North Plains, OR

Horning's Hideout - Meadow Ridge

Permanent course
4.535(based on 44 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Horning's Hideout - Meadow Ridge reviews

Filter
17 0
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A Beautiful Beast

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

+ Dual baskets. There is a set of the original Hornings baskets and then a set of Discatchers. The Discatchers are for the most part the longer of the two baskets.

+ Concrete tees that grip well even when they are wet and slightly muddy. Only a few holes would be Conrad approved to me but for the most part a huge run up is not needed and the one long bomber hole has an extra long teepad so thats awesome.

+ Giant parking lot that is super simple to find and seems like it centrally located on the property.

+ Full bathrooms right next to the parking lot and there are 1 or two potties out on the course.

+ Beautiful full color teesigns that give you the lay of the land. They give distance and elevation change which is awesome out here. Only complaint is that they dont have this info for both baskets. I think its just for the long/Discatcher baskets.

+ Killer Design. This course will test you in every way. Its set up on a mountain with every hole bringing the elevation into play. There are tons of trees but every hole has a fair way to the basket. Some are a little bit more highly technical than others but thats just the nature of the beast. Almost every single basket has the potential for disaster. A lot of the baskets are placed right on the edge of the downslope or elevated or both. This makes the risk reward factor on this course high. Even laying up is difficult. You need to be on your game to score well here. Scrambling is the name of the game here.

+ Hole 8 is the hardest top of the world shot that I have ever played. After the course beats you down in the first 7 holes, you get the pleasure(sarcasm) of hiking up the mountain to get to hole 8's teepad. You are then faced with a 400' shot with 100+ feet of elevation change with extremely tight lines and dense vegetation throughout the fairway and rough. You need to be on your game for this hole. Hard, yes. Fair, maybe. Fun, depends on how early of a tree you hit.

+ Hole 12 is my favorite hole on the course. Its a 400' slightly downhill RHBH straight to hyzer shot with a few gaps to hit. The hole left side of the fairway is a mountain slope with dense vegetation and the basket is perched on this slope. This is probably the hardest hole to layup on meaning that you could be 30' away and attempting to layup under the basket only to watch your disc catch edge and roll out past circle 2. This is my favorite hole out here because the shot required is beautiful to watch and the added element of the very difficult green makes this a very fun yet challenging hole.

Cons:

- There was very little signage on the property showing you where the courses are, or pointing you to hole 1 or even any next hole teesigns. Ive played the course a few times now and on the course I still get turned around a bit and playing it for the first time was a bit challenging to find my way around.

- Some of the holes could use some sort of way to stop some of the roll aways. Some baskets are perched on some very difficult greens to the point that you can have the best/safest layup of your life and still just watch your disc just roll away. Good shots should get rewarded and thats not always the case here.

- There are definitely a few holes out here that need to be tweaked. Hole 9's long position should be changed. Hole 10 teepad should be moved to the right path or a few more trees should be cut out. Hole 16's mando is now not legal under current PDGA rules. Small little changes that to me would make this course flow a lot better.

- Tournament play. Hole 8, top of the world. Routinely has an insane backup. 30+ minute wait is common. Something should be done to speed up the pace of play since I witnessed a group play the hole. Lose a disc, look for it for a while. Then have to come all the way back up the mountain to the tee to re-tee. Its brutal to have to do that. A drop zone would be awesome.

Other Thoughts:

Please come to Hornings and play disc golf. This place is just amazing. You will be greeted by honking peacocks the second you get on the property, which is a pretty awesome experience the first time you see it, especially if you didn't know about it. The property itself is just beautiful, I can't how green and lush and pretty this place is. Coming here and not playing disc golf would still be an amazing day.

My first impression of the course was that it was a bit too technical and hard to navigate but that feeling went away after I learned the course. After playing it a few times I feel very comfortable on this course and almost feel like its, its own little bubble of disc golf life. When you're on the course you feel like you are in a special place.

I would recommend that everyone make a trip to Hornings in general if you are in the Portland area and if you want a challenge then come and play Meadow Ridge. This course is a must play.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
11 1
Pierparknut
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.8 years 89 played 85 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Meadow Ridge is the longest and most challenging of the three tracks at Horning's Hideout. The course traverses two meadows, thick woods, and steep hillsides. It is a serene setting with amazing views, huge trees, and the sounds of nature and chains.

-Each hole has two baskets. A traditional Horning's basket is typically in a reasonable position but still demands an excellent shot. Playing the Discatcher baskets makes this a true Pro-level course, adding 80-100 feet onto most holes.

-The course design is relentless. Baskets are perched on steep hillsides and adjacent to large trees. The course is also extremely hilly and the majority of holes play blind. You mustn't let your guard down. Most every hole on the course can hit you up for a double bogey before you know it.

-Huge concrete tee pads, trash cans, and portable restrooms keep the course clean and safe.

-Excellent John Houck tee signs are large and colorful. Many of the signs suggest multiple routes, but often there is only one reasonable route.

