New Hogan Dam - Old Layout reviews
5
0
Great Course, Worth the Trip 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Nov 7, 2009
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Hogan dam and reservoir is set in a very nice scenic terrain in the Sierra foothills. The landscape is studded with small to medium sized trees, and craggy metamorphic rocks stick out of the ground in many locations. When you first drive in you'll become very excited about the fact that you're going to a disc golf course in such a great location!
The course design is excellent, and makes great use of the hilly terrain, trees, and rocks. Most basket placements are in the middle of tree groves and/or boulders, so that even some of the shortest holes are very challenging. Many of the fairways play over valleys or other topographic obstacles, and roll-aways are quite often a risk.
Hole 17 is one of the greatest holes I've ever seen. When we played it was tucked around the slope behind the parking lot. This alone is worth the trip! The downhill slope is about 10-15 degrees, which is not quite steep enough for a disc to simply glide all the way. Therefore you need to have some power to get it out and turn over in order to have the disc get all the way to the basket. (Be careful, it is easy to lose a disc here! Our group lost one that seemed to have gone right out in the open, but after much searching, no luck.)
The tee signs are fairly good, showing the distances and plausible routes to the basket, the big tree locations, etc..
The course design is excellent, and makes great use of the hilly terrain, trees, and rocks. Most basket placements are in the middle of tree groves and/or boulders, so that even some of the shortest holes are very challenging. Many of the fairways play over valleys or other topographic obstacles, and roll-aways are quite often a risk.
Hole 17 is one of the greatest holes I've ever seen. When we played it was tucked around the slope behind the parking lot. This alone is worth the trip! The downhill slope is about 10-15 degrees, which is not quite steep enough for a disc to simply glide all the way. Therefore you need to have some power to get it out and turn over in order to have the disc get all the way to the basket. (Be careful, it is easy to lose a disc here! Our group lost one that seemed to have gone right out in the open, but after much searching, no luck.)
The tee signs are fairly good, showing the distances and plausible routes to the basket, the big tree locations, etc..
Cons:
A lot of the baskets (except for a few Mach V here and there) are cheaper and have fewer stout chains. We were experiencing a lot more spit-outs, cut-throughs, bounces, etc. than we would have on better baskets.
Some of the dirt tees are rocky and uneven, which doesn't allow for a confident run-up on many holes. Be sure to wear rugged footwear with decent ankle support.
UPDATE 12/23/2009:
- Baskets in great condition, all good quality.
- Tee pads have undergone badly needed maintenance and are in much better shape.
- Accordingly, I changed my course rating to 4.5
Some of the dirt tees are rocky and uneven, which doesn't allow for a confident run-up on many holes. Be sure to wear rugged footwear with decent ankle support.
UPDATE 12/23/2009:
- Baskets in great condition, all good quality.
- Tee pads have undergone badly needed maintenance and are in much better shape.
- Accordingly, I changed my course rating to 4.5
Other Thoughts:
This is one of the most beautiful courses I have played, and has all the makings for a 4.5-rated course...if only the baskets could be upgraded and concrete tees installed.
When we played the reservoir was really low. I suppose it will remain this way until a while after the drought ends. I imagine it would probably look more scenic with more water in the reservoir.
When we played the reservoir was really low. I suppose it will remain this way until a while after the drought ends. I imagine it would probably look more scenic with more water in the reservoir.
