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

[Tripper]

1. Mountain Lake, VA
2. Harmon Hills, TN
3. Iron Hill, DE
4. Deer Lakes, PA
5. The Rock at Stonewall, NC
6. Ashe County, NC
7. WR Jackson, GA
8. Rockness Monster, NC
9. Greenfield, VA
10. Rock Ridge, NC

 

[Mike C]

Here's my top 7, in no particular order outside my top 3. Mostly from playing the Carolinas, western PA and Ohio.


Moraine State Park - This has everything I want in a course. Length, difficulty, good variety of pars, scenic views, a feeling of seclusion and interesting terrain. Currently my favorite course.

Rennaissance Gold - Like Moraine, it offers everything I want in a course, save for a feeling of isolation, which is only there for a few holes. The terrain is really diverse and fun, I absolutely love how few par 3's Renny Gold has, and I consider it an incredibly well rounded experience start to finish. If the property were more remote, without as many other things going on, and no crossing fairways with Renske, this could be #1 for me.

Rolling Pines - This course is just dreamy from the Golds. Length, difficulty, isolation, scenic views, challenging pars and fun elevation. This is my #3 course, but not by a wide margin compared to #1 and #2. If it offered some more Par 4's and a Par 5 or two, and some of the less interesting holes were re-worked (#18 was rather pedestrian compared to the rest of the holes, for example), it'd contend for a higher spot on my list.

Deis Hill - This used to be my favorite course. As a beginner having only played 4 or 5 courses prior to my first round here, I was impressed right off the bat. Stepping up to hole #1 was a completely different expriences than other courses had shown me. A huge 980' bomb playing across steeply sloped terrain. Over 100 courses later its dropped down a few spots, but I still love Deis Hill. Some seriously epic holes, even if they are a little too open for my current tastes. Also worth noting it has the best tees and tee signs I've used to date.

Portage Lakes - I watched this course grow from 9 orange flags in the ground, to 9 holes with natural tees, to an 18 hole course with two paved tees per hole. It was the first wooded course I played with multiple Par 4's, or any Par 5's. I think it's one of the most beautiful courses out there whether it's Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter. Excellent variety of lines, great use of the available land, challenging but well balanced, and multiple very memorable holes (#14 is my favorite, long sweeping dogleg right over water).

Arboretum / Spiker Park (Old layout) - This was where I first played, and where I learned how to golf. It had a great variety of distances and lines between holes, 24 holes with two sets of paved tees, plenty of length even from the short tees, and lots of history behind it. Since 2009, I've certainly played better courses, but I still feel Arb holds its own. With a -15 score in 2013, I'll always hold the course record since it's a new layout now


Nevin, The Rock and Deer Lakes would probably be my picks if I stretched this to my top 10.

 

[chainedwraith]

According to my updated spreadsheet of the 102 courses played in 8 states:

1. BlackJack - Sugar Grove, NC
2. Gran Canyon - Brooksville, FL
3. Ashe County Park - Jefferson, NC
4. WR Jackson @ IDGC - Appling, GA
5. Steady Ed @IDGC - Appling, GA
6. Richmond Hill - Asheville, NC
7. Jim Warner @ IDGC - Appling, GA
8. North GA Canopy Tours - Lula, GA
9. Walnut Creek - North Garden, VA
10. Fontana Village Resort DGC - Fontana Dam, NC

4 other notable courses that I have tied for the 11th ranking:
Magnolia DGC - Live Oak, FL
Nevin Park - Charlotte, FL
Inverness Disc Golf Park - Hoover, AL
Shelton Springs DGC - Shelton, WA

 

[Tripper]

According to my updated spreadsheet of the 102 courses played in 8 states:

1. BlackJack - Sugar Grove, NC
2. Gran Canyon - Brooksville, FL
3. Ashe County Park - Jefferson, NC
4. WR Jackson @ IDGC - Appling, GA
5. Steady Ed @IDGC - Appling, GA
6. Richmond Hill - Asheville, NC
7. Jim Warner @ IDGC - Appling, GA
8. North GA Canopy Tours - Lula, GA
9. Walnut Creek - North Garden, VA
10. Fontana Village Resort DGC - Fontana Dam, NC

4 other notable courses that I have tied for the 11th ranking:
Magnolia DGC - Live Oak, FL
Nevin Park - Charlotte, FL
Inverness Disc Golf Park - Hoover, AL
Shelton Springs DGC - Shelton, WA

Only don't you mean Nevin Park - Charlotte, NC instead of FL?

