What is the best course you have ever played?

[esau]

Take a long weekend and play Kensington Longs, Cass Benton Longs, and Stoney Creek Longs as well.  Do it in September just before Am Nationals and you can also play the Tobbogan. 

That'll break your arm for sure.

Did you play Rolling from the longs?  I've only played shorts.  It looks brutal from the longs.  We have seven courses here as good as McNaughton, better than Northwoods.  Brett has played all of them except Rolling, which was not 18 when he was here. 

started my 2 week vacation today, i may make the trip to kensington, cass, etc...

i played rolling 6 or 7 times... for the most part we decided on each hole which tee to use. but we did play one round of dubs on all the longs. it wasnt insanely tough or anything, but definately a great course.

MI is where its at... from my experience, MI has an excellent park system...
maybe its just a more outdoor oriented state...

[Mertzomatic]

Favorite Courses
1) Dretzka Park - Milwaukee, WI
2) Iowa State University - Ames, IA (long tees)
3) Anna Page East - Rockford, IL
4) Blueberry Hill - High Bridge, WI
5) Ewing Park, Des Moines, IA

Hardest Courses
1) Blueberry Hill - High Bridge, WI
2) Big Creek - Polk City, IA (I hate this course)
3) Ewing Park - Des Moines, IA (long tees)
4) Iowa State - Ames, IA (long tees)
5) Anna Page West - Rockford, IL

did u only play blueberry when in highbridge?

Yeah, hard as hell but i really enjoyed. I wish that was my home course. I didn't get to play gold or the back 9 of woodlands; we got rained out 

  I'm surprised you thought Blueberry Hill was that tough. I played Blueberry Hill at Mid Nationals last year and while it wasn't pitch and putt I didn't consider it hard. Shot a 54 that should've been a 51 and that was with all the pin placements in the long layout. Highbridge Gold was much tougher no one that week shot in the 50's.

  In my previous post I listed 9 disc golf courses based on my favorites (not difficulty) and 7 out of the 9 were harder than BH. In my region we have 7 courses with SSA's above 60. (Woodshed, Whipping Post, Seneca Longs, Patapsco Long, Warwick Longs, Tyler Longs, Nockamixon) I believe BH's SSA is around 53.

[smyith]

Favorite Courses
1) Dretzka Park - Milwaukee, WI
2) Iowa State University - Ames, IA (long tees)
3) Anna Page East - Rockford, IL
4) Blueberry Hill - High Bridge, WI
5) Ewing Park, Des Moines, IA

Hardest Courses
1) Blueberry Hill - High Bridge, WI
2) Big Creek - Polk City, IA (I hate this course)
3) Ewing Park - Des Moines, IA (long tees)
4) Iowa State - Ames, IA (long tees)
5) Anna Page West - Rockford, IL

did u only play blueberry when in highbridge?

Yeah, hard as hell but i really enjoyed. I wish that was my home course. I didn't get to play gold or the back 9 of woodlands; we got rained out 

  I'm surprised you thought Blueberry Hill was that tough. I played Blueberry Hill at Mid Nationals last year and while it wasn't pitch and putt I didn't consider it hard. Shot a 54 that should've been a 51 and that was with all the pin placements in the long layout. Highbridge Gold was much tougher no one that week shot in the 50's.

  In my previous post I listed 9 disc golf courses based on my favorites (not difficulty) and 7 out of the 9 were harder than BH. In my region we have 7 courses with SSA's above 60. (Woodshed, Whipping Post, Seneca Longs, Patapsco Long, Warwick Longs, Tyler Longs, Nockamixon) I believe BH's SSA is around 53.

your probably better than me <shrug>, but like i said i didn't get to play gold. and in NE IL most courses have ssa are in the 40's.

[Dan Michler]

2 down at blueberry was 1000 rated in the layout we played in 2005.  i would consider that pretty tough.

[Mertzomatic]

  Different regions different benchmarks for difficulty.

  In the past 5-10 years our region (mid-atlantic) has been introducing more courses that feature pro par 4's even an occassional par 5 here and there in addition to the par 3 stuff. I think it's a good move because it helps players be more disciplined in course management and develops the approach game since often it takes two good shots to reach the green.

  Course records on some of our harder courses:

       Nockamixon:
             - 58  Barry Shultz 2005 World Championships

       Warwick:
              - 56 Brian Scweberger 2002 NY States
               -56 Nate Doss 2006 Skylands NT

        Woodshed
                -56 Tyler Horne 2004 WVO

  I believe these course records while over the usually 54 par are rated in the 1040-1075 range

Knob Hill (longs) and Morraine State Pk (longs) in the Pittsburgh area also have SSAs over 60

[chaos]

Would have to say out of the 193 courses I have played in 19 states the toughest and my favorite is the canyon course in brooksville florida afterthat probably rennissance gold in N.C.  and the hornets nest web waas pretty brutal also liked addison oaks north of detroit .

[Bruce Brakel]

The Canyon no longer exists.  The land was sold to developers.  Renny Gold looks tough but fun. 

[stan the man]

Around here I would have to say,Parkside,Rockford
Not around here Melbourne Fl. and the monster course in Anharbor michigan along with rolling hills in michigan.

[chaos]

Well that sucks brooksville was the bomb my 8 and 9 over rounds there were in the 980 rateing range . Forgot to add some other good ones  7 oaks in nashville Ft. Steilacom in the SEATAC area and roswell geogia .

