Planning a 10 day Discation, summer '14

[jmadersky]

I am planning a 10 day Disc Golf Vacation (Discation) this summer. I am looking to hit the best New England (and surrounding areas) has to offer. Does anyone have two or three locations that are "must sees" in the NE, NY, PA region. Ideally I would like no wasted rounds (everyday ho-hum courses need not apply) and I would like to play 2 rounds per course (hopefully 2 courses per day).

I am turning 30 and want to do something different for the occasion. I am also willing to go to another part of the country, but I have not come across a resource that highlights the best/must see courses in a specific region.

If anyone has thoughts to help make my Northeast adventure a success, please help. If you can convince me to move my adventure to another part of the country, lunch is on me for the week

 

[DavidSauls]

5 of the 24 highest-rated courses are in those states. I haven't played any of them but, if it were me, I'd put pins in the map for them, and fill in from there.

Other than seeing another part of the country, I don't see why you'd add thousands of miles of travel before you've covered the highlights closer to home. Plus, you may find some of the better destinations a bit warm in the summer.

.....but if you had to, you might travel down the Appalachians, hitting the best courses among them and enjoying the drive, and the cool summer weather.

 

[HeavyCritters]

5 of the 24 highest-rated courses are in those states. I haven't played any of them but, if it were me, I'd put pins in the map for them, and fill in from there.

Other than seeing another part of the country, I don't see why you'd add thousands of miles of travel before you've covered the highlights closer to home. Plus, you may find some of the better destinations a bit warm in the summer.

.....but if you had to, you might travel down the Appalachians, hitting the best courses among them and enjoying the drive, and the cool summer weather.

You wanna know why I hate David Sauls?

Because he's almost always right.

Take his advice. If you do decide to venture out, please consider the greater Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Lots of GREAT courses.

 

[ACE Ventura]

Great advice given... pick the top courses around and fill in! 40 rounds in 10 days including travel... that's a true discation! Come to Michigan and I will travel with you and show you some of my nearby courses... many I haven't been to either. Maybe that can be my summer of 2014 goal

 

[reposado]

well, assuming that your courses played is accurate, maybe something like this. all top 180 ranked (and one that should be/will be)

1 brakewell steel/hyzer creek NY

2 tyler/nockamixon PA

3 iron hill DE/potapscamon MD

4 deer lakes/moraine PA

5 black diamond/ parma NY

6 joralemon NY/ base camp VT

7 smugglers notch/black falls VT

8 Sebattus Eagle/Falcon ME

9 Dragan/Porcupine Ridge ME

10 Maple Hill/Pyramids/Borderlands MA

you could also modify, not dip into md/de or eliminate western pa/ny and spend more time in maine/ sw connecticut. that would cut down travel quite a bit

 

[DavidSauls]

On the other hand, if you want to rationalize taking a long road trip, you could say you're saving the close-to-home courses for later, shorter trips, and head west to Michigan, or past Lake Michigan to Wisconsin/Minnesota, where there are a lot of must-see courses. Or drive a day south and spend 8 days in the Charlotte/Augusta corridor, playing fine courses and testing your heat tolerance.

 

[Qikly]

Funnily enough, my brother and I are going to be hitting the same area ourselves. We've got a few possibilities laid out, but here's the boldest.

I fly into the Cleveland area, we play a few courses there (Portage Lakes, Arboritum Spiker), then head out to Michigan, hit 2-3 courses along the way and spend a day at Flip City. Coming back, we'd pass through West Virginia, hitting the Woodshed/Whipping Post, eastward to Iron Hill and Brandywine, and then up into the Philly area to play Tyler, Nockamixon, etc etc. We've figured we can do all that in 5-6 days if we want to be crazy about it.

I've already hit a lot in the western PA/WV area. Moraine is a must play - Deer Lakes is great too, but if you're strapped for time I'd actually recommend doing Moraine/Linbrook/Knob Hill in a single day, personally. If you have time for Deer Lakes you should definitely visit - I just think it's a tad overrated compared to the bevy of sweet courses in the area. The other must-visit destination in the region is Fairmont, WV for Seth Burton/Orange Crush - SB is a very solid course that plays through copses of trees and has tons of interesting elevation, and OC is an absolute beast of a wooded course. My rounds at OC have been some of the funnest and most memorable I've ever had; I can't recommend it enough.

Enjoy! Maybe we'll cross paths.

 

[CaptainAnhyzer]

Hyzer Creek and Joralemon can be easily played in the same day.
About 90 min apart.
Then head northeast for some epic VT golf....... Center Chains & Black Falls.
East to Maine(never played but heard great things)
Then south thru Mass, hitting Maple Hill & Borderland.

 

[jmadersky]

Thank you all!
I will start working on a game plan in the next few days.

