Carly's Playground reviews
8
0
WOW!! What a change!! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 23, 2011
Played the course:once
Pros:
*** NOTE ***
Review based on the red tee/pink basket combination only.
Elevation, elevation, and elevation!!
The variety and challenge offered at this redesigned masterpiece should elevate it to one of the top courses in the state in the near future.
Dual/triple tees and pins make playing multiple rounds or rounds with varied abilities a breeze. The signage (where available) was clear and well done. The flow of the layout was much better than previously and worked well, even in the areas where signage was missing/incorrect. There are lots of Next Tee signs for areas where it's not obvious. The current carpeted tee pads are a HUGE improvement over the tiny wood chip disasters that were used for the previous nines, and all the red pads except for #10 were flat, level, and well sized.
Do you dream of the huge downhill rip? It's here. Narrow, wooded fairways? Yup. Doglegs and S-turns? Check and check. Uphill? You bet. Elevation changes? In spades. Side hill and creative pin placement? But of course! On the Red/Pink tee/basket combination, there's only one hole over 400' yet very few are lacking in significant challenge or risk/reward situations. Even the shortest, at 112', was a bear with a super narrow, heavily wooded lane, a low ceiling, and a slight right bend around the side of the hill. Add basket placement on the side of that hill and my deuce run quickly turned into a 5 on a roll away with no way back into the woods.
I LOVED that the red (short) tees didn't remove the challenge from the holes. Some of the short tees are placed on or near the line from the blue tees, preserving the challenge while shortening the distance. Others are placed such that they change the entire flavor of the hole offering an entirely different set of challenges. As the "dumbing down" of most short tees is one of my pet peeves in course design, this delights me to no end.
The custom pink baskets are SWEET and very, very visible!
Review based on the red tee/pink basket combination only.
Elevation, elevation, and elevation!!
The variety and challenge offered at this redesigned masterpiece should elevate it to one of the top courses in the state in the near future.
Dual/triple tees and pins make playing multiple rounds or rounds with varied abilities a breeze. The signage (where available) was clear and well done. The flow of the layout was much better than previously and worked well, even in the areas where signage was missing/incorrect. There are lots of Next Tee signs for areas where it's not obvious. The current carpeted tee pads are a HUGE improvement over the tiny wood chip disasters that were used for the previous nines, and all the red pads except for #10 were flat, level, and well sized.
Do you dream of the huge downhill rip? It's here. Narrow, wooded fairways? Yup. Doglegs and S-turns? Check and check. Uphill? You bet. Elevation changes? In spades. Side hill and creative pin placement? But of course! On the Red/Pink tee/basket combination, there's only one hole over 400' yet very few are lacking in significant challenge or risk/reward situations. Even the shortest, at 112', was a bear with a super narrow, heavily wooded lane, a low ceiling, and a slight right bend around the side of the hill. Add basket placement on the side of that hill and my deuce run quickly turned into a 5 on a roll away with no way back into the woods.
I LOVED that the red (short) tees didn't remove the challenge from the holes. Some of the short tees are placed on or near the line from the blue tees, preserving the challenge while shortening the distance. Others are placed such that they change the entire flavor of the hole offering an entirely different set of challenges. As the "dumbing down" of most short tees is one of my pet peeves in course design, this delights me to no end.
The custom pink baskets are SWEET and very, very visible!
Cons:
Yup. Elevation, elevation, elevation.
This redesign has recaptured the original course's work-out factor so be prepared for a strenuous round with adequate footwear and hydration. In most cases the flow and elevation changes work well, but the hike up the face of the hill to # 8, in the sand, quite simply SUCKS. While not quite as awful, the hike to #10 isn't any great shakes, either.
The red tee for #10 is waaaay too short and the consequences for overstepping the front of the box are significant.
Problems that are being remedied as time/money allows (see other thoughts):
- The old signage from the first redesign has been recycled on the back nine, so the numbering is all wrong as is the distance printed for each hole.
- A couple of the new holes have been tweaked leaving the new signage incorrect as well.
- The carpets on some of the tees on the back nine aren't anchored so they may slide during your throw.
- Many of the side hill tees have no retaining wall underneath so the dirt may collapse as you enter, exit, or throw.
The custom blue baskets are almost impossible to see and should have been used for the short pin positions instead of the long.
This redesign has recaptured the original course's work-out factor so be prepared for a strenuous round with adequate footwear and hydration. In most cases the flow and elevation changes work well, but the hike up the face of the hill to # 8, in the sand, quite simply SUCKS. While not quite as awful, the hike to #10 isn't any great shakes, either.
