Rochester, NH

Squamanagonic

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3.75(based on 10 reviews)
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9 0
peasebwh
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hone your wood game 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 4, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Variation of shots. Both left to right, right to left, straight. Long and short.
- Can't really lose your disc in water. A lot of other courses in the area have water hazards that you may not get your disc back. Squam has a brook running through it but never had any trouble picking up a branch to fish it out.
- Quiet and peaceful. You will rarely have to wait on other golfers at this FREE course. You almost always though will also not be the only one here so running into someone and either just saying hi or joining up is a great possibility. Brings the whole New England golf experience to it's natural state.

Signage is good and for the most part looking around you can see arrows pointing to the next tee area. Elevation of up and down, over streams and rocks make for a frustrating but challenging in a good way course. I've learned a lot from this course. It allows you to use a variety of discs and shot selections. You might change your game to not always play for the biggest longest shot but when you go for it and hit your line, it rewards like few other courses in the area.

Cons:

- It's a wood course and trees are everywhere. Even when you think you have a line (fairways are pretty obvious) you'll find a branch or a tree that juts out and ruins a perfectly thought shot.
- The toe stumps are killer. Pay attention to the ground when you walk as you may trip over a hundred little stumps or slip on a leave covered rock every third step. These little obstructions will mess with your dropping a shot into the fairway and getting or not getting a skip or clean laydown as well.
- Black teepads are rubber mats and grey's are cement. Some holes only have one and the par is all the same regardless so you might play on one tee surface on 1 hole and another somewhere else. They are all good surface just a slight inconsistency issue.

That par issue as well for the 2 courses. Just has some rating quirks if you worry about that. For game play it's not a big issue. The leaves will swallow your disc at the right time of year. So you can lose a disc here and feel frustrated just because you can't find it where it should simply be found. It's not like its water or grass or big brush piles, it's just woods and you walk around thinking what the...

Other Thoughts:

Squam is easy to get to. Not far from Spaulding turnpike, Rt 202 and Rt 125 it's a large plot of woods on an old camp and a Police firing range. It is closed for the month of November each year and on Fridays but I've rarely seen any issues on some of those Fridays later in the summer evenings too.

Hole 1 is a strong dogleg left that is a great warm up for a natural RHBH throw. Hit the center line and stay out of the tree line on the left and the branches on the right and you'll set up for a nice birdie or par depending on your distance.

Hole 2 is straight. Now saying that the lines you need to get close to the basket generally need a big hyzer through some trees or a slight anhy.

Hole 3 allows you to break out the strong arm bit. The open field lays in to a small RH flick or anhy to get close to the hole. This par 4 can be eagle on a big throw, good chance for birdie and unless you get stuck behind the shed on the left or in the woods to the right before the open gap at the end of the field, you'll have a solid par.

Hole 4 is the first elevation down. Short putter gap shot or something with a little bit of hold and late tail (RHBH) to drop it in. Probably your first real Ace chance.
(if you only have time for 9 holes, the walk to 5 also brings you past hole 14 so you can turn and do the back 5. You'll see the teebox on the right as you approach 5)

Hole 5 after a short walk through a creek valley across a bridge brings you to an uphill throw. There are several paths here but there are red flags and it should be the mostly packed down trail that get you to the 2 tees on the left side of that path. The basket is perched on the top of a ridge. I've seen RHFH and Anhy flips to try and plant it on the hill. Only big arms will reach the crest more than likely but keeping it clean over the wet lower "fairway" often pronounced OB for tourneys or leagues if the key to this hole. Stay patient and make a good shot if you want to stay on par for this hole.

Hole 6 has you now at the top of that ridge throwing downhill again, across a stream and to the crest of another little downward slope. It's a longer par 3 but the distance is less of an issue than the staggered trees that line your fairway approach. If you miss your line it'll leave you scampering to get back to where you want or gambling to go for it because it looks open.

Hole 7 is a curved run back to the right. The gap is only 20 feet or so to hit so don't get overzealous and smash the big trees to the right or left before you get to the hill. RHFH or understable anhy hold will get you up and around the corner. That will flow back downhill and you jump a stream to your approach/putt 40 feet past the water.

