Hawk Hollow reviews
30
5
Truly epic course will make you almost forget the cowpies. 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 16, 2008
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
There is no way to quickly sum up this course, so settle yourself in, grab some popcorn, and pull up for a long review that will read like disc-porn: halfway through you ought to be ready to quit your job and roadtrip to Spotsylvania, since you'll be fantasizing about Hawk Hollow's lush rolling hills, carefully crafted holes, and about playing one of the most epic sets of shots in the country. I'll start with the broad outline, and will include a hole-by-hole write up to help guide you through the letter holes in the "other thoughts" section.
The greatest pro of being out here is the bucolic splendor of the place. John Biscoe is the course contact and course designer, and when you're at Hawk Hollow, you're on his nephew's land, and those rolling hills and aged trees are home to cows as well as hawks. John lives up the street, and a lot of the family is within a mile or two of where you are standing. It's that deep sense of rootedness, of family, of people connected to the land. There's love you can feel standing there, and that same care and attention has been put into designing this course, and John and his nephew are gracious hosts, making such an amazing place available to disc golfers. But keep in mind the top rule at Hawk Hollow: cows are more important than you are, so don't throw if you might hit a cow.
You drive down miles of little two land roads to get to this place, and parking on the grass by an old silo, the view looking out over the hills and streams is a balm to anyone like me who spends to much time stuck behind a desk or stuck in a noisy city (DC). The rushing wind over those hills blows out all the dust of urban life and makes you glad to be alive.
Hole 1 starts atop a huge hill. I'd guess the vertical elevation drop is close to 80' -- maybe more. And the 429 hole is reachable with a putter if you huck it right, but you'll come up short with a max-distance driver if you're even the slightest bit nose-up on your throw. The basket it crouching back by a bend in the stream adding some excitement to the shot. It's an amzing place to start the day, because you'll want to unload half your bag trying to park this pin, and there is room to let every disc rip. Watching that mad hangtime off that hill is just a joy to behold. Not a single tree in the way -- you're just playing the elevation and the wind -- and it's harder than it looks to park that hole when you need to. But it's so much fun trying. So after you're arm is loosened up, you hike down the hill, gather your discs, can your deuce putt, and then the challenge begins...
From there, the regular 18 holes is a mix of every shot you can imagine. Substantial elevation is offered on 15/18 holes, and it's a great mix of wide-open, tight-woods, and mixed-woods shots, with plenty of true par-4s, forced placement shots, and OBs to light up the round.
One of the greatest things about HH is that it will never play the same two rounds in a row. In theory, it would be possible to shoot in the 40s out there on the original 18, but it's never been done -- I think the course record from tournament play is a 52 from Craig Gangloff in 2007... Brian Schweberger is there every year for the Hawk Hollow Open, has won it twice, and has never carded better than a 55 on the course. And the way the Hawk Hollow Open is played, it's three rounds on the same 18 holes, so no one has an excuse that they don't know the course or the conditions. It's just that hard, but it's always fair. There are wide lines on almost every hole, but it's a course with penalties for every mistake, and a lot of holes that are true par-4s, requiring well-placed layup shots to have a hope for the birdie-3. Having played all across the country, It's hard to think of any course that is more "fair." The course is a perfect measure of your game on any given day. There is minimal underbrush, and almost no "luck" involved on this course. It's a pure test of skill, and requires every shot in the bag. This is disc golf at it's finest.
And if the regular 18 aren't enough, the 9-letter holes add in some new shots and challenges, a few more birdie opportunities, and a chance to shave some strokes off your round... along with a pair of my favorite holes in all of disc golf (F&G, see below). No end to the challenge.
The greatest pro of being out here is the bucolic splendor of the place. John Biscoe is the course contact and course designer, and when you're at Hawk Hollow, you're on his nephew's land, and those rolling hills and aged trees are home to cows as well as hawks. John lives up the street, and a lot of the family is within a mile or two of where you are standing. It's that deep sense of rootedness, of family, of people connected to the land. There's love you can feel standing there, and that same care and attention has been put into designing this course, and John and his nephew are gracious hosts, making such an amazing place available to disc golfers. But keep in mind the top rule at Hawk Hollow: cows are more important than you are, so don't throw if you might hit a cow.
