Uploaded By: Barthanatos
Hole #2 (Taken 6/2011)
Hole #2 (Taken 6/2011) 
3 / 382ft. -- / -- 4 / 700ft. 4 / 700ft.
Par / Distance:
Hole #2 Basket to Tee
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Reviews: 12
Avg. Rating:
Details
Avg. Rating:
Details
Bud Pell
Pros: Course has some length which is somewhat rare in the area.
Cons: The flow of the course, from tee to basket to next tee, is highly suspect. Hole #3 is ridiculous in lenghth - and I mean ridiculous as in pointless. Might be wise to wear a helmet if playing on a busy day, numerouse fairways play across each other.
Other Thoughts: With the area available there are numerous possibilities for a wide range of shots to play. Unfortunately I feel to current layout makes to least of the resources availble. I think the entire layout needs to be reworked.
0 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Report this Review Super fun
Pros: Just a super fun course. Lots of variety. I like a simple review that says yes play here or stay away. Im not a technical player and just enjoy the sport. I say you should play this course if you have the chance
Cons: None really
Other Thoughts: I have played a few hundred courses around the world in the past 15 years and this is on my top 20! List for fun
1 of 6 people found this review helpful.
West Sound Jewel
Pros:
Excellent mix of terrain, length, hole shape and features
Seven Par 4's and one par 5
Good tees
Short tees
Good signage
Scenic, beautiful setting
Active club
Well maintained
Excellent mix of terrain, length, hole shape and features
Seven Par 4's and one par 5
Good tees
Short tees
Good signage
Scenic, beautiful setting
Active club
Well maintained
Cons:
Very tight in some sections with potential safety issues around tees
Private land requires opening, crossing, and closing gates and fences
Holes 11 -14 need a re-design to deal with safety of crossing fairways and blind walkouts in front of tees
Very tight in some sections with potential safety issues around tees
Private land requires opening, crossing, and closing gates and fences
Holes 11 -14 need a re-design to deal with safety of crossing fairways and blind walkouts in front of tees
Other Thoughts:
The Bud Pell at Ross Farm is an excellent, challenging course that is a lot of fun. Set in the fields and forests of Ross Farm, the course takes you from wide open pastures to tight line fairways, from downhill bombs to uphill squeakers, and from ace run par 3's to par 4's and 5's requiring precision shot making to score well. This is what disc golf design should be moving towards in the future! With short tees available (I only played the longs) this course can be fun for everyone. The long tees are very challenging, and experienced golfers will find a new challenge at every tee box. This is classic Pacific Northwest golf: big trees, forested fairways, a scenic setting, and adds in the diversity of playing in part on farmland with pastures and ponds adding to the mix. It's a great course and another feather in the cap of the West Sound Disc Golf Association.
The best things about this course and design are the varied hole lengths, shapes and terrain. You quickly move from open to forested to mixed and the lengths and shapes of the holes keep changing as you move through. Holes 2-4 challenge you from the very beginning with the par 4 Hole 2 requiring a long blind downhill dogleg right that must carry a fence but not stray too far straight ahead or you are in the long wet grass, and that's just to get you in position for your approach. Hole 3 is a monstrous 1022 foot par 5 with a tree line about 600 feet down the fairway you must negotiate to get set up for your approach. Then it is into the woods and the first hole is a tricky uphill par 4 with fair but tight lines and an OB fence all the way down the left side just waiting for your disc to get kicked. By the time I got to Hole 5 I wasn't sure if I was in love or just had Stockholm Syndrome! It is rare to find a disc golf course with the challenge and varied terrain of the Bud Pell, and designed to clearly push the sport forward into the future.
With that being said, there are a few things about the space available for the course and the design in a few spots that prevent this from being the 4 or 4.5 rated course I think it could be. In the case of the area around holes 4-6 where the available space is very compressed I don't think there is a solution. There was at least one safety net protecting players but I imagine on a crowded day it might be a problem. This is also one of the areas where you encounter the (sometimes electric) fencing on the course which allows disc golf to co-exist with a working farm. It is basically well signed and well explained what not to do, and how to unhook and re-hook the fence when crossing it, but since disc golfers are involved I imagine it is sometimes not given the attention it needs by players. Considering the needs of the land owners I think it is extraordinary that it seems to be working well so far, and an all too rare example of generosity and cooperation that make it work on both sides.
