors that all of Rhode Island's courses combine.
I wholeheartedly agree with Benfts. Just like all Sports the Eastern Bias shines through. California always gets dismissed. I'm not challenging Kentucky or Michigan. I'm just saying that CA should be in the arguement.
I've always heard that Oak Grove was the first permanent DGC in the world. Not sure where it was invented.

[SigmaChris]

:eek:

By "Greater Cincy area," do you mean within 100 miles of the city, or are there really that many courses in and around the city?

There are that many in the area and I believe there were 3 in Timg Top 25 of 2008.

Idlewild is 20 minutes south of Cincy
Banlick is 20 minutes south of Cincy
Mt. Airy is near downtown.

Also most of the courses are wooded so they offer great challenges. Not your typical urban park course.

As for the argument of Cali being a top state...I haven't played any NorCal courses but SoCal doesn't have too many great courses. La Mirada, El Dorado, and Whittier Narrows are all park courses, however I haven't played La Mirada yet. Huntington and Morley are decent but not spectacular.

I am surprised that laid back SoCal (especially San Diego area) doesn't have more courses. San Diego has four I believe and 2 are on ball courses, Montiel is a 9 hole dirt course set up on empty housing lots, and Morley is the gem of the county.

I am waiting for summer to take in all the highly rated courses near Battle Creek / K-zoo Michigan. That seems to be a great concentration of quality courses.

[Greg Layton]

I am waiting for summer to take in all the highly rated courses near Battle Creek / K-zoo Michigan. That seems to be a great concentration of quality courses.

If you have your heart set on K'zoo, stay away from Knollwood. The others I've played in the area are pretty decent, with Oshtemo probably being the best. I can't help but think your time would be better served at the metroparks over by Ann Arbor (Kensington, Hudson Mills, and Cass) or up in Shelby/Ludington (Flip, Beauty/Beast/Goliath/Leviathan), though.

And as far as the east coast bias thing goes, I'd say that Washington/Oregon/California get plenty of props around here. I'm sorry that you feel slighted, but one reason for that might be that your state is freaking huge and therefore there's quite a drive between Grade A courses. Just some food for thought... no disrespect meant.

[DGtourist]

Do you guys think weather should be considerd in this calculation?

My guess is that dudes in Florida are getting in great rounds while we wade through snow, dig for our disc and have to play in screaming winds with ice that limts our x-steps.

I would also bet that the number of rounds played goes down drasticly during the winter in states that have bad winters.

[bazkitcase5]

I suppose the answer to that depends on the person

is the person looking for the best concentration of courses in general?

or is the person looking for a state they could move to and get the most enjoyment out of disc golf?

[Greg Layton]

I would also bet that the number of rounds played goes down drasticly during the winter in states that have bad winters.

Thinking along those lines... I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think that bad-winter-state-courses aren't getting reviewed for three or four months out of the year. Kind of puts northern courses at a handicap. I claim a southern bias! :D

But yeah, I'm with you, I've only played 18 holes in the past two months. And that was with snow on the ground and a cold north wind screwing with my putts. It'll just make me appreciate things more in the spring.

[Mando]

Do you guys think weather should be considerd in this calculation?

My guess is that dudes in Florida are getting in great rounds while we wade through snow, dig for our disc and have to play in screaming winds with ice that limts our x-steps.

I would also bet that the number of rounds played goes down drasticly during the winter in states that have bad winters.
Weather should definitely be considered, which makes it perplexing that Florida does not have a top 50 course.
I'd love to see a list of the best concentration of courses that are playable in the winter.

[SigmaChris]

Weather should definitely be considered, which makes it perplexing that Florida does not have a top 50 course.
I'd love to see a list of the best concentration of courses that are playable in the winter.

Cincy again would have to be up there. While it is cold 20s to 40s this time of year. If it is sunny and no wind, a round of DG in 35 degree weather is quite nice. As soon as you get a stiff breeze, your hands go numb and the fun stops.

[bazkitcase5]

yea, but when you consider that I was playing in shorts and short sleeves and completely comfortable just last weekend, 20s and 40s don't look so good anymore, and I'm in MS, so you can imagine what Florida or Southern Cal is like

[Mando]

I just don't enjoy playing when it's under 50. Too easy to pull or strain a muscle at my age.

[Texconsinite]

Thinking along those lines... I don't think it's too much of a stretch to think that bad-winter-state-courses aren't getting reviewed for three or four months out of the year. Kind of puts northern courses at a handicap. I claim a southern bias! :D

But yeah, I'm with you, I've only played 18 holes in the past two months. And that was with snow on the ground and a cold north wind screwing with my putts. It'll just make me appreciate things more in the spring.

I beg to differ. Ive reviewed two WI courses in the past week, and plan on reviewing another one this weekend.

I was reluctant to play winter golf at first, but after the first few times, it hardly bothers you. Just played today. It was a 28 outside, and most of the snow had melted. Positively tropical!!

Playing in snow really isn't all that bad until it gets below 10 degrees, or deeper than a few inches. You just wear a sleeveless fleece vest to keep the core warm and block wind over a long sleeve t shirt, and a mechanic's glove on your non-throwing hand to pick discs up and brush snow off them. Snow doesn't really even get your discs wet if you brush them off before you return them to your bag, so you get better grip than in rainy weather, too. Not to mention the shule is considerably thinner.