You drive down miles of little two land roads to get to this place, and parking on the grass by an old silo, the view looking out over the hills and streams is a balm to anyone like me who spends to much time stuck behind a desk or stuck in a noisy city (DC). The rushing wind over those hills blows out all the dust of urban life and makes you glad to be alive.
Hole 1 starts atop a huge hill. I'd guess the vertical elevation drop is close to 80' -- maybe more. And the 429 hole is reachable with a putter if you huck it right, but you'll come up short with a max-distance driver if you're even the slightest bit nose-up on your throw. The basket it crouching back by a bend in the stream adding some excitement to the shot. It's an amzing place to start the day, because you'll want to unload half your bag trying to park this pin, and there is room to let every disc rip. Watching that mad hangtime off that hill is just a joy to behold. Not a single tree in the way -- you're just playing the elevation and the wind -- and it's harder than it looks to park that hole when you need to. But it's so much fun trying. So after you're arm is loosened up, you hike down the hill, gather your discs, can your deuce putt, and then the challenge begins...
From there, the regular 18 holes is a mix of every shot you can imagine. Substantial elevation is offered on 15/18 holes, and it's a great mix of wide-open, tight-woods, and mixed-woods shots, with plenty of true par-4s, forced placement shots, and OBs to light up the round.
One of the greatest things about HH is that it will never play the same two rounds in a row. In theory, it would be possible to shoot in the 40s out there on the original 18, but it's never been done -- I think the course record from tournament play is a 52 from Craig Gangloff in 2007... Brian Schweberger is there every year for the Hawk Hollow Open, has won it twice, and has never carded better than a 55 on the course. And the way the Hawk Hollow Open is played, it's three rounds on the same 18 holes, so no one has an excuse that they don't know the course or the conditions. It's just that hard, but it's always fair. There are wide lines on almost every hole, but it's a course with penalties for every mistake, and a lot of holes that are true par-4s, requiring well-placed layup shots to have a hope for the birdie-3. Having played all across the country, It's hard to think of any course that is more "fair." The course is a perfect measure of your game on any given day. There is minimal underbrush, and almost no "luck" involved on this course. It's a pure test of skill, and requires every shot in the bag. This is disc golf at it's finest.
And if the regular 18 aren't enough, the 9-letter holes add in some new shots and challenges, a few more birdie opportunities, and a chance to shave some strokes off your round... along with a pair of my favorite holes in all of disc golf (F&G, see below). No end to the challenge.
Cons:
Well, the cons -- there are a lot of them, but all the cons added up still don't take this course out of earning a 4.5-rating. Maybe they should, if I could be purely objective, but the intangible "feel-good" quality of a place can make up for a wealth of objective shortcomings, and Hawk Hollow makes up for any drawbacks by the sheer experience of being there.
The biggest drawback for first-time players will be the lack of real tees on many holes and the lack of clear signage. Most holes are marked with a couple of painted rocks in the ground. Tees are dirt/grass/carpet/turf/etc... a whole mix. So there are no "best" shoes to wear, and no guarantee of having good footing on every teebox. This is one of the drawbacks to some private courses, and it's a drawback here. Most of the tees are very good dirt or hearty grass, so there's plenty of traction when you need it, but the inconsistency will bother some people, as will the relatively poor signage. On the bright side, the course flows well and since it's private and you'll have to call John to play anyway, he'll make sure you know how to find your way around, and it really is easy to follow.
The biggest con for regular players are the cowpiles everywhere. This place is a cow pasture, despite the hills and trees and streams, and it shows. Cowpies all over the place, and you're discs will land in them, or you'll step in them at some point in the round -- it's just inevitable. So bring some old shoes and an old towel, and just prepare for it. On the bright side, I've never really found the smell to be a problem -- plenty of breeze and cowpies don't really smell that bad -- they dry quickly on the outside and seal it in.
