Fairborn, OH

Handyman Ace Hardware DGC

4.045(based on 57 reviews)
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3 15
Hyzerman
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Challenge 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 10, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course will have you using every shot in your bag, regardless of skill level. Not many can claim this beast, consecutively. Might shoot a -6 one day and even the next round, just demanding.

Cons:

Its so demanding at times you may start to lose morale! Ground seems to hold moisture and flooding occurs, better topography would be nice, but mulch and such could def. improve this course

Other Thoughts:

My personal favorite course!
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11 3
slojoe1559
Experience: 17 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Challenging, yet fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 4, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Location is superb. Community Park is a large, well taken care of, family friendly park located just off of 675.

Takes advantage of varying terrain to provide a chance for almost every kind of shot imaginable and each hole is almost completely different from the one before. It does not seem to prefer one kind of thrower over another.

Multiple tees offer a significant change to most holes, unlike other courses where distance may be the only change between tees.

Clear, although challenging, lines visible on all holes.

Overall great course.

Cons:

Some holes are very punishing with the amount of trees/brush if you miss your line. This will only improve with age.

Creek along hole 8 is a mudpit. Not that there is anything to be done about this, but just be careful retrieving a disc or you might lose a shoe.

Small creeks/drainage ditches are a little treacherous to walk through, but there is a way around each one if you do not mind walking a little bit.

When raining or snowing, small pond forms in walkway between hole 11 and 12 forcing players to walk through brush to stay dry.

Other Thoughts:

I have enjoyed each time playing the course and am challenged by both the distance and skill required to play this course well. I look forward to playing HAH as it continues to improve. I have only played from the long tees, but the short tees were easy to find, even when covered in snow, if you look at the tee signs located by the long tees.
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6 1
Myers
Experience: 18.9 years 94 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Handyman 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course is in a public park with plenty of land and activities going on. great tee pads, tee signs, baskets, and navigational signs. I believe the layout is fantastic! designers used the land and provided all types of shots from open bombs to short and technical, over creeks, challenging pin locations, Short and Long tee pads and 2 pin positions for all holes. The course will challenge all skill levels and can frustrate even the best of players. there are some awesome shots out in the open as well and the wind adds challenge on these holes. There are low ceilings, creeks, great elevation changes (especially in Ohio), and even a pond as a back drop to a pin.

Cons:

As it goes with all new courses there needs to be some thinning out in some areas. The potential here is awesome though. there are a couple long walks but i think it is well worth it to complete the layout so not necessarily a con.

Other Thoughts:

I have only played the long tees to A pins. the course is very enjoyable and certainly tests your ability to scramble. I can only see this course getting better with time. As holes open up and players trample some of the brush, the lines will open up but still be challenging and realistic. I am definitely looking forward to coming back and seeing how the course progresses. i could easily see this beeing a 4.5 rated course in a year. great job to the designers for giving Ohio another higher par course.
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0 12
FISH FIRE
Experience: 5 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 13, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a good Challenging Course. It has a good variety of holes. Having two Tee Pads and Two Baskets For most of the holes will add a lot of re-playability. Signs for each tee are very good looking. Course is well marked Letting you know the way to your next tee.

Cons:

The walks between holes are kinda long. Not a lot of well defined Fairways.
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7 6
cali
Experience: 22 years 67 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Goodness Gracious, 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 13, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Where to start! This course has so much to really test your limits as a player whether you are new to the sport or a seasoned professional. I mean seriously, I've never played a course where I have had to just analyze every single shot so meticulously, edging myself mentally and physically to go for that extra few feet off the drive or finding that perfect sweet spot on the fairway with a placement shot to open up a hole to the target. I can honestly say that getting some of my 2's out there from the SHORT tees have been some of the most satisfying moments of my 8 years playing disc golf. This course URGES you to make those critical putts and get those tricky upshots just a few feet closer to the pin. Most holes, your drive off the box has to be pretty spot on to stay out of trouble, but if you do end up in a trouble area, recovery is not too difficult like with some of the honeysuckle infested courses in the area. I'm going to add more to this section so stay turned.

Cons:

Some spots on the fairway are like prison bars with trees! Matt has assured us that they will be lightly thinning out some of the trouble areas. I vote they leave them! Just adds to the challenge!

