Moraine vs. Deer Lakes (Which is Better?)

[toddnick]

My favorite two courses that I've played (I live in Buffalo, NY)....and I've played Maple Hill, Renny Gold, Brewster Ridge among others...I'm a rec player, play from the whites, but appreciate course design...I'm headed down for one of my twice a year trips to Pittsburgh to play both this weekend...

So, much debate exists over which course in Pittsburgh is better...what do you think?

I'm going to try it hole by hole....

Hole #1 - For me, this is easy, Deer Lakes...really good uphill wooded hole..Moraine has an OK opening hole...

Hole #2 - This is tough, I like both holes but don't love either...at Deer Lakes a very unique par 3, down and back up, very cool and different...at Moraine, a nice wooded uphill hole...i call this one a draw...

Hole #3 - This is really easy...Deer Lakes has a classic par 5...a truly memorable and beautiful long tunnel hole...and at Moraine, one of their weaker holes, a par 3 with the only interesting feature being a kind of small OB right before the green...

Hole #4 - This is an easy win for Moraine...nice tee shot into a wooded par 4...at Deer Lakes you have one of their weaker par 3's...

Hole #5 - I happen to love this hole at Deer Lakes, a short, downhill finesse shot through a maze of trees...and Moraine has one of their weakest par 3...give it to Deer Lakes...

Hole #6 - I really like #6 at Deer Lakes, nice wooded dogleg par 4...but this has to go to Moraine...this is one of their two signature holes, and one of the most challenging and interesting par 5's in disc golf...

Hole #7 - somewhat similar in nature...downhill par 3's...both are nice...but I like Deer Lakes better...perhaps I am biased because I don't have the big arm to go over all the trees at Moraine...

Hole#8 - Another easy one...Moraine wins...interesting par 4 with a demanding tee shot to a narrow gap for your second...and perhaps the weakest hole at Deer Lakes...

Hole #9 - Got to be Deer Lakes...love this par 5...bomb a tee shot into a field to give you an upshot through the woods to a very interesting green and tough pin...Moraine is an OK par 3...

Hole #10 - I'll call this one a draw...both are par 4's...and somewhat demanding...Deer Lakes is tougher as you tee off steeply uphill...both I'd rate them overall equal...

Hole #11 - I think that this is easy as well...Moraine has a tough shot especially if the pin is on top, but I just don't see it as that interesting...I find #11 at Deer Lakes to be fantastic...a somewhat blind shot into interesting hills in the woods and another dicey pin...

Hole #12 - Definitely Moraine, great par 4 from open to woods, very challenging and beautiful...at Deer Lakes, an uphill and mostly open par 3, just OK...

Hole #13 - This is Deer Lakes for me, although both holes are really good...really nice wooded par 4 at DL with ups and downs and gaps to find...at Moraine a tight tunnel par 3 uphill...as I said, I prefer Deer Lakes...

Hole #14 - This is a bit of a tough one, but not really...Moraine has a tricky par 4 with los of challenge and shot selection...but Deer Lakes has another magnificent par 5 in the woods, some might say that it is a bit poke and hope, but I love this hole...this is true woods golf...I'm all about Deer Lakes on this one...

Hole#15 - Signature holes at both courses...one an amazing par 3 and the other an amazing par 4...but I have to go with Moraine on this one...one of the most beautiful and recognizable tee shots in disc golf...

Hole#16 - again, two really good holes...but the par 5 at Moraine is more epic and memorable...a shorter par 5 with an incredible degree of difficulty...at Deer Lakes a very nice uphill par 4...this goes to Moraine...

Hole#17 - Two par 3's...boy, I'd like to say that I like Deer Lakes better, but I think that I have to make this one another tie...both are good but not great..

Hole #18 - Again, both are great holes, one open (Deer Lakes) and one in the woods (Moraine)...but I think Moraine is the more beautiful and memorable finishing hole...

So I score it....Deer Lakes 8, Moraine 7, and three ties...which is actually the impression I get playing them...slightly prefer Deer Lakes...

I'm sure my views aren't everyone's...let the debate rage on...

 

[ru4por]

These are two terrific courses. Made a trip out that way to play last summer. Shout out to Seven Springs as a home base. Nice ski resort with very nice disc golf road trip amenities. I liked Deer Lakes better. I am not going to review the courses. Deer Lakes had a better vibe, I thought it was more scenic and held my attention better. Both courses were brutal on two days of near 100 degree heat and crazy humidity. You cannot go wrong playing both!!

 

[paulw]

Idlewild.

(I kid . . . I've played them both several times over the years and while they're both world class I'm a Deer Lakes guy. Why? Meh -- just seems more fun although the last time I played Deer Lakes there was one basket that was just a wall of mud . . . .13? It wasn't playable but hey -- weather happens.)

 

[tbird888]

I refuse to choose.

 

[Future_Primitive]

Cant want to do extensive research on this topic come June.

 

[discNDav]

I like Deer Lakes slightly better, both are world class. North Boundary is next on my list for that area, too bad I might not play it until this October, it's 5+ hours from me.

 

[armiller]

I love both. I will say one of the things that makes me favor Moraine just a tad is the feeling that the whole round is in the forest. The wild just feels a little more unadulterated. Deer Lakes is quite similar, but the encounters with picnic tables, parking lots, and the pavilion detract slightly from the "disc golf in the wild" experience.

Both are in the top 20, and could probably be top 10.

