Barre Falls reviews
6
0
mpelletier
Experience:
10.6 years
32 played
1 reviews
A Beautiful, Enjoyable Course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 5, 2016
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
This course adds some nice diversity from the mostly moderate to heavily wooded courses in the area. This a fairly lengthy course. They have made it even longer over the past year by moving the tees on hole 9 and 14 further back and they have moved the basket further away on hole 8.
The Barre Falls Dam Disc Golf Course is the closest course to where I live so, I'm here more than any other course that I play at. I find it very enjoyable to play a round here multiple times a week. The landscape is beautiful and serene. It's a nice hike walking around on the course while enjoying a round of disc golf.
The course is pretty easy to navigate. Hole 1 and 18 are right off the main parking lot. From last basket to next tee there's not much walking. The course isn't usually too crowded. There's bathrooms, a decent size parking lot, picnic area in the shade with grills and trash cans.
The tee pads are all rubber and in good shape. There's tee signs on every hole that are pretty accurate, not top-notch but pretty solid for a free to play course. The baskets are in good shape and are Innova DISCatchers.
The course starts with an ace run on hole 1 going downhill where the basket sits a bit up from the river depending on the time of the year that you are here, as the water levels can get very high after a snowy winter in early spring. A short hole 1 helps to get you warmed up along with a slight uphill, sloping left to right fairway on hole 2. The basket sits just past a few trees with a bit of a death putt if you go long which can send your disc down the hill and towards the river.
Your first of many big drives will be needed to move you across the fairway of a par 4, hole 3 which has you throwing a good distance over a bit of a ravine. Make sure to track your disc well as the ravine can have some long weeds in the summer. For RHBH's, if you turn your disc over too much off the tee you can end up in the river that's off to the right. Also, this hole can have some big headwinds from off the tee. Your second throw should have you up into an open, flat fairway or even closer into a stand of trees with the basket behind them.
Hole 4's tee is tucked into some trees and has you throwing into a flat open field. Your second throw will have you going either left or right of a stand of trees with the basket on a slight uphill from behind the trees into an opening.
Hole 5 is a par 5. Once again you start your throw from the woods and throw into an open, sloping field that curves left to right most of the distance up the fairway until you reach a rock wall where the basket sits just beyond.
Hole 6 is a pretty straight throw to the basket over a flat field with the basket tucked a little bit into the woods.
Hole 7 starts you in the woods throwing out into a downhill sloping field with a road and parking lot on the right. The basket is slightly left of the tee and on windy days the difficulty of putting to this basket can increase along with a downhill slope behind the basket.
Hole 8 is an all open field and is a long downhill throw with a rock wall and trees to the right going down the entire fairway with some overhanging trees that can knock down your disc if you go too right and high. The basket is just over a rock wall and to the left of a dirt roadway.
Hole 9's tee is tucked into a corner of trees with a downward sloping field with a mando area to the right because of hole 10's fairway being there. To the left you have hole 3's fairway coming up from the ravine by the river. The basket finishes past and right of the ravine and onto an open flat with bushes and a small stream behind it.
Hole 10 gets you out of the field and has you throwing in a pretty tight tunnel that gently slopes up with trees to your left and mando on the right to avoid hole 9's fairway. A straight throw will keep you on a dirt road that's usually gated. If you end up left you have to make a throw through some scattered trees to get up to the basket which sits amongst those trees to the left of the dirt road and over a rock wall that follows the fairway on the left side of the road.
Hole 11 can be aced with a good left to right throw. This is the shortest hole of the course. You have trees on both sides lining another old dirt road that is rarely ever driven on. The basket is basically dog leg right and sits in a small opening in front of the paved road.
Hole 12 gives you another possibility for an ace with a pretty short, straight, open throw. From the tee you have to get past a few small trees that are not much of an issue. You have OB right which is a rocky slope next to the road and woods on the left of the basket which slopes down from the basket so you can end up fading into the trees here or rolling down into them with a missed putt.