Other Thoughts:

Play it and you'll love it. Come prepared for a 3 hour round though because she is huge.
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13 1
Garrett76zt
Experience: 21.9 years 204 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Never a boring round! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 21, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Simply put, I love that you will never have a boring round at this course. Personally, I hate playing courses with nothing but pars and the occasional deuce or bogie. This course gives you the "opportunity" to shoot anything from deuce to a 9 depending on the hole. Unlike many courses you could actually see a 2 or 3 stroke swing between you and an opponent on one hole. To me thats interesting.

I love the shots that this course makes me throw, especially from the longs. Hole 2 for example has a very winding "fairway" to the hole. I like to take the most overstable disc in my bag and throw a high RHFH spike anhyzer and get it to flex out into a severe s-turn. Thats just fun stuff!
This course is a throwers course, and I dont mean distance. You must execute throw after throw. Some holes are par 5 from the longs which means 4 out of 5 throws you are not putting, more or less. I love/hate that, haha.

Cons:

This course is young and is still pretty raw in some areas. I feel each hole was designed well but the beauty in the lines/fairways is sometimes overshadowed by unlucky obstacles. There are still lots of brambles and 1 inch thick vines hanging around all over the place. The fairways are already so tight, I want to be rewarded for executing and many times you just throw your hands up because you need luck in addition to skill. Often you see a line, execute it perfectly and one time it goes straight to the hole and other times it doesnt even get half way, same hole, same route.

Because of all that I feel like this will be a difficult course to shoot consistently at(at least right now). In tournament I could see you shooting 5-8 strokes difference between rounds, especially from the longs.

Hole 13 is the only one that right now is an unfair hole. There is just no clear fairway to the basket from the pad (shorts in particular) there might be two different unconnected paths, but even thats a stretch. You're taking anywhere from a 3-6 on this hole.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I love the course and would rather see them remove to little than too much in terms of trees and overgrowth.

I'm a 942 rated player right now and feel that the par 65 for the shorts (A pins) is fair. I have shot a few 990+ rated tournament rounds this summer for reference and I played well today shooting a 61. Playing my best I could probably knock 3 strokes off that score. On the other hand, you're on crack if you think a 67 is a reasonable par from the longs. I believe 65 or so would be an SSA rating for this course. Par should be in the range of 73 or so.
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7 10
kily
Experience: 46.7 years 360 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Finally A SWEET Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 7, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of the most chalanging courses that I've played. As a new course the minor issues with signs will be corrected and the idiots will clear far more trees then anyone really thinks should be cut. That being said, playing HAH will make any player better by forcing them to play a wide variety of shots and many that they will need to learn to play this course under par.

Cons:

No tee signs on the white tee (being correct). I didn't see the problem with trees with the exception of hole 2 (being corrected this weekend).

Other Thoughts:

As I read the other reviews and comments online, I wonder how many actualy took the time to look at the tee signs. Yes the white tees need signs and a few of them are hard to locate at first, but all can be found after looking at the tee signs on the blue tees. All of the holes have a significantly defined fairway where the tee sign says it is. I think the problem for most is they cleared so much honeysuckle away from the fairways that people either don't see the intended fairway or think the entire areas cleared of honeysuckle is the fairway. The best way to play this and any new course would be to walk the intended lines. Then go back and throw a few and don't forget to keep track of what you throw and the landmarks you use to play your line. If you think this is the same old disc golf course and walk up thinking you will be able to see every thing and rip it without thinking you will be lost and not like this course.
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6 14
whatweretheythinkin
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

????????? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 13, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Anytime there is a new course it is a great thing. A lot of nice extras. Two set of tee pads, beautiful tee signs and good directional signs. I am sure it took a lot of people a large amount of time to put this in and finding people to do this can be difficult.

Cons:

Where are the fairways. I see a lot of people think it's an excellent course, but how can you come to that conclusion?? There is no defined line on a vast majority of the holes. Yes they are "tight", but this is ridiculous. Don't get me wrong, there are some well thought out holes that play well, but it seemed a bit rushed in areas.

