Hagerstown, MD

Ditto Farms DGC

4.015(based on 35 reviews)
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10 0
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.1 years 117 played 81 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Ditto.

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ DISCatchers catching well / concrete tees / 4 layouts / free to play / restroom on-site / course map available on-site & tee signage is about as good as it gets

+ The course is situated away from other park features, with great variety in distances and decent variety in shots needed. Very well maintained, especially for a wooded course

+ Elevation present is used to great effect and on more than one hole I had to stop and take in the scenery. 14's basket placements in particular were a lot of fun. I found myself needing to think about my shots several times. From the short tees it became a distance-control game on some holes, which is challenging for me in general. Throw in the wooded nature of the course and I found a nice mental game taking place as well.

+ The only other group on the course was a quartet of, I assume, locals who were nice enough to let me play through

Cons:

- If you've read other reviews you can probably say it with me: No benches. Not a one. Lack of tee-side amenities in general.

- Also as stated in other reviews, the first couple holes and 18 basically ferry you to and from the course-proper and are much different than the rest of the course. Having some open bombers placed among the shorter, wooded holes would have been a bit more engaging but as bookends they feel out of place. Not sure what the solution would be to that though.

Other Thoughts:

I read the previous reviews both before and after playing here, and for the most part, I could sum this whole review up just by saying "Ditto", but where's the fun in that?

Ditto Farms has been in my sights for years - part of what had become an annual tradition of planning and then cancelling a road trip to the Gulf Coast was, of course, to map out what courses I wanted to bag along the way. Near 95? Check. 18+ holes? Check. Free-to-play with a more than decent rating? Check and mate.

What I found when I got there on an early Monday morning was a nice, spacious municipal park with plenty of parking and a nice large map on the bulletin board inviting me onward. A bit of initial confusion was dismissed by a helpful parks employee pointing me to Tee #1. Though I had been hoping to play here for a while, I was still on a bit of a schedule so opted to play the short tees to short baskets. It was a bit wet out from overnight rain, though clearing, a little muggy & buggy. Playtime was 1.25 hours (I wasn't rushing, but I also wasn't lingering).

The first couple holes are pretty open, but you're quickly led into the woods for a trek up, down and thru mature forest, gorgeous tall trees abound. Make sure to look down also though, as it's easy to get tripped up in spots here. The course is well-worn in like that. I used a fair few different discs and shots - I don't recall ever thinking anything particularly negative about the flow or course design, though I don't think I was ever truly WOWed, either. #14 stands out to me - the baskets situated near each other, with one just below a stonewall and the other on top, accessible by a stone staircase. Very picturesque.

I left very happy having played it. The conditions were great for bagging (almost no one else there, decent weather, good navigation). If I lived in Hagerstown I'd be very happy to have it nearby. 4 layouts in the same place in a well maintained setting with a seemingly nice, safe park for free? Sheesh, sign me up. If I'm ever back in the area I will definitely be back to bag the long layout.

Having said all of that, I can see how with the right (or wrong) conditions/weather the course could be a trial of endurance. As stated in practically every review, there are no benches, and there's plenty of elevation to contend with. Add bugs and slippery areas and you're in for a trial. The signage is decent but that's about all you get in terms of tee-side amenities. I struggle to find cons beyond that in general I think because of my bagger's perspective.

If I were a local I might go w/ 3.5, because it IS a very good course that does have some flaws, but, for this bagger, it was excellent.
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14 1
Puckstopper
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.5 years 36 played 36 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great course with a few obvious misses... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2022 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

2 sets of concrete tees per hole.

2 baskets per hole. Not positions, actual baskets

The above two items provide 4 different ways to play the course, ranging from very easy to reasonably difficult. It would be easy to have a competitive match between players of varied talent levels here.

Tee signs are fantastic, showing both tees on each sign and elevation changes between the tee and each of the two baskets. Some of the best I've ever seen!

Course design for most holes is top notch, with the couple outliers being forced by the rest of the park.

Bathrooms available at the shelter area you walk past to the first tee.

Cons:

Holes 1, 2, and 18 are a bit of a snooze compared to the rest of the course. although 2 and 18's yellow baskets look much better than the reds.

The walk to and from the course is brutal. The walk out is especially bad after hiking up and down the small but constant elevation changes on holes 3-17.

Speaking of those elevation changes that wear you out.... A bench would be nice. There's not even ONE. Having the option to catch your breath would really do wonders to improve the course.

Also, even one trash can would go a long way. I noticed quite a bit of litter on the course, which given that it's surrounded by an affluent neighborhood and is a beautiful piece of land is completely unforgivable and is a bad look for disc golfers.

Other Thoughts:

Ditto Farms would be a 4 to 4.5 star course in my world with benches and trash cans. I didn't deduct points for the design, as the flaws would be difficult to overcome.

The course (after hole 2) plays through an absolutely beautiful area that's mildly hilly, wooded and rocky. Elevation is used to great affect to create a relatively easy layout, 2 different "medium" options and a long layout that would challenge most advanced players. Calling it "championship level" as they do on the website is quite a stretch, but playing the tips looked like it would be an all day sucker for me. Elevation changes made holes that would otherwise have been somewhat boring much more challenging and required extra thought. The top-tier tee signs I mentioned earlier gave welcome information regarding elevation that made disc selection much easier.

