Burde Ridge reviews
11
0
cbnote817
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
Unique Course Hidden in Middle TN 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 28, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
Really interesting course on the farm of a couple who definitely love disc golf.
- Great use of elevation, but beware, an errant putt or unfortunate miss could wind up going a long ways away! Speaking from experience ...
- Pretty well maintained, only a few areas that had excessive brush.
- All holes seemed to have clear routes to the basket, no "throw and pray" type holes from what I could remember.
- The vibe of the course and being in the middle of nowhere just felt pretty cool. Baskets strewn everywhere like a graveyard of sorts. Neat experience for sure.
- Great use of elevation, but beware, an errant putt or unfortunate miss could wind up going a long ways away! Speaking from experience ...
- Pretty well maintained, only a few areas that had excessive brush.
- All holes seemed to have clear routes to the basket, no "throw and pray" type holes from what I could remember.
- The vibe of the course and being in the middle of nowhere just felt pretty cool. Baskets strewn everywhere like a graveyard of sorts. Neat experience for sure.
Cons:
Some definite cons to playing here, though.
- Teepads, or lack thereof, carpeted. I can understand why this course in particular does not have concrete tee pads, but the carpet pads a lot of times did not offer much of a run-up to throw.
- Signage was not particularly helpful in several instances. My group was able to navigate relatively fine, but at times we wondered where to throw or where the next hole would be because of inadequate signage.
- Heavily technical course. A lot of very short holes that require tight shots. No holes I could remember where you could just throw a bomb. Some people might like that, but I do enjoy a course with a good mixture of technical holes and ones where you can just unload a drive.
- Teepads, or lack thereof, carpeted. I can understand why this course in particular does not have concrete tee pads, but the carpet pads a lot of times did not offer much of a run-up to throw.
- Signage was not particularly helpful in several instances. My group was able to navigate relatively fine, but at times we wondered where to throw or where the next hole would be because of inadequate signage.
- Heavily technical course. A lot of very short holes that require tight shots. No holes I could remember where you could just throw a bomb. Some people might like that, but I do enjoy a course with a good mixture of technical holes and ones where you can just unload a drive.
Other Thoughts:
Overall, really unique and well thought out course with owners who are very engaged. With some small tweaks (signage being my main one), it would be a solid 5. I'd recommend giving it a go, at least once, if you want a change of pace. Bring good hiking type shoes! Not sure if I'll be back anytime soon, but I'll keep it in mind!
18
0
Two Beautiful Halves of Very Different Styles 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:May 2, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
A two-part course including both top-notch golf and quirky short holes. Pardon the length, as there's a lot to say. Skip to Other Thoughts for the summary.
-Notes on Layout: Let's start with info that is neither pro nor con but useful to know. The layout here has changed since AirMcNair posted photos, though I don't know if it's changed since most of the reviews were written. The basic course is exactly 18 holes, with unmapped bonus holes throughout. It is similar to a 9 & 9 setup, but here it's 10 holes in the gated area and then 8 holes behind the house. This results in a stark change of style halfway through.
-Beauty: This is a gem. It's a beautiful part of the state, and the looks are accentuated by the farm's location on a - wait for it - ridge. Some breathtaking views at the top of the ridge, and the whole course deals with lush woods and rugged rock formations. Plus, the farm animals make fun noises. A pleasure to play here.
-Amenities: Not high-level, but pretty solid. Carpet pads are generally in good shape with some exceptions. Signage for both sets of tees include hole number, distance, and par with the occasional rudimentary diagrams. DGA baskets. Next tee cues are very helpful. It's navigable without the UDisc map.
-Front 10: Classic, beautiful, challenging golf. The elevation, look, and difficulty were very reminiscent of parts of Harmon Hills. (1) is a classic opener, 300' dead straight over a valley. Then, it's a series of ups and downs, lefts and rights, par-3s and par-4s, that always use the elevation and always present a fun line that is satisfying to hit. They range in tightness, but none are too claustrophobic. This segment concludes with the epic hole (10), a downhill par-4 bomb that is sure to stick in every player's mind.
