Base Camp Adventure Lodge DGC
13 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: My Three Pros:
-The word 'Adventure' in the course name is no understatement. The drive, course and surroundings are so epic that the adventure begins on your drive out of Moab and doesnt end until you reach pavement again. It goes without saying the #1 'pro' for the course is its beautifully epic location that requires an adventure just to get there. The course itself requires a substantial hike through rocky sandy terrain, up and over cliffs and boulders and alongside the the Colorado River directly across from Canyonlands National park. The number of signature holes keep the round exciting throughout to make for an equally epic round of golf.
- The baskets were surprisingly nice For some reason I expected portable or even homemade baskets but these are very nice Innova Baskets all permanently mounted. In addition all tees were well marked and Tom had maps available that made navigation pretty easy.
-The signature holes of the course were some of the best I've played anywhere due to the combined elevation, scenery and basket placements. #5 is easily my favorite and one of the most fun holes I've played, throwing across the canyon to basket protected by boulders, all right next to the river below. The string of holes up in the rocky hill have such dramatic elevation in play with precarious baskets placed on slopey slickrock just waiting to send your disc rolling.
Cons: My Three Cons:
-The adventure is a double edged sword.... I made the trek to moab in 2019 very intent on spending a day at the base camp only to be turned around by the required creek crossing below the drive up the pass. We figured our jeep cherokee could make it up the pass but the creek was deep enough to change our minds. Many reviewers mention the crazy drive up and over hurrah pass but it is well worth mentioning that if you come in spring you may have to cross a 16"+ creek before you have the chance to try the crazy hurrah pass. Definitely check the weather for rain the days BEFORE you plan to arrive to guestimate what you may have to drive through. I came back this time with a much higher vehicle and drove right through no problem. Needless to say this place is remote and you will be without signal or access to food/supplies until you get back to Moab.
-Teepads leave very much to be desired as they are mostly all strips of turf laid on the ground and marked by small blue or red PVC stakes. On the rock holes you throw from a marked area on the rock itself. It is obviously a major effort to try to haul the water and material up here to pour teepads but the natural pads are the glaring flaw on an otherwise incredible course. Luckily there are long and short teepads for most holes. The natural tee's and lacking teesigns are what take this course from a 4.5 to a 4.
-Although most holes here are good or great, there are a few filler holes that could be tweaked or replaced. #2,3,4 come to mind as those that could be replaced and some of the longer holes need some work or to be split up. My issue with #2,3,4 are their close proximity to the lodge in a scrubby area just make for a not so pretty slog through the sand hoping a disc doesnt find its way under s bush. The longer holes always irk me at sandy locations as I find it hard to throw it nearly as far with sandy footing. Then again I'm not very good.
Other Thoughts: I had high hopes to play this course since seeing it in 'the most epic courses' thread years ago. After being turned away by the creek in 2019 it was a dream come true to finally make it out and play the course. The course did not disappoint in fun and beauty; and the stars aligned such that I played a fantastic -7 round with girlfriend in tow.
We were lucky enough to camp in one of the 5$ hogans and had a great time. The lower of the two hogans is directly next to the #6 teepad and the #4 basket is about 100' away to throw at while sitting at camp. Definitely try to stay at the lodge or hogans if you have the chance, but be sure to call ahead as the place fills up regularly nowadays.
Also nearby are plenty more 4x4 trails out around chicken corners, or hiking trails around Jackson hole, or mountain biking on the nearby captain ahab trail, or paddling on the colorado river- all epic adventures of their own.
Tom was a very nice host and we were able to even see Kobe, the giant tortoise, come out to get some sun on the lodge porch.
I cant recommend this place highly enough.
Play This Course.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
If this course isn't on your bucket list, add it. If it is on your bucket list, play it and get it off that list!
13 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Pros: Incredible views and vistas. Surreal holes across the red rock that feel like you're playing on Mars. Great hosts, great fellow golfers (Anyone who puts in the time to get to this course loves the game.).
Cons: Cons: Takes commitment to get there. Terrain is really tough on your plastic.
Other Thoughts: Base Camp is a course unlike any other I've played. For the unique experience and outstanding views and holes, I have to give it a 5. To be perfectly honest, it has some holes with funky tees, and a couple of the baskets are super low (due to infill from floods that raised the desert floor a few feet)....but those factors were inconsequential to me when balanced against the setting. It's like playing on another planet. Just amazing.
Holes 12-15 on the original course (there are 2 courses) was one of the best stretches of golf I've ever seen.
