Silverdale, WA

Bud Pell @ Ross Farm

3.865(based on 7 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Bud Pell @ Ross Farm reviews

Filter
4 0
Breh
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 191 played 189 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

3 sets of tee pads which dramatically change the difficulty of the course. All with nicely done tee signs and good tee pads. The gold tees our insanely hard and give the open players the challenges they crave. Very well marked out ob lines with flags, and great mix of shots for forehand/backhand/turnover players. There's a little bit of everything and great mix of distances. Even a monster 1000 something foot hole 4 from the gold tees and a super hard 350 foot island hole to follow. There's good elevation change as well as a fun water shot on 6 which the card behind me threw in the drink. Garbage cans throughout the course. This is one of the most finished feeling Washington courses I've played and will challenge every aspect of your game. If you're not an open player I don't recommend the gold tees the blue and red will still be plenty of fun and can test your game. The course was fairly busy when I was their but not to bad for player traffic. The tee pads our very grippy and our very well done, the rough can be hard to recover from as it should be. there's really not to many cons here and is a great place to play

Cons:

Hole 11 it's an okay hole but I don't think it's the best or most well designed hole. There's a tiny window off the tee box and dosen't really give a true line to the basket. There's some really great holes here but there's also a couple that don't really stand out, and just kind of feel like an average hole and nothing special. Some of the holes like 4 and 18 in the swampland our almost unplayable in the winter when it rains super hard

Other Thoughts:

There's a giant kiosk board at the start of the course. As well as a massive disc return box. There's plenty of nicely done signs showing no littering, and no dogs follow the rules!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
PNWTurnandFade
Experience: 13.1 years 24 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 30, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good use of terrain, the hills and valleys keep things very interesting.
Nice variety of hole length and shape, a few down hill holes that make for a fun opportunity to just empty your whole bag, like hole 3 and 14.
Mostly concrete tee pads.
Signs at tee pads to give hole length and rough hole shape.
Navigation arrows on the course and at baskets to help you get to the next tee pad.
Red and Blue tee pads for most if not all holes. Creates nice options.
A few garbage cans throughout the course.

Cons:

No course map
Some of the tee pads are plastic modular pieces that are slippery when wet, like #2.
Needs better signs for navigation both at the tee pad and on the course. There are some interesting hills that create some false horizons and prevent you from seeing the basket from the tee pad, which wouldnt be a problem if the signs at the tee pad were more detailed and if there were corresponding distance markers on the fairway.
Some confusing backtracking on a few holes, and a hole that has a new long position with minimal signs to help you get to the basket.
Portapotty bathroom.
Strict rules because it's private land.
Some of the tee pads are in a pasture that gets swampy during the rainy season, so be prepared to get wet, muddy feet. I always bring a spare set of socks to wear going home, spare shoes might be a good idea too. Two of the tee pads are un reachable in the rainy season like blue 4 and 18.

Other Thoughts:

Donate to play, the donation box is at 2nd tee pad it's a yellow metal cylinder 3 feet tall. A recommended donation of $1 I'm happy to pay given the quality of the course.
Overall I really like this course, it's creative, challenging, and fun. I will go out of my way to play it. If the swampy pasture was sorted out with some walkways or stepping stones, and if the signage was better this course could easily be a 4.5.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
Lonhart
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 30 years 422 played 38 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Bud Pell does it right! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Bud Pell is located on a farm with lots of space but multiple uses (paint ball, driving range)
-Immaculately clean--very impressive!
-Decent sized cement tee pads, two for each of the 18 baskets
-Baskets in good shape, sometimes visible from the tee pad; often with arrows on basket pointing in the direction of the next tee pads (red and blue arrows)
-Numbered posts on each tee, some indicating hole placement, flight path and distance
-Extensive signage to next pair of tee pads, the red being shorter and the blue being longer
-Each tee pad has a series of log rounds that serve as chairs, the tops covered with either red or blue/black material, matching the color of the tee
-A few holes in open fields, the rest in dense forest
-Portable bathroom in parking lot and it was in good shape
-While I like dogs, it was great that none were around. Also no cigarette butts since smoking is not allowed

Cons:

-This is minor, but the beauty of the course is somewhat blemished on a few holes by tarps that separate the paint ball area from the fairways, but a minor thing to improve safety
-As of August 2016, the course appears to have been redesigned again, and differs from the 2015 photos by krife. I plan on adding my own photos from the Blue tees taken Aug 13, 2016.
-No trash cans that I can recall, and no water

Other Thoughts:

Hole by hole breakdown as of August 13, 2016 (FYI I am a RHBH thrower):
Parking lot is dirt and can hold about 30 cars. No smoking, alcohol or dogs allowed.

