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Brooktrails reviews
4
2
coyotepower
Experience:
18.7 years
87 played
34 reviews
Just wow. Otherworldly! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 7, 2018
Played the course:once
Pros:
*Disc Golf in Redwoods.
*Beautifully manicured Greens and fairways
*Rewarding shots
*Uphill/Downhill Fun
*Beautiful creek running throughout the course
*hard but not too difficult. Made for a fun day.
*Nobody else on course, just 1 ballgolfer.
*Beautifully manicured Greens and fairways
*Rewarding shots
*Uphill/Downhill Fun
*Beautiful creek running throughout the course
*hard but not too difficult. Made for a fun day.
*Nobody else on course, just 1 ballgolfer.
Cons:
- Pay to play $12.50
but totally worth every penny.
tee boxes are just ok
but totally worth every penny.
tee boxes are just ok
Other Thoughts:
I really loved playing Brooktrails. The redwoods are seriously awesome to play around, even if they are HUGE and almost impossible to see a basket around.
Even if my score wasn't under par, this course was instantly a classic. ill always remember just about every hole here as it was that impactful. Totally worth the detour off the 101.
Girl inside the clubhouse could not have been friendlier. She commented on how they love having the DG course in now because so many people come from all over to play. Really livens up the area. Used to be only locals in there before with the ballgolf.
Agree with the other reviewer who said better than Milo. I will have to agree - for mid August. im sure Milo is better when its not 100 degrees and the grass is dead.
Even if my score wasn't under par, this course was instantly a classic. ill always remember just about every hole here as it was that impactful. Totally worth the detour off the 101.
Girl inside the clubhouse could not have been friendlier. She commented on how they love having the DG course in now because so many people come from all over to play. Really livens up the area. Used to be only locals in there before with the ballgolf.
Agree with the other reviewer who said better than Milo. I will have to agree - for mid August. im sure Milo is better when its not 100 degrees and the grass is dead.
11
0
endermetal
Experience:
10.1 years
40 played
8 reviews
Arguably the Best Course in CA, and My Personal Favorite So Far. A Bucket List Course. 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 10, 2018
Played the course:once
Pros:
Located on a 9-hole golf course in Mendocino county and surrounded by redwoods, I find myself at a loss to describe just how beautiful Brooktrails Golf Course is.
The course makes excellent use of the available elevation, and has a nice mixture of holes where you're either forced to throw a specific shot or allowed much more creativity with multiple lines to the target.
The holes I found most engaging are the ones where a birdie is possible with a limited selection of shots. For example, there is a hole where the only potential birdie lines are a RHBH roller or huge flex forehand--difficult shots to be sure, which makes the opportunity for birdie and converting your putt that much more rewarding.
There's another fantastic downhill hole (14) that has you throwing to a basket situated in a valley 485' below. The only conceivable way to birdie as a rightie was to throw either a flex backhand or take an understable disc on a flat line and have it turnover before fading back to the basket--this was an absolute blast of a shot, and I ended up throwing multiple shots with a smile on my face the entire time.
One of my personal favorite features of the course was the absence of random tiny limbs and leaves sticking out everywhere. The giant sequoias are the obvious objects to avoid and do not have tiny tree limbs. Awesome!
There are several less tangible attributes to the course that enhance the experience: The way the sunlight shines through the redwoods, illuminating the meadows; the sound of the creek babbling in the background; and the damp earth and dewy grass keeping the surrounding air cool. All of these help create an unforgettable experience.
The course makes excellent use of the available elevation, and has a nice mixture of holes where you're either forced to throw a specific shot or allowed much more creativity with multiple lines to the target.
The holes I found most engaging are the ones where a birdie is possible with a limited selection of shots. For example, there is a hole where the only potential birdie lines are a RHBH roller or huge flex forehand--difficult shots to be sure, which makes the opportunity for birdie and converting your putt that much more rewarding.
There's another fantastic downhill hole (14) that has you throwing to a basket situated in a valley 485' below. The only conceivable way to birdie as a rightie was to throw either a flex backhand or take an understable disc on a flat line and have it turnover before fading back to the basket--this was an absolute blast of a shot, and I ended up throwing multiple shots with a smile on my face the entire time.
One of my personal favorite features of the course was the absence of random tiny limbs and leaves sticking out everywhere. The giant sequoias are the obvious objects to avoid and do not have tiny tree limbs. Awesome!
There are several less tangible attributes to the course that enhance the experience: The way the sunlight shines through the redwoods, illuminating the meadows; the sound of the creek babbling in the background; and the damp earth and dewy grass keeping the surrounding air cool. All of these help create an unforgettable experience.
Cons:
The admission price is $12/round. Even though I am listing this as a con, I will not factor this into my overall rating as it's absolutely worth the price, and is more than commensurate to the product being offered. The price may be prohibitive for some, which is why I'm listing this as a con.
The course uses rubber tee pads (10/16/21 UPDATE: Pads have been upgraded to turf, see other thoughts below).
There are large white tee signs next to each pad. These are visible from hundreds of feet away and provide the hole number and distance. Ideally, they would have the infographic type tee signs which display more information, but the white signs were sufficient and didn't hinder our experience or cause confusion with course navigation.
The course uses rubber tee pads (10/16/21 UPDATE: Pads have been upgraded to turf, see other thoughts below).
