Your personal top 5 to 10 courses and how and why you rated them that way...

[Fishy]

1: Bailey-- it's like Beaver ranch except better and unpolished. Truly what disc golf in the mountains is supposed to be.
2: Sakuna Pines-- it's close.. it's brutal and it makes you look for lines you don't usually look for
3: Jellystone-- also close and is like a mountain course without the hour and a half drive
4hantom Falls-- an unbelievable disc golfing experience, from the pro shop, to the patio.. everything about this place is a destination for disc golfing
5:Mountain Meadows-- rough and extreme, doesn't even come close to describing some of the holes

I guess I'd round out the top 10 with Beaver Ranch, Leadville CMC, Golden Bell, HP and Gorge Hills..

Yes I need to get out and play some of the lowland courses, but until then I can just hit mountain course after mountain course. This list will probably drastically change after I plan Sundance, Beaver Meadows, Buckhorn and Ghost Town.

 

[fishmich]

i wish i was into disc golf back when i was traveling more so i could offer a little more to this thread but here goes. ill preface this by saying that im lazy and dont often write reviews but i plan to change that.

1. Hickory Hills-Traverse City MI
This course is a personal favorite. While it has its flaws, it offers plenty to make up for it. The course location alone makes it a great destination. Traverse City is in one of the prettiest areas found in the great lakes and offers a ton of fun activities with world class food and alcohol. The old growth forest and hilltop views make this course worth just walking through. Some nice risk rewards include short putter shots that can easily find their way rolling 100ft away or 600+ft downhills that could hyzer into oblivion. A few holes feel like filler but most put a smile on my face at every teepad.

2. Flip City-Shelby MI
To me this course is more than playing disc golf, its just a great place to be. You almost feel like its some far away secret land that you are dreaming up. The land this course sits on is secluded and beautiful. Being there in the fall during peak color change is about as good as it gets. The course itself isnt super challenging but its pure fun. Id say the land is used to its full disc golf potential and while i find myself throwing putters and mids most of the time, im loving every second of it. For much of this course, the appeal comes from the years of personal touches in both landscape and structures. An overall great disc golf experience.

3. Carly's Playground(MT. Holiday)-Traverse City MI
Again, Traverse City is a great destination alone. The course plays up and down a ski hill that can make for a brutal walk if it is hot out. The course has its own tragic back story and was redesigned and renamed in honor of a local. Two sets of teepads and two sets of baskets offer a total of four different layouts(yes they are different enough to play all 4). They vary from roughly 4000ft to 6600ft and the other two fall in between. The signage is some of the best ive ever seen which makes the course easy to navigate and even a little more fun. From downhill BOMBS to straight uphills, tight fairways, woods, elevated baskets, ace runs, and little quirks like bright pink and blue baskets, this course will be fun for any disc golfer. It has some great views but the grounds themselves arent as pretty as some of the northern Michigan courses. Cant wait to get back here in a couple weeks. Something about throwing a putter 600ft down a hill just really makes me smile.

4. Kensington Toboggan-Milford MI
Epic. Probably not too many courses like this one anywhere. I love throwing for distance and this course will test those skills. Just epic. Dont drink a lot of beer the night before you play this one.

5. Addison Oaks-Leonard MI
I used to hate this course. They added very nice teepads and i learned how to disc golf and now i think its one of the more underrated courses out there. Its 24 holes and offers a wide range of shots from wide open distance to tight woods and risky water holes. Hole one tests your skills right away with water that either forces a layup or a big accurate drive. The basket is on a peninsula and is well protected by willows so even the second shot can get wet. A birdie here feels good. An overall score under par can be easy if you stay out of trouble but a score well over par is possible also. Nothin special in regards to looks or character but a course that will make you use a large variety of shots and discs.

6. Sunnybrook-Sterling Heights MI
A temp course installed twice a year on a ball golf course. One statistic makes this one special...over 11000 feet in total distance on 18 holes. Course is wide open with very few trees in the way but the plentiful OB and distance makes it very fun. I suck at putting but love to throw far so this is my kind of course.

Anything in Mason County deserves honorable mention. Hole one at Beast has one of the best disc golf views in Michigan and will beg you to throw every disc in your bag.

