Overrated courses

[davetherocketguy]

And it's because of precisely what David is talking about here that every course I go to I take the reviews with a grain of salt - and so should everyone else. I do use the reviews as a way of gleaning useful information (if there is any to be had) about a course I've never played before especially in regards to navigation.

 

[BigAl724]

I have a few

Played a course called South Hills up in Maryland. It was rated a 4.4 or so. As a group we were hugely disappointed. 3-3.5 at best. Also was not a fan of Ditto Farms though some in my group liked it.

More recently the Patriot in Kernersville NC is getting a lot of hype but I played it the other day and while it is very pretty and has nice amenities the design on the longs is not all that great. 3-3.5 for me.

Southeast in Columbia also felt the same when I played it though that was mainly due to maintenance at the time. I could see the potential in the design. It was just in really bad shape. I hear some guys are making a lot of improvements so looking forward to checking it out again. Felt like a 3-3.5 with potential for more.

Bracketts Bluff used to be an amazing course. It's still cool but not close to #1 in NC.

And finally while it was still a Great course I felt that Blue Ribbon pines was a little over rated. Didn't even crack my personal top 10. Still a 4-4.5 but it didn't WOW me like I was expecting and got kinda repetitive at times.

Do you mean South Hills in Lebanon, PA? I figured since that course is definitely overrated. Like you said, started out with real high ratings which put it up as one of the best in PA. I went out of my way to play it but was a little disappointed. Fortunately I think a few guys from your group had already reviewed it before I played so I was somewhat mentally prepared for a let down.

Not even close to being among the best in PA, though I did still give it a 3.5 since I really enjoyed the front 9. Toward the end, though, the course got very repetitive.

 

[BraveThrower43]

Do you mean South Hills in Lebanon, PA? I figured since that course is definitely overrated. Like you said, started out with real high ratings which put it up as one of the best in PA. I went out of my way to play it but was a little disappointed. Fortunately I think a few guys from your group had already reviewed it before I played so I was somewhat mentally prepared for a let down.

Not even close to being among the best in PA, though I did still give it a 3.5 since I really enjoyed the front 9. Toward the end, though, the course got very repetitive.

Yea that's the one. I got confused on locations of some of those courses. We played in PA and Maryland that day and it was the worst day on the trip as far as courses. We played a lot on that trip and those did not stand out enough for me to even remember where they were hah

 

[Stardoggy]

The problem with that is that to many people having another course on site is like any other additional ammenity that may push a course up a notch. Just like those who loves pro shops on site. It may not make a difference to some - and it has nothing to do with the 18 holes - but to others it is a bonus.

Exactly this. A place I can go to that has multiple good course on site is inevitably going to get some sort of bump, just like a good course with multiple tees/pin placements gets a higher rating than a similar one with single tee/pin.

 

[ru4por]

Hudson Mills Original gets pretty boring pretty quickly.

Some truth here....though, in it's defense, the loss of Ash trees and now Russian Olives have changed this course quite a bit over the years. A lack of elevation does not help it either. But, two quality tee pads per hole, solid upkeep, an active club, garbage cans, benches, tons of additional park amenities and an even better 24 hole course across the parking lot certainly bump the score here as well.

 

[prerube]

Has anyone else played a 4 star reviewed course and was disappointed? Winter Park is a good course but did not live up to reviews and Ditto Farm is more hyped with 9 out of 11 reviews 4 stars or higher. I would be curious to see what these reviewers would rate WR Jackson, Stoney Hill, Rennaisance, Blue Ribbon Pines, Tyler, Nevin and other great courses.

I have played Renny, Nevin, and Ditto.
I did not review Nevin because I personally did not feel I could rate it fairly, but Ditto is a high quality course that is brand new and still improving. I think a 4 is generous, but deserved.

 

[prerube]

Personally I feel Deer Lakes is the most over-rated course I have ever played. It is a nice quality course, but it does not live up to the hype and I can think of 10 that I have played that are better.
I gave it a 4.5 rating, but I think that was just because 4.25 was not offered.