[Greg Layton]

I beg to differ. Ive reviewed two WI courses in the past week, and plan on reviewing another one this weekend.

Didn't mean to offend you, but if you keep an eye on the new reviews on the front page, northern courses are definitely the exception to the rule. I envy you for getting out as often as you do.

Things are simply different on this side of the lake. We had at least 7 or 8 inches of snow on the ground here for the entire month of December. Things are slightly better right now, but I work 10 hours a day so by the time i get home it's already too dark to play.

[Texconsinite]

Yes, I admit the bad weather congregates on your side of the lake, all 4 seasons of the year. All the storms, humidity, winds, blizzards, mosquitoes, packs of wild dogs seem to give you guys the short straw year-in and year out.

I would call that another advantage, on top of Highbridge Hills, that makes WI edge out MI in the running for best DG state. (Yes I know discraft is located in your state, but even an igloo of FLX plastic doesnt make MI winter warmer than WI)

[DirtyMittenDG]

I would call that another advantage, on top of Highbridge Hills, that makes WI edge out MI in the running for best DG state.

I agree with you texconsinite! I mean youve played almost every course in wisconson and michigan so you must know which state is better.........O wait.;)

[Greg Layton]

Yes, I admit the bad weather congregates on your side of the lake, all 4 seasons of the year. All the storms, humidity, winds, blizzards, mosquitoes, packs of wild dogs seem to give you guys the short straw year-in and year out.

I would call that another advantage, on top of Highbridge Hills, that makes WI edge out MI in the running for best DG state. (Yes I know discraft is located in your state, but even an igloo of FLX plastic doesnt make MI winter warmer than WI)

I've only lived here for a year. I grew up in Kansas. Last summer here was incredible... the Michiganites were complaining about how hot it was when it got up to 75.... I just scoffed and remembered the every-day-in-August-over-100-degrees summers of my youth. Serioiusly, 8 months out of the year this state kicks ass weather-wise. Discraft can take a flying leap off a cliff into Ohio for all I care.

I won't commit to which state is better in terms of courses until I've had the chance to play some up there. I've had some good times in both Madison and Milwaukee, but they were before I started playing.

[DirtyMittenDG]

the Michiganites

You said youve only lived here a year so ill let it slip but its "michiganders" not "michiganites". LOL. You dang kansasnite :D:p

[SigmaChris]

yea, but when you consider that I was playing in shorts and short sleeves and completely comfortable just last weekend, 20s and 40s don't look so good anymore, and I'm in MS, so you can imagine what Florida or Southern Cal is like

I played in Southern Cal 2 weeks ago on vacation and I went to college there. The downside to SoCal is there lack of spectacular courses but they do have the best weather.

What is it like playing in Mississippi or Florida the middle of summer when its 95 outside with 95% humidity? Don't get me wrong, I am an Ohio transplant so I am not vying for Ohio to be best state. But I don't envy walking a couple of miles playing DG in your summers. I'll take my 35 degree December and January and milder summers.

[bazkitcase5]

no different than your winters - you prepare properly and deal with it haha

[Lewis]

I couldn't imagine going for a walk in the snow in only a long-sleeve tee-shirt and a vest. Talk like that makes me wonder if the weather affects the way a person's body develops. If I ventured outside in 10-degree weather in anything less than three layers wrist to ankle, I'm confident I'd come home with frostbite. And people complain about 75-degree weather, Greg Layton? You must be exaggerating. That's 3 degrees from room temperature, for crying out loud. As for Florida, on the other hand, it's as oppressively hot and damp as northern Michigan is cold. I've got a good friend who grew up in Jacksonville, and he's succeeded in making me never want to live there, just based on the weather.

All this is to say I'd bet somewhere in the middle, maybe roundabout North Carolina sounds like the right kind of place if you're basing your choice on climate. I'd rather have all four seasons, and not too much of any one. Even the eternal spring of southern California starts to sound monotonous when I really think about it. The seasons keep life interesting.

By the way, has anybody come up with a spreadsheet? I've made one for the courses in my home state, Georgia, but I can't decide what are the best criteria to judge it, nor how to weigh it against other states. So much of what we like is subjective, but to declare a "best" state begs for a set of objective measurements.

[Lewis]

Well nuts. I'm off and running with my spreadsheet. Right now I'm calculating for four criteria (I tip my hat to others for the ideas): average course rating, holes per course, courses per square mile, and courses per capita. I'm trying to weigh the criteria equally by giving each state a percentile of the highest score in each category. For example, NC has the densest courses per square mile so far, so it gets 100 in that category; meanwhile, KY's courses are 76% as dense, so they get a 76. Finally, I'm taking the average of all four categories for each state, and seeing which ones have the higher composite scores.

I've only got 5 states with data entered, but so far Kentucky is whipping all comers based on this method. I'm not a statistician, though, so let me ask: does it make sense to do it this way?