The next con is going to be the mixed baskets. Holes 1-18 are mostly very good baskets, but the letter holes get a little sketchy, with some homemade and portables mixed in that are harder to putt on. The mix of baskets evens out the game -- you've got to putt on everything -- and it's fair, since everyone plays the same baskets, but it does detract some from the aesthetic of the course. On the upside, the baskets are slowly being replaced through donations, and the new baskets are sweeeeet looking black Discatchers with the Hawk Hollow cow-skull on them. Gorgeous baskets. So given enough years of fundraisers by VA clubs, the baskets here will eventually be some of the best around. It just may be a while, but as new baskets appear, it does allow the homemades and portables to be cycled out of the course, which helps play.
The cows themselves will be a drawback sometimes, when they "get in the way" on a hole. You have to remember that this is their home, and you're the crazy, disc-hucking interloper. So don't get annoyed when there are cows in your way. The first hole I ever played at HH was in a tournament and we walk up to the 800-ft hole 10, throw our drives, get down to them, and I can't see the basket because there whole herd is in the way, surrounding the basket. A little noise and they moseyed on their way and let us play, but it was a pretty funny intro to the course. Just be aware that cows come first, and never throw when you might hurt/hit a cow; they are more important than you are at HH.
As with most private courses, there are no bathrooms, water, or other facilities available. Just come prepared...
And be prepared for a LONG round. 27 holes across this much length and elevation is going to tire you out. Four hours for 27 holes is not unreasonable. And if you get in two full rounds in a day, you'll be wiped out. Especially in summer. The fact that the course is private means you can drink on the course, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should... if it's a hot day, just carry as much water as possible and stay hydrated. You're going to need it to finish out the round.
The biggest con of all is that -- because this is a private course -- you can't just drop in and play anytime you want. Sometimes the course is closed for calving season. Sometimes the grass is grown up. Occasionally the bridges to cross the streams have gotten washed out by storms... all of these are limitations of a private course with limited manpower and limited resources, since the course doesn't generate revenue -- it's a labor of love for the disc golf community. So give it some grace. Dodge the cowpies. Pick up after yourself. Respect the course. And you're in for the round of your life.
The biggest drawback for first-time players will be the lack of real tees on many holes and the lack of clear signage. Most holes are marked with a couple of painted rocks in the ground. Tees are dirt/grass/carpet/turf/etc... a whole mix. So there are no "best" shoes to wear, and no guarantee of having good footing on every teebox. This is one of the drawbacks to some private courses, and it's a drawback here. Most of the tees are very good dirt or hearty grass, so there's plenty of traction when you need it, but the inconsistency will bother some people, as will the relatively poor signage. On the bright side, the course flows well and since it's private and you'll have to call John to play anyway, he'll make sure you know how to find your way around, and it really is easy to follow.
The biggest con for regular players are the cowpiles everywhere. This place is a cow pasture, despite the hills and trees and streams, and it shows. Cowpies all over the place, and you're discs will land in them, or you'll step in them at some point in the round -- it's just inevitable. So bring some old shoes and an old towel, and just prepare for it. On the bright side, I've never really found the smell to be a problem -- plenty of breeze and cowpies don't really smell that bad -- they dry quickly on the outside and seal it in.
The next con is going to be the mixed baskets. Holes 1-18 are mostly very good baskets, but the letter holes get a little sketchy, with some homemade and portables mixed in that are harder to putt on. The mix of baskets evens out the game -- you've got to putt on everything -- and it's fair, since everyone plays the same baskets, but it does detract some from the aesthetic of the course. On the upside, the baskets are slowly being replaced through donations, and the new baskets are sweeeeet looking black Discatchers with the Hawk Hollow cow-skull on them. Gorgeous baskets. So given enough years of fundraisers by VA clubs, the baskets here will eventually be some of the best around. It just may be a while, but as new baskets appear, it does allow the homemades and portables to be cycled out of the course, which helps play.
