Ghost Town reviews
17
0
Unique Vibe 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 5, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
A fun, shorter course with loads of personality.
-Setting: Yes, there is literally a ghost town on this course. It's freakin' awesome. The personality of this course also comes from its location on two mining claims (there's a technical term for it that I forgot), which are thin, long slivers of land. Furthermore, this area near Central City feels more wild and rugged than a lot of the other areas I drove around in Colorado. Altogether, this creates a unique vibe for Ghost Town that is very enjoyable.
-Private: Really, part of the vibe. Playing is by tee time only, and being away from any towns, you get a very secluded feel on this course.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A series of fun par-3 shots. The creativity is impressive, especially earlier on the course. There are a handful of ultra-technical woods shots, some slightly more open ones with medium-tall brush to throw over, and some wide open ones. Modest elevation plays throughout. Mostly short holes, but a few over 300' to pull out a slightly faster disc. These are all birdie opportunities, but quite a few can turn into bogeys just as easily due to obstructions, rollaways, and such. At it's best, it's the shorter and smaller neighbor of Bucksnort; sometimes, a basic open course.
-Fun Factor: The uses of elevation and short holes and setting make this feel like a course where you should go for it. You'll likely have to be creative from the tee and scrambling, so it puts you in the mood to try running stupid stuff.
-Setting: Yes, there is literally a ghost town on this course. It's freakin' awesome. The personality of this course also comes from its location on two mining claims (there's a technical term for it that I forgot), which are thin, long slivers of land. Furthermore, this area near Central City feels more wild and rugged than a lot of the other areas I drove around in Colorado. Altogether, this creates a unique vibe for Ghost Town that is very enjoyable.
-Private: Really, part of the vibe. Playing is by tee time only, and being away from any towns, you get a very secluded feel on this course.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A series of fun par-3 shots. The creativity is impressive, especially earlier on the course. There are a handful of ultra-technical woods shots, some slightly more open ones with medium-tall brush to throw over, and some wide open ones. Modest elevation plays throughout. Mostly short holes, but a few over 300' to pull out a slightly faster disc. These are all birdie opportunities, but quite a few can turn into bogeys just as easily due to obstructions, rollaways, and such. At it's best, it's the shorter and smaller neighbor of Bucksnort; sometimes, a basic open course.
-Fun Factor: The uses of elevation and short holes and setting make this feel like a course where you should go for it. You'll likely have to be creative from the tee and scrambling, so it puts you in the mood to try running stupid stuff.
Cons:
-Amenities: Not terrible, but not great. Paver tees, a hodgepodge of baskets, and intermittent basic maps on the tee signs. There are some shorter tees, all-natural. It's very homemade.
-Blind Baskets: A lot of shots where the cage isn't visible from the tee and a basket would be useful.
-Marsh: A lot of marsh from (9)-(13), in the fairways. I landed a couple of discs in it, and crossing the waterways required a lot of nimbleness.
-Overlap: On the back, several holes overlap and throw over or straight towards each other. This was only a small issue for me, as I waited on another group twice. It's much more of an issue navigationally.
-Challenge: There isn't the kind of strategic, throw it full power on careful line kind of gameplay that I like. Ghost Town very much feels like a backyard course, and one that could use a little more space.
-Sap: The most tree sap I've ever dealt with on a course. Maybe it's just the week I went to play, but I got bad sticky spots on multiple discs.
-Drive: If it's not muddy, 2WD vehicles should be just fine. But there are a lot of dirt roads that you need to take slowly. Make sure to follow the route suggested by the course owners.
-Pay-to-Play: A reasonable fee, especially since you get the course almost completely to yourself.
-Blind Baskets: A lot of shots where the cage isn't visible from the tee and a basket would be useful.
-Marsh: A lot of marsh from (9)-(13), in the fairways. I landed a couple of discs in it, and crossing the waterways required a lot of nimbleness.
-Overlap: On the back, several holes overlap and throw over or straight towards each other. This was only a small issue for me, as I waited on another group twice. It's much more of an issue navigationally.
-Challenge: There isn't the kind of strategic, throw it full power on careful line kind of gameplay that I like. Ghost Town very much feels like a backyard course, and one that could use a little more space.
-Sap: The most tree sap I've ever dealt with on a course. Maybe it's just the week I went to play, but I got bad sticky spots on multiple discs.
-Drive: If it's not muddy, 2WD vehicles should be just fine. But there are a lot of dirt roads that you need to take slowly. Make sure to follow the route suggested by the course owners.
-Pay-to-Play: A reasonable fee, especially since you get the course almost completely to yourself.
Other Thoughts:
Players' appraisals of Ghost Town could vary widely. I think everyone will enjoy the vibe, and most will enjoy the quirkiness of the short holes. However, I find the gameplay lacking, and some of the backyard feel includes rough edges. Overall, there's no doubt it's a Good course, but compared to some of the other great courses around, it falls a bit short.
For those familiar with it, this course reminds me a lot of the back half of Burde Ridge in middle Tennessee. Short, quirky, and a bit homemade.
For those familiar with it, this course reminds me a lot of the back half of Burde Ridge in middle Tennessee. Short, quirky, and a bit homemade.
