I thought you liked Bucksnort and I thought that it was in danger of closing.
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Movement in top 10
- Thread starter Mando
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I thought you liked Bucksnort and I thought that it was in danger of closing.
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I honestly think it might be the best course I've ever played. Yes, it's prone to flooding, but it really is spectacular in pretty much every way.
Best front 9 I've ever played... and 10, 15, 18 are some of the best holes on the course.
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Just gazing at the current Top 10 list, and musing about the variety. Despite each of our individual and differing standards of what makes a great course, it appears there are a lot of routes to the Top 10, to being, if not great, then at least greatly loved by many reviewers.
The list includes very polished courses and rustic ones; long to short, or at least moderate; dramatic scenic settings to merely nice ones.
We, at least We the Reviewers, seem to have little consensus on the value of any of these factors. Which I think is pretty cool; if the top 10 list were all Selah-like courses or Flip City-like courses, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting.
The list includes very polished courses and rustic ones; long to short, or at least moderate; dramatic scenic settings to merely nice ones.
We, at least We the Reviewers, seem to have little consensus on the value of any of these factors. Which I think is pretty cool; if the top 10 list were all Selah-like courses or Flip City-like courses, it wouldn't be nearly as interesting.
I think I've mentioned it before, but the thing about Harmony Bends is that it has great holes, with great variety, on great terrain (aside from being on a flood plain, of course). It didn't impress me as much as a number of other courses, but I think it strikes a happy medium that makes almost any DGCRer appreciate it. I haven't reviewed it, but I'd be hard pressed to give it less than 5.
It's probably still benefiting from novelty a bit. I remember over a year ago we were saying the drainage ought to cause it to lose some rating points. I don't think it ever happened.
The interesting thing to me is that, after playing there twice, I reckon hole 1 is not nearly as affected by flooding as at least five other holes.
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Seeing all the Bailey reviews yesterday and today makes me wonder what pushes this sort of activity. Is this the latest tactic of the Beaver Ranch detractors? Does someone decide, hey, lets all go review Bailey on DGCR and up its rating?
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Yeah, (for me) any time a course is even moderately inaccessible due to a design choice (e.g., using a flood plain), it's going to take a hit in my ratings rubric. That's just a poor design decision. And while traveling reviewers may see it once during playable conditions, if I traveled there to find a good portion of the course flooded out, that's NOT a 5-disc, top-ten, let alone #1 overall course.
I'd guess it has more to do with new players there for The Bloom.
It usually happens after a tournament. I noticed Lake Claiborne getting a few right after a tournament.
jeffmonty
* Ace Member *
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And maybe a guy standing next to the kiosk telling everyone to make sure they do a DGCR review and mention the new teepads. I don't necessarily blame them for doing this, they want new reviews, but that rash of reviews does seem like there's some serious lobbying going on.
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i've got to disagree with everything said here. using a flood plain is absolutely not a poor design decision. it is a compromise and sort of a risk/reward decision.
so many of the holes at Harmony Bends are incredible golf holes. yes they are on a flood plain but it's great design with a sometimes significant drawback. if using a flood plain is a poor design choice, then building a course anywhere in the north where it snows is a poor design choice. it's basically saying that you'd rather a course not exist if the conditions aren't always playable.
i can see where some might disagree on this point but i also think having a course being sometimes unavailable shouldn't bear on its rating or status. if you are traveling to a destination course and don't do your homework then that's on you. you wouldn't knock on Augusta for being unplayable if you showed up during the Masters. i know the weather is a bit of a different story but the weather forecasts are accurate enough.
plus, in this case accounts seem to indicate that HB drains pretty quickly.
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All I know is, it's a freakin incredible course.
I haven't played any of the top ranked courses out west. Maybe some of them are better... I dunno what I dunno. But to say HB is worth going out of your way for, is an understatement.
I haven't played any of the top ranked courses out west. Maybe some of them are better... I dunno what I dunno. But to say HB is worth going out of your way for, is an understatement.
