Bud Hill - Original reviews
15
0
The Perfect Start To Any Epic Road Trip 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 5, 2018
Played the course:once
Pros:
(3.716 Rating) A private paradise that will please a wide swath of players.
- CHARACTER - I had a tough time deciding on how to start off the pros for Bud Hill. All of key attributable qualities I've assigned for this course came in at around 70 to 80 percentile. So, to start, I'll mention the club house I saw driving up. Amen. It's a 300 square foot chill area complete with comfy chairs, a TV, a poker table, a guest book and memorabilia. On the course, there's seating on every hole and most are shaded very well. There's a small shelter on tee (2). The signage and navigation, I'd say is above average, although not nearly to the level of all these new public courses with the $30,000 plus budgets. Multi tees occur on numerous holes and I think there were a couple alternate basket placements as well. Also bag hangers and a porta-potty.
- CHALLENGING - A low end intermediate level course I think from the original tees and probably a tweener between intermediate and advanced level from the back tees. As an intermediate player myself, I shot a 54 playing mostly the original tees, but I mixed in a couple back tees as well. I think the challenge and multi tees will appeal to players between 800 and 950 which is vast majority of the player population. Players above the 950 range will slay this course.
- UNIQUENESS - Constant elevation movement but manageable. A great mixture of relatively open thru heavily wooded holes. Four water clears, a few bombers and some nice shot shaping opportunities. What's missing the most however is the multi-play hole. This is par 54 course and other than hole (4) there really isn't much in the way hole management. Very few significant benders unlike the adjacent "The Ridge" layout. (17) I thought was the only substantial sweeping RHBH hyzer play. I don't recall anything breaking much to the right.
- RAW BEAUTY - A lot better than most courses. The tee shots on (6) and (7) are both signature looks using elevation and water. (11) and (12) are also a pair of appealing wooded valley plays. (14) and (18) are both nice looking water plays. I could see someone arguing that the airport gate benches at the tees look dumpy, but then others saying its part of the rustic nature feel of the course. There are also handful of average looking lightly wooded holes. In totality I scored Bud Hill about 40th out of 270 courses played as of this review.
- DONATIONS WELCOMED - Bud Hill is not a pay to play private course. However, anyone that plays here and doesn't throw a few bucks into the donation bucket is not a person I'd want to throw with. It's remarkable what the owner has done here without a park's department budget to work with. Please do what you can to support and thank him for his efforts.
- CHARACTER - I had a tough time deciding on how to start off the pros for Bud Hill. All of key attributable qualities I've assigned for this course came in at around 70 to 80 percentile. So, to start, I'll mention the club house I saw driving up. Amen. It's a 300 square foot chill area complete with comfy chairs, a TV, a poker table, a guest book and memorabilia. On the course, there's seating on every hole and most are shaded very well. There's a small shelter on tee (2). The signage and navigation, I'd say is above average, although not nearly to the level of all these new public courses with the $30,000 plus budgets. Multi tees occur on numerous holes and I think there were a couple alternate basket placements as well. Also bag hangers and a porta-potty.
- CHALLENGING - A low end intermediate level course I think from the original tees and probably a tweener between intermediate and advanced level from the back tees. As an intermediate player myself, I shot a 54 playing mostly the original tees, but I mixed in a couple back tees as well. I think the challenge and multi tees will appeal to players between 800 and 950 which is vast majority of the player population. Players above the 950 range will slay this course.
- UNIQUENESS - Constant elevation movement but manageable. A great mixture of relatively open thru heavily wooded holes. Four water clears, a few bombers and some nice shot shaping opportunities. What's missing the most however is the multi-play hole. This is par 54 course and other than hole (4) there really isn't much in the way hole management. Very few significant benders unlike the adjacent "The Ridge" layout. (17) I thought was the only substantial sweeping RHBH hyzer play. I don't recall anything breaking much to the right.
