Where are the Best Courses in the USA???

[Bruce Brakel]

Michigan has a lot of good courses.  Michigan has 12 courses as good as the good courses near Peoria.  Almost all of them are close to major highways.  If you have never done Michigan, you could go K'zoo Battle Creek, Grand Rapids, Ludington, back down to Lansing, Byron and then the Detroit area.  The Lake Michigan coast also has two or three new courses I have not yet seen. 

Beauty-Beast-Goliath-Leviathon-Flip City gives you five good courses within 30 miles of each other at Ludington, and there are two new ones up that way also.

Robert Morris, Oshtemo, Coldbrook, Kimball Pines, Victory Park and some of the other Worlds courses are all good courses.  I'll know better after Worlds.  Timber Ridge if they keep it in.  That is in the K-zoo Battle Creek area. 

Grand Rapids has Earl Brewer and the new course.  Riverside is nothing special. 

Lansing has Grand Woods and Fitzgerald in Grand Ledge.  Byron is on the way here from there.  Meridian Sun might be in the ground by then too.

Over here we have Stony Creek, Riverbends, Holly, Kensington, Hudson Mills (2), Rolling Hills and Cass Benton. 

That's 23 courses worth playing that you can get to in eight days.  I'm skipping eight or nine courses that are about as good as your average chicago suburban 18-holer. 

[tacimala]

Grand Rapids isn't really worth stopping at if you are looking to make the most of it. I would throw in Fremont and Big Rapids though. Both very under utilized and a lot of cool holes at both, especially Fremont. The rest of that list is definitely solid. Timber Ridge will be in within the first few weeks of July I believe and will pretty much go straight to your list of favorite courses.

Sounds like you are heading elsewhere though, should be a really fun trip!

[paulpriest]

http://www.campnofriends.com/articles/000092.html

This guy has hit a lot of courses and has some good stuff to say.  Enjoy!

[paulpriest]

Pymantung, PA
Features dual sets of baskets.  Nice 18 rolling holes.

Lakeview Course-Moraine State Park, PA (north of Pittsburgh)
For those of you who have played Brown Deer in Wisconsin.  Imagine Brown Deer in long positions except with more elevation than Dretzka.  Three sets of tees.  Best round I have ever shot was a 61 from the blue (advanced) tees (gold are pro tees).  It is a course where with accuracy you can get an eagle here and there but it is far, far easier to come away with bogeys and double bogeys.  The signature par 5 hole 6 (over 900 ft. from gold tee) has woods on both sides of a 60-70 ft wide fairway.  The fairway goes almost perfectly straight but has trees scattered across it to turn hopes of a birdie into a bogey or worse.  I know players who come from Michigan and from Canada to play this course.  It is worth every ounce of gas.

Knob Hill-Cranberry, PA (near Pittsburgh)
This course has a special spot in my heart.  It has three sets of tees with blue being pro tees.  One of my best ever days of playing came when I placed second in the open division of a local tournament, defeating the course designer (former am world champion) in the process.  A favorite hole is hole 9, a 700 ft downhill, stairstepping fairway with a dogleg right (C position) at the end.  A deuce would require either a perfect downhill backhand roller or a lucky upshot from at least 100 ft. out.

Deer Lakes-Tarentum, PA (near Pittsburgh)
Needless to say, disc golf in Pittsburgh is fantastic.  If there is not a World Championship here within the next couple years it would be a tragedy.  More people need to play these courses.  They are beautiful and there are nowhere near as many players in Pittsburgh as in the Chicago metro area.  Deer Lakes is slightly easier than Moraine (maybe 30-40 ratings points from the long tees).  Nevertheless, holes like the first (over 400 uphill through woods...dogleg right ;-)) and third (600+ ft. downhill then uphill through a 50 ft. fairway with thick woods on either side, making the tee shot often a midrange unless you are super straight with a driver) make the course very much worth it.