The cows themselves will be a drawback sometimes, when they "get in the way" on a hole. You have to remember that this is their home, and you're the crazy, disc-hucking interloper. So don't get annoyed when there are cows in your way. The first hole I ever played at HH was in a tournament and we walk up to the 800-ft hole 10, throw our drives, get down to them, and I can't see the basket because there whole herd is in the way, surrounding the basket. A little noise and they moseyed on their way and let us play, but it was a pretty funny intro to the course. Just be aware that cows come first, and never throw when you might hurt/hit a cow; they are more important than you are at HH.
As with most private courses, there are no bathrooms, water, or other facilities available. Just come prepared...
And be prepared for a LONG round. 27 holes across this much length and elevation is going to tire you out. Four hours for 27 holes is not unreasonable. And if you get in two full rounds in a day, you'll be wiped out. Especially in summer. The fact that the course is private means you can drink on the course, but that doesn't necessarily mean you should... if it's a hot day, just carry as much water as possible and stay hydrated. You're going to need it to finish out the round.
The biggest con of all is that -- because this is a private course -- you can't just drop in and play anytime you want. Sometimes the course is closed for calving season. Sometimes the grass is grown up. Occasionally the bridges to cross the streams have gotten washed out by storms... all of these are limitations of a private course with limited manpower and limited resources, since the course doesn't generate revenue -- it's a labor of love for the disc golf community. So give it some grace. Dodge the cowpies. Pick up after yourself. Respect the course. And you're in for the round of your life.
Other Thoughts:
GUIDE TO THE LETTER HOLES:
Holes A, B and C should be played after hole nine and before hole 10.
A - Plays from behind the trees near the cow feeder at the top of the hill (not the big manger but the little upright mineral feeder) - kind of off to the right of the teebox for hole 3. The pin is in the cluster of cedars down the hill, 650' away (plays like 550'). On your teeshot, you're better off landing higher on the hill on the right side than down the hill on the left. The best opening through the cedars to the pin is on the high side and is a pretty simple RHBH-hyzer, but precision is required. The cedars surround the basket pretty well and the branches are hard to putt out of if you miss the open green. (Estimated Scratch Scoring Average for 1000-rated pros: 3.3)
B - Walk uphill from the previous pin and shoot down to the basket near the fence. This hole is 290', but plays like 230' because of the slope.The basket is near the fence. The swampy area 15' behind the basket is OB, as is the fence 15' right of the basket. The swampy area has a yellow string marking it, but last time I was there, the string was broken, so use your best judgment if it's missing. Also, the basket on this one leans a bit, so extra care is required on the putts. This is a tricky deuce because of the landing area so close to OB, but pretty much a gimme circle-3. (ESSA: 2.6)
C - Plays to the "practice basket" on the hill near 10's teebox. Tee off from behind the cedars at the bottom of hill, about 100' left of the pin for B. This hole is 240' (plays closer to 280) and is the easiest hole on the course by far. You can get there with a putter anhyzer (or spike-flick) around the left tree, a Roc up the gut, or a RHBH spike hyzer around the right cedar. All sorts of ways for the birdie on this hole, but you need to take the birdie. (ESSA: 2.2)
After C, walk to 10 and play holes 10 - 14. After 14, walk up the hill and through the gate to your left. The tee for hole D is directly in front of you.
