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Wabash Woods reviews
9
0
A fantastic foil to its next door neighbor
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:May 22, 2023
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
-->FRONT TEES Ideal for Rec-Intermediate players who can throw up to 300' and hit gaps with reasonable consistency. I would imagine even par from these tees would be like a 900 rated round in regular conditions. Will be quite challenging for brand new and novice players.
-->BACK TEES More suited for Advanced/Open players who can throw 400+ and can consistently hit gaps. Even par from these tees I have to imagine would be 960-980 rated.
- Gaps to hit off the tee of various sizes, some fairly open holes
- Great risk/reward in the course design. Most holes will present a fairly straightforward par if you play to the biggest gaps or throw conservatively. And if you go for the green and catch a tree at full speed, you'll have to scramble.
- Rough on every hole and woods near every green reward conservative shots and accuracy
- Great new concrete pads on the shorts
- Layout is intuitive and no walks between any holes that feel too long
- The flat ground and fairly regular mowing allow for rollers which can be a great option on the tightest holes
- All shot types required, high stalls, low ceiling, forehand, backhand, you'll definitely be scrambling a lot and this will test that part of your game
- Tournaments play well here with holes not too close to each other and a layout that's no so spread out that shotgun starts give you a super long walk
-->BACK TEES More suited for Advanced/Open players who can throw 400+ and can consistently hit gaps. Even par from these tees I have to imagine would be 960-980 rated.
- Gaps to hit off the tee of various sizes, some fairly open holes
- Great risk/reward in the course design. Most holes will present a fairly straightforward par if you play to the biggest gaps or throw conservatively. And if you go for the green and catch a tree at full speed, you'll have to scramble.
- Rough on every hole and woods near every green reward conservative shots and accuracy
- Great new concrete pads on the shorts
- Layout is intuitive and no walks between any holes that feel too long
- The flat ground and fairly regular mowing allow for rollers which can be a great option on the tightest holes
- All shot types required, high stalls, low ceiling, forehand, backhand, you'll definitely be scrambling a lot and this will test that part of your game
- Tournaments play well here with holes not too close to each other and a layout that's no so spread out that shotgun starts give you a super long walk
Cons:
- The biggest thing holding the course back is dated baskets. They are a bit rusted and seem to be light on chains. If you putt with a lot of pace you're very likely to cut through or just square up the pole and spit back out. Some of them have a strangely large gap between the chains and the top of the cage.
- No bathrooms
- No water
- The practice basket is not in good shape
- Parking is closest to holes 6 and 7, no parking by 1 or 18 (at least according to the signs but I see cars there)
- When the course gets overgrown the rough gets quite thick and there is disc losing potential, even 10-20ft off the fairway
- Good tee signs but no signage outside the course making it tough to locate the holes without UDisc GPS
- No bathrooms
- No water
- The practice basket is not in good shape
- Parking is closest to holes 6 and 7, no parking by 1 or 18 (at least according to the signs but I see cars there)
- When the course gets overgrown the rough gets quite thick and there is disc losing potential, even 10-20ft off the fairway
- Good tee signs but no signage outside the course making it tough to locate the holes without UDisc GPS
Other Thoughts:
This course is incredible and a must play for anyone in the area. Simply put, one of the best designed courses I've played outside the pro tour ones.
I think with brand new baskets and better signage outside the course this could get close to a 4.5. I've played this course probably at least 50 times and I still enjoy coming back whenever I'm in town.
As someone without a huge arm but decent accuracy, I love playing woods over waters. And the fact that both of them are walking distance to each other elevates this course so much.
I think with brand new baskets and better signage outside the course this could get close to a 4.5. I've played this course probably at least 50 times and I still enjoy coming back whenever I'm in town.
As someone without a huge arm but decent accuracy, I love playing woods over waters. And the fact that both of them are walking distance to each other elevates this course so much.
13
0
Wooded Goodness, Mmm Mmm! 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Oct 10, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
- McAllister Park is home to two epic, gold-level, 18-hole courses: Wabash Woods and Wabash Washout. The two courses are opposite sides of the same coin: while the differences between the two stand out at first, after a few play-throughs, the similarities in design begin to stand out. Wabash Woods, as the name suggests, is a heavily wooded affair. Wabash Washout, located on the site of an old municipal ball golf course, and is more open (though still with its fair share of deep rough and trees to avoid) and lengthier, with rolling elevation. Both courses force successful shot-shaping to landing zones, often a couple of times per hole, in order to score well. These courses are about managing the length, navigating the hazards, finding the landing zones, and executing a wide variety of shots.
