Pros:
• Course is relatively easy to find
• Nice location with some interesting scenery in the valley area
• Warm-up areas
• Baskets are in good shape and seem to all have hole number markers
• A nice variety of shot shapes
• Most of the tee pads on the first 18 are in good shape (rubber mat type)
• Most of the holes have tee/distance makers, although some are inaccurate or contradictory where there are two markers.
• Multiple basket positions and pads throughout the course
• I like the Karma Box for lost discs
• Benches
• Dog Friendly
Cons:
• Not the easiest course to navigate. Could use some more "Next Tee" signage.
• Signage is a bit inconsistent overall
• Tee pads on 19-27 are practically non-existent.
• Poison Oak around the back part of the course is thick. (Holes 3-5ish)
• No restrooms/water that I could see.
Other Thoughts:
Tips
• A map or course guide/friend is an extremely good idea. We got lucky that we got in behind a friendly group that knew where to go. Thanks guys!
• A spotter is not a bad idea, although not quite required. There are a couple holes where you may wish you had one though.
• Pack out your trash people! Although there's a dump nearby, which incidentally provides a sparkling aroma on #2, so it's hard to say how much garbage is blown in from there versus dropped by naughty discers.
• Bring water and use the restroom before you go out.
Random Thoughts:
Ryan Ranch is an interesting course, in that, almost every basket is dead straight ahead, but yet, on each hole you're presented with new challenges on how exactly to get there. It also seemed quite long to me with many holes over 350 feet (which I like), and the short one's being quite nasty. Speaking of which, this site has every hole listed as a par 3. Ouch! I personally believe in the ~400 foot par 4 and ~500 foot par 5, but that's just me. With those set of rules, I threw +3 for the full 27. Without them, I probably threw +8.
Additional random thoughts on the holes:
• #1 is a great starter hole because it's wide open and long thus allowing you to get a bit warmed up.
• By #2, your warm-up is over because you're presented with a left to right that is unforgivable if you go right and not particularly nice if you go too far left.
• #3 is this course's 'Top of the World' shot. It's a beautiful deceptively long downhill bomb into the valley with planes coming in for a landing overhead. Very cool.
• #4 is an OK slightly uphill shot but #4A is one of the meanest holes I've ever seen. Straight up hill through the trees and hard right with Poison Oak all over the place. Yowza!
• #5-#8 is where you can open 'er up a bit but do pick your landing spot somewhat carefully.
• #9 & #10 will absolutely make you pay for going left. Don't go left. Really.
• #11 almost got me my first ace thanks to a friendly ricochet off a nearby tree. Disc ended up UNDER the basket. Good times.
• #12 is a very difficult hooded forest shot. Stay low or dive bomb it I guess. I don't have that shot in my bag though.
• #13 & #14 I can't recall much about for some reason. Brian freeze apparently.
• #15 & #16 you can open 'er up again. #15 basket is tucked into the hollow on the left.
• #17 is an elevator up and out shot.
• #18 you'll want to steer clear of the reedy area to the right. Nasty in there. Tip: #18 basket is the one on the left.
• #19 is all about the landing spot off the tee.
• #20 is trying hard to take the title of meanest hole from #4A. There is an extremely narrow spot between the fenced parking lot and the tree line that you'll need to hit on your first throw. So yea...I had to climb the fence. If you don't see #20s basket in the open, it's past the tree line and to the left. I mistakenly thought the pole marking one of the baskets positions was an object pin. Figured it out later.
• #21 and #22 are fairly straight forward.
• #23's tee position is tricky. I'm guessing there are two. I found the one in the tree grove thanks to a large arrow dug into the ground. Never found the one on the map.
• #24 LET FLY!!!
• #25 Barely found the tee area. Only found a pole. Perhaps there's a basket somewhere. I also saw another tee pad nearby. Maybe #23's?
• #26 LET FLY AGAIN!!! Just don't go left. Yea...I went left.
• #27 Looking back, I'm pretty sure I used #26A tee area for #27, so I'm not too much help here. I didn't realize 'til later I should've walked way right to find it. But hey, it was a tougher shot and I parred it, so there.
Bottom Line:
I sense a lot of love in this course. The baskets are all in great shape and numbered. There are nice benches around the course, as well as trash cans. You can also see progress being made on the tee pads and signage. Unfortunately, that progress is a bit uneven as you move through the first 18, and 19-27 still feel a bit like a work in progress. With that said, I suspect over the next little while that the love will finish things off nicely and this course will really shine. Overall, this is a very fair and fun course that I would probably slot in the intermediate skill level zone depending on your feelings about par. I also suspect that in the winter months this course gets a lot tougher as water flows and grass grows. But don't let all this stop you from going because we had a good time out there and quite enjoyed the scenery. I look forward to going back and seeing the progress. Good job Jellies!