D - Short hole at ~ 280', straight shot across an open field down into rough, sloping terrain -- fairly easy two. Hill dips down enough that you can't see the basket from the teebox, but it is marked by a flag in a tree. Watch out for some loose barb wire on this hole, and some non-OB barb wire that can eat discs if your drive comes in too far right of the basket. (ESSA: 2.3)
E - Tee is in the field, to the right of D's basket. Hole is 425' over a small valley, finishes silghtly uphill of the launch-point, so distance plays closer to 460'. Drive is through a fairly wide window of trees by the box - just enough trees to force a low, flat shot helix shot instead of allowing big-arms to bomb a hyzer; the window and slope also make rollers tricky to execute well. Basket is hidden behind the left tree of two large cedars that form the best entry window for deuce putt at the basket. Sloping OB fence is probably 35' behind the pole, just enough to slope to make you cautious on long putts. (ESSA: 3.1)
F - One of the new true pro holes. Tee is in the open near the far fence, uphill from the previous basket. This is a 600' bomb off the top of a low hill, OB fence all along the right side, thick trees along the left, basket is hyzer left past the treeline with OB 15' behind the basket. The fairway narrows as you get closer to the pin. It is a wicked, beautiful shot that a pro might could deuce with a perfect drive, or easily double-circle 6, or anything in between. This is the most impressive of the letter holes, with the highest risk/reward ratio. (ESSA: 4.1)
G - Another top-shelf hole. This one is 450', flat for the first 320 feet, throwing out of an alley in the woods to a wide open field, then sharp uphill through a very tight, high-vertical walls of trees guarding the basket on both sides. Everything on the left side of the uphill alley is jail, everything on the right is jail sloping down to OB. Taking a birdie-three one this hole requires a set of precision shots with high risk/reward. The safest option (since no 2-meter rule is in effect) is to place your tee shot out in the field to the left and bomb a RHBH spike hyzer over the guardian trees and down into the tight green. (ESSA: 3.7)
H - Tee is in the open along the main fence, left and out of the trees from the previous basket. This is a 600' open hole that goes down a hill and up a hill with the basket in the middle of a corral, OB all the way down the hole on the left side - it's an easy 4 with a conservative drive; reasonable 3 if you spike-hyzer your upshot into the corral; a 5 if your drive or upshot hyzers OB. (ESSA: 3.3)
After hole H, walk through the gate and out of the corral (make sure all gates are secured behind you), and play hole 15. After hole 15, walk along the stream to the tee for the last letter hole.
I - This is 210' shot up a very sharp incline through trees; vertical elevation change of ~50'. Flick a driver or slight anhyzer on a mid or putter up through a tight-treed alley to the basket. If you miss and kick left, you're in the drink. Watch out for the banks of leaves, as they can be almost two feet deep in places during the fall/winter. This can lose discs and offers tricky footing walking up the hill. (ESSA: 2.5)
The letter holes are a great way to spice up the course. When I have time, I'll try to amend this review to add a writeup for all the holes, but since the letter holes are the trickiest part of navigating the course, I thought it would be helpful to at least include them in this review.
The best thing I can tell you is to get out to Hawk Hollow as quickly as you can. There are few comparable places in the country to test your mettle as a disc golfer. And there are few more beautiful places to play. A day at Hawk Hollow will be one of the best disc golf days of your life... and remember that even if you're shooting in the mid-60s, you're still playing pro-level (~970) golf. And if you're not doing so hot, you're still at Hawk Hollow, and that wind whippin' over those hills is still gonna' whisk all your cares away. Enjoy!
Holes A, B and C should be played after hole nine and before hole 10.
A - Plays from behind the trees near the cow feeder at the top of the hill (not the big manger but the little upright mineral feeder) - kind of off to the right of the teebox for hole 3. The pin is in the cluster of cedars down the hill, 650' away (plays like 550'). On your teeshot, you're better off landing higher on the hill on the right side than down the hill on the left. The best opening through the cedars to the pin is on the high side and is a pretty simple RHBH-hyzer, but precision is required. The cedars surround the basket pretty well and the branches are hard to putt out of if you miss the open green. (Estimated Scratch Scoring Average for 1000-rated pros: 3.3)
B - Walk uphill from the previous pin and shoot down to the basket near the fence. This hole is 290', but plays like 230' because of the slope.The basket is near the fence. The swampy area 15' behind the basket is OB, as is the fence 15' right of the basket. The swampy area has a yellow string marking it, but last time I was there, the string was broken, so use your best judgment if it's missing. Also, the basket on this one leans a bit, so extra care is required on the putts. This is a tricky deuce because of the landing area so close to OB, but pretty much a gimme circle-3. (ESSA: 2.6)
C - Plays to the "practice basket" on the hill near 10's teebox. Tee off from behind the cedars at the bottom of hill, about 100' left of the pin for B. This hole is 240' (plays closer to 280) and is the easiest hole on the course by far. You can get there with a putter anhyzer (or spike-flick) around the left tree, a Roc up the gut, or a RHBH spike hyzer around the right cedar. All sorts of ways for the birdie on this hole, but you need to take the birdie. (ESSA: 2.2)
After C, walk to 10 and play holes 10 - 14. After 14, walk up the hill and through the gate to your left. The tee for hole D is directly in front of you.