 

[optidiscic]

when are the dates fir this?

 

[TOURNEYPLAYER]

I would skip Hyzer Creek

 

[adlacro]

I had to peruse your page to see what you've already played. My guess is you live around Hartford, so a lot of New England is reachable in a few hours. I definitely suggest you make the pilgrimage to Maple Hill and Pyramids, as that is maybe an hour's drive or slightly more. Borderland is a great course and so is Dacey Fields, and those two are separated by a mere 25 minutes, and that's less than an hour from Maple Hill. Have you tried West Thompson? That is right up in the NE corner of CT and is less than 30 mins. from Worcester. The first half of that course is a little short but it opens up with a few holes near the lake for an added OB challenge.

If you're going to eastern PA I would suggest Nockamixon, Tyler State Park, Jordan Creek, Little Lehigh and Sellersville. If you want to venture out towards Harrisburg/Lancaster, Roland Park, South Hills, and Pinchot State Park-Quaker's Challenge are also awesome must plays.

Hope this helps!
Andrew

 

[optidiscic]

when?

 

[Hector Chain]

I have played nearly 100 courses and Maple Hill is the best of any of them. As far as New England, I would plan your surrounding days around that course since it is more "must play" than any other. Pyramids is two blocks away and is perhaps the 2nd best course in the state, so hit those two.

Devens now has two courses on site and is maybe 40 minutes away on your way to/from either New Hampshire or Maine. The original course ("The Hill") is absolutely a must play, just an awesome mix of elevation and woods. I haven't played the new course there yet.

There are a lot of really good courses in central MA, but I would plan around those. I have taken some long road trips, so I know how annoying it can be when people say "You've got to play [insert course rated 3.75 that is likely very good but not worth your limited time]." Play the legendary courses and move on.

 

[optidiscic]

agreed about devens n maple hill for Mass

 

[davistd0]

well, assuming that your courses played is accurate, maybe something like this. all top 180 ranked (and one that should be/will be)

1 brakewell steel/hyzer creek NY

2 tyler/nockamixon PA

3 iron hill DE/potapscamon MD

4 deer lakes/moraine PA

5 black diamond/ parma NY

6 joralemon NY/ base camp VT

7 smugglers notch/black falls VT

8 Sebattus Eagle/Falcon ME

9 Dragan/Porcupine Ridge ME

10 Maple Hill/Pyramids/Borderlands MA

you could also modify, not dip into md/de or eliminate western pa/ny and spend more time in maine/ sw connecticut. that would cut down travel quite a bit

I have played 5 of these beauties, and you would not be disappointed.

Borderlands is a blast to play but the crowds really slow down the pace. No matter which courses you pick, Maple Hill should be on the list. The Smuggs/Black Falls combo is more than worth the drive to northern VT.

 

[Mando]

I am planning a 10 day Disc Golf Vacation (Discation) this summer. I am looking to hit the best New England (and surrounding areas) has to offer. Does anyone have two or three locations that are "must sees" in the NE, NY, PA region. Ideally I would like no wasted rounds (everyday ho-hum courses need not apply) and I would like to play 2 rounds per course (hopefully 2 courses per day).

I am turning 30 and want to do something different for the occasion. I am also willing to go to another part of the country, but I have not come across a resource that highlights the best/must see courses in a specific region.

If anyone has thoughts to help make my Northeast adventure a success, please help. If you can convince me to move my adventure to another part of the country, lunch is on me for the week [/QUOTE
I made a PA/NY/NE trip a couple of years ago and the best/must see imo were; 1) Black Falls/Cherry Hill
2)Joralemon
3)Brakewell/Wolfe woods
Base camp @ killington was also great fun.
I also played Tyler/Nocky/iron Hill previously and they are among my favs. Have not played Maple Hill/Borderland/Devens, but they all look like a no-brainers.
There is nothing in the Appalachians that holds a candle to the NE.

 

[optidiscic]

id base the trip around hubs
play a bunch in each hub drive to next hub sleep and wake up and play all day at the next hub
i can think of 5-10 great hubs in the northeast

 

[discNDav]

Hyland Orchard & Brewery is a worthy course near (< 1/2 hr) Maple Hill. Check their hours though, weekends only?

 

[roadtrip]

I'd recommend trying to find a weekly club event. A singles or random draw dubs type of thing. It can be very helpful navigating a course with locals, and a lot of times you might get tips on the surrounding courses beyond what you can find on this site (like which might be undergoing maintenance, which might be crowded at certain times, which are close to a good bar, etc.). It definitely takes longer playing with a huge group though, and they often start at 10:00 a.m. or 5:00 p.m. In the past I've tried playing a shorter fun course at sunrise, then a club event at 10:00 a.m.

Enjoy, I'm definitely jealous.