College Lodge-Indiana, PA
I recently played this course for the first time.  While there are many great elevation changes I found the course to Illinoisy (open/easy) in some spots.  However, the drive is worth it all for the last hole.  Hole 18 is an 800 ft. shot down a ski hill with over 200 ft. of elevation change.  I abandoned the locals I was playing with and threw my whole bag (putters included).  I then went to the bottom of the hill, searched the woods, found my discs, and walked straight back up the 700 ft back to the tee.  I then proceeded to throw my whole bag again and did so for about an hour and a half.  It was awesome.  How many holes make you want to throw every disc in your bag every time you are on the tee.  After every shot you tell yourself "I can get the next one farther/closer."  The fairway is over 120 ft. wide but the steep incline makes it hard to keep your disc out of the woods.  A perfect anhyzer is required with any driver less flippy than a sidewinder.  Perfect lines and angles are required and my longest throw on the hole was with a roc (about 100 ft. from the basket).

Paw Paw, WV
The Woodshed and The Whipping Post are famous courses and well known to just about all serious disc golfers out east.


Whispering Falls-Greencastle, PA

Codorus State Park-Hanover, PA

Little Lehigh- Allentown, PA
2005 Worlds

Jordan Creek-Whitehall, PA
2005 Worlds

Nockamixion-Quakertown, PA

Tinicum-Erwinna, PA

Tyler State Park-Newtown, PA

Prompton Dam, Honesdale, PA

For descriptions of these courses see the following site (one of the best compilations of disc golf course reviews).

http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Stage/8931/discgolf.htm

[paulpriest]

If that last post wasn't clear it was a possible road trip plan (in geographical order) from Western PA through West Virginia and back through Eastern PA. You could drive straight through Indiana and Ohio but I hear fantastic things about many Ohio courses that might be worth stopping at (Ashtabula anyone?)  I am going to try and convince Skipache to go with me in early fall maybe.  How about it Jason?  Anyone else interested in early September?  .

From looking over the website I posted in the previous post it seems that the east coast has some great disc golf.  The West seems like it does as well but the Midwest has some catching up to do.  Wisconsin does have some great courses and while I have not played much in Michigan I hear only glowing reviews.  Maybe it is just Illinois that is lacking.  I will have to take a weekend sometime and head up to MI for a bunch of discin' to check it out.  Peace.

[Fiddler]

Check out the renny gold video, N. Carolina is where I'm heading next road trip...

[Mike Clark]

If you are headed to the Southeast you might want to stop By Maryland and Virgina on your way there or back. I played 2 recently installed courses plus a few I have played in the past. These 4 are really nice:

http://pdga.com/course/courses_by_city.php?id=878

http://pdga.com/course/courses_by_city.php?id=2307

http://pdga.com/course/courses_by_city.php?id=392

http://pdga.com/course/courses_by_city.php?id=2916

There is also Paw Paw, WV and There is a really nice course in the middle of nowhere WV:

http://pdga.com/course/courses_by_city.php?id=1664
I have always found this 1 very interesting it really is in the middle of no where.

[mheise]

I'm happy to see some courses out east which I can play. I'm moving to a project along Chesapeake Bay at mid to end of July. So long as I can take my time getting there, I'd love to add some extra stops in for courses with good reviews. 

[damonshort]

I know it doesn't meet your criterion, but Idlewild in N. KY is BY FAR the most enjoyable course I've played.

I might get a chance to play Idlewild and Mt. Airy both in late July; has anyone played both, and if I had to choose one, which one?

[can't putt]

I'd choose Idlewild, but Mt. Airy is very nice.  To me it's kind of like a shorter, more mature Middle Park.  Idlewild is very long and many holes are very tight.  Play Mt. Airy as par 3.  Play Idlewild as par 5.  One of the interesting things about Idlewild is what appears to be a friendly competition in tee pad one-upsmanship between various groups.  Watch our for ticks, though.

[Dave242]

Agreed. Mt Airy is a great course, but the design approach is pretty traditional.  Idlewild, IMO, is a step in the right direction on how courses should be designed in the future.  It is a good mix of accuracy, power, risk/reward shot planning (thinking).....and to boot it is on a beautiful piece of land which is enhancded by an incredible amount of work in manicuring the course.  Both are beautiful courses, but Idlewild is a unique experience.