Other Thoughts:

Get ready for a long round!!!!! Took us almost 4 hours to play. Probably won't play it again until some trees get removed, if that is their plan fro the future. My reason for a low review wasn't based on score. Shot 67 from the long tees. Just make in playable.
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13 1
Bikinimower
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.7 years 174 played 67 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A great but tough course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 30, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great Park, Whenever you find a course located inside a public park odds are it's going to be mowed and well cared for, this one is no exception. Beautiful course

Great Land, You wouldn't think at first glance when you arrive but there is some excellent land out there and they did a great job taking advantage of it.

On alot of courses the hard tees are pretty much the same shot as the beginner tees but longer. Not here though, they did a great job of making the advanced tees noticeably different and harder. Often placed from a different elevation or vantage point or strategically placed behind some obstacle

Challenging, weaving around the trees can be frustrating but it's almost always fun.

Cons:

Challenging, some will say that some of the fairways have too many trees. Those people could be right but there are definable lines. They may be tough but they are there. Whether or not I felt it was too dense varied from hole to hole. It seemed that when I hit the line I thought they were great but when I cracked it off a tree I thought the lines were too tight. It's funny how that works

Still a lot of brush (and maybe excess trees) to be cleared out but that's the case with nearly every single new course. I'm pretty sure that with time and care that will stop being a problem.


This is the 1st course I've every played with a corporate name. I know Handyman Ace Hardware is hardly an evil bloodsucking corporate giant but I live in fear of the day when the sport grows to the point where I have to pay 20 bucks to play Disc Golf at Nike Woods Park

Other Thoughts:

Another great course to add to a Dayton area that's already loaded with great courses. Dayton, Columbus, and Cincinnati together form some sort of Disc Golf Triangle of Greatness. They all have some fantastic courses and it seems like there's a new great course being built every week

It weaves in and out from a field into the woods
but the majority of the course is wooded. It's tough but fair and hitting some of the lines will be difficult but I think this course was designed with an advanced player in mind. If you just starting out then you may want to try somewhere else

There are a series of holes that start at 7 and go till 12 or so that wind around a creek. I loved those holes! The creek comes into play several times and they really used the land to perfection.

If you live anywhere in the Columbus, Dayton, Cincinnati area then it's a must to hit this place up. Hitting a great line can be just as fun as launching a giant open field drive. (which by the way this course has several of those as well) It would be a great course to work on your accuracy. Good job guys
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9 4
cedarvillian
Experience: 19.9 years 80 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Watch out Mt. Airy 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This brand new course has the potential to be the best in OH, rivaling courses like Mt. Airy in Cincinnati. Concrete tee pads (both short and long on all but holes#8 & #12), good signage, and top notch baskets with alternate pin placements.
The designers have made very creative use of elevation, distances, obstacles (including water) in this heavily wooded park. This is a very challenging course and will force you to be creative with your shots since there are really only three holes (#4, #5, & #12) that could be described as mainly "out in the open." Many courses tend to favor RHBH throwers like myself, but this one evens the playing field for back handed lefties or forehand throwers. I typically shoot in the 50's, but this course handed me a 73 from the short tees on my first try.

Cons:

In my opinion, the course needs to be thinned out a bit on several holes:
Minor thinning needed:
#2 - the drive isn't too bad, but the second shot is just luck. Too many small trees on the approach to the basket
#6 - just a couple trees removed here and it will be great
#10 - the fairway has a few too many trees
(Holes #14, #15 could stand a little thinning as well. They aren't bad now that the trees have dropped their leaves, but come spring / summer-time, all the trees might make these holes more based on luck than skill)

Major thinning needed:
#9, #11 (to the right), & #13 - getting down the fairway just seems to be luck of the draw on these holes.

I understand that the designers probably wanted to err on the side of caution as far as tree removal for this course since it's a whole lot easier to take trees out than it is to put them back in! Once this course is thinned a bit, I'll change my rating to a 5!