- Elevation: Wabash Woods is flat, flat, flat. Not sure I've played 18 holes this flat. The only rises in land are the small berm of earth upon which hole #10's tee is located; and a slightly rolling fairway on # 17.
- Tees are currently natural (a couple might've had gravel IIRC), marked with two orange flags. Each hole has two tees, long and short, except for hole # 10, for which we only could located the one tee. No tee signage exists, but the navigation and flow are all pretty obvious, aided by "next tee" arrows on each basket. In fact, the flow between the holes, as well as the spacing, is well done. Also, the design makes sense, if that makes sense. At no point did I look at a hole and say, "Hmm, I wonder what happens here." Because of the excellently defined fairways, and a design aesthetic that follows a sort of solid internal logic throughout, the lack of signs was not a factor in our round here.
- Landing zones/ route choices/ risk v. reward: especially from the longs, Wabash Woods is all about hitting the fairways, staying out of the thick woods, hitting landing zones, managing which out of multiple routes to take, recovering from brutal schule, and taking risks through the narrow gaps of trees to attempt to bite off more fairway in order to score better. This is one of the best heavily wooded designs I've personally played: every hole is exceptionally designed... nothing feels gimmicky or weird, or "off." The designer(s) really hit this one out of the park. Each hole is eminently fair. There's always more than enough space to work with on a hole: provided you're hitting your lines and getting to the landing zones. The landing zones aren't all obvious, so there's some thinking man's golf to be had for more cerebral, more talented players as they are forced to choose the level of aggression vs. managing the narrow, tree-filled fairways. Hole #'s 6, 8, 12, and 17 are long, epic, multi-landing zone holes with well-defined fairways, awesome pin positions, and challenging fairways. From the longs, these are all gold-level, big boy, serious business, disc golf. The shorts make this course much more manageable, but still will wallop most casual players. The shorter holes (from both long and short tees) help break up some of the (awesome) insanity of the much longer holes, without being throwaway or cheap.
- Absolutely gorgeous wildlife factor at play here. There is an INDOT-designated migratory bird pathway on site, so entire flocks of birds can be heard (loudly) roosting in nearby trees. We also saw (over two rounds): a coyote crossing hole # 14's fairway with prey in its mouth, a hawk swooping down on a putter, a living marmot, a dying marmot (hanging out on hole # 7's fairway), a living snake, and a dead, headless snake. I, personally, read all the Animal Omens on this course as generally favorable, ha.
- Right next to the parking lot is the old golf course's driving range, which now serves as a disc golf driving range. Neat.
- Elevation: Wabash Woods is flat, flat, flat. Not sure I've played 18 holes this flat. The only rises in land are the small berm of earth upon which hole #10's tee is located; and a slightly rolling fairway on # 17.
- Tees are currently natural (a couple might've had gravel IIRC), marked with two orange flags. Each hole has two tees, long and short, except for hole # 10, for which we only could located the one tee. No tee signage exists, but the navigation and flow are all pretty obvious, aided by "next tee" arrows on each basket. In fact, the flow between the holes, as well as the spacing, is well done. Also, the design makes sense, if that makes sense. At no point did I look at a hole and say, "Hmm, I wonder what happens here." Because of the excellently defined fairways, and a design aesthetic that follows a sort of solid internal logic throughout, the lack of signs was not a factor in our round here.
- Landing zones/ route choices/ risk v. reward: especially from the longs, Wabash Woods is all about hitting the fairways, staying out of the thick woods, hitting landing zones, managing which out of multiple routes to take, recovering from brutal schule, and taking risks through the narrow gaps of trees to attempt to bite off more fairway in order to score better. This is one of the best heavily wooded designs I've personally played: every hole is exceptionally designed... nothing feels gimmicky or weird, or "off." The designer(s) really hit this one out of the park. Each hole is eminently fair. There's always more than enough space to work with on a hole: provided you're hitting your lines and getting to the landing zones. The landing zones aren't all obvious, so there's some thinking man's golf to be had for more cerebral, more talented players as they are forced to choose the level of aggression vs. managing the narrow, tree-filled fairways. Hole #'s 6, 8, 12, and 17 are long, epic, multi-landing zone holes with well-defined fairways, awesome pin positions, and challenging fairways. From the longs, these are all gold-level, big boy, serious business, disc golf. The shorts make this course much more manageable, but still will wallop most casual players. The shorter holes (from both long and short tees) help break up some of the (awesome) insanity of the much longer holes, without being throwaway or cheap.