- RAW BEAUTY - A lot better than most courses. The tee shots on (6) and (7) are both signature looks using elevation and water. (11) and (12) are also a pair of appealing wooded valley plays. (14) and (18) are both nice looking water plays. I could see someone arguing that the airport gate benches at the tees look dumpy, but then others saying its part of the rustic nature feel of the course. There are also handful of average looking lightly wooded holes. In totality I scored Bud Hill about 40th out of 270 courses played as of this review.
- DONATIONS WELCOMED - Bud Hill is not a pay to play private course. However, anyone that plays here and doesn't throw a few bucks into the donation bucket is not a person I'd want to throw with. It's remarkable what the owner has done here without a park's department budget to work with. Please do what you can to support and thank him for his efforts.
Cons:
I have to get epic picky to find issues with Bud Hill. A few of the below listed cons are provided for information only and play little to no impact on my ratings.
- LOOSE DISC OPPS - A pond comes into play 4 times. So I advise bringing a couple junkers for those that are deafly afraid to lose a favorite disc. I carry a floater but only threw it once on (14). Had I lost one on the other 3 water holes, I deserved it. There are also a few big thicket areas that could take a substantial search to find a disc that's playing hind and seek.
- LOCATION - Way out in the middle of nowhere Memphis. My GPS did not take me to the right place at first. My advise would be is to keep on a lookout for the metal Bud Hill entrance sign with words "closed" below it.
- TEES - Mostly 4 by 10 concrete tees. 270 courses in the bag for me and this size and surface type grades out as average. I wished I had more surface to work with several tee shots.
- CHAINS - Like many private courses I've played, that baskets are not always top of the line models. I believe they were MachVs but a couple may have been something else.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Bringing a beginning player here is doable, but probably not ideal with the hoards of hazard free rec courses out there to choose from. As stated above, there are water hazards and also some of the tighter lines are just not good for players not adjusted to releasing at a consistent point. Be prepared to lose a disc when bringing a first timer out here.
- TERRAIN - IMO I thought the course was somewhat cart friendly. There some interesting transitions along (6-7) and also (11-12) which play through a wooded area with elevation changes.
- PARKING - Not the greatest driveway leading to the course parking area. Its gravel and there's some pitting. 95% of the cars should be fine, but for anyone with a low riding vehicle or one that doesn't do well with shifting gravel, it would be best to find another option to travel here. The parking lot is also gravel.
- LOOSE DISC OPPS - A pond comes into play 4 times. So I advise bringing a couple junkers for those that are deafly afraid to lose a favorite disc. I carry a floater but only threw it once on (14). Had I lost one on the other 3 water holes, I deserved it. There are also a few big thicket areas that could take a substantial search to find a disc that's playing hind and seek.
- LOCATION - Way out in the middle of nowhere Memphis. My GPS did not take me to the right place at first. My advise would be is to keep on a lookout for the metal Bud Hill entrance sign with words "closed" below it.
- TEES - Mostly 4 by 10 concrete tees. 270 courses in the bag for me and this size and surface type grades out as average. I wished I had more surface to work with several tee shots.
- CHAINS - Like many private courses I've played, that baskets are not always top of the line models. I believe they were MachVs but a couple may have been something else.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Bringing a beginning player here is doable, but probably not ideal with the hoards of hazard free rec courses out there to choose from. As stated above, there are water hazards and also some of the tighter lines are just not good for players not adjusted to releasing at a consistent point. Be prepared to lose a disc when bringing a first timer out here.
- TERRAIN - IMO I thought the course was somewhat cart friendly. There some interesting transitions along (6-7) and also (11-12) which play through a wooded area with elevation changes.
- PARKING - Not the greatest driveway leading to the course parking area. Its gravel and there's some pitting. 95% of the cars should be fine, but for anyone with a low riding vehicle or one that doesn't do well with shifting gravel, it would be best to find another option to travel here. The parking lot is also gravel.
