Canterbury, NH

Top O' The Hill Disc Golf

3.745(based on 35 reviews)
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5 0
Scott12701
Experience: 33.9 years 63 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful NH course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Wonderfully maintained
- Well stocked Pro Shop
- Holes are well designed with clear cut fairways
- Challenging layout
- Beautiful Tee signs
- Easy to navigate. Well marked

Cons:

- Baskets are sometimes hard to see in the woods.
- Tee boxes were ok, but permanent concrete tees would definitely make this course a half star better.
- A few holes were throw and hope for the best rather than actually picking a line.

Other Thoughts:

This is a beautiful course that is a must play for anyone visiting the Concord, NH area. The course is pay to play, but at a very reasonable price ($5 for the round, $8 for the day). I arrived late in the day and easily finished my 18 holes before sunset.
The bulk of the course traverses through the woods, with a few holes out in the open on the back nine. I found the layout to be well thought out, with a good mix of long and short holes, with most having a clear cut line/fairway to the pin. Most fairways were fairly wide, at 30-40', and there was little to no underbrush to deal with should your drive stray of course. Errant drives result in more trees to navigate, which made the course enjoyable to play without fear of thorn bushes and poison ivy.
I found the pins to be a little difficult to see at times, but that may have been partly a result of the time of day I was there. Still, a yellow flag on top would be a big PLUS and something I hope the course owner considers for the future.
Overall, this is an absolutely wonderful course tucked away in the beautiful, scenic mountains of New Hampshire. The course is challenging but fair, and a real joy to play. Considering that it is a private course, I can't say enough for what the owners have done to make this a top notch course that anyone visiting the area should play.
Well done!
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5 0
HumorMe
Experience: 10 years 21 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- 3 sets of tees. Blue is the longest and they make for a good pro course. White is more for amateur and Red is for beginners (or an ace run if you're in the mood).
- Excellent shop with lots of discs.
- Friendly staff
- Great layout. I really appreciated the design effort that went into it and there was only one hole that I considered unfairly guarded.
- Good baskets
- Every hole has a clearly defined circle. They used a ton of really small unobtrusive markers (little bristle-ly things that won't interfere with a disc at all but won't wash away like paint would). I'd never seen this before but I think it's brilliant and I greatly appreciated it.
- Clear, detailed signs located at the blue tees with the distances for all 3 tees listed.
- Well maintained. Undergrowth is mostly tamed. Fairways are very clear and woods around them is not bad.
- Port-a-potty
- You can tell when an owner takes pride in and cares for a course. This one has the markings.

Cons:

- Tees could be a little better. Most of the blue were fine, but some of the white ones were nothing more than stones marking a stretch of hard-packed, even ground. All were usable, but definite room for improvement.
- Maybe a few more signs on the back nine to direct us to the next tee. Most were clear.

Other Thoughts:

A definite gem. A small private operation without a big staff, so you have to look at where they have spent their limited resources, and I think they have made good decisions. Loved it. Solid 4.
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9 0
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 222 played 191 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Standing on top...of the hill...for a little while 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The course lives up to its name. There aren't many courses in New England that can match the combination of elevation and variety.

Hole 2 is a steep uphill drive to a fairway that levels off. You're challenged to get max distance without fading or turning into the trees on either side.

Hole 3 is a long, lightly bending fairway. This shows off one of the hallmarks of this course: the thoughtful landing areas. If you can gently turn over your disc, you set yourself up for the par shot. If you fade out to the left, you don't have an awful out shot - you just have a tougher approach. Ball golf builds courses this way, and I'd like to see more disc golf holes like this.

Holes 12 -15 make great use of the utility easement. Again, I've seen a lot of courses that stray away from using these semi-open areas, and it's too bad. It adds some nice variety to this place.

Hole 16 is one of the best on the property, with a fairway shaped kind of like a question mark with the tee box on the dot. The fairway is reasonable but tight with little room for unwanted skips. You need to know your discs and play within your game.

Lastly, hole 18 is a fun finishing drive with at least three routes off the tee. You are driving across a field to a lightly wooded turn in the fairway over some natural bumps in the landscape.

Navigation was easy. Tee signs were prevalent. Tee pads are rubber.

Cons:

I wish there were legit multiple tees. The signs show other short tees, but they are just stakes in the ground, which doesn't quite count.

A few holes have a little more luck than I'd like. Hole 12 is a fun blast across the utility easement with a RHBH fade down the hill, but whether you end up close to the hole is partially a matter of luck (whether you fade out through the guardian trees). There was another hole (somewhere in the 7-10 range, I think) that was a long left-to-right turnover shot that - unlike so many holes here - didn't have much of a landing zone.

