+ A lost disc box, course map and info board are nearby link1.
+ The practice basket is on a daring peninsula in the huge lake by the parking lot.
+ DiscGolfPark baskets are different colors depending on which layout you are playing. They have the built-in guiding arrow.
+ It's such a pleasant and quiet place to be. There are nice views all over the place with its large lake, calm woods and breezey fields.
+ Insane elevation features.
+ Intimidating water carries.

- As of late June 2023, the tee signs were just laminated paper on stakes.
- No truly dense forested holes to make you stop and think.
-/+ As of late June 2023, the tees were just turf anchored to a wooden frame. They were wide, long and flat, though.

The disc golf course at Faylor Lake has been around for only a couple of years, yet it already has a reputation that precedes it thanks, in no small part, to some high-profile figures singing its praises. This review will mostly echo those praises.

Let's get the obvious stuff out of the way.
This course is astounding to look at. Before you've even finished parking the car, you get smacked in the face with a lovely view of the titular lake right there in front of you and surrounding the practice basket. Then, once you start playing, you are treated to wonderfully crafted fairways with crisp lines, healthy trees and leisurely greenery. I enjoyed the calming optics of link2 the most because of its shady oblong tunnel. It looked like a great place for a picnic.

Little did I suspect that just a few fairways later would be one of the most jaw-dropping downhill tee-offs I have ever encountered in my disc golfing career so far. From the start I decided to play the gold layout, and I'm so glad I did. (You should, too. Forget about skill level.) Link6 has a long tee that puts the player on top of it all. You can see for miles from up there. Snap a picture or two. Where's the basket? Who knows. Probably to the right or something. Disc golfing temporarily takes a back seat while your brain comes to grips with how high off the ground you are. Then, once you gradually gather the courage to tee off, throwing from such an elevation is a thrilling moment that most courses I've played can't match, and I loved it.
If I'm cold and critical about it, the actual disc golfing part of link6 is pretty bland and straight-forward because the fairway after the tee is wide open and basically featureless. That is easily overshadowed by the fact that you have to descend dozens of stairs just to meet up with your drive. Then, once you do, you can't help but look back and feel dwarfed by just how high off the ground you were. Yeah, link6 was my favorite to play in spite of its open fairway.

There are a few stinkers, though. Link9 is a basic gentle upslope through a too-wide tunnel. Link11 plays pretty wide open alongside a wheat field. And link16 was a slog of a fairway because of how long and monotonous the fairway was in contrast to the rest of the course.

That's as bad as it gets, though. The rest of the course is an adventurous and satisfying circuit dealing with sufficient woods, water carries and tricky topography. At link8, we are placed atop a dam and tasked with hitting the fairway without rolling endlessly down and into the water below. A little bit later at link10, the land slopes dramatically down to the right, and the trees threaten to send our throws into the shadow realm. I would say that this course accommodates the power players over the tacticians because of the lack of any meaty tree puzzles, but any disc golfer can find something to love about this place.

This place was not crafted for the sport of disc golf. Rather, the sport of disc golf was invented for this place. It's a new course, yes, but you should definitely add it to your wishlist. Pennsylvania already has some killer courses. Still, Faylor Lake shines bright as an emminent example of the very best that PA and, if I'm honest, the northeast at large can offer. Emphatically recommended!

P.S. What was with all of that caution tape? In late June 2023, on links5 and 8, the long baskets were removed and their circles surrounded by caution tape. Did I miss something?

A destination, championship caliber course with two sets of tees and baskets - meaning that any level can enjoy playing here

+ Water, elevation change, mix of technical and open holes. Short-Short can be played by beginners; Long-Long challenges the best; Short-Long and Long-Short are two excellent layouts with varying challenge for everyone in between


+ Not one but two breathtaking Top-of-the-World shots (#6 and #15 played from the back tees).The course is built around a manmade lake and uses the contours of a steep earthen dam on a number of holes, although there's plenty of natural elevation change throughout the layout.


+ As you'd expect, the Long tees emphasize length, but also on truly controlling your teeshot. Low ceilings (hole #2), water carries (#7, #8, #18), long alleys (#1, #17), cliff throws (#6, #15) and a variety of shapes


+ I played the back (white) baskets and appreciated the extra challenge they offer. A few are on ridges, several have water right behind them, #17 is perched way up on the side of the earthen dam


+ The layout includes an extra "Tournament basket" on a narrow peninsula on #18, creating two water carries


+ A few holes have marked OB (white flags) that narrow the landing zones on the bigger drives or tighten the greens on some of the par 4's

- The signage is still temporary, but very good. The tees are DiscGolfPark style turf; they're a bit small, but they're flush to the ground for extended runups. They're in great shape now, but I wonder how well they'll age. A huge parking lot has been built, and a building with bathrooms is under construction. I guess the course could stand a few more benches. These are relatively small "cons" - they don't affect play, and don't take away from my ultimate rating of "5"

~ Most fairways are beautiful grass; it's said that they planted 20 acres of grass here. The staircases (hundreds of steps) down from the two Top-of-the-Worlds are pretty incredible projects in themselves.