Hole 8 is up and over the hill. Walkway is well packed but watch you step for those rocks and stumps. You are now throwing to a basket mounted in the big rock formation. This is probably the only water during wet season that is a pain to retrieve a disc from. It's just a big wider and runs the entire fairway along the right. RHBH throws that don't hit trees should have no issues approaching the rock and having a good attempt at bird or par. Just watch your putts from rolling so if you have a soft putter that sticks, this is the time to bring it out.

Hole 9 is slightly downhill, across some swampiness and a dogleg right. Completelyl blind basket from where you tee off from you may just shoot to hit the open fairway and then make your approach over a slight hill and the basket sits on the backside of another downslope. Watch out for the rolls again as a great approach can quickly get away from you. It is the second par 4 on the course so don't get greedy unless you have great confidence in your drive.

Hole 10 is much straighter than it feels. What looks like a dogleg left really only have to get by the trees immediately on the left and then stay to the left of the trees about 100 ft out and you will sit well for the approach/putt to the basket. Rocks and little trees will do their part to annoy you but play clean and you will be good.

Hole 11 is one of the more open drives. Bigger arms can certainly reach the basket and the only real issue is picking the right disc to bypass the few trees half way there. I know someone has to have Ace'd this hole but I haven't personally seen it.

Hole 12. Par 5. 600ft. S-curve. From the blacks you'll first go right. Navigate around the bump and stay off the hill on the left and your approach straightens back out. Don't be fooled though as the entire "fair"way is not fair. Trees are spaced no more than 20 feet between any of them so unless you happen to get lucky and line up perfectly you'll require some hyzer or anhy flexing to punch through the approach shots. The hole is Eagle capable but it is also double bogey carded quiet often. The ceiling is a bit higher through here with the overhanging branches you'll notice but the ground is also a bit more stump free so you'll have plenty of shot choices to make based upon your strengths or preferences.

Hole 13. Uphill dogleg left from the blacks. The grey takes that first shot out of the equation and leave a relatively straight shot over a ridge but mostly downhill. Once over that ridge it is a simple approach to the basket and this is where the difference on the scorecard between the blacks and the greys start to really play out. Pretty easy birdie from the grey but much tougher from the black.

Hole 14 is a little walk back across a bridge and near the ridge of hole 5. This is a straight, shot over a rolling hill but it is downhill and back up hill. The basket is pretty even to where the teebox is but depending on your arm strength you will likely have to navigate the elevation somewhat. Stay away from what sometimes becomes a pond over the middle hill to the left. You don't want to be down there. Otherwise play clean and smart and you feel good about your par.

Hole 15 dogleg right over a hill and back down towards the brook. A good RHBH flick should leave you with a good approach or long putt over the water but the basket sits on a hill that slopes back down to the water so land it flat or in the chains. Bridge to cross is far to the right and then you march up the ridge to get to 16. This walk can be slippery especially if you play in the winter to be sure to wear good gripping shoes for this course.

Hole 16 black I do not like but the original and now grey tee allows you to punch a 20 ft gap on a downhill throw. You certainly can hit chains on your tee shot. You also can certainly hit tress and go off under a low ceiling of pines to the left or water or a jungle of leaves and branches to the right making getting back over the brook more difficult than this short par 3 to be. The black tee which does not change angle only backs up about 60 feet to hit the same 20 ft tree gap. Agony.

Hole 17 has a wall of a hill in front of you. Big arms can certainly clear it with a RHFH shot or something a bit understable as the drive is mostly clear. Stay away from going to far left as the brook and brush might eat your disc. This is generally where I hear players lose discs and I have lost one myself. A miss to the right only leaves you with that hill and brush and pines but you'll see you disc. Once over the hill everything leans left on slope but the basket is up the next hill to the right set back in a little open grove. This hole seems to have the biggest variance of scores.

Hole 18 Brings it back to the parking lot. Pick your shot. Both tee boxes line up mostly on the left side of a line of trees but you need to get back to the right side after about 200-250 feet to make your approach so you'll need to decide based on your shot and disc selection (and probably how your game went) where you want to try and do that. The fairway is relatively open but any shot to the left can put you against a fence (or over onto private property) and make it difficult to get back out and around on anything but a toss back into the fairway so don't go there. After you get to the right your approach is pretty straight. Finish your round with a good score and learn from what this course has to offer.

