Lewisberry, PA

Pinchot State Park - Quaker's Challenge

4.085(based on 31 reviews)
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24 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.3 years 447 played 414 reviews
4.50 star(s)

“Challenge” is Right….

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 2, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Multiple baskets and multiple positions providing a range of challenge for intermediate and advanced players, and variety for regular visitors. Excellent signage and large poured tees. Good navigation


+ The course introduces itself dramatically on the opening holes: standing on the first tee you're staring straight at the face of a steep rocky hill. The basket is only 250', but it feels like it's straight up. Hole #2 continues the climb (although a bit less steep) with a 276' par 3 or a 420' par 4. Once you reach the top, hole #3 is a level but turning 570' par 4, 795' par 5, ora 934' par 6 (not a typo). This course isn't kidding around - it will give you everything you want; you can pick the level of pain you're willing to endure


+ Although this is a wooded course and there are some very tight lines, the fairways are well-defined. In the flatter areas of the layout, the fairways are grass and a few of the holes feel pretty open, especially playing in winter with the leaves down


+ Although the fairways are defined, there's plenty of danger in the thickly wooded rough. You go offline on this course, and you'll be searching for windows to advance (or just get back out to the fairway)


+ Holes #7 and #10 are a couple of par 4's where it's more about distance than shaping: just throw straight, make a routine upshot, and you'll have birdies. A nice bit of respite from the rest of this tough course


+ Hole #11 and #15 are under 200' from the whites, by far the shortest ont he course. #15 is a downhill tunnel that's all about touch


+ Hole #17 is a long downhill sweeping to the left: a great opportunity as you near the end of the round to just let one go and watch it fade in the direction of the basket




Other Thoughts:

~ Too much elevation to consider this cart-friendly, although you'd be through the worst of it after the first few holes


~ Turns out they allow deer hunting on this side of the park after November 1. I was sharing the woods with guys carrying rifles. Lucky for me I wear orange when playing woods courses in the Fall….


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18 0
jjtwinnova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9.3 years 284 played 97 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Quaking in Fear 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 27, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I played this course as part of the 2019 Amateur Disc Golf World Championships, and I believe it was a great course to use for the tournament. Playing as a true par 69, a round at even was rated at around 980.

While it isn't the longest course, the steep elevation changes, crazy tight fairways, and sharp turning doglegs make up for the lack of distance required.

Every hole on this course required at least one perfectly executed shot to get a birdie. Whether that be a 350 foot tunnel shot, a finessed approach, or a long putt. Sometimes, you might need all three!

Most every hole, when not in the Am Worlds layout, has two baskets to challenge multiple skill levels. The pink Discatchers are really cool and visible through the thick woods. The concrete tees were also appreciated and gave enough traction to give players confident footing on the pad.

There are a couple holes here that I really enjoyed, and would like to highlight.

Hole 3, to the middle pin, is an 800 foot par 5, but takes four great shots to get a birdie. Off the tee is all about placement to give yourself the biggest gap for your second shot. After that, you need a fantastic apporach to give yourself a putt for birdie. I saw too many people go for too much off the drive and take big numbers, and proceed to complain about the hole. However, it is in my personal opinion that this hole is all about playing smart and hitting your line.

Hole 10, from the top tee pad, is a tight tunnel shot, that then gives you a fun, sweeping left downhill approach to a death putt green. Oh, and there is OB all along the left handside. An abosolutely brutal hole that can reward two great shots with a birdie.

Cons:

I really love this course. It's a brutal, chew you up and spit you out type of course. If you don't like that, the Boulder Woods course across the road is definitely nicer to the casual player.

Some cons include the incredibly thick rough, that eats discs and makes them hard to find if you don't have spotters on some of the holes. I would not play this course alone, as it helps to have extra eyes on the discs.

This course is extremely tight, and I truly believe most every hole has a line to the basket, and lines to your landing zone. However, there are a few spots where I would like to take a hatchet and it would make the hole so much better. Hole 14 and 15 come to mind.

The tee signs are a little outdated, and when playing this course blind, you will have to walk the fairways to find the right way to go. Hopefully these are updated in the near future. The uDisc hole maps helped a lot.

There are no crossing fairways, but there is a junction of paths on holes 2, 7 and 9. You might have to wait for a group or two during tournament play, but this course does not get largely crowded most days.

Other Thoughts:

I loved this course, because it was really hard, but it didn't require a 400 foot backhand to score on. It just required a strong mental game and the ability to hit gaps. This course is more about minimizing bogies than racking up birdies.