[obryn]

Texas has so many DG courses it is ridiculous! You would be surprised at how gorgeous some of them are as well. I don't know if its the best state for DG but I know it has the most variety. Also, playing in the winter is perfect unless it is overly windy. Although, if you're a fan of white snow laden courses, it might not be for you. Summer time can get very hot though; so its good to find a nice shaded course and bring plenty of water.

[tomjulio]

Yes, I admit the bad weather congregates on your side of the lake, all 4 seasons of the year. All the storms, humidity, winds, blizzards, mosquitoes, packs of wild dogs seem to give you guys the short straw year-in and year out.

I would call that another advantage, on top of Highbridge Hills, that makes WI edge out MI in the running for best DG state. (Yes I know discraft is located in your state, but even an igloo of FLX plastic doesnt make MI winter warmer than WI)

Well, seeing how I live in both WI and MI during the summer and winter months, with a bit of Cali thrown in for good measure here and there....

Wisconsin has a ton more courses, but Michigan courses are gods compared to Wisconsins. That is not only my opinion but from other Wisconsinites I have taken over to Michigan to play disc golf with. The majesty and length and elevation changes of northern Michigan courses are to die for. From Flip to Ludington to Traverse City you can not beat the quality of these courses. So it comes down to quality over quantity. Give me quality.

As far as Michigan winters, yes they are warmer than Wisconsins. The difference is stark. Wisconsin is brutal cold with "usually" lower snow fall, while Michigan is a bit warmer and more snowfall due to lake effect. This is from 30+ years of experience on both sides.

[ZMan44]

I think the statistical method that has been proposed is a good one. I think 2 factors should also be looked at for the analysis. Weather has been mentioned. Weather would be an easy multiplier statistic. You take the number of months that the state's "average" temperature is below 30(F)and deduct 5% per month. For example say that a state's average temp is below 30 in January and February, you would multiply the cummultaive statistic by .90 to get the final output. Along the same lines, if a state has a month where the average temp is above 90(F) the same method should be used. If a state stays within the intermediary range for all 12 months, then no weather multiplier should be added. That's how I would handle the weather.

The other aspect that hasn't been mentioned but i think is important is "how many 'hubs' are present in the state". By a 'hub' I mean an urban area (50 mile radius) with at least 90 disc golf holes. This can be used to determine if a state would be a good place for a trip. Most states will have at least 1 'hub'. In Tennessee we would have 2 by this criteria...Nashville and Memphis. Other hubs that I can think of off-hand would include Charlotte, NC-Cincinnati, OH-Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX-Minneapolis, MN-Detroit-MI...etc etc.

Since unlike the weather, is a positive multipler, the factor should be above 1. my suggestion would be 2.5% per each hub. If your state has 4 hubs that fit the criteria the multiplier would be 1.1....as an example. If you had only 1 hub, the mutiplier would be 1.025.

I think both of these are factors that could help determine statistically the best disc golf state. However, personal opinion will always have the greatest determining factor in what a person deems as the best disc golf state.

[Lewis]

Yeah Texas is a frickin' huge state. I used to be surprised at how many football players at Texas universities are from Texas, but then I started thinking, "Wait a minute. That's like a team in Georgia having most of its players from the Southeast. Texas is the equivalent of a region of the country. You can't compare it to other states." The same could go for California.

I think CA and TX are the #1 and #2 states by population, and the #3 and #2 states by land area (Alaska is even more frickin' huge than Texas). Both states have over 100 courses, which is a good thing. :)

[Donovan]

lewis526, first let me say congrats on 250 posts and your Birdie Manga Status. AND second, it will be interesting to see what you end up with on you stats. Please share it when you are done.

[Lewis]

Thanks, I actually didn't realize that was my 250th post. :cool:

I'll be happy to share my results. I think with my first run through the numbers, I'll just use the four criteria I've got, and then maybe I can add factors like weather in later to see if that changes anything (my guess is it would help California). ZMan also mentioned "hubs," and if we're this interested in comparing states, maybe we should compare metropolitan areas? It would be a different spreadsheet, and would take a little decision making to pick and choose what qualifies as a hub (do you want the top 30 hubs by holes within 50 miles, or the top 20 above a 90-hole threshold, or what?), but it would be a fun exercise.

Also, if Tim doesn't mind, and people want it, I could even share my spreadsheet itself. We could probably come up with dozens of different ways to weigh and measure the stats; the hard part is getting them formatted for a spreadsheet.

[Mando]

This may have already been brought up, but if you want the state's course density # to reflect the quantity and quality, you could add in each course with it's average course rating.

[Lewis]

This may have already been brought up, but if you want the state's course density # to reflect the quantity and quality, you could add in each course with it's average course rating.

I'm comparing average course rating across each state as well as course density (both per square mile and per resident) across each state. Is that what you mean, or are you talking about some kind of weighting built in?

[Mando]

I'm comparing average course rating across each state as well as course density (both per square mile and per resident) across each state. Is that what you mean, or are you talking about some kind of weighting built in?
If a state has 100 courses, and 90 have been reviewed, I would multiply the average rating,(say 3.0) times 90 for a total of 270,then assign an arbitrary # to the ones that haven't been reviewed (say 2.0). That would total up to 290 for that state.