 

[Dave242]

Agreed. Each course should badically be judged on its own merits. In my area Cedarock and Wellspring occassionally get talked about as excellent cources because they are on the same park and well kept. If they were apart they'd bemedicocre courses at best. Decent places to play on your way through town, but nothing special.

I agree with you on Cedarock as it is mostly open and therefore mostly boring for my tastes in courses. But......the design is phenomenal for the land it uses - maximizes the variety of terrain and obstacles in very interesting ways. For this reason, I can see folks who prefer more open courses rating it quite high, and I do not slight them for rating it highly. After all, ratings are subjective (and therefore this whole thread is rather pointless, but fun anyway).

Totally disagree with you on Wellspring. That is a phenomenal old school accuracy course that has a ton of variety, challenge and natural beauty and seclusion.

 

[Dave242]

There are two disappointments for me recently:

Macatawa Greenspace in Holland, MI
Oshtemo Township Park in Oshtemo, MI

You can read my reviews to find out why.

ding ding ding....we have a winner. Oshtemo is not a well designed course....boring DG.

 

[Dave242]

As has been discussed many times before, private courses get an overrating boost of 0.25-5.0 out of gratitude to the owner, and that one can usually partake without fear....and the imaginary "vibe" that people feel when on these courses. These courses often get a pass when they lack things that public courses get hammered for lacking (good/consistent tee pads & baskets, signage, bathrooms, parking, safety, etc...)

If you are rating the overall experience, I guess that is fine. That is a recreational rating based on the game of DG.

But if you are rating how the course effectively tests the skills of the thrower (the person competing against the course - the sport of disc golf), those are not valid considerations.

 

[Shamis]

Do you mean South Hills in Lebanon, PA? I figured since that course is definitely overrated. Like you said, started out with real high ratings which put it up as one of the best in PA. I went out of my way to play it but was a little disappointed. Fortunately I think a few guys from your group had already reviewed it before I played so I was somewhat mentally prepared for a let down.

Not even close to being among the best in PA, though I did still give it a 3.5 since I really enjoyed the front 9. Toward the end, though, the course got very repetitive.

Yeah, south hills is a fun course, but when it opened up people were acting like it was some kind of world class destination, which it most certainly isn't.

But for eastern PA nothing disappointed me as much as Tyler. It was a top 10 course when I played it first and it never really impressed me. Noc, Jordan, and Sankanac were all better.

 

[IHearChains]

(private) courses often get a pass when they lack things that public courses get hammered for lacking (good/consistent tee pads & baskets, signage, bathrooms, parking, safety, etc...)

Bucksnort is a good example of getting a pass. It has issues with all of the things you mentioned, but it's got a cool vibe and the owner seems like a really good guy. I played Conifer right after Bucksnort, and the disc golf is way better at Conifer. I had a lot of fun at Bucksnort but it doesn't crack my top five.

 

[takman]

Every course in the Top 50 since the first year of DGCR has been increasingly overrated because its become a competition instead of unbiased rating.

 

[DavidSauls]

As has been discussed many times before, private courses get an overrating boost of 0.25-5.0 out of gratitude to the owner, and that one can usually partake without fear....and the imaginary "vibe" that people feel when on these courses. These courses often get a pass when they lack things that public courses get hammered for lacking (good/consistent tee pads & baskets, signage, bathrooms, parking, safety, etc...)

If you are rating the overall experience, I guess that is fine. That is a recreational rating based on the game of DG.

But if you are rating how the course effectively tests the skills of the thrower (the person competing against the course - the sport of disc golf), those are not valid considerations.

I didn't know that was the standard.

I'm rating courses based on how much I like playing them, and would want to play them again. And, to a lesser degree, how much I expect other disc golfers would enjoy playing them.

I expect almost everyone is doing this. If 20% of reviewers value trash cans and bathrooms, a given course's rating will reflect that proportionately. Or any other feature, positive or negative.

 

[filobedo]

I have played Renny, Nevin, and Ditto.
I did not review Nevin because I personally did not feel I could rate it fairly, but Ditto is a high quality course that is brand new and still improving. I think a 4 is generous, but deserved.

