Chestnut Ridge - The Ravine reviews
10
1
What's not to like? Most of it.... 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Dec 6, 2020
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
This course really helped establish disc golf back in the early part of this century. Lots of challenging shots as you play up and down and around a ravine through a fairly wooded course.
First hole offers a stunning view of Buffalo in the distance.
Has three sets of tees.
There is at least one tee pad made of some kind of rubber material at each of said tee.
Decent tee signs.
Most of those course is played in the woods and there are some decent lines you can hit to score well.
Only 5 year old Innova Pro DISCatchers
Playing through the woods provides some nice hikes between holes. Most of the course is away from other park activities.
First hole offers a stunning view of Buffalo in the distance.
Has three sets of tees.
There is at least one tee pad made of some kind of rubber material at each of said tee.
Decent tee signs.
Most of those course is played in the woods and there are some decent lines you can hit to score well.
Only 5 year old Innova Pro DISCatchers
Playing through the woods provides some nice hikes between holes. Most of the course is away from other park activities.
Cons:
OMG - where to begin.
The county refused to allow a local club to install concrete so they installed those rubber like tees that even on a dry day like today feel a little bit slippery (and it was sunny and dry when I played). If there's rain or snow on them, you now have roughly 22 4' by 10' ice skating rinks. And only some of the holes have two tee pads. Also I saw one red brick out of 18 holes marking the rec tees.
Because the course is popular what the locals called "the Ridge Rats" - kids from around the area who destroy everything and anything they can in the park, the local club had to install tee signs about 12 feet up trees so the rats wouldn't take them home as souvenirs. So the signs are there but they're hard to read.
Most of the holes are about the same length - not much of a variety in distance. And while most of the holes have lines to hit to get near the basket, more times than not - that great drive you just threw nicked a tree and is suddenly kicked at a 90 degree angle into the woods. You can easily get a two or a par on a hole and the next round you can get a double bogie by one bad kick. You have to have nearly perfect shots to hit the proper line or you end up hitting anything but the fairway.
A few holes by the ravine are simply dangerous. I mean really dangerous. Overshoot a putt on a basket that's on the edge of the ravine and you're heading for a five minute expedition to retrieve it.
There are waaaay too many dead trees (also known as widow makers) that need to be taken down. One just came down and crushed one of the foot bridges.
Some of the baskets are higher than others due to either frost creep or when they installed new ones they used part of the old collar and they're two inches higher than the ones properly installed. (not a huge issue mind you but still.)
Finding the next basket can be brutal as directional arrows are few and far between,
At this time of year the garbage wasn't so bad, but in the summer months, the recs/ridge rats litter the place up terribly.
The county refused to allow a local club to install concrete so they installed those rubber like tees that even on a dry day like today feel a little bit slippery (and it was sunny and dry when I played). If there's rain or snow on them, you now have roughly 22 4' by 10' ice skating rinks. And only some of the holes have two tee pads. Also I saw one red brick out of 18 holes marking the rec tees.
Because the course is popular what the locals called "the Ridge Rats" - kids from around the area who destroy everything and anything they can in the park, the local club had to install tee signs about 12 feet up trees so the rats wouldn't take them home as souvenirs. So the signs are there but they're hard to read.
Most of the holes are about the same length - not much of a variety in distance. And while most of the holes have lines to hit to get near the basket, more times than not - that great drive you just threw nicked a tree and is suddenly kicked at a 90 degree angle into the woods. You can easily get a two or a par on a hole and the next round you can get a double bogie by one bad kick. You have to have nearly perfect shots to hit the proper line or you end up hitting anything but the fairway.
A few holes by the ravine are simply dangerous. I mean really dangerous. Overshoot a putt on a basket that's on the edge of the ravine and you're heading for a five minute expedition to retrieve it.
There are waaaay too many dead trees (also known as widow makers) that need to be taken down. One just came down and crushed one of the foot bridges.
Some of the baskets are higher than others due to either frost creep or when they installed new ones they used part of the old collar and they're two inches higher than the ones properly installed. (not a huge issue mind you but still.)
Finding the next basket can be brutal as directional arrows are few and far between,
At this time of year the garbage wasn't so bad, but in the summer months, the recs/ridge rats litter the place up terribly.
Other Thoughts:
The course almost feels like it has been abandoned even though that's not the case. The local club is doing what they can trying to keep the course playable. But the club just gets little if any support from the park's department. And sadly it shows.
By no means is this a destination course. Maybe 10 years ago, but time has been cruel to the Chestnut and there comes a point if it's worth keeping in the ground or pulling the baskets and starting out fresh in either another part of this park (it's huge) or another park all together.
On one hand the course is quite popular with recs and those ridge rats, so it serves a purpose for a lot of players. But anyone looking to play a solid round at a decent course - do not stop here. It's as simple as that.
By no means is this a destination course. Maybe 10 years ago, but time has been cruel to the Chestnut and there comes a point if it's worth keeping in the ground or pulling the baskets and starting out fresh in either another part of this park (it's huge) or another park all together.
On one hand the course is quite popular with recs and those ridge rats, so it serves a purpose for a lot of players. But anyone looking to play a solid round at a decent course - do not stop here. It's as simple as that.