[Lewis]

Oh I see. The reason I'm not considering the raw total # of courses in a state is that it unfairly disadvantages smaller states that may have a high density of holes and courses, and a high density of high quality courses, but through no fault of their own cover a tiny fraction of the country's surface. Would you rather live in a tiny state with 10 5-star courses or a gianormous state with 30 2-star courses?

On the other hand, as I continue entering the numbers, it looks like there isn't much variance between the average course rating within a state. Most states fall between 2.5 and 3.0, and the outliers don't lie out very far. I wonder if there's a way to stretch out that variance a bit so that the ratings weigh heavier relative to other stats. Are there any statisticians among us?

[Mando]

If a state has 100 courses, and 90 have been reviewed, I would multiply the average rating,(say 3.0) times 90 for a total of 270,then assign an arbitrary # to the ones that haven't been reviewed (say 2.0). That would total up to 290 for that state.
Take 290 and divide by square miles.
That's assuming they are all 18 holes.
A 9 hole course rated at 3.0 would have a value of 1.5.
The other question is whether a course with 2 or even 3 sets of t-pads should be valued differently than a course with one set.

[bazkitcase5]

the thing about "hubs" gets a little tricky...

I'll use Dallas, TX as an example - when I was there on a business trip, I found courses that were nearby to go and play. Cedar Hill for example, was only 30 miles from where I stayed, yet it took me an hour to get to the courses.

In MS, if a course is 30 miles away, you get there in 30 minutes. So distance wise, its not as good, but time wise, if I drive 2 hours in any direction, I can play 20-25 courses from my house near Tupelo, MS. (still not as good as the major disc golf destinations, but certainly a point to consider)

[landon77]

How can anyone say another state is better then the other without playing in the other state? It is all subjective the closest you can get to any real stat is doing what some of the guys are doing by compiling stats, also you can't really penalize any state for weather, I live in michigan and play in the winter all the time, would you penalize a state because it is to hot outside? take some points of for some uncomfortable weather?!

[Texconsinite]

I agree with you texconsinite! I mean youve played almost every course in wisconson and michigan so you must know which state is better.........O wait.;)

LOL!!

Well played, sir.

I admit, I really want to make it across the lake to play Michigan courses one of these days, especially to G-Rap. Used to live in Holland, MI. Unfortunately that was before I played DG. Earl Brewer Park, with its four 9 hole sections, really intrigues me, as well as all the big name courses ranked 4.something overall

[landon77]

LOL!!

Well played, sir.

I admit, I really want to make it across the lake to play Michigan courses one of these days, especially to G-Rap. Used to live in Holland, MI. Unfortunately that was before I played DG. Earl Brewer Park, with its four 9 hole sections, really intrigues me, as well as all the big name courses ranked 4.something overall


The must plays I would recommenend in the Kzoo/BattleCreek area are Robert Morris, ColdBrook, Oshtemo, Begg, Kimball Pines, and Meyer Broadway Three Rivers, and if they ever get it correct a destination course will be Ft.Custer which was awesome for the worlds.

[swellerdiscgolf]

I'm still trying to update my rankings according to: total courses, courses per 1000 sq miles, total holes, holes per 1000 people, and average course rating. It's taking awhile because I am being very thorough with the ratings (instead of using the little discs as wole or half points, using actual averag (2.33)), and I only have usually an hour in the morning before I go to work while my son is sleeping and my daughter is drinking her bottle. But using the spreadsheet on Open Office is going to make updating it so much easier.
I think adding in the weather would be too difficult considering some states the temp can vary quite a bit between cities / courses, like here in VA at the beach it doesn't get too cold or too hot to play, but in Richmond (1 1/2 hours away) it could be snowing. Also what would be done about rainy weather say in Seattle, or windy weather in Chicago. You learn to deal with and play in whatever you're given. As far as the "hubs", I believe that courses per 1000 sq miles takes care of the little guys (RI, DE), and total courses takes care of the big guys (TX, CA). But since this site is Disc Golf Course Review, the course ratings should be factored in more acurately than as I did before.

[t i m]

I haven't read through this entire thread, so I may be repeating something, but I think there are other factors that are harder to work in... For instance, I think great courses should be weighted much higher than mediocre/poor courses.

Personally, I would rather be in an area wth one 5-star course and two 1-star courses (total of 7 stars) than in an area with three 2.5 star courses (7.5 stars). I'd go play the five star course and leave the other courses to the rec players. I think QUALITY of holes over QUANTITY of holes should be a deciding factor.

A state could theoretically have a couple of world-class courses and a bunch of little crap-nine hole community courses and be rated worse than a state with mostly medicore-courses and no stellar places to play. Even though the world-class courses would be enough of a draw to bring people from around the country.

Also, I think another point worth considering -- especially in the Northeast/Mid-atlantic regions -- is an area's proximity to other great hubs. I live in Northern Virginia just outside of D.C., so while I don't have any A-list courses within 30 minutes, within easy day-trip radius (150 miles / 2.5 hours driving), there are 15+ world-class courses (Hawk Hollow, Seneca, The Grange, PawPaw, Whispering Falls, Patapsco, Iron Hill, Loriella, Tyler State Park, New Quarter, Walnut Creek, Nockamixon, Lehigh Valley, Jordan Creek, Tinicum, Codorus, etc...) And within weekend-trip radius (300 miles / 5 hours), you add Warwick, Buck Horn, Deer Lakes, Moraine, Knob Hill, Golden Hills, Campgaw, Zebulon, and others...

