wolfhaley to Harmony Bends 2020

[wolfhaley]

I'm looking for suggestions for a potential trip from central WI to Colombia MO. I'd like to play Harmony Bends next summer. I have no dates lined up yet. I'm curious as to when HB's is most playable (least wet/flooded). This would be my main course to play. Now besides this I'm also curious what St. Louis has to offer disc golf wise. This would be a 7 and a half drive for me. KC MO is 8 and a half. Colombia MO looks to be midway between the 2. Probably staying in Des Moines or Cedar Rapids on my way back. Any help or suggestions there would be appreciated too. I'm just trying to get a head start on planning. I don't even have a preferred route. Probably 8 day trip by car. I'm open to ANY suggestions. Never been to MO.

 

[toddnick]

Harmony Bends

It is well worth the trip to play Harmony Bends.

I flew into Peoria to spectate Worlds in August and saw that it was only 4 hours from Peoria to Columbia, so I added 2 days to my trip and rented a car after flying in to Peoria and drove to Columbia. Played Harmony Bends for 2 days. Great course.

I was there in mid-August and conditions were great (though pretty hot and steamy.

 

[muptonfish]

I'm looking for suggestions for a potential trip from central WI to Colombia MO. I'd like to play Harmony Bends next summer. I have no dates lined up yet. I'm curious as to when HB's is most playable (least wet/flooded). This would be my main course to play. Now besides this I'm also curious what St. Louis has to offer disc golf wise. This would be a 7 and a half drive for me. KC MO is 8 and a half. Colombia MO looks to be midway between the 2. Probably staying in Des Moines or Cedar Rapids on my way back. Any help or suggestions there would be appreciated too. I'm just trying to get a head start on planning. I don't even have a preferred route. Probably 8 day trip by car. I'm open to ANY suggestions. Never been to MO.

Harmony Bends is definitely worth the stop, traditionally June and later into the summer should be safe to be able to play at HB. However we had major flooding earlier this year and the course really wasn't enjoyable to play until July. The Missouri river has stayed relatively high all year, I'm afraid next year will be another flood year even with "normal" rainfall.

 

[Discette]

Harmony Bends is definitely worth the stop, traditionally June and later into the summer should be safe to be able to play at HB. However we had major flooding earlier this year and the course really wasn't enjoyable to play until July. The Missouri river has stayed relatively high all year, I'm afraid next year will be another flood year even with "normal" rainfall.

If the course typically floods until June, it seems poor timing to have the 2020 Tim Selinske US Masters scheduled from May 28th to May 31st? Maybe it is a good thing I won't be able to make the Tim this year?

 

[muptonfish]

If the course typically floods until June, it seems poor timing to have the 2020 Tim Selinske US Masters scheduled from May 28th to May 31st? Maybe it is a good thing I won't be able to make the Tim this year?

June is the ultra conservative answer, which I give to a person planning a special multi-day trip. May is typically fine but Mother Nature has her own plan.

 

[roggenb3]

Yeah, Harmony is in kind of the middle of nowhere - right about halfway (so a couple hours) between KC and STL. Neither are really "on the way". STL probably a little closer, but I haven't played anything there.

But it is a really nice drive through central MO.

My only suggestion is Wildcat Bluff in Urbana, IA when you are by Cedar Rapids. I actually haven't played it but I know a few who have that highly recommended it. I just didn't have time on my way back from Harmony.

I will also suggest, if you have the time and like hiking, to check out Mark Twain National Forest. Elephant Rocks State Park is cool and smaller. Also lots of backpacking type trails out there. I did a couple day hike from Taum Sauk to Johnson's Shut Ins. It was pretty.

 

[wolfhaley]

Yeah, Harmony is in kind of the middle of nowhere - right about halfway (so a couple hours) between KC and STL. Neither are really "on the way". STL probably a little closer, but I haven't played anything there.

But it is a really nice drive through central MO.

My only suggestion is Wildcat Bluff in Urbana, IA when you are by Cedar Rapids. I actually haven't played it but I know a few who have that highly recommended it. I just didn't have time on my way back from Harmony.

I will also suggest, if you have the time and like hiking, to check out Mark Twain National Forest. Elephant Rocks State Park is cool and smaller. Also lots of backpacking type trails out there. I did a couple day hike from Taum Sauk to Johnson's Shut Ins. It was pretty.

Yeah it looked to be right in between St. Louis and KC. Harmony is the reason for this trip but I'd like to base a few days in either STL or KC. I was wondering if I had to choose between the 2 which would be better golf. Then I was thinking a day or 2 in Des Moines maybe before heading home. I have played Wildcat Bluff and it is awesome, so add me to the list of those who would highly recommend it. I appreciate the help :thmbup:

 

[wolfhaley]

Harmony Bends is definitely worth the stop, traditionally June and later into the summer should be safe to be able to play at HB. However we had major flooding earlier this year and the course really wasn't enjoyable to play until July. The Missouri river has stayed relatively high all year, I'm afraid next year will be another flood year even with "normal" rainfall.