I know I need to get out and travel more but these courses are some of my favorites.

 

[weeman]

This is a difficult list for me to put together. Not due to number of courses played or variety but for the different reasons I love certain courses. Well balanced, thought out courses that provide different challenges are what I really look for.

1. Holler In The Hills, Brownsville, KY - Not just cause this was my home away from home in Kentucky but because I felt like I could play my best golf here. Not the easiest course out there, nor the most difficult but the right balance where if you're off your game you will be punished. Plus the awe people would have on their face the first time they'd see some of the holes was priceless.

2. Nevin, Charlotte, NC - This is the type of course I want to design someday but in my own way. I felt that way when I was first playing it and I still feel that way.

3. Kensington Toboggan, Milford, MI - Epic, truly epic. Challenges every shot in my bag with rough the likes I have only rarely seen. What makes it more of a treat is the elusiveness of it in that its only open for a couple weeks.

4. Flyboy Aviation, Whitesburg, GA - The best disc golfing destination I have been apart of even in the monsoon while we played Kelly's masterpiece. Like Holler, not the hardest course out there but each hole makes you think about your shot.

5. Cedar Hill, Nashville, TN - A hidden gem in my book. Hands down the one course where I have never played the same layout twice (3-? pin placements per hole). Every time its a challenge and its always changing while never in one of the extremes of shorts or longs.

6. Idlewild, Burlington, KY - One of the first super courses in my book. Challenging in every aspect with optimal use of the land to provide for one of the best golf courses in the country. With the continuing additions and updates to this course it will only get better.

7. Circle C, Austin, TX - Played it yesterday and it automatically gets a spot here (and this is coming from someone who played Roy G. immediately afterwards). The shot variety here is top notch from tight doglegs, open bombs and everything in between. The rugged beauty and maintenance of the course really sold me on it.

8. Bud Hill, Memphis, TN - Beautiful old school course where I felt at ease with my surroundings. Each of the tee shots provided something different from the previous one and all are very fun shots. Close to the top of my biggest fun factor course list. The little details of this course really got me like the koi in 18's pond or the basket surrounded by fruit trees.

9. Mt. Airy, Cincinnati, OH - The only thing I like in Ohio. This course is just the right length, punishing without intense rough, and visually a treat. It has one of my favorite holes in all of golf (number 15) and demands respect from serious players who come across it.

 

[discNDav]

1. Flip City - while playing the first time I told myself "this is what DG heaven must be like", I go back once a year now, it's 900 miles from me.

2. Sabattus in Maine - great design, great landscaping, great golf, great facility.

3. Warwick - great variety with 2 tees and 2 baskets on each hole.

4. Idlewild - now 24 holes, although I despise mid way thru 5 thru 8. Epic overall.

5. Deer Lakes - great design and fun to play.

6. Blue Mountain in PA - love playing DG on my favorite ski slope!

7. Waterworks in KC - best opening hole in DG, I didn't care I shot a 60 last time there. The course is awesome.

8. Coyote Point at Lake Casitos - had to throw in west coast course. The front 9 plus hole 16 is spectacular.

9. Maple Hill - need to play it again to ensure it's in my top 10.

10. Lincoln Ridge - great golf plus it's close to Idelwild.

Honorable mention: Circle C, Tyler, Lemon Lake Silver, Moraine, Borderlands, Mt Airy.

 

[New013]

personally, it's weird seeing Nevin in the top of peoples list. it's just one of those courses i guess.

 

[Dave242]

What about Nevin qualifies it not to be a top course? I see you have not reviewed it yet....so what do you plan as listing as Cons when you do write a review?

 

[jsc430]

Nice list weeman. We need some more lists from the south.

Have you played horseshoe canyon?

 

[New013]

What about Nevin qualifies it not to be a top course? I see you have not reviewed it yet....so what do you plan as listing as Cons when you do write a review?

it's just not fun. the back nine is better but i didn't really enjoy the front part at all. that's not even coming from a 'it's to hard' perspective. it's hard but that didn't really bother me; 5 is the only hole i'd call unfair. i shot pretty well out there and still didn't like it. the front nine doesn't even look that nice imo and there's a bunch of throw straight that way shots.

if i lived in charlotte i'd hardly ever play there with hornets being right beside it. hornets has its flaws but it's a much more enjoyable round, the shots you get to make are much more interesting.

i'm going to hold off on reviewing it until i play it again, i only played the shorts and want to get punished by the longs before i make my final decision. just from the one round i'd give it a 3.5 or 4.

