Canon City, CO

Gorge Hills (Skyline/PCC)

35(based on 12 reviews)
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Gorge Hills (Skyline/PCC) reviews

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3 2
14erDisc
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.2 years 40 played 40 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Holes 7 & 8 save the course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a 9 hole course with minimal technical aspects incorporated into it. It is located in a very hot and dry area with minimal water, so the plant life (and obstacles) are at a minimum. Much of the plant life are cacti, and are too short to come into play, making the course much easier. There are minimal technical aspects, and the course consists of some very long, open holes.

Hole 1 is fairly short and is an open shot ending elevated behind a wooden fence.
Hole 2 is a 500 foot hole that winds down a dry river bed. The bed is a long double-s-curve and is the only hole which is surrounded by trees. However, this hole is not extremely technical, and a few high bombs will get you within reach.
Holes 3-6 are fairly monotonous, long straight shots. Unload as hard as you can a few times to even get close to the pin. In my opinion... very boring.
Hole 7 and 8 are the two notable and awesome holes on the course. Hole 7 is a straight up shot that ends on the top of a gigantic "ant-hill" style hill. It is about 80 feet in elevation gain, and is a very short shot. Short and challenging, and can leave you with an easy birdie - or a bad roll can end you in a bogey. Awesome & unique hole which is certainly aceable.
Hole 8 is across a small valley, and ends with the basket on the tip of a hillside. Going too far results in a hard uphill shot, while ending too shot ends the same. Fun and challenging, and also aceable.
Hole 9 is a downhill shot out in the open. Certainly aceable if you have a very big arm.

There are pro and amateur tees for every hole. The pro tee can add 100-200 feet. Each hole has a sign designating the basket placement as well as the tee placement, and distances. However, there are no par listings... so the par of an 800 foot hole is unknown. All of the baskets are in extremely good shape!

No map is required, but just know that many holes are extremely long and require you walking farther than you may think. Also just note that Hole 1 is in the northeast corner of the school lot.

Cons:

This course had a major lack of creativity. All holes but 7 and 8 were extremely open and extremely boring. Even though #2 made an attempt to be technical, it still possessed a lack of creativity and was generally easy. I am also not a huge fan of long-bomb courses when there are no technical aspects. This course is generally made to see how far you can huck a disc. Accuracy is not much of a requirement here, because the lack of obstacles makes it extremely easy to get back on track. Everything is open, and it seems like minimal thought or reconstruction went into this course. There are minimal discs to be thrown here, and one or two drivers with a putter will easily handle all of the terrain this course has to offer. That being said, 7 and 8 were awesome holes; 7 being a very unique and fun uphill hole with the possibility of an ace.

Many of the tee boxes here are 4 sided with railroad ties. These tees are between 2 and ½ and 3 feet on each side, so many times it is only possible to take one step before throwing. I am usually not one to complain about tee boxes, however the lack of movement is certainly noticeable. Having said that, the gravel within the tee boxes makes for a great surface to plant and throw from.

The lack of trees in combination with the location in Canon City can leave this course to be a scorcher. The sun can beat down on you without mercy, and there is minimal cover to take. If you are not from the area, be prepared and bring water and sunscreen. There are also grasshoppers and cacti EVERYWHERE out here. Expect to step on them, and walk amongst them almost anywhere you go.

Other Thoughts:

It is very hard to make a 9 hole course that gets me bored with repetition. If it had not been for 7 and 8 on the back to save my enthusiasm, this course would have generally been the same hole repeating at different distances. 7 out of 9 holes had me bored by the end. I would check this course out if I was in the area, but don't expect much... and certainly don't travel to play here.

I am a discer who loves to hike and loves the hard work incorporated with the disc. However at this course the hard work comes from the beating taken in the middle of prairies by the sun. I would have rated the course a 1.5, but holes 7, 8, and 9 raised the score to a 2.
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