I loved that many of the long tees played from different angles, elevations, or both than their short counterparts. One of my pet peeves is lazy designers who stack two sets of tees 50' apart and call it done. Like the tee signs, the thought that went into the tees themselves was absolutely top notch!

A couple other thoughts: I played the yellow layout (long tees to short baskets) on consecutive days and found it a reasonable test of skill. I look forward to trying short tees to long baskets my next trip to the area, and hope my knee will have healed enough by next spring to allow me to try long to long.

There was rain yesterday and the course was fairly sodden. By today, most of the course was in good shape. Based on the terrain, I'd speculate that it takes a serious drenching to leave the course in poor condition.
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16 1
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.4 years 181 played 150 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ditto Farms has a mix of environments and accompanying distances, with a focus on technical par 3 golf in the woods. These emblematic holes provide meaningful choices, with interesting, fair windows to hit, lines to navigate, and landing zones to find. Although there are some shortcomings, in general the design does a fantastic job of maximizing variation within this style. The pervasive elevation changes help mix things up too: they are rarely dramatic but are almost always used impactfully, with subtle uphill inclines, raised tees and pins, and gradually descending slopes. All in all, the wooded holes are among the best collection of short-but-technical holes that I've seen.

Meaningful choice is abundant in the layout, too. There are two sets of tees and two sets of permanent pins, and which pin you're playing to can especially alter your experience of a hole. This provides a laudable amount of variety that is less about being easier or harder and more about simply creating different lines and challenges. The tee positions are generally less impactful to how a hole plays, but still offer variety at times and allow for an ability to adjust difficulty that newer players may especially welcome.

The course has a well-worn-in feel and threat of losing a disc is minimized. Navigation flows pretty smoothly.

Cons:

The majority of the course - holes 5-17 or so - plays in a relatively small patch of trees, giving the sense that the emphasis on shorter par 3s is an obstacle to be overcome rather than a function of pure choice. And while as stated the design does a great job of mitigating this limitation, I still felt it. Translating the course's technical play onto a larger scale at even just one or two more holes would contribute a lot to the course in my opinion.

Shot variety is an interesting one here. It's definitely there, but I found that the predominance of tight windows and shorter distances led me to drive with my putter on most holes. There's little incentive to not play it safe, as even a modest drive finishing in the fairway often puts you in a comfortable position. The lines you're throwing don't necessarily get repetitious, mostly due to smart use of elevation change and varied pin positions (although there are a fair few tunnel shots), but there is a sense that the play zeros in on small variations of a particular facet of your game, leaving lots of possibility and more dramatic variation in shot and hole type by the wayside. I feel like this sense of limitation would apply to a broad range of skill levels.

Then there's the in and out. Holes 1, 2, 4, and 18 are wide open bomber shots with little to offer beyond a chance to chuck your disc. This is a critique of land more than design - clearly some transition holes were needed to ferry players to the woods, which themselves had limited space and couldn't comfortably contain the full 18 - but it means that the course starts and ends with what for me are definitively the worst of the bunch. Some kind of alternate solution to this problem that provides more interest and challenge would really elevate the course in my opinion. It's not an easy design problem to solve, though.

My expectation is that this course gets crowded. I played at something like 1 or 2 pm on a Wednesday and there were already a fair few groups out there. Which is great! But I imagine at more popular times such as evenings and weekends the course can feel congested, especially given the small area that much of it plays in.

Other Thoughts:

My sense of Ditto Farms is that it's a fun technical par 3 course that could use a few more wrinkles. I enjoyed my round here, but didn't come away feeling that it was any sort of destination course. A great stop for sure, though!
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17 0
epritt
Experience: 3.8 years 7 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Solid Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Lots of variation. Hole 1, 2, 4, and 18 are almost entirely wide open. Hole 3, 6, 9, 14, 15 are heavily wooded. The rest are moderately wooded. Hole 6, 14, and 18 feature steep uphills, while 2, 9, 13, and 15 feature large elevation declines. If you want a great mix of open, wooded, technical, uphill, downhill, etc, this is your course.

The course is well-maintained. fairways are clear, grass is mowed, Tee pads are clear of brush, baskets are easily accessible. Signage is excellent. When playing longs, the basket is not always visible from the tee pad, but signs are extremely accurate (distance, location, elevation change)-- you can make solid throws using only information on the signs.

Several of the holes also have multiple paths to the basket, so you can customize your game and play a little differently each time you play.

Perhaps the main draw of the course is that each hole has 2 tee pads and 2 basket locations, creating 4 possible ways to play every hole. The many combinations of possible throws make this a fun course that feels a little different each time you play.

Cons:

There are no benches anywhere on the course. Personally, I don't mind this, but if you're waiting on a group or want to take a snack or water break, you'll need your own stool or chair, or you'll just sit on the ground.

When I played this course in mid-April the bathrooms were closed. In mid-May, they were open. I don't know if the bathrooms are seasonal, or if this was due to changing COVID regulations, either seems reasonable. Be aware that bathrooms may not be open. Even when the bathrooms were closed, there is at least a porta-potty in the parking lot, but that's not ideal.

