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East Haddam, CT

Nichols Field

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4.195(based on 16 reviews)
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12 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 5.9 years 232 played 228 reviews
4.00 star(s)

This course rocks!

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nichols Field is an 18-hole course located in what felt like a rural part of Connecticut. The namesake field has other park amenities, but the first hole of the DGC plays into the woods behind it and you won't see the field again until the end of your round.

These woods are far from normal too. The forest is frequently broken up by exposed rock faces, some of which are used to create fairways and greens with extreme elevation changes. The fairways are often covered in smaller rocks and roots as well, which was aesthetically beautiful and also created a unique unpredictability about how your disc would finish. I don't think I have ever played a course this rocky before, and the rocks are what sticks out most in my mind now (writing this review two weeks later).

The course plays on the technical side throughout, with a great variety of left turns, right turns, and "other shape" fairways. Hole 11 has a fairway shaped kind of like a question mark. There is quite a bit of distance to contend with too - five par 4's ranging from 434' to 658', plus hole 17's 822' par 5 challenge. The challenge presented by the trees, elevation changes, distances, and unique rocky terrain here will be enough to interest most disc golfers.

Some noteworthy holes in my book:
- Hole 3 plays 280' down a rocky slope. The fairway curls to the left, and there is water lurking to the right of and behind the pin. This is the only water hole on the course.
- Hole 10 is a very picturesque 250' throw uphill through a rock "valley" that curls to the right as viewed from the tee.
- Hole 13 is the most memorable of three short but especially rocky throws in the middle of the course. It's a steep downhill off the tee, with a few trees to make you think about your line. The basket is straight ahead 200' away - but the entire approach up to it is on a single continuous rock face that slopes away from the tee. The basket is installed near the end of the rock face, and there is a significant drop off behind it. This could be one of the most memorable putter aces you ever earn - or a tough scramble just to make par.

The baskets are red Chainstar Pros in like-new condition. These are beautiful and easily visible in the woods. Many baskets are mounted directly on rocks and some elevated on the rock, creating risk/reward situations. One per hole.

The tees are decent. The pads are rubber mats, but they are large and mounted in wood frames. Some are even elevated on decks to ensure that they are level. I saw brooms at a few tees too, although I didn't need them. There is one pad per hole. The tee signs are simple but high quality, showing a rough layout in addition to the hole number/distance/par. Benches are installed at many tees.

The course layout is basically an "out and back" style, but there are established paths available to create cutoffs for DG'ers who don't have time to play a full 18.

There is a kiosk at the front of the course that includes a course map and even a lost disc locker! A practice basket is near the kiosk, and there is a porta potty at the parking lot.

Cons:

Navigation is a bit tricky in a couple places. There was tape on the bottom of some baskets, and a few arrows on trees, but overall I felt like a few more aids were needed. There is one spot where paths cross between holes and you could easily play the wrong hole if not paying attention.

Concrete tee pads would be a nice, although not critical, improvement. I was wishing for a little bit more detail on some of the tee signs too.

Although some wooded fairways were wider than others, there were not any holes that I would call even "semi-open". Even on the longer holes, the fairways are narrow so you can't really just "grip it and rip it" off the tee. Those who prefer that style of golf might get a little frustrated.

Seriously, there are so many rocks on the fairways. It's almost inevitable that you'll have a couple throws during the round that would be good, but they kick off the rocks in unexpected directions and you end up with a tough lie. I can see others getting irritated with this "luck" factor, although I enjoyed it myself.

Other Thoughts:

I did not have cell service on this course. Plan accordingly.

There are no trash cans on the course, but signs tell you to pack out what you pack in.

With all of the uneven terrain, I recommend wearing grippy shoes or boots.

I played this course as part of what I'll remember as my "Maple Hill Run", in which I had a Friday afternoon and Saturday to make my way from the New York City area up to Maple Hill in central Massachusetts, play, and drive back down in time to catch a 9 PM flight home. This course added Connecticut to my states played list, but I mainly chose to play here because it looked solid and was only a half hour or so detour. It's a testament to this course that even after playing Maple Hill twice the next morning, I still vividly remember some of the holes here.

I agree with HyooMac's comment that the terrain here feels similar to Leonard Park in Mt. Kisco, NY - but in my opinion this course took that theme and pushed it up another notch. I think it is accurately valued at the current ~4.2 average rating here. I decided to round down to 4.0, but with some of the small Cons above addressed this is an easy 4.5. If you're anywhere near the area, come "rock out" at Nichols Field!
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12 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.9 years 421 played 388 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Gateway to New England Disc Golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 29, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

A genuinely beautiful setting for disc golf. While it doesn't have the iconic ponds or Christmas Tree farm of Maple Hill in Massachusetts, or the long sweeping wooded fairways of Rockwell or Page in Connecticut, Nichols delivers with woods, incorporating elevation and exposed rock formations in the layout. It felt like a cousin to Veteran's Park in Bridgeport and Leonard Park in Mt. Kisko, which are both at the same relative latitude.