-Back 8: Then we have a total change of pace, and the back 8 are entirely under 300', mostly under 250', and full of extremely tight lines. I have never had so many holes in a row that I could softly throw a putter at and yet consistently fail to birdie any of them. These holes include their own elevation changes, especially the killer (16)-(17) duo both playing sharply downhill. This section of the course is a cute but tough contrast to the front 10.
-Dual Tees: Red tees are shorter and look to be a good bit easier than the blues I played. Well thought out and also marked. Not an afterthought.
-Character: I don't really add points for this, but Burde Ridge obviously has character. It's a farm, and the extra level of memorabilia throughout is enjoyable. Especially notable is the use of surfboards to point to the basket. There are also approximately 400 unused baskets throughout the property, and lots of mini baskets that I assume make a mini course if you ask Ed to guide you.
-Bonus Holes: My understanding is there are at the very least 12 holes out here that aren't part of the layout. I saw at least 4 of them, but due to time constraints didn't want to get started exploring unmapped territory out behind the house. This doesn't affect my rating, but could be extra fun for more adventurous folk than me.
-Notes on Layout: Let's start with info that is neither pro nor con but useful to know. The layout here has changed since AirMcNair posted photos, though I don't know if it's changed since most of the reviews were written. The basic course is exactly 18 holes, with unmapped bonus holes throughout. It is similar to a 9 & 9 setup, but here it's 10 holes in the gated area and then 8 holes behind the house. This results in a stark change of style halfway through.
-Beauty: This is a gem. It's a beautiful part of the state, and the looks are accentuated by the farm's location on a - wait for it - ridge. Some breathtaking views at the top of the ridge, and the whole course deals with lush woods and rugged rock formations. Plus, the farm animals make fun noises. A pleasure to play here.
-Amenities: Not high-level, but pretty solid. Carpet pads are generally in good shape with some exceptions. Signage for both sets of tees include hole number, distance, and par with the occasional rudimentary diagrams. DGA baskets. Next tee cues are very helpful. It's navigable without the UDisc map.
-Front 10: Classic, beautiful, challenging golf. The elevation, look, and difficulty were very reminiscent of parts of Harmon Hills. (1) is a classic opener, 300' dead straight over a valley. Then, it's a series of ups and downs, lefts and rights, par-3s and par-4s, that always use the elevation and always present a fun line that is satisfying to hit. They range in tightness, but none are too claustrophobic. This segment concludes with the epic hole (10), a downhill par-4 bomb that is sure to stick in every player's mind.
-Back 8: Then we have a total change of pace, and the back 8 are entirely under 300', mostly under 250', and full of extremely tight lines. I have never had so many holes in a row that I could softly throw a putter at and yet consistently fail to birdie any of them. These holes include their own elevation changes, especially the killer (16)-(17) duo both playing sharply downhill. This section of the course is a cute but tough contrast to the front 10.
-Dual Tees: Red tees are shorter and look to be a good bit easier than the blues I played. Well thought out and also marked. Not an afterthought.
-Character: I don't really add points for this, but Burde Ridge obviously has character. It's a farm, and the extra level of memorabilia throughout is enjoyable. Especially notable is the use of surfboards to point to the basket. There are also approximately 400 unused baskets throughout the property, and lots of mini baskets that I assume make a mini course if you ask Ed to guide you.
-Bonus Holes: My understanding is there are at the very least 12 holes out here that aren't part of the layout. I saw at least 4 of them, but due to time constraints didn't want to get started exploring unmapped territory out behind the house. This doesn't affect my rating, but could be extra fun for more adventurous folk than me.
Cons:
Definitely a few things to balance out some of the pros.
-Back 8 Length: I didn't particularly enjoy the back 8. To me, they were gimmicky and short. I was disappointed after the dream start on the other side of the property. This is far and away the big con for me. Everything else is picky stuff that makes little difference to my rating.
-Hike: This is one of the most physically demanding courses I've been on. You need strong ankles and knees, because you're dealing with substantial elevation throughout.
-Animals: I hope you don't mind farm animals or their smells. This isn't a con to me, but I thought I should mention it.