Hole 1. Tee for Blue is closest to parking lot and presents a short but sharp left-to-right shot around dense trees. The Red tee is set further back from the pin, but is a straight shot up over a rise and down a lane of trees.
Hole 2. Tee for Blue is 525 ft par 4. Mandatory on right to avoid sending disc into ball golf driving range. Pin is protected by short pine trees.
Hole 3. From pin 2 head up the hill, following signs to Red tee, which you will see first, then a little further is the Blue tee. Blue is 222 feet, and both are fairly straight, downhill shots. Dirt road on left is lines with small white posts and string marking OB, which I did not learn until walking down there.
Hole 4. From pin 3 follow white triangles on trees through small pines on a winding trail downhill and into the open field. Blue tee is, I assume, a par 4 hole, about 550 ft or so. Wide open field shot to tee, then up a hill and basket is at edge of trees on very slight slope.
Hole 5. Does not indicate it is an island hole (you must land in a defined area or you are required to go to drop zone). Blue tee 237 feet. Landing zone surrounded by boards, and potential for water in a ditch in rainy season?
Hole 6. Blue tee 266 ft at rear of path you walk on that serves as a boundary for the murky pond. It is possible to hyzer over land most of the way and skip up to the basket, or go straight at it over water most of the way--it is a short hole after all. Basket is on a slope, so there is potential for a disc to catch an edge and roll back down into the pond.
Hole 7. Walk up the hill from the pin, skirting paint ball tarp to tee. Blue tee 257 ft, but a wall of trees forces a forehand shot with a big skip left to right.
Hole 8. After holing out on 7, walk to your left along edge of trees. Blue tee 510 ft par 4. Shoot across a wide open field, but a mando at edge of forest forces you to left on your upshot/approach. Pin is back in trees about 40 feet deep.
Hole 9. Red tee is near the 8 pin, but Blue tee is to left and looks very new. Tough shot down a narrow alley, and the pin is raised on a stump. I think distance is about 300 ft.
Hole 10. Blue tee 200 ft down a slope, tunnel shot and no danger behind the hole, although locals said it was possible to overdrive and end up on a road.
Hole 11. Passed pin 10 is a flat grassy bowl, and the Blue tee is a par 4 430 ft from the pin, which is up a hill and to the right. A straight drive will put you in position for a right to left upshot and a possible birdie, but trees fill in much of the approach area.
Hole 12. Blue tee 270 ft is set further back from the red tee, and presents a deep hyzer with a few trees to miss at the apex of the curve, which is right to left. Pin is set in a stone, very cool looking.
Hole 13. Down the path past the Red tee is the Blue tee, a 460 ft par 4. Tarps line the left edge of the fairway and trees are fairly thick. A straight shot that hyzers at the end will put you in one of the throwing lanes on the approach, and the pin hugs the right edge and is protected in front by trees. It is slightly uphill the whole way.
Hole 14. You emerge from the forest to the edge of the field you crossed on hole 8. Blue tee 537 ft par 4. This is a pure "air it out" hole, with a cluster of trees hiding the pin but set well in front of it. A good approach will with a skip or slid on the dirt will allow a birdie. Beware tarp that surrounds pin to left and behind also marks OB.
Hole 15. Blue tee 387 ft is another tee on the edge of the forest and allows you to take it wide right and hyzer in to the pin, which is to left and upslope of the lower pin for hole 4.
Hole 16. Blue tee 375 ft is basically the same shot as the last two, just with a little more elevation drop. Stay to right of pin, since forest on left is thick and has few direct lines to pin if you edge too deep into it.
Hole 17. After holing out on 16, head backwards and up the slope to Red tee and Blue tee 333 ft. Downhill shot following a path/road with pin tucked in among trees. I think this was old hole #3.
Hole 18. Blue tee 533 ft par 4 brings us back to the edge of the forest and open field. Send a drive out towards the Red tee, and then you can see the cleared slope and stairs leading up to pin 18. The pin is visible once you start climbing the staires, but you may have seen it when parking, since it is nearest the port-a-john and is elevated on some wood and dirt. I ended on a high note with a birdie 3 on this hole after canning a 40 ft uphill putt.