Hole 13 puts you into the woods where you have another shot at an ace if you can make it through the small tunnel that slopes down from the tee toward the basket which finishes into the open. If you hit a tree and kick out hard right there's a chance of going over a chain-link fence down into a wet field near hole 15.
Hole 14 is a downhill throw with woods to the left and a scattered stand of trees to the right with a fairly tight gap to throw through to get down the hill. The basket sits on an open flat after a small hedged choke point with trees on the right and bushes on the left at the bottom of the hill.
Hole 15 has an open look at an uphill throw over a chain-link fence. There's a flat, wet field to the right and to the field's left is a steep ledge with the fence going up along the top of it so, you definitely want to get over that fence and land on the hill. Also, you have to watch out for your disc fading too much left or you'll end up in some pretty thick trees to the left. The basket sits atop the hill.
Hole 16 starts fairly deep into the woods. You have to throw through a tight gap and then the fairway drops downhill and into a large field which slopes left. The basket is angled out slightly to the right from the tee. You can't see the basket from the tee and it's a pretty big throw to the basket. A solid, slight anny throw can get you there. If your disc fades back too early you can end up left and away from the basket for a long putt or a short approach shot up the slope. The river and dam at hole 3 is a bit behind the basket.
Hole 17 is a blind, uphill throw to an open fairway from the tee. To the left you have some thick hedges that block your view. To the right is a steep slope which is OB, with the paved road above it. Both of these two things line the fairway all the way up to the basket at the top of the hill. Behind the basket is the parking lot.
Hole 18 which is a par 4 plays across a long, left to right, downward sloping fairway with the parking lot on the left, along with a sand volleyball court and scattered pines that you'll need a tight throw to make it through into an opening that shows you the basket. Beyond that on the left is a rocky slope which is OB and the road above that. Along the right of the fairway at the bottom of the slope lies trees that continue down the fairway. The basket is at the end of the narrow field. If you miss a putt that goes long from the roadside of the basket you can end up down a very steep hill that goes off into the woods and can be slippery after rain.
The Barre Falls Dam Disc Golf Course is the closest course to where I live so, I'm here more than any other course that I play at. I find it very enjoyable to play a round here multiple times a week. The landscape is beautiful and serene. It's a nice hike walking around on the course while enjoying a round of disc golf.
The course is pretty easy to navigate. Hole 1 and 18 are right off the main parking lot. From last basket to next tee there's not much walking. The course isn't usually too crowded. There's bathrooms, a decent size parking lot, picnic area in the shade with grills and trash cans.
The tee pads are all rubber and in good shape. There's tee signs on every hole that are pretty accurate, not top-notch but pretty solid for a free to play course. The baskets are in good shape and are Innova DISCatchers.
The course starts with an ace run on hole 1 going downhill where the basket sits a bit up from the river depending on the time of the year that you are here, as the water levels can get very high after a snowy winter in early spring. A short hole 1 helps to get you warmed up along with a slight uphill, sloping left to right fairway on hole 2. The basket sits just past a few trees with a bit of a death putt if you go long which can send your disc down the hill and towards the river.
Your first of many big drives will be needed to move you across the fairway of a par 4, hole 3 which has you throwing a good distance over a bit of a ravine. Make sure to track your disc well as the ravine can have some long weeds in the summer. For RHBH's, if you turn your disc over too much off the tee you can end up in the river that's off to the right. Also, this hole can have some big headwinds from off the tee. Your second throw should have you up into an open, flat fairway or even closer into a stand of trees with the basket behind them.
Hole 4's tee is tucked into some trees and has you throwing into a flat open field. Your second throw will have you going either left or right of a stand of trees with the basket on a slight uphill from behind the trees into an opening.
Hole 5 is a par 5. Once again you start your throw from the woods and throw into an open, sloping field that curves left to right most of the distance up the fairway until you reach a rock wall where the basket sits just beyond.
Hole 6 is a pretty straight throw to the basket over a flat field with the basket tucked a little bit into the woods.