D - Short hole at ~ 280', straight shot across an open field down into rough, sloping terrain -- fairly easy two. Hill dips down enough that you can't see the basket from the teebox, but it is marked by a flag in a tree. Watch out for some loose barb wire on this hole, and some non-OB barb wire that can eat discs if your drive comes in too far right of the basket. (ESSA: 2.3)
E - Tee is in the field, to the right of D's basket. Hole is 425' over a small valley, finishes silghtly uphill of the launch-point, so distance plays closer to 460'. Drive is through a fairly wide window of trees by the box - just enough trees to force a low, flat shot helix shot instead of allowing big-arms to bomb a hyzer; the window and slope also make rollers tricky to execute well. Basket is hidden behind the left tree of two large cedars that form the best entry window for deuce putt at the basket. Sloping OB fence is probably 35' behind the pole, just enough to slope to make you cautious on long putts. (ESSA: 3.1)
F - One of the new true pro holes. Tee is in the open near the far fence, uphill from the previous basket. This is a 600' bomb off the top of a low hill, OB fence all along the right side, thick trees along the left, basket is hyzer left past the treeline with OB 15' behind the basket. The fairway narrows as you get closer to the pin. It is a wicked, beautiful shot that a pro might could deuce with a perfect drive, or easily double-circle 6, or anything in between. This is the most impressive of the letter holes, with the highest risk/reward ratio. (ESSA: 4.1)
G - Another top-shelf hole. This one is 450', flat for the first 320 feet, throwing out of an alley in the woods to a wide open field, then sharp uphill through a very tight, high-vertical walls of trees guarding the basket on both sides. Everything on the left side of the uphill alley is jail, everything on the right is jail sloping down to OB. Taking a birdie-three one this hole requires a set of precision shots with high risk/reward. The safest option (since no 2-meter rule is in effect) is to place your tee shot out in the field to the left and bomb a RHBH spike hyzer over the guardian trees and down into the tight green. (ESSA: 3.7)
H - Tee is in the open along the main fence, left and out of the trees from the previous basket. This is a 600' open hole that goes down a hill and up a hill with the basket in the middle of a corral, OB all the way down the hole on the left side - it's an easy 4 with a conservative drive; reasonable 3 if you spike-hyzer your upshot into the corral; a 5 if your drive or upshot hyzers OB. (ESSA: 3.3)
After hole H, walk through the gate and out of the corral (make sure all gates are secured behind you), and play hole 15. After hole 15, walk along the stream to the tee for the last letter hole.
I - This is 210' shot up a very sharp incline through trees; vertical elevation change of ~50'. Flick a driver or slight anhyzer on a mid or putter up through a tight-treed alley to the basket. If you miss and kick left, you're in the drink. Watch out for the banks of leaves, as they can be almost two feet deep in places during the fall/winter. This can lose discs and offers tricky footing walking up the hill. (ESSA: 2.5)
The letter holes are a great way to spice up the course. When I have time, I'll try to amend this review to add a writeup for all the holes, but since the letter holes are the trickiest part of navigating the course, I thought it would be helpful to at least include them in this review.
The best thing I can tell you is to get out to Hawk Hollow as quickly as you can. There are few comparable places in the country to test your mettle as a disc golfer. And there are few more beautiful places to play. A day at Hawk Hollow will be one of the best disc golf days of your life... and remember that even if you're shooting in the mid-60s, you're still playing pro-level (~970) golf. And if you're not doing so hot, you're still at Hawk Hollow, and that wind whippin' over those hills is still gonna' whisk all your cares away. Enjoy!