Baskets are red Chainstars with heavy galvanized chains; tees are rubber surrounded by timbers or mounted on platforms - flat, level and in excellent shape. Some tees have brooms. Signage at every tee, and directional arrows from basket to next tee. Nice trails connecting the holes, some with wood chips


Deep New England woods golf means that being off the fairway really hurts you. Most often you're left with no play other than a short pitchout to the fairway


When you're a 100' - 150' out, there are trees everywhere. Multiple (but precise) lines have been created. There's always something blocking you, making you have to think of something other than a straight line to the basket. And even though there are a lot of trees in the fairways, you can see that they've taken a huge number of little spindly things out of the way too.


A few highlights:

+ Hole #3 is a blind downhill left dogleg with a hidden pond sneaking up on the right side. Because it's a blind shot, it's worth walking ahead to the edge of the hill to calibrate your shot. Very satisfying birdie, because you're braving the water to go for it


+ Hole #5 is the second of two back-to-back par 4's on the front 9, an uphill dogleg right with a green that's tucked to the left. It's only 434', but throwing uphill and around two corners makes for a challenging hole


+ Hole #8 is only 158', but the basket is perched on an outcrop about a third of the way up an imposing hillside that invites rollaways. #8 is also one of several very good RHFH holes mixed into the layout


+ Holes #13 and #14 are cliff dives: #13 is a shorty, high above a basket with another cliff behind it, and #14 is a par 4, downhill all the way, rewarding a high teeshot that can glide left-to-right


Cons:

- The signs are clean and simple, but on holes where you can't see the basket from the tee, they are surprisingly inadequate at giving you any sense of how much turn or distance to expect. The best (worst) example is #11, a 700' par four that turns twice as it goes downhill. I played the first half of the hole throwing at the wrong basket, and the second half blindly following the fairway wondering when I might see the right one. Obviously this is less of a problem when you're familiar with the course, so it's only a "con" for first-timers


Other Thoughts:

~ The terrain is very rocky; not cart-friendly


~ There are two Mandos (#7 and #9), marked with large wooden signs - but they seem to be there only to take away some lines. They don't appear to protect you or other players from danger - they just artificially narrow your options from the tee. This is just my opinion, but in cases like these, I think the better solution is to leave the lines open to throw, but penalize with O.B. that tightens the landing area. You're allowed to take the shot, but you have to make it pay off. The nearby Killingworth Park uses O.B. this way, and I think it makes for more challenge than simply closing off lines with mandos


~ The red Chainstars are hard to spot (flags might help). A few of them have tape to indicate the direction of the next tee, but this isn't used consistently. There are wooden signs with arrows to aid navigation, but there are spots on the back nine where it becomes guesswork, especially because the course navigation includes using some existing hiking trails. Just a half dozen more signs would make all the difference helping first timers find their way


~ This is a beautiful setting and I would play this course again and again and again if I didn't live three hours away. Nichols is unusually inviting for multiple plays: it's a course that remains challenging even with a single set of tees and baskets



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11 0
wolfsbro
Experience: 9 played 8 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Worth the trip! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Finally made the 2-hour drive from Boston to play Nichols Field and it was worth the drive!

~ This is a 100% deep woods course where *every shot is fair*. They've done an incredible job opening up the fairways for big shots within the deep woods.

~ Excellent mix of right and left, up and down. I think it may have even been a little more right than left, which I like as a RHFH guy.

~ There are some very interesting greens on cliffs, rocks, and such.

~ Even the short holes are interesting. As a previous reviewer said, hole 1 will have you thinking a lot and it's only 230 feet. This is awesome. You could have a card of 4 people throw 4 completely different shots on this hole. The RHBH line goes all the way to the basket but it's wide so you really need 260'-270' power to get to the basket. The RHFH line is more direct but the basket isn't in the line, it's pushed back off of it, so if you pure this line on a forehand the best you can do is 25 feet short. But you could reach the basket if you throw a RHBH turnover on this line. But I did something else entirely. I saw a tight but doable gap in the trees halfway down the RHFH line. I figured if I throw a RHFH halfway down the line and then past the line and through that gap, I could come in the back door. It totally worked. Barely missed ace and was 10 feet behind the basket. Just goes to show how smart the design of some of these holes is.

~ People were rolling in for league as I was on my way out. I talked to several people and everyone seemed real nice.

Cons:

~ There's only one layout. I'm fine with it since it's at my level, but in order for the course to be friendly for new players or kids some short tees would be in order. Some holes have room for more basket locations too if you wanted to spice it up.