-Best holes
Hole 12 is a gorgeous downhill woods hyzer shot, approximately 400 feet, with the basket in a dangerous position on the left side hill.
Hole 14 is a phenomenal par 4 with a long, downhill drive to a field followed by a hyzer to a basket on the hillside. This is one of the only holes that feels like a "must birdie" on the long basket.
Hole 16 is the longest hole on the course at 930 feet with a mandatory and 120 degree turn at approximately 750' before finishing downhill in a beautiful green in a wooded canyon. The mandatory is borderline silly, but I like this hole as it requires 3 well-executed yet doable shots.

Cons:

-In my opinion, holes 4-9 are not the best and brightest part of the course. They play through the back woods section and need some clean up of blackberries and other thick bushes. Hole 6 especially is absurdly uphill, with a grade of +53 feet over 280 feet of distance. Hole 7 is also very challenging, a 430 feet right-to-left turning hole through tight woods with heavy rough and steep hillsides on the right and behind the basket. A par 3 on this hole is very hard earned and a 4 is certainly nothing to hang your head about.

-I was underwhelmed by Hole #8, the course's signature hole, a 400 foot sharply downhill woods tunnel shot. It certainly is thrilling to pure the line on this hole, but connect with an early tree and you will be searching for your disc in thick rough on an extremely steep hillside.

-The short basket is visible from the tee on only 6-7 holes, and the long basket on only 3-4 holes. A property so hilly and idiosyncratic is naturally not going to lend itself to a straightforward course, but several holes here could be much improved by moving the basket 30 or 40 feet into view.

-A par 3 in which a fantastic drive reaches 30 or so feet from the basket is a good Pro-level hole in my opinion. A hole in which the best possible drive is 50-60 feet away, however, is not reasonable and a handful of holes fit this description on the course. It's frustrating when the short basket is a quality hole but the long one must be played drive, chip, putt.

Other Thoughts:

-This is such a magnificent property, but I was less than blown away by the layout. So many of the holes could be improved with small adjustments: moving a basket, removing a tree, thinning a problematic patch of rough, etc.

-$5 per person day-use fee. Quite a bargain, for the quality of the golf on private property.

-It's hard to emphasize the sheer difficulty of this course. It's like Shinnecock Hills in ball golf. It doesn't look too bad in photos, but the course is likely to hit you up for a high score. It's not a place for beginners, older players, young kids, or anyone out of shape. I'd estimate a score of Even par would be rated approximately 985 (on the long baskets). Fortunately, there are two much friendlier courses on-site.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Mesmerizing Meadow 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 30, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Meadow Ridge is the best course I played this year. It could be my all time favorite anywhere. Definitely on my Mount Rushmore of disc golf courses.

There is considerable elevation on nearly every hole. The runs through majestic forrest are intimidating and exhilarating. There are concrete tee pads and quality signs for every hole. The homemade baskets are as good as any production target in my opinion, and the bright yellow paint stands out well in the woods. As many trees, ferns and crazy lines as there are, I spent very little time searching for discs, and didn't take a lot of bad ricochets. Surprised by how clean the ground was under the thick canopy.

I won't break down every hole, but they were all very good. I can point out some things I liked. The opener is downhill, with narrow gaps that are tricky but fun. I zipped a nice drive on two and got the putt to fall for birdie. I loved the terraced land on hole 3, not to hard but very fun. Hole 8 was my favorite, as I love any hole that has 100'+ of vertical drop, automatically. A view that you will want to enjoy for a minute before teeing off.

10 is a wonderful lane lined by trees that bends to the right, before the fairway splits around an island of trees protecting the basket. 12 is another great downhiller. If you get through the trees off the tee you get the assist on distance, helping me to get close enough to make my second birdie. 14 will also drop quickly out of the box and through gaps in the trees, before a more open approach to a basket that is tucked between tree trunks slightly back uphill. 16 is very long and uses the open meadow with woods skirting the left side all the way. At the end there is a hairpin turn doglegging left, downhill into the trees.

I tend to favor the downhill holes, but there are many uphill throws as well. They are tough, but also fun and giving a fair chance at par on each one. The elevation changes don't translate perfectly in photos, but Bob Horning does a good job capturing the vibe of each hole with the pictures he uploaded and linked on the course page.

Cons:

Pay to play, was $4 daily, and includes all courses. So worth it (so this could be listed in the pros). I would pay more for just Meadow Ridge.

Kind of a long walk to the first tee on this course. Sign indicated weddings occasionally make a hole or two on the back nine off limits.

Rain began to fall before I could play the Highland course. I live too far away to play here on a regular basis.

Other Thoughts:

Horning's Hideout is amazing. This was definitely one of the highlight courses of my entire trip. Having never visited the Pacific northwest before, I kind had this as the picture in my head of what disc golfing in the region would look like.

Meadow Ridge is great, an instant favorite for me. Not easy, but par is possible. I actually hit 56 on the first and only round here. Somewhat amazing to me, since I played 19 courses on this road trip, and only twice did I get at or under par. Even par on Meadow Ridge with two birdies, fourteen pars, and two bogies. I couldn't make a putt to save my life the day prior in Washington, but the baskets here showed me a lot of love.