This is a great course, and so clean and quiet.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 2
Rossome
Experience: 310 played 18 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Love the New Layout! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 19, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great mix of terrain, water, trees, and length
- Blue course and Red tee pads both challenging and different enough to play as separate courses
- Thoughtful layout and mix of shots required
- Beautiful course to walk
- Very active association with constant improvements

Cons:

- Some tee pads aren't as good as others
- Could be even better with alternate tee placements

Other Thoughts:

I have played about 300 courses around the country and two of my top ten are right here within 5 miles of each other: Bud Pell and NAD Park. Paul Wright has done an excellent job of reconfiguring the layout on this course and it now has a fun water hole, island hole, mandos, OBs, up hill, down hill, pins in rocks, stumps, and mounds. The 18th is a challenging signature hole with a dog leg, up hill and elevated cage. Two destination courses plus two other fun 18 courses within minutes . . . doesn't get any better for dg lovers!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
10 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I Only Wish I Lived Closer! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 25, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Ross Farm is a lovely piece of private property featuring three commercial business ventures; A great looking little putt-putt golf course, a two tiered golf driving range and a paintball course. The family graciously allows the disc golf course to operate here as free enterprise with all volunteer upkeep. Many thanks to mainly, Paul Wright, but also to Jeff Montgomery for their countless hours of work on the new re-design and the overall maintenance of this lovely course.

Honestly, I played this course years ago on a wet miserable day and don't remember being overly impressed. The grass was knee high in the fields. I got soaking wet. Playing this morning on a glorious August morning, I was blown away by the overall beauty of the course, by the amount of work that has been put into it and generally by the overall design and amenities. Very little has been missed.

At the start, there is ample parking, practice basket, honey bucket, and a kiosk with lots of information. There's also a large "NO SMOKING." Due to fact that about half of the state is on currently burning with wildfires, please be smart and don't be the guy who causes this course to be removed!

The tee pads are mixed between concrete and an interesting new material called Terrewalk. Terrewalk is a concrete looking plastic material that looks concrete pavers. They're expansive, expensive but wonderful to throw off. Time will tell how well they hold up but I think they'll be great. The signs are pretty basic, partially vandal proof. They consist of a large log approx. 1 foot round with the hole # on top and then a simple sign giving the Par and distance.

There are two sets of tees, the much longer Blues which play over 6600' with 7 par 4's and then the shorter Reds playing about 5200'. I played a round from both tees. The Reds are definitely a easy recreational round but they don't have any holes that I would call real easy or wide open. From the Blues, I'm calling it a fun, creative, well designed Intermediate level course.

There a quite a few holes that stick out as creative or challenging or just plain fun. There are also quite a few great basket placements, either in the form of a couple of raised baskets or # 8's basket up in the rocks and trees or # 18 high up on the hill above the stairs. Among the more memorable holes for me were:

# 5. The island hole. It's not overly challenging, especially from the Reds but I liked it anyway.
Same with # 6, the pond hole. It's not more than a 200' throw to clear the water but there are a few overhanging branches to splash down your shot. It might be the easiest hole on the course but it still has the "Pucker" factor going for it and someone recently went diving and pulled 25 discs out of the stagnant looking waters. And for a bonus, a family of otters has been spotted hereabouts, and I spotted a large turtle basking in the sun.
# 9 from the Reds is a short, probably 175', straight throw to an elevated basket but it's a very tight squeeze between two large trees off the tee.
# 14 is a 537' slightly downhill, mostly open throw to a basket hidden in a narrowed out section of fairway. It's a fun hole for players to show them off their arms.
I liked # 17, a 250' thread the needle ACE run through lots of trees.
And you finish with # 18, and it's 533' long hyser hole which finishes with the basket set up on a raised area on a hill probably 50' above the fairway level. A nice little network of stairs has been built to help you up the hill. However, those stairs didn't help me throw up the hill at all. And for good measure, this hole finishes right back at the parking lot!

Cons:

If I'm being nit-picky, I'd like to see something on the tee sign telling players that # 5 plays as an island. But other than calling it an "island Hole", How much more could you do? I realized it was an island hole but then again, I'm old and have played a lots of courses.

Without my local tour guide, navigation would have been a little tricky in a couple of places. There are a couple of long walkouts which is some cases kind of overlap over other holes.

My only other comment/con is the fact that the Blues don't play a little more challenging. I think the young guns would like to see a little more challenge here. I liked the course just the way it played but I don't think I'm the target audience (Senior citizen-Recreational player-Course Bagger) that course designers are primarily targeting these days.

Other Thoughts:

Bud Pell was spectacular today. The course was in perfect playing condition with not a piece of litter to be found and it was freshly mowed. This is what courses usually look like just before a big tournament when they've been dolled up to impress. If you haven't played the redesign, come out and try it. If you're senile like me and can't remember the old design, then it's like the playing an awesome course for the first time.

b-mart commented that Kitsap County is the best disc golf county in the state. While I think that Kitsap County has come a very long ways and does boast an impressive string of courses, I'm going to have to go with Spokane as # 1 county in the state with it's even more impressive stable of courses.

