Centralia, IL -> Foundation Park DG Complex

[CEValkyrie]

Rec 9 on the property. Did not get a chance to play it.

The 18 hole course is fantastic. This is what golf is all about. Many Par 4's.  The description on the PDGA page is very good.

"Description: Rec 9 is short (only 2 holes over 250'). Champ 18 has good variety. Half wide open - the other half are very tight in dense woods. Creek crossings and rolling terrain. Very long and tough from blue tees. Targets are Gateway Titan 24s. "

Wow! This is the toughest course in IL depending on the setup. Long & Short tees. Long & Short Baskets. This goes immediately into my top 5 of IL courses. 2 rounds today at this course. I would love to play the long to long someday. 10,000+ feet. Water, elevation, natural fairways thru woods. Fantastic! Shot a 61 & 57 (Short tee to short baskets) and felt I was playing pretty good.

Make sure you contact Dan Cole prior to playing. This course would be very hard to navigate without help.

[CEValkyrie]

Couple of video clips at course.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC31OctXuUc


Hole 7. Sick!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvK_J2pqhSY

[stpitner]

honestly what surprises me is that even though the videos and the reports of this course are awesome - how come more people didn't go out to the Gateway Open tournament that was run there last June?  The only main conflicting event that they had last year was the USDGC, but that didn't steal *that* many players.  I know that Centralia is a haul for a lot of people on these boards (5-6 hours), but it looks like the course is worth the trip!

After doing some more research, it looks like the long pin positions were just poured about a week before the Centralia Open event, so it may have just been a case of word not getting out about how challenging this course would be.

I'll contact David McCormack to see if they have plans for another event there this year.  Maybe he could use some help

[Mukey]

Yeah, I'd have to say the drive is what kept people away. If it's a 6 hour drive, I could tack a few more hours on & go to Highbridge

That being said it seems like this is worth a road-trip

[Dan Michler]

i love the course, but i'm not driving 5 hours both ways to go play a 1 day event, no matter how good the course is.

[stpitner]

last year was a 2-day B-Tier event, would that be enough to get you to make the trip?  Just curious

[CEValkyrie]

Last yeras event was added to the calendar way late. I think only 2 or 3 weeks prior to the event. Am Nationals did not help. I have no idea how big the STL disc golf scene is but it didn't look like many of them made the trip.

I know I would not to Centralia for an event unless is some kind of big event like an A-Tier. That is too far to travel for a smaller event.

[dancole]

CE: Glad to show you our hidden gem. I was impressed with the play of the windy city boys. I would love to host a big A-tier event but it is going to take people like you to get the word out on this course. We are hopeful to build the bridges this sumer & then add the second 18 holes. This course is well worth thr trip from chicago 4 hrs from south chicago. CE would still like to host a Illinois tour event. Dont forget about us in the south.

[CEValkyrie]

CE: Glad to show you our hidden gem. I was impressed with the play of the windy city boys. I would love to host a big A-tier event but it is going to take people like you to get the word out on this course. We are hopeful to build the bridges this sumer & then add the second 18 holes. This course is well worth thr trip from chicago 4 hrs from south chicago. CE would still like to host a Illinois tour event. Dont forget about us in the south.

We will get the word out that is for sure. Can't wait to see that 2nd course. Let me know of any sanctioned events. I'll add them to the tour. An A-Tier would be sweet!
Thanks again Dan!

[Working Stiff]

From the PDGA board, posted by Chuck Kennedy:

"Here are some course stat nuggets from the 2007 sanctioned events. We have SSA values for 2468 course layouts. The average SSA, adjusted to the 18-hole equivalent where needed, was 51.2 with 75% of all course layouts between 46 and 56 SSA. This is less than 2 shots average increase from the 49.5 value recorded in 1999.

The highest SSAs recorded were at the Gateway Open with 71.6 from the Red tees and 72.1 from the Blues. I think this was the Centralia course in Illinois."