~ The design is really smart. Even though there are two cliff throws, the holes leading up to them are pretty gradual uphills (you never feel like you're playing up an unnaturally steep hole that's been stuck in to get you up to the top)


~ The course is spread out, including a few long walks. You should expect a long play (mine was over 2 hours and I was the first one out on the course). It's a workout - if you plan to play more than one layout (and you should!), bring food and plan a break


~ Watch for standing water in fairways in low areas after a rain. Given the "bowl" that #7, #16 and #17 play in, these sections might often be wet


~ I strongly advise against using a cart. It would be fine on the holes, but I can't imagine getting a cart down the multiple staircases, or dragging up the earthen dam


~ Faylor Lake was my 415th course, and only the 7th to get a 5 rating. Sure, you could come here and get wet feet; you might show up when the 20+ acres of grass aren't mowed. You might dislike the very few holes that aren't terrific. You might hate temporary signage or turf tees. You might dislike that it's in the middle of nowhere. But Faylor Lake is a destination course. The views and Top-of-the-World shots are certainly the most memorable, but it is a well-balanced course that requires a lot of control. There's water, there are alleys, low ceilings, plenty of trees, and doglegs of different directions and shapes. You can play three different layouts as an intermediate to advanced player and have different challenges and different looks.


~ To experience the course, see Simon's vlog from March 2022
IS THIS MY NEW FAVORITE COURSE?!?

Beaver Springs, Pennsylvania.

Unless you're a local, there is a good chance that you've never heard of this small town of less than 1,000 people.

You can bet this place is on the map now though, as Beaver Springs' Faylor Lake DiscGolfPark has solidified itself as at least a top 50 course in the world, and one of the best on the east coast.

+ First and foremost, the views here are unmatched. This is likely the most scenic course I've played to date. A large, secluded lake with a mountainous backdrop... What more could you ask for?

+ There are four playable layouts on the course, all of which play very differently than the the others. Each layout has its own unique spin on the hole. The layouts range from beginner to championship level.

+ There are two color coated DiscGolfPark baskets on each hole. Usually I'm not a fan of multiple basket designs, but it is done exceptionally well here. All baskets have directional arrows wielded into the cage.

+ Just about every hole here could be the signature hole on many courses I've played. The two top-of-the-world drives (#6 and #15) are so much fun. If I wasn't playing in a tournament, the bag definitely would have been emptied. #8 is an awesome hole, playing as a par 5 into a wooded peninsula (long basket only). #18 gold is an excellent finishing hole for MPO divisions. If you have absolute bomber distance, you can attempt to clear the lake to the island green (almost 700 feet). I can go on and on, but there is so much positive stuff to say about every single hole.

+ This is a pretty physically demanding course, so having benches scattered throughout the property is a great touch. Several holes with steeper elevation changes have high quality stair cases as well.

- Concrete tees would be nice, but the turf does just fine in my opinion. The short tees could be lengthened a little bit.

- There are tee signs on every hole, however they aren't permanent. There are plans for this in the near future.

- A few walks between holes are very long, and may put you within striking distance of other holes if you aren't careful.

- The current parking area is extremely compact. However, an extension to this lot is currently under construction. There are also plans to build a permanent restroom building, but there are currently only portable restrooms for tournaments.

This is a facility that 100% has potential to host a PDGA major event a few years down the road once all of the required amenities reach completion.

This is just the fourth course out of 193 played that I can put in that exclusive "best-of-the-best" category (Moraine, Deer Lakes, Idlewild, Faylor Lake). While a few key aspects aren't perfect, the design and execution is just off the charts. It's courses like these that make this sport so much fun.

Keep in mind, being in a sparsely populated area, there's only a couple places to eat or get gas. As far as hotels go, it's about 30 minutes to the nearest one.

Despite this, making a trip out here is mandatory for any disc golfer. This is a must play course, and I would highly recommend making a multi-day trip out to the area. You definitely will not regret it!