Other Thoughts:
Bud Hill was my first targeted course on a 5-day road trip to hit destination courses. It's truly a gem of a course that has aged well over time. I only met the owner briefly on the way out, and in that short time I could tell that he is great steward for the disc golf community. A big thanks to him for his contributions to the sport. As for the course, I have a feeling that this is likely a big favorite in Memphis. IMO The vibe is amazing, which is obviously a subjective feeling, and it contributes only a very small fraction in my ratings. Currently I have Bud Hill as my personal 5th highest rated TN course. Significantly behind Harmon Hills and Panther Creek, a touch behind both Cedar Hills and Seven Oaks, but a touch better than both Cane Ridge and The Sinks. I played all of these courses in a 6-month time frame, so I'm confident in my personal rankings for these 7 courses. There are two main reason for this placement, the hole variety and the challenge. It's not that Bud Hill doesn't excel in these two attributes, cause it does. It's just that the before mentioned courses that I've rated higher just go a bit further. I really enjoy the multi-play +500 foot holes and Bud Hill only has one of these. The elevation usage at Bud Hill is great, but again, all of the before mentioned courses that I've rated higher have holes that go more epic. As for challenge, I think it needs to be dialed up a bit more to appease the +950s. In all, I think Bud Hill is a "Great" course, which is how classify the courses that I have scored at around the 3.75 mark. My 3.75s are the tweener courses I've rated between 3.5 "very good" and the 4.0 "excellent", thus the term "Great."
- TIME PLAY - Average. figure two hours for a 4 some.
- TIME PLAY - Average. figure two hours for a 4 some.
14
0
2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Nov 2, 2008
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Design wise, this course is excellent. This course has a great mixture, featuring good elevation, 2 small ponds, with a good variety of shots. The course is mostly open, but with plenty of trees lining the fairways to force different shots. There are easy birdies on up to tough pars, with a lot of holes in between that will challenge you to get the birdie. Overall, the course is not that difficult to play for pros, but that makes it a fun to play for all skill levels.
This is a private course behind the house of Danny and Barbara Daniels, who are super nice people with a love for disc golf. The course has a club house, disc golf style. At tournaments and local events, this is where the party is, with free primitive camping, lunch and supper for a $5 donation, and a whole lot of fun and fellowship.
This is a private course behind the house of Danny and Barbara Daniels, who are super nice people with a love for disc golf. The course has a club house, disc golf style. At tournaments and local events, this is where the party is, with free primitive camping, lunch and supper for a $5 donation, and a whole lot of fun and fellowship.
Cons:
Most holes have good concrete tees, but a couple are lined with rocks, that get very slick when wet. Also, some holes in the woods have old carpet tee pads where the ground is worn, causing bad teeing conditions, all in a compact run up space. As a person with a good sized run up, I tend to feel very uncomfortable teeing on these holes. Luckily they are short shots, but it would suit the course well if the tee pads were up to par with the design of the course.
I believe most of the baskets were donated, so some holes have some very crappy single chain baskets. Also, there are no tee signs or distances on any of the holes, which can make navigation difficult your first time playing the course. Also, remember to bring bug spray and cover yourself with it, and even then, I wish you luck.
I believe most of the baskets were donated, so some holes have some very crappy single chain baskets. Also, there are no tee signs or distances on any of the holes, which can make navigation difficult your first time playing the course. Also, remember to bring bug spray and cover yourself with it, and even then, I wish you luck.
Other Thoughts:
This is a great course to play, but remember to get permission from Danny, as it is a private course. Danny takes good care of the course and $1 donations are recommended at the start of hole 1 whenever you play the course. The cons I listed are money based and likely will be improved as more donations are given to help support such an awesome place. I highly recommend playing here for disc golfers of all skill levels, especially if you are coming for one of the 2 big Memphis tournaments that will feature over 150 players.
4
9
kette_master
Experience:
18.9 years
105 played
9 reviews
Has everything! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Dec 27, 2007
Played the course:once
Pros:
This course is well maintained, easy to navigate, and will take every shot in your arsenal. The course is private, but if you contact the owners they'll allow you to play for a small donation.
Cons:
None that I can think of...
Other Thoughts:
I look forward to playing this course every year I visit Memphis.