 

[Dave242]

I can see that. Nevin does not force a lot of fun/creative shots off the tee (that is something a par-3 course has got to offer for it to be interesting). For me, those creative/fun throws come from the second/third throw on the multi-throw holes. IMO, those hole are well designed with good landing areas that force creative yet fair approaches/recoveries......that are always different depending on where your previous throw lands.

 

[Connor Jones]

Im not going to give big reasons because i'm lazy.

My list is similar to News though

1. Flyboy Aviation - I live in Georgia, Kelly is the nicest guy ever, and it is the best disc golf experience in the world, if you think otherwise you are stupid and i hate you. :|

2. That one course in NC near charlotte - This course is probably a better ACTUAL disc golf course than FBA, and the people are insanely nice, but FBA will always be my number one for too many reasons, anyone who came to the meetup knows what it's like.

3. Stoney Hill - This course is extremely fun, and I got to play it with Bergdawg & BennettUA, any round with those two guys enhances an experience :|.

4. Flat Rock Park - My home course, most people who have played it view it as the 2nd best in Georgia, the perfect balance of fun and challenge, it's not too difficult, but you still have to hit your lines, lots of cool signature holes for a public park course.

5. Fox Chase - BroD & Chain Addicted (RIP!) joined me for this round and this course was incredible, totally more than I was expecting and i was glad I played it after the 6 hours of driving from Columbus -> Charlotte.

I think I rate on the course and the experiences I share with each one, I have fond memories of a lot of disc golf rounds and a lot of people involved with them, and that's why I play, I play for the fun .

 

[IHearChains]

West Lake, Davenport IA
Grueling 24 hole monster, over 10000 ft of golf to test every shot in the bag. Elevation, wooded technical, open bombs, and tons of water hazard shots. Four legit par 5 holes plus a few par 4s. Swirling wind is funneled through the hills around the lakes, making for some truly epic water shots. Too bad there are other park users encroaching in some of the golf areas.

Camden II, Milan IL
Wildcat Bluff, Urbana IA
Both of these courses are carved into heavy woods and built on steep terrain, with multiple pin positions on most holes, including par 4 holes. Beautiful lines to hit on lots of different types of technical challenges through the woods. Both have extraordinary volunteer work going into them on a regular basis, with great aesthetic touches and landscaping. Camden I is in the same park and adds some variety. Wildcat has 21 holes.

Maple Hill, Mass.
This course has a great feel to it and the property is super clean and well-kept. I played it on a miserable rainy day and still had a blast. It has all kinds of challenges like West Lake. Although it is shorter than West Lake and the water shots are not as intimidating, it has more wooded holes, all of which seem really well-designed, and it has the advantage of being devoted to disc golf.

Diamond X, Billings MT
This is just something everyone should do once, I played it while passing through on a family vacation and it is unbelievable. Really unique as a destination course, although I am not sure I would like the course all that much as a home course for regular use, because I don't know that the hole designs are really all that great, it is 36 holes and a lot of them are kind of standard, not all that memorable. But the terrain is spectacular and there are some really unique shots in and around the rocks, and off the huge cliffs, that I have not seen anywhere else.

Seneca Creek, Maryland
This is a really nicely maintained course in a state park, 27 holes in one site, without other park uses to interfere with the golf. There are some beautiful par 4 holes around the creek where OB comes into play. I am not a roller thrower, but after playing this course with all those low-ceiling holes around the disc-catching cedars, I wished I had a better roller. Elevation is limited.

The Grange (Blockhouse), Virginia
Unique quirky flavor to this place, I thought I stepped into a weird 70s hippie movie or something. I loved the Darkside course...although it was not super challenging it was a blast to play. Sunnyside was not all that impressive but it was nice to have a second course at the same location. I didn't play the Tiki course but the pictures of it lit up at night make me want to camp there sometime.