Hole 7 starts you in the woods throwing out into a downhill sloping field with a road and parking lot on the right. The basket is slightly left of the tee and on windy days the difficulty of putting to this basket can increase along with a downhill slope behind the basket.
Hole 8 is an all open field and is a long downhill throw with a rock wall and trees to the right going down the entire fairway with some overhanging trees that can knock down your disc if you go too right and high. The basket is just over a rock wall and to the left of a dirt roadway.
Hole 9's tee is tucked into a corner of trees with a downward sloping field with a mando area to the right because of hole 10's fairway being there. To the left you have hole 3's fairway coming up from the ravine by the river. The basket finishes past and right of the ravine and onto an open flat with bushes and a small stream behind it.
Hole 10 gets you out of the field and has you throwing in a pretty tight tunnel that gently slopes up with trees to your left and mando on the right to avoid hole 9's fairway. A straight throw will keep you on a dirt road that's usually gated. If you end up left you have to make a throw through some scattered trees to get up to the basket which sits amongst those trees to the left of the dirt road and over a rock wall that follows the fairway on the left side of the road.
Hole 11 can be aced with a good left to right throw. This is the shortest hole of the course. You have trees on both sides lining another old dirt road that is rarely ever driven on. The basket is basically dog leg right and sits in a small opening in front of the paved road.
Hole 12 gives you another possibility for an ace with a pretty short, straight, open throw. From the tee you have to get past a few small trees that are not much of an issue. You have OB right which is a rocky slope next to the road and woods on the left of the basket which slopes down from the basket so you can end up fading into the trees here or rolling down into them with a missed putt.
Hole 13 puts you into the woods where you have another shot at an ace if you can make it through the small tunnel that slopes down from the tee toward the basket which finishes into the open. If you hit a tree and kick out hard right there's a chance of going over a chain-link fence down into a wet field near hole 15.
Hole 14 is a downhill throw with woods to the left and a scattered stand of trees to the right with a fairly tight gap to throw through to get down the hill. The basket sits on an open flat after a small hedged choke point with trees on the right and bushes on the left at the bottom of the hill.
Hole 15 has an open look at an uphill throw over a chain-link fence. There's a flat, wet field to the right and to the field's left is a steep ledge with the fence going up along the top of it so, you definitely want to get over that fence and land on the hill. Also, you have to watch out for your disc fading too much left or you'll end up in some pretty thick trees to the left. The basket sits atop the hill.
Hole 16 starts fairly deep into the woods. You have to throw through a tight gap and then the fairway drops downhill and into a large field which slopes left. The basket is angled out slightly to the right from the tee. You can't see the basket from the tee and it's a pretty big throw to the basket. A solid, slight anny throw can get you there. If your disc fades back too early you can end up left and away from the basket for a long putt or a short approach shot up the slope. The river and dam at hole 3 is a bit behind the basket.
Hole 17 is a blind, uphill throw to an open fairway from the tee. To the left you have some thick hedges that block your view. To the right is a steep slope which is OB, with the paved road above it. Both of these two things line the fairway all the way up to the basket at the top of the hill. Behind the basket is the parking lot.
Hole 18 which is a par 4 plays across a long, left to right, downward sloping fairway with the parking lot on the left, along with a sand volleyball court and scattered pines that you'll need a tight throw to make it through into an opening that shows you the basket. Beyond that on the left is a rocky slope which is OB and the road above that. Along the right of the fairway at the bottom of the slope lies trees that continue down the fairway. The basket is at the end of the narrow field. If you miss a putt that goes long from the roadside of the basket you can end up down a very steep hill that goes off into the woods and can be slippery after rain.
Cons:
A fairly big con during the summer is that the grass and weeds can get very long in a few of the open fairways. They only cut those sections of fields maybe three times during the spring and summer. Because of this you can easily lose track of your disc in the tall grass and spend quite a bit of time looking for your disc or your friend's discs. It's also a good possibility that you can outright lose your disc in the grass. Use spotters when available or just skip those holes until it's been mowed. Hole 5 can be the worst as it's a long uphill, curving from left to right fairway close to 600 feet with tall grass all along the left of a very narrow mowed fairway. Hole 6, 7, and 8 can be pretty bad as well.