The elevation could be a hinderance, you need to be able to climb up and down steep stairs and hills to play some of the holes.

You also need to keep a close eye on your drives on some of the holes. Since some holes are highly wooded, it's likely that most beginners (and maybe some not beginners) will hit a tree or two, and some of the fairways are pretty narrow. Thick brush and briars line several holes and may result in a lost disc if you lose track of your drive.

The course does require a decent walk from the parking lot-- I logged over 2.5 miles walking this course and once you leave the parking lot for one, you won't return til after 18.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I love this course. I've only played 3 courses in Maryland so far, but this is probably my favorite. Good variety, good layout, good signage. If you want a challenge, want to go for a great walk, and enjoy a course with a lot of variety, this is a great option for you. I live about a 90 minute drive from Hagerstown, but I gladly make the drive to play this great course!
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11 1
I Didn't Like It
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 36.5 years 64 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I struggle to see what most others see 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 28, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very nice park that's easy to find and right off I-70. Two tee pads and 2 baskets per hole with nice concrete tees. Really nice tee signs. Well designed with a lot of variety. There's a good mix between wide open and tightly wooded holes. There are good elevation changes and there's some flat as well. There are two very long holes and a couple of shorties.

Cons:

Not a single bench on the entire course. NONE, ZERO. There are briars near the tee pads, and briars near the baskets. Tee pads are nice but a bit on the short side. Once you leave your car, you never come close to it again. The distance from parking lot to Hole 1 is greater than average and it doubles from Hole 18 back to parking lot. Some of the woods holes are too close to each other.

Other Thoughts:

I'm with DGCraig - Ditto is a solid but unspectacular course. I've played it a dozen times and almost always play the longer yellow baskets. As a Marylander, I disagree with the opinion that it's one of the best courses in Maryland. It's one of the best courses between Frederick and Hagerstown.

I'll admit most DGers think higher of Ditto than I do, including my friends. Look at all the 4, 4.5, and even 5 star ratings... unfortunately I just don't see the greatness these people see and certainly wish I did. Make no mistake, Ditto is a solid course and worth playing. It's well designed, has good variety, and the 2 tees and 2 baskets are it's main draw.

My biggest complaint about Ditto is ZERO benches. I find that to be so lame. My second biggest complaint is the distance from the Parking Lot to the tee of Hole 1 and the basket of Hole 18. There isn't any place on the course that's close to the Parking lot so make sure you don't forget anything after you leave your car. I also think there are a lot of briars near baskets and tee pads. It's a wooded course, there's going to be briars. But it's not acceptable to have briars at tees or baskets. More Ditto locals need to buy $15 hand loppers from Home Depot and keep them in the their bag. That's what everyone at my home course does. Last time I was there I found myself lopping briars near a bunch of the baskets.

For myself, I do not like the backyards on Holes 1-4. That's a nit-picky, BS complaint for sure - but I still don't like teeing from the edge of someone's yard.

I like technical golf and I like elevation and Ditto has both. The woods holes are a bit cramped, especially the first few, but all in all the course has good technical holes. Holes 5-17 are the woods holes bu the wide-open uphill Hole 18 is also a good hole.

Look, Ditto is a good solid course and I enjoy it when I'm there. I do believe it's over-rated as most people I know rant and rave about it's 'greatness'. I wish I saw it. That said, there's no reason to stay away from Ditto - that would be foolish. If you're on I-70, you should definitely check it out. You will have fun playing it. Make sure you have everything you need once you leave your car, including a stool.
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7 2
DiscoGolf13
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Many Ways to Play This Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 8, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The variety in which one can play this course is excellent. There are long and short tees and long and short baskets so you have 4 courses in one. Tees are solid concrete and signage is easy to read.

The course has a good variety of long and short holes, open and wooded holes, holes requiring simple strategy and holes requiring you to think outside the box.

The grounds are kept up well and I have not seen the vegetation out of control.

It is unlikely you would lose a disc here unless you have a shot that is way off course.

Cons:

There is no area to warm up with drives. There is a putting practice basket but I like to warm up with drives before I play.

Other Thoughts:

The variety of this course has something for all levels of disc golf players.
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17 0
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.3 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Loved it 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 30, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Easy to get to
- Large Parking lot
- Bathrooms near hole 1

- Long and short concrete tees. I had no issue with run up on these tees as they were long and set flush into the ground with plenty of clear space behind them
- Long and short Innova Discatcher Baskets with two different color bands so you know what baskets to play to.
- 4 possible layouts to play with the combination of sort and long baskets. Its great to see a lot of courses doing this now.
- Every hole had pretty decent tee signs. Maybe a little dated but they give you a ton of information with the only downside being that they look a little worn but that is just nitpicking.

- The course gives you an excellent mix of long and short holes with there being a ton of great wooded golf along with a few open bombers.
- Every hole on the course is fair and has the perfect sweet spot of not too many trees and not too little trees.
- Hole 9 was probably my favorite shot to throw on the whole course. Its just a long straight downhillish midrange shot where if you can throw a frozen rope then you will succeed here.
- Hole 14 was pretty fun in that the teepad is split so you can take either the right or left gap with the hole finishing up on a small cliff. Very cool and unique hole.
- Hole 15 plays from the top of that small cliff and throws down a long and tough fairway that makes you either lay up or try to be superman. A lot of fun.


