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Mental Health Clinic - Beacon Hollow reviews
10
0
The Beast at Beacon Hollow
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 18, 2023
Played the course:once
Pros:
+Nice concrete tees that are adequate in size and grippiness.
+Practice basket near hole #1.
+Nice baskets that are all in good shape.
+Older, shorter course in same area that can serve as a good warm up.
+Grounds are very well maintained. Mowing looks frequent. Tree issues look to be dealt with swiftly. No real areas to lose a disc unless one gets held up in a tree.
+Great variety in length. Nothing super short but a few that would need to be 2'd if you were in a competitive round where there aren't too many opportunities. A few holes over 500' including one over 800'! That hole is mostly open but there is a line of trees lining the left side of the fairway as well as a few others near the flight path. I haven't played a hole that long in awhile.
+Good variety of holes that are open or wooded. Not a tightly wooded course by any means but there are definitely holes that force certain lines.
+Overall, this course had great scenery. There was the current Mental Health Clinic as well as some older buildings from the past. Those older buildings appear abandoned but offer some interesting architecture and history. There are some prairie landscapes, large oak trees, and more open, park like areas.
+Mandos aren't my favorite things but here they are used to encourage safer lines and keep discs off roads and walking paths.
+Unique island hole made of road OBs. It was a good challenge on one of the shorter holes. I was happy to park my drive for a fairly easy 2.
+Despite the length, this course is still approachable and fun to lower level players. I was gaining on a group of 10+ while playing and most of them looked to be carrying a disc or two. They all still seemed to be having fun despite being newer or less serious players.
+Excellent tee signs. Full color and lots of info. No navigation issues here.
+Practice basket near hole #1.
+Nice baskets that are all in good shape.
+Older, shorter course in same area that can serve as a good warm up.
+Grounds are very well maintained. Mowing looks frequent. Tree issues look to be dealt with swiftly. No real areas to lose a disc unless one gets held up in a tree.
+Great variety in length. Nothing super short but a few that would need to be 2'd if you were in a competitive round where there aren't too many opportunities. A few holes over 500' including one over 800'! That hole is mostly open but there is a line of trees lining the left side of the fairway as well as a few others near the flight path. I haven't played a hole that long in awhile.
+Good variety of holes that are open or wooded. Not a tightly wooded course by any means but there are definitely holes that force certain lines.
+Overall, this course had great scenery. There was the current Mental Health Clinic as well as some older buildings from the past. Those older buildings appear abandoned but offer some interesting architecture and history. There are some prairie landscapes, large oak trees, and more open, park like areas.
+Mandos aren't my favorite things but here they are used to encourage safer lines and keep discs off roads and walking paths.
+Unique island hole made of road OBs. It was a good challenge on one of the shorter holes. I was happy to park my drive for a fairly easy 2.
+Despite the length, this course is still approachable and fun to lower level players. I was gaining on a group of 10+ while playing and most of them looked to be carrying a disc or two. They all still seemed to be having fun despite being newer or less serious players.
+Excellent tee signs. Full color and lots of info. No navigation issues here.
Cons:
-The other course on the property is quite close to this one. There are a few times that you see those baskets when teeing off or setting up a second shot. On the 800+ foot hole, you end up seeing hole 4 on both courses at the same time. If you are not paying attention to the basket style, you might end up aiming at the wrong hole.
-Not a lot of elevation. It's pretty flat. There are some light rollers but not enough to add much to the course.
-No water or other types of hazards.
-Some people might not like the mandos but I can see why they are there.
-Not a lot of elevation. It's pretty flat. There are some light rollers but not enough to add much to the course.
-No water or other types of hazards.
-Some people might not like the mandos but I can see why they are there.
Other Thoughts:
+This course was a fun challenge for me. It was longer and tougher than I expected. This would make an excellent tournament course that would work well for many levels of players.
+A course of this length could really use a second set of shorter tees. The land is plenty big for this and it could really enhance this course. They have enough area that they could take totally different lines at many holes and give locals an even better experience.
+Cherokee, Iowa is a smaller town but this course is solid. Definitely would recommend a stop here if you find yourself in the area.
+A course of this length could really use a second set of shorter tees. The land is plenty big for this and it could really enhance this course. They have enough area that they could take totally different lines at many holes and give locals an even better experience.
+Cherokee, Iowa is a smaller town but this course is solid. Definitely would recommend a stop here if you find yourself in the area.
15
0
Nice Sprawling Course on MHI Campus
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 18, 2022
Played the course:once
Pros:
-Concrete Tees
-Excellent signage
-Good Baskets
-Challenging distance
-Mostly plays away from any activities
-Interesting "Island" Hole (#13)
-Good variations on distance, technicality, obstacles
-Excellent signage
-Good Baskets
-Challenging distance
-Mostly plays away from any activities
-Interesting "Island" Hole (#13)
-Good variations on distance, technicality, obstacles
Cons:
-Long....3 holes over 500', 1 at 800'
-A few Mandos
-Road potentially in play on #5, #10 and #13
-Walking path in play on #6, #7, #8
-A few Mandos
-Road potentially in play on #5, #10 and #13
-Walking path in play on #6, #7, #8
Other Thoughts:
Beacon Hollow DGC wraps around the state Mental Health Clinic campus on the western edge of Cherokee, IA. The course stays away from the active part of the campus (a razor wire, locked down, state mental health facility), but does wrap around a couple of unused buildings. Mechanics are good, decent concrete tees, nice signage, good baskets. The layout is a little sprawling over this large campus. 3 holes are over 500' with one of those clocking in at 800'. This course will take you a while with a total length of just over 7000'. There is a little elevation to work with and a couple of tunnel shots. There is even an "island" hole (#13) set up with a spot to drop with a penalty. There are a few mandos to work around, the worst of which is #18 which makes you tackle that hole with a long "L" shape. There is a small 9 hole course inside the first 5 holes or so (noted on the map), so you could make a 27 holer out off it, too. Maybe add some short tees (especially for the long holes) and nix a couple of the mandos, otherwise not much to fix. Overall, a challenging and enjoyable round, I would definitely play again, if in the area.