Also, it can get pretty buggy during May with the small black flies. Then in June the greenhead flies can start becoming a nuisance. I'd recommend wearing a hat for these times. It won't cure the problem but it can help alleviate some of the irritation.
In my opinion, it would be really nice for beginner level players who are just getting into disc golf or are the very casual type, like families to have a second tee position that would have shorter distances. I think this would be a great course for beginners with the open fairways it has if it had some shorter tee placements. Not every hole would need alternate tee pads though. The ones that might be able to use them are holes 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, maybe 14 and 15 but they could probably get by without them and hole 16, 17, and 18. I'm aware that this is a free to play course so it's probably not going to happen but, I think it would add so much to this already great course if ever it did.
It can get very windy here at times but, that can add to the fun if you are prepared for it and don't mind adding a couple more strokes to your round here and there from missing some usually easy putts that the winds can affect.
The course does feature some pretty big throws so it can be tough on new players and players who can't throw quite so far. For more advanced players the layout on the majority of holes might become a bit redundant with many open approaches to the basket and big, straight throws on a number of them off the tees.
There's only a few places to sit on benches and only a couple of trash cans on the course. No pro shop but it's free to play so that's expected and no big deal.
Be wary of bikers, walkers, joggers in and around fairways as there are trails for these things around the course and sometimes rarely, there's just random people in the fairways hanging around that don't realize that they might be in the way of disc golfers throwing.
Also, it can get pretty buggy during May with the small black flies. Then in June the greenhead flies can start becoming a nuisance. I'd recommend wearing a hat for these times. It won't cure the problem but it can help alleviate some of the irritation.
In my opinion, it would be really nice for beginner level players who are just getting into disc golf or are the very casual type, like families to have a second tee position that would have shorter distances. I think this would be a great course for beginners with the open fairways it has if it had some shorter tee placements. Not every hole would need alternate tee pads though. The ones that might be able to use them are holes 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, maybe 14 and 15 but they could probably get by without them and hole 16, 17, and 18. I'm aware that this is a free to play course so it's probably not going to happen but, I think it would add so much to this already great course if ever it did.
It can get very windy here at times but, that can add to the fun if you are prepared for it and don't mind adding a couple more strokes to your round here and there from missing some usually easy putts that the winds can affect.
The course does feature some pretty big throws so it can be tough on new players and players who can't throw quite so far. For more advanced players the layout on the majority of holes might become a bit redundant with many open approaches to the basket and big, straight throws on a number of them off the tees.
There's only a few places to sit on benches and only a couple of trash cans on the course. No pro shop but it's free to play so that's expected and no big deal.
Be wary of bikers, walkers, joggers in and around fairways as there are trails for these things around the course and sometimes rarely, there's just random people in the fairways hanging around that don't realize that they might be in the way of disc golfers throwing.
Other Thoughts:
If I were to be able to rate certain aspects of this course separate from other things I would do it something like this:
Course Design(diversity of holes, use of existing landscape, basket placement, enjoy-ability): 4.25 out of 5
Landscape(the quality, beauty and diversity of the land itself, elevation, water, scenery): 4.75 out 5
Amenities(parking, bathrooms, pro shop, multiple tee pads, condition of baskets and tees, signs, warm-up baskets and nets, easy to find): 3.75 out of 5
Replay-ability(Is it fun and enjoyable but challenging enough to want to play again?): 4.50 out of 5
If I could, my rating would be closer to a 4.25 overall probably which is very solid in my opinion.
I've noticed over the last 3 years of playing here regularly that they continue to work on removing some trees and bushes so you can see the baskets from the tee. They have also worked on improving the small bridges and added steps in certain areas along with maintaining some of the tees and updating tee signs. Also, in the winter a few of the baskets on certain holes have winter placements making it safer for players. It's good to see that the course is continuing to receive attention.