Other Thoughts:

This was the site of the 2016 NEFA championships, and it was a great course for a championship. This is one of the best courses in New Hampshire and well worth a visit.
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9 0
jtreadwell
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 92 played 28 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Top O the line Casual Experience 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 13, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Fantastic atmosphere and staff
- Good variety of shots and hole lengths
- Well groomed for a deep woods course
- Nice little pro shop on site
- Good signage and teepads
- Excellent use of elevation

Cons:

- Lower on the challenge side (may be pro for some)
- Rough is typical for a deep woods course
- Buggy as all hell (not necessarily within control, but a con nonetheless)

Other Thoughts:

Top O' The Hill DGC is an exemplary example of a top notch casual course. While it lacks the long, difficult drives and high class amenities of a "professional" course like Maple Hill, TOTH never wanted to be one of those courses in the first place. The owner and designer, Marty, created TOTH to be a haven for those who want to relax and hang out with friends while playing a fantastic round of golf, and in that pursuit he succeeded with honors. The course winds throughout the woods as it traverses the large hill that is the course's namesake. Every hole has at least moderate elevation change, and the course is set up to have a good mix of both positive and negative elevation to create some unique holes. There are plenty of trees to block errant shots on even the shortest, easiest holes, so while there will be quite a few birdie and ace opportunities nothing is guaranteed. There are no clear signature holes (though the downhill 390ft bomb into the woods could be a contender to some) but each hole presents a different shot than the last, and the mixing of short, long, uphill, downhill, tight, and open holes is well done to avoid a feeling of de ja vu.
While the fairways are well kept, this IS a deep woods course and is therefore subject to the usual drawbacks. Going off of the fairway can lead to some difficulty in locating your plastic, as the underbrush is clearly too much for the small staff to completely keep in check. With thick foliage comes thick swarms of mosquitos and horseflies (or deer flies, or moose flies, or whatever. Some variety of ungulate fly) so be prepared to leave a pint or two of your blood at the course. High DEET bugspray seems to act as seasoning for the bugs here, so plan to wear protective clothing if you're averse to a few bug bites.
Don't let the bugs turn you off though! The best way to reduce the threat of bugs is to play with others and provide extra targets, and fortunately that shouldn't be a problem. I showed up alone, but was easily able to meet up and be invited to play with some of the local players. There is an active league with multiple skill tiers, so not only are there plenty of friendly locals to play with, there's opportunity for some healthy competition if that's your thing. Marty has a good thing going here and will happily include you in it as long as you're respectful and friendly. Leave your privilege and don't be a dick, and you'll have a fantastic, laid back round of good old fashioned disc golf at TOTH.
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2 3
NHChiver
Experience: 9.9 years 22 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Gem 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

What a Great course. I had no expectations when i arrived. I kinda thought I'd be looking at a really good home course. I can see why this place is so highly rated. Great shot variation, some early birdie opps to get your game going. Then on back the 9 they open up to some real bombs. Fairways are challenging but fair, the rough is well cleared of scrub, leaving just evil trees to screw up your shot. Water stations on a few holes. The owners are friendly and the pro shop is well stocked. Make a trip to this little New Hampshire Gem.

Cons:

I wish it was a little closer to my house

Other Thoughts:

a music series, regular leagues, a pro shop. what are you waiting for.
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4 0
JimBailey175
Experience: 11.7 years 43 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course, constant improvement 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 19, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

+Well laid out offering a good shot variety and level playing field for LH/RH and FH/BH throwers.
+Easy navigation and good signage.
+Decent length and elevation on a mostly technical (tight) course.
+Rubber mats on large, level frames make for the best tee pads you'll find.
+Friendly and passionate owners (Marty and Betsy) improve the course in new ways every day.
+Fully stocked pro shop, ample parking, and complete warm-up area (practice basket and huck net).
+Nice finishing touches including big benches on most holes (handcrafted from cut trees) and water coolers at pro shop and hole 12/13/15/16 intersection.

Cons:

-Some litter near tee pads (carry out, people!).
-A few holes are more like "throw and hope" than "follow the fairway" (1, 11, 13), at least for an intermediate player like myself.
-Hole 13 eats lost discs. Big hyzer bomb with blind hillside landing zone generates frequent rollaways where locating your drive is very difficult. Use a spotter if you can (I often play solo).

