-
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
Ridgecrest reviews
9
0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
19.9 years
597 played
544 reviews
Stupidly fun
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:May 30, 2011
Played the course:once
Pros:
Ridgecrest is a short, beginner friendly, private course that plays through the back of the Ridgecrest Conference Center. The course is isolated from other parts of the center, and gives a true "out in nature" feel.
- This is what you'd expect for a disc golf course at a private, retreat center. Not a lot of challenge or length, plus a couple of less than desirable hole layouts. For advanced players, you can easily play this course with only several discs.
- That said, there are some pretty decent holes. The back nine is more challenging than the front. Whereas on the front 9, where every hole seems birdieable, the back 9 will require some real shot making and aggressiveness.
- Plenty of birdie chances and ace runs here. Average hole length is less than 220. Only 1 hole is listed longer than 300 feet (#16 at 345); however the basket for #13 (listed at 286 feet) has been moved back from its location on the tee sign. It seemed to be closer to 320.
- Course is easy to navigate, almost to a fault. Anytime you can navigate a course without a map is a good thing. The caveat is that most tees are within 10 - 20 feet of the prior hole's basket. The only time a next tee sign would have been helpful is the transition from #10 to 11. Shortly after #10 basket, the trial splits. #12 tee is to the right, btw.
- Tee signs are descriptive. Tee pads are dirt/grass, but at least they're flat, so not an issue.
- The beauty of the area might be its best feature. You're pretty high up on the mountain and have some great views of all around. Course uses some of the elevation, but could easily incorporate a lot more, if they wanted to toughen up the course. The fields would also be a nice play to camp. You'd have a great view, first thing in the morning.
- This is what you'd expect for a disc golf course at a private, retreat center. Not a lot of challenge or length, plus a couple of less than desirable hole layouts. For advanced players, you can easily play this course with only several discs.
- That said, there are some pretty decent holes. The back nine is more challenging than the front. Whereas on the front 9, where every hole seems birdieable, the back 9 will require some real shot making and aggressiveness.
- Plenty of birdie chances and ace runs here. Average hole length is less than 220. Only 1 hole is listed longer than 300 feet (#16 at 345); however the basket for #13 (listed at 286 feet) has been moved back from its location on the tee sign. It seemed to be closer to 320.
- Course is easy to navigate, almost to a fault. Anytime you can navigate a course without a map is a good thing. The caveat is that most tees are within 10 - 20 feet of the prior hole's basket. The only time a next tee sign would have been helpful is the transition from #10 to 11. Shortly after #10 basket, the trial splits. #12 tee is to the right, btw.
- Tee signs are descriptive. Tee pads are dirt/grass, but at least they're flat, so not an issue.
- The beauty of the area might be its best feature. You're pretty high up on the mountain and have some great views of all around. Course uses some of the elevation, but could easily incorporate a lot more, if they wanted to toughen up the course. The fields would also be a nice play to camp. You'd have a great view, first thing in the morning.
Cons:
Course has some funky aspects to it. You can tell the designers (or more likely the conference center) didn't want to put in too much effort into making a course or disturb anything. For example, holes #1 - 4 run around the edge of a soccer field. Other holes use a trail/road as their fairways, and #8 & 9 play around gated tennis courts.
- Speaking of #8 & 9, they need to be replaced by two actual holes. #8 plays down one side of the courts, with the fence on the left and woods on the right. Then you walk around the courts and play #9 down the other side. They're poorly laid out, and seem to only add the chance of searching for a disc in the woods.
- The tee pads two steps from the basket are kind of weird. Obviously the course doesn't get much use, so it shouldn't be a problem. The bigger problem will be when other activities are going on. If people are playing soccer, I guess #1 - 4 are shutdown.
- For being in the mountains, and halfway up one itself, you'd like to see more elevation in play. Most holes are flat, and the others only have minimal up or downhill shots.
- Speaking of #8 & 9, they need to be replaced by two actual holes. #8 plays down one side of the courts, with the fence on the left and woods on the right. Then you walk around the courts and play #9 down the other side. They're poorly laid out, and seem to only add the chance of searching for a disc in the woods.
- The tee pads two steps from the basket are kind of weird. Obviously the course doesn't get much use, so it shouldn't be a problem. The bigger problem will be when other activities are going on. If people are playing soccer, I guess #1 - 4 are shutdown.
- For being in the mountains, and halfway up one itself, you'd like to see more elevation in play. Most holes are flat, and the others only have minimal up or downhill shots.
Other Thoughts:
You can tell the course was built mainly to create another outdoor activity for people at the retreat center, so they put in 18 baskets. I don't know how much disc golf knowledge the designers had, or if they were just content to build a course and leave it at that. It's sad, because there's so much room here to build a great course. That said.....
- On the flip side, Ridgecrest is in the process of cracking the whip on non-guest DGers. From people on the inside, the course is soon going to be only open to outside play after 6pm. They're had problems with DGers and other outsiders, they're being forced to make changes. All I can say is, that didn't take long for there to be an issue.
- The back of the park is dedicated to all sorts of different sports/outdoor activities from tennis court, hiking trails, ball fields and mini-golf. I don't know if that's open to the public or if its only for people staying there as well.
- Fairly or not, I found myself comparing this course to Bonclarken, another private course at a Christian conference center. Bonclarken's best hole was better than Ridgecrest, but it also had worse holes. Ridgecrest also has more potential for a better course.
- If you can get in here, not getting stopped by a guard at the front gate, it's worth checking out. If you don't raise suspicion, you should be fine.
- On the flip side, Ridgecrest is in the process of cracking the whip on non-guest DGers. From people on the inside, the course is soon going to be only open to outside play after 6pm. They're had problems with DGers and other outsiders, they're being forced to make changes. All I can say is, that didn't take long for there to be an issue.
- The back of the park is dedicated to all sorts of different sports/outdoor activities from tennis court, hiking trails, ball fields and mini-golf. I don't know if that's open to the public or if its only for people staying there as well.
- Fairly or not, I found myself comparing this course to Bonclarken, another private course at a Christian conference center. Bonclarken's best hole was better than Ridgecrest, but it also had worse holes. Ridgecrest also has more potential for a better course.
- If you can get in here, not getting stopped by a guard at the front gate, it's worth checking out. If you don't raise suspicion, you should be fine.
