Vail, CO

Adventure Ridge

3.235(based on 11 reviews)
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1 3
jimjohnmarks
Experience: 12 played 11 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Save your money 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

I genuinely can't think of any.

I was all set to ream previous bad reviews but what seem like petty complaints really aren't.

Cons:

The locals will steal your disc if you lose it. Worse, they'll call you to say they found it and then blow you off until you leave just to rub in the whole locals hate tourists thing. If you call them on their poor behavior they pull some stupid "good riddance, we don't need your kind here" nonsense. I'd post the jerk's number but I don't want this review pulled cause folks need to know.

The tee areas are horrible. Truly. I play public municipal park courses in a huge cash strapped city and they have better tee areas than this pay-to-play WASPville course has.

Despite obvious and known technology to make real baskets both permanently mounted and easily removable at the base, this course uses practice baskets held down by rocks. They're also very old and the chains are very stiff.

The $26 for the lift is fine, except they shut it down in bad weather - meaning you can get stranded at the top, or be at the bottom, have paid, and can't get up to play.

Other Thoughts:

If this was a free course in some public park I'd give it four or five stars. But at $26 a day to put up with plastic tourists and hostile locals, it is a one. tic place with so little to offer is a huge shock to me. Don't bother. In fact, skip Vail altogether. Way cheaper way more fun places abound in CO. I can't imagine anything inducing me to return here ever again. That people rich enough to vacation anywhere on earth opt to come to such a place truly shocks me.
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5 0
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 125 played 116 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Tale of Two Courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good use of the available land an obstacles to create some fun holes. The course features a good variety of holes. There are wooded tunnel shots, some more wide open shots and the holes never feel repetitive.
-Baskets are in good shape and catch well, even though they are only single-chained.
-The front nine is very easy to navigate.
-Hole 14 is a straight down shot down a really steep ski hill, and is a lot of fun to play. (With that said I'm glad there is only one hole like that or the course would have been a little repetitive).
-Several baskets are placed on side-hills, which could lead to roll-aways and leads to rewarding precise approach shots and putts.
-Front 9 is pretty beginner friendly and has several ace runs for more advanced players.
-Back nine is a little longer and little more heavily wooded.
-The course has a great amount of elevation change, as you would expect from a ski resort course.
-For a ski resort course, this was a pretty well groomed course. There wasn't a little of tall grass on the course.

Cons:

-Each hole is only marked with the hole number and there is no layout of the hole (which would be nice, since you can't always see the basket from the tee-pad) or distance on the tee-sign.
-While the back nine does get a little longer, none of the holes on this course are super long, especially when you take into account the elevation changes. I only pulled out a driver on 3 or 4 holes.
-One concrete tee-pad, and the rest were dirt and badly rutted, with tree roots or rocks in them.
-There is a very long walk between the front nine and the back nine. If you don't have map or are following some who has played the course before, it can be really hard to find the back nine as there are no signs pointing to the back nine. It is also a long walk up-hill to get to the back nine. Make sure you pick up a map at the Adventure Ridge info center, before you start the course.
-$26 for a lift ticket to get up to the course.
-There is a bit of a walk back back to the Gondola from hole 18, but it is mostly downhill so it's not terrible, but worth mentioning.
-There are a lot of hikers on some of the holes (especially hole 18, which has a trail heading straight down the middle of the hole). Make sure to watch out for any hikers in the area before you throw.
-If you go on a weekend during the day, you will most likely have to wait in line to ride the Gondola up to the course.