With two other 18 hole courses on the property, you are able to play all day in an incredible environment for a very reasonable rate. Bring snacks and refreshments, because hiking around these woods will expend a lot of energy.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 1
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 191 played 189 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 11, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is the biggest of the 3 courses on site. This is a gold tee pro caliber course, and I don't recommend to begginers, or families playing. There's also 2 pins for every hole the homemade baskets playing easier but still difficult enough. The elevation here is pretty dramatic and hole 8 is a top of the world type hole with tight lines straight down to basket. You will use many shots on this course, and it will test every aspect of your game including mental game. This course has amazing variety, and a big par 5 hole number 16 that lets you rip it as far as possible. Great tee pads and new innova baskets. Birdies will be hard to come by but there truly isn't a better place to be then at hornings.

Cons:

Rollouts can happen with some pins being on hillside
Hole 16s mando is pretty lame as you have to throw an extra 50 feet that dosen't play towards pin.
They need brooms at tee pads this is just nit picking

Other Thoughts:

The gravel road here can be sketchy in bad weather. You drive around half mile down and then hike all the way up big gravel road from parking lot for meadows. Signs will guide you to tee 1
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 10
JerichoBronco
Experience: 10 years 36 played 19 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Elevation 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Having a third course at Hornings
Multiple Tee pads

Cons:

Holes are right on top of the others
Most elevation changes I've ever played

Other Thoughts:

My buddy conned me into playing here, claiming I would love it, knowing I wouldn't like it. This course just felt like they wanted to have a gold level course but didn't really have the acreage to do it, so they threw a bunch of holes on top of each other. Your basic routine here is going to be throw up a hill, across a hill, down a hill. I'm good with some elevation change but this is just constant, and got old... quickly. The course felt forced, like yeah we know there isn't room for a good hole here but were going to put one here anyway and the line is weak just to keep the flow going. Maybe good advanced level people like this type of course and I'm not good enough to appreciate it, but if you are like me and your rating is under 935 and you don't throw 400+ you probably won't enjoy yourself either, unless you like throwing up and down hills all day. Just a different type of course than I'm used to, maybe that's my main gripe, but there are so many other courses closer than this to me that are much better I don't see myself playing this one again.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 2
Scott64a
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun and Scenic! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very well laid out, lots of challenging holes. Being a pro course, they had to have a par 5 on it. Hole 16 delivers. 930 ft!
This course has a lot of really scenic views and is a real blast to play.

Cons:

This course is really hard to find when walking in from the parking area. I was told, "Go down behind the bathrooms and walk up the road a little bit." Turns out, that's not enough info to find it. I wandered around the fish pond and met a fellow who was working the turf for erosion control, and he got me to where I need to be. Turns out it was Bob Horning, who is a really nice guy. They need to put some signs up showing how to get to this course.

Other Thoughts:

If you are planning to play 54 holes at this group of courses, play this course second and finish with the Canyon. This course is a solid hike and will wear you out a little.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 9
superberry
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.9 years 332 played 95 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Imbalanced, but fun 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Scenic secluded beauty. The setting is very nice, basically a larger recreation area resort style place that has three disc golf courses. There are times though that weddings and other events take precedence and close portions of the disc course.
Risky greens with baskets perched on or near ridges for fear of rollaways with missed putts.
Pay to play keeps the trash factor down, and they have a great restroom facility and other amenities on site. Not much for refreshments though and we should have planned something to eat for lunch better.
Elevation along the ridge was great and kept things interesting as the only real variety amongst the woods. Uphill, downhill, sidehill, ridge to ridge, etc. all sorts of holes scattered along and over the ridge.

Cons:

Imbalanced in terms of variety. It's really nothing more than a very wooded course. The one long open hole didn't appeal to me with its shepherd hook approach to the green.
The baskets cannot be PDGA approved, I think there is some mistake. The inner basket diameter dimension must have been referenced from the outside edge of the old wheel they are constructed of. They did not seem "up to par" the entire day, definitely did not play or catch like other PDGA approved targets.
I didn't get a sense for risk/reward on many holes. What I mean is there wasn't a smaller gap cutting across the dogleg, or offering a shorter flight to the pin if you chose to try and throw right at the pin. he fairways were mainly defined with various wider curved fairways and sporadic trees scattered in the midst.
Signs. While they were nice and aesthetically appealing, I feel they did not do a good job truly depicting the routes through the abundance of trees. After throwing down the wrong "airway" to hidden pins a few times, I found myself walking down almost all fairways to see the pins.
Hazards and other water features really don't come into play on this course except maybe a few really bad throws near the end (not including the pond holes which aren't part of the regular layout).
Overlap and interference on the holes 10-13 was pretty bad. I don't remember exactly, but two of those holes seemed to parallel each other for a portion of the fairway, and I believe hole 12 or 14 plays back toward those same fairways along the edge of the field. This area was also hard to navigate, but my biggest con was the overlapping interference potential.