I would definitely reccomend this course to all players travelling through. For tournament play, don't try and play this course blind. You will struggle. I would also recommend bringing snacks and water, as this course is a workout. Most importantly, have fun out here!
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5 0
where'sfinn
Experience: 6 years 29 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A very challenging wooded course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 1, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Multiple concrete tee pads.
Multiple pins
Benches at some tees
Signage was well laid out and direction to the next basket was given
Very peaceful in the woods and not crowded
Very good change of elevation.
Each hole had different types of turns that required different shots.

The overall hole design was really cool, you had some neat holes where both elevation change and doglegs were in play. You could tell that the course designers intended to make the players think, "Ok, so if I get the disc to land right before this turn, I'll have a line to get to this next turn" instead of "If I just bomb it straight I should be ok". It definitely changed the way I played since it forced me to play for my next shot instead of just bombing discs and hoping for the best.

Cons:

A lot of the shots are extremely tight wooded tunnel shots. When you get in the rough, you are most likely due for a bogey or worst.

Other Thoughts:

This course is very challenging and can be very discouraging for beginners.

Pinchot State Park is very pretty and has a lot to do other than disc golf. Also, Pinchot's other DGC is a 5 minute drive across the lake.
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11 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.5 years 278 played 254 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Double Tough 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a brute of a course, plain and simple. The course plays through a hilly, heavily wooded area of the park that seems to have been set aside for disc golf.

Playing to the long baskets you are looking at 8000+ heavily wooded feet of holes, with a well-deserved par of 69.

A nice feature is that most holes feature 2 baskets (Hole 3 has 3). The shorter baskets are bright pink to remind you that you aren't man enough to handle the long position. Playing to the short baskets still gets you a 6000' Par 58 course that is no joke.

All holes are wooded. The entire way. From tee to basket. No open ground, period. Being able to drive through the initial gap and into the provided fairway is key. I used putters and midranges effectively to drive even some of the longest holes as accuracy is much more important than distance on this course.

Being able to throw dead straight drives as well as left and right-curving drives is a necessity here. There were very few doglegs on the course, and they were generally near the basket, impacting the approach more than the drive. Having at least a basic overhand is useful for getting out of the rough and back into the fairway.

The "more" open holes (1, 2, 9, 11, 12) play up and down steep utility right-of-way but even here you're working within a 30(ish) foot wide clearing with thick thorny brush lining the sides. Sliding out of the fairway even a little bit is punishing and may leave you with little more than a pitch back into the fairway.

Most of the other holes play through a mature forested area, with tall trees and more open undergrowth. When (not if, when) you hit trees your next shot will depend on how lucky you got on the kick. In some cases I got kicked back toward the more open center of the hole, but more often I was kicked out into the rough where strokes get added quickly.

All teepads are excellent concrete trapazoids with good texture. The tee signs feature simple but effective hole diagrams with distances and locations of the baskets. A few next tee signs help with navigation on some of the longer walkouts.

Innova DisCatchers catch great and show up well, especially the BRIGHT pink shorter baskets. It is a great color that could catch on.

Cons:

This is a tough course over rough terrain. Fairways are littered with sharp exposed rock, and in late April/early May were muddy and sloppy. In two rounds I definitely picked up some nicks and cuts in my discs. Couple this with the thick thorny rough and steep hills and you've got some full-contact disc golf on your hands.

While most holes had fair and obvious fairways, a few devolved into throwing through randomly spaced trees. You reach a point on the Par 6 Hole 3 where there is no fairway. Or, if you're a "glass half full" kind of person, there are multiple narrow fairways.

Other Thoughts:

I noticed that the much easier Boulder Woods course on the other side of the park gets a great deal more play. I never saw another golfer the two days that I played Quaker's Challenge. So while this is a tough, challenging course it is not a relaxing walk in the park!

Huge parking lot at the base of the course. The lot is 18 parallel lanes of pavement with grass strips in between. You just pull off into the grass to park. As wet and sloppy as it was I was concerned about getting stuck, but it you park on the pavement you've blocked that entire lane.

