gorgeous mountains
lots of wildlife and wildflowers
isolated
good elevation change
lots of trees (sadly, they don't often come into play)
maps available

signage is very weak
temp baskets with only one chain ring
the block teepads are sketchy
could use some longer holes but it is a camp course
nothing over 400 feet

this is a very good course that could be alot better. there are so many open shots that could be a bit more refined. the natural lanes could be improved upon via some better pad and basket placements. there was only one tee shot i needed to think about and that was 9. the rest are pretty much point and shoot with a few hyser and anhyser shots mixed in. dont miss this one but dont expect to get blown away by it either.

The course is fun to play and is pretty easy to get par on this course. Some holes are hard to find so better signs as people say would help. The lady in the kitchen is so sweet. I owe her for 2 pigs in blankets. Nice regular baskets and fun

Better markings where next tee might be would help

I liked it and will play again many times

This is a unique style mountain course about 30 minutes west of Colorado Springs. In order to play at this course, you must call ahead and check in upon arrival... and Golden Bell accepts donations from players. While many other church retreats with disc courses seem to be reluctant to let outside discers play, Golden Bell seemed very accepting and happy that people were coming to play the course. The course is fairly easy to follow, and could be done without a map - but the map they give you at check in will give you a full layout and make sure you don't get lost at all. I got lost two times when I did not refer to the map.

This is a high elevation mountain course, but there is minimal elevation change for the course. While you will still have some uphill and downhill shots, the course does not undulate with the land as much as a typical mountain course. The course also lacks the creativity of most mountain courses. All but five holes are basically open pastures (about 40 feet wide or more) surrounded by trees. You tee off of concrete pads into the pastures, and the technicality usually comes into play towards the basket. This is to say that there are open pastures with a few trees scattered, and in the end the basket lies in a stand of trees to complicate things. This is why I do not consider this course truly technical... because the tee shots are not very technical, and a quality throw can lead you to an easy birdie. The course is fairly easy, and a first time, skilled discer should be shooting for par.

There are MANY chances for an ace here... 10 holes are certainly aceable. This is a great course to practice your tee-off and mid range game. Most holes are fairly open, but you can see certain lines from the tee. While you may not need to hit those lines to get closest to the pin, they are there and are easy to practice. This is rare at a mountain course, because throwing too many discs with usually result in a lost disc. Here this is not the case with all of the open pastures.

The course is tucked back in its own little sector of Golden Bell camp. This is ideal, and it is more than likely that you will not see another discer while you are there. Even if you do, the course is laid out for minimal interference from alternate holes.

Baskets are all fairly new, and in super good condition. There are no single chain baskets as stated in prior reviews.

Hole 1 starts out with an open fairway with a few scattered trees to a basket in the open.
Hole 2 is a fun hole that goes over a mini-valley and requires you to hit a fairly small window on the other side to end up near the pin.
Holes 3-5 and simply open shots across a fairway, leading to a pin stashed in the trees.
Hole 6 is a blind shot perfect for a tomahawk or a big hyzer. There is hardly a fairway, and you are required to throw a bomb over a large stand of trees in front of you.
Hole 7 is blind from the tee, but can easily be seen if you move over a bit. This is a slight hyzer shot that follows a 30-35 foot fairway for a good distance.
Hole 8 is across a mini-valley, ending in a stand of trees.
Hole 9 is a tight uphill shot... very fun.
Hole 10 takes a little walking to get to, and is near 1st base of the baseball diamond. This is another hyzer shot that goes deep downhill into a valley. There are no trees in the way
Hole 11 is a very short blind anhyzer shot. The basket is tucked just behind the hill infront of you, and there are a decent amount of trees in the way. Very short & fun!
Hole 12 is an awesome, ace-able uphill shot. It is very short, and very uphill.
Hole 13 is an open fairway and a straight shot. There are no trees on the right, and plentiful trees to get lost in on the left.
Hole 14 is a semi-blind shot where you could throw almost any shot in you bag. The pin sits in a stand of aspens, and there is no true line to access it. I would advice a tomahawk or hyzer throw.
Hole 15 is another open fairway shot
Hole 16 is a long blind shot that borders a stand of woods. If you make sure to stand on the border of the woods and fairway, you will have a good hole.
Hole 17 is an elevated shot up on the hill... open and minimal trees
Hole 18 is another straight shot with minimal trees.