As much as I loved this course I do have a serious criticism about a small part of the design, and I think it must have a solution. I may be missing something, or just unaware of some constraints on this part of the course, but the section from holes 10-14 has a bewildering amount of fairways crossing and walkouts bringing players directly into the path of tee boxes and in front of baskets. I may have just not known the right path to take but it seemed like there must be some way to clean up that corner, whether re-numbering holes or something else.
I think both these areas are a product of space limitation more than anything, and as such any solutions will be somewhat limited. Considering the compressed nature of some of the space available and the fact that this course is open and free to the public but located on private property, the Bud Pell is an amazing accomplishment in today's world of disc golf and course design. With the short tees making the course attractive to beginners and the long tees challenging the most experienced disc golfers, this course is a serious winner. There are always more amenities to add in teepad improvements, benches, etc and I am sure the WSDGA will continue to pimp out the Pell. With some more maturing, primping, and addressing the design problems in the back corner, this course would easily get a 4 or 4.5 rating. The Bud Pell is a must play!
The Bud Pell at Ross Farm is an excellent, challenging course that is a lot of fun. Set in the fields and forests of Ross Farm, the course takes you from wide open pastures to tight line fairways, from downhill bombs to uphill squeakers, and from ace run par 3's to par 4's and 5's requiring precision shot making to score well. This is what disc golf design should be moving towards in the future! With short tees available (I only played the longs) this course can be fun for everyone. The long tees are very challenging, and experienced golfers will find a new challenge at every tee box. This is classic Pacific Northwest golf: big trees, forested fairways, a scenic setting, and adds in the diversity of playing in part on farmland with pastures and ponds adding to the mix. It's a great course and another feather in the cap of the West Sound Disc Golf Association.
The best things about this course and design are the varied hole lengths, shapes and terrain. You quickly move from open to forested to mixed and the lengths and shapes of the holes keep changing as you move through. Holes 2-4 challenge you from the very beginning with the par 4 Hole 2 requiring a long blind downhill dogleg right that must carry a fence but not stray too far straight ahead or you are in the long wet grass, and that's just to get you in position for your approach. Hole 3 is a monstrous 1022 foot par 5 with a tree line about 600 feet down the fairway you must negotiate to get set up for your approach. Then it is into the woods and the first hole is a tricky uphill par 4 with fair but tight lines and an OB fence all the way down the left side just waiting for your disc to get kicked. By the time I got to Hole 5 I wasn't sure if I was in love or just had Stockholm Syndrome! It is rare to find a disc golf course with the challenge and varied terrain of the Bud Pell, and designed to clearly push the sport forward into the future.
With that being said, there are a few things about the space available for the course and the design in a few spots that prevent this from being the 4 or 4.5 rated course I think it could be. In the case of the area around holes 4-6 where the available space is very compressed I don't think there is a solution. There was at least one safety net protecting players but I imagine on a crowded day it might be a problem. This is also one of the areas where you encounter the (sometimes electric) fencing on the course which allows disc golf to co-exist with a working farm. It is basically well signed and well explained what not to do, and how to unhook and re-hook the fence when crossing it, but since disc golfers are involved I imagine it is sometimes not given the attention it needs by players. Considering the needs of the land owners I think it is extraordinary that it seems to be working well so far, and an all too rare example of generosity and cooperation that make it work on both sides.
As much as I loved this course I do have a serious criticism about a small part of the design, and I think it must have a solution. I may be missing something, or just unaware of some constraints on this part of the course, but the section from holes 10-14 has a bewildering amount of fairways crossing and walkouts bringing players directly into the path of tee boxes and in front of baskets. I may have just not known the right path to take but it seemed like there must be some way to clean up that corner, whether re-numbering holes or something else.