Other Thoughts:

Plan on 2-3 hours to play this course ... it's not one that you can get through quickly.
If you have a disc that floats, bring it to use on holes #7 (B Pin) & #8, which cross a wide stream. My buddy had a disc go in the water that we were able to retrieve with a long tree branch, but it would have been difficult to retrieve if it had sunk to the bottom.
If it's your first visit to the park, the course is a bit tricky to find, so be sure to read the directions on the course page (when you get into the park, follow the road around to the right ... you'll feel like you're just going into a parking lot, but there is a road at the other end of this lot that curves left and takes you down a hill and deep into the park where the course starts)
A lot of tree leafs drop on holes #2 & # 18 in the fall and discs have a tendency to bury themselves based on the angle of the land. Send out a "spotter" if you're playing with a group, or be prepared to dig around the heavy leaf litter looking for your disc.
This is a "must-play" course and will only get better with time!
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8 3
yankeefanjln
Experience: 14.7 years 46 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Hope you like trees! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 7, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

High degree of difficulty. Opportunity for pretty good variety of shots. Beautiful park with very nice woods on the top part of the course - especially in the fall. The signage is top quality.
There are many trees and I like playing in the woods. It's fun to try to find a shot through what looks like an impossible situation.

Cons:

The creek is hungry! Beware the holes that go right along the creek. There is a deep layer of mud just below the surface of the water so even if it looks like your disk is in only a few inches of water in a shallow creek, you may have to choose between a lost disc or ruined shoes. The mud comes right up to the banks so throw in such a way as to take the water out of play when possible.
There are many, many trees. Hitting trees is unavoidable on this course. The pars are higher than at other courses, but it's still tough to get through some of the denser woods.

Other Thoughts:

It is really fun to play a course that makes you work hard on almost every hole. Creative shotlines will help avoid some trees but there are so many that you should plan on hitting some. Each time I've been on the course so far there have been several groups before and behind me so it looks like the course is drawing well.
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3 7
jimcramer24
Experience: 13.9 years 26 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 7, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tough challenging holes. I loved the change in terrain. The holes are well-designed. This course is really coming into it's own. The fairways are in great shape and the course is just getting better with time.
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19 2
Jay Dub
Experience: 44.1 years 96 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Play This Course. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Disc-laimer: All comments in this review are my personal opinion. I have not talked to the course designer or the Dayton club about the installation of this course.

We played long (blue) tees to pin A placements, according to the course designer that's where the baskets will stay all winter. I throw RHBH.

This course is Dayton, Ohio's answer to Idlewild. It's located on good land and as tough as Idlewild. The tees are the best they can be, the tee signs are great. (See cons).
The course is new but while walking the round it looks as though it's been installed for years. (See cons). Nice bridges and pathways. Great signage to make sure you know where to go for your next hole. The paths are worn well. You can tell a lot of work has been done to this area to get it ready for the golf course.

#1 is challenging but fair,
#2 needs the fairway opened from the long tee, too much luck involved at this point but a great design if cleared.

3 & 4 are fair as is.
5 is no problem.

#6 is a very nice turn over shot with the basket next to the creek that runs along side the fairway. More clearing is needed here.
#7 I'll pass on, must have been a bad hole for me, I can't recall the fairway.

#8 has a bridge to the tee, leave your bag at the entrance to the bridge and take something that will turn over 220' for you. The tricky part about this great hole is you throw diagonally across the water. Most of the 220' is over water with limbs on your right, turn over too soon and it will be wet.

#9 has a great 1st layup shot, but make sure you get it across the creek that you don't see unless you walk up the fairway first. Your second (third and forth ;) ) shot are long, thru the trees luck shots with the basket on top a thin mound. I think the pin placement on this hole is unfair. If you miss your putt it will roll down the 6'+ hill, and maybe into OB. I would hope after snaking your way thru all the trees to get close for a putt, a player would not have to deal with more luck. Great hole but put the basket some where else or give the top of the mound more flat surface.

#10. Again the hidden creek comes into play at about 225'. I walked up to this tee and said, I'll just throw two 250' shots. That's what I did and got a 3.

#11 gives you 2-3 options, which is great but all the options need cleared out more.

#12...long walk from 11, something Dayton seems to do with their courses. This is a double mando which is something I prefer not to see. But in this case it makes perfect sense and is the shot you should throw anyway.

#13, long walk again. This long tee is shared with #4's long tee. Good design imo, but the drive off the tee is a luck shot. Big hyzer shot that needs cleared out. The design is good though.