I personally do not agree with a lot of the particulars in the exact design choices at Idlewild but I do applaud the efforts and innovation.  I've played over 130 courses all over the country - and if you can't tell I pay a lot of attention to design - both for the intended audience and for me and my personal tastes

Play both if at all possible.....and make it to Banklick Woods too!  That happens to be the top the list for me for all the courses I have ever played.  It has it all!

[can't putt]

.....and make it to Banklick Woods too!  That happens to be the top the list for me for all the courses I have ever played.  It has it all!

Really?!  Of the three, Banklick is my least favorite.  Maybe that's because I played it on a day both hot and crowded.  I'll have to give it another chance.

[Dave242]

Yup - I am not saying Banklick is the "best" course, but it is my personal favorite.  "Best" is very subjective so I am fine with having my own list.....and I have no problem at all with others disagreeing. 

The way I rate courses is basically, if I lived 10 minutes from the courses in question, which would I most often want to go and play - highest addiction factor.  I place high value on terrain, beauty, unique holes, interesting throws required, balance (righty vs lefty), appropriate challenge, appropriate risk/reward, and use of water.  This is based on my throwing abililty - 950-ish, 350' max, 300' accurate (real distance on a football field). 

So, for instance if the course has a lot of 370-470' holes (without doglegs) I do not find those appealing since I can not birdie them (unless its a throw-in) and a par 3 is boring and a bogey 4 is a big downer (in other words the hole has no upside for good throws, only downside for my mistakes).  Tough for me to get addicted to such a course even if it it has everything else going for it.  For bigger arms, such a course would be perfect.  If I remember right, Mt Airy falls into this category for me.

[airspuds]

i played mt airy when it was 9 holes
----
since then
when i was in cinci / ky   (white sox vs reds in 06)
i got to play  boone
woods park
http://pdga.com/course/courses_by_city.php?id=360

i didnt have time to play idlewood
----

[discndav]

Last October I made a New England DG trip and found Sabattus, Maine the
best course I've ever played plus Maple Hill and Borderlands in Massachucetts and Wickham in Connecticut are great also.

for my complete list see:
http://www.mediafire.com/?behm22l0j2j
 

[shawn]

Idlewild can be confusing as to what basket am I going for on a few of the longer holes, but still is in my top 10..

Charlotte has the best courses with the least amount of driving around once you are there..  Nightlife is great and so are the people.. it can get quite hot and humid though which is why I don't go there in summer.

Maine and NY also have some great golf...  Lots of good use with elevation and not to hot in summer.

[bobby12many]

From my experiences,  Sandy Point Disc Golf Ranch  and Highbridge Hills DG Complex are unmatched.

Sandy Point;
http://www.sandypt.com/Disc-Golf-/The-Course.html



Highbridge Hills; (~80 holes, soon to be 100+)
http://www.highbridgehillssc.com/




Both are located in North Central WI.

[Tom McManus]

From my experiences,  Sandy Point Disc Golf Ranch  and Highbridge Hills DG Complex are unmatched.

Sandy Point;
http://www.sandypt.com/Disc-Golf-/The-Course.html



Highbridge Hills; (~80 holes, soon to be 100+)
http://www.highbridgehillssc.com/





Both are located in North Central WI.

I haven't played Highbridge, but Sandy Point is 27 holes of controlled shots. If you like to grip it and rip it then Sandy Point isn't the course for you.

[4u2nv]

Hudson Mills Monster in Ann Arbor Michigan
Kensington Toboggan in Milford Michigan
McNaughton Park in Peoria Illinois
Ostemo park in Kalamazoo Michigan

Then again I have only played around the midwest for about 2 years now and only seasonally, so these are some of the best in my opinion.

[can't putt]

From my experiences,  Sandy Point Disc Golf Ranch  and Highbridge Hills DG Complex are unmatched.

I've played Sandy Point a couple of times, and enjoyed it a great deal.  I pulled eleven ticls off my dog after one round last October -- I didn't enjoy that so much.

I have only played Highbridge once, before pro worlds was there.  I thought the place had a lot of potential, but was very rough as yet.  Horrible bathroom facilities, hard to navigate, thousands of 3" tall small tree stumps to trip over.  I did like the basket placed in the three trees and the tree gnomes.