So I think maybe there is a distinction for casual disc golf vs. competitive disc golf... for someone who wants to play a lot of amazing courses and tourneys, this is a great place to live because there are A-list courses within a few hours in any direction. That is worth a lot. Especially because for most people, weekday work schedules don't allow for much disc golf. Weekends and vacation are what matters most to many people.

Admittedly, I wish I had a great course in my backyard. But I think travel proximity to other A-list courses is worth a lot.

In my book, the top places I've ever played disc golf -- based on course quality and community -- would be North Carolina (around Charlotte), Pennsylvania (around Allentown and/or Pittsburgh), and northern Kentucky.

Coming up close on that list is Spotsylvania, VA -- with a couple of public courses, more on the way, and a pair of the best private courses anywhere in the country...

[teejw13]

i would have voted for michigan also but with the recent developments here id have to change it to florida. my home course was stoney creek and when i first started playing, it was by far one of the best courses i found. unfortunately, detroit metroparks has decided to make the courses in the area more beginner friendly, which means the cutting and removing of hundreds of trees and shrubs. the course went from a challenging, 3/4 in the woods, well designed course to basically a girant open field. besides the distance of some holes, there's nto much challenge to it any more. Another downside is that the metroparks have decided to imput a pass on the courses. Its only 50 for a year but on top of the 20 park pass, its a bit much. especially if they keep destroying the course. At least theres some hope left with Addison Oaks!!

[Mando]

I think as far as weather is concerned, it would be interesting to list the best winter destinations (by below a certain latitude) and call it a day. Where would you plan a trip on Jan 15 ?
Some possibilities;
Clearwater/St.Pete
Orlando
Fort Worth
Mobile

[Lewis]

Okay, I've finally finished that spreadsheet, which is current roughly as of early January, and I have some results. You may be surprised by the results, and it may be that there's a bias inherent in the way I'm figuring the numbers. The % you see to the right is not a percent of perfection, but the average %ile from among four criteria: average course rating, holes per course, courses per thousand square miles, and courses per million residents. Some criteria offered more variance than others, but not being a statistician, I don't know how to "control" for that. Without further ado, below are my calculations' top 15. See what you think.


1 Iowa 73.08%
2 Delaware 71.25%
3 Maine 63.72%
4 Wisconsin 62.79%
5 Massachusetts 60.40%
6 South Dakota 59.79%
7 North Dakota 59.67%
8 Vermont 58.45%
9 Montana 57.44%
10 Kansas 57.41%
11 Michigan 57.32%
12 Minnesota 56.88%
13 Hawaii 56.66%
14 Indiana 56.02%
15 Kentucky 55.45%

[Olorin]

It's late, so I'll only make a brief initial reply.

First, thanks! That must've taken a ton of time and work to produce.

On the positive side- Some states look good: Iowa, WI, MI (a little lower than expected), MN (also low)

Some real surprises: Maine, Mass, SD!, ND!!, Vermont, HI! (it's only got a couple of permanent courses.)

Some notable omissions: NC, TX, CA, OR

I'm interested to see how you and others analyze why your algorithm gave these results.

Gotta hit the hay now...

[Olorin]

Lewis,

Since you now have this in a spreadsheet would it be easy for you to determine what are the top 20 based on the Avg course Rating alone, without the other 3 factors?

Would you please remind me how you accounted for courses that haven't been rated yet?

[Greg Layton]

Kansas? I'd go link to the 'O Rly?' owl right now if I wasn't so tired.

If you measure courses per million cattle instead of per million people they'd probably rank much lower. I can say that because I spent the first 23 years of my life there. :)

Oh, and big ups to South Dakota... it has some beautiful state-park courses.

[Lewis]

Yeah it would be extremely easy to rank them by any one criteria. I can probably do it in about 5 minutes once I get home from work.

One thing I've noticed from the way the numbers filter out is that there is a huge variance in the courses-per-capita and courses-per-area stats, and a relatively small variance in the average rating stats. If I recall, the worst average course rating is around 2.5, and the best around 3.6. That makes the range of scores in that criterion something like 100% to 60%, while the density scores range from 100% to nearly 0%. This biases the numbers in favor of small states and empty states. I don't know if this is the best way to run the numbers, and there are would certainly be ways to tweak the stats or add new stats for more depth. In this first run through, though, I thought it would be fun to keep things simple.

To answer Olorin's question, Excel's AVG() formula conveniently ignores cells that don't have a number in them. So if you have 15 courses, and 6 of them have "No Reviews" in the course rating cell, the formula takes the average of the 9 cells that do contain a number. :)

Most of the work it took to put the spreadsheet together was converting the tables in this web site into something Excel could work with. I did it with some copy...paste-as-text...replace...convert-text-to-table...copy...paste gymnastics. Running the numbers are a breeze once the cells are filled. I fear I'd have to do it all over again from scratch, though, if I wanted updated numbers, so it's going to be "current as of sometime in January" for a while. It was maybe 10-15 total hours of work over the past couple of weeks, so it wasn't all that big a deal once I got going.

