Vermont

[Johnny Betts]

Ok this has to be done. Feel like our great state gets overlooked in the DG world. We have some of the best courses in the country located in a small geographical area. No poison ivy, few if no ticks and some of the most beautiful landscape around. Top pros love coming to our state, they treat it like a best kept secret. There is a course that is perhaps the best course in existence and it's not on this site. It is older than most who post here. If you ever get a chance to play it you will be one of the few lucky ones. The top ten on this site? I have played 7 of them and they don't even come close to what I'm talking about. Been a long time lurker and own one of the first courses to ever get reviewed on this site. It currently sits at number 15.

 

[Noill]

Hey Johnny... what is the name of the course? You have piqued my interest ...

been to Vermont for snowboarding a bunch... though it's been awhile

I'm guessing that this course is private and not listed for a reason..?

 

[Johnny Betts]

The course used to be on this site but was taken down for several reasons. Out of respect for the owner I don't feel it is right to name it on this site. The only time this course is playable is on Tuesdays when they have work nights and their monthly tournaments. If you contact the owner personally you may be granted access to play. PM me for more details.

 

[sircrushalot]

Johnny is right! VT golf is awesome and when you combine it with everything else VT is awesome at it makes for a great trip.

Johnny's course is great. The one he is referring to is great. The best is Brewster Ridge at Smuggler's Notch. The New England Disc Golf Championships are in VT this year. I hope that helps shine some of the light on what's going on up there.

 

[Johnny Betts]

Brewster is a great course. It's maintenance and grounds is unmatched which gives it that best feeling but it doesn't have the golf shots that BF and NC has.

 

[Johnny Betts]

Playing a doubles tournament on the same card with Nikko and Wysocki at BF was a good example. Between the two of them they were able to throw the shot I designed for each hole ending up with a almost perfect round of 44. SSA for the course is around 56

 

[sidewinder22]

Vermont maybe gets overlooked because of low population density and extreme northern location limiting playable season. IDK for sure because I've not played in VT yet.

I think Paw Paw WV gets overlooked for similar reasons.

 

[Matt B.]

I loved North Calais when I lived in VT in the late 90's. Played it a lot.

 

[Noill]

North Calais is extinct on this site...

The GMDGC has tournies there though... private course similar to others I know are like that...

 

[Magicweed]

Black Falls is on my short list of courses to go play in New England now that I moved here. I grew up in New England, being from Northeastern VT, but didn't pick up disc golf until I spent a few years in Cali. Being back home, one of my goals is to help grow New England disc golf any way that I can. Keep posting good VT/NH recommendations and I'll hit them up!

 

[gabereif]

I lived in Burlington, VT for a couple of years. It's an amazing town in terms of people and attractions, but I'm very disappointed by the lack of local disc golf. Some people tried to build a course in a local park, but the community fought against it. Here's the story:

http://www.leddypark.org/concerns

It's baffling how anti-disc golf people are in the Burlington area. Not to mention that this article makes my blood boil. The Waterbury course gets 1,000 people playing a week?!?! I've been there and I doubt they even see 100 people a week (no offense, it's a fine course... but c'mon, really?!?!).

I'm glad disc golf is gaining traction in the state and there are a few great courses. But I would love to see a higher concentration of courses, especially a couple good ones very close to Burlington, which is the only region of the state with more than 40,000 residents.

 

[Noill]

Well that was a bit of a biased report. However, I appreciate the length that the author went to in order to write it up. There was plenty of supporting evidence and all of this was attached as exhibits. One fact error though... the author reported that discs are 180-200 g. and well... that is mostly wrong.

I had no idea that this level of study went into public courses (as is evident from the exhibits). The Boy Scout study was pretty intense. Give me a piece of land that I am familiar with (midwest, Northeastern and Middle Atlantic, southwest) and enough of it and I know I can design a decent course... however, I'd dislike putting in the research as is required for some of these. I already know to prefer wildlife over disc golf (protecting bird habitats and the like) but to provide environmental impact studies?

Anyway, I disagree with most of the Leddy Park report that you linked as it is terribly biased and suggests things like disc golfers being litter bugs... not my experience at all. Some do but most don't... all the people I know actually walk-in/walk-out their litter or even pick up other people's trash.

I digress...

 

[Johnny Betts]

Burlington is the home to many hippie dippie conservation types. God forbid a tree gets hit or the ground gets a little worn. I graduated with a degree in natural resource management many moons ago and used to be one of them. My course design philosophy now is, if I hit a tree more than once on a good drive or upshot, it's time to fire up the chainsaw. It's been a frustrating time for many trying to get a quality course in Chittenden County. As far as 1000 golfers a day at Waterbury, that is a joke.

 

[sircrushalot]

Being back home, one of my goals is to help grow New England disc golf any way that I can.

Are you aware of NEFA and www.nefa.com? They are always looking for great volunteers to help grown the sport in New England.

 

[discNDav]

I made a Vermont road trip to Brewster Ridge/Smugglers Notch a few months ago and found that course to be absolutely fantastic. I highly recommend it! I tried calling the N Calias course owner but received no call back or permission so I went onto the next state.

 

[Johnny Betts]

You should have shot north 30 minutes and played my place.

 

[Hector Chain]

I've made it up to Vermont twice this summer and will be back again in September. One of my favorite states. Lots to do in the summer and the winter. Skiing, hiking, disc golf, great beer...

 

[blazerico]

the problem with the two courses worth playing in VT is they're 5+ hours from everywhere

 

[Ace_Ventura]

I had a great time at Center Chains DGC in Waturbury, VT a few weeks ago and made my way to Salmon Falls DGC in Rochester, NH on my way back home. Both courses were fun and beautiful.

 

[Ricksastar]

Couple of friends and I are heading to VT this weekend to play. Leaving from CT. Gonna play the Pyramids in Mass the Storrs Pond saw it got great reviews. Then staying near Burlington. Next need we were thinking The Quarries and need one more heading South.