I think both these areas are a product of space limitation more than anything, and as such any solutions will be somewhat limited. Considering the compressed nature of some of the space available and the fact that this course is open and free to the public but located on private property, the Bud Pell is an amazing accomplishment in today's world of disc golf and course design. With the short tees making the course attractive to beginners and the long tees challenging the most experienced disc golfers, this course is a serious winner. There are always more amenities to add in teepad improvements, benches, etc and I am sure the WSDGA will continue to pimp out the Pell. With some more maturing, primping, and addressing the design problems in the back corner, this course would easily get a 4 or 4.5 rating. The Bud Pell is a must play!
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
What a difference a month makes!
Pros: - Very challenging! There is something really cool about playing holes that are par 5, over 1000 feet long and span 3 full fields.
- Good course variation. You will shoot over swamps, around paint ball players, near electric fences, adjacent to ponds. You won't shoot two holes in a row that feel the same.
- Very well marked! A month ago, this would have been a con as the signs were horrible. The course admins have done a fantastic job of fixing what was once a glaring issue. Each hole is now marked with little arrows to blue and red tees.
- Vegetation is a lot better! It looks like a lot of work has been made to give the course a cleaner look, that include clearing out some nettles, errant logs, wire fences, stumps and other obstacles.
- Good course variation. You will shoot over swamps, around paint ball players, near electric fences, adjacent to ponds. You won't shoot two holes in a row that feel the same.
- Very well marked! A month ago, this would have been a con as the signs were horrible. The course admins have done a fantastic job of fixing what was once a glaring issue. Each hole is now marked with little arrows to blue and red tees.
- Vegetation is a lot better! It looks like a lot of work has been made to give the course a cleaner look, that include clearing out some nettles, errant logs, wire fences, stumps and other obstacles.
Cons: - Red approaches need a lot of work! Blue tees are flat and maintained. The red tees seem more like an after-thought and several are little more than a dirt patch with a small log to mark their forward boundary.
- The lay-out of the course lends itself to groups shooting over one another and walking through each other's line of play. This is mainly an issue around hole 6, 12, 13, etc.
- Beware the paint-ballers! You may share time with the paint ball players who occupy the adjacent plot of land.
- Parking area is a tad small.
- Tall grass and swampy in early areas. I would suggest water proof boots and long pants for this course.
- No disk return box near the bulletin board.
- The lay-out of the course lends itself to groups shooting over one another and walking through each other's line of play. This is mainly an issue around hole 6, 12, 13, etc.
- Beware the paint-ballers! You may share time with the paint ball players who occupy the adjacent plot of land.
- Parking area is a tad small.
- Tall grass and swampy in early areas. I would suggest water proof boots and long pants for this course.
- No disk return box near the bulletin board.
Other Thoughts: The first time I went to BP I thought the course was absolutely horrible. The signs were almost non-existent and everything was grossly over-grown. Recent improvements have changed my view greatly! The first time (our group of 3) played here, it took us 3 1/2 hours to get through. We left angry, confused and mentally tired (exactly opposite of what I usually feel while playing disk golf). After going back with a different group of 3, with the marked fields and cleaner appearance, it took us just over 90 minutes to play the round. I would now feel comfortable recommending this course to everyone, especially to those who welcome a challenge and a good test of your skill.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Bud Pell at Ross Farm
5+ 
3/2/2012 
3/3/2012
Review By: jedimasterbryan Played: 12 Reviewed: 10 Exp: 2.1 Years
This review was updated on 3/19/2012
Pros: -A nice little course guidelines board at the beginning of the course. UPDATE: A new bulletin board has been added complete with full size course map.
-Good signage throughout course, specifically i really liked that they have different color stakes placed to give you a rough idea of distance remaining to pin
-Great tees, they're all either concrete or gravel with support bars. First time i've seen this type of gravel tee and i really liked it.
-Wide variety of holes, you've got your typical pacific NW wooded holes and also some wide open holes where you can really rip it.
-Benches at each tee are nice for taking quick break or setting disc bags on.