[Lewis]

Also, if I recall, Texas and California didn't do so well the way I figured it, though NC and OR were in or around the top 20, just not in the top 15. I expect everything will shuffle with a ratings-only ranking, and there would be ways to add bonus points for 4+ rated courses or 2- rated courses, if we want to see that too.

I think one reason HI held up is that they have about 6 courses listed for a teensy land area, and my numbers didn't distinguish between permanent and temporary courses. If it was listed on this site, it got full credit. This treatment could have skewed Hawaii's numbers, as well as the possibility that one highly rated course there and a couple of "not rateds" could make the state look better than it is. We can try to think up ways to account for this, if you like.

In other words, yes, statistics can be deceiving. ;)

[jgentry]

I certainly haven't played every course or every state. But what I have played KY has a large number of courses and has a large number of really good courses. Michigan is next on my disc golf trip list, so I'm still open for it to be above KY.

Idlewild
Banklick
Freeman lake
Madisionville
Ohio County
Charlie Vettiner
Vastwood
Kerwiakes
Lover's Lane
Paducah DGC

Are all top level courses that anyone would enjoy. The courses are a bit spreadout, but I challenge any state to have 10 better courses then that list.

[ERicJ]

In other words, yes, statistics can be deceiving. ;)Not necessarily words to live by, but definitely to keep in mind.

[Lewis]

Here are the states in order according to average course rating. I divided them by decile so you don't have to scroll through the code tags, which are the only way I know to get the forum to recognize monospace and tabs. This goes a long way towards explaining Hawaii's presence in my earlier list.



Hawaii 3.6900
Maine 3.6331
Massachusetts 3.5550
Connecticut 3.5500
Louisiana 3.4292


West Virginia 3.2845
Indiana 3.2819
New York 3.2471
Alabama 3.2230
Arizona 3.1483


Idaho 3.1333
Tennessee 3.1323
Michigan 3.1191
Vermont 3.0670
Colorado 3.0575


Mississippi 3.0350
Georgia 3.0061
Kentucky 2.9915
New Hampshire 2.9729
Virginia 2.9702


Wisconsin 2.9652
Iowa 2.9627
Kansas 2.9334
Ohio 2.9239
Utah 2.9179


Arkansas 2.9094
North Carolina 2.9058
New Jersey 2.9033
Texas 2.8948
Maryland 2.8947


Nevada 2.8900
Minnesota 2.8809
Florida 2.8781
Missouri 2.8685
Oregon 2.8673


Illinois 2.8398
Alaska 2.8325
California 2.8277
South Carolina 2.8059
Montana 2.7655


Washington 2.7237
Delaware 2.6927
South Dakota 2.6923
Pennsylvania 2.6803
Oklahoma 2.6320


New Mexico 2.6143
North Dakota 2.6136
Nebraska 2.4008
Wyoming 2.2460
Rhode Island 2.0000

[_.-Dut-._]

I have nothing to compare it to, but NC has some pretty decent disc golf.

[Olorin]

NC has some pretty decent disc golf.

Amen! I can compare NC to 20 other states and I also say that NC has some pretty decent disc golf!

Yet it only ranks 27th of 50 on the rating list above. I think that's because most of the courses in NC have been rated. There are a lot of just average courses scattered all over the state, so that makes the rating tend toward 2.5 to 3.0.

Until every course in every state has been rated this list of ratings can't be taken too seriously.

[bazkitcase5]

even then, you will find cases where one state may have only 10 courses, but they are all good, yet another state might have 100 courses, but only 30 of them are good

the average of the first state may be better, but the 2nd state may be the better disc golf destination when it comes to more good courses

[heelboycraig]

even then, you will find cases where one state may have only 10 courses, but they are all good, yet another state might have 100 courses, but only 30 of them are good

the average of the first state may be better, but the 2nd state may be the better disc golf destination when it comes to more good courses

So are you saying a state should only build 10 world class courses and tear every other one down? Obviously as more courses are built, the overall rating is going to get closer to the average.

[heelboycraig]

So are you saying a state should only build 10 world class courses and tear every other one down? Obviously as more courses are built, the overall rating is going to get closer to the average.

And here's part two, which was left off because of the 5 minute rule.

It's just like surveys and sample size. Surveys need to have a certain number of people to be a true representation of the larger population. Hence Hawaii and its several course are much higher than the site's overall average and states with a ton of courses - Texas, California, etc. are much lower on the list, and much closer to the overall average for all courses.

[Olorin]

I heard and I am not sure that Michigan was the state the Disc golf originated in, can anyone dispute or confirm this?

I'm pretty sure that disc golf was invented at Flip City in MI. :D

[Olorin]

Lewis or SwellerDG (or anyone handy with a spreadsheet),

I'd like to reiterate a request that I made earlier (check post #155 (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20763&postcount=155)), but it got buried.

I'd love to see a Top 20 list of the states that have the highest number of courses rated 4.0 to 5. I guess that the percentage of courses in a state that are rated 4.0-5 would also be useful.

Would that be possible without too much work? I think this could be valuable to know.