Other Thoughts:

Thanks to the efforts of the owners, TOTH gets better every time I play it (which is too often). Brand new pro-shop construction is well underway and (already ample) disc/bag selection is expanding.
Continuous improvement is ongoing with brush reduction and selective tree removal to enhance the playing experience without compromising the challenge of the course.
I'm happy to have TOTH as my home course and I can't wait to see what the future holds here.
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4 0
blumonk
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

home sweet home 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has a terrific variety of long and short holes and left/right turning holes.
As of this spring, all holes have framed rubber tee boxes.
There has also been some clearing of brush outside of the fairways combined with ordinary foot traffic that has made finding your mishap of a shot and making a successful recovery easier.
Marty is upgrading his pro shop as we speak which will only add to this already terrific course.

Cons:

I would mention things like mosquitos, ticks, pricker bushes, and poison ivy like everyone else, but it's no worse than any other place in the woods of New England. Bring bug spray and watch where you step.

Other Thoughts:

We stumbled upon TOTH in spring '12 and it quickly became the home course of my friends and me. Marty and Dave have put a ton of work into it. The holes flow very smoothly. Holes 8 & 11 are two of the last few holes to get rubber tee pads and their locations were moved slightly to provide a little more challenge.
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5 2
jvaccaro
Experience: 13.7 years 58 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Solid course design rewards good drives with birdie chances, while offering a fair but serious challenge. Well balanced 18 with short and long holes, with both open and wooded shots. Not an easy course, but not too hard either, making me want to play it again and again. The surrounding area is beautiful NH woodlands with nice home made wood benches. Good signage makes it easy to navigate. Also, the owner of the course Marty is a really nice guy who you can tell truly loves disc golf. Large disc selection in the club house too.

Cons:

Some of the teeboxes don't have rubber mats yet. When they're all finished this course will be 4.5/5 easy.

Other Thoughts:

I played this course when it first opened and again late last year. From then to now, the improvements are dramatic. The underbrush is way less intrusive, cleaned up fairways, benches, and rubber teeboxes make this course very close to championship caliber.
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6 3
davistd0
Experience: 15.1 years 85 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Awesome Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 18, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a technical course that helps level out all players on the scorecard. There are only 3 or 4 holes where 350 foot drives are needed. The rest require a controlled mid-range disc or a smooth flick. Great hole variety and pin location as well: no gimme approaches.

Good tee signs on every hole. I had no problem navigating the course. Smooth flow from hole to hole.

They are constantly clearing the low vegetation along the eges of the fairways to give the course a more polished look and increase playability. The trimming is very strategic; keeping the challenge intact while making it easier to find bad shots/kicks.

A few holes have hand-crafted benches made from trees cut on the course. There is a practice basket and driving net by the parking area to warm up your game on.

New teepads have been installed and they look/play great!

Cons:

The rough lining the fairways can be unforgiving where it hasn't been trimmed yet. Do not stray to the left on #3 or #6.

Other Thoughts:

Course is in great condition and a blast to play.
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5 8
Chris Carr
Experience: 17.7 years 40 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good Job Marty 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Clean and quiet. A mainly wooded course layed out with variing degrees of difficulty, elevation changes and distances. Marty is doing a great job. Jarod and I were the first to play Hole 13 tee. Nice rubber on alot of stone dust. He has definatly put alot of time, hard work and money into this coure. It shows! Well done.

Cons:

Usual blood sucking vermin.

Long walk to Hole 1

Other Thoughts:

Great course. If a few more small trees were removed and maybe additional lanes on a couple holes it would be awsome.
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3 5
danman
Experience: 15.8 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Awesome course in the making 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very challenging, nice wooded fairways, very good signage, awesome course owner. Beautiful brand new baskets. A couple of ace runs, and some really long legitimate par 4's

Cons:

none

Other Thoughts:

Awesome course still a work in progress. Loved it, would definitely like to play there again after its broke in a little more.
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5 5
bigpygmy
Experience: 14 years 62 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Finally a course less than an hour from me 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 11, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fun and challenging, good variety of shots come into play. No water...

Cons:

The usual; ticks, poison ivy, bugs, etc.... No complaints about the course, only mother nature.
I guess the tee pads could be better, but they're still putting some things together as it's a completely new course

Other Thoughts:

The course is brand new, once people start using it more and things become more established, I see this course becoming excellent. Pro shop and free loaner discs

Since May they have cleared literally tons of undergrowth, widened fairways, improved signage, painted the pro shop, installed benches, replaced the stolen sign(stolen the within first couple weeks they opened), got a website, hosted an awesome Ace Race, and overall have steadily improved the course over the summer.
Marty and crew are passionate about disc golf for everyone and his dedication to making it accessible is shown through this course.
Your $5 is what helps to make this course and it has put it to good use. As evident by the vast improvements that have taken place in only one season. It takes cash to run chainsaws, tractors, brush cutters, etc...
....and the shop never has discs because people buy them up as quick as he gets them in.
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