Ski resort disc golf courses are usually fun for me. It's hard to beat launching a drive from the top of a hole with a massive drop in elevation. Hilltop Ski Area has a few holes of this nature, but you start at the bottom and work your way up to get to them.

The 18 hole course spreads across most of the ski runs on the slope. There are rubber tees, and two baskets on every hole except for 18. The short baskets are DISCatcher style with navy blue rims on the top, and the long baskets are DGA style painted red on top. Tee signs indicate distance and par for both pins. I played the short/blue baskets which is a par 61 layout.

The fairways are mostly open, criss crossing the grass covered mountain side. The grass was cut nicely when I visited. There are lines of dense trees in between the ski runs, and baskets will sometimes be tucked on the sides near the trees. Holes 11 and 13 play in the trees more than the rest of the course, 11 uphill and 13 down.

The front 9 is climbing toward the peak most with holes 4 and 7 turning back downhill momentarily. The back 9 starts at the very top and is primarily downhill, with 11, 12, 15 and 17 turning back up. The longest holes are going to be downhill, especially if you play the long red layout. The uphill shots are usually a bit shorter and are still birdie candidates.

Not sure if I had a favorite hole, but I really liked the big downhill drives on holes 4, 10, 14 and 18. I did get knocked down by the chair lift on hole 10 unfortunately. The woods on holes 11 and 13 were a good added challenge.

The fee to play is $5 per day, and you can use PayPal, which is thought was a nice touch. There are maps at the pay station.

The pictures and map on the DGCR course page are not reflective of the current course, but the new layout is similar to the old one.

New map shows a blue pin on hole 18, but it isn't there anymore. I saw a blue basket at the bottom of the hill way to the left in front of a shed that was way longer than the red pin. I played to that basket, but a man approached and informed me that it was not part of the course, and 18 has only one basket now.

It would be nice if there were trees in play on a few more holes, but the layout does pretty well with the land that is available.

I found the 18 hole course at Hilltop Ski Area to be fun and a decent challenge. It was fairly easy to navigate as a first time visitor, and even the blind holes had a fair chance at a decent second shot if you aren't familiar with the basket locations.

I started well, with birdies on holes 2, 3, 4 and 5. The rest of the way was not so great. Bogies on 6, 12 and 13 along with a double bogey on 15 put me at one over par (62) for the round.

I liked the personality of this course in comparison to the others that I played in Anchorage. Between both of the Hilltop courses, Kincaid, Girdwood and Peters Creek I found each one had a distinctly different feel. The par here is generous and the lack of trees in play make it a little bit easier, aside from the hike uphill.

The grounds were nicely kept, and the view of the city was hazy from wildfire smoke, but still pretty nice. In conjunction with the 9 hole course, I would say a $5 daily fee is worth the money. Reminded me of the Sipapu Ski Area course in New Mexico.

It is on a mountain in alaska!!! Great views. Long 18 hole course with 9 extra short holes. The longest hole was over 1000 feet! When we went, it.was windy and there was nobody else on the mountAin and the wind took out discs into the trees and shrubs but we found them all. We made a bunch of noise so moose or bear wouldnt be surprised in case we came across any. There was lots of scat on the mountain. The views are great and overlook anchorage. You will get your exercise on this course but it is well worth it. Veey well kept up.

Hard to find out where to pay. The main office was closed so we couldnt pay...so we just played anyway and were the only ones on the mountain. Take a.pic of the map at the parking lot or get one from the office because it isnt always obvious where the next hole is. not bad though. Hole 14 was gone as they were doing some type of work on the grounds there. We improvised.

Play this course!

Hilltop is not your typical ski slope golf course. You start at the bottom and there is as much up as there is down. You will get a workout playing this course and that is not a bad thing. For people who want to ride the ski lift, you picked the wrong sport. The designers avoided the trap of 18 downhill holes to bore you all the way down.

I can throw over 400 on level ground and consistently reach 380 or so with decent control. I had no difficulty with the uphill holes. That I missed a few birdie opportunities on those holes is completely my fault and had little to do with elevation.

This course has a fantastic view. On clear days you can see Denali in the distance and you have spectacular views of Anchorage and the Cook Inlet. A view like this is a big plus in my opinion.

The layout utilizes elevation well and not just the up and down of the ski runs. There are significant elevation changes near some of the baskets that can cost you dearly if you overthrow the basket.

Control of downhill throws is needed. Learn to use your more overstable discs for downhill throws and you will be fine. While this is true of all ski slope courses, this seldom used level of difficulty is appreciated by a flatlander like me.

This course is pay to play. $5 for a round. A pro? Definitely.

Not all holes are wide open, and even the ones that are provide significant penalties via elevation changes for throwing wide, short or long.

This course has few benches and no water or bathrooms on the course. Benches at some of the tees would have been welcome given the elevation that must be traversed.

Signage is not all that great and doesn't always clearly show the layout of the hole which is a problem when you cannot see the basket from the tee.

Navigation is generally good. However, hole nine isn't clearly marked. It's on the wooden platform. Make sure to get a map and scorecard at the start.

This course was at least as much fun as Kincaid Park despite the workout. If in Anchorage again, I would start here.

As noted in other reviews, keep an eye on those long downhill throws. If they leave the fairway, they can be lost very easily.

Lots of elevation, long throws, grass fairways with trouble for errant throws, interesting hole locations, lots of signs everywhere you need them.

No short tees. The course is a little grueling for those who can't throw 300 feet.

Like a giraffe that can run a few minutes after being born, this course seems to have come into existence fully formed. There aren't many throws that require pinpoint accuracy, but there are other courses in the area for that. This course used its assets well.