I agree Ditto could be great (4.25 - 4.5) one day with some maintenance and starting on hole 2 and eliminating 1, redesigning 3 and 4 to add an extra hole but it is a 3.5 currently. They have two baskets on each hole but the shots in the field were boring to start and baskets 3 and 4 short and one other have no green behind parts of the basket and they are pinned into the woods or brush. The only other time I have seen this was at the original and second version of James Island County Park. I was surprised to see so much grass growth in the woods under trees on the back side which would only need a few work days to correct with weedeaters.

 

[BennettUA]

Ashe County --- good but not incredible and far from "the best course in NC." I had huge expectations based on what people said, and was sorely dissappointed, expecting some Flyboy/FlipCity level discing.

Idlewild --- Navigation issues, drainage problems, multiple baskets on some holes but not all and not marked, rules not clearly posted(island green, for instance), etc. I thought it was a good course, but not a top 5. BUT, I will be playing it again in a couple weeks, and may adjust then as I played it 4 years ago.

All other courses --- for being too righty-friendly.

 

[TheOtherBill]

Ashe County --- good but not incredible and far from "the best course in NC." I had huge expectations based on what people said, and was sorely dissappointed, expecting some Flyboy/FlipCity level discing.

You must have recently taken a driver to the cranium, and I hope you are ok physically but...

Ashe County is AMAZING. Harder than hell, will wear you out with elevation and challenging holes like no where else on this planet. If anything it is UNDER-rated. A true test of man vs course, no matter which handed you are.

 

[BennettUA]

You must have recently taken a driver to the cranium, and I hope you are ok physically but...

Ashe County is AMAZING. Harder than hell, will wear you out with elevation and challenging holes like no where else on this planet. If anything it is UNDER-rated. A true test of man vs course, no matter which handed you are.

Navigation is not great(had a guide and on the day of a tourney, and still not easy), a couple repeated shots, and some general tricky goofery.

But again, it's simply my opinion. I had my expectations of the course inflated to near-5* status based on reviews and discussions, but it was not that. Played Highland Hills on the way there, and I thought that was an equally good course.

 

[Dave242]

But if you are rating how the course effectively tests the skills of the thrower (the person competing against the course - the sport of disc golf), those are not valid considerations.

I didn't know that was the standard.

I'm rating courses based on how much I like playing them, and would want to play them again. And, to a lesser degree, how much I expect other disc golfers would enjoy playing them.

I expect almost everyone is doing this. If 20% of reviewers value trash cans and bathrooms, a given course's rating will reflect that proportionately. Or any other feature, positive or negative.

I didn't say that was the standard.

I am agreeing with you that each person has their own rubric....even if for some it is impossible to figure out if their's is consistently applied. And, by extension that DGCR's averaged rating respects each person's divergent value system for what is "good" in a DG course.

In my observation, some people seem to rate DG-nonspecific amenities so high that I feel like they would rate a nicely appointed park with good walking trails a 3.0 even though there are no baskets or fairways.

On topic and in defense of DGCR ratings, I have never regretted choosing to go out of my way to play a course rated 3.5 or higher. Of course my preferences sometimes differ from the norm/average and I feel some courses are overrated or underrated.......but DGCR ratings are an amazing indicator of course quality when choosing how to route a trip or allocate time on a visit to an area.

 

[TheOtherBill]

I def would not want to play Ashe County in a tourny, makes for a better 40th bday trip...which it was...so maybe that colors my opinion some.

However, things like the wall of bushes to throw over on an already ridiculous uphill pin, the net on the best thumber hole ever to prevent that throw and general 'holy crap I have to throw what'-ness to some of the shots makes it 2nd to only Flyboy. If I'm not out throwing just for some time playing slap@ss with my buddies then I want a course to challenge me, really kick me in the goodies and leave a mark. Ashe county is that, and not much else is.

Oh yeah, and Patriots Park is overrated. Pretty boring actually, and I didn't much care for WR Jackson but great facility.