The red tee for #10 is waaaay too short and the consequences for overstepping the front of the box are significant.
Problems that are being remedied as time/money allows (see other thoughts):
- The old signage from the first redesign has been recycled on the back nine, so the numbering is all wrong as is the distance printed for each hole.
- A couple of the new holes have been tweaked leaving the new signage incorrect as well.
- The carpets on some of the tees on the back nine aren't anchored so they may slide during your throw.
- Many of the side hill tees have no retaining wall underneath so the dirt may collapse as you enter, exit, or throw.
The custom blue baskets are almost impossible to see and should have been used for the short pin positions instead of the long.
Other Thoughts:
This course was built as a memorial to the death of a local disc golf legend's daughter, Carly. All the work and materials is being done via donation and volunteer work crews. While the course is rough (very, in some places) at this time, rest assured that improvements are being made regularly throughout the summer and fall.
My review and rating will be updated as needed changes are made.
My review and rating will be updated as needed changes are made.
12
0
This Ain't Your Daddy's Playground 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Sep 6, 2011
Played the course:once
Pros:
Elevation:
Whoa, Daddy, you had better get ready! Pulling up to the lot you are treated to a full view of a formidable hill (even if it isn't a formidable ski hill), raising your expectations, and Carly delivers. There are only a couple holes where significant elevation doesn't come into play, and those are invariably holes with super-tight fairways. While there are opportunities for big downhill bombs, most holes are undulating hills of challenging goodness.
Dual tees and dual basket positions:
While some secondary positions merely require an anny vs a hyzer approach, there are more than a few secondary positions that change a hole from just challenging to really unpleasant (in a good way). The baskets were in the short position for most holes, and when I saw the long position location, my reaction usually was "dayum!"
A notable one is hole 6, which is difficult enough after tacking 90° hard left following a long soft right turn, but then it adds 150' of distance and 20' of elevation (after a second 90° left turn) for the long position. Hole 14 adds another 200 uphill feet of distance on top of the initial 250-270 of uphill feet.
Variety:
This is a course that lends itself to many custom permutations, promising to keep you from getting bored with repeated rounds. Each 9 starts off the parking lot, so a quick round can be had if time is limited.
Downhills range from hugely open to razor thin fairways, and uphills are a nice blend of full fairway to late in the hole. Lots of baskets are obscured from the tee, even in the short position, and while most of the woods holes are leafy trees, there are more than enough pines to keep things interesting during the spring and fall.
Distances range from about 125' on #15 short position Red tee to 600'+ on #6, #9, #17 & #18 long position Blue tees. Most holes are over 300' in the long basket positions.
You don't have to go into downtown Traverse City. (sorry Tilley's)
Whoa, Daddy, you had better get ready! Pulling up to the lot you are treated to a full view of a formidable hill (even if it isn't a formidable ski hill), raising your expectations, and Carly delivers. There are only a couple holes where significant elevation doesn't come into play, and those are invariably holes with super-tight fairways. While there are opportunities for big downhill bombs, most holes are undulating hills of challenging goodness.
Dual tees and dual basket positions:
While some secondary positions merely require an anny vs a hyzer approach, there are more than a few secondary positions that change a hole from just challenging to really unpleasant (in a good way). The baskets were in the short position for most holes, and when I saw the long position location, my reaction usually was "dayum!"
A notable one is hole 6, which is difficult enough after tacking 90° hard left following a long soft right turn, but then it adds 150' of distance and 20' of elevation (after a second 90° left turn) for the long position. Hole 14 adds another 200 uphill feet of distance on top of the initial 250-270 of uphill feet.
Variety:
This is a course that lends itself to many custom permutations, promising to keep you from getting bored with repeated rounds. Each 9 starts off the parking lot, so a quick round can be had if time is limited.
Downhills range from hugely open to razor thin fairways, and uphills are a nice blend of full fairway to late in the hole. Lots of baskets are obscured from the tee, even in the short position, and while most of the woods holes are leafy trees, there are more than enough pines to keep things interesting during the spring and fall.
Distances range from about 125' on #15 short position Red tee to 600'+ on #6, #9, #17 & #18 long position Blue tees. Most holes are over 300' in the long basket positions.