- Absolutely gorgeous wildlife factor at play here. There is an INDOT-designated migratory bird pathway on site, so entire flocks of birds can be heard (loudly) roosting in nearby trees. We also saw (over two rounds): a coyote crossing hole # 14's fairway with prey in its mouth, a hawk swooping down on a putter, a living marmot, a dying marmot (hanging out on hole # 7's fairway), a living snake, and a dead, headless snake. I, personally, read all the Animal Omens on this course as generally favorable, ha.
- Right next to the parking lot is the old golf course's driving range, which now serves as a disc golf driving range. Neat.
Cons:
- Finding the course is the worst part, by far. After pulling into the parking lot, head right down the walking path (maybe 800- 1000' or so) that runs parallel to the wood line and look for the practice basket at the "corner" of the woods. The course starts in a small opening in the woods just short of the practice basket.
- No amenities: no tees, signs, benches, trashcans, etc. More an FYI than a con; because of the very high quality of the course design and its intuitive flow, these are all very very easy to overlook and ignore. The lack of these did not affect my rating, as I am assuming better tees are in the works for this still very new course.
- No amenities: no tees, signs, benches, trashcans, etc. More an FYI than a con; because of the very high quality of the course design and its intuitive flow, these are all very very easy to overlook and ignore. The lack of these did not affect my rating, as I am assuming better tees are in the works for this still very new course.
Other Thoughts:
- Epic toughness from the longs. Highly satisfying from the shorts. Overall, extremely fun, fair, and challenging. Kudos.
- Wabash Woods' on-site sister course, along with the great design and challenge, makes McAllister Park a MUST HIT for those traveling through the area (along with Camp Cullom a little farther southeast in Franklin). These aren't "best of the best"...but they fall not short, and taken together they can offer a full day of epic, big boy discin' on complimentary-styled monsters.
- This course received a moderate bump in rating due to the complimentary nature of Wabash Woods' sister course, Wabash Washout, which greatly increases the overall vibe.
- Wabash Woods' on-site sister course, along with the great design and challenge, makes McAllister Park a MUST HIT for those traveling through the area (along with Camp Cullom a little farther southeast in Franklin). These aren't "best of the best"...but they fall not short, and taken together they can offer a full day of epic, big boy discin' on complimentary-styled monsters.
- This course received a moderate bump in rating due to the complimentary nature of Wabash Woods' sister course, Wabash Washout, which greatly increases the overall vibe.
9
0
WWII-Flight of the Cloud Jockeys 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 22, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Shot Selection-features forehand and backhand opportunities.
Secluded atmosphere, very attractive location, this land is primarily used for the Course, folks have been finding their way walking through as well.
Used Mach II baskets, still in good shape. There are small black & gold stickers showing Hole #'s affixed to the posts, within the chains. These, in addition to the next Hole signs make following along easy.
Wooded, technical flow, but in no means unfair at any point, fair lines are the name of the day. Variety in lengths, doglegs, the designers did a great job, making this a challenging yet fun layout.
On blazing hot days, when the Washout course would be brutal, this is a welcome opportunity to get a solid Round in, while having plenty of shade
Secluded atmosphere, very attractive location, this land is primarily used for the Course, folks have been finding their way walking through as well.
Used Mach II baskets, still in good shape. There are small black & gold stickers showing Hole #'s affixed to the posts, within the chains. These, in addition to the next Hole signs make following along easy.
Wooded, technical flow, but in no means unfair at any point, fair lines are the name of the day. Variety in lengths, doglegs, the designers did a great job, making this a challenging yet fun layout.