The scenery up here is also very nice. No crazy mountain views, but you're in nature!

There are certainly a few issues with this course. The first being the tee pads. While I am usually not one to be bitter about tee pads, these were all made of small concrete blocks, which sometimes allowed for me to get my feet caught in the cracks and mess up a few throws.
The course is also on a church retreat. I did not have any issues, as the course is tucked off on its own for the most part, however I could see how this could bother some people.

The most major issue with this place is also what made it so unique. This is the fact that everything is so open, and generally uncreative. With the exception of 5 creative and fun shots that use the land very well (holes 6,9,11,12,14), most holes lacked creativity and were generally the same. The course does not require a lot of different throws, and with the exception of 3 holes, this course is made for Right Hand Forehand throwers. This is a big let down for me because the land they have out here is so amazing, and has so much potential. It is clear they used the land as it was, and incorporated most technical aspects by placing the baskets in stands of trees. This could easily be fixed! Some more creative pin placements could easily make this course much more challenging, as well as combine various different throwing styles in. As I said though... this is what makes this course unique, and I could see it being a niche course for those who love mountain courses but are not quite skilled enough to play super-tight-&-technical.

Having said all of this about the cons of this course, I had a very fun time playing! It is a great course, and very unique in the aspect that it has these rolling prairies available to play in the high elevation mountains. The lack of creativity may bother you a bit, but the few holes where thought went in help even out the day and make it fun. It is certainly worth checking out if you are in the area. While I did spend time dwelling on the open-ness and lack of creativity, I had an awesome time experiencing this course for the first time. The elevation shots mixed with the creative shots mixed with the chances for an ace make for an exciting round.

I have also uploaded a map so people can view course layout.

A 18 hole course located up in the mountains. Due to the location and private land, I had the whole course to myself and doubt that crowds would ever be a problem here. Parking is easy next to the first hole. The teepads are gravel with wood boarders that do the job, a little worn but not bad. Most holes are fairly straight and thus easy to see th ebasket from the teepad. Trees add to the challenge on several holes, with a few blind shots off the teepad. The course is not flat and it uses the elevation well with a few uphill shots thrown in. The front nine is a bit more technical then the back nine with baskets tucked by the trees and accuracy is required. No two holes felt the same. The scenery awesome; combine that with the cleanliness of the course and it feels as though you are playing in the middle of nowhere. Wildflowers, birds and animals are all around on the course so even if you are having a bad round, at least you can enjoy the nature around you.

Some of the hole were well desinged, thus providing a good risk/reward situation. However quiet a few holes were just straight shots and thus rather boring. Not much thought required, just throw it straight ahead. Also several holes were just long and open, not really utilizing the heavily wooded areas of the property. It seems like a much more challenging course could have been made. The teesigns were just posts with a number on them, some had distances written on them in marker. The layout is confusing, especially on the front 9, I accidentally threw at a few srong baskets. Speaking of baskets, they are portable baskets secured to the ground. They are in good shape, but have just a single set of chains, so make sure your putting game is on. I don't think a lot of up keep is done on this course. High weeds in some areas so keep an eye on your disc.

This course has potential. The land is perfect for a really great course. It is very quiet and peaceful with great views of the mountains. It is secluded and not used much. Perhaps a reworking of the layout, improve the teepads and better signs and you could have a really good place to play. As it is now though, a 3.5/5 rating is definately reasonable. At about 8500 feet, the air is a little thin, just be ready for it if new to the area. Looks like they have a place to get snacks/drinks there as well.