 

[scarpfish]

1. Wildcat Bluff, Urbana IA - Woods, elevation, some water, neat paver teepads, unrelenting rough if you get off the fairway, scenic location. Its hard to enjoy a round when its 45 degrees and you have gusting, howling wind, but this place fits the bill.

2. Water Works Park, Kansas City, MO. - Disc golf heaven. Steep sloping hills in a tight compact space. Oh, how many times have I watched a would be park job turn to sheer hell as the disc stands up on end and rolls away. Not so overwhelming that the everyday joe can't enjoy it.

3. Beaver Ranch, Conifer, CO. - Disc Golf Heaven II at 8,200 feet. The 40 degree uphill grade on Hole 1 prepares you for what you're in for. Many configurations give the course a lot of variety. I got a somewhat easy layout when I went, but the weather there as I played was absolutely perfect (while suburban Denver 30 minutes away which I opted to pass up was being pounded with hail). I'll always refer to BR as the course that saved me an insurance deductible.

4. Pickard Park, Indianola, IA. - The perfect mix of elevation, water, and woods. Lots of true Par 4's and two Par 5's from the long tees. Open enough in places where you still can bomb on a few holes. In a small town, so its never crowded.

5. Walnut Ridge, Johnston, IA - Great wooded and open combination with lots of transition between the two. Dense, but fair wooded holes. Not much elevation or water, but its well polished.

6. Blue Ribbon Pines, East Bethel, MN. - A great standard of what a private course can be. Great open, wooded mix. Tricky water hazards. Challenging but not overwhelming. Pro shop on site. Hole 4 should be in every DG calendar ever made.

7. Hummel Park, Omaha, NE - Still a work in progress, but with some polish, this could become another Wildcat Bluff. Deep woods, steep bluffs, and a creek in play on the back nine.

8. Blackhawk, Tulsa, OK - A densely wooded, twisting masterpiece. About the only time you get an open shot here, there's serious water in play including the infamous isthmus hole on #9. Extremely challenging and totally frustrating when you put one in the woods. Multiple tees on some holes help make this easier for noodle arms like myself.

9. Sugar Bottom Recreation Area, North Liberty, IA - Old school wooded course, but one that has kept up with the times. Shorter than many others, but you get off the fairway here, you're in hell. Even the open holes have tall grass rough. Great wooded-open balance and transition. Great elevation changes too.

10. Frontier Park, Hays, KS - Had to put something in the home state on here at least once. Old school, but has held up with the times. One of the best "creek hugger" courses out there. Some out-of-towners dock this place for having bad orientation, but once you get past that and know where you're going, you can truly appreciate this place better. Three over water shots, which you may have to consider your options depending upon pin location, and several other along water holes. Multiple tee pads.

Honorable mentions -
Rosedale Down Under, Kansas City, KS
Wilbur Young Park, Blue Springs, MO
Cliff Drive, Kansas City, MO
Thomas Park, Salina, KS
Middle Park, Bettendorf, IA
Peter Pan Park, Emporia, KS
Wildcat Springs, Hamilton, IL
Indian Hills Community College, Ottumwa, IA
Hunter Park, Tulsa, OK
Griffin Park, Norman, OK

 

[roadtrip]

10. Frontier Park, Hays, KS - Had to put something in the home state on here at least once. Old school, but has held up with the times. One of the best "creek hugger" courses out there. Some out-of-towners dock this place for having bad orientation, but once you get past that and know where you're going, you can truly appreciate this place better. Three over water shots, which you may have to consider your options depending upon pin location, and several other along water holes. Multiple tee pads.

Glad to see Hays on a list. It's a classic road trip course. Maybe not the greatest course in the country, but it's the best thing I know of between Lawrence and Denver. That's a long line of nothing, and Hays is a great little place to stretch your legs and tour a course with some friendly locals.

 

[scarpfish]

Maybe not the greatest course in the country, but it's the best thing I know of between Lawrence and Denver. That's a long line of nothing, and Hays is a great little place to stretch your legs and tour a course with some friendly locals.

Have you played Thomas in Salina yet?

Other than that, yeah.

 

[roadtrip]

Have you played Thomas in Salina yet?

Other than that, yeah.