Other Thoughts:

I was very excited to play this complex on my way into Portland. I was still very glad I played, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to play if on business or travelling with the family. I'd have focused my efforts on getting to Whistlers Bend and/or Milo.
With that being said, I played both the harder courses on a super hot day, but still had a great fun day. I was horribly underwhelmed by this Meadow Ridge course mainly because I crave variety, not just holes through tight woods. It was just monotonous after a while, and the undergrowth was also pretty thick which took a while looking for discs shanked off trees.
Honestly I couldn't believe it was ever even close to being a Top 10 course! It's not a bad course, don't get me wrong. It was also fun, but it sorely lacked the variety and diversity to make a gorgeous top 10 course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
15 1
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 202 played 200 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Play 18 holes on Endor 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

To tell you all the pros wouldn't exactly do this place justice, so I'll walk you through the experience.

I was driving in from Portland and you go far off the beaten path through some country back roads and the you turn down into the canyon and your no longer on some wooded backroad. No, you are decending down a series of double back turns onto the forest moon of Endor from Return of the Jedi.

I don't know how they got it here but the is Endor just an hour west of Portland. Who knew?

At the bottom of the hill it opens up to a large field on your right and on the left is a small shed and a painted bus, by which there are instructions to stop. A gentleman comes out of the shed and you give him your day fee. For the amenities they offer $4 isn't much.

On the facility there are three courses of varying difficulty, a small lake where you can fish, camp sites, areas where you can host events like concerts and weddings and the like. Pretty cool place overall.

So to get to the Meadow Ridge course you park off to the right of the entrance and walk up the hill to the right of the lake. At the top of the hill there is a metal pavilion with some sort of mechanisms in it, of their purpose I am ignorant but they looked like very exciting.

The first tee is just to the right of that.

The first thing you notice on hole number one is holy trees batman. You feel like your discs are the storm troopers, they almost catch Luke Skywalker and them Boom! A tree!

You'll probably hit some.

It's an incredibly techical course and you need to pick your lines with care as kick puts can put you OB on a lot of holes.

It's just beautiful and the elevation changes are extreme. Number 8 has you throwing down what feels like the side of a mountain and the are several big upshots like number 11.

The signature hole has to be 16 where you have an open field bomb on a 960 ft par 5 that ends with a heavily gaurded pin and if you miss left at any point or really at all while putting your going to end up in the gorge.

Every teepad was nice and big and most well textured. There's several places with benches and picnic tables, and you'll want to use those. Some of the holes require mountain goat balance and its a pretty good hike.

Every tee has great signage with the recommended path and OB, Mando and next teepad marked.

Pay attention to the next teepad direction part.

Baskets look homemade but catch pretty well. They have a big solid bottom that looks like a really deep truck wheel. They ring like a bell when you nail one and its a good feeling.

The trees are amazing. It was raining during my road and I may get pneumonia but it was worth it, amazing course.

The corse was immaculate and maintained amazingly. One of the best I've ever seen.

Cons:

You need to be in decent shape to play this course. That's not a real con overall, but a small caviat for older or very young players or anyone with ailments, this course is not kind to your body with its many steep hills and right paths.

A few spots it's hard to find the next tee, 6 to 7 and 8 to 9 come to mind. So pay really good attention to the signage by the teepads.

The shape of the baskets threw me off at first. Is never seen a bottom like that and it took a couple holes to adjust.

The fils that 13-16 play over has been ravaged by moles but the rest of the course is immaculate.

Other Thoughts:

This is a must play, if your in the Portland area make a trip, you will not regret it, this place is simply sublime.
The owners make it a true desination that is sure to stick with anyone who plays it.

Guys if you read this, Thank You! It's an amazing place.

And don't pet the peafowl,they are pretty but happier left alone.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 3
FrankWilliams
Experience: 23.9 years 17 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

It was 95 degrees! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

The tee signs were great. They had distance and elevation as well as par and the location of the next tee from the basket.

The underbrush was mostly cleared away, enough to be challenging, but not so dense that discs would be easily lost.

The dense forest was beautiful to play though, with lots of elevation changes and no graffiti or trash.

There were clean bathrooms with sinks and flushing toilets and enough room to change.

Cons:

Several of the par 3 were over 400' through heavy foliage, which should be par 4 if playing at a blue tee rating.

There were several holes with mandatory trees indicated on the tee signs, but with no corresponding sign on any tree, so I was left guessing which tree was the mandatory. This was inconsistent as there were other holes that had trees with a mandatory sign attached to them.

From the basket on several of the holes you could not see the next tee so several times I wandered about looking for the next tee. The locations are clearly posted on the tee signs though, so don't forget to look.

Several of the chains were poised on the edge of a steep slope, which nearly mandated a light touch putting, but the custom chains run down to the edge of the rims, and I had several touch puts that hit the center of the chains dead on, and proceeded to slide down the chains to the edge of the rim and drop out.

Other Thoughts:

There is about a mile of a winding gravel road down to the parking area, so low clearance vehicles use caution.

There is a $4 per person (not per vehicle) usage fee.

The custom baskets ring just like a tonal when you strike the bottom rim. After just playing a few tonal courses up in the Vancouver area I had got to liking that gong sound, but here I was punished for hearing it.

Peacocks and peahens wandering around the parking area were fun to try to get a photo of.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 1
reed2020
Experience: 11.8 years 39 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Be ready to hike... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great tee pads and signs. Very challenging course which requires all types of shots. Every tee sign gives the direction to the next tee box. This course requires you to hit your lines. Trash cans throughout the course and they get used. Very little trash throughout the course.