#14, 15,16 & 17...now I'm getting tired and played these holes badly. Like most holes they have good designs but more clearing would make it a 5 rating.

#18. A great downhill shot but again too much luck. Clear out some of the trees to make this fair and it's a great finishing hole.

This is definitely a course to add to your calender.

Cons:

The tee signs are all located at the long tees. If playing the short tees you will have to walk a good distance, on some holes, just to read the sign and see the maps. Also the orientation of the tee signs could be improved. Currently some get you confused, after a minute or two of studying the sign and looking 360, you can understand where you need to go.

There are a lot of the fairways that are not quite fair yet, from what I have read and heard about this course, more work is to be done. I saw a lot of trees with ribbons around them, if they are there to have them cut down, that will be a good start. Too much luck on too many holes at this point, but the design looks solid beyond that.

Other Thoughts:

Play this course, you will be glad you did if you're in the area or have a trip planned there.
I gave it a 3.50 star rating only because a 3.75 wasn't available. In the future I'm sure this will be a 5 star course, but only after more work is done.

More Idlewild comparisons:
I shot an 80 yesterday at Fairborn. Long tees at Idlewild I shot an 83 with a bad front 9 and a decent back 9. I got 2 deuces at Idlewild and only 2 threes at Fairborn. I got 8s at Idlewild but never shot over a 6 at Fairborn, but got quite a few of them.
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11 10
OldTaz
Experience: 15.9 years 43 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Great New Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 11, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Makes you play, or encourages you to learn new shots
- Easy to navigate around course
- Should be a challenge for the good players, can't just grip and rip, trees can knock the best throws down
- Par 4's and 5's appear to be legitimate par 4's and 5's
- Equalizer, short arms take a couple of long throws before putting, where the long arms need at least a layout before putting

Cons:

- some tee signs need to be re-located (understand this is in the works)
- tee signs on short pads (also understand this is in the works)

Other Thoughts:

As time goes on, this course should improve. Some of the dead limbs that catch you now will be gone.
Great course now, like wine, should improve with age
The more I play, the more I like it. Once you become familiar with the lines, it becomes a matter of being able to put the disc on line. Lines ARE there, just takes repetition.
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2 15
pugsrul2001
Experience: 14.9 years 18 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Was better than expected 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 30, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great layout, Good signs, Allows u to use multiple kinds of throws

Cons:

Short tees r and little hard to find. Would like to see signs on the short tees.

Other Thoughts:

I am so glad that there is a course in the area that make u shape all kinds of shots. FUN
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21 2
tatonka
Experience: 19.1 years 69 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Could be great 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 28, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Easy to find your way around the 1st time

-2 pads on most holes

-2 interchangeable pins on most holes

-great variety of shots from tee to green

-distance is useful but accuracy is key

-solid use of land, and creeks

-The course tells you where to go next, great signs

-perfect course if you need to beat in a new sidewinder

The city of Dayton seems to take a certain pride in course design and use of land and Fairborn is no exception. First i must start off by saying that, like most new wooded courses, this one is a little rough around the edges and even rougher around others... this course has the potential to be a 5 "disc" course, but what it comes down to is lack of fairways and on some holes a lack of anything besides luck.

It seems that the sport of disc golf is migrating towards harder and longer holes, which i think is great. Its nice when "golf" actually comes into play: planning out holes, risk reward, recovery shots, laying up... or not. You will deal with all of these when playing this course.

All the pins have been in for less than a week at this point so ive only been able to play each pad a couple times but there quite a few memorable holes. I think the true nature of the course comes out in holes 6 through 11. These are the funnest and most distinct holes in my head b/c they were long and wooded, but a little fairer than the other wooded holes.

6 is great, it starts in the open with a big left to right shot into the woods, from there its a careful up shot through the trees to the pin about 15 feet from a creek that runs the length of the right side of the hole.

7's most crucial shot is the drive. anything not in the fairway, generally (on this entire course) there's not much from the rough. your up shot has to stop fast on one of the more open greens, anything long and its in a bigger creek that runs the length of this hole as well. The long pin on this hole is on the other side of said creek adding at least one more stroke to the hole.