-Some great pin placement. There's an elevated pin, a pin staked into a grouping of rocks etc.
-Good signage throughout course, specifically i really liked that they have different color stakes placed to give you a rough idea of distance remaining to pin
-Great tees, they're all either concrete or gravel with support bars. First time i've seen this type of gravel tee and i really liked it.
-Wide variety of holes, you've got your typical pacific NW wooded holes and also some wide open holes where you can really rip it.
-Benches at each tee are nice for taking quick break or setting disc bags on.
-Some great pin placement. There's an elevated pin, a pin staked into a grouping of rocks etc.
Cons: -Parking lot is a tad small, i could see this being an issue in the busier spring/summer months
-Although the signage is good, the layout could confuse a first timer. Bring a tour guide of you can.
-Although the signage is good, the layout could confuse a first timer. Bring a tour guide of you can.
Other Thoughts: I really enjoyed this course. I was a little apprehensive to try it since i was warned of the difficulty level, although it plays harder than a course like NAD its a great place to come once you've gotten down your basic game to work on your skills. I loved the wide open holes where i could really let it rip and work on my power. It also gives a great opportunity to throw a bunch of extra discs and get a feel for whats in your bag. There are some super memorable holes on the course too, from #3's 1000ft trek to my personal favorite #18, which seems straight forward but allows you to take a multitude of approaches to. I think this may have surpassed Dalaiwood as my favorite course in the area.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Bring everything you've got
Pros: This course will challenge any level of player. You have to use every shot and disc in your bag at some point, and will probably even have to try something you've never tried before at least once. There is no safe hole on this course. Even the shorter holes have something to throw you off, whether it's low ceilings, tight windows, or trees and bushes. Hole 2 is an experience in itself that I recommend to every disc golfer, no matter how long they've been playing. It might drive you to sell your discs and pursue a career as a professional putt putt golfer, but it's still an experience that everyone should have at least once in their life. Personally I wish I lived closer, because the few times I've played it just haven't been enough. The first time I was here we finished our round and then played 2 repeatedly (at least 4 times) until it was too dark to see.
The variation in holes is perfect on this course. There are the holes like 1, 2, 12, and 13 that really let you air it out. Then there are heavily wooded holes like 14, gigantic S-curves like 10 and 16, and plenty of elevation change.
The risk on this course is through the roof, but so is the reward. Being a player who approaches the game with a "why not try the hard way?" attitude, I love playing courses like this. You get so many opportunities to try that crazy shot through a window that's too small for any sane person to try. Granted, that attitude plus this course equals a brutal score only surpassed by SeaTac and occasionally Terrace Creek , but I'm just having too much fun to care.
The variation in holes is perfect on this course. There are the holes like 1, 2, 12, and 13 that really let you air it out. Then there are heavily wooded holes like 14, gigantic S-curves like 10 and 16, and plenty of elevation change.
The risk on this course is through the roof, but so is the reward. Being a player who approaches the game with a "why not try the hard way?" attitude, I love playing courses like this. You get so many opportunities to try that crazy shot through a window that's too small for any sane person to try. Granted, that attitude plus this course equals a brutal score only surpassed by SeaTac and occasionally Terrace Creek , but I'm just having too much fun to care.
Cons: I guess the tee pads can be called a con. I don't mind gravel really, but it can definitely hurt your run up if it's too worn in. Luckily they added concrete tiles to the pad for 2 for a more solid base.
Some of these holes just don't make sense to you the first time through. Hole 5 is a prime example:
A decent drive sets you up for a blind shot down a narrow alley with OB/electric fence/paintball on the right and a random collection of trees on the left. Two shots later, after you've been shocked and pelted with paint, you're back in the trees on the left and taking one of those crazy trick shots that probably won't work (but sometimes does) to set up for a difficult putt for bogey. I can speak from experience on the latter, but I've been lucky enough to avoid the former scenario. I just described a very challenging hole, but you'll see what I mean if you go actually look at the hole. As has been stated before on this site, it kind of feels like two holes spliced together, and not very gracefully. Holes 1, 13, and 16 don't make a lot of sense the first time either. I can't call them cons because they're some of my favorite holes on the course, but if you haven't played a monstrous course like this before you won't expect them to be quite so… Mean.