Cons:

- As a first timer, there are a few hole transitions that are tough. I cant remember which holes in particular anymore but I remember there being 1 or 2 times not knowing where to go to find the next hole.

Other Thoughts:

I would consider Ditto Farms to be an amazing course for beginners or for pros and has a lot to offer. This style of course is what I prefer, wooded but not too wooded with a good mix of distance. I had to use almost every disc in my bag and usually when I have to do that it means that the course is well balanced. Not a hyzer fest or a pitch and putt. Just an overall great course that I would recommend to anybody and if I am every back in the area I would love to stop in and play a layout other then the long to long.
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1 12
Aslan009
Experience: 9.9 years 2 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Perfect course for any level! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well organized, Well maintained, Great for anyone of any level, Lots of options, great variety, 18 holes from start to finish, pick from 4 versions of the course, Fun!

Cons:

Thorns, Thorns, Thorns.

Other Thoughts:

This Course is one of the best in the area and it is well maintained. It has everything you are looking for.
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15 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 7.5 years 241 played 204 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Do Go To Ditto 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 30, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Sturdy and flat tee boxes with decent space for a wind-up.
+ Mostly wooded course encourages placement and shot-shaping over brute force.
+ There are two tee pads for all holes, and they each have their own 'current tee' sign.
+ There are also two pins per hole of different colors with yellow indicating 'tougher/farther' and red meaning 'closer/less tough.'
+ The 'current tee' signs themselves are very nice. Each one has a detailed diagram of the land ahead, the distance to each pin, the par to each pin, and the elevation increase or decrease from where you stand to each pin. Next tee symbols are also present on the signs.
+ There are some devious elevation challenges here.
+ While in the minority, the open holes have plenty of space to wind up and let loose at full power.
+ The course is set in a quiet county park away from everything else.

Cons:

- There are zero 'next tee' signs.
- Three or four holes are somewhat close to private residences. One bad gust or one awful throw, and your disc could possibly, though not probably, cross into someone's yard.
- There are no benches to sit back and relax and no trash cans. Please do not litter.
- Some of the wooded holes seem a tad overgrown in terms of both ground foliage and tree limbs.
- No lost disc box (?) I didn't look everywhere. Perhaps I'm mistaken on this.
- Some of the holes are jam-packed close together.

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole at this course might be #15. I love downhill tee-offs, and this tee was pretty much off a cliff! It's a nice view from up there and a lovely sight to watch one's disc float forever... even if it was in the wrong direction as with my session...!
My least favorite hole here could be #4 because of how boring and straightforward it is when contrasted against literally any other hole at this course.

As for the course itself, Ditto Farms is a course that has a little bit of almost everything. You want open fields- flat or hilly? Check. You want dense woods- tunnel shot or tree dodging- level, uphill, downhill or valley? Check. There is something for every player here.
The course is mostly wooded, though, to be certain. Power throwers will have to tone it town a notch or two. Players will be tested on their throw-by-throw tactics and accuracy. Unfortunately, this has the unfortunate side consequence of some holes melding into one another. I cannot sharply recall playing certain holes such as 12 or 16. What I am saying is that a few of the holes feel like filler.

Others, however, are supremely memorable. An easy example is hole 14. It starts off having the player throw around a small patch of trees. And then one has to throw high, high up to a basket that's atop a steep cliff?! Absolutely! Moments like those make me glad that I play disc golf. It's a shame that I live 200 miles away from this course.

Fields, farms, or family houses are almost always in view behind the trees, so a player can never quite feel 100% immersed within the landscape. The experience is somewhat diminished when gigantic farming equipment trundles behind you to tend to the crops or when you hear someone's family dog barking at you throw a screen door. But none of that is a direct problem with the disc golf course itself- just the location.

A few more notes about the course: there are no 'next tee' signs. One could argue that the 'current tee' signs take care of that and that the pins and tees are so close together that it doesn't matter, but I've always said that next tee signs are a staple and a courtesy. Designers want to keep the action flowing for their players as much as possible. Cut out the second or two of guess work and help your players find the next box that much sooner, especially if the course has multiple tee pads.
But the two tee pads and two pins per hole give this course four options of play. It's got more replay value than many courses I've played, which is no easy task. Overall kudos to the designers of Ditto Farms DGC.

In conclusion, this course gets a strong recommendation for all players. It has four levels of difficulty for any kind of golfer out there. The landscape is dynamic and lively with all of its elevation and forest. For having such a small footprint, this course packs a lot of punch. Some of the holes can feel samey, and players might feel agitated at hitting some tree branches that seem out of control. You may feel like sardines on a busy day with how close together the holes are, but those are easily overlooked flaws on a course this good.

Do go to Ditto, and see what I mean.
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17 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.6 years 278 played 254 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Four Courses in One 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 30, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course offers two well-constructed tee pads for every hole, as well as two different baskets. The result is four different layouts that really are different, and available all of the time.