[CEValkyrie]

Thanks for that info. I just posted!

[dana]

stopped by centralia on my way back north yesterday- WOW.  what a sweet course!  i started out playing the blue tee's but after 4 holes, decided to play from the reds (terrible play coupled with not knowing where the baskets were)...anways, great course!  cant wait to get back down there again now that i know where everything is.  the yellow arrows pointing to the next basket helped navigate.

im guessing that the creek runs dry most of the year?  there was only 1 "bridge" out there. 

will there cement tee's or flypads be installed in the future as well?
just curious..regardless, that course is awesome!

[CEValkyrie]

From what Dan said the creek is dry for the majority of the year. He did say they will be installing a few bridges though.

I'm not sure of the status on tee pads. It would be awesome to see 2 sets of cement tees.

This is a bad ass course. I would like to play all the configurations. I have it right up there if not better than McNaugton for #1 in IL.

[CEValkyrie]

Website-> http://www.centraliadiscgolf.com/

[dahig]

hey guys!!
this is dave from centralia. in regards to monday play...it looks like you will be hitting the course in the afternoon?
i can can play whenever you like. just give me a time. working nights right now so i can adjust my sleep schedule.
my phone # is on the contacts page at the cenrtralia site. give me a call and we'll set something up. see how many other locals can play. (probably 2 others).

[CEValkyrie]

Played the recreational 9 today. This course has long/short/rec tees and two basket placements. Good mix of holes. Worth playing if you are there.

What a great day out there today. Shot Red Tees. 63 playing some average golf. 3 attempts at playing the same layout and i've shot a 57, 61, & 63.
Hole by hole today.
1-4. Poor 2nd shot. Missed jump putt.
2-2. Park Job
3-3. Sweet birdie!
4-4. Right side rough with pitch out for putt. Missed. Really bad 4!
5-4. Great putt to save 4.
6-3. Missed 15ftr.
7-4. Solid drive to landing zone. Good 2nd shot that did not stick on the hill.
8-2. Park Job.
9-4. I need to change my approach playing this hole. For now on i'm not throwing the diagonal line onto the hill. I'm taking my chance long and right to the flat trying to jack 2nd shot from the bottom of the hill.
Front-30
10-2. Park Job.
11-4. Drive a little long. No angle to get to the basket.
12-4. Good birdie. Parked 3rd shot.
13-3. Tweener hole for me. I just don't have a shot to get down for a putt.
14-4. Drive hyzered left leaving me behind a tree. No chance at 3.
15-4. Poor 2nd shot. Jump putt miss.
16-5. Absolutely unacceptable. Attempted roller hit tree. Horrible 2nd shot. Horrible upshot. Missed putt. I will never throw a roller on this hole again.
17-3. Good drive. Good upshot.
18-4. . Decent drive. Upshot took bad kick. Missed the putt from 20.
Back-33
Total 63.

[CEValkyrie]

Couple of other things to add.

I don't remember this from last year but at hole #1 there was a score card holder. The score card had distance to both pins and a course map on it.

Since last year the club has added directional arrrows on the ground. They are yellow arrows pointing to the next tee.

Hole 7 had a narrow footbridge and rope to hold onto. This crossing is not for everyone but my white fat butt was able to cross it with ease.  I had no issues crossing the creek this year.

This course is so sweet!

[The Fiddler]

Was just down in Centraiia over the weekend visiting my girlfriends family. Wow, I'm not ready to crown it just yet but I'm having a hard time thinking of a better more challenging course that I've played. That rope bridge on 7 is sketch ball, but who cares! Nothing is flat on this course and I came to find out most people in town don't even know its there. If you ever have the opportunity check it out.

[CEValkyrie]

I was checking out the top 50 courses in 2011 on DGCR. Centralia was on there again this year. I went to the page and saw there are plans to install 36 concrete tee pads to the Champ Course. Sweet! I just wish I lived closer.