Flying DGC @ Fort Rucker reviews
11
0
A Fly By Adventure 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:May 24, 2019
Played the course:once
Pros:
(2.592 Rating) A course with a mix of moderately wooded holes and completely open holes
- CHARACTER - Fort Rucker DGC has some very good core items and a few facility pluses. To start, 6 feet by 10 feet concrete tees and DISCatcher baskets. There is seating at a few tees. Shelters, picnic tables and a port-a-potty near (18s) basket. Also a playground in this area. The DGCR course description lists multiple tees and pin placements before my play, but I did not observe any. Navigation is adequate, see other thoughts.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - Hole (15) is stellar. A 210 foot water clear with an angling water's edge. Heavy woods are 20 feet behind the basket. It's a perfect RHBH hyzer play. I was confident I would park it, but I still got an adrenaline rush on the throw.
- UNIQUENESS - Just enough variety to please the senses. There are some bombs and some technical plays. In addition to the water play on (15), Hole (13) is a stop short of water play and hole (14) has water on the left. There are couple of pockets to hit, namely (18), which also finishes on a 8 foot high embankment. A nice hole distance variation with one 660 foot par 4. While on the flipside, there are a couple low 200 foot chip shots. The tee shot on (16) is an impressive modest down shot considering the flat terrain on much of the course.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I would have concluded awful through 3 holes, but it gets better after that. The lake was my favorite element, but I also liked the string of moderately wooded holes on (10) through (12). The overall beauty I'd quantify just north of average.
- MAINTENANCE - The course was in great shape on my appearance. Mowed and trimmed up fairways. It even appeared that they had some controlled burns along a few holes.
- CHARACTER - Fort Rucker DGC has some very good core items and a few facility pluses. To start, 6 feet by 10 feet concrete tees and DISCatcher baskets. There is seating at a few tees. Shelters, picnic tables and a port-a-potty near (18s) basket. Also a playground in this area. The DGCR course description lists multiple tees and pin placements before my play, but I did not observe any. Navigation is adequate, see other thoughts.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - Hole (15) is stellar. A 210 foot water clear with an angling water's edge. Heavy woods are 20 feet behind the basket. It's a perfect RHBH hyzer play. I was confident I would park it, but I still got an adrenaline rush on the throw.
- UNIQUENESS - Just enough variety to please the senses. There are some bombs and some technical plays. In addition to the water play on (15), Hole (13) is a stop short of water play and hole (14) has water on the left. There are couple of pockets to hit, namely (18), which also finishes on a 8 foot high embankment. A nice hole distance variation with one 660 foot par 4. While on the flipside, there are a couple low 200 foot chip shots. The tee shot on (16) is an impressive modest down shot considering the flat terrain on much of the course.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I would have concluded awful through 3 holes, but it gets better after that. The lake was my favorite element, but I also liked the string of moderately wooded holes on (10) through (12). The overall beauty I'd quantify just north of average.
- MAINTENANCE - The course was in great shape on my appearance. Mowed and trimmed up fairways. It even appeared that they had some controlled burns along a few holes.
Cons:
Add a half hour more than you think in time to bag this one.
- FINISH FROM PARKING - It's almost a half mile back to the car after finishing (18). Not fun in 90 degree heat and high humidity. I took off (0.075) points for this design flaw.
- DISCONTINUITY - It's also a seven hundred foot walk between (9) and (10). I did not see any cues by the basket or on the path between holes. I pulled out my picture of the map twice to verify my bearings. Also a 300 foot gap between (5) and (6)
- LACK OF CHALLENGE -A mid level Rec course. A good chunk of the length is in the first three open holes, after which the hole length average is under 280 feet. I threw a mid or putter on almost half of the holes and I don't throw that far. As for shot shaping, there are a couple benders or pockets to hit. But otherwise I'd say the technical requirements won't wow any higher skilled players.
- MULTI USE HAZARDS - Walking paths come into play a lot. (17) plays down a road and over basket (14).
- WATER HAZARDS - I personally loved the pucker up play on (15). Beginner and Novice level players will hate it.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - Lots of unused adjacent heavily wooded areas. Seems like the course was intentionally built along the open areas with a couple basket teasers poking into the forest edges.
- ACCESS - Located on a military base. I had to fill out paperwork and give my drivers license for a background check at the visitors center . Then I had to wait for the information to be typed in and processed. The total ordeal took 30 minutes.
- TIME PLAY - The course itself took me about an hour, but because of the noted access con above, this is not a quick bag.
- FINISH FROM PARKING - It's almost a half mile back to the car after finishing (18). Not fun in 90 degree heat and high humidity. I took off (0.075) points for this design flaw.
- DISCONTINUITY - It's also a seven hundred foot walk between (9) and (10). I did not see any cues by the basket or on the path between holes. I pulled out my picture of the map twice to verify my bearings. Also a 300 foot gap between (5) and (6)
- LACK OF CHALLENGE -A mid level Rec course. A good chunk of the length is in the first three open holes, after which the hole length average is under 280 feet. I threw a mid or putter on almost half of the holes and I don't throw that far. As for shot shaping, there are a couple benders or pockets to hit. But otherwise I'd say the technical requirements won't wow any higher skilled players.
- MULTI USE HAZARDS - Walking paths come into play a lot. (17) plays down a road and over basket (14).
- WATER HAZARDS - I personally loved the pucker up play on (15). Beginner and Novice level players will hate it.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - Lots of unused adjacent heavily wooded areas. Seems like the course was intentionally built along the open areas with a couple basket teasers poking into the forest edges.
- ACCESS - Located on a military base. I had to fill out paperwork and give my drivers license for a background check at the visitors center . Then I had to wait for the information to be typed in and processed. The total ordeal took 30 minutes.
- TIME PLAY - The course itself took me about an hour, but because of the noted access con above, this is not a quick bag.
Other Thoughts:
I enjoyed it until the walk back to the car after (18). This is a nice course overall and from my travels I'd say it's a fairly typical course. Fort Rucker targets the skill level set for the core of the player population. This would be a fine league course, but no one's bucket list course. For those that live within 90 minutes, it's definitely worth checking out once, but beyond that, you'd have to be a bagger or a helicopter fanatic to wind-up here.
- MUSEUM - The main attraction at Fort Rucker is obviously not the disc golf course. There's a huge Air museum on base and it houses the largest helicopter collection in the United States, and at one time the world. I'm glad I checked it out.
- NAVIGATION - Course map by tee (1). Adequate hole signage showing next tee direction. The course needs a few navigational cues on the longer gaps. Namely after (5) and after (9).
- MUSEUM - The main attraction at Fort Rucker is obviously not the disc golf course. There's a huge Air museum on base and it houses the largest helicopter collection in the United States, and at one time the world. I'm glad I checked it out.
- NAVIGATION - Course map by tee (1). Adequate hole signage showing next tee direction. The course needs a few navigational cues on the longer gaps. Namely after (5) and after (9).