There are large white tee signs next to each pad. These are visible from hundreds of feet away and provide the hole number and distance. Ideally, they would have the infographic type tee signs which display more information, but the white signs were sufficient and didn't hinder our experience or cause confusion with course navigation.
Other Thoughts:
My buddy and I arrived on a Friday morning and we encountered a seniors ball golf group that plays every Monday and Friday mornings. The disc golf course shares many areas with the ball golf course, but several holes do not play directly on it. The ball golfers were nice enough about letting us play through.
It seems there's a dress code, but I'm uncertain if it applies to disc golfers. One of the ball golfers gave my buddy a dirty look as we passed him, ostensibly because my friend was wearing a sleeveless shirt. The people in the pro shop didn't mention anything to us about a dress code; I only noticed they had a dress code as it was printed on a sign near the first hole.
I believe there was only one hole (4) with a mando. While this was an entirely artificial mando as it did not affect players' safety, it actually enhanced the hole by forcing you to throw a super fun touch flick with a putter. Some people might dislike it, but I personally thought it was fun to hit the gap between the sequoias.
My friend and I took a disc golf road trip from San Diego to Portland and played DeLaVeaga, Brooktrails, Riverbend DGC at Milo McIver State Park, and ended with Sylmar. I expected Milo to be my favorite, but Brooktrails ended up beating it. Unfortunately, the grass was dead at Milo and it was very humid, so I think this affected my experience there.
Any of the cons I listed are mostly superficial. In my opinion, this is likely the best course in CA, and should be a disc golf destination for anyone traveling to northern CA. Highly recommended for all experience levels.
10/16/21 UPDATE: After playing some excellent California courses recently and noticing Brooktrails has upgraded their teepads, I've decided to raise my rating to a 5. I've always vacillated between a 4.5 and 5 rating for Brooktrails, but couldn't justify a 5 because of not just the substandard signage but more importantly the rubber tee pads. With this recent upgrade to turf pads, I'm confident this course is absolutely deserving of a 5. It is seriously that impressive and I cannot fathom a course more beautiful and amazing than Brooktrails. Go play it already!
It seems there's a dress code, but I'm uncertain if it applies to disc golfers. One of the ball golfers gave my buddy a dirty look as we passed him, ostensibly because my friend was wearing a sleeveless shirt. The people in the pro shop didn't mention anything to us about a dress code; I only noticed they had a dress code as it was printed on a sign near the first hole.
I believe there was only one hole (4) with a mando. While this was an entirely artificial mando as it did not affect players' safety, it actually enhanced the hole by forcing you to throw a super fun touch flick with a putter. Some people might dislike it, but I personally thought it was fun to hit the gap between the sequoias.
My friend and I took a disc golf road trip from San Diego to Portland and played DeLaVeaga, Brooktrails, Riverbend DGC at Milo McIver State Park, and ended with Sylmar. I expected Milo to be my favorite, but Brooktrails ended up beating it. Unfortunately, the grass was dead at Milo and it was very humid, so I think this affected my experience there.
Any of the cons I listed are mostly superficial. In my opinion, this is likely the best course in CA, and should be a disc golf destination for anyone traveling to northern CA. Highly recommended for all experience levels.
10/16/21 UPDATE: After playing some excellent California courses recently and noticing Brooktrails has upgraded their teepads, I've decided to raise my rating to a 5. I've always vacillated between a 4.5 and 5 rating for Brooktrails, but couldn't justify a 5 because of not just the substandard signage but more importantly the rubber tee pads. With this recent upgrade to turf pads, I'm confident this course is absolutely deserving of a 5. It is seriously that impressive and I cannot fathom a course more beautiful and amazing than Brooktrails. Go play it already!
12
0
What an experience! 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 11, 2015
Played the course:once
Pros:
- a very unique disc golf experience
- plays through mature redwood forest to make forest some incredible scenic shots and views
- plays along with a 9 hole ball golf course which works much better than I expected, the only ball golfer I encountered was quite nice
- technical shots around and through redwoods and using the ball greens and OB
- variety of medium to huge distances, I would think once everything is permanent there would be at least one or two par 4s
- manicured course that seems like it would be nearly impossible to lose a disc on
- clubhouse with helpful staff, drinks, snacks
- great brand new bright red baskets
- great flat rubber tee pads that appear to be in the process of an upgrade to concrete
- plays through mature redwood forest to make forest some incredible scenic shots and views
- plays along with a 9 hole ball golf course which works much better than I expected, the only ball golfer I encountered was quite nice
- technical shots around and through redwoods and using the ball greens and OB
- variety of medium to huge distances, I would think once everything is permanent there would be at least one or two par 4s
- manicured course that seems like it would be nearly impossible to lose a disc on
- clubhouse with helpful staff, drinks, snacks
- great brand new bright red baskets
- great flat rubber tee pads that appear to be in the process of an upgrade to concrete
Cons:
- the course is clearing being improved but as of right now it could use some better tee signs and some better navigation signs
- I could see how the course layout could lead to some injury but the staff does seem to try to educate everyone
- I could see how the course layout could lead to some injury but the staff does seem to try to educate everyone
Other Thoughts:
This was a very unique experience and I can't wait to come back next year especially if all the improvements will be finished. I would recommend this course to any disc golf fanatic.