-Safety: A couple of holes could see errant shots find places they shouldn't--mainly holes (1) and (10) going into the animal pen or near the house.
-Rollaway Risk: Constant. I only had two. Be prepared to watch what you thought was a good shot take edge and travel 50+ feet down a ridge.
-Disc Loss: Between rollaways on blind shots and some steep downhills, I think the odds of losing a disc aren't super low. There's also a pond on (2). I said bye to a Buzzz on (17).
-Rough: Some patches of rough are tough, especially on the back 8.
-Gate: Took me a few minutes to figure out where the gate to basket (1) through tee (10) was. Go around the side of the animal enclosure away from the road, before the creek. Owner specifically requests that the gate be re-latched any time it's used.
-Back 8 Length: I didn't particularly enjoy the back 8. To me, they were gimmicky and short. I was disappointed after the dream start on the other side of the property. This is far and away the big con for me. Everything else is picky stuff that makes little difference to my rating.
-Hike: This is one of the most physically demanding courses I've been on. You need strong ankles and knees, because you're dealing with substantial elevation throughout.
-Animals: I hope you don't mind farm animals or their smells. This isn't a con to me, but I thought I should mention it.
-Safety: A couple of holes could see errant shots find places they shouldn't--mainly holes (1) and (10) going into the animal pen or near the house.
-Rollaway Risk: Constant. I only had two. Be prepared to watch what you thought was a good shot take edge and travel 50+ feet down a ridge.
-Disc Loss: Between rollaways on blind shots and some steep downhills, I think the odds of losing a disc aren't super low. There's also a pond on (2). I said bye to a Buzzz on (17).
-Rough: Some patches of rough are tough, especially on the back 8.
-Gate: Took me a few minutes to figure out where the gate to basket (1) through tee (10) was. Go around the side of the animal enclosure away from the road, before the creek. Owner specifically requests that the gate be re-latched any time it's used.
Other Thoughts:
I think this is the single longest review I've ever written. There is a ton to say about Burde Ridge, and it's hard to summarize and rate. Overall, the vibe is top-notch, a beautiful farm. The front 10 are ideal par-3 and short par-4 golf with elevation and variety, but to me the back 8 are a major letdown with overly tight trees trying to make up for a lack of length. How do you rate a course that you partially adore and partially dislike? For me, I settled on Excellent, because I think the front 10 alone deserve that moniker and I'm not going to let a weaker finish detract from that.
-Access: I messaged Burde Ridge on Facebook, and they told me that the course is always open for play as long as you notify them before arriving. I went with that option and did fine on my own. Of course, I'm sure a round with Ed would be a blast, and he could show you the hidden tricks of the property that I didn't catch.
-Access: I messaged Burde Ridge on Facebook, and they told me that the course is always open for play as long as you notify them before arriving. I went with that option and did fine on my own. Of course, I'm sure a round with Ed would be a blast, and he could show you the hidden tricks of the property that I didn't catch.
8
1
jacob2918
Experience:
14.8 years
13 played
4 reviews
welcome to the hills! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 17, 2011
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
This course is a true test of your skills! Requiring hyzers,annys,over hands and most important park jobs. Its all played on the side of some giant hills and if you miss a putt or throw a lil off this course will punish you! But go for it and you may be heavily rewarded. Id say hole ten maybe the funniest hole out there its 540' from pad to pin and is extremely down hill. Its fun to chuck discs off of and watch them sail off. Its a beautiful course with a great majestic feel. The view from the top of hole five is simple amazing. Theres just not enough things to say about this course, it was built by a disc golfer for disc golfers. I cant wait to go back
Cons:
Cons are few and far between here. Alot of people complain of some of the high brush in some places but if you throw a bad shot then really thats on you. Ive been in it plenty of times. Maybe need a few trashcans on the course but since its private it doesnt get alot of traffic. And everytime ive been there ed has had it spotless.
Really having trouble thinking up real cons
Really having trouble thinking up real cons
Other Thoughts:
If you get the chance come play this course! Ive played 12 courses in tennessee and its one of the best hands down. Its a course you can come out shooting par on and next round be 12+ its very challenging in its simplicity.