8 is probable the easiest hole on the course but still a good one. its a straight putter shot over the bigger creek. your facing the creek at a 45 degree angle so 90% of your shot is over water. There are a couple of guardian trees on the other side that can knock you into the water and a mildly protected green, so i wouldn't be surprised if there are quite a few 4's here as well as 2's.
One of the coolest parts of this hole is a tree near the basket that hangs right out over the big creek. Its big enough for you to climb on and hang out about 5 feet above to water out in the middle of the creek.

9 in a great multi-shot hole where i think a 3 is amazing and a 6 isn't that bad. The drive is more about staying out of trouble than anything. You really just need about a 250' forehand to more or less lay up to the fairway. A lot can go wrong though as you have to hit about a 10' gap w/ that forehand in order to stay out of thick woods or the little creek. About the first 75' of the right to left second shot is open, after that you have to navigate a couple hundred feet of moderate woods in order to get to the base of a small mound on which the basket sits.

10's drive can be somewhat difficult as this is one of the holes that seems like it could use one or two less trees. After the first couple hundred feet the next couple hundred aren't as bad, The little creek once again comes into play, and i think is a great touch throughout this course. A well protected green makes a 4 not too bad here.

11 stands out in my mind as much as any other hole at this course. This hole offers the player their choice of two distinctly different fairways. after about a hundred feet the player has a choice to add about 100' to the hole by playing to an open fairway to the left that loops around like a half circle or make a slight right and go straight ahead. The fairway to the right is a pretty typical Fairborn fairway so there's not much there besides pain and suffering, but that is the risk you take.


Cons:

Just too many trees...

As i was driving into the park for the first time i was just looking for a pad or a basket b/c i didn't know exactly where the course was. The first pad i saw was the longs on 18. I got out of my car and looked everywhere for the basket. I couldn't even tell which way the pad was facing. After i found the basket i thought it was some kind of joke. Once i started playing the course i realized it wasn't a joke and that some of the holes here are so wooded that there really just isn't a fairway.

There are few things more frustrating than ripping a perfect drive in the woods, right where you want it just to have it hit some random tree that you either didn't see or has no reason being in the middle of what some call a fairway.
The problem here is that great shots don't get rewarded as much a luck. The end of the course is especially daunting, at that point your almost just ready for it to be over. 15 is a perfect example b/c it could be such a sweet hole. Its a med length downhill into a beautiful forest, but barring a perfect shot its going to hit a something somewhere. Im not whining either...its a little much at the end. I live near Idlewild and play it one or twice a month. When i read reviews about that course on here people often talk about the loss of fun they experience as they progress though that course just because of the difficulty level. Where as i love Idlewild and can get very frustrated there, i have yet to feel this "lack of fun" until playing Fairborn. By the end it was just one to many trees.


Other Thoughts:

As I was touching on in the beginning, Ive noticed a standard of quality in the courses in the Dayton area. While there aren't as many courses as some other cities, it seems like they just keep getting better as they get put in. This is a new course, a few years from now it might be thinned out a little and a truly top level course. The design is there, the difficulty is there and i love the length through the woods, but in the mean time ill stick w/ sycamore
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12 10
hendersondayton
Experience: 22.9 years 30 played 10 reviews
5.00 star(s)

HaH Fairborn Design Team 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 25, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Other Thoughts:

Hole 1
There is a good use of elevation change on Hole 1. From the both Tee Pads the elevation is only slightly uphill but there is a dramtic up-slope in the last 100' or so heading up into the woods. This will be a good par tester.

Hole 2
Another good use of elevation on Hole 2. With both the Drive and Fairway Approach being relatively blind, throwers are tasked with demanding shot placement in the hopes of a birdie 3. Hole 2 plays dramtically different from the easier Short Tee .

Hole 3
The drive is critical on Hole 3. Making it out of the tunnel from the Tee is the highest priority. A long second shot to a well protected basket will be required to set up for birdie.

Hole 4
Another tunnel shot is required to navigate this Par 3. The hole is on a nice downslope from tee pad which, if thrown correctly, will make it out into the open and set you up with a nice birdie or short approach for Par.

