UPDATE: revisited the course in early 2023 to play the "BG21" (beginner) layout with a newbie. This layout plays to the short baskets from a bunch of short tees. Although the tees are rubber mats (or just dirt) and are marked by simple stakes, the BG21 layout made for a fun first play for someone who had never stepped on a course before. It's a little tight in places, but never seemed to overwhelm him. An easy ace run/birdie or die layout for experienced players


+ A very good technical course. Smart layout, lots of elevation to consider, and some very tight fairways on the closing holes. That said, you'll probably remember the course for all its quirks and personality. It's built in and around a former Adirondacks-style summer camp. This explains the ornate flagpole in the middle of the first fairway. There are several holes where the old camp cabins come into play. There's a tee on a bluff where you're standing in front of the old concrete water tanks that created water pressure for the camp. But all of that character doesn't overshadow a fun and challenging technical course


+ The main tees have been upgraded to level pavers with timber wraps. The signs are still just laminated paper, but they're excellent maps showing the locations of all baskets


+ The layout is now 20 holes. #19 and #20 bring you back to the clubhouse (20 uses the former alternate basket on #2 which unfortunately removes the old tricky double mando). Several holes include alternates, and #18 still has the "winter only" version that throws near the seasonal public pool. There's a lot going on with all these holes, and playing with a regular would be a benefit



+ There's a lot of evidence of a very active club supporting and maintaining the course. Plenty of layout choices, alternate pin positions, sponsored holes, new and old benches, not a speck of trash

- Because the course is laid out at the base of a significant ridge, there's a lot of up-and-down holes. The designers do a good job creating individual holes (throwing in doglegs and an island hole), but you're still walking up and down the same damn hill

~ Beacon Glades is both an excellent technical course, and memorable for its personality. It's relatively short (save your long discs for area courses like FDR and Brakewell), but most holes make you have to consider line, angle, and height of your throws - so there's plenty of challenge

This course has a variety of fairways including a mix of open and technical fairways. As described in some of the other reviews there is also a mix of elevation changes. Number 4 is especially unique playing between some old summer camp buildings.
There are multiple baskets on several holes and even a summer layout and a winter layout.
The baskets are mostly if not all Discatchers which I have found to be the easiest to see and good targets to catch a disc.
The majority of tee pads now have a rubber mesh which I have to say I found better that most rubber mats I played off of. They seemed to have a better grip.
The signage was mostly good. Nice tee pad signs and signs to the next tee.

The down side, some of the options to play a particular hole were a bit confusing. I'm sure during organized pay this would be decide before play started.
Some stronger players would probably like a bit more distance somewhere on the course but it was perfect for me.

I got real lucky on the timing of my first stop and ran into some of the club people on their first night of the season. They helped me though the end of the course (I was confused by the winter/summer layout scheme) and invited me back when they played doubles. Unfortunately, I couldn't make it in time for that but meshed in for some casual play and met up again with Bikerack - a true ambassador of disc golf.
This is several hours from home but the players here make it worth a return trip.

-parking lot next to 1st and 18th tee
-practice basket
-rubber tees
-well individually marqued
-bathrooms
-good use of elevation
-benches on every hole
-nice place to have a picnic
-overall great vibe

-rubber tees should be longer
-compacted... baskets r too close to the next tee
-mosquitos
-10 min away from i-84

nice short course... 3 open holes and the woods does not have much vegetation... this course is special, it contains these abandoned cabins which adds to a unique feeling in the sport... definitely worth the trip... i wish this course was closer to me... Tees need some work though and many r too close to the previous basket... played a tournament here and it was great... i will play here again soon...

Beautiful woods, views, and unique atmosphere
Well connected holes, mostly short wooded holes but a few open, long holes

Not all tees are in the best shape, but all have at least tee pads. Gets muddy after the snow melts and extended rainy periods

I can't believe the last review was in January of 2013?! If you last played here in 2012, you will hardly recognize the place! There are many tee pads now, and the course has been cleaned up by the locals. A couple of tournaments are now held (June and October), and a weekly doubles tournament is held Wednesday afternoons in the Spring/Summer (starting at ~6pm)

1. Atmosphere: UNREAL and unique. Throwing with a run-up out from under a pavillion? Hucking between cabins? Using a mid-range teeing downhill 350+feet and going past the hole? A ship's mast as a field obstacle? SICK.

2. Use of terrain: Up and down and all around, with lots of optical illusions caused by the topography and the REAL BIG TREES. Bring good footwear.

3. Balanced design: Tight holes, left turns, right turns, S-turns, straight slots, open field bombs, low ceilings, tomahawk shots... everything you can imagine.

4. Potential for greatness: superb. There is a solid group of locals cutting and raking and improving, so this course is only going to get better as they polish the rough edges off it, and once they put in real tee pads and signage, it will be a 4.5 star course.

5. Course flow: Excellent. Comes right back to where you started after going here and there and everywhere, and the tees are easy to find from the previous hole basket location.

A. Needs more clearing.

B. Needs signage.

C. Dirt tee areas.

The course as it stands is a 3.5 star course, but I am giving it 4 stars because I know it will deserve them after the local guys have their first tournaments and get the signs taken care of and the tee areas improved, which I can see will be by the end of the summer.

This course is well worth the drive from over from the Thruway to play, and I can't wait to come back. KUDOS!