It's a wood course all the way. You may get frustrated but adjust your game if you are used to more open courses.
It's a free course. That may be a dying thing so treat it well and pick up after yourself and take care of the area. There aren't trash cans on the course so carry in/carry out. There is a dumpster at the entrance.
There is a lost and found stump also at hole 1.
Highly recommend this course if you are in the area.
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6 0
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 222 played 189 reviews
4.00 star(s)

It translates to "Land of Many Par Fours" 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 29, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Near the New Hampshire/Maine border, this course is wooded with a lot of elevation. And it's not lacking for good design.

There are two tee pads on most holes. Strangely, the concrete pads are the shorter pads (the long ones are rubber). The longer tees offer some great multi-throw holes. Hole 12 is a great S-shaped fairway that probably has some big score variations. At 630 feet, it is a true par 5 with several shots where you need to consider your distance vs accuracy. Hole 13 is a nice dogleg par 4 from the long tees.

A stream winds its way through the course and comes into play several times. Hole 17 is a short hole that has you throwing over the stream twice with a fun downhill drive. Hole 15 might be my favorite. From the long tee, your drive is a left-to-right sweeping shot that starts uphill but finishes downhill. You need to set yourself up for an approach to the basket on a slope just across the stream. Every shot was fun and a little dangerous.

Cons:

Navigation wasn't always simple. I completely missed hole 8 somehow, which is too bad because it looks like a fun one with the basket next to some rock outcroppings. Searching for the next hole really sucks the energy out of the round.

Given the length of the course, it's pretty tough to decipher the real fairway contours without walking all the holes, which isn't practical. I mentioned hole 12 before, and I'd really like another bite at the apple now that I understand where I'm going. I played the long tees, but playing the short tees may be better for your first round. That said, the long tees are where the really interesting shots are.

Other Thoughts:

With Salmon Falls nearby, this is a great place to visit. I was pretty happy with my drive up from Boston on a late October day.

The course is closed in November and also on all Fridays throughout the year for police training, so plan accordingly.
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1 1
clankfu
Experience: 9 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2016 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

Nice challenging course with a good variety of left/right action. As a regular player at Bellamy, I found this course even more technical.Long walks between holes. I went ass over teakettle twice during my round "tripping" on some of the endless perfectly round dowel shape branches on the ground on this course. Watch your footing here! You definately get a great round while at the same time getting A great hike here in Gonic.
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2 0
Lupulus
Experience: 7.7 years 14 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun wooded course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was a fun course with a mix of hole types. There are a range of short and long 3s, and a few 4s and 5s, including a 600 foot par 5 that is birdieable following a good drive and upshot. The pin placement is creative in a few places, with a basket elevated in a rock formation or behind a large hill. Most holes had a second and shorter tee placement, although some short tees were either never completed or in disrepair.

The course if heavily wooded, only the first and last couple holes present any kind of open shot. Be prepared to bounce off a lot of trees during your round, even with good shot placement. The woods get deep right off the fairways as well, which can make finding errant discs difficult.

Cons:

Be sure to study the course map near the parking lot because the layout is confusing. I pulled in at the same time as two golfers who play there regularly, so they let me join them and showed me the way around. I would have been lost without them as the walks between holes are long and sometimes pass by earlier and later tee pads. They also helped me by describing the holes and pin placements since there are a number of blind shots off the tee.

There is also water on the course in the form of several streams and some standing water. This made mosquitoes an annoyance throughout most of the round; be sure to bring bug spray if you are playing in the summer.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this was a fun course that I will be going back to play again.
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3 2
Soaponrope37
Experience: 8.8 years 33 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Balance 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Great balance between left and right throws
- Open enough to have room to play if you get into trouble
- Multiple choices on each hole
- clearly marked

Cons:

- Tee pads are a bit lumpy. (I am 100% attributing this to winter just ending, only putting it as a side effect of the rubber tees)
- Couple of low spots that are easily flooded/swampy (that's just the lay of the land tho, no points off there)
- A couple sketchy walk ways/paths that could be deadly if wet/any snow left on them.

Other Thoughts:

Love this place! Arguably the best in the state. Or at least a Nominee.
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3 1
biff_malibu
Experience: 10 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A walk in the woods -- the hard way 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful wooded setting. Nice elevation changes. Meandering stream. Rocky elevated baskets. Awesome signage. New rubberized tee boxes. Seating on every tee.

Cons:

some overly wooded fairways that seem borderline fair. Some home cooking quirkiness/ unorthodoxy that can make your first round a head scratcher. Lacks go-for-it holes. Thought a handful of the par ratings were bullshit.