Hole 5
Large Pine Trees form the tunnel for the first hole where water comes into play. The basket is reachable from the Tee Pad but throwing long will find water as the Pin is perched on the edge of the slope down to the pond. O.B. Cuts sharply into the fairway making a large hyzer a very risky throw.

Hole 6
The fairway is hidden on this Par 4. Blocked by large bushes, the drive will have to be well placed to make the fairway. Doing so will make for an open approach made difficult by the Pin being installed on the edge of the creek.

Hole 7
The Fairway is flanked by a larger watershed pond on the left and Beaver Creek running the full length of the right side. This leavesa 30-40' wide landing area from the Tee. Sitting on the Tee Side of the creek, the A-Pin is much more easily accessible making this a Par 3. If placed in the B location, this hole becomes a Par 4 as a second shot over the creek is near impossible from anything short of a 350' wooded drive.

Hole 8
A short Ace chance at 222'. The fairway however, is all water. Throwing over 222' of Beaver Creek to a pin set up on the downslope into the water. A bail out spot LEFT of the Creek and SHORT of the pin will give players wanting a sure 3 a place to land.

Hole 9 - The Carl Chiles Hole
9 is a Pro Players Nightmare. From the Long Tee, throwers will be faced with a challenging, 70-90' drive to a landing area just in front of the Short Tee. If made cleanly, the remaining 450' fairway takes a nice RIGHT to LEFT line. The Pin is up on a mound roughly 15' off the ground, easily above the players head.

Hole 10
The fairway starts out as a narrow chute but ends up widening out at the end. A drainage channel is located at the end of the fairway and seperates the player from the Pin. The Protected pin can be reached by either a low shot under the trees that guard the channel, or a High Arching Tomahawk.

Hole 11 - The Mike Ray Hole
The thrower must go around An Island of thick trees before getting to the Long and Wide open fairway. The player is presented with a challenging decision as the two distinctly different fairways offer a lot of Risk/Reward potential. The LEFT Fairway is a WIDE, LEFT to RIGHT line. The RIGHT Fairway is a straight and narrow line. Taking the LEFT is much safer but will require two shots to get around. The RIGHT line is much narrower but successfully making it thru will give the player a 1 stroke advantage coming up to the long, wide open fairway leading up to the unprotected pin.

Hole 12
After making the long walk from #11 to #12's Tee Pad, a player gets a welcomed look at this relatively simple Par 3. The Long line of Pine Tree's marks an OB Line to the RIGHT but with plenty of room LEFT, OB should not be an issue. The only complicating factor about #12 will be the wind. Being out in the open, the wind gets going pretty good and can make the 435' feel more like 535'.

Hole 13
A Long, sloping, and RIGHT to LEFT Fairway is made difficult by the numerous trees that litter the wide fairway. There are a few distinct lines through the trees but once off the Tee Pad the fairway begins its LEFT and slightly downhill turn.

Hole 14
Requiring a well placed drive around a bend immediately in front of the long Tee the player will then be faced with a long and narrow fairway that runs up-hill to a well placed pin.

Hole 15
A Relatively easy hole that slopes downhill to two open Pin Locations. The Drive plays a key role to how complicated this hole becomes. Missing the fairway LEFT will make seeing the A-Pin difficult as it is tucked away LEFT of the fairway and on a downslope.

Hole 16
The only uncomplicated ACE chance comes on #16. The Pin is blocked and hidden by the fallen tree and impressive root system. The Short Tee presents an open look at an unprotected Pin. Ace Funds will be earned on this Short Par 3.

Hole 17
The fairway has a couple double hills in it that make the drive landing blind. A RIGHT finishing drive is required to have any shot at a par. The fairway takes a left turn and missing the fairway LEFT will leave the player with a blocked Dog-Leg and a difficult shot at Par.

Hole 18
An amazing finishing hole putting the player at the top of a severe downslope to a well protected Pin. The Tee Pad is placed out of the Trees and picking a spot into the trees will be the players first decision. Once in, the fairway drops off very sharply into a valley. The Pin is up on the other side of the valley. OB runs the full length of the RIGHT side of the hole. The Hole plays easier from the Short Tee but is a near 90 degree Dog-Leg Left.

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