Cons:

The only con I would really give to any course at Horning's is that some fairways are close, or parallel and it can get a little congested at times, but this is a small factor in the overall experience.

Other Thoughts:

Bring plenty of food and snacks, as this course is a good workout. You hike up and down the mountain throughout the entire thing. Locals are friendly and helpful. This course would be very tough to play solo, but could be done. Extra set of eyes are helpful on the holes. Many of the holes are big and can be broken up into placement shots. Unless you have a CANNON, I would recommend playing many of the holes in sections. If you get off the fairways, you can get buried. I would recommend this course to anyone looking for a good challenge. This is not for beginners, or casual players. They may not have a lot of fun on this course, as it could become real frustrating to them. This is Oregon's Discgolf Utopia and should be a stop for anyone passing through.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 1
Rusty Shackleford
Experience: 11.8 years 27 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Difficult and Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 2, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a tough course but it is well designed. There is a way (or two) to get to the basket from every tee, but not an easy way.

There's a lot of variation. All of the holes are interesting and require a little thinking.

Tee pads, signs, baskets are all excellent. I actually like these baskets better than any others I've played both because the yellow stands out and for the nice bell sound they can make.

Cons:

Roll aways! The hills are so steep putters will roll to the bottom of them if you overshoot the basket and a lot of the baskets are in front of steep downhills. On a hot or wet day chasing a disc down a hill then playing back up gets old fast.

Hole #6. I'm really not a fan of throwing up steep hills, but it's part of the game.

Other Thoughts:

This is among the must play courses in Oregon.

With nice onsite camping and 3 x 18 courses Horning's is not to be missed.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 3
joshkns
Experience: 15.8 years 22 played 6 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Loved It 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 16, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Elevation
-No Non Disc Golf Traffic
-Great Baskets, Awesome Teepads & Signs
-Great Flow
-Clean
-Course Forces a variety of Shots
-Restrooms
-Onsite Camping

Cons:

None For Me

Other Thoughts:

After reading other reviews I was almost dreading playing this course, just because im not really that good of a player. I must say it is a tough course but I had a blast playing it. Even with the great elevation the way the trails are set up you don't feel beat up walking to the higher up holes.
I really wish other courses had the same teepad signs, makes life so much easier for the shot and finding the next teepad.
The one other thing which I Don't consider a con is you should defiantly play with someone else or have a spotter this course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
17 0
Ocelotl
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 40 played 18 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Treeeeeeeesssss! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 9, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Let me start this out by saying this is by far the best, hardest, most challenging (occasionally frustrating) course Ive ever had the pleasure to play.

-Shot variety- I only had a small travel bag with me when I played here, I was WOEFULLY underequipped to handle the variety of shots needed to get pars, let alone birdies here. Bring your full bag of tricks to the meadow course, and be prepared to use it all.

Tee Signs/Pads- Large, clean cement pads with very detailed signs to keep you on track, all pertinent info including directions to the next tee are listed, really well done.

-Highlight Holes:
#7, Long dogleg right that keeps turning down to a basket perched on the edge a hill, all through a pretty damn tight window. I dont think ive ever seen a hole challenge me to throw this particular shot, I did not succeed at all, but had fun trying!
#8, top of the world shot, 400+ft down hill through the trees to a mostly hidden basket, I could stand there all day and launch discs, one of the holes I was bummed to be playing by myself because it is really hard to track discs that get off track.
#10, Another very challenging dogleg right that just kicks your ass if you get off line at all. And again another shot I had never been challenged to throw before. While not the case with everyone I enjoy playing some holes that I just cant seem to get right, challenging me to improve.

-Scenery, set way up in the hills in north plains this place is nothing short of spectacular, long vistas, tons of trees, a lake, and river, something to stare at in every direction.

Cons:

My only nit to pick would be a better sign pointing the way to 1's tee pad, I ended up wandering around a little looking for it, but all in all nothing to make the day less than awesome.

Other Thoughts:

I played two solo rounds on this course, there is enough blind shots and hidden hills that it is a pretty tough solo round. Got lucky enough to speak to Bob H. who was working on a construction project near the parking lot and had a few pointers on a couple holes, listen if you get the opportunity it is well worth your time.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
18 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.6 years 568 played 281 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Intermediate/Expert 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set on private property that is set up for a few different activities. But, it seems like if the course is open, then there won't be any interference by default! There are three pretty distinct areas of this course; there are holes in denser woods with rough, holes within heavily populated patches of tall, shorn tree trunks, and some holes that are more in the open bordered by forest.
- #1 kicks it off in some very dense woods; there are a couple tight lines to get down the basket; either hyzer or anny around and through the trees. #6 is a brutal hole; straight ahead and straight UP, with a sharp turn left at the top of the (first) hill. #7 is a dogleg right with a pretty generous fairway off the tee, but the second half of the hole has a multitude of trees to weave between to reach the basket. #8 is the tightest hole of them all; with some tiny tiny gaps to get down to the bottom. Perhaps a super wide RHBH anny around everything? Too risky probably. #10 is probably the nastiest hole out here; a skinny RHBH anny/flex shot off the tee between two rows of tall trees. If you made it through, you then have the choice to go high&right or low&left around a thick clump of trees. All of these holes have a ton of trees to avoid, and also has forest to provide some nasty rough.
- A good amount of the holes don't have as much forest to worry about, but a whooole lot of tree trunks to navigate. #3 to start; with a couple different RHBH anny lines to get to the basket. #4 has a pretty open hyzer line up to a small green, #5 is a sharp, blind hyzer around and through a lot of trees, #11 and #13 are uphill through the trunks, and #12 is a long gentle hyzer. While some of the holes demand a RHBH hyzer line, there is also the opportunity to find creative shapes through the tree trunks. Just have to stay clean.
- Plenty of holes have some more open space to work with, but usually provide gaps or windows to hit at some point to bring the challenge. The back half of #2 is pretty open, but you have to throw a flick or anny a good distance to get out of the woods. #9 is another flick shot, but the basket is tucked up into the woods after a gap. #14 is a nice downhill hyzer, but again, there are some very tight gaps to get through just to make it down to the open area. #16 is a MEGA bomber, with forest on the left, which eventually ends with a button hook finish around a mando, into a forested depression by a small creek. #17 and #18 are kind of similar, a pretty open shot off the tee, with the basket tucked uphill in a diminishing gap in the forest. #17 isn't quite as deep, but #18 is long and well protected.
- As you might have gathered, there are a ton of elevation changes at this course, from start to finish. A few holes are in the 'meadow', but the majority are on the 'ridge'. Downhill shots range from the extreme on #8, to very good on #9, #12, and #14. Uphills include the sick vertical gain on #6, and the tough ones on #4, #11, and #13. Just to name a few. The only holes that might be considered flat are #15 and #16. Plenty of places where errant shots can encounter some nasty rollaways/sloping rough. #8 for sure, dangerous out to the left, and #9 if you go long. #10 is sloped left off the tee; if you can't make it out of the tunnel your next shot could be next to impossible. #18 also warns of the gulch to the left.
- The sloping terrain also leads to some precarious basket locations, of course. #1 behind the pin, #4 has a small, elevated green, #7 has a slope behind the basket, #9's is on top of a slope, #15 is also on a slope; definitely keeps things interesting from start to finish. Also some protected pins due to trees and small gaps.
- Gold level course with gold level hole lengths. #16, obviously, at a huge 930' with the hook back at the end. #10 at 550' is sick due to the tight line off the tee and the obstacles before the pin. #14 at 575' isn't too bad as long as the first shot is clear of all the nastiness, due to the big downhill slope. #18 plays long too, at 425', with the tight uphill approach. There are some shorter holes as well, to offer some birdie opportunities, but lots of trees and blind pin locations don't make them easy.
- Homemade baskets are sweet! Tee signs are very nice, as well as the teepads. Navigation can be a little tricky in some spots, with a few different baskets/tees in sight, so the map can help save some time the first time through.

Cons:

- A few of the holes are crammed pretty tight in one spot; mainly holes #4, #11, #12, #13, #10. Some OB areas help to prevent shots from wandering too far, but I could see the area being very crowded when the course is crowded.
- A few minor, nit-picking things, like some barbed wire behind #6, and a gravel road through some holes. Also no water present, and some might find the course a little hyzer-heavy. No big deal on any of these, really.

Other Thoughts:

- What more is there to say? This course is for real. The only knocks are some cramped areas, and maybe a teeny little bit hyzer-heavy. Definitely designed for advanced players - the more advanced the better!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 3
hukdiscs
Experience: 23.8 years 18 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Lots of fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of different types of holes with great use of the varied terrain.
Nice concrete pads, quality baskets, and tee signage.
Course layout made sense, limited wondering between holes.
Not Crowded, even on a perfect sunny sunday, and with three different courses to play there are always options.

Cons:

We were given some vague and confusing directions by an employee as to were to begin, which is way past where the main parking lot is and we did not see any signs to point you in the right direction. Not a big deal really.
There are plenty of places one could lose a disc, but neither my wife or myself lost any.

Other Thoughts:

Some maps or additional signs would be nice, but it was a fun and very challenging course.
Could easily get messy during the rainy season, both the course and the road in.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
16 2
ninja-don
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 29 played 25 reviews
4.50 star(s)

The Great God Father of Horning's Hideout. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Baskets here are all home made, painted bright yellow with giant black numbers on them (very easy to see), and well made at that, they catch disc very well... maybe beter than any other basket I've played.
- Tee signs are excellent!!! they are very nice and accurate. They also have the elevation change for each hole from tee to basket (EXAMPLE: +11ft or - 25ft), this was nice as it made me think about if I need more or less on my shot, which I rarely pay attention to otherwise.
- Tee pads were long, concrete, and had a good circular brush pattern for traction layed in them.
- There are some intense challenges on this course... let's start with plenty of MANDOS that will have you either throwing out of your confort zone. Then there are the trees... they seem to sometimes come out of no where to knock you disc down. Elevation changes are plenty hole #8 will have you hiking up a hill to throw downhill 420ft and 124 feet downhill, but don't let that fool you... that 420ft is trcky with trees a plenty, and a huge ridge of thick brush to the left that is sure to have you serching for you disc if you miss throw or bounce off a tree in the direction. And finally... some of the holes are just plain LONG!!! Bring you big guns for this one.
-You can get towles from the house were you pay. The towels are free to use, just bring them back where you got them.
- Normally a pay to play course is a con for me, but $3/person for ALL DAY and for ALL 3 courses... that is a deal!
- Drinking water available for free (not bottled).
- Porta-potties all over the place. Not so many on the courses but before and after for sure.