Haven't had the privilege of driving I-70 since before Thomas existed. Thanks for the tip. Disc golf is a great destination, but it also really enhances the journey. If you're ever trying to introduce someone to disc golf, driving KC>Denver will make them beg you to stop at a course.

 

[weeman]

Nice list weeman. We need some more lists from the south.

Have you played horseshoe canyon?

Thanks. I haven't played there yet. It's been on my wishlist for a while now though. Its about 500 miles from where I'm at now so it may take a while before I can arrange a trip to get there. If my car keeps breaking down like it has the last few weeks I won't be traveling too far anytime soon.

 

[bazillion]

I haven't played that many "epic" courses yet - no Idlewild, no Z-Boaz - my play history has mainly been average courses in average places, and I've never had the good fortune to spend any significant amount of time in a part of the country that's just chockablock with world-class DG venues.

Nevertheless, I'm a member of DGCR and I've got opinions (like everybody else) and I feel like writing, so here are my TWO favorite courses, each of which rings my chimes for basically the same reasons:

- Water Works (Kansas City, MO)
- De La Veaga (Santa Cruz, CA)

As I consider the (pitifully few) rounds I've played at these two courses, what strikes me more than anything else is the way I felt when I got in my car and drove away. The feeling was very similar to the feeling I get when I drive away from hearing a world-class orchestra play, say, Brahms' Fourth Symphony. It's almost a religious experience, in which my participation is both invited and expected. Emotionally, it's the same way I feel when I finish a round at one of these two courses - not just tired, but spiritually uplifted and made a part of something greater than myself.

Someday I'd like to play Flip, Flyboy, and the rest of the courses that, by DGCR consensus seem to be the bees' knees of disc golf. Until then, friends, fly free, avoid trees, and may he who has the most fun, win.

 

[discRabbit]

Hey - "best" or favorite is a measure of how much a course has to offer that makes you want to play it over and over and over and over. If Campton Hills was 5 miles away from home and each of the other courses on my list were also 5 miles away, I would find myself going to Campton (with my putter only) around the same amount as the others to get my DG fix. That is how addicting that course is in what it takes to "scratch my itch".

I cannot come up with a better and more meaningful way to rate courses (a very subjective thing including a ton of variables in courses and motivations for playing) into a very objective rating scale. The putter-only caveat is a monkey-wrench in my normal methodology, but the course sets up so perfectly for that that it makes perfect sense to make that allowance. And, no....I really don't care if people disagree with me and give me a little scuff....I expect it.

Yeah, I'm just kidding with you a little bit - I totally understand the rating style you've got going and I can dig it :clap:

 

[optidiscic]

from my personal page...I am lazy


My Top Twenty in no order

-Devens DGC Mass
-Deer Lakes PA
-Lake Nockamixon PA
-Lincoln Ridge KY
-Jordan Creek PA
-Nevin DGC NC
-Idlewild KY
-Loriella, VA
-New Quarter Park, VA
-The Black Course, WV
-Iron Hill DE
- Morraine SP PA
-Maple Hill Mass
-Warwick NY (including Wolfie Woods)
-Paw Paw WV(Woodshed and Whipping Post)
-Walnut Creek SP VA
-Parma NY
-Joralemon Park NY
-The Blockhouse, VA (Tiki,Sunnyside, Darkside)
-Orange Crush/Seth Burton WV

I left out some gems but fun factor really means a lot to me.Like theres that one hole I can't wait to see and throw again type of place..So some excellent courses lacked that Fun factor IMHO

Top 9 holers
Slopeside Nine, Blue Mtn Ski Area, PA
Two Mile Run Extension, PA
Signal View DGC, VA
Unami Creek Park, PA
Bluemont, DC
Whitetail Woods, PA
Sellersville, PA

Top 19+ Course

Lincoln Ridge, KY
Tyler State Park, PA
Joralemon Park, NY
Codorous Blue, PA
Thompson Park DG, OH


Most Challenging Courses

The Black Course, WV
Orange Crush, WV
Idlewild, KY
Nockamixon SP, PA
Iron Hill, Delaware
Nevin DGC NC
The Darkside-Blockhouse, VA