[Jon Brakel]

I was just trying to think of the name of Addison Oaks the other day while talking to Bruce. I consider Addison Oaks the first "real" disc course that Bruce and I played. We played it around 1990 but before that all the courses we had played were designed with frisbees in mind (such as the original Adler course where we first started playing pre-designed courses in 1978).

Addison Oaks is the best old school disc course that I have played. The "Oaks" course at the 2004 Worlds in Des Moines is probably the best new school course that I have played.

[Bruce Brakel]

I don't think the Monster in Ann Arbor is that good of a course.  There are a lot of righty hyzer shots that cannot be reached with a lefty anhyzer.  Every lefty hyzer can be reached with a righty anhyzer.  So it is horribly unbalanced.  The championship baskets are mostly stupid.  It is a high scoring course but it is not well designed. 

[chaos]

  I would have to agree while I haven't played many of the courses listed here I played Adison oaks in 1995 after being eliminated from the match play event in detriot. 7 Oaks in nashville was great for the samereason I like redan in atlanta multiple pin placements that can take a course from easy to near impossible while still being fair and haveing good flow . I hate courses that have made unreasonable holes or holes that are long for the sake of being long . Courses should have character good flow and either multiple pin placemetns or tees . I was really supprised to see what has been done with the pitch and puttt course in waukeegan after haveing been in the group of people to present the idea and do a demo .

[K.C.]

Until I played the River City Rumble in Davenport, IA, I felt the Canyon was the best.  Boy has my mind changed.  Davenport is a temp course so it is only available once a year.  Don't miss out on next year's.  This course has everything, and then some!  I was 39 over par for two rounds and took 6th in Advanced!!!  Numerous routes, LONG uphills and even longer downhills with water in play on quite a few holes.  This is EPIC golf!  If you're not ready to get knocked down on the dirt numerous times and get back up a few , DON'T COME.  I would say thios course is WELL beyond the abilities of the average Int. player.  Virtuall Pro/Adv. only.

I will be signed up for next year's as soon as reg. is open.  Don't miss out.  Besides it's so close, how could you?

My list is at 70 different courses played right now, so I've had my fair share of experience!

Tafe, and anyone else wanting to play the best course around (if not anywhere):

West Lake has the approval to be permanent.  After so many letters of gratitude were written after the Rumble this year, they have agreed to let us put the course in permanently (with the possibility of adding two other courses out there eventually, the land IS seemingly endless).  The course will probably be temporary still for this year's Rumble (which is an A tier, on Mother's Day...mark your calenders), but will be permanent shortly after.

Hope you, and all others, are able to come up for the tournament...and get hooked on the course.  It'll eat you alive...and you'll love it!

For some more information:  http://iowadg.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=407&start=0

[Dan Michler]

i will not miss it

[Cannon Boy]

Has anyone out there played Grayslake, hands down the best course in the Midwest. My personal best playing everyhole as a par 3 is 2 up!

[Tenny Schimo Fan]

Has anyone out there played Grayslake, hands down the best course in the Midwest. My personal best playing everyhole as a par 3 is 2 up!

Nice. I shot a 3 under there and felt I had finally accomplished something in my life. Is that a 1000+ rated round?

I actually got to play the new North(or Steady Ed) course at Wildwood park in Augusta on thursday. Only played six of the first nine holes and a few more as I explored the back nine before it got dark, and I have to say that was plenty even when you consider how much more work needs to be done as far as clean up goes. The layout is remarkable, the terrain is demanding, and the views can be dramatic. Many of the holes require very accurate drives of the tee because the course is full of 60-80 foot pines. And there are par 4's and maybe par 5's that test your patience when some of the already long and tight holes are on the long placements. Hands down, my new personal favorite followed by the Tobbagen course in Milford, Michigan; McNaughten in Peoria; Tower Ridge in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and finally the 18 hole course in Waterbury, Vermont which is a few miles down the road from the Ben and Jerry's ice cream plant in the foot hills of the Green Mountains. Awesome views. THE best summertime course ever! 

[skipache]

Fave 5
1. Indian Foothills, Marshall, MO, longs
2. Enamm Field, Brunswick, ME, Beauty
3. Riverbends, Troy, MI
4. Water Works, Kansas City, MO, Longs
5. The fairytale course in my head that will one day be a reality, longs

[HUNZI]

Had the chance in October to play Morley Field Disc Golf Course in San Diego's Balboa Park. There were a few wooded holes that were challenging as well as pin placements beside and underneath the trees.

What I found most interesting and why I consider it a great course is that they have approximately 5 or 6 different basket placements for each hole, which changes every week.  

The best I have played in IL:
McNaughton - Pekin
Northwood - Morton

[Bruce Brakel]

Seeing Riverbends on that list is so weird.  I don't think of it as one of the Top 5 in Michigan.  It is not even one of my Top 5 in the Detroit area.  It must have been a beautiful day for you.  Any course is nice on a beautiful day. 

[Mukey]

Seeing Riverbends on that list is so weird.  I don't think of it as one of the Top 5 in Michigan.  It is not even one of my Top 5 in the Detroit area.  It must have been a beautiful day for you.  Any course is nice on a beautiful day. 

This makes me wonder about him liking the Summit "course"