Pros:
- Perfectly level DiscGolfPark turf tees surrounded by compacted gravel, which is then further surrounded by mulch.
- Easy to navigate, very intuitive, paths and white arrow signs to the next tees.
- Practice basket by the start of hole 1 to warm up your putt as well as plenty of space to warm up with approach shots.
- Hand painted tee signs with outstanding detail and painted to perfectly reflect the size and location of all trees/rough/water.
- There is a bell to ring to signal when clear of blind greens so the next group (if applicable) knows when to throw.
- Distance markers on the fairway of the longer holes so you know exactly how much distance is left to make it to the basket.
- Technical placement golf. There is zero poke and hope here. A well-executed shot is highly rewarded while a poorly thrown shot gets a proportional amount of trouble to how bad of a shot it was.
- Tucked away mostly out of the wind.
- Innova DISCatcher Pro 28's. The best baskets around and an industry standard I think.
- Some sort of elevation change on every single hole whether that is an uphill hole, downhill hole, a hole that has ups and downs, and even holes that play on sloped fairways.
- Breathtaking scenery in every direction.
- Water in play! Holes 13 and 14 play over a pond and, in my opinion, having water in play is something that needs to be there to really put a course into the top tier of courses.
- Challenging greens that demand angle and speed control.
Cons:
(as a caveat before you read the cons - these are pretty nit picky, though worth mentioning, and hardly affect my opinion of the course, thus the 5/5 rating)
- No benches (yet). They are definitely needed with how long this course is and all of the hills. According to Paul, the benches are coming.
- No top of the world shot or huge open downhill carry. It is something I'd like to see with how hilly this course is and possibly give the player a chance to truly air one out after navigating their way through so many wooded fairways.
- No signature hole that I can think of, but this is actually a pro because all of the holes are so incredible. I can't think of one that is truly a cut above the rest, and that speaks to how excellent the course is. As I think about it more, I would probably have to pick either hole 13 or 14 as those bring the pond into play.
- Some/bunch of baskets are elevated, but not in a typical elevated basket fashion. The bottoms of the poles are in concrete and then left resting on the ground (look at the course pictures). A lot of the baskets play about 12-18" above the standard height. I'm not sure if this is so baskets can be brought in during the winter or so they can be moved around on the course without having to dig them up?
- The design slightly favors RHBH. I would like to see more fairways that bend to the right that cater to RHBH forehand or turnover shot. Overall, a pretty balanced course, though.
- Some of the tee pads play close together (holes 7/9). This could create issues during a tournament or if play gets busy during a weekend.
- 4'x8' tees. For a course like this, I'd prefer to see 5'x10' tees. The tee boxes are a half inch to an inch above the compacted gravel. When playing a course as magnificent as this I want a bit more space on the tee for demanding/power shots. I also don't want to start off the box and then have to actively think about making a step up onto the pad because that distracts me from trying to hit the technical line at hand.
- The flow of the course doesn't get back close to the parking/car until hole 15's tee pad. This isn't necessarily a con for me, but for some people it might. Just something to be aware of so plan ahead accordingly.
- No trashcans. Not an issue for me (pack it in, pack it out!), though some people might want them. I think it is better this way as it preserves the beauty.
Other Thoughts:
At the time of playing this was my 162nd course and it is now #1 on my list of favorite courses. Upon arrival, you see the Caliber disc golf sign to know where to turn and the excitement begins to build. There are some parking lines painted on the ground and you are greeted by a very accommodating and pleasant host (Thanks, Paul!).
The course is nestled into the northern Idaho mountains a stone's throw from Schweitzer Mountain. Gorgeous views are abundant through the trees with sights of snowcapped mountains when I played in June.
The course was meticulously and methodically carved through the woods. It is extremely well thought out, with every tree left standing or removed for a specific shot shaping reason. You'll end up using a majority of the discs in your bag and tons of different of styles of throws to get into scoring position. I've never had to think so hard about how to play a course. It left me mentally exhausted by the end. You constantly have to play a game of chess with the course by picking your landing zones and knowing how you are going to meander your way up the fairway. You must always be aware of the angles of the disc to match the angle of the land otherwise you could be in for some rollaway potential.
Overall, I can't speak highly enough of Caliber Disc Golf Course. Paul is a wonderful guy and I hope to be back in the future to get another round in at Caliber and to play the new course he is working on building on his property. Caliber DGC is a true destination course and if you live within 300 miles (or more!) and don't make a trip to come play here, you are making a serious mistake. I've played a lot of 'famous' disc golf courses (Milo, Pier, Whistler's Bend, etc) and this one takes the cake.