The flow in the middle of the course is a bit confusing. They did a great job of using every inch and slope of the meadow for 11, 12, and 13 without them encroaching on each other's fairways, but it still throws you off after you finish 10.
It has to be said even though I've played the course in both fall and winter and haven't had any issues with it myself: The marshy area for holes 1 and 2 can provide a serious damper (no pun intended) to the beginning of your round. Wear Gore Tex. You're playing in the Northwest. You should be wearing it anyway.
Some of these holes just don't make sense to you the first time through. Hole 5 is a prime example:
A decent drive sets you up for a blind shot down a narrow alley with OB/electric fence/paintball on the right and a random collection of trees on the left. Two shots later, after you've been shocked and pelted with paint, you're back in the trees on the left and taking one of those crazy trick shots that probably won't work (but sometimes does) to set up for a difficult putt for bogey. I can speak from experience on the latter, but I've been lucky enough to avoid the former scenario. I just described a very challenging hole, but you'll see what I mean if you go actually look at the hole. As has been stated before on this site, it kind of feels like two holes spliced together, and not very gracefully. Holes 1, 13, and 16 don't make a lot of sense the first time either. I can't call them cons because they're some of my favorite holes on the course, but if you haven't played a monstrous course like this before you won't expect them to be quite so… Mean.
The flow in the middle of the course is a bit confusing. They did a great job of using every inch and slope of the meadow for 11, 12, and 13 without them encroaching on each other's fairways, but it still throws you off after you finish 10.
It has to be said even though I've played the course in both fall and winter and haven't had any issues with it myself: The marshy area for holes 1 and 2 can provide a serious damper (no pun intended) to the beginning of your round. Wear Gore Tex. You're playing in the Northwest. You should be wearing it anyway.
Other Thoughts: This course doesn't like you. It just doesn't. It's paid the trees to play solid zone defense and the wind to mug your drives. Luckily for you the wind and trees have minds of their own and sometimes give the course the finger and help you out instead. But of course Bud Pell is a bully and will still try to find a way to hurt you. It's like a puppy with an attitude problem though. It might ruin your day by eating your shoes, but it's impossible to stay mad at and keeps you coming back for more.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Good Coures but needs some fine running
Pros: Great long holes to really flex your driving skills
Lots of parking
Garbage bags at holes
Wide mix of holes favoring both lefties and righties
Lots of parking
Garbage bags at holes
Wide mix of holes favoring both lefties and righties
Cons: Stinging nettle wear pants
Some signage is vague be sure to spot your holes before shooting
Paintball course within dgc
Not really to many hole in one oppurtunities
Some signage is vague be sure to spot your holes before shooting
Paintball course within dgc
Not really to many hole in one oppurtunities
Other Thoughts: Overall a nice course in a nice setting traveling from fields to woods to an open pasture to a hill and finishing back in the woods giving you one last chance to lose a disc beware of flying golf balls on 17 but bud pell definitely needs alternate tee pads or different basket locations to give the player the ability to see the basket and possibly making a birdie too many par 4 and the ridiculous hole 2 makes me give bud pell a 3 out of 4
0 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Bud Pell @ Ross Farm
Pros:
*Bud Pell @ Ross Farm in Silverdale, WA is a massive 18 hole disc golf course and incorporates a wide variety of terrain (woods, meadow, farm land) with rolling elevation. Installed in 2011, this course is another fine addition to the collection of courses maintained by the West Sound Disc Golf Association.
*Holes vary in both length and design, requiring a balanced attack with plenty of risk versus reward. Distance for the course totals 7,253 ft, with one Par 5, seven Par 4's, and 13 Par 3's, making Par for the course 63. Holes range from 185'-1022 ft, and often require power and precision.
*Course navigation is made easier w/ use of online map, but the tee signs and the next hole indicators were a nice addition. Chainstar baskets were all in great condition and easy to spot for the most part from the fairway.