[milow369]

This is subjective. It's like asking which state has the best looking women...

A couple things I do notice. TX - the state with the most disc golf courses is omitted. I also notice that CA, the state that DeLaveaga Park calls home, is not mentioned - A crime. But I realize that one course does not a good disc golf state make.

I also see that DeLa dropped from the top 10 courses in the U.S. on this site.

rather than bitch about it I would just hope that you (my fellow disc golfers) will someday get a chance to take a 4-5 day vacation to Santa Cruz, CA and check this 27 hole beauty for yourselves.

Clearly, all these results are biased based on the userbase of this website. It seems that most of the users of this site are from the Midwest or NE - although, I do hear great things about disc golf in MI.

[scarpfish]

As I stated in the #1 course thread, I don't know why people are going to great lengths to debate this. DGCR is a great site, but it doesn't, nor will it ever have a fully omnipotent view of disc golf in the US, simply because all of the data everyone is debating over is a contribution of the membership here.

Since some areas of the country have better representation than others, they are going to have the data skewed in their favor. Having checked the "members near me" feature, there are only 4 DGCR'ers within 150 miles of me. Note, I belong to an organization with about 130 members.

In much the same way, the sport itself tends to grow the same way. I haven't been to all parts of the US, but where I have been, the neatest courses I've played have been in Iowa, and the fact that there are so many of them there makes places like Des Moines an attractive place for a disc golfing vacation.

[ERicJ]

Having checked the "members near me" feature, there are only 4 DGCR'ers within 150 miles of me. Note, I belong to an organization with about 130 members.
So start pimping the site to 'em! :cool:

[ZMan44]

Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the first disc golf course built was built in California. In the Southeast, Brahan Springs in AL is the oldest in the south and I believe it is one of the 10 oldest in the US. At least it claims to be.

[heelboycraig]

This is subjective. It's like asking which state has the best looking women...



That's an easy one. It's North Carolina.

[bazkitcase5]

So are you saying a state should only build 10 world class courses and tear every other one down?

I'm not sure how your reading that into what I said, because its not even close - I think you should reread what I said...

just count me among those who believe that any list will be subjective one way or the other, and that was the point I was trying to make

this does not mean we can't still discuss/debate it - after all, we are on a forum and we all like disc golf and talking about disc golf and the courses, so talking about which states/courses are better is part of the fun of it, whether you call it discussing or debating

[Lewis]

Lewis or SwellerDG (or anyone handy with a spreadsheet),

I'd like to reiterate a request that I made earlier (check post #155 (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20763&postcount=155)), but it got buried.

I'd love to see a Top 20 list of the states that have the highest number of courses rated 4.0 to 5. I guess that the percentage of courses in a state that are rated 4.0-5 would also be useful.

Would that be possible without too much work? I think this could be valuable to know.

I'll get right on it. I've just got find the cleanest way to craft the formula.

I could also share my spreadsheet, as long as sharing it wouldn't infringe on some sort of copyright or property rights related to the data in the course directory.

[Lewis]

Top 20 states with the most courses rated 4 or higher:


24 Texas
19 Wisconsin
17 Michigan
17 North Carolina
15 Iowa
13 California
13 Indiana
12 Illinois
12 Colorado
10 Minnesota
10 Florida
10 Virginia
9 Pennsylvania
9 Kentucky
9 Maine
8 Ohio
8 Tennessee
7 Oregon
7 Georgia
7 Missouri

By the way, this was something I was already thinking about how to factor into the calculations. If I make it part of the scoring criteria, it helps "solve" most surprises in my original results.

And I happily agree that there is no way to objectively quantify what state is the best. It's just fun to discuss. :)

[cc0049]

Let me start the debate.
I'm claiming Michigan we have(I think) the third most courses of any state.
We have 2 in the top ten rated on this site.
And I play here:p
Now tell me I'm wrong and why:cool:

Top 10 states by number of courses according to the PDGA:
1. Texas 168
2. Iowa 139
3. Minnesota 136
4. Wisconsin 134
5. California 133
6. Illinios 121
7. Michigan 102
8. Ohio 94
9. Colorodo 85
10. N Carolina 79

[Olorin]

DISClamer: I’d like to reiterate my reservations about determining the “best” DG state that I expressed in post 33 (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8473&postcount=33) and post 157 (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20766&postcount=157). Magictenor also makes a good point along the same lines in post 40 (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8526&postcount=40). With that caveat it's still fun to compare states nonetheless, so I’d like to present some data about the states with the highest numbers of course rated 4.0-5.0. (I wanted to set the bottom standard at 4.5 but that took away too many good courses and too many states wouldn’t have anything to show.) Some of this will be almost the same as Lewis posted earlier.

The stats build on each other, so to avoid one huge long mongo post I'll break them up.

Also, I still can't figure out how to post in tables, even using the Code box, so I had to post these tables elsewhere.