***Before reading this review, I recommend playing the prelude to the Sound of Music***

-Absolutely beautiful place. Like it'll make a city mouse reconsider being a country mouse kinda pretty.
-Remote setting that while isn't exclusively used for disc golf, it might as well be
-Bright baskets in good repair
-Large level teepads (not Conrad long, but plenty long for the average golfer) for the longs and smaller, also level tee pads for the shorts
-Tee signs have enough information to get you going where you are needed
-Kiosk at the parking lot with a lost disc return box
-Perfectly well kempt throughout. Grassy fairways, well trimmed trees, and very fair fairways
-Rough generally wasn't too bad, but also punishing enough that you didn't want to go in there
-Two of the most epic downhill throws I've ever seen. Both over 1000' of pure fun. Literally the shots that dreams are made of. Bet you didn't know DMT stood for Downhill Mountain Throws. These shots are unique and force you to think how to best attack them.
-Consistently good looking greens
-Very fun water shots that allow you to question how good you are and where you'll need to bail out or go for it. The last hole being 1005 foot water carry 'U' shaped hole where the green is on a peninsula is just insanely cool.
-Makes a good loop where beginning and end are close to the parking lot (which is especially nice because you can see exactly how big the peninsula to 18 is before attacking)
-This is a championship level course that also has a well designed short layout that surprisingly has great paths to cut out walking from the longs
-A free course that is freaking immaculate

-I really didn't care much for hole 17. I think the design is going to really favor the pros, but was meant for the intermediate player. There are a lot of weird cheater gaps through the trees that reward bad tee shots and big arms will just go over the trees anyways.
-Some of the walks are a bit on the sketchy side, but that is mostly because you are walking down those giant tee shots mentioned earlier, so bring your mountain goat shoes... whatever those are. Definitely not a sport mode crocs kind of place
-There were a couple filler holes that were not bad holes, but just not quite up to the rest of the standard of golf here, but the layouts made sense and the land used very well, so I'm not really knocking it here. They can't all be bangers... usually

This place makes my heart flutter, and not just because I'm winded from the hikes or have high cholesterol. It's just stunning golf in a stunning setting. Had I not just played some of the best dimes in disc golf all in one trip, I might have even given this place a 5.0, because really it's probably a 4.75. I truly think it will get there. You can see the teesigns and the kiosk signs are all temporary signs and that they are experimenting with some alternate pin locations to really make the place grandiose. I can't wait to make this place a yearly stop. It's destination worthy. Absolutely. Don't let life pass you by and Faylor to get here.

But all in all, these hills, these shots, they are just a few of my favorite things.

Almost every hole is either pretty, or spectacular

The turf tees give it a natural feel while also providing a good surface.

The back tees are unplayable for most people so the fact there is a forward set of tees really helps make it fun.

There's plenty of opportunity to make your own custom map. Play the short tee on some holes, long tees on others.

Unlike Muddy Run, if you do play the short tees, there are quite a few shortcuts. You're not always trudging past the back tee to get to the short tee.

The short tee pars seem generous at first, and maybe they are if you're making a lot of 25 foot putts, but it's fair. If you throw it 250-300 feet, the pars are fair. If you throw it 500 feet, obviously the pars will be wrong, but shouldn't you be on the back tees?

It's hard to believe, but both Muddy Run and Faylor Lake are absolutely free of charge to play. That's right, $0.

If you play only the short tees, you do miss out on 2 of the most massive downhill throws I've ever seen. You have to walk by those long tees anyway, you might as well play the hole from there. Instead, the short tee is a long walk to a ridge where you still get a downhill throw, just nothing as spectacular.

The gold tees just aren't playable for the average golfer unless you add 1 to every par.. Oh sure, it is no doubt a great course from back there, but if you can't throw it 500 feet, it's pure punishment to play the back tee course at the posted pars.

The walks between some of the holes are VERY STRENUOUS, especially on the back nine. The joy of throwing off numerous high ridges is you have to eventually get to those ridges.

Some of the walks, especially downhill, are kind of dangerous, especially if it's wet. They really need to post "safe routes" up and down the hills. This would be expensive but they could use some stairs as well in some areas. (Update, they have put in quite a few stairs, it's much less dangerous now.)

This is the kind of course that is built to challenge the best players in the world....but there's not much in the way of parking. They can handle 50-60 cars, but that's about it.


For a course where you have a lot of long, hilly walks, there aren't many places to sit yet.

Update: I've played this course in 2023 now, and they've changed it a little, for the better. There are now two baskets and two tees on every hole, which creates 4 courses officially, but in reality you can play whatever configuration you want. And by doing this, you can bring an absolute beginner to this course and have a great time. The short tees to the short baskets do involve a lot of walking between holes, but look at the views! It has become a Best of the Best course since I was here last. It's not a playground exclusively for the highly skilled.

