Magic Meadows DGC reviews
22
2
Beautiful Setting for DG 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 15, 2013
Played the course:once
Pros:
The land Magic Meadows course is on is beautiful- partly on a grassy valley and partly on the rocky hillside you are immersed with images of white-barked aspen trees, fascinating rock formations, and incredible mountain views in all directions. This a course that absolutely gives you that "out-in-nature" and "away-from-it-all" kind of feel (especially because you are guaranteed to be the only ones on the course that day, and especially after Paulie mentions things like bears and mountain lions and then drives away leaving you completely alone with the course!)
Paulie is a fantastic host and course designer. He really wants people to come and play his courses. His attention to detail is amazing and evident from beginning to end- he gives you a scorecard and hole-by-hole tip sheet, he walks you through any tricky navigation areas or confusing basket placements before you play, and he has installed plenty of signage to ensure that you won't get lost and you know where to aim off the tee. One of his best ideas is having a sign in the middle of the fairway anytime there is a blind or hidden basket from the teebox to prevent having to walk the hole twice to play it once (and believe me, in this altitude and terrain, you don't want to walk more than is necessary!) Paulie has this place very well thought out and planned and is constantly making improvements, always from the eyes of the people who are coming to play his courses.
Again let me emphasize that you get a private round here- the course will be all yours for the day- (this factor is why some people rate this course a 5.0) This allows holes to be set-up a little different- you can have tees closer to baskets (shorter walks) and holes that cross (longer holes, better holes, etc.). The course itself has a nice mixture of short holes, holes that are short but play long uphill, and a couple long more flat holes as well. The terrain is mostly up and down, but there are a few flatter holes mixed in as well making for a nice variety throughout the round. The baskets are of high quality and many are placed in unique locations in various rock formations. These placments, the terrain, and the altitude make this (what Paulie calls an Intermediate) course much more challenging than it looks on paper or in the pictures.
Paulie is a fantastic host and course designer. He really wants people to come and play his courses. His attention to detail is amazing and evident from beginning to end- he gives you a scorecard and hole-by-hole tip sheet, he walks you through any tricky navigation areas or confusing basket placements before you play, and he has installed plenty of signage to ensure that you won't get lost and you know where to aim off the tee. One of his best ideas is having a sign in the middle of the fairway anytime there is a blind or hidden basket from the teebox to prevent having to walk the hole twice to play it once (and believe me, in this altitude and terrain, you don't want to walk more than is necessary!) Paulie has this place very well thought out and planned and is constantly making improvements, always from the eyes of the people who are coming to play his courses.
Again let me emphasize that you get a private round here- the course will be all yours for the day- (this factor is why some people rate this course a 5.0) This allows holes to be set-up a little different- you can have tees closer to baskets (shorter walks) and holes that cross (longer holes, better holes, etc.). The course itself has a nice mixture of short holes, holes that are short but play long uphill, and a couple long more flat holes as well. The terrain is mostly up and down, but there are a few flatter holes mixed in as well making for a nice variety throughout the round. The baskets are of high quality and many are placed in unique locations in various rock formations. These placments, the terrain, and the altitude make this (what Paulie calls an Intermediate) course much more challenging than it looks on paper or in the pictures.
Cons:
Apparently you used to be able to, but now you can't just play anytime you want- you have to make a tee time (part of the agreement with neighbors to the property) and there are only a few times a week, so be sure to plan ahead and contact Paulie in advance if planning to make a trip out to this area (which you should).
$20/round would be a lot if you lived here and wanted to play all the time, but as a destination area, it is not too bad, as you do get the course to yourself. He said we could play two rounds which can take 5-6 hours. The altitude got us pretty good as this was the first course we played after flying in, and we only played once, but would have loved to play it again.
The natural tees are fine, and he would be crazy to pour concrete all over on this beautiful piece of LEASED property, but they are not concrete, and I personally prefer courses with concrete tees for both better footing and a more official/permanent/consistent feel.
The mountain grass in the fairways was thin, but was still rather tall. It is playable and wasn't too bad to find your discs and mowed fairways are generally preferred, but I doubt these fairways get mowed or have much of a need to except for in late summer (probably impractical to get a mower here anyways). Just pay attention to where you land or you could be searching more than you want.
Though in the original plans until some other issues have put them on hold, there are no manufactured tee signs, however they are not really necessary as he gives you all the info you need with the scorecard, page of hole descriptions, and self-made navigation arrows.
Things that used to be here are no more- clubhouse, driving range, practice 9, etc. due to making peace and compromising with the neighbors.