Harmony is the whole reason I want to make this trip so I'd like to find the best time to play it. I was thinking July or later too. Do you happen to know if there's better golf in KC or STL? Now that it's getting colder out I'm going to start scouring reviews but I always prefer some input from locals or anybody with suggestions. :thmbup:

 

[wolfhaley]

It is well worth the trip to play Harmony Bends.

I flew into Peoria to spectate Worlds in August and saw that it was only 4 hours from Peoria to Columbia, so I added 2 days to my trip and rented a car after flying in to Peoria and drove to Columbia. Played Harmony Bends for 2 days. Great course.

I was there in mid-August and conditions were great (though pretty hot and steamy.

This was my exact plan last year when I went to worlds but my plans fell through for HB. I also got rained out for Camden I and II. I did get to play Northwoods and Megiddo (which is Awesome) and around 20 other courses in Peoria and Davenport. But I really regret not being able to play HB. I'm making sure I get it this year. Any other thoughts about MO courses to check out is appreciated too.

 

[muptonfish]

Harmony is the whole reason I want to make this trip so I'd like to find the best time to play it. I was thinking July or later too. Do you happen to know if there's better golf in KC or STL? Now that it's getting colder out I'm going to start scouring reviews but I always prefer some input from locals or anybody with suggestions. :thmbup:

I have played Water Works in KC and it was great but my knowledge is fairly limited on both locales.
New Melle is a newer course in the StL area that has been getting some talk locally but that is about the extent of my knowledge. Wish I could help you a bit more.

Message Golden Tuna on here for more info about StL
and konza_kid for KC courses

I'm sure there are others but those are 2 people I have run across here on the forums that are in those areas.

 

[roggenb3]

Harmony is the whole reason I want to make this trip so I'd like to find the best time to play it. I was thinking July or later too. Do you happen to know if there's better golf in KC or STL? Now that it's getting colder out I'm going to start scouring reviews but I always prefer some input from locals or anybody with suggestions. :thmbup:

I would look up the weather for Colombia and go during whatever is their driest month. I was there in September and was lucky that it was "dry", and even then there were holes with huge areas of standing water. Some locals I talked to said they don't usually play half the course because it's too wet.

I haven't played STL, but it's hard for me to imagine it has better overall golf than KC. I've played a few in the KC area and they were all great.

I think from where you are, and if you are planning to play in IA, KC makes more sense. The quick way to STL is taking 39/55 through IL, and there's not much on the way there.

I would go Des Moines, KC, then take a day or 2 to HB and maybe hit Lake of the Ozarks or something.

 

[Coldpunk]

If you want to see it at its very best, try and play it either the week before or after one of the major tournaments. The Mid America Open is the the first weekend in August this year.

 

[VictorB]

I'm looking for suggestions for a potential trip from central WI to Colombia MO. I'd like to play Harmony Bends next summer. I have no dates lined up yet. I'm curious as to when HB's is most playable (least wet/flooded). This would be my main course to play. Now besides this I'm also curious what St. Louis has to offer disc golf wise. This would be a 7 and a half drive for me. KC MO is 8 and a half. Colombia MO looks to be midway between the 2. Probably staying in Des Moines or Cedar Rapids on my way back. Any help or suggestions there would be appreciated too. I'm just trying to get a head start on planning. I don't even have a preferred route. Probably 8 day trip by car. I'm open to ANY suggestions. Never been to MO.

Missouri's dryest part of the year (in terms of rainfall) is typically September/October. It can still be a roll of the dice though. I was planning to play there this last weekend, but there was a lot of rain overnight the day before I wanted to go and some of the holes were flooded.

StL and KC definitely have courses that would be worth your time, but if you want to stay in the Mid-MO area there are plenty of hidden gems much closer that won't make you sad to go play at. Jefferson City has 2 courses at Binder Lake part (JC Miller and the Dam Course), Marshall has 2 at Indian Foothills, Moberly has 2 at Rothwell Park (The Woods and the Lakes). Additionally, there's the very tight and challenging Indian Hills in Columbia, and 2 courses at Albert Oakland Park - though those are both more old school to varying degrees, built in '99 and '80.

 

[muptonfish]

If you want to see it at its very best, try and play it either the week before or after one of the major tournaments. The Mid America Open is the the first weekend in August this year.

If you are lucky, you will get to play it when the baskets are in the Gold positions.

 

[REDARMY]

Native St. Louisan here.

Jefferson Barracks, Sioux Passage (and or Briscoe Woods) and New Melle are all solid courses. Konarcik Park in Waterloo, Illinois is also a beautiful course.