This has become the #14 ranked course in the world on Udisc. At first I thought it was mainly because of the window dressing, you know, the multiple throws off of cliffs, the water views, the peninsula holes. And those holes are spectacular, but there are also quite a few holes away from those pleasures that could be found on any relatively decent muni.

But by having 4 courses now, everybody can have a thrilling experience here.

So why is this a top 100 course? Having studied the courses at the very top there is a general theme.....there is a wide variety in the widths of the playing corridors. At Maple Hill, which is #1, about half of the holes are generously wide and let you rip a tee shot, and the other half are very narrow with disaster lurking everywhere. Krokhol is similar, as are most of the courses at the very top. Faylor Lake is no exception. There are some holes that are nearly impossible to miss the fairway, but mixed into that are some really difficult woods shots. Faylor also has multiple holes that feature a wide fairway, then an approach shot through a gap in some trees, where you emerge into another wide fairway.

This is why Muddy Run about 2 hours south of here is also in the top 100 in the world. The variety in width of fairways combined with fun elevation.

I still wouldn't play the long tees to the long baskets but it's not quite as impossible as it was in 2022. The longest layout doesn't use some of the really really long baskets, those are just for special tournaments now.

Every layout other than long to long is really pretty friendly now. They've toughened up the pars a little bit, but the average golfer is still going to be entertained.

There are multiple holes where you have to navigate a small gap in a grove of trees. The tee shots are generally wide open, but if you're out of position you can't then get through the gap to approach the green.

At Faylor, 1-5 are all fun, quirky and unique holes leading up to a stunning stretch from 6-8. After all of that elevation, water, woods and drama, it's hard for the course to keep up that high level. 9-14 are away from the lake , mostly in the woods or alongside a cornfield. They're perfectly fine holes, but they aren't the reason you make the drive to this place. 15 though....the view! The last 4 holes are all really good. .

Both courses also have 1 basket and 2 tees per hole, although Faylor does have an alternate shorter basket on the 18th hole, just in case you don't want to lose a disc in the lake. (Update: They are installing a second basket on each hole, a shorter basket, so you'll have two tees and two baskets per hole. Lots of options, you'll have two fairly similar length short courses, one really short course, and then the original beast)

Faylor has steeper and longer hills than Muddy Run, but you mostly walk up and down them between holes. It seems less tiring to play Muddy. Your trudge up the hillsides is broken up by playing shots. Also, there are no long walks to the next tee at Muddy. Faylor has several 5 minute walks between shots.

The course, although long, has an option to play short tees. The pads are turf over level gravel. It was my first time playing on them and they felt great. The signs which aren't permanent yet, are very easy to understand. The course flows well and the baskets have a nice arrow welded into the basket telling you the direction to the next tee. The fairways are fair and the pars feel accurate. I feel like a new player could play safe and enjoy a lot of pars and a seasoned pro can attack for birdie on most holes without too much trouble. The overall aesthetic of this course is what makes it so special. This course should be on everyone's must play list.

The top of the world looking down holes have some pretty sketchy walking paths down to the fairway. a lot of loose gravel on steep hillsides. some posts with rope hand rails would be nice. The course also takes a few hours to play, but we gave ourselves the day to play two rounds. our averag time was just under three hours while walking 4 miles per round with quite a bit of elevation change.

I went to bed thinking about this course last night and woke up thinking about it as well. I have been playing for 10 years and this course made me feel like I discovered disc golf for the first time all over again. Loved it!!!

Faylor Lake has two sets of turf tees and nice new baskets. The holes are all very-well designed with a large variety of shapes and distances. A lot of elevation comes into play with two 1000 foot downhill shots that rival some of the most-fun I've played anywhere. Kind of has some Throw Down The Mountain vibes at some points. The holes are all fair with distinct fairways that are difficult but not overwhelming. Birdies can be had on both sets of tees for any advanced level player. The two sets of tees are gold and red, which to me felt more like blue and white, but either way, they allow players of all skill levels to play the course and enjoy themselves. There are some epic holes here that will be forever etched into your brain after playing. Nice mix of grassy areas, woods, water, it's a really nice course design and I had a lot of fun even though it was hailing for some of my round.

The parking lot and no bathroom at the lot stink, but word is that that is being fixed and will be expanded in the coming year. There were 3 holes that were somewhat flooded when I played through. 16 and 17 were by far the worst with the tee pad for the short tee on 16 completely underwater. There is some slightly weird routing between 17-18 I felt also. With the wetness in the fairways I basically just skipped over those two holes. If it's wet out, you could just go from 15-18 and not have to deal with those two holes. A few sketchy downhill walks at the moment also. I'd leave the cart at home. Wasn't a huge fan of the wood borders underneath the turf tee pads but the pads themselves were excellent as long as I stayed away from the edges while releasing. The first big downhill hole could have drives landing near the short tee and fairway of 18, easily avoided if not crowded.