Best Exclusively Open Courses

Brandywine, DE
Giles Run at Laurel Hill, VA
Little Lehigh Parkway, PA
Widener Park, NY
Pymatuning SP, PA

Wildly Short Technical

Whitetail Woods, PA
Long Trout Winery, PA
Killens Pond SP, DE
Lums Pond SP, DE
Basil Marera NY
The Darkside-Blockhouse, VA

Long Woods Courses

Nevin DGC NC
Iron Hill, DE
Nockamixon, PA
Quakers Challenge, PA
French Creek SP, PA
Orange Crush, WV


Best Use of Hills

Orange Crush, WV
The Black Course, WV
Devens DGC, Mass
IUP College Lodge, PA
Blue Mountain-Skyline, PA

Best Flat Courses

Trap Pond SP, DE
Tinicum, PA

Most Unique

Cape Henlopen, DE


Most Extreme

Orange Crush, WV
Diamond X, MT
Hocking College, OH
Renaissance Park NC

Best Manicured

Messiah Village DGC, PA
Widener Park, NY

Best Amenities

Cranbury, CT
Tyler SP, PA
Wickham, CT
Brakewell/Warwick, NY
Widener Park NY

Dangerous Water

Denison Park, NY
Maple Hill, Mass
Creekside DGC, PA


If I rate by a course I want to return to again the answer changes daily I don't really think lists work for me actually...I have found that most disc golf courses offer something special it's up to me to discover and appreciate it

 

[The Valkyrie Kid]

Cranbury Park needs better pics; I added a few of those to my wish list. I've only played about 50 courses and most of those are in NC so keep that in mind.

1. The course that doesn't exist - Charlotte...ish, NC (5.0) - It gives you everything... fun, hills, technicality, length, signature holes and absolute sheer wooded bliss. I've never seen a course manicured so painstakingly well and when you see what the course was carved out of it will put you in awe. Everything little thing was thought of when they put this course in. Every magnificent feature of the property is thrown in perfectly. It's the one course I feel like I have to play every time I go to Charlotte from now on.

2. Flyboy (5.0) - It's not just a course, it's a disc golf experience. It's the Disneyworld of disc golf, it doesn't have the biggest baddest rides but everything else is presented so perfectly that it creates an atmosphere like no other. If I had to rank my top ten of most beautiful holes I've played Flyboy would have almost half of them. Where else can you play disc golf and watch and air show at the same time?

3. Castle Hayne (4.5) - It has the best technical layout I've played so far. It doesn't have to punish you with crazy tight fairways and ridiculous twists to get the job done. It makes you hit gaps off the tee while placing your shot good enough to have a decent look on approach. It gives you length and dares you to go for it; and unlike more nasty courses it actually looks inviting enough to try. On top of that it's easily the best kept public course I've seen, props to the local club. The one thing this course lacks is elevation but it's a few miles from the ocean so you can't fault it for that.

4. Cedar Hill Park - Nashville, TN (4.5) - It's a pleasant monster carved out of beautiful cedars and rolling hills. It's got more basket locations than you can shake a stick at and they can make a hole go from 293' to 580'. When you're out there it feels more like a country club than a public park. It's a great place to go watch discs fly.

5. Fox Chase - Albemarle, NC (4.5) - It's a beautiful wooded course that probably gets overlooked by many because it's not right in the Charlotte area. Huge elevation changes along with tight gaps and tricky greens makes for a great round. It has an excellent balance between open, wide/narrow fairways all placed extremely well in a beautiful park.

The other 5 -

Renny - Charlotte, NC (4.5) - a true test of your ability
Richmond Hill - Asheville, NC (4.0) - mountains + disc golf = fun
Hornets Nest - Charlotte, NC (4.0) - it's just fun
Horseshoe Canyon Ranch - Jasper, AR (4.0) - A ranch in the Ozarks that just happens to have a disc golf course.
Buckhorn - New Hill, NC (4.0) - it's home.

New013-

I'm curious or maybe I'm missing something here. This # 1 course you speak of in the Charlotte area sounds a lot like Bracket's which is now listed as a RIP course. Since I'm from Washington state and don't plan on getting back there anytime soon, you can tell me..........is it open just for private guests or something. Just whisper it. What happened?