*Other ameneities include paintballing, mini golf, and a golf driving range.
Favorite Hole/s:
Hole #3 - 462 ft Par 4 through a tightly wooded, but well defined fairway moving from left to right.
Hole # 16 - 528 ft Par 4 throwing a huge RH hyzer downward over a meadow and in to the woods with a heavly guarded pin.
*Bud Pell @ Ross Farm in Silverdale, WA is a massive 18 hole disc golf course and incorporates a wide variety of terrain (woods, meadow, farm land) with rolling elevation. Installed in 2011, this course is another fine addition to the collection of courses maintained by the West Sound Disc Golf Association.
*Holes vary in both length and design, requiring a balanced attack with plenty of risk versus reward. Distance for the course totals 7,253 ft, with one Par 5, seven Par 4's, and 13 Par 3's, making Par for the course 63. Holes range from 185'-1022 ft, and often require power and precision.
*Course navigation is made easier w/ use of online map, but the tee signs and the next hole indicators were a nice addition. Chainstar baskets were all in great condition and easy to spot for the most part from the fairway.
*Other ameneities include paintballing, mini golf, and a golf driving range.
Favorite Hole/s:
Hole #3 - 462 ft Par 4 through a tightly wooded, but well defined fairway moving from left to right.
Hole # 16 - 528 ft Par 4 throwing a huge RH hyzer downward over a meadow and in to the woods with a heavly guarded pin.
Cons:
*Bud Pell @ Ross Farm suffers a bit due to its ability to retain water, especially on a lot of the front nine, which makes playing this course more difficult during certain times of the year . I played the day after it rained in July and my boots and socks were soaked after playing the first two holes.
*With the tall grass on a lot of the meadow holes, time spent searching for a disc can add up so use a spotter wisely and bright colored discs if you have them. Many of the wooded fairways, especially on some of the Par 4's, could still open up. I found it difficult sometimes to differentiate between the fairway and the rough as they were distinct. Again, this will improve over time and will eventually improve.
*The largest issue and most easily fixable however is the need for cement tee pads. With this course being so long, it is a must! Funds are being put together through the work of the local club through fundraisers and weeklies however.
Least Favorite Hole/s:
Hole # 5 - 564 Par 4 with great potential but still very undeveloped. Felt like two holes put together rather than one continuous beast. Excited to come back to see what this one looks like after more foot traffic.
*Bud Pell @ Ross Farm suffers a bit due to its ability to retain water, especially on a lot of the front nine, which makes playing this course more difficult during certain times of the year . I played the day after it rained in July and my boots and socks were soaked after playing the first two holes.
*With the tall grass on a lot of the meadow holes, time spent searching for a disc can add up so use a spotter wisely and bright colored discs if you have them. Many of the wooded fairways, especially on some of the Par 4's, could still open up. I found it difficult sometimes to differentiate between the fairway and the rough as they were distinct. Again, this will improve over time and will eventually improve.
*The largest issue and most easily fixable however is the need for cement tee pads. With this course being so long, it is a must! Funds are being put together through the work of the local club through fundraisers and weeklies however.
Least Favorite Hole/s:
Hole # 5 - 564 Par 4 with great potential but still very undeveloped. Felt like two holes put together rather than one continuous beast. Excited to come back to see what this one looks like after more foot traffic.
Other Thoughts:
**The West Sound has become a destination area for disc golfers in the state of Washington. With six courses within 15 minutes of one another (including NAD, Dalaiwood, Fairgrounds, Van Zee, Fredericksen, and now Bud Pell), it will appease everyone while challenging even the best. The WSDGA has continued to raise the bar with their dedication and determination. Thank you.
**The West Sound has become a destination area for disc golfers in the state of Washington. With six courses within 15 minutes of one another (including NAD, Dalaiwood, Fairgrounds, Van Zee, Fredericksen, and now Bud Pell), it will appease everyone while challenging even the best. The WSDGA has continued to raise the bar with their dedication and determination. Thank you.