Navigation was good for the most part, but going from Hole 17 to Hole 18 requires walking downhill in the powerline right-of-way and there is no sign. My first round I wandered around until I found the basket for Hole 18 and then backtracked the fairway to find the tee. A lot of unwelcome extra walking at the end of a long round.
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11 0
urwatuh8
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 215 played 20 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Quaker Challenge is a course full of long, challenging wooded holes. (The longest layout has an SSA18 second only to Iron Hill golds among courses I've played.) The holes offer a variety of challenges, including great use of elevation, a number of challenging par 4s, and even a true par 6. While the holes are varied and challenging, they don't feel gimmicky or unfair. The course opens with the intimidating straight uphill hole 1, the longest 240 foot hole out there. There are multiple baskets or tees on all holes except 1 and 17, which are in most cases substantially different.

The course has big, level tee pads, with benches at every hole. The signage is great, including representative hole maps and useful next tee signs. The bright pink short baskets are the best homemade baskets I've seen. The course is pretty secluded -- it doesn't overlap with other park activities or hiking trails, and it's out of the way enough not to get too busy.

Cons:

Given that the course is in the same park as a beautiful lake, it's a bit surprising that it doesn't have any epically scenic holes. The rough here can be painful -- there's a lot of thorny bushes that can leave you bloody. Despite the course's length, there are no open holes where you get to air it out. Hole 13 is kind of a weird hole, feels a bit "poke an pray".

Other Thoughts:

This course is long, with lots up and down the hill. Be prepared for a challenging round, even in the shorter layouts. It is not a good course for (most) beginners.
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7 1
Indus
Experience: 7 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Beautiful Beast 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

beautiful layout. excellent signage. the local club has done a great job creating and maintaining this course. played at the beginning of august, so it was thick if you missed the fairway. the design of each hole was well thought out, allowing for multiple options for different style players. this course has a shot for backhand and forehand drives and the exercise is awesome!

Cons:

others may say that, on some holes, the walk from basket to the next tee can be long. i am a hiker, so i didn't mind. gives you time to get your head together for what is coming next, as it seems to just get better and better.
the rough is extremely rough. many briars and spiderwebs and THICK brush. stay in the fairway. hehehe.

Other Thoughts:

my wife and i were passing through the area on our way back to virginia. we decided to stop and play here, as i had looked it up before we left home. i have been playing for eight or nine years and this course beat me up a bit, but it was very well worth it. we met a guy and girl clearing rocks and weed-eating on hole 3 and they were local players. extremely nice folks. i would definitely have played better if i knew the layout. can't wait to come play here again. walnut creek, outside charlottesville va is my home course and usually takes us an hour and a half to play. quakers challenge we finished in three and a half hours! awesome fun. awesome exercise. going back in the fall, for sure.
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4 0
FlyingHyzer
Experience: 11.5 years 29 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Excellent signage.
- Excellent teepads.
- At least 2 permanent baskets on each hole, with short tees on some.
- Tons of different possible layout options to play.
- Seating on nearly every hole.
- Isolated, even in a massive family swarmed state park.
- Challenging.
- Great use of the elevation and surrounding land.
- Holes have well defined fairways.
- Awesome wildlife, I saw the biggest red tailed hawk I've ever seen, absolutely stunning.
- Very easy to navigate with next tee arrows on every basket.

Cons:

- Thick underbrush is unforgiving to an errant shot, lost one myself.
- Some holes (for me) just didn't flow well, hole 4 was kind of weak with how it was set up (people would argue and say thats what makes it a challenge) one of the holes on the back 9 felt like it was just a filler hole.
- The place was pretty swampy/muddy in some places.

Other Thoughts:

Well the name has it right, what a challenge!! Walking up to hole one and stair up at the basket gives you a sinking feeling of "what did I get myself into". Course has a great combination of uphill/downhill shots, Tight tunnel shots, and some more open shots. Neither right or left hand favored. All in all a great course, and a great challenge!
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2 13
homemadegravy
Experience: 40 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Challenging. Great hike.

Cons:

Trees, trees, trees and nothing else.

Other Thoughts:

Full disclosure, I had a terrible round here. That is my fault and my problem, but it did leave me a little incensed at the course. I understand why it is rated so highly. We all like challenging courses. However, I felt like it was a little one dimensional. There is more to disc golf than threading trees all day, just as there is more to it than wide-open holes.
Again, I understand the desire to be challenged, but I felt that Boulder Woods across the lake was more enjoyable while still challenging. Maybe the bad round is clouding my judgement.
I will say, if you are one of those people who base their lives on reviews, don't miss this course on my behalf, but I think you'll see what I mean.
Thanks for listening.
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12 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.7 years 831 played 777 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wooded challenge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a dense forest with thick punishing rough. If you miss your line on the mostly long and tight fairways, you'll be losing strokes and often blood. There is great variety in hole shapes, with a nice balance of left and right turning shots along with some well shaped multi-shot holes that offer different landing zones and options to get to the pin. There are many longer holes, with a few shooter but still technical holes mixed in. Several holes bring elevation into play in various ways, including a very tough first hole straight up a steep slope.