One last thing, if you find a lost disc you can leave it at the Ranger Station so at a later time the player who lost the disc can retrieve it. If they have a number on the back I text the owner of the disc that I dropped it off there at the station and they are always appreciative as I know I would be.
Thanks everyone.
Course Design(diversity of holes, use of existing landscape, basket placement, enjoy-ability): 4.25 out of 5
Landscape(the quality, beauty and diversity of the land itself, elevation, water, scenery): 4.75 out 5
Amenities(parking, bathrooms, pro shop, multiple tee pads, condition of baskets and tees, signs, warm-up baskets and nets, easy to find): 3.75 out of 5
Replay-ability(Is it fun and enjoyable but challenging enough to want to play again?): 4.50 out of 5
If I could, my rating would be closer to a 4.25 overall probably which is very solid in my opinion.
I've noticed over the last 3 years of playing here regularly that they continue to work on removing some trees and bushes so you can see the baskets from the tee. They have also worked on improving the small bridges and added steps in certain areas along with maintaining some of the tees and updating tee signs. Also, in the winter a few of the baskets on certain holes have winter placements making it safer for players. It's good to see that the course is continuing to receive attention.
One last thing, if you find a lost disc you can leave it at the Ranger Station so at a later time the player who lost the disc can retrieve it. If they have a number on the back I text the owner of the disc that I dropped it off there at the station and they are always appreciative as I know I would be.
Thanks everyone.
3
4
tmc3442
Experience:
14.9 years
54 played
10 reviews
BArrE 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:May 14, 2011
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
long tees shots
open fairways
large course w/ no cross holes
easy to stay in order
marked tees
never crowded
open fairways
large course w/ no cross holes
easy to stay in order
marked tees
never crowded
Cons:
tall grass
ticks
sometimes extremely windy
ticks
sometimes extremely windy
Other Thoughts:
good for large groups
no traffic and its quite
my personal favorite.
no traffic and its quite
my personal favorite.
2
1
dyland34
Experience:
15.1 years
12 played
6 reviews
One of the best 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Apr 18, 2010
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Long Drives mixed with some woody sections great look and great place to play Not too busy and usually alot of fun to play challenges your arm offer a good challenge decent tee pads
Cons:
Some water hazards, is sometimes flooded some times can run into large groups but not to bad grass is awful later in the summer it has taken me longer to find a disc than play a hole in some cases
Other Thoughts:
solid course and best to play in begining on season goes from a 4.5 to a 3 when the grass is high the high grass turns 6 fun holes into 6 hell holes
1
2
frizgolfkiller
Experience:
24 played
11 reviews
This is where it all started for me 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Mar 28, 2009
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Excellent mixture of shorter and longer holes and wooded to wide open. A couple really challenging drives through the narrow gaps in the woods into wide open fields. The course itself is beautiful, first 3 holes play along a river.
Cons:
During the summer the grass gets absurdly long and you'll definitely need bug spray or you'll get eaten alive. They got rid of my favorite hole on the course. 15 used to go over the gorge right near the bridge you drive over. That and hole 2 really helped make this course stand out in terms of interesting/challening shots.
Other Thoughts:
I want to give this course a 5 so bad because this is my home course but in recent years they have been reshaping it (for the worse in my opinion).
2
1
Crazyguy
Experience:
15.8 years
52 played
9 reviews
I Love This Course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 23, 2008
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
-Diversity(open fields,woods,water) - Beautiful area feels like a golf course should feel - Free - Tees are all flat(no dirt) - Well maintained see it mowed each week except for fields off to the side which are mowed less frequently
Cons:
-You can lose discs here - Busy at times - Hole 3 can be difficult to navigate the first time - Hole 1 and tee 2 may be submerged dependent on rain( it was after the week of rain but went next week and you wouldn't have known it)
Other Thoughts:
This is my "home course" even though I am 35 minutes away. Come and have a blast.