On blazing hot days, when the Washout course would be brutal, this is a welcome opportunity to get a solid Round in, while having plenty of shade
Cons:
This is a "Diamond in the Rough" course, brand new and growing, so no amenities like Tee signs, Tee pads, benches, trash cans. I may be one who enjoys "Primitive DG", so none of this is a concern to me, nor affects my review.
This area can be buggy, so be prepared with bug spray.
This area can be buggy, so be prepared with bug spray.
Other Thoughts:
This addition to Wabash Washout makes it a great stop in the Lafayette area. Two distinctly styled Courses, each serving its purpose-this one technical, the other Bombs Away.
Also located nearby is an RC-flying club's stomping ground, the Lafayette Cloud Jockeys, founded in 1958. At any given time, you will hear the air buzzing with their cool airplanes, short drive from the Woods course to see them in action.
Also located nearby is an RC-flying club's stomping ground, the Lafayette Cloud Jockeys, founded in 1958. At any given time, you will hear the air buzzing with their cool airplanes, short drive from the Woods course to see them in action.
6
0
Wabash Woods - New 2nd Course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 26, 2020
Played the course:once
Pros:
As you enter McAllister Park , there is plenty of parking available . I did not see a bathroom to either course . Wabash Woods is in the woods to your left and down the road . This is an 18 hole course .
The Equipment - All of the tee pads are natural . There are no signs in, yet . Little numbered orange flags are at almost all of tee areas . The baskets are unnumbered Mach 2 . They do have plastic Next Tee arrows attached to the bottom rungs of the baskets to help with navigation . Without them , you would be lost . There is a practice basket just outside of the woods near hole #1 .
The Landscape - The course fairways were mowed and the course was clean . The course is 100% + woods or semi woods . It seems like the trees move into the throwing lanes as you are teeing off . I can't imagine the volunteer work that went into making fairways and tee boxes for the Woods . There is no elevation here . Everything plays very flat or on just a slight slope . The course designers made enough obvious pathways in and out of parts of the woods to make transitions easy .
The Highlights . Every hole on this course is tight and technical ,,,, or mostly tight and technical . If you don't like those types of courses , walk across the parking lot and play Washout's 18 . Since there was no chance of using hills or water on this course , the designers used tree formations as variety . #4 ( 510' , 631' ) plays down a tight fairway in open sky . The basket is on an open green on the right, but to get there you have to pass some small trees . #7 is a short tunnel shot with a couple of trees in front of the basket . #14 ( 203', 274' ) you have to negotiate a tunnel drive and wrap around a clump of small trees 150' in front of you .
Signature Hole - #17 ( 618' 682' ) You have some fairway to work with , and this fairway will bend to the right at about 300' + , Just past the halfway point , you will have to throw through a grove of trees at the end to reach the basket . IMO , the nicest looking hole , too .
Time : It took me about 80 minutes to play the course . A group of 4 could get through in under 2 1/2 hours .
The course was frustrating ( my precision game needs work ) but fun . It was the perfect compliment to Wabash Washout across the lot .
The Equipment - All of the tee pads are natural . There are no signs in, yet . Little numbered orange flags are at almost all of tee areas . The baskets are unnumbered Mach 2 . They do have plastic Next Tee arrows attached to the bottom rungs of the baskets to help with navigation . Without them , you would be lost . There is a practice basket just outside of the woods near hole #1 .
The Landscape - The course fairways were mowed and the course was clean . The course is 100% + woods or semi woods . It seems like the trees move into the throwing lanes as you are teeing off . I can't imagine the volunteer work that went into making fairways and tee boxes for the Woods . There is no elevation here . Everything plays very flat or on just a slight slope . The course designers made enough obvious pathways in and out of parts of the woods to make transitions easy .
The Highlights . Every hole on this course is tight and technical ,,,, or mostly tight and technical . If you don't like those types of courses , walk across the parking lot and play Washout's 18 . Since there was no chance of using hills or water on this course , the designers used tree formations as variety . #4 ( 510' , 631' ) plays down a tight fairway in open sky . The basket is on an open green on the right, but to get there you have to pass some small trees . #7 is a short tunnel shot with a couple of trees in front of the basket . #14 ( 203', 274' ) you have to negotiate a tunnel drive and wrap around a clump of small trees 150' in front of you .