It's significant that HB's rating is holding up fine as time passes. I think I agree with dreadlock: the golf is incredible. It's absolutely amazing disc golf terrain (trees, ups/downs, ground surfaces, water) EXCEPT that it's unplayable when flooded and that some holes appear to drain slowly. Nevertheless, the fact that it's in a flood plain is part of the genius of the design. The land isn't premium or desirable for any other reason, so spacious and suitable land was available for a masterpiece of a course, which land wouldn't have been available on land with more uses.
I think my main concern is how tough upkeep will be after frequent cycles (every 2 years? twice a year?) of serious flooding. We had a course in Oklahoma City completely trashed after a serious flood a few years ago, so I just wonder how the greens, basket placements, tees, etc. will hold up. It may work, since the City of Columbia seems committed to the project for the present. But I bet that means a significant cost in man hours and finances. At any rate, "freakin incredible" is definitely one way to describe it.
I think my main concern is how tough upkeep will be after frequent cycles (every 2 years? twice a year?) of serious flooding. We had a course in Oklahoma City completely trashed after a serious flood a few years ago, so I just wonder how the greens, basket placements, tees, etc. will hold up. It may work, since the City of Columbia seems committed to the project for the present. But I bet that means a significant cost in man hours and finances. At any rate, "freakin incredible" is definitely one way to describe it.
If Bucksnort can be in the Top 10, I can't see holding occasional unplayability against any course.
Or, for that matter, the Highbridge Hills courses.
Which isn't to say that individual reviewers can't dock it. Like all of the other features of varying importance to different players, the course's review will reflect the percentage of reviewers who think the flooding detracts from it. Even if I disagree, if 5% think it matters, then the overall course rating will be reduced by 5% of the amount that those reviewers deduct.
P.S. Bucksnort can be in the Top 10.
Or, for that matter, the Highbridge Hills courses.
Which isn't to say that individual reviewers can't dock it. Like all of the other features of varying importance to different players, the course's review will reflect the percentage of reviewers who think the flooding detracts from it. Even if I disagree, if 5% think it matters, then the overall course rating will be reduced by 5% of the amount that those reviewers deduct.
P.S. Bucksnort can be in the Top 10.
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I respect your dissenting opinion.
However, I would like to point out that up north, most of us don't consider a course unplayable just because there's snow on it.
I see a difference between inclement weather (e.g., snow) that some may choose to play through while others might not want to deal with and something like significant flooding that makes a course unplayable.
Regardless of people's opinions on the matter, it's probably a good discussion to have!
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I guess I'd also like to point out that courses being unavailable due to predictable or verifiable reasons (seasonal, due to the schedule of a private owner, etc.) that you could confirm prior to play is much less of a drawback than something unpredictable like flooding.
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markmcc has made me course jealous again. This time hitting one of my wish-list courses on Prince Edward Island. Hillcrest DGC, another fabulous Houck designed course.
If extending the review minimum down to 10 reviews. Hillcrest would come in at number 2 behind Harmony Bends with a 4.9 (10 reviews)
Hillcrest has a ridiculous 56% favorite percentage
Harmony Bends 36%
Saleh Lakeside 33%
Rollin Ridge 37%
Flip City 47%
Jarva DGP 41%
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/reviews.php?id=5358&mode=rev#78064
Excellent review Mark!
If extending the review minimum down to 10 reviews. Hillcrest would come in at number 2 behind Harmony Bends with a 4.9 (10 reviews)
Hillcrest has a ridiculous 56% favorite percentage
Harmony Bends 36%
Saleh Lakeside 33%
Rollin Ridge 37%
Flip City 47%
Jarva DGP 41%
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/reviews.php?id=5358&mode=rev#78064
Excellent review Mark!
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Well... Mark & Mark have convinced me to put Hillcrest on my wish list! It's just the type of destination I might be able to turn into a family trip.
Thanks! It is a truly memorable course, but one that might take a very long time to get enough reviews to make it into the top 10. We are spending the summer in Maine and my wife wanted to visit the Maritime Provinces for her birthday. Being the understanding lady that she is we worked some disc golf into the trip. I wanted to play a course in each of the three provinces of NB, PEI, and NS. The courses in NB and NS were not great, but the PEI course was worth the trip!!