9 of 10 people found this review helpful.
Another Nice Choice For Kitsap County Golfers!
Pros: Excellent variety between long (some really long) bomber holes and shorter, technical throws through beautiful Pacific Northwest forests. The course builders did a wonderful job of designing this masterpiece to keep you guessing? What kind of a hole will I come up against next? A 250 ft. ACE run? Or a 550 ft. uphill tunnel shot requiring two or even three precise shots? The baskets are brand new chainstar models. I completely agree with my esteemed fellow reviewer, Mr. sillybiz, that the baskets could really use a number plate on them. If not a number plate, I would be happy with a bright piece of tape with the basket number written on it with a sharpie. That would have seriously helped us a couple of times today with our navigation. The signs are great, informative ones, mounted on rustic wood branches, so very fitting for this course in the forest. There are rustic wooden benches at each hole also. There is one legitimate par 5, and seven par 4's. When you factor in some extreme length such as the 1022 ft. # 2, super tight/narrow/low ceiling on some of the shorter holes and uphill cranks on a couple of others, I believe these pars to be earned and legit. I found the enjoyment factor to be off the charts on many of these holes and really appreciated the mulitple routes available on # 14 and # 17. Both of these are possible ACE runs giving the right handed player the option of throwing a traditional hyser or a forehand or back handed annnie shot.
Cons: Two major cons jump out at you. The first is the pads. Currently, with the course in it's infancy, some of the pads are uneven, slick, muddy, dirt and too short. A few are better. As soon as I read about improved teepads here, I will bump my rating up to a 4.
The second problem is also major and not so easily solved. The first two holes play across marshy wetlands. They are going to be pretty much unplayable for much of our Northwest winter and spring here. They were awfully wet today in late June. Other than some kind of a redesign with a winter course, I don't have a great answer. It's a crying shame because these are two of the (many) signature holes on this course.
Another con that we found that can be corrected easily enough concerns navigation. We totally played to the wrong basket on # 5. # 5 is the one down the little road to the right. Here is when a number plate or a taped # on the basket could have saved us quite a lot of time. There were no laminated maps in the little box near the # 1 teebox and I couldn't get the on-line version to print. A map would have saved us some time navigating. My next time here, it will be a breeze.
The second problem is also major and not so easily solved. The first two holes play across marshy wetlands. They are going to be pretty much unplayable for much of our Northwest winter and spring here. They were awfully wet today in late June. Other than some kind of a redesign with a winter course, I don't have a great answer. It's a crying shame because these are two of the (many) signature holes on this course.
Another con that we found that can be corrected easily enough concerns navigation. We totally played to the wrong basket on # 5. # 5 is the one down the little road to the right. Here is when a number plate or a taped # on the basket could have saved us quite a lot of time. There were no laminated maps in the little box near the # 1 teebox and I couldn't get the on-line version to print. A map would have saved us some time navigating. My next time here, it will be a breeze.
Other Thoughts: All in all, this is a wonderfully designed, enjoyable, challenging course. My pro partner shot even and wants to come back and shot under. I shot 14 over and enjoyed myself immensely. I, however, have no chance in hell of ever shooting under par on this course. I love the fact that players of all skill levels can come here and compete and enjoy themselves without being totally overwhelmed by it's distance or it's challenge. It does have that Horning's Hideout/Shelton Springs Vibe. Good comparison, sillibiz! The Kitsap peninsula has become quite a disc golf mecca.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Strange name - good course
Pros: The Bud Pell course has some interesting design and a couple of really fun holes. I really like how the par four holes were broken up with some shorter holes in between them with the exception of the first three holes, kind of a brutal way to start a course. The combination of open/long wooded/long wooded/short works really well in this golfers mind and were put to excellent use. I feel like the designer(s) did an amazing job using the wonderful piece of property here and did not waste any of it. This place has a couple of different looks to it and many times I was reminded of courses like Shelton Springs, Horning's Hideout (there were even peacocks!) and a couple of courses on the East Coast that I have played.