Short tee to short basket offers a pleasant little 4000 foot course that is great for new players, or just for a relaxing round with plenty of birdie possibilities or ace runs.

Long tee to long basket take the course length to 7000 feet and offers everything from short technical woods holes to 700' open bombers.

In the middle are two combinations (short tees to long baskets or long tees to short baskets) that give two very different 5500' courses.

What all of the combinations share is four very open holes (1-3, 18) with the remainder playing in the woods. Elevation is modest but adds interest.

The wooded holes have "fair" fairways woven through tall mature trees that require you to be able to hit and shape lines. There is some thick/thorny undergrowth in places that can punish an errant shot, though some areas are pretty clean.

Both set of tees feature good sized concrete pads and excellent tee signs with distances and diagrams for playing to either basket. In most cases the short/long tees were separated laterally giving very different lines to the basket(s), especially in the woods.

Innova Discatcher baskets show up great in the woods, and using the color-coding of "gold" (the normal yellow) or red makes the basket options very obvious.

Cons:

The open holes are just that. Wide open throws over mowed grass. While one or two featureless holes is acceptable this course starts with 1, 2, and 4 being wide open and ends with 18 open as well.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the woods holes there are no real "wow" moments there. Plenty of solid holes but no particular standouts.

Holes 5 - 17 are compact and with two, often widely spaced teepads it is pretty easy to lose track of other groups playing nearby. Head's up!

Other Thoughts:

I think that the real beauty of this course is that for locals there are four distinct, different layouts in place at all times. No wondering if the baskets have been moved or living with alternate tees that are rough or only a little different. Show up and decide which course you want to play that round!

I played long tees to short baskets and it suited my 850ish rating very well. If I played a second time I would swap to the short tees and long baskets and see a completely different course with about the same overall length.
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7 3
3amigos
Experience: 8.4 years 16 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Amazing course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

-long concrete tee pads
-tee signs are very professional
-2 tee pads and 2 holes on every hole
-well manicured grounds
-course was not hilly but good use of elevation changes on holes

Cons:

-took a while to find the first tee pads.
-drove past park entrance (was looking for Ditto Farms sign and there was none) Just sign "Washington Park" at entrance
-could use a few "next tee" signs at some of the holes

Other Thoughts:

Extremely nice course. First time playing here and I was impressed. Played the short tees on short holes due to time constraints. The long tee and long holes looked pretty challenging. Will come back for sure.
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7 4
jrodkelly1
Experience: 30 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

You Ran into a Wild Ditto! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Design- This course demands you have a good variety of shots. Unlike some wooded courses its not a straight tee shot on every hole
The property is relatively small and they fit most of the course in the woods. I was very impressed by the compactness but also the feeling of safety.

Course Navigation- Good once you get started its easy to figure out where the next hole will be

Beauty- Its really pretty for a multi use park in a neighborhood

Tee Signs- Literally the best I've ever seen. They show you the lines on certain holes and most importanly elevation changes. They look so futuristic!

Color Coded Baskets- Absolutely brilliant idea to make the short pins red and the long yellow. They are Innova discatchers so no complaints! The tees are nice too never had a problem with them.

A solid wooded course with a few open holes to warm your arm up.

Great Holes- I really like the Hole with the basket on top of the rock face/ mini cliff, The next hole after it had one of the most perfect holes I've ever seen for a flex forehand great design there. I think they were holes 14 and 15.

Cons:

Design there is a long portion on the course where you don't have a par 4 ( 7-17) and the distances on the holes don't change to much. So it can get a little sluggish.

Course Navigation- Starting out where the first long tee was took me some time. Besides the tee sign no additional signage pointing to tee locations.

They have restrooms and water fountains but the day I came they were locked and the water fountains didn't work. I later found out that they had brutal cold weather in April so they had to do that. I'm not counting off points for that but it sucked not having my water bottle filled up when I got there.

A couple of holes were poke and hope and pray- Hole 9 from the longs was not only a poke and hope it had freaking sink holes in the fairway! It did make it kind of cool but more frustrating.

Although you can play 4 different layouts while you are here I can see some of them being better or worse than others.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the course I think it offers everything for someone of any skill level. The short to red baskets would be good for beginners but just challenging enough. I liked the long pads to the reds as well. Some of the Long Pads to the yellow baskets were unfair at times. Overall what a great course to have in your backyard though! I know among Maryland courses it is ranked pretty high but there are better courses in the are especially just north in PA.
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10 1
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.5 years 628 played 574 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I agree. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 10, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ditto Farms is a solid, if unspectacular course. A mostly-wooded layout is bookended by open holes creating two distinct feels to the course.
- Course offers a wide variety of everything: from hole layouts to course layouts. Players can choose one of four course layouts to play with duel teepads and baskets. I quickly learned that the course is best played playing short-to-short or long-to-long. The other two layouts give players some awkward hole layouts, as it feels the course designers were trying to fit square pegs into round holes with the additional options.
- There are some fun layouts here. The designers, to their credit, made most of the wooded-fairways wide enough that players can still be aggressive of most holes. That said, on some of the tougher holes, they force you to hit your line, or you'll be hitting trees and/or ending up deep in the rough.
- The wooded holes do offer some solid risk/reward layouts. Holes such as #8 & 13, which are both slight downhill, slight dogleg layouts give players a chance to be rewarded for aggressive, smart shot making. If you're like me, and end up smacking a tree on #13, you're suddenly scrambling to salvage bogey on a birdie-able hole.
- Course has very descriptive, very useful tee signs. Both tee pads have tee signs with the corresponding distances listed depending on which basket you're playing to. Tee signs also indicate where the next tee is located, which is a bonus.
- Hole #2 is the best of the open holes. It's a slight downhill shot to a basket in the woods, either straight ahead (short basket) or a slightly more awkward, around-the-bend (long basket).
- This is a nice park with lots of amenities. The course, and entire park, is very well maintained. Other than holes #1 & 18, the course is completely isolated from the rest of the park. You do get the awkward experience of playing right up to people's backyards on hole #4.