I really liked Faylor Lake. I liked the views, the holes, and I thought the course design was well executed. It's one of the better courses that I have played and that's with it only being in it's infancy. In time, I imagine this course will become better and better as I imagine the locals will take great pride in it. The two downhill holes are completely epic and memorable and among the best downhill holes out there. It's always fun ripping drives downhill. The par 5 with the lake on the left was an amazing hole. I imagine someone who throws 500 feet could actually clear the lake and land on the green for the albatross. I'd love to see it. The rest of us mortals might just play to the short tee from the long tee or try to cut off some of the lake.

Faylor Lake, depending which way you are coming from, is out there in the hills of central PA. It's a beautiful course that I believe most people will enjoy playing. there is some beautiful scenery that abounds while you are throwing your discs on some beautiful, well-thought out disc golf holes. I can't wait to come back and play it again.

+Two sets of new turf tee pads per hole. The gold tees are 6x12 and the red tees are 4x8.
+Bright Blue DiscGolfPark Baskets that are easy to see.
+Clean and manicured fairways. Never any doubt where the fairway is.
+Gold layout is very easy to follow.
+Great mix of shot shapes.
+Huge elevation change
+Great mix of open and technical holes
+Awesome views and very scenic

-Benches and trash cans are not installed yet.
-Permanent tee signs are not installed yet.
-Some wet areas on holes 7, 16, & 17 (its also been very rainy lately)
-Steep slopes could use better access. (steps are being planned)
-Red layout follows the gold layout and all the pars are the same. This makes the layout feel "forced" at times. (look for changes in the future.)

The first work for this course started in the spring of 2021 and since then over 10 acres of overgrown land has been cleared of briars, poison ivy, and a host of invasive plant species. In the summer over 7 acres of new grass was seeded. In the fall over 100 trees have been planted. To see what this property has become in such a short time is nothing short of amazing. There is still much more planned for the future but in the meantime i encourage anyone to come and check it out.

All in all this is the best course I have played in PA. Every hole is like a new adventure and every time i play here i come home with a different, favorite hole! Hole 6 and 15 with 100'+ of elevation drop jump out at you the first time you play here but there are so many more great holes. Hole 10 is wooded 420' par 3 that has a "pro tour" feel to it. Hole 8 is unique with its basket set on a peninsula of Faylor Lake. Hole 16 is an 800'+ par 5 and you can see the basket from the tee! Really they are all great!

One thing to keep in mind is the time required to play the course. It is close to two miles of throwing and certainly much more than 2 miles of walking. If you want to play a casual round without feeling rushed then figure 4 hours from gold and 2.5 to 3 hours from red. Most of the big elevation is walking downhill so it's not to bad that way but still be prepared for a workout!

I live 2 miles from this course and have volunteered many hours to help here so my opinion is probably somewhat biased but i think it has the potential to be one of the top courses in the USA. So come and check it out for yourself!!

I played the long layout here for my round and the review will reflect that. The short layout appears to have a par that significantly too high.
+Turf teepads: was raining heavily during the round but the pads held up nicely.
+DiscGolfPark Pro baskets
+Beautiful views of the lake off of multiple holes
+True gold level course from longs: for the first event held there, even par rated at 1009
+Course challenges accurate placement shots into landing zones: the course allows the big arms to open up but doesn't reward inaccurate distance
+Not a lot of heavy woods but utilizes what woods there is well: hole 16 is a 871 foot par 5 that plays down a wooded corridor the whole way, very similar to hole 6 at Moraine State Park
+Two top of the world shots on holes 6 and 15

-No benches or trashcans at any tees: this course has just opened so these will likely be coming
-Drainage can be an issue on holes 16 and 17: there was places where casual relief had to be designated because of water overflow
-If you aren't prepared, it's a BIG course, 10,155 feet and 50 flights of elevation change (not a con for me but potentially for others)

IMO this course jumps up into the conversation of top mid-Atlantic courses with Iron Hill, Stafford, Muddy Run, AGA Farms, and Jordan Creek. It is picturesque, well designed and maintained, and challenging to boot! If any infrastructure can get put in the surrounding area, A tiers and tour events could follow.
Only reason I'm not giving it a 5 is because it has only been open for a week and I want to see how much farther the course can grow.