The tees are nice concrete pads with some texture, many were wet when I played and the grip was still fine. There are detailed tee signs on every hole showing hole layout and distance to the multiple pins. The alternate placements changed the course up quite a bit in most cases, and the scorecards available showed the current layout.

Cons:

There were some spots that didn't drain well and got pretty muddy. There were also some areas that were a little overgrown with long grass on a couple fairways. The rough can be pretty brutal at times, thick enough to lose discs in and full of thorns and briars, it often means a pitch out rather than any room for creative recovery shots. The last hole brings the parking lot into play, it could be a safety issue.

Other Thoughts:

This course offers a great variety of tough wooded holes that challenge you to throw many different types of shots accurately. Experienced players will be tested here, with enough variety to keep it fun. Most beginners won't have a good time here with long tight fairways and nasty rough. This course makes a great complement to the easier course on the other side of the park.
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4 2
djkeyzer
Experience: 20 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Thanks Llamas 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

great concrete tee pads.. great baskets.. great shady course.. we played on a very hot day and were reasonably comfortable..

Cons:

sharp rocks.. watch your footing.. you'll find lots of stickers and poison ivy while disc searching..

Other Thoughts:

I see that there is no recent review of this course.. We played today and it's in great condition. The local club is doing a great job.. Thanks guys..
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18 0
bcr123psu
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 85 played 64 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I Hope You've Got Your Game Together 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 26, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Quaker's Challenge at Gifford Pinchot State Park has a lot going for it and it will give you a run for your money. Nestled in the tree-studded rolling hills between Harrisburg and York, the park is easy to get to. Once in the park, it's not difficult to find the course and there is ample parking. The upper portions of the course offer exceptional views of the lake below. The course is amazingly clean and is a testament to the hard work of the local disc golf club, the Boulder Woods Country Club's Fighting Llamas.

Quaker's Challenge requires a robust, well-rounded skill set. The course is completely wooded with tight fairways and makes exceptional use of the natural features. This starts on the first tee as you stare uphill at a basket you will be hard-pressed to birdie, let alone par. This continues throughout the course as numerous difficult uphill throws are required on many holes. While the downhill fairways aren't quite as extreme, there are still risk/reward trade offs on nearly every hole. Additionally, there are very few straight runs at the basket (and fewer ace runs). Many of the holes have some type of left or right dogleg, if not an "S" or serpentine-like fairway. Further lending to the solid design is the incorporation of multiple pin positions on many of the holes.

Newly constructed concrete tee pads are now available on all 18 holes, giving players sound footing while throwing. Additionally, several stone and timber retaining walls help keep the tee pads elevated while also providing a nice aesthetic.

Most of the baskets were in good shape and had clearly-visible numbers around the chastity belt as well as next tee arrows on the bottom of the baskets. The tee signs themselves were exceptionally detailed and included distances, pars, next tee, and possible routes for all the different pin positions. The benches that were available everywhere were great for taking a load off or keeping your bag elevated and handy and were more than just a little handy.

Cons:

Safety comes to mind as a possible con in several spots throughout the course. There are a few spots where the path to the next tee crosses a fairway. Additionally, the footing on some of the severe uphill fairways can be extremely precarious. The last hole is in close proximity to the park road and parking lot, increasing the potential danger to other park users.

The same qualities that elevate the design of this course above others could also be a detractor. Because the fairways are so tight on many of the holes, any throw that is even remotely off the mark could easily result in several additional throws just to get back on the fairway. This is especially (and perhaps unnecessarily) punishing in numerous locations as many holes have thick and sharp briars along the edges. In some cases, the low ceilings make certain types of throws difficult if not impossible, severely limiting the way in which a hole could be approached.

Drainage might also be a problem as there were numerous portions of the course that appeared to be easily water-logged. As much as I can praise the new teepads, there were a few that had standing water and might cause some slippage during a run up. Although there was little to no garbage (a positive), there were very few garbage cans.