I thought hole two was very thought out, I was a bit skeptical as so few par fives in disc golf are ever super good, IMO. This hole is open for the drive but you have to pick a good landing zone on the top of the hill to be able to have a good position on the next shot. The next throw is going through some thick trees on a tight line back into the open field to your third shot (if you're lucky) which will be about a 200 foot wide open approach. It would be nice if this third approach had some sort of obstacle or out of bounds or something challenging your third shot. This is an excellent par five for mortals but my belief is that it will be a tweener for elite professional players.
I thought hole two was very thought out, I was a bit skeptical as so few par fives in disc golf are ever super good, IMO. This hole is open for the drive but you have to pick a good landing zone on the top of the hill to be able to have a good position on the next shot. The next throw is going through some thick trees on a tight line back into the open field to your third shot (if you're lucky) which will be about a 200 foot wide open approach. It would be nice if this third approach had some sort of obstacle or out of bounds or something challenging your third shot. This is an excellent par five for mortals but my belief is that it will be a tweener for elite professional players.
Cons: One of my biggest issues for this course is that fairways are not defined enough. You're not sure where to throw to and sometimes you can land in the middle of stinging nettles and be in the fairway. Obviously this course is new but some brush clearing on the ground would go a long ways to help shape the fairways and aid in navigation as well. Speaking of navigation...
The Chainstar baskets are great baskets but they need to have number plates because you're not sure which is the right basket even with the printed map just having the numbers on the baskets would make it so much easier, I suppose this is where DISCatchers have an advantage. The tee signs help greatly and so does the map but there are still some very confusing sections here and a couple of strange walkouts, going to hole 14 rings a bell.
The grass in the field is mowed slightly in places I'm guessing to try and show the fairway but it is not enough at all. Still there is a ton of looking for discs in this grass and you are throwing in an open field. Also a couple of limbs here and there to clear out somewhat of a ceiling like on hole 18 where there is a very narrow route but they you need the disc to go to the left with a very low ceiling. I would have to play this hole a couple more times but as of now I can't see getting to this hole in one throw unless you are lucky cutting through some branches and bushes. A couple of limbs here and there on this hole and a couple others would go along way.
Teepads!!! This course needs tee pads more than any other course I have ever seen. How am I supposed to throw a 1000 foot hole with a 3 foot long tee pad made out of slippery dirt/mud? If not concrete or fly pads then carpet would work very well. I've seen carpet work in plenty of places and I have no complaints about it.
The Chainstar baskets are great baskets but they need to have number plates because you're not sure which is the right basket even with the printed map just having the numbers on the baskets would make it so much easier, I suppose this is where DISCatchers have an advantage. The tee signs help greatly and so does the map but there are still some very confusing sections here and a couple of strange walkouts, going to hole 14 rings a bell.
The grass in the field is mowed slightly in places I'm guessing to try and show the fairway but it is not enough at all. Still there is a ton of looking for discs in this grass and you are throwing in an open field. Also a couple of limbs here and there to clear out somewhat of a ceiling like on hole 18 where there is a very narrow route but they you need the disc to go to the left with a very low ceiling. I would have to play this hole a couple more times but as of now I can't see getting to this hole in one throw unless you are lucky cutting through some branches and bushes. A couple of limbs here and there on this hole and a couple others would go along way.
Teepads!!! This course needs tee pads more than any other course I have ever seen. How am I supposed to throw a 1000 foot hole with a 3 foot long tee pad made out of slippery dirt/mud? If not concrete or fly pads then carpet would work very well. I've seen carpet work in plenty of places and I have no complaints about it.
Other Thoughts: I feel bad about this review because I feel the potential is there. There are some spectacular holes here already that I feel rivals some of the best courses I have seen but there are enough cons right now and more specifically fun eating cons that I can't rate it any higher now. In the future when I come back and play it in the months and years to come I can only see raising my rating for this course.
This is an interesting place that even has a Golf driving range, Mini Golf, and Paintball to go along with the Disc Golf.
This is an interesting place that even has a Golf driving range, Mini Golf, and Paintball to go along with the Disc Golf.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
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