Cons:

Not a lot to complain about. This is a simple layout that's well-executed, creating a fun play. Only a couple of minor things to point out:
- The course is compacted into a relatively small portion of the course, which creates holes to play very close together. On the wooded portion of the course - #5 - 17 - there are multiple opportunities for players to jump to the wrong hole simply because they're so close together.
- This also means, on busy days, you'll have to be extremely careful to watch for discs sailing from other holes towards you, or being wary of your shots encroaching on other holes & players.
- After trying to play to play the Orange layout - short tee to long basket - I realized these off-shoot layouts weren't a great idea. With short-to-short and long-to-long, you have tees, fairways, and baskets created specifically for that layout. With these alternative layouts, there were enough times where I had to deal with a fairway that wasn't created for the shot that's needed and/or some funky angles to throw from. If I didn't care so much about playing the same layout throughout, I would have just changed to playing the long layout the entire round. I guess after 16 hours of driving and dis golf, I was just getting too lazy.
- I don't recall seeing many trash cans or benches throughout the course. That said, the course was clean, especially for one that seems to get so much traffic.

Other Thoughts:

This course impressed me. I had a fun round. I didn't have to worry about throwing big shots or having any blow-up scores. Even at the end of a long day, when my arm was shot, I salvaged every hole with nothing worse than a bogey.
- You can tell on #4 that parts of the park are on an old golf course, as an old sand trap is still evident.
- I think the worse thing to say about this course is that none of the holes stood out as memorable. Sure, you've got your quasi 'shoot the gap' holes on #8 & 9; Your dogleg left ace run on #13; your split fairway, uphill basket on the rocks on #14. They're all fun. But they're role players, not the star of the team.
- The course is good for a quick round, especially if you're looking to focus on your mid-range game. The Orange layout plays more than 5500 feet, averaging 310 feet per hole. Even at that length, I felt I was playing most efficiently when I was throwing 225 - 250 off the tee, avoiding any trouble, and getting up and down for simple 3s.
- I'm giving this course a 3.5 rating based upon the layout I played. I reckon some people view it as a higher quality, more challenging course from the Pro tees; whereas, some view it as a lesser course from the short, 4000-foot layout.
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7 0
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.4 years 665 played 192 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Marvelous in Maryland 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Ditto Farms fills a void in western Maryland for disc golf; in fact, with its excellent variety and plethora of layout options, the course more than satisfies the appetite for excellent disc golf in the Hub City.

With two teepads and two baskets on every hole, Ditto Farms offers a suitable option for everyone, from the amateurs to the professionals. Navigation is easy with arrows on the map at each teepad, and each basket is marked with a distinct red (short) or yellow (long) banner. Even the shortest layout offers a challenge, though half the holes are 200 feet or less.

Ditto Farms begins in convenient fashion as three of the first four holes are fairly open, allowing an opportunity to warm up. The first two holes offer a downhill drive as well. However, Hole #3 is a challenging wooded hole - a foreshadowing of more difficult tree-laden challenges. After completing the lengthy but open Hole #4 (which is a par 4), the course disappears into the woods. Holes #5 through #8 offer a variety of forested encounters, transitioning from the ace-run on Hole #5 to a couple of uphill challenges for Holes #6 and #7 to tight but downhill toss on Hole #8.

Holes #9 through #11 are several of the most wooded holes. Downhill elevation comes into play on Holes #13 and #15 but the fairway contains several trees and a "poke and hope" approach might be needed. Holes #16 and #17 are a bit longer with a narrow fairway, and then the course pops out of the woods for the final hole.

Extremely clean course. Grassy holes appear to be frequently mowed and there's not a sign of trash anywhere. And most of the course is set off in the woods, where you're likely to be undisturbed by other park users.

Cons:

Too many trees and branches in the fairway. Well-thrown drives may be susceptible to unfair pinball bounces and pinpointing the best route can be difficult, let alone actually trying to hit the identified lines. Holes #9, 10, #11, #14 and #15 are the worst culprits. Narrow fairways are acceptable. But the surplus of random trees and branches is a little too punishing at times.

Also, the area off the fairway can be brutal. Rife with thorns, tall grasses, bushes and poison ivy, the non-fairway sections are a nuisance in some spots and an absolute menace in other places. Spending time looking for wayward shots should be expected. Some course maintenance in the form of weed-wackers and chainsaws would be welcomed.