Other Thoughts:

The terms frustrating, demoralizing, and humbling could all apply to your experience at Quaker's Challenge, but not necessarily in a negative way. This course demands your A-game and if you don't bring it, you'll pay dearly. The technical skills required to conquer this course are reminiscent of Nockamixon and Tyler. Accuracy is paramount over distance at Quaker's Challenge While I don't believe that this course is appropriate for beginners, it would certainly test their chops. In this regard, I believe that Quaker's Challenge is a solid 3.75. Given the rating scale, I don't think a 3.5 is warranted, so I gave the course the benefit of the doubt and scored it a 4.0. As solid as the design is at Quaker's Challenge, I think that there are enough subtle issues to keep it from a true 4.0.

Although the scorecard from my round showed a final score far north of par, the experience I had at Quaker's Challenge was fantastic. Despite the cons I mentioned, challenging yet enjoyable disc golf is built into the design at this course. I fully intend on playing this course again and would highly recommend that other players come here to see what they're made of.
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14 1
numbernine
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 103 played 49 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Quaker Challenge indeed! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

And Lo, numbernine arrived in Eastern, PA and before him was Quaker's Challenge. The hardest disc golf that he has ever been fortunate enough to trod upon.

OK, enough of the olde tyme writing. I am quickly running of out of words. on to the course.

- Simply put, this is a championship caliber course. There are no "easy" holes to be found anywhere in this place. The first hole looks reasonable on first glance, and then you realize that you probably need to catch a skip off of an airplane's wing to get it to the basket. The elevation change on that hole is punishing! Every hole is a beginner's nightmare, and a pros disc golfer's teenage wet dream. Hard, tight and punishing. Please insert your own jokes here.
- The signage on this course is pretty much second to none. The placards at all of the holes show the layout of each pin location perfectly, and there is a system to tell you which location the basket is currently sitting at. There are also copious amounts of signs that tell you where the next tee is. If you get lost on this course, you might just need to take a seeing eye dog with you next time you play. Signs, clear paths and maps show you everything perfectly. And as this course is longer than Cyrano de Bergerac's nose (I'll wait while you go look that up), you will need the information.
- The course is beautiful, as is the park it sits in. I almost got attacked by a deer. No kidding. Check out the video at the bottom of the review. There was a deer right there on the course. Anyway, this place looks like some sort of nature preserve. Unfortunately, the beauty is marred by the fact that the trees will grab your discs and throw them back at you.
- The tee pads are concrete on most holes, and it appears that they are in the process of putting more in. I ended a sentence with a preposition there, but I don't know how to fix it. You get the idea.
- The elevation changes here and absolutely, positively not a joke. Unless you want kill them, please do not bring old persons or children along with you to this course. There is a good chance that they will fall into the rocky crags and get eaten by a deer. Hole number one and number 10 really stand out in my mind as unbelievable elevation changes.
- there appears to be a very active club at this course. nice informative billboard at the front of the course, and a clubhouse back between 2 and 3. I met one of the blokes out on the course as he was mowing around the pin in preparation for a tournament. personally, I'd rather just curse at the park's department and make them get out there and mow, but I don't know how things work in PA.

Cons:

- as much as I hate to say it; if you're a beginner, you have no business being on this course. It's super long. It's super tight. It's very punishing to bad shots. There is no place to just "wing it" out there, and you will get your ass handed to you on EVERY SINGLE HOLE if you throw one bad shot. For serious, beginning ball golfers don't go play Augusta right away, and you shouldn't be playing this course if you are new to disc golf. You'll want to melt down your discs and pour the hot plastic into your eyes.
- the ground can get a little treacherous. Lots of holes have very, very jagged rocks sticking right up out of the ground as if some sort of enemy combatant had booby trapped the place just before I had come out to play. Luckily for me, I have cat like reflexes and only sprained one ankle.

Other Thoughts:

Amazing course for disc golfers that have some sort of grasp of the game. beginning and occasional players will get crushed like so many villagers underneath the foot of a hill giant at "The Quake".
There is a beginner friendly course in the same park that I would suggest that new guys go to.

This is a destination course, plain and simple. If you think you have game, you need to com to this course and prove it.
Check out the video I made as I played and let me know if it helps the review. I enjoy making them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5jfPL9TLmI
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8 0
RamsFan1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.1 years 92 played 92 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Challenging, Demanding Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Quaker's Challenge has all the elements of a professional caliber tournament course. A practice basket greets you at the base of the course. There is great use of elevation-both uphill and downhill holes. There is distance. There is variety, with unique and enjoyable holes (1, 3, 9, 10, 11 and 17 come to mind). And there are plenty of trees forcing you to pick your line and shape shots. The tee pads are now cement, real nice signs indicate hole # and distance, while a wooden peg lets you know if the basket is in the "A" or "B" position. Navigation is easy, with white arrows affixed to the bottom of each basket pointing you in the right direction. Benches/logs exist at most holes for much needed rest throughout your round. Located in a beautiful state park.