Signature Hole - #17 ( 618' 682' ) You have some fairway to work with , and this fairway will bend to the right at about 300' + , Just past the halfway point , you will have to throw through a grove of trees at the end to reach the basket . IMO , the nicest looking hole , too .
Time : It took me about 80 minutes to play the course . A group of 4 could get through in under 2 1/2 hours .
The course was frustrating ( my precision game needs work ) but fun . It was the perfect compliment to Wabash Washout across the lot .
Cons:
#1 Equipment - I know that signs and tee pads are possibly on the way , and I don't mind Mach 2 baskets ( although the practice basket looked worn ) . Many of the long tee flags were missing . A couple of the early orange ( short tee ) numbered flags look like a lawnmower spit them out . If someone altered the Next Tee signs , you would have Chaos .Adding a kiosk near the woods entrance , and a sign at the parking lot advertising the Wabash Woods course with a direction arrow would be big .
#2 Disc Risk - Medium . Not a lot of blind shots , but the rough can be really rough . It seems they used length to make up for elevation , water , etc. Because of this , a kickoff of a tree can put your driver in overgrowth 3-4' high ( ex. hole #4 ), Alleyways are tight and you Will Hit Trees .
#3 - Hole #12 at 677' and 815' there is a straight ally to the basket that might be 10' wide , or you can take a chance like I did and pinball through the woods on the right and lose 2 strokes . I know it is a par 5 , but the hole is unrealistic .
I would like to see some amenities like a few benches , and maybe a small shelter with a bug screen . The Woods has plenty of room for either .
Bring bug spray . They were bad when I was here . Really bad in the high grass .
I would have liked to see a couple more doglegs , but I guess the course length makes up for that .
The course is new , so be careful of the small stumps in the fairways . Also , the flat plain may flood some and make fairways soggy after a good rain .
#2 Disc Risk - Medium . Not a lot of blind shots , but the rough can be really rough . It seems they used length to make up for elevation , water , etc. Because of this , a kickoff of a tree can put your driver in overgrowth 3-4' high ( ex. hole #4 ), Alleyways are tight and you Will Hit Trees .
#3 - Hole #12 at 677' and 815' there is a straight ally to the basket that might be 10' wide , or you can take a chance like I did and pinball through the woods on the right and lose 2 strokes . I know it is a par 5 , but the hole is unrealistic .
I would like to see some amenities like a few benches , and maybe a small shelter with a bug screen . The Woods has plenty of room for either .
Bring bug spray . They were bad when I was here . Really bad in the high grass .
I would have liked to see a couple more doglegs , but I guess the course length makes up for that .
The course is new , so be careful of the small stumps in the fairways . Also , the flat plain may flood some and make fairways soggy after a good rain .
Other Thoughts:
Course designers Mike Layne & Stephen Preischel did a great job with this course . It must have been crazy to clear those fairways . And you can never go wrong with parking your car and playing 2 distinctly separate 18 hole courses .
I hope to make it back up here in the future so I can see the finished product . If the course is kept up and necessities added , this area will be Lafayette's most popular place to play . Thank you , Lafayette Parks and Rec. and Wabash Disc Golf Club for making this happen .
My Recommendation - This is not going to be a good intro course or one for newbies or families . Locals should like it , and intermediates to pros will enjoy playing it while working on their technical game . This might not be the great stop for travelers unless they are staying over in Lafayette . This is now a twofer for the Course Collector, with a couple of 9 hole courses down the road to add . Wabash Woods is new and raw. Play It !! so you can say you sampled it before this course became a big deal . ( I am moving my review score up as soon as I see equipment essentials added )
I hope to make it back up here in the future so I can see the finished product . If the course is kept up and necessities added , this area will be Lafayette's most popular place to play . Thank you , Lafayette Parks and Rec. and Wabash Disc Golf Club for making this happen .
My Recommendation - This is not going to be a good intro course or one for newbies or families . Locals should like it , and intermediates to pros will enjoy playing it while working on their technical game . This might not be the great stop for travelers unless they are staying over in Lafayette . This is now a twofer for the Course Collector, with a couple of 9 hole courses down the road to add . Wabash Woods is new and raw. Play It !! so you can say you sampled it before this course became a big deal . ( I am moving my review score up as soon as I see equipment essentials added )