You don't have to go into downtown Traverse City. (sorry Tilley's)
Cons:
Signage:
It would be bad enough if there wasn't adequate posted signage, but putting up signage that is FLAT OUT WRONG is pretty unforgivable. For some reason that eludes me, the signs from the old nine hole design were recycled and used for the new back nine. The result is not only that the holes are mis-numbered, but the ranges stated are completely incorrect. Stop-Gap Solution Fail.
The next tee signs on (what the map labels as) the front nine are nice, and the path was easy to follow, but the rest of the signage is a disaster. My rating will go up if the signage issue is addressed. Currently my rating is somewhat based on my confidence that it will be addressed, but if this is how it is left, I will absolutely lower my rating.
Teepads:
I am less enthusiastic about the future of the tees. The original course had lousy mats for tees, and that doesn't bode well for the future, but many of the tees I saw looked like they were designed as bases for cement pads. Definitely another bump in rating if cement tees are installed.
The only water hazzard on the course was effectively negated, as it is placed just after the tee, rather than just before the basket. When you only have one, you really should make the most of it.
The hike up to the #8 tee sucks, no two ways about it.
No bathrooms.
It would be bad enough if there wasn't adequate posted signage, but putting up signage that is FLAT OUT WRONG is pretty unforgivable. For some reason that eludes me, the signs from the old nine hole design were recycled and used for the new back nine. The result is not only that the holes are mis-numbered, but the ranges stated are completely incorrect. Stop-Gap Solution Fail.
The next tee signs on (what the map labels as) the front nine are nice, and the path was easy to follow, but the rest of the signage is a disaster. My rating will go up if the signage issue is addressed. Currently my rating is somewhat based on my confidence that it will be addressed, but if this is how it is left, I will absolutely lower my rating.
Teepads:
I am less enthusiastic about the future of the tees. The original course had lousy mats for tees, and that doesn't bode well for the future, but many of the tees I saw looked like they were designed as bases for cement pads. Definitely another bump in rating if cement tees are installed.
The only water hazzard on the course was effectively negated, as it is placed just after the tee, rather than just before the basket. When you only have one, you really should make the most of it.
The hike up to the #8 tee sucks, no two ways about it.
No bathrooms.
Other Thoughts:
This is something that Traverse City desperately needed ---:another 18 hole course to alleviate the traffic on Hickory Hills. For those of you who don't get excited waiting for two groups every hole, Carly offers another (closer) alternative to Myles Kimmerly.
Even without the improvements stated above, I will often be choosing to play here instead of Hickory solely because I will have the place to myself. With the improvements, I will eagerly choose this one over Hickory often, not because Hickory is bad (hardly!), but because this will be shiny and new for many years to come.
There is a significant level of challenge here, and with the left-side 9 measurably easier than the right-side 9, you can tailor your round to accommodate many different skill levels. I never had the feeling of 'oh no, not another one of these holes' during any part of the round. Most of the time my buddy and I were expressing our appreciation of the secondary basket positions.
Last year I saw how they changed the layout to keep all nine holes on one side of the hill, and I hoped it meant they were going to install another nine. What they have done has completely exceeded my hopes and expectations from a design standpoint, and now they just need to complete the execution of this great design.
This is not a course for the faint of heart. You will be doing a lot of significant climbing, and there are many sheer faces if you go into the rough, as well. I strongly suggest sturdy hiking boots.
FYI, the blue baskets are damn near invisible from the tee.
There is a nice house that is about 300' away from the 7th tee on the new left-side nine. I would give up much to live there and have this course in my back yard.
Even without the improvements stated above, I will often be choosing to play here instead of Hickory solely because I will have the place to myself. With the improvements, I will eagerly choose this one over Hickory often, not because Hickory is bad (hardly!), but because this will be shiny and new for many years to come.
There is a significant level of challenge here, and with the left-side 9 measurably easier than the right-side 9, you can tailor your round to accommodate many different skill levels. I never had the feeling of 'oh no, not another one of these holes' during any part of the round. Most of the time my buddy and I were expressing our appreciation of the secondary basket positions.
Last year I saw how they changed the layout to keep all nine holes on one side of the hill, and I hoped it meant they were going to install another nine. What they have done has completely exceeded my hopes and expectations from a design standpoint, and now they just need to complete the execution of this great design.
This is not a course for the faint of heart. You will be doing a lot of significant climbing, and there are many sheer faces if you go into the rough, as well. I strongly suggest sturdy hiking boots.
FYI, the blue baskets are damn near invisible from the tee.
There is a nice house that is about 300' away from the 7th tee on the new left-side nine. I would give up much to live there and have this course in my back yard.