Other Thoughts:

Solid course, but it is not worth the $26 lift ticket.
This course feels like to distinct courses. The front nine is a littler shorter and more open, while the back nine gets a little more wooded and a little longer. Your Vail lift ticket also works at Beaver Creek on the same day it was purchased, so playing both the Vail and Beaver Creek courses in the same day makes the price a little more bearable.
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3 1
caitlinmcnany
Experience: 12.8 years 13 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 1, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Course has been improved since last year! Scores are much more indicative of skill rather than sheer luck.
- Good variety of shots needed during play.
- Good variety of elevation change from the box to the basket in many of the holes.
- There is a shop that sells (fairly) reasonably priced discs and rents out discs, as well.
- There are clean restrooms on the premises.
- There are a couple of different food/restaurant options.
- Employees of Vail Resorts are friendly and occasionally knowledgeable about the course. At the very least, there is a small information desk just after you exit the gondola where there are printed maps and scorecards.
- Instead of merely disc-golfing, you will also be exercising in the form of a moderately challenging hike, as well!
- Some very memorable holes. It's not often you can say that you drove off of a box that was a few hundred feet above the basket. Hey- Skiers measure vertical gain, why shouldn't disc golfers!?
- All of the perks of playing on top of a mountain in Colorado:
*fantastic scenery
*comfortable temperature (even in the middle of summer!)
*lots of beautiful wildflowers and wide array of wildlife
*challenging terrain and variable playing conditions

Cons:

- Basket conditions are iffy. Some baskets are in great shape, others not-so-much.
- Tee pads vary from concrete, mulch, dirt or gravel boxes to indiscriminate patches of worn earth. They are occasionally treacherous and some are completely undefined.
- Tee signs are present, however, not necessarily easy to find. You will find yourself walking off the box and up the fairway to spot the basket if you are not familiar with the course.
- The maps also leave a lot to be desired. Hole 10 is about a 8-minute (uphill) hike from hole 9 without any clear indication of where to go.
- The flow of the course is okay but there are a few instances during the front 9 where you are throwing directly at the fairway of the next hole. This can be especially dangerous in the windy conditions present if other players aren't cautious and aware.
- There are many inexperienced players on the course. This is due to disc-rental system and Vail being a large tourist attraction. (I have not personally noticed this to be a problem during my experiences on the course but I could see it being problematic.)
- The course is fairly well-maintained (for an alpine forest) and the holes utilize the ski runs well, however, there are a lot of dangerous conditions that exist during the course of play. There is one basket that is nestled in an open area of felled trees and many holes are on steep slants, making solid footing nearly impossible. The taller brush that dominates the fairways can make finding discs difficult and it is not always possible to spot where your driver lands.

Other Thoughts:

All-in-all a great mountain course. Coming from a local female disc-golfer, I would consider this a pleasantly challenging place of play and worth the price of admission. Some advice:
- Wear proper gear! (long socks, hiking shoes, light jacket in case of cold wind or rain, sunglasses, etc.)
- Wear sunscreen!
- Label all discs with contact info and try to spot the landing of all discs thrown in your group.
- Keep downhill throws VERY low and modest. The strong updrafts and crosswinds can do some incredibly weird things to your disc. I've seen it. I know.
- Don't be too focused on your scores. Look around and really appreciate the scenery and wildlife.
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1 1
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 29, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good variety of shots, lots of elevation change, lots of obstacle to play around. Most shots are between 250 and 350 so its a pretty good distance for most players.

Cons:

-most tee pads are pretty bad, rutted dirt pads
-the back 9 is about a 5 minute walk from hole 9
-its $26 to ride the lift up
-could use some better signage between holes
-some tees its even hard to tell which direction your shooting.

Other Thoughts:

Decent course but could use some changes.
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1 1
xXiiConXx
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good. Lord. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Awesome views
-Vail is such a great town
-Tons of elevation changes
-Lots of trees in some areas but nicely cleared fairways for long shots
-Friendly place, good atmosphere people are friendly on and off course

Cons:

-Seasonal (mountains in colorado you're gonna get some snow)
-some of the holes are down the side of a ski run and if you over shoot the hole you can get stuck in some really thick wooded areas.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I liked the course. It's a workout to play on its lots of hiking up and down. Most of the holes are on ski slopes so the elevation changes dramatically. Its a fun place to visit and if you're there I would stop by the course and play but I wouldn't really recommend going out of your way to play their
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1 1
Zack163
Experience: 13 played
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 30, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

fun course, challenging

Cons:

Basket numbers dont match up. course can be confusing.