Cons:

Unforgiving rough for anyone who strays off course. Large rocks and tree roots are present on many fairways, preventing good run-ups on approach shots and creating some treacherous travel. A trash can or two would be nice for the half dozen empty bottles of water you'll go through while playing this beast. Swampy in some areas. Not recommended for the beginner!

Other Thoughts:

The Llamas- the local club that plays and maintains Quaker's Challenge, along with its sister course across the lake, Boulder Woods-are a credit to disc golf. Simply put, they get it. They run excellent tournaments and work tirelessly to better their courses- and believe me, Quaker's Challenge is a monster to maintain. Parts of the course remind me a lot of Campgaw Reservation in Mahwah, NJ, with its elevation, and rocky surface, while the views and length are reminiscent of Nockamixon State Park in Quakertown, PA. This is a demanding course for any skill level- challenging and unforgiving, yet very fair. Preparing yourself mentally is essential before playing here. Overall, an excellent disc golfing experience, and one of the best courses I've had the pleasure of playing.
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7 0
#19325
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.4 years 351 played 178 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Quaker is definitely a challenge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

*This course is a very difficult hike and is a physical workout*

Like some previous reviews you know when you arrive to the first tee this course means business. I absolutely love very difficult courses so I was in heaven out there. This course plays up/down and on top/bottom of a very wooded hillside. There are a ton of pro par 4 and 5 holes.

There was a bulletin board that had score cards with maps near the practice basket and tee #1.

I was very surprised how easy this course was to navigate. Each basket had an arrow pointing in the direction of the next tee. For longer walks there were next tee signs aiding in navigaton. I had a harder time finding the parking lot near the 1st tee than any time on the course.

The tee signs were very descriptive with both pin placements. Hole #3 has a third pin placement. On the post of the tee sign there was a peg that noted where the pin was located.

There were some nice elevation changes and unique areas.

There is another 18 hole course on the other side of the lake.

There were some really cool holes out there and a ton of variety. Hole #1 is an absolute bomb to get up the hill. Hole # 9 is a super fun downhill hole.

Cons:

The tee pads were stone and tricky to throw from. It looks like they may be possibly adding cement tees? If so i'd give this another half disc rating.

The rough is very thick. I could see less skilled players not liking this course at all. If you get off the fairway you are going to pay the price. This takes away from some of the fun.

Other Thoughts:

There is a very beginner friendly course on the other side of the park. This state park has it all. This is a great place to bring the family for a variety of outdoor activities.
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/s...aspx#discgolf
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7 0
tistoude
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.3 years 200 played 61 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I am tired just reviewing this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

First and foremost is the use of the available elevation, and there is plenty available. When you get to Hole #1's tee and before you stands a 242 ft long hole that with the elevation plays about a full mile, you realize that this course means business.

The Layout of this course is by no means perfect but really challenges you in the form of disc selection, picking your lines, and being aware of your landing area. A good amount of the greens are on a slight to steep slope and they constantly force you to make the "Go for it" or "Layup" decision.

The variety of hole style was suprising complete. Multi shot par 5's where you need to heed where your disc is going to land to setup your next shot, thickly tree'd par threes that require you to hit accurate lines, a few pretty open holes, doglegs right and left, uphills, downhils, and flat.

This course is set in a beautiful state park with great facilities very close to the first tee. (I had Ice Cream within 3 minutes of finishing my round!)

The course when I played it was in immaculate shape. This is a very wooded course and there were no branches on the ground or debris of any sort to be found.

The local disc golf club really takes pride in this course and there are benches or large logs for seating at every tee. The tee signs were very nice and in good repair. The baskets were all fairly new and in good shape. Also a little oddity that I liked, each hole has a stone painted white 100ft from the basket.

Cons:

Really there are not too may cons, but one of the main Cons in my eyes are the tee pads. They are larger grade gravel and I never really felt very comfortable on them. Some of them were grooved pretty good from previous players, not particuraly level and a bit short.