Other Thoughts:

In from out of town... Really challenging first try at this course. Lots and lots and lots of wood out there. Heavy penalties for missing the tight fairways. As this place matures, some of that spare lumber will come out, for sure. A tame grouse followed me for a hole-- pretty cool!
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5 0
Noahlearner
Experience: 12.2 years 61 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great addition to Seacoast Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great Signage (digital hole signs and directional signage), rubber tee pads
Great use of Terrain / elevation changes
Pretty views
Challenging but fair
Uses many throws in the bag

Cons:

Transition from hole 4 to 5 was a bit confusing. Cross the swamp then fork to left.

This feels like a push, but I play with a gotta go cart and the course, especially the walks to next tees, were not cart friendly.

Other Thoughts:

This course was a blast. I strongly recommend it if you need to find a course to play in the seacoast. Lots if putter and mid drives, some fairway shots. Course design was really interesting. There were a bunch of memorable holes that all play different. While the holes are tough, they are generally all fair. One exception was hole 15. I couldn't figure out how to par that hole. The approach was fully guarded, I would love to have seen at least one 8 ft wide route to pin.

Kudos to course designers and maintainers.
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1 2
emslason
Experience: 14.8 years 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great New Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great layout and challenges for all abilities. Very cool terrain and great use of elevation changes. Lots of trees strategically left in place and pin placements were well thought out.

Cons:

Still a very new course and needs to be played and worked in a bit.

Other Thoughts:

A big thanks to those who crafted this course. It's going to be a true gem in NH. I only wish someone would build a course near Manchester,NH...The black hole of disc golf...
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10 0
jtreadwell
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 92 played 28 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great design and bigger potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 1, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Excellent hole variation
- Pars are spot on
- Land features used to fullest extent
- Tough but Fair
- Quality Baskets
- Free to play
- Devoted volunteer caretakers with a proven track record of excellent course upkeep (see Bellamy Park)

Cons:

- Difficult navigation
- A few spots that smack of muddiness
- Shared land means occasional course closure.

Other Thoughts:

OK! I'm updating the review as there have been significant upgrades to the course. I am a local, but had no hand in the design or implementation of the course. Most of the cons I originally mentioned (teepads, signage, swampiness) have at least been partially addressed. So on to the review. Squamanagonic is going to be a destination course once it gets seasoned in. The holes are greatly varied and make excellent use of the significant elevation available. There are several holes with streams (or one meandering stream, I couldn't confirm) that are/is perfectly placed to provide an extra challenge without being a risk of losing a disc. All five of the par 4s are honest to goodness par 4s, meaning the locals aren't going to be saying "well the card says 4 but you suck if you don't see a 3" like a few holes over at Bellamy Park. The par 3s were all interesting and difficult, with even the short "throwaway" hole 4 making up for its length (around 200ft downhill) with a very tight but manageable fairway that will separate those who can truly aim a disc from the chuckers. The par 5 is brutal, with the possibility of a 4 for quality players and a 3 for the chosen few, but a reasonable expectation to 5 for the average joe. Nothing feels gimmicky and the course never throws similar holes at you in succession.
As the course is new, the concrete teepads have yet to see the light of day. There are currently framed teepads with rubber mats installed, which, wile not holding a candle to a proper concrete tee, are leaps and bounds above the previous tees. Several spots on the course are pretty much swamp land, and mosquitos abound. The course designers and some local business partners got together and crafted some fine bridges over the worst of it, so no more hopping from treacherous log to treacherous log. Finally, the area is used by the Rochester Police Department for target practice, so on Fridays the course will be closed for their use. There was talk of relocating the RPD, but that seems to have fallen through. Overall the sheer potential of Squamanagonic is staggering. With great land that is well used, the fun factor more than makes up for the flogging that the course will give players that are less than high end Intermediate level. Bravo to the designers!
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2 5
JBDREAMBROTHER
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Squamanagonic's time to shine! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice scenic course with a great trail system and unique natural features built into the course.To the team of guys who have done work on this course led by Jim Chambers,Rob Feeney,and William Marshall great job guys! you have helped to create a movement in the community that is sure to take hold at Squamanagonic,Great Job to all that have worked on giving this course a great start!

Cons:

Are there any? Oh just stop complaining this course is gonna own!

Other Thoughts:

The course should be completed and ready to crush your so called skills by spring but it has a playable 9 now that is still challenging for sure.Yeah even for you!
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