Other Thoughts:

Considering Adventure Ridge has a full time paid staff you would think they would have put some time and effort into setting up the course. similar to Beaver Creek. Still a great course though.
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4 3
Thome9
Experience: 16.9 years 14 played
2.00 star(s)

Good scenery,but.... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Scenery is awesome
thats about it

Cons:

*Horrible tee pads-dirt or wierd rubbery pads
*Hard to navigate for 1st timers, maps arent that accurate
*Signs are bad, no distance, pin position
*Portable baskets(discatchers I believe)
*Terrain hasn't been cleared or anything(no fairways)

Other Thoughts:

I don't think scenery makes a disc course good. Of course the gondola ride and the views were amazing, but I don't feel that it plays into how good the course is. If this was in the Midwest nobody would play it.
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2 0
kjk3410
Experience: 14.8 years 44 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

outstanding scenery 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Scenery! This course is at the top of a mountain, (elevation approx 10,000-10,500 feet). Accordingly, many of the shots involve significant elevation changes, though nothing as drastic as hole #1 at Conifer Park.

There is a decent amount of variety from hole to hole. Some blind shots. Trees come into play on several holes as well.

Cons:

Teepads are terrible. Some sort of slippery rubber placed on top of uneven earth is far from ideal. These make it tough to put much momentum into tee shots, as I was more worried about slipping (some pads were damp) or rolling an ankle. One or two tee pads were facing the wrong direction.

Signs were hard to find as well. You will definitely need a map, though the map posted at this site is inaccurate for some of the back 9. Signs are a short stump in the ground (see picture)

Other Thoughts:

Aside from the tee pads, this course was a blast to play. The elevation changes from hole to hole make for tough walking for those out of shape.

Adventure ridge is an area full of hiking and biking trails, so there are times when we had to wait for others to pass.

The views alone make this course a "must play" if you are in the area. Scenery here is far superior to the course in Frisco and in Conifer
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2 0
souljacker
Experience: 22.6 years 46 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Course/ Amazing Views 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2001 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course has some great views! I mean you are on top of a mountain, so what else would expect.

Thin air gives good distance. Very unique and fun set up.

The views, the fresh air, playing on a mountain!!!

Cons:

The fact that its seasonal and you have to ride the gondola up kind of suck, but that doesn't take away from the course itself. It is a pretty tough course. There are lots of steep terrain, but I wouldn't say it is dangerous in anyway.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course, but I played a heck of a bad game here!! Dont let any of the negative aspects scare you away, its one you will talk about for a long time!
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5 3
ponto11
Experience: 31.8 years 26 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Incredible scenery 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2007 Played the course:once

Pros:

Truly a great mountain course. A lot of up and down and side hill shots. There are some holes that are absolute downhill blasts on some of the ski runs. Views are absolutely breath-taking.

Cons:

The course is on the ski hill at Vail so obviously, it's a seasonal course. Tee pads are temporary for the disc season and therefore, not overly done, even for a natural pad.

Other Thoughts:

Ride the gondola up, enjoy a burger and a beer at the top restaurant, and enjoy all that the rockies have to offer.
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9 3
agentdave
Experience: 9 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

WOW!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 13, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

The views are breath taking. Coming from not much above see level, this was a great experience. Playing disc golf on the side of a mountain. Very challenging, and of course huge elevation changes. I was afraid of falling on one of the hills because if I fell I would not stop rolling for a mile. Amazing course. Amazing ride ot the top of the mountain.

Cons:

Death should never be an issue on a disc golf course. :)

Other Thoughts:

If you are not used to the elevation, you may want to get used to it for a day before pushing yourself through this course. Most importantly, your disc's will not fly the same up here as they do in...say...Illinois. The thin air makes a beginner out of anyone. Discs that I throw left were going right. My forearm throws are never as good as my backhand except up there. It's all new. :)
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