*MAYBE* by the time of your trip next year, the underground course in Crystal City, MO will be open as well (it floods perpetually).

I've heard many good things about Water Works and 1 other course in KC (don't remember which) - If you choose STL, hit me up. I can guide any course within 50 miles of here.

 

[wolfhaley]

Native St. Louisan here.

Jefferson Barracks, Sioux Passage (and or Briscoe Woods) and New Melle are all solid courses. Konarcik Park in Waterloo, Illinois is also a beautiful course.

*MAYBE* by the time of your trip next year, the underground course in Crystal City, MO will be open as well (it floods perpetually).

I've heard many good things about Water Works and 1 other course in KC (don't remember which) - If you choose STL, hit me up. I can guide any course within 50 miles of here.

Sorry for the delay in my response. Jefferson Barracks looked to be a must play. Sioux passage too. I have Crystal City Underground on my wish list. It's been listed as unplayable for a LONG time though. I originally wanted to play HB and stop in STL when I went to worlds in August. I had to change plans later than I wanted and ended up going to Worlds and then heading to the quad cities for a few courses. I got rained out on Camden I and II as well. Played Northwood, Eureka and a bunch of Peoria area courses and got some Davenport area ones in too.

I'm setting my main DG goal this year to play Harmony Bends. I'm now leaning towards KC over STL based off just looking over the course map. Nothing is set in stone at all though. STL is closer by an hour, but I'd be traveling back through Iowa regardless. I'm just going to have to do my due diligence in regards to planning this trip. I appreciate you help and if I do end up in STL I'd be glad to play a round or 5. :thmbup:

 

[REDARMY]

Hopefully by the time you get here, our second course will be in at Jefferson Barracks. That'll make it easy to get 2 rounds in at one place and you can be one of the first people to play the new course

Myself, the course captain, and a few others are picking away at a design at the moment, so it's in its earliest stages. There's a metric ****load of honeysuckle to clear when we do settle on a design.

Sioux is a beautiful course, but it's one of the longest and toughest in the area. I do NOT recommend playing that course in the summertime...

Keep me advised!

 

[Three Putt]

Sioux is a beautiful course, but it's one of the longest and toughest in the area. I do NOT recommend playing that course in the summertime...

I mean Sioux got overgrown this past summer. but it was really wet this summer and pretty much every park I went to had a majorly screwed up mowing schedule. It's usually better than it was this year.

Other than that, it's pretty sunny on the back and it's a haul. There is that one transition (it was 14 to 15 back in the day but I think it's 15 to 16 now) where you have to haul yourself up the hill; I called that the "march of death" when I was 30 and in shape. It's pure hell no matter when you play it, but on a muggy 95 degree day it's a special sort of torture. Is that what you mean by "not in the summertime"?

 

[REDARMY]

I mean Sioux got overgrown this past summer. but it was really wet this summer and pretty much every park I went to had a majorly screwed up mowing schedule. It's usually better than it was this year.

Other than that, it's pretty sunny on the back and it's a haul. There is that one transition (it was 14 to 15 back in the day but I think it's 15 to 16 now) where you have to haul yourself up the hill; I called that the "march of death" when I was 30 and in shape. It's pure hell no matter when you play it, but on a muggy 95 degree day it's a special sort of torture. Is that what you mean by "not in the summertime"?

Correct. I didn't consider the grass in that statement at all. If you don't want to lose discs in the grass, throw in the fairway. Or play Briscoe Woods.

You are correct that the slog up the hill is now hole 15 to 16. And yeah, that's what I meant with 'don't play it in the summer', unless you've got a healthy supply of water and a ****load of calories to burn. It's a beautiful course no doubt, but on a hot day, a round there will leave you too drained to play anywhere else.

 

[Three Putt]

Correct. I didn't consider the grass in that statement at all. If you don't want to lose discs in the grass, throw in the fairway. Or play Briscoe Woods.

You are correct that the slog up the hill is now hole 15 to 16. And yeah, that's what I meant with 'don't play it in the summer', unless you've got a healthy supply of water and a ****load of calories to burn. It's a beautiful course no doubt, but on a hot day, a round there will leave you too drained to play anywhere else.

To me that walk was always a bummer because once you get to that tee you are about as high up as you get in that park with a nice view, but all I could do was look at my shoes as I gasped for breath. By the time we were putting I had forgotten it, though. There are other rugged courses that bother me more than Sioux does. Logan kicks my butt physically more than Sioux does. Sioux has dramatic up/down slopes, but when I'm there I don't feel like I'm about to fall down all the time like I do at Logan. Just staying vertical wears me out at Logan. I guess it's a personal preference thing.

I'll have to pay better attention to the hole numbering since my will says to scatter my ashes off the (now) 16 tee at Sioux.