Wicked underbrush off the fairway. With so many trees in the fairways it is a guarantee that you will end up in the rough stuff at some point. Keep a close eye on your drives and be prepared to bushwack a little bit.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course. Quaker's Challenge is a tough but fair course. Each hole provides good lines, you just have to be able to hit them. There are a lot of par 4's on this course and they reward accuracy and control more than distance. Young Guns that come here and try to bomb every hole without much control will find themselves taking 6's and 7's on a regular basis.

I really liked hole #1 which is legitmately the first time I have ever thrown a driver full power on a 242 ft hole. A few other highlight holes for me were #9 which is a fairly open hole but with a trecherous pin placement, #14 that is a L shaped dogleg left that you cannot cut the corner on and finishes down a tunnel of cedars, and #17 a downhill slight hyzer that can be an ace run if thrown perfectly or can get you into thick rough if you hyzer out left or go long.

Quakers Challenge is a really great course but it is physically demanding, please remember to bring a good amount of water! I am looking forward to playing it again.
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2 4
JDaley522
Experience: 15.5 years 11 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

From tight to wide open tee shots, this course is the most challenging (both physically and mentally) I have ever played.

Cons:

Cement tee boxes would be a great addition to this course

Other Thoughts:

I recommend checking for ticks after playing here. Being in good physical shape is recommended, also...some of the holes are STEEP!
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7 0
cblack129
Experience: 15.4 years 50 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 31, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

All 18 baskets are in great condition including a practice basket by the info sign. All tees were in pretty good shape and level. Tee signs on every hole with recommended flight path, distance. Pin position is noted by a peg in a labeled hole on the tee sign pole. The flow of the course is great. Only one time do you cross over another fairway, but look both ways before you cross and you'll be fine. The fairways are kept in great shape. There are benches on every hole. There is plenty of elevation in this course, uphill and downhill. There is camping available in the park along with restrooms and running water. No hole is the same here. Plenty of room for parking in the parking lot. Anytime I've played this course, it's never been crowded.

Cons:

Tee pads are currently gravel. Some areas remain swampy after rain.

Other Thoughts:

I would give course another half star when concrete tees are installed. Course is long and tight, which requires good accuracy. If you get off the fairway, it's better to just get back on the fairway with a short shot then try to plow through the woods. If you want to shoot par, keep it out of the woods. There is a beautiful view of the lake from basket #1. The local club "The Llamas" take great care of this course. There are bag tag matches here weekly and regular tournaments.
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10 0
jblough
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 85 played 85 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bring your Sherpa! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 23, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The great thing about the course is that you get an idea of what it is like right off the bat; you look up and see a super steep hill with the basket taunting you from the top. From the first drive, you know that this course is going to contain tons of elevation changes, a plethora of rocks, an insane challenge for any skill level, and tight wooded passages that challenge the technical thrower. Wooded passages not your thing? There are plenty of semi-open holes that require a MONSTER arm. Hole #3 comes to mind, with distances ranging from 550 to 935 depending on the pin placement. Wow! Numbers 6, 7, 10, and 16 are also long by anybody's standards, with distances of 525 and over. These aren't all straight ahead fairways, either; rather, they are snaking passages that will require anyhyzers, hyzers, and maybe even overhand shots.

And then there are the holes with mad elevation. I already mentioned the first one, but then there's #9. It's a tight downhill drive with the pin not too far away from basket one. Throw it too far and watch your disc go down the steep hill that you climbed up earlier! Talk about risk/reward! Hole #17 is my favorite on the course, with a blind downhill descent over a ravine to a basket. Even in January this hole (as well as the rest of the course) is very scenic and detached from the hustle and bustle of civilization.

As with Boulder Woods, the park is pretty well-cared for and navigation from tee to tee isn't hard at all; I didn't need my map with either course. I'm sure that the Llamas take care of the course often, seeing as how they have their own storage shed on the course grounds. That's so cool!

Basically, this course has everything I look forward to in a course: elevation changes, technical shots, long bomb drives, sharp anhyzers and hyzers, and a nice wooded feel to the experience. I honestly would have given this a 4.5 if there were one or two more open area/roller shots and a water hazard.

Cons:

Perhaps I was spoiled from the awesome concrete tees Boulder Woods, but I wasn't too impressed with the gravel teepads at this course. The notable exception is with hole #7 and its long ,luxurious, white shag carpet-covered tee.

The course plays near PA-177 on several holes. The issue of a disc going out on the road is virtually impossible (the million trees will inevitably bounce them back to you), but it's still pretty noisy and is distracting from the rest of the course's seclusion and beauty.