Other Thoughts:

Ditto Farms is currently the second-highest-ranked course in Maryland and merits consideration as the best course. With terrific variety, challenging course design and nice amenities, Ditto Farms is an enjoyable play.
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11 0
Discette
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.3 years 681 played 64 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Two for Two 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ditto Farms is an 18 hole course in a public park. With two sets of tees and two sets of targets on every hole, this course provides a ton of variety and elevation changes. The course plays through open park land as well as an undeveloped and wooded area of the park. I played this course as part of a disc golf trip to 12 states in 12 days. This was the only course I played in the state of Maryland.


I used bullet points for those that don't want to read the entire review.

Challenge and Variety
This course has it all. It will challenge top players and provide variety for all skills of players. It has open holes and wooded holes, There is elevation in play as well. The Blue Course (long tees to Gold targets) is the longest and most difficult layout while the Red Course (short tees to Red pins) is the shortest for new players.


Born Together
Some two target/two tee courses play like they put another target or tee to change up the original design. On many dual target/dual tee courses it is obvious that the second tee or second target was an afterthought. After playing a few holes at Ditto Farm, it seemed that both sets of tees and both sets of targets were designed and installed together as they compliment each other well. All of the possible course layouts look smart and purposeful. Multiple options provide not just a longer tees or a trickier target locations, but often completely different routes with completely different challenges.


No confusion here
Navigation is a breeze no matter which layout you choose to play. Every tee has a sign that shows the locations of the pins as well as an arrow to the next tee. I played a few multiple tee/pin courses on this trip and some were completely confusing. Thankfully Ditto Farms was well thought out and there is very little confusion as to the location of your target or the way to your next tee. While I did not play both layouts completely, I did walk to both sets of tee and targets to take photos.

18, 36, 54 or 72 Holes
Ditto Farms is an 18 hole course that could technically be considered four different courses. There are 18 Yellow targets and 18 Red targets. There are an endless number of courses because of this unique design. I played a mix for the first few holes, then played long tees to the Yellow targets. This is the Blue layout and it has a lot of distance, variety and elevation in play. Accuracy is rewarded at Ditto Farms. No matter which layout you play, this course requires players to execute proper shots to score well.

Two Tees
Each hole has two large concrete tees. The tee areas are well maintained. Each tee has a separate tee sign. Each tee sign includes distances from that tee and also shows all the pin locations, the other tee and direction to the next tee.


No Smoking
At least there is no smoking in the wooded area of the park as there are signs posted. Not sure if you can smoke in the park. One great thing about no smoking is the lack of cigarettes butts on the course. I appreciate that.

Free
There is no charge to enter the park or play the course.

Not Disc Golf Exclusive
This course is in a giant community park with playgrounds and soccer fields. Part of the course is right next to private back yards and part of this course borders a ball golf course. While the course is set properly away from the other activities, players will have to watch out for the occasional runner or dog walker. I played this course super early on a Saturday and was surprised to have to wait for some dog owners to walk across the open fairways on 4 and 18.

All 18 in a row

Once you leave the parking area, you will not return to this area of the park until you after Hole 18. Plan to take all the water and supplies you need for the entire round. Luckily the park is very compact and the design does not require a lot of walking between holes. I had plenty of energy to play a second round.


Split personality
I love fun and challenging courses, but I also appreciate courses with a unique vibe and personality. While most of the park is a traditional developed park setting there is a nice "undeveloped" park area used for holes 5 through 17. This part of the course makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere even though you are in the middle of someone's neighborhood and not out in the country. I felt relaxed and challenged at the same time. I just wish there was this much personality on the rest of the course.

Restrooms
There is a full service restroom with running water next to the parking lot and practice basket. There were no other restrooms or portables on the course, but there were at least a couple of opportunities for privacy on the wooded holes.

Kids, Carts and Strollers
Except for a couple of holes in the woods, you should have no problem bringing a cart. Not sure you would want to push a stroller with kids in ti through the thick grass on some of the fairways. Kids will have no problem walking along the terrain. There is a big playground and restrooms with running water before you reach the first tee. You will play all 18 holes before you return to the parking lot. You could also play a short 5 hole layout with the kids. Play 1 through 4 and walk over and play Hole 18 back.

Bugs and Poison Ivy
I played on in a light rain and didn't notice any bugs. There is poison ivy in the woods, take precautions if you are affected.

Cons:

Personality
While the course does have challenge and variety, it is set in a regular public park. It was missing that wow factor that makes it memorable.

Public Park
Even though this course is mostly in the undeveloped area of the park, there is the chance for other park users to walk onto the course. Be mindful and cautious when other park users are present.

Other Thoughts:

Allow time
If you decide to play this course, allow yourself the time to play it twice on your visit. Play the first time through on one layout, take a break and switch it up for the second round. This course is all about variety and you should take the time to enjoy what it does best.


Bookends
On the first day of my journey to play 12 States and 12 Days, the first course I played had two targets and two tees. Ditto Farms was the final course on my journey. Like the first course, Ditto also had two targets and two tees on every hole. During this trip I played at least 6 courses with multiple tees and targets. I will say tat Ditto Farms was the most thoughtfully designed of these multi tee/target courses.