[Olorin]

Ranked by most courses

Rank State
1 Texas
2 Iowa
3 California
4 Wisconsin
5 Minnesota
6 Illinois
7 Michigan
8 Ohio
9 North Carolina
10 Colorado
11 Pennsylvania
12 Kansas
13 Oregon
14 Florida
15 Kentucky
16 Indiana
17 Oklahoma
18 Missouri
19 Virginia
20 Georgia
See the complete list at Total Number of Courses (http://sites.google.com/site/discgolfcoursereviews/Home/usa-reviews/state-statistics-1/total-number-of-courses-in-the-state)

[Olorin]

State Rated 4.0 to 5.0
Texas 23
Wisconsin 19
Michigan 17
Iowa 15
California 13
Indiana 13
North Carolina 13
Illinois 12
Colorado 11
Minnesota 10
Florida 9
Kentucky 9
Maine 9
Virginia 9
Ohio 8
Pennsylvania 8
Tennessee 8
Georgia 7
Missouri 7
Oregon 7
Analysis: The greater the total number of courses the greater the probability that they will have more highly rated courses.

See the whole list at Number of Courses Rated 4.0 to 5.0 (http://sites.google.com/site/discgolfcoursereviews/Home/usa-reviews/state-statistics-1/number-of-courses-rated-4-0-to-5-0)

[cocopop]

I've only played 3 states, Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. I live in florida now and play regularly on 4-5 courses in the Tampa area. Ohio....eh, I played 1 course and got bomb-assed drunk so the golfin wasn't as good as the drinkin. Michigan courses offer the widest variances of courses of the 3.

So...
Florida- Overrated! The greatest advantage of playing here is that you can go out and play a round, or3, in your shorts in January. That is , however, a BIG plus for me. But, the land is flat, the bugs are annoying, and you can't jump in the water after that CE Valk that got away from you, unless you wanna count the teeth of the local gators.

Ohio-Even tho I am a native Michigander, I must admit that I haven't played there enough, (or sober enough), to form an oppinion of it.

Michigan- If you could play there year round, it would be hard to beat.

[Olorin]

See the complete list at Highest Percentage of Courses (http://sites.google.com/site/discgolfcoursereviews/Home/usa-reviews/state-statistics-1/percentage-of-courses-rated-4-0-to-5-0).

State -- Percentage
Maine 31%
Vermont 31%
West Virginia 27%
Massachusetts 26%
New Mexico 26%
Indiana 23%
Alabama 19%
Arizona 19%
Virginia 18%
Connecticut 18%
Utah 18%
Tennessee 17%
Louisiana 16%
Kentucky 15%
Georgia 15%
Florida 15%
South Carolina 15%
Michigan 14%
Hawaii 14%
New York 14%
North Carolina 14%

Analysis: The more courses there are in a state the harder it is to keep a high percentage of Top Class ones.

Sorry for the wacky formatting, but I just can't figure out how to make it line up straight.

[Olorin]

The highest rated course in each state.
Current to Jan 16, 2009

To be included for "Highest Rating" a course needs a minimum of 3 DGCR reviews.

See the whole list at Highest Rated Course
(http://sites.google.com/site/discgolfcoursereviews/Home/usa-reviews/state-statistics-1/highest-rated-course)
State -- Highest Rated
Massachusetts, 5.00
South Carolina, 5.00
Michigan, 4.90
Kentucky, 4.89
Oregon, 4.88
Wisconsin, 4.83
West Virginia, 4.81
Colorado, 4.79
North Carolina, 4.68
Iowa, 4.67
Missouri, 4.67
New York, 4.67
Pennsylvania, 4.63
Texas, 4.58
Minnesota, 4.57
California, 4.52
Georgia, 4.50
Illinois, 4.50
New Mexico, 4.50
Indiana, 4.42

Analysis: The more courses there are in a state the harder it is to keep a high percentage of Top Class ones.

[Olorin]

Based on the states with the most top rated courses, this adds together the rankings for Most Courses, Most Courses rated 4.0-5.0, Highest Percentage of courses rated >4.0, Highest rated course.

Lowest Total is best.
current to Jan 15, 2009

To fully appreciate this you've got to see the whole table at Overall Ranking (http://sites.google.com/site/discgolfcoursereviews/Home/usa-reviews/state-statistics-1/overall-rank)


1 Michigan
2 Wisconsin
3 Texas
4 North Carolina
5 Kentucky
6 Iowa
7 Indiana
8 Colorado
9 California
10 Oregon
11 Florida
11 South Carolina
13 Illinois
13 Maine
15 Massachusetts
16 Virginia
17 Missouri
17 Tennessee
19 Georgia
19 Pennsylvania
21 Minnesota
22 New York
23 New Mexico
24 West Virginia
25 Ohio
26 Alabama
27 Arizona
28 Utah
29 Oklahoma
30 Kansas
31 Mississippi
32 Vermont
33 Idaho
33 Louisiana
35 Nebraska
36 Arkansas
37 Maryland
38 Connecticut
39 Montana
40 Nevada
41 Washington
42 South Dakota
43 Hawaii
44 New Jersey
45 Delaware
45 North Dakota
47 Alaska
48 Wyoming
49 New Hampshire
50 Rhode Island

You know what? I can live with the top 21 on this list as being really good disc golf states. Although there will be endless debates, I even think that the order is pretty reasonable.

But is it any surprise that the state with Flip City is number 1? :D I'm sure they could've told me that without having to crunch all of those numbers.