$20/round would be a lot if you lived here and wanted to play all the time, but as a destination area, it is not too bad, as you do get the course to yourself. He said we could play two rounds which can take 5-6 hours. The altitude got us pretty good as this was the first course we played after flying in, and we only played once, but would have loved to play it again.
The natural tees are fine, and he would be crazy to pour concrete all over on this beautiful piece of LEASED property, but they are not concrete, and I personally prefer courses with concrete tees for both better footing and a more official/permanent/consistent feel.
The mountain grass in the fairways was thin, but was still rather tall. It is playable and wasn't too bad to find your discs and mowed fairways are generally preferred, but I doubt these fairways get mowed or have much of a need to except for in late summer (probably impractical to get a mower here anyways). Just pay attention to where you land or you could be searching more than you want.
Though in the original plans until some other issues have put them on hold, there are no manufactured tee signs, however they are not really necessary as he gives you all the info you need with the scorecard, page of hole descriptions, and self-made navigation arrows.
Things that used to be here are no more- clubhouse, driving range, practice 9, etc. due to making peace and compromising with the neighbors.
Other Thoughts:
The course has changed quite a bit since many of the reviews on DGCR were written. Due to the restrictions made as a compromise to appease the complaints of neighbors. The place is now just a disc golf course with a port-a-pottie and a table near hole 1.
Advice, be aware of the effects of 8000'+ altitude: 1) you will have to stop and catch your breath frequently even after short walks and 2) discs fly differently up here, way more stable. Also, bring your snacks and drinks with you, once you are in the gate, you are not leaving until you are done playing.
Magic Meadows is NOT a pitch and putt, it is very challenging despite the length on paper. 250' may not seem like much until it is straight up hill through a narrow gap between a bunch of apsen trees to a basket hidden behind a giant rock!!! Now you are just hoping for par, so if you think you can shoot a 40 out here, then come on out and prove it
Though I really enjoyed the course and the setting, to me it was more of a novelty/gimmicky course with its abnormal basket placements, and not a course that I crave to play over and over again. Don't get me wrong, it was really fun, but it is closer to what I call extreme disc golf vs. championship-style disc golf. It is highly recommended as part of your disc golf vacation to this area, but not quite the level of the very best courses in the entire country.
Advice, be aware of the effects of 8000'+ altitude: 1) you will have to stop and catch your breath frequently even after short walks and 2) discs fly differently up here, way more stable. Also, bring your snacks and drinks with you, once you are in the gate, you are not leaving until you are done playing.
Magic Meadows is NOT a pitch and putt, it is very challenging despite the length on paper. 250' may not seem like much until it is straight up hill through a narrow gap between a bunch of apsen trees to a basket hidden behind a giant rock!!! Now you are just hoping for par, so if you think you can shoot a 40 out here, then come on out and prove it
Though I really enjoyed the course and the setting, to me it was more of a novelty/gimmicky course with its abnormal basket placements, and not a course that I crave to play over and over again. Don't get me wrong, it was really fun, but it is closer to what I call extreme disc golf vs. championship-style disc golf. It is highly recommended as part of your disc golf vacation to this area, but not quite the level of the very best courses in the entire country.
6
4
DGRunner
Experience:
21.9 years
74 played
14 reviews
Found the magic, but where is the meadow? 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 3, 2012
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
The Magic Meadows intermediate course is a fine addition to the 285 mountain corridor. The route to the course is simple and the dirt road down to the course is in good condition. The course itself requires fitness and features a great mix of short, long, left, right, and straight shots. The fairways are narrow, but I wouldn't say they are too tight. The designers incorporated several geographic and natural features into the course. #11 has its basket in a "cave." The approach is tricky because the fairway is narrow and the basket is elevated on a rock formation. I had to crawl to pick my disc out of the basket. The view from #14 is a picturesque 180-degree panorama. #15 is totally unique: the basket is straight off the tee, but blind and located beneath and between two huge rock formations. #16 is lodged between two trees that form a V.
Cons:
As you can see from the hole info., this is a really short course. Strong players won't need a full throw until #6. That said a birdie is as likely as a bogey on most holes. The tee pads are dirt so over time they could wear down like at Conifer. The course is specifically groomed for one tee pad and one pin placement. Due to the new arrangement with the neighbors $20 per day is steep.
Other Thoughts:
Having played the course when it opened and after it reopened, I must say I am disappointed as to how the situation turned out. The course shop, driving range, and putting course are all gone. The course is a nice niche course, but it is not amazing. I recommend playing the course as it could be gone when the lease is up. This is a small business so come out and support it and bring your friends.