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9 0
discNDav
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 38.6 years 455 played 94 reviews
4.50 star(s)

great course with 2 baskets and 2 tees 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 21, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

What a very well maintained suburban park! Everything in the park looked new including the DGC!

Two sets of cement tees and 2 baskets on all 18 holes, red (short) and yellow (long) allows 4 different possible ways to play each hole. Outstanding tee signs at each tee (long and short).

A few long to long holes are par 4.

Starts out very open but has 15 wooded holes. Wood chipped areas around the tees and in places along the fairways or around the baskets.

Great use of elevation, I didn't expect it after entering the woods.

Indoor rest rooms.

Close to the highway, within 5 minutes of I-70.

Cons:

Where to start the course is not marked well. I saw both #1 baskets but it took a few minutes before locating the tee(s) to the right and uphill from both the restroom building and then pavilion.

Two of the tighter wooded holes seemed repetitive, #11 and #12?

Other Thoughts:

The practice basket is not near hole #1.

Print the map from here, it's excellent.

I usually rate courses slightly lower than their average but in this case it's one of the few I rated higher than it's average, it's that good! I will be back even though it's 3 hrs from me.


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1 4
rvnash
Experience: 12.5 years 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Loved it 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great options, easy, medium1, medium2, and hard on each hole. You can choose which "course" to play on any given day, or hole-by-hole. I was tired when I arrived, so I played the easiest, and it was great fun.
Well tended. Baskets, tees and fairways in great condition. Every placement of tee pad and pin has a line or two that will work. Look at the signs. Well designed in that sense, like someone really thought that through. I really liked the hole where the easy basket is up against a cliff face, and the hard basket is above it on top of the cliff. Clever.

Cons:

Tee boxes could be a bit longer for me, but probably fine for most.

Other Thoughts:

It wasn't very crowded on a Sunday afternoon, mid summer.
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1 1
ramonstone
Experience: 13.7 years 8 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Get in the woods 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 10, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I got to play this course before it had tees and got to watch it grow into a wonderful place to play. Whoever maintains it has done a great job of clearing areas and getting tees in and signs. There are two pins for each hole and I'm pretty sure two tees each hole. Mostly wooded, it has all different shots to play. There are good elevations and tunnel shots and all different types of shots are necessary to put up a decent score. The long to long setup is challenging for pros and intermediate players, but the short ones are great for beginners. It has grown into a very fun course to play, having watched it build up from the beginning

Cons:

You can lose discs. Since it's all in the woods I always have two or three hairy times trying to find a getaway that hit a tree or something. There are a couple places that are a "that's not comin back" situation. Although I think I've always brought all discs back, I know lots of people that have lost them so throw the ones you don't love the most. Some of the short to short are very short, but obviously you don't have to play those if you don't want
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8 0
MikeK
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 29.5 years 335 played 133 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Course Design 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 15, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

With two sets of baskets and two sets of tees, Ditto Farms has a layout for everyone from total newbies up to top-tier professionals. There's a variety of open, short, tight, long, hyzer, anhyzer, uphill and downhill looks throughout the place. The grass in the open areas is well maintained, the concrete pads are nice and flush to the ground and have good grip, and the baskets are Innova Pro 28s that catch very well. One interesting feature to me, was that it seemed like the further I got into the course, the better the holes got. I like that in a course. This course is also only about two miles off of Interstate 70, so it's not too difficult to find. Nice view of distant mountain on hole 8, and a cool finishing hole that plays up,up,up to the long basket. There's also a practice basket by the parking lot.

Cons:

The cons I list are all pretty nitpicky; they didn't really bother me, but some people might get bothered by them.

No benches, some nasty thorns here and there, and in the dead of winter it is a bit muddy even several days after a rain. Wear shoes with good traction, because the slickness of the hillsides combined with steep trails in a couple places could result in a fall if you're not careful. There's also not a water hole on the course (again this is pretty nitpicky).

Other Thoughts:

I think the only thing that keeps me from rating this course a 5 is that there just isn't one hole out there that I would call "epic", although 14,15, and 18 are memorable. This is certainly a great place to hold a tournament.
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7 0
jjtwinnova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9.4 years 284 played 97 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Ditto 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Ditto Farms is a great course that starts out in the open, but then works it's way deep into the woods. Two Discatcher baskets per hole allows you to play a different course every time. The short tees are perfect for beginners, and the long tee giving a good challenge to the even more advanced players. The tee pads were all concrete, for both short tees and longs. The holes are challenging enough, but nothing is unfair. There were multiple ace runs, but few shots that were easily executed. The holes were not repetitive, meaning their was a new drive, approach, and putt on each hole. I enjoyed the mix of holes when playing 2nd tees to Yellow Basket. There was only one dull hole, a long open par 5, but the green was nicely protected.

Cons:

There was only one tee sign per hole, meaning if you were playing short tees and wanted to know distances, you would have to find the long tees. There was no Out of Bounds which made the course not incredibly challenging. The biggest con was that I only had time to play once.

Other Thoughts:

This was a great course to play while I was travelling to Baltimore. I was only able to play this one, but I know there were many nice courses near here with Seneca Creek and Patapsco Valley.
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