Apparently bugs are an issue at this course in the summer. I'd recommend playing here in the late autumn or on one of those rare warm days in the winter. Who knows? Maybe playing without the foliage may also help your scores.

I really like the rugged demeanor of this course, but man there are a lot of rocks! My legs felt like rubber after playing here because seldom was I on level ground. You'll be climbing and going down many hills, trudging through the brush, and stumbling over rocks most of the day. Do your ankles a favor and take a nice pair of hiking shoes/boots to navigate this one!

Other Thoughts:

I couldn't help but think of the wooded Paw-Paw holes when I was playing here. The tight wooded fairways spitting my discs back at me gave me flashbacks to the Woodshed and Whippin' Post.

This course is very challenging! I can't repeat this enough. It will make you regret a lot of shots and test your power. I made the mistake of playing at Boulder Woods first and I was pretty exhausted at the end. I like the other reviewers' advice when they recommend playing here before Boulder Woods so you can build your ego up again.

Regardless, I think this is a fantastic complement to the other course on the grounds of this state park. The people in this region are extremely lucky to have disc golf here and I applaud them for taking such good care of it!
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9 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.3 years 331 played 198 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Excellent challenge! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 10, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Challenging 18 hole course with excellent use of elevation and land. Nice baskets, concrete tees and good signage throughout the course on the tees with map and basket position, and directional signs to next tee. Excellent variety of hole length and shot requirements. Rewards good shots and punishes shots off the fairway. Disc golf only area.

Cons:

Rough fairways and trails with sharp rocks, divots and little tree stumps can be dangerous without good footwear and awareness. Trail crosses back over hole 2 fairway, so beware.

Other Thoughts:

I loved this course especially the huge elevation changes, length, variety, and the challenge. There are bathrooms at the parking lot, and a Subway right down the street for food. Favorite holes 1, 3, 8, 11, 17. This is basically hiking a mountain for 18 long holes, so hiking boots and water are highly recommended. I might be a little crazy, but I had a great time and can't wait to go back!
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9 0
mattohara
Experience: 15.3 years 8 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Pro-level course...getting better 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Difficulty, Length, Creativity, Contrast (to Boulder Woods on the other side of the lake), Llamas, Map, Scorecard, Signage, Water Fountain by the Tower, Clean, Multiple Pins

Cons:

Gravel/Crushed Rock Tees, Unmanicured Holes (some more than others), Heavy Woods, Bugs, Pools of Water, No facilities on-course, Thorns

Other Thoughts:

This course is a BEAST! The first hole is a gigantor uphill blast that really sets the tone for this course. I'm glad I had my hiking boots on because I needed them. (Note that there is also parking on the other side of the course by the water tower so you can "work up" to Hole 1 by playing the back 9 first).

My buddy and I tackled the front 9 with gusto. These holes are looong and, over parts of the course, heavily wooded, in deep grass, and complicated by lots of saplings on fairways that could be cut back a bit. I can't even imagine a pro trying to get through some of these.

Walking back on 5 and 6 we realized that what we thought was bug spray was actually sunscreen! Luckily we ran into Jeff and George (I think those were their names) at the top of the hill. They were very nice, talked about the course, lent us some bug spray. The state gave them 80 acres and they're using all of it! They're working on getting concrete pads and trying to clear out some of the greens a bit more. Great work these guys are doing, given the rough terrain and rocks. Don't forget to stop for some water at the fountain!

Back on the course we forgot to use the map (it's a good one, use it) and went from 7 to 12. That's one spot where an additional signpost would be nice. We realized it on 14 and decided to backtrack later. On the REST of the course the signage is EXCELLENT, with "next tee" arrows under the baskets and great tee signs that show you the layout and tell you which pin you're aiming for. Nice benches at practically every hole too. It was partially our own fault for getting off course.

We finished the course about 2.5 or 3 hours after starting. On lots of holes we hiked 3/4 of the way to the basket before we could see it and we spotted for each other. I'm used to Sedgely Woods, which I can play in an hour or less. So be prepared. Bring lots of water, bug spray (no sunscreen necessary), hiking boots and jeans (in case you have to go off-course through the thick, thorny undergrowth-we did and we found an unmarked Panther in great condition).

I LOVED the challenge, but I don't think I'm ready for this course yet. Next time I'll warm up at Boulder Woods and have lunch before tackling this creation.
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