Now, about that road? Yes, it's hard. No, it's not impossible. You do want good clearance. And you want to pick your driving lines carefully on a couple of spots where the hard stone surface creates ledges/steps that you drive up or down. I got out of my car a half dozen times to assess the drop-offs and pick the right line so I wouldn't bottom out my car. I even placed rocks at one point to create an extra step to go down so I wouldn't bottom out. But it's doable and so worth it. I strongly recommend an over night stay, or more. Going in and out just to play one day would be a lot of work unless you live in Moab. We stayed 4 nights and would have been glad to stay more except I ran out of beer and ice. Tom and Linda are amazing hosts.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
Red Rock Bliss
11 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: This is a destination DGC. The large red rocks that this course plays in, on, and around are so epic, and jaw dropping that you will wear out your camera taking pix. The views of the Colorado river are also spectacular. The DG is very challenging, and also done in a way that works well with the environment.
Cons: The signage could use some work. Prepare to be HOT in the summer. Can be a little hard to follow the first time around. Many of the baskets are blind, and somewhat hard to find. Can be dangerous if you don't keep your sh*t together, and head on a swivel.
Other Thoughts: We stayed in one of the hogan's and had a blast doing it. I highly recommend staying at the basecamp, it is an awesome place to wake up at, and explore. They have quads to rent, kayaks for free (if you stay there), and many fun hikes very close to home. Tom is a very nice host who will bend over backwards to make your stay enjoyable, and safe.
11 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Best Course I Have Ever Played
5 Helpful / 4 Not
Pros: Unbelievable terrain, epic holes, best course I have ever played. Way more fun than Beaver Ranch for example, and Beaver Ranch is an awesome course
Cons: Heat mid summer (go spring or fall), no concrete tees, bad place for people allergic to huge turtles.
Other Thoughts: The course is 40 minutes or so from the town of Moab on a dirt road. The first 20 minutes or so is on an easy dirt road that any car could make it up.The second half goes up and down Hurrah pass. The conditions on this part of the road change quickly. Right after it is graded which happens infrequently, almost any car could make it up, but as it rains and erodes it gets harder and harder to travel. If you have a low clearance car AND you know how to drive well on rough roads (if you don't know how to drive on rough dirt roads, why would you try getting back there in the first place!) you can probably make it there without too much issue, but check with the owner first to get his assessment of the road conditions. He's a great guy and will give you honest advice. Any SUV type vehicle with decent clearance (ie a RAV4) should be able to get there with no trouble at all.
5 of 9 people found this review helpful.
The most unique course I've played
9 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: Amazing scenery and landscape. Extremely exclusive land for the course. Friendly owner. One-of-a-kind experience.
Cons: Confusing course layout and flow. No tee signs and a terrible map (but at least eyes a map!). Exceptionally difficult to get there. Old baskets. No tee pads.
Other Thoughts: The truth is that this course gets most of its score for the unique location alone. Playing among the alien Utah landscape feels like a disc golf course in one of the local and spectacular parks like Arches.
The course itself isn't anything special. The layout can be very confusing, the baskets are old and worn-out, and there are no tee signs or tee pads. The landscape allows for the placement of some epic holes, and there are quite a few of them on this course. However, that also makes it very easy to lose track of discs and there is some seriously nasty underbrush for some of the roughs. There are also some uninspired filler holes.
But the epic holes are so epic they overshadow a lot of the cons. And the sheer uniqueness of the course scores it higher. But there are a lot of cons that the overall experience and the landscape itself overcompensates for. A little care and attention could make this a truly spectacular course.
I do have to point out that we called to ask about bringing a Honda Element out to the course and were told it would be no problem. That was a dangerously misguided response from the course owner. The road to get there from Moab becomes extremely rough and a vehicle with clearance is definitely needed. I'm not sure a 2WD vehicle would be advisable, but it might be possible.
The downhill part of the road was even more gnarly than uphill to Hurrah's Pass. In fact, we drove up to the Pass in the Element and turned back around. We then rode bikes to the course the next day. The owner kindly drove us back to the Pass after our round. I'm not sure we would have made it on bike, especially after an exhausting round in 110°+ heat. In hindsight, the suggestion here to go by bike probably meant motorbike!
You will definitely want a capable vehicle with clearance as well as the nerves to drive some rough mountain roads both up and down. If the owner tells you, as he did us, that a minivan could make it, do not listen to him. I felt it very irresponsible for him to suggest that. The desert is no joke and the route to the course could be dangerous for the unprepared.
Even the experienced owner in his pickup truck was struggling on some parts of the road and I wasn't even sure if his truck was going to make it. There's no way a sedan or anything with low clearance is going to make it up to Hurrah's Pass from the course, even if you somehow made it there to begin with.
