-
Discover new ways to elevate your game with the updated DGCourseReview app!
It's entirely free and enhanced with features shaped by user feedback to ensure your best experience on the course. (App Store or Google Play)
Arapahoe Basin DGC reviews
19
0
High Altitude Mountain Golf 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 4, 2020
Played the course:once
Pros:
- 20 DisCatcher Pro targets in good repair and mounted well.
- 20 super helpful tee signs with actual pictures with arrows pointing to the pin location, distance, and when appropriate, notes.
- Natural tees were serviceable if not perfect.
- Excellent variety of hole type and distance. Holes range from 180' to about 370'. The course leans a little more toward the open side but the trees in play and the angles of the ski hill will force a number of various throws from the tees. A couple of the holes are quite unique and entertaining making fun signature style holes. 2, 9, and 13 were favorites of mine.
- Elevation change and LOTS of it. Few holes have no change tee to pin and many have a drastic change. Yeehaw!!!
- Gorgeous views at over 10,000' in the CO mountains. Awesome place to take hike(that happens to be a dang good disc golf course).
- Free to play.
- 20 super helpful tee signs with actual pictures with arrows pointing to the pin location, distance, and when appropriate, notes.
- Natural tees were serviceable if not perfect.
- Excellent variety of hole type and distance. Holes range from 180' to about 370'. The course leans a little more toward the open side but the trees in play and the angles of the ski hill will force a number of various throws from the tees. A couple of the holes are quite unique and entertaining making fun signature style holes. 2, 9, and 13 were favorites of mine.
- Elevation change and LOTS of it. Few holes have no change tee to pin and many have a drastic change. Yeehaw!!!
- Gorgeous views at over 10,000' in the CO mountains. Awesome place to take hike(that happens to be a dang good disc golf course).
- Free to play.
Cons:
- Natural tees which get decent attention but are far from perfect.
- Navigation isn't the best. The QR code downloadable map is quite helpful but mostly following trails that looked right which aren't always apparent in the rockier sections. No cell service(at least for our group) so couldn't rely on UDisc gps map. Also, lots of long walks between holes starting with a few minutes up a decent grade just to get to hole 1.
- On the subject, hikey, hikey, hike-hike. My home course is at 6000' and I'd call it a decent hike. This course at 10,000'+ is a butt kicker. Needs to happen to get all the good holes in but boy howdy be ready. My travel buddy almost died out there lol.
- Speaking of getting the good holes in, they had to use a number of filler holes and have you wandering/playing along a service road for a couple-few holes. For every great hole, there's seems to be another just getting from point A to point B. Not to the point where you get bored, but there's a stark difference between the best and "worst" holes.
- Due to the nature of the ski hill terrain, maintenance/mowing isn't really done/possible. With blind holes and some huge elevation changes discs may find some pretty solid hiding spots.
- Navigation isn't the best. The QR code downloadable map is quite helpful but mostly following trails that looked right which aren't always apparent in the rockier sections. No cell service(at least for our group) so couldn't rely on UDisc gps map. Also, lots of long walks between holes starting with a few minutes up a decent grade just to get to hole 1.
- On the subject, hikey, hikey, hike-hike. My home course is at 6000' and I'd call it a decent hike. This course at 10,000'+ is a butt kicker. Needs to happen to get all the good holes in but boy howdy be ready. My travel buddy almost died out there lol.
- Speaking of getting the good holes in, they had to use a number of filler holes and have you wandering/playing along a service road for a couple-few holes. For every great hole, there's seems to be another just getting from point A to point B. Not to the point where you get bored, but there's a stark difference between the best and "worst" holes.
- Due to the nature of the ski hill terrain, maintenance/mowing isn't really done/possible. With blind holes and some huge elevation changes discs may find some pretty solid hiding spots.
Other Thoughts:
I'm always skeptical about highly rated ski hill courses. The installations are tough and I feel people often bump ratings because of novelty. A-Basin, on the other hand, did not disappoint. Total beat down with the high altitude and hike that is the course layout. But so many fun holes, pretty solid flow outside a couple hitches, and while not championship level challenging, it's not an easy track and will leave a rewarding feeling for managing the more difficult holes and getting the "must-gets". The resort at the base has all the amenities one could ask for and the employees we interacted with were super friendly and helpful. For anyone up for the hike that loves some mountain golf in a beautiful setting, put A-Basin on your list.