And no, I'm not from Spokane. I hail from Pierce County where our chant concerning disc golf courses is, "We're # 3, We're # 3." We do claim the Stilly complex, as well as Riverside and Ambient and a few others.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
12 0
b-mart
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 66 played 61 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Bud Pell 2.0 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

I have to start by admitting that the original Bud Pell was my favorite course. Period. It wasn't my GOAT. That was Dalaiwood. I'd back over your children with a bus just to play there one more time. Yeah. You. Your children. But I'll do my very best to review this new layout without comparing it too often to the original. It will come up. It happens. But I'll try to be nice.

Equipment: The baskets are still awesome and still have killer number markers on them. No change there. If I could take one of these baskets home and spoon with it you'd probably want to sanitize it after. They're awesome. And the teepads are finally teepads. There are concrete and paver tees for both red and blue now. No more treacherous footing!

Navigation: This is a work in progress. The holes each have a rough map showing the route to take to the pin. All of the baskets are marked with the (what should be) legendary wood numbers, and each has red and blue arrows guiding you to the next tee. It has a natural look, and it's awesome. More courses should take that approach.

Design: The property at Ross Farm is perfect for disc golf. It's also perfect for pelting people with paint, but who cares about that? Disc golf! It offers technical wooded areas with and without underbrush, a rolling meadow, and a long (albeit swampy at times) field. There's even a nice amount of elevation change. The designer took all of that into account. The lay of the land was the main reason for this redesign from what I hear. I never played in the winter, but that swampy area apparently took over a couple of the holes. This design plays around that part, so the only reason you'll go in there is if you're as inaccurate as I am... In which case you deserve to go in there. Buy waders or something. Or practice more. But the designer shaped fairways that avoid that area, and used every bit of the property at their disposal. There are wooded fairways with tight lines, uphill and (slightly) downhill shots, right and left turning, short and long... They even found a way to bring the pond into play and also created an "island" hole. Everything you want to see on a course is here. They really studied the property before putting this one together, and did a good job of using a lot of the existing basket placements without using many of the existing tees. So you really are playing a brand new course. And they did with hole 18 what I always look for in a hole 18. They made it the toughest and most memorable hole on the course.

I also have to applaud them for creating red tees that not only play like their own course, but flow like one too. The old ones were added as an afterthought, so there were times you had to walk 400' past the blue tee and down the fairway to get to the red version. The current layout flows much better.

Cons:

Equipment: No cons to speak of.

Navigation: The course still needs a quality map. There's a vague one on the site here, but it won't help you if you're standing on the tee and trying to figure out where the basket is. There may be better signs in the works, but a general flight path isn't enough. We need a better idea of where the basket is, and some distances.

Design: I love this property. I love how perfect it is for disc golf. But I do have to complain that they took out some of the more interesting holes. 9 and 15 were certainly memorable. The original 1 was awesome. The original 2 (later 3) was an experience all by itself. Breaking it down into a couple of fairly forgettable holes feels insulting to the original tee that still forlornly stands there. If hole 5 wasn't an island it would be the most boring hole in the county. Making it an island saves it from that distinction, but not by a whole lot.

But if I look at this course design through the eyes of someone who never played the original? Not a lot of cons to speak of.

Other Thoughts:

Somewhere along the line I heard someone say that the redesign was supposed to make this the highest rated course in the state. With Shelton Springs down the road and SeaTac and Stilly along the I-5 corridor that isn't going to happen. Those courses are the bees knees after he gets knee replacement surgery with titanium implants. But I still think it's the best course in the county, and that's really saying something in the best disc golf county in the state.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
DubsAndDiscs
Experience: 19.1 years 256 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice Upgrade 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 18, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Redesign took a better approach to the problems of the field/marsh that were in play on holes #2 and #3, now a reversed upshot (#18) and a tee change (#3 is a shorter #4). Much of the other holes have been placed to reduce problems and risks from the paintball area bordering the course. Differences in red and blue tees were good choices too, some being quite different, and makes the course even better if you make an extra loop around the back of the course. Overall, the course seems to be less technical in places and more reliant on disc choices off the tee. I realized real soon that I'm gonna have to put some other discs back in my bag, but that's not a bad thing for me.

Cons:

Got rid of some interesting short holes (old#9 and old#15) that I thought were stand-outs for being unique enough to remember. Putting water hazards in play on new#5 and new#6 are interesting, but for novice and younger players they might be holes to avoid, especially if it's windy.

Other Thoughts:

Thanks to all that contributed to the changes!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top