Cons:

- I know it's not the courses fault, but plan accordingly to not have cell phone service here. (It works before you start down the dirt road so it's not that far to drive back out if you really needed to make a call).
- Also not needed, but kind of a con for me since this place is so great for disc golf is the fact that they don't have disc for rent or for sale. (This would really put them over the top in my book, as it is the only really major thing I think this place is missing).

Other Thoughts:

- This is there prise course... it is hard but fun... do not miss this one if you have to choose, but smaller children or true beginner would probably be best left to the other two courses.
- Be prepared to drive down a narrow dirt/gravel road with blind corners. (I drove a lowered honda and made it just fine, but it wasn't ideal) I don't think there is any car that couldn't make it, just be ready for it.
- This is the Godfather of the Hideout. I played this course first and it was awesome!!! I still very much enjoyed the other two courses, but wish I had played them in reverse order from easiest to hardest.
- If you want a little less of a challenge and less of a hike try the Canyon Course, and if you want a cool down or warm up for this course you could try a quick (30-45min) round on the Highland course.
- Camping and fishing available here... I paid $15 dollars to camp on site... it was well worth it since I was in the middle of my trip and wanted to play all these courses.
- I was able to play all three courses after palying Pier Park and taking lunch and dinner breaks. If you have the energy... it's completely possible (and recommended) to play all three courses.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
16 0
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 222 played 189 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Hiking and Hucking 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

You'll know you're in for something special when you pay your daily fee (there is a bucket on the honor system) and turn around to see a gorgeous lake with a couple wood bridges crisscrossing the placid waters. You'd like to live at a place like this.

The course is every bit as awe-inspiring, but it may not leave you as calm. You will find out exactly what shots you can not confidently execute. But you'll love staring down the fairway planning out that shot.

There are big elevation changes on most holes, and the course forces you to putt at baskets on inclines (a huge plus in my book: risk/reward makes for better scoring spreads and more fun). The holes play long, even when they are not. A 250-foot uphill shot sounds reachable until you throw it. A 30-foot elevation increase will take the wind out of your drive.

The tee signs are excellent, showing distances, elevation changes, basket locations, and possible alleys. Nicely done. The homemade baskets are mostly a pro. Their bright yellow is very visible through the woods. They have three sets of chains, so spit throughs are almost impossible. But the bottom part of the basket is not as wide as normal baskets, so you won't get some makes that you would on normal baskets.

A few holes of note:

#7: One of the tighter holes. You have a tight uphill shot where going too far or short will leave you with few options. It's a hard right dogleg at the top of the hill followed by a gentle left to right to the hole. The gaps are there, but if you get overaggressive you have just crappy outshots to get you to the narrow fairway.

#10: This is one of the flatter holes, but it's a bear. You have to throw a long left to right shot to a landing area. When you're talking about landing areas, you're usually talking about a well-designed course. Then it's a long right to left curve to get in sniffing distance of the hole. If you're a pro, you might have a shot at a 3 on this 550-foot hole. If you're a mortal and drift off the fairway, good luck.

#8: It's the one with the 124-foot drop. If you can thread the needle, it's a thrilling hole. If you hit an early tree like I did, the hole becomes deflating pretty quickly (more from the wasted potential than anything). It's a steep hike down, tough on even healthy knees.

Cons:

Each hole has just one basket position. This isn't a huge con (there are two other courses on the property, after all), but multiple positions are commonplace with the top courses.

The gaps on the fairways are demanding, which is good, but sometimes whether you hit them depends more on luck than skill, which is less good. The aforementioned #8's fairway requires precision over 400 feet, which I don't think is realistic even for players much better than I am. And #14 has one too many trees in your way, keeping you from safely landing in sunlight.

I wish they could have incorporated the lake. Could have had an epic hole or two.

Other Thoughts:

I'll discuss hole #16 here since it's not a pro or con. The mando is not as gimmicky as I feared it might be (there are no reasonable way into the woods until shortly before the mando, so it's not forcing a long way around just for the heck of it). But any mando that isn't off the tee can deliver the most boring shot in disc golf: the 20 foot hyzer around the mando tree when your approach falls just short. Happened to me. Yawn. Still, the fairway has some strategy with trying to place your drives on the crests of the rolling hills, and there is some strategy with the mando that I apparently failed. The hole ends nicely, too.

This is probably the best designed course in Oregon. It will let you know exactly what your weaknesses are. My score was like Donna Summer: it got into the 80s, but it really should have stayed in the 70s.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 1
austoroc
Experience: 19.8 years 71 played 20 reviews
4.00 star(s)

An Interesting Experience. . . 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The wonderful aspects of this course has to do with the variety of the holes along with the challenges that comes with it.