19
0
Trippin_disc_thrower
Experience:
15.6 years
24 played
1 reviews
The best I have played.... 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 19, 2009
Played the course:once
Pros:
This course is amazing!! Beautifull rolling hills and creeks through a pasture in Virginia. This course has it all, long bombs and short precision throws. The course plays nicely and is easy to follow, great map available as well. I have been playing for less than a year, so for me this was the best I have played. A bit challenging for a newby, I spent a little time fishing my disc out of the creek! But hey, it's my rookie season! There are several uphill throws that test your arms and legs. John, the designer of the course has done a great job incorporating his course with nature. Playing along side the cows was very fun and was a nice change to the courses I usually play near roads and subdivisions.
Cons:
I can think of only one con and that would be that the cows occasionally knock over baskets and signs. This really isn't a big deal, hell, it's their place we are playing in!
Other Thoughts:
John, the designer was cool and actually played half a round with us. He definitly has the best kept secret in Virginia. Be sure to bring comfortable shoes and water. If you do play keep the exact location on the down low per the request of John.
26
2
My whole body hurts... 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Apr 19, 2009
Played the course:once
Pros:
Beautiful land. Long, open bombs (2 800+ holes) and short, technical ace runs. The ridge that 1 & 10 tees are on is huge, and allows for many of the elevation changes throughout the front 9. Playing up that hill on 2, 5, & 9 was minimal relief on my arm, but killed my legs (the hill is freaking huge, I don't know how the cows do it?) I really enjoyed 12, 13, 14, weaving through the woods and over the creek. #7 might have been a little too long, but when looking at the land, it's pretty obvious why he put it there...it just makes for better flow to get to the back holes. I really liked that even though some of the holes (7, 10, A, B, F) are kind of wide open, the pin placements are challenging/tucked away in not so obvious places. And the creek that flows throughout the whole course (in play on 1,7,8,9,10,12,14) is almost pristine in that it's about 10 feet wide throughout and provides a bit of an obstacle without being so dominant and scary as to prevent someone from throwing all out...it's there, but it doesn't really impose too much, but it can kill your score for sure.
Cons:
the only cons are because of it's remoteness/roughness
- cow pies...not having grown up around cows I'm not 100% used to dodging crap, but it's not that big of a deal
- tee signs, these are put up everynow and again, but the cows tend to knock things over, including baskets sometimes
-restrooms, these weren't expected because it's private property
- cow pies...not having grown up around cows I'm not 100% used to dodging crap, but it's not that big of a deal
- tee signs, these are put up everynow and again, but the cows tend to knock things over, including baskets sometimes
-restrooms, these weren't expected because it's private property
Other Thoughts:
First of all, John Biscoe is a very gracious host. He played the second half of this monster course with us, showing us the way, although with the maps provided it flowed rather easily.
The course is on his nephew's property, who is just as gracious as John, and for this reason the directions to this course are to remain "private"...if you want to play it, just shoot John an e-mail and i'm sure he'll work something out with you...
I've been playing for 15 years, and other the YMCA course just west of Denver I can think of no other course where I worked my body so hard, and got to play along side livestock...i loved this course and can't wait to go back, but i'm gonna need to do some kind of hiking regimine the weeks leading up to it...it's a hike...
coming from St. Louis I'd say this is a cross between Sioux Passage & JB...but longer than Sioux and more technical than JB & Endicott put together
The course is on his nephew's property, who is just as gracious as John, and for this reason the directions to this course are to remain "private"...if you want to play it, just shoot John an e-mail and i'm sure he'll work something out with you...
I've been playing for 15 years, and other the YMCA course just west of Denver I can think of no other course where I worked my body so hard, and got to play along side livestock...i loved this course and can't wait to go back, but i'm gonna need to do some kind of hiking regimine the weeks leading up to it...it's a hike...
coming from St. Louis I'd say this is a cross between Sioux Passage & JB...but longer than Sioux and more technical than JB & Endicott put together