At any rate, it's without a doubt the most unique and memorable course I've ever played. It wasn't the best course I've ever played, but it stands alone. 5/5 for the setting, experience and uniqueness. 3/5 for the course design, layout and flow.
9 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Favorite Course
13 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: I give this course a 5/5. There are more "epic holes" on this one course than the total of all the other courses I've ever played. The scenery and all of the challenges that come along with it makes it completely unique and extreme. All baskets, tee pads, signs and markers are in excellent shape and are easily visible. The course map represents the course well and is full of helpful notes. Some gems include, "Two rattlesnakes live between holes 8 & 9. Do not kill. Call on the walkie and we will come catch them or leave them alone." and "Bighorn sheep like to hang around this basket. If male (horns) use caution." The course has great flow and loops back around to the lodge. Despite the wild landscape, the course is very well-maintained. Obviously not a busy course, which is part of it's rustic charm. Restrooms, water and shade at the lodge.
Cons: The condition of the road is certainly downplayed. The website provides excellent directions but the road, itself, is truly considered an off-roading experience. I took my small rear wheel drive SUV and put it through the most challenging conditions it has ever seen getting to this course. Not necessarily a con, per se, but your car is not going to make it. You will need a least a small SUV for the clearance, alone. It is also very technical driving- you will need to cautiously choose where you are putting your tires with sheer drops off the side. Kings Canyon road is NOTHING compared to Hurrah Pass and Hurrah Pass is NOTHING compared to Chicken Corners, so basically the road gets more challenging as you go along. Just be warned. I personally enjoyed the challenge but it would not be for everybody.
Other Thoughts: Kobae the security tortoise and Tom, the owner were awesome. Great vibes at this place. Also, plan enough time to play the course twice. It will be worth it and you will want to feel like the drive was worth it other than for the incredible views.
13 of 13 people found this review helpful.
4 Helpful / 5 Not
Pros: Great scenery awesome layout! Just an all around great place to be and play
You beat new discs in really fast!
Cons: Rough on discs. Very tiring.
Rolled up our tent to find scorpions sleeping under us
Other Thoughts: If you get the chance to play base camp take it! If you dont, you will spend your whole life regretting that horrible decision.
4 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Unique Course
2 Helpful / 12 Not
Pros: -Once in a lifetime course
-Fun drive to course
-Watching drives fly over the red rock
Cons: -Sandy
-Hot
Other Thoughts: Its a fun course very unique. Not the type of course that made me fall in love with disc golf. But worth playing once.
2 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Incredible Course
11 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This is an incredible course located in outskirts of Moab, one of the best places on earth for us outdoor lovers.
Every hole has clearly marked tee pad with distances and directions to where the basket is if it's a blind shot. You are given a map which is extremely helpful in navigating the course as well.
Tom, the owner, took the time to walk us through what to expect and lent us a walkie talkie in case there were any problems.
You have a great variety of throws here, though most of them are long. The best though is that you get throws here that I've never seen on another course, like throwing next to or over a cliff!
Cons: This course is extremely hard on discs. You are throwing onto sandstone rocks on many holes which can eat your disc alive, so be sure to bring ones you are ok with dinging up a bit.
Some of the baskets are about a foot off the ground due to flooding and such. It's not a huge con, obviously, but it is a little odd.
Other Thoughts: I wondered why this course was rated so high, and now I see. It is absolutely beautiful and tough as hell! A great course for sure!
This course is in the desert! It is hot and dry and very secluded. Tom does his best to make sure everyone has access to fresh water and knows the risks of the course though. It's rocky and covers a lot of ground, so good shoes/boots will go a long way.
We didn't have 4-wheel drive going out there and kinda got stuck once. It took us a few min to get our 2WD explorer out of the sand, but after that it was pretty good. 4WD is certainly preferable but not absolutely needed.
Bring some lettuce or cucumbers to feed the giant turtle at the lodge!
11 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Amazing adventure
7 Helpful / 4 Not
Pros: Amazing holes, views, terrain. An adventure just getting there! No crowds, I have played this course twice over two end of summer trips and havent seen another group there yet.
Cons: No civilization nearby, its not really a con. It just is. So be prepared with all your gear. One step teepads arent really a con either, but just maybe work on your one step drives before you head out there.
Other Thoughts: Take plenty of pictures, it is the most amazing Wile E. Coyote terrain. Wear gators and good hiking boots. Ask where the road meets the course out by hole 9 and drive back and drop off extra drinks to refuel before starting your round.
7 of 11 people found this review helpful.
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1 
3/27/2021 
4/6/2021
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