 

[chainedwraith]

Only don't you mean Nevin Park - Charlotte, NC instead of FL?

oops :doh:

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Revised since my original post 5 years ago:

Difference being Harmony Bends knocked Toboggan out of my top 5. Toboggan still wows me, and has at least 9 holes that would genuinely be sig holes on pretty much any other course (1, 2, 3, 6, 8, 12, 14, 16, 17). I still think it's an amazing course, but I simply don't have the game to match it, and all of these are simply more enjoyable rounds for me.

I also think Mt Airy deserves an Honorable Mention... absolute joy to play, without the @$$ kicking the Toboggan gives me.

Bogey's Top 5:

Brackett's Bluff (orig) - Totally cool. Great variety, novetly, chill factor, looks great, Hanging Basket, Rock Hole, elevlation all over some of these holes, nice flat and green in the valley, sick dropoff to the creek. So unique, so cool, so unlike anything else. Consider myself very lucky to have played here.

Steady Ed Headrick Memorial (IDGC): If the PDGA puts a course in, and names it after Steady Ed, it had better be damn good, no? So friggin' complete, there's nothing else to say. Great shot variety, challenging, but not killer, nice views of lake & water shots, dual pins, pads, extras and ammenities galore. This is what happens when the right people, with the right desire, experience, land and resources make a course. Perhaps the single best DG experience I've ever had.

Flip - I still love this place. Not gold level, but maybe that's part of why I enjoy it more. Land that's incredibly well-suited to disc golf. My first round here, I kinda thought the first 3 holes were just alright, weak links in the chain. Now I think they're like sleepers, just settin' you up for 4, 5, 6, then 7... keep going. I'm all for a great 18 instead of a good 24. Bill already one of the best 18's... then he added 6 more great holes. Variety, elevation changes, atmoshpere, simplicity, TLC touches like no other place. Great blend of charm and challenge.

Flyboy - I sooooo freakin' loved this place! Wonderfully conceived holes, shot variety, challenging but reasonably so. Great, no... superb water shots: THINK... The Mando hole, basket on a tree, basket sunk in the ground, winds it's way all around a gorgeous community novelty, variety, vibe, hosts, the hanger. Hole 3... hole 3 again!

Harmony Bends: Simply an amazing course. Reasons detailed in my review.

There's my top 5. What they all have in common is: truly beautiful courses to look at, great variety, elevation changes, challenge, numerous memorable holes, and little touches that make them unique - not your average DG experience.

 

[BigAl724]

1. Selah Ranch - Lakeside
2. Idlewild
3. Moraine
4. Whippin' Post
5. Brakewell Steel/Warwick Park
6. Waterworks
7. Deer Lakes
8. Selah Ranch - Creekside
9. Linbrook
10. Orange Crush

HM
-Foundation Park
-Texas Twist

Update from three years ago:

1. Selah Lakeside
2. Sugaree
3. Moraine
4. Nockamixon
5. Idlewild
6. Whippin' Post
7. Warwick
8. Harmon Hills
9. Waterworks
10. Tyler
1 and 2 are a clear top two, but are very close to each other for being number 1. After recently replaying Idlewild, I considered slotting it in at 3. It's more complete than Moraine and Nocky, but I just enjoy my round at those two courses more than Idlewild. 6-9 are all very close, and I'm anxious to get back to Tyler to see if either (or both) East or West would make the list.