 

[armiller]

And I do like your hole-by-hole head-to-head. Without allowing ties, here they are for me:
1) Deer Lakes
2) Moraine
3) Deer Lakes
4) Moraine
5) Deer Lakes
6) Moraine
7) Moraine for me (Jerm's aptly named "little big hyzer" is a challenging but fun shot)
8) Moraine
9) Deer Lakes (though tempted to go Moraine just because it's such a difficult par 3 and my Moraine nemesis)
10) Moraine
11) Deer Lakes
12) Moraine
13) Deer Lakes
14) Deer Lakes (but agree that one's tough)
15) Deer Lakes (I'm surprising myself here! Moraine wins the beauty factor, but I like the downhill tunnel water shot over the downhill monster distance hyzer into the green -- but both great holes)
16) Moraine
17) Moraine (just because of the initial gap, but bother are relatively weak in the scheme of these 36 holes)
18) Moraine

Notice I'm favoring the par 4s & 5s in general. I think that's where disc golf is heading. In summary, Deer Lakes 10, Moraine 8. Doing this just reminds me how much I love both, but especially the no-frills Moraine. Solid golf that varies more than the aesthetics, terrain, and lack of water would imply, and in one of the most beautiful places I've ever played disc golf.

Now when I have some minutes to waste, I'll come back and rank all 36 hole by hole, or at least par 3s, 4s, and 5s. Fall seems to be the best time to play, but I'm looking forward to Spring!

 

[BryanBowman]

don't miss 2 mile run extension or linbrook, two top 10 9-holes...they are not short or easy by any means...very nice courses....

and wait till you play North Boundary....whoo boy is it crazy

 

[fishballer06]

It's funny to see you bring this up. There's a big debate going on the Pittsburgh Facebook group right now over which is the local king. Both are certainly amazing courses that anyone who is passing through the area needs to check out.

 

[toddnick]

Pittsburgh Agenda

Here is my plan for this week-end...

Thursday: arrive at Moraine Cabin from Buffalo, NY about 8PM

Friday: Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Moraine

Saturday: Golf North Boundary, Golf Two Mile, Golf Big Beaver

Sunday: Golf Moraine, drive home from Moraine Cabin

 

[Future_Primitive]

Here is my plan for this week-end...

Thursday: arrive at Moraine Cabin from Buffalo, NY about 8PM

Friday: Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Moraine

Saturday: Golf North Boundary, Golf Two Mile, Golf Big Beaver

Sunday: Golf Moraine, drive home from Moraine Cabin

Hope you got some young legs on you for this ambitious plan. Having only played Deer Lakes once a while back I look forward to your feedback on the courses. Planning a June trip to Pittsburgh myself so the more info the better. Good luck! :thmbup:

 

[jeremyhilss]

Now I will say I've played Deer about 5 times and Moraine only once but still... Deer Lakes is my no.1 favorite course of all time so far.

 

[joshmo65]

Here is my plan for this week-end...

Thursday: arrive at Moraine Cabin from Buffalo, NY about 8PM

Friday: Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Moraine

Saturday: Golf North Boundary, Golf Two Mile, Golf Big Beaver

Sunday: Golf Moraine, drive home from Moraine Cabin

I know it isn't the most optimal for driving, but I would switch NoBo Saturday and Moraine Sunday. The elevation at North Boundary is insane and I don't see any way that you would be able to do another 9 holes, let alone 27. I would definitely suggest playing NoBo as a 1 round day.

 

[toddnick]

North Boundary

I actually played North Boundary with J. Gary in November; yes it is a lot of elevation. But I have done Deer Lakes, Deer Lakes, Moraine days several times (54 holes). I hike a few weeks a year in the Rockies, so not a problem.

I should be able to do North Boundary (the hard part will be navigating the course if tee signs are not up yet) and then Two Mile (9 holes) and Big Beaver (currently 12 holes).

 

[Mark R]

I've played 100 courses in eight states and one province, and I put Deer Lakes and Moraine at #1 and #2. Holes at Deer Lakes like #3 (perhaps the best I've seen in all of disc golf), Hole #7, #9, #12, #14 and #15 are simply out of reach from the competition.

 

[joshmo65]

I actually played North Boundary with J. Gary in November; yes it is a lot of elevation. But I have done Deer Lakes, Deer Lakes, Moraine days several times (54 holes). I hike a few weeks a year in the Rockies, so not a problem.

I should be able to do North Boundary (the hard part will be navigating the course if tee signs are not up yet) and then Two Mile (9 holes) and Big Beaver (currently 12 holes).

Nice. I actually may think DL x2 + Moraine may be easier than NoBo x1, but as long as you know what you are getting into, you are good. The map here is good. A couple of holes have changed slightly since that map, but not enough that you wouldn't be able to find the holes. Haven't played Big Beaver yet.

 

[tbonesocrul]

Haven't had a chance to play North Boundary or Moraine yet. Deer Lakes is currently my #1 course though. Can't wait to play them later this summer

 

[HarkeyPuck]

Cant want to do extensive research on this topic come June.

Let me know and I'll show you around

 

[HarkeyPuck]

Here is my plan for this week-end...

Thursday: arrive at Moraine Cabin from Buffalo, NY about 8PM

Friday: Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Deer Lakes, Golf Moraine

Saturday: Golf North Boundary, Golf Two Mile, Golf Big Beaver

Sunday: Golf Moraine, drive home from Moraine Cabin

Ambitious indeed. NoBo is an A$$ Kicker. A fun one though.