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Goat Hill Park reviews
10
0
Yes Hill, but not the GOAT
Reviewed:
Played on:May 22, 2023
Played the course:once
Pros:
A gigantic bomber course with serious hills and not too many obstacles.
-Baskets: Nice numbered DISCatchers with flags. No issue spotting these from hundreds of feet down the fairway.
-Distance: If you want to rip, this is the place. The short layout is about 9500' with the long adding substantial distance on lots of holes. In fact, having a lack of distance will be a major hindrance on several holes out here that play over steep valleys.
-Elevation: Among the most consistently steep courses I have played. Primarily valleys and side hills, but some ups and downs thrown in. Some big bomb chances and some opportunities to go flying the wrong way down a side hill. Make sure to pack flippy discs for those uphill run ups.
-Bolf Integration: I'm becoming used to co-habitating golf courses in SoCal compared to the Southeast, but Goat Hill is especially notable. The placement of tees and greens within the bolf holes creates a nice variety of length, par, and difficulty. Often these courses can fall into a rut, even if they're fun, but Goat Hill has a good arc to the round.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Primarily open bomber holes, but a few factors make it interesting. First, ups and downs obviously change flight dynamics. Second, distance management will be important - for some of these valleys, you need to know whether you can cross and with which shots you won't plummet away. Third, side hills and mounds make baskets interesting. There's also a high likelihood of windy conditions.
-Baskets: Nice numbered DISCatchers with flags. No issue spotting these from hundreds of feet down the fairway.
-Distance: If you want to rip, this is the place. The short layout is about 9500' with the long adding substantial distance on lots of holes. In fact, having a lack of distance will be a major hindrance on several holes out here that play over steep valleys.
-Elevation: Among the most consistently steep courses I have played. Primarily valleys and side hills, but some ups and downs thrown in. Some big bomb chances and some opportunities to go flying the wrong way down a side hill. Make sure to pack flippy discs for those uphill run ups.
-Bolf Integration: I'm becoming used to co-habitating golf courses in SoCal compared to the Southeast, but Goat Hill is especially notable. The placement of tees and greens within the bolf holes creates a nice variety of length, par, and difficulty. Often these courses can fall into a rut, even if they're fun, but Goat Hill has a good arc to the round.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Primarily open bomber holes, but a few factors make it interesting. First, ups and downs obviously change flight dynamics. Second, distance management will be important - for some of these valleys, you need to know whether you can cross and with which shots you won't plummet away. Third, side hills and mounds make baskets interesting. There's also a high likelihood of windy conditions.
Cons:
Lacking disc golf infrastructure, a predominance of open holes, and a difficulty barrier of entry.
-Amenities: Other than the nice baskets, not much. Tees are marked in varying ways including turf, dirt, and concrete, but there's not much consistency and footing can be a bit iffy. The only tee signs are ancient legacy plates that are rusting over.
-Navigation: One of the more confusing layouts I've seen recently, at least in terms of hole-to-hole transitions. Some extremely long walks that are unmarked.
-Shaping: The hills are almost the only shaping consideration for many of these holes. It's a challenge of angle and distance control, but not in-flight path shaping. This obviously comes down to preference, but I think it puts a ceiling on the course's potential.
-Barrier of Entry: If you have less than 300' of distance or a lack of wind experience, I think this course simply won't be fun. As a 300' thrower, I felt like I played pretty well, but still found it mostly boring without many birdie opportunities. Lots of long drives that lead to short upshots at that skill level.
-Amenities: Other than the nice baskets, not much. Tees are marked in varying ways including turf, dirt, and concrete, but there's not much consistency and footing can be a bit iffy. The only tee signs are ancient legacy plates that are rusting over.
-Navigation: One of the more confusing layouts I've seen recently, at least in terms of hole-to-hole transitions. Some extremely long walks that are unmarked.
-Shaping: The hills are almost the only shaping consideration for many of these holes. It's a challenge of angle and distance control, but not in-flight path shaping. This obviously comes down to preference, but I think it puts a ceiling on the course's potential.
-Barrier of Entry: If you have less than 300' of distance or a lack of wind experience, I think this course simply won't be fun. As a 300' thrower, I felt like I played pretty well, but still found it mostly boring without many birdie opportunities. Lots of long drives that lead to short upshots at that skill level.
Other Thoughts:
I always thought Goat Hill didn't look fun for me, and it turned out I was correct. However, the elevation is a major fun factor for someone who can throw far, and the course has a nice progression of holes with good variety of par. It could use some tees and signs, and caps out due to a lack of true shaping, but I think it's still a good course. Judge ahead of time whether it's the kind of place you'll enjoy.
~Similar Courses: This one is pretty unique among my 300. The style of bomber open holes is similar to Mission Bay Golf Course (San Diego, CA), but the big elevation plays are more reminiscent of somewhere like Naval Hill (Nashville, TN).
~Similar Courses: This one is pretty unique among my 300. The style of bomber open holes is similar to Mission Bay Golf Course (San Diego, CA), but the big elevation plays are more reminiscent of somewhere like Naval Hill (Nashville, TN).