You truly will want to dig deep in your disc golf bag for discs that may work best for a particular shot you are facing. Unlike many courses you may have played at, many of the shots you will have to make will force you to use different throwing techniques, different standing positions (or kneeling for that matter), and you will also have to think a bit more about your strategies.

Cons:

The navigation from hole to the next hole was sketchy on few occasions, but it's nothing to seriously gripe about.

I found some of the paths I was required to walk to between holes somewhat tedious. You'll need to be careful about walking downhill on some of the steep hills. (such as on hole #8!) I imagine when it's dry and dusty, erosion will be an issue because many of those paths (downhill or uphills) would benefit from having some homemade "stairs" (for lack of better word) being built.

I think it would be very beneficial if the course had additional shorter tee pads for each hole to make the course a bit easier for some people who wanted to experience Meadow Ridge but did not have the arms to throw far. (especially on the 16th hole!)

Other Thoughts:

I found this course to be an very interesting experience, as I don't think I ever remember playing at a course that had so many elevation changes.

While I am not a seasoned pro, I have enough experience that I can enjoy this course. I just find this course a bit too tough to enjoy if I had brought friends who may not be serious disc golfers.

I would want to play at some other classic courses before even considering giving this course a score higher than 4. Based on my own playing experiences, I would rate this to be excellent, because it's truly an original course with abundant challenges for the best players while still enjoyable for people like myself.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
13 7
Nodosaurus
Experience: 14.9 years 43 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A Quick Review in Haiku and Bad Limericks 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Spring brings some new growth
Beauty surrounds the whole course
My score grows well, too

Eight, top of the world
Time spent finding a lost disc
great day, so who cares.

Eighteen ended my round
worn out, I have to sit down
Soon, I play again

Cons:

Sixteen is a far basket to git,
The fairway has no trees to hit,
but the OB right of the way
cost me two throws that day,
four over, now I'll throw a fit.

Other Thoughts:

No offense to anyone, but there are plenty of quality reviews for this great course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
18 0
DutchViking
Experience: 18 years 54 played 17 reviews
5.00 star(s)

huge challenge! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

World Class Course at a World Class facility!
18 very tough holes for the Serious Disc Golfer that will test every aspect of your game as well as you temper (at times) Definitely designed for pros and masochists, but amateurs will do fine also
Great tee pads and Unique but functional baskets--i didn't really have an issue with the baskets, I think they add character to the facility

Uphill/Downhill/Left/Right/Tight Windows/Low Ceilings/Big and Little Dog legs/Tight and Technical/Long and Open/Everything! Tons of variety and no easy or filler holes.
Very clean and well placed port-O-pottys
Consistently this course rewarded skill and not luck

Standout Holes:
#1 Lets you know what you are about to get into! Very tight windows for a very controlled anhyzer or hyzer down hill to a well protected basket with a sharp drop off behind and the terrain practically invites a roll away. I took a 4, luckily.

#6 Uphill and with narrow fairway and unforgiving rows of trees on both sides, AND big dog leg left about 150 feet with plenty more danger with trees and possible rolling down the hill. My par shot chained out.

#8 421 ft. with 124 below makes this a pretty cool shot already, but add huge trees and crazy tight routes and it becomes epic. Then add the incredible views of a lush green valley surrounded by huge tree spotted hills and it becomes unforgettable. It didn't matter that I carded a 5 after my par shot went past the basket and down into the meadow, I was insanely high on disc golf. Loved it!

#10 550 ft Par 4 was the most brutal hole on the course, except for the 930 footer #16. 150 down a tree lines fairway, then huge dog leg right and slightly uphill for 350 ft. THIS ONE WILL EXPOSE EVERY WEAKNESS OF YOUR GAME! It may very well take you down a peg,

#18 this is an awesome and memorable ending hole. It starts as clear meadow that narrows sharply with trees on both sides and the basket on a hill. Very tough to hit that line and get it near enough to the basket to have a chance for deuce. Play for a tough par.

Cons:

I did not really care for the 930 footer, long and straight for 850 and then hope and pray to get it close to the basket for a 5. Blind pin location after 3 drives did not help.
Possibly a few navigation issues at 1 or 2 spots, but I was playing with very few on the course with the rain coming. This can and I'm sure will be fixed with simple, well placed arrows.
Other than that not much to gripe about, period. this course really is special, just like the whole property.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this course and property lived up to its hype. Course is beautiful (especially at the top of the world shot #10) and very tough and a huge variety of shots, any player will have their work cut out for them if they are going to finish their round at par. Also, only $3!! they could probably charge more, but I feel that this course is in line with most disc golfers' motto; keep it cheap! This place is worth so much more than that, and all who have played here should feel truly grateful. Plan to spend all day here and bring a lunch and drinks.

I only played this course once, and although I normally like to review after a couple of rounds, this course really made a very strong impression on me. That being said, this course really kicked my ass, but I also had quite a few shots that rocked.

Rating this against all other disc courses I have played, only the Legendary DeLaVeaga in Santa Cruz compares. I rated them both 5. Plan a trip so you can see what we all are raving about.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top