~ The baskets are good but they're not worthy of the course design. Like imagine if you went to Maple Hill and they just had the most average possible baskets. Nichols is worthy of some serious baskets.

Other Thoughts:

I hope I can keep coming once or twice a year! It was well worth the long trip!
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6 0
Chopper1
Experience: 38.2 years 106 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Must play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

For a wooded course fairways are very fair. Teepads large & level. Baskets caught well & in great condition. Navigation is easy except for 2 holes but not difficult to retrace steps to next hole. Elevation changes & pin placements make the course special! Loved some of the baskets embedded in rocks although my putters didn't. Par 61 seemed a stretch the 1st round I played (shot 58). 2nd round (62) it played to the pars. Beginners luck on round 1 I guess?? Aced #9 during Rnd2!

Cons:

I'm pressed to find any negatives about this course. If any, the tee signs are pretty basic. With the elevation changes & length a flag or some color on the baskets would be nice for locating pins.

Other Thoughts:

If you are near this course I strongly recommend playing it. Played in early fall with perfect weather but can imagine it being just as enjoyable in any season.
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4 0
cjwells24
Experience: 8.9 years 18 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Unpopular Opinion 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tee boxes are in excellent condition and most have brooms to clear off debris.
Tee signs are simple but informative, which I like.
Some holes have picnic tables which must have been a pain to move into the woods.
Park was clean! Course Map at entry to course; take a picture with your phone.

Cons:

Some lack of sign-age. I got lost between hole 9 and 10; wound up playing 14 instead of 10.
Too many trees.

Other Thoughts:

Unpopular opinion: I thought this was okay. I gave this a 3.5/5 because I know players who are better than I, will enjoy this and the course is beautiful.

Maybe this is a sign of how green I am, but I found it very difficult to navigate past the trees on any drive. On ~15 holes, my initial drives were interrupted by trees.

I found a few of the fairways to be incredibly narrow (lookin' at you, 17). Typically, my drives bank a little which made getting through these narrow fairways, without losing my disc to the woods, impossible.
Given the number of trees, and the distance of some of these holes, I would seek to add a stroke to most of the pars.
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9 0
discNDav
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 38 years 437 played 91 reviews
4.00 star(s)

wooded N England challenge 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Basic tee signs yet very informative showing the intended flight path along with the distances. Large flat rubber tee pads with brooms available at times. Very clean park/course, I didn't see any litter to pick up. Tons of elevation which I love in DG, this is definitely a 'hike'. Some parts are STEEP both up and down hill.

After 3 holes, I was wondering why this course was so highly rated, but the rest of the course presented a great challenge with many pars 4's and two par 5's. My notes show I really liked holes 4, 5 ,6 ,7 and 11. Some of the shorter par 3's had 2 very distinct paths which is very good design.

Cons:

Bugs very annoying but not terrible. A few muddy spots, some had wooden bridges/planks to help keep you out of the muck. A colorful flag on the baskets would certainly help with seeing the basket from the tees.

This course isn't easy, I'm sure beginners would feel frustrated, maybe this is a pro for experienced players like myself.

Not located very near an interstate while driving in CT like Cranberry and Wickham are.

Other Thoughts:

I played here the day after 501 in MA and kinda got tired of walking/hiking over rocks/boulders, such is the terrain in the region.

Don't let the name "Field" mislead you, every hole is in the woods.
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11 0
Monocacy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 24 years 493 played 75 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A Gorgeous Hike in the Woods – Plus Disc Golf! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a gorgeous, challenging, well-designed and well-maintained course. Rocky, mature deciduous woods with elevation is my favorite environment for disc golf, and that is exactly what Nichols Field offers. Excellent variety of hole designs: short and technical; long and challenging; right- and left-turners; tough uphill grinds and big downhill bombs; and several holes with multiple lines available.

Often I stepped up to the tee and said "Ooh!" Of particular note are hole 14, a 511' right-turning controlled bomb off a cliff, and hole 17, an 822' straight to right-turning bomber with danger on both sides of the fairway. On both holes the fairway is temptingly wide but the rough will punish transgressions.

I expect this course has excellent replay value. Playing solo on an uncrowded June weekend I was able to throw extra drives to practice different lines. Usually I ran out of suitable discs before running out of options.

Large, grippy and level rubber mat tees over framed substrate. Shaded practice basket. Plenty of benches. Brooms available at many teepads. Port-a-pot and trash cans by the parking lot.

Friendly locals who are justifiably proud of their course. I don't know if the course ever gets crowded but I had Nichols Field pretty much to myself on a glorious Saturday afternoon in late June.

Cons:

Rocky fairways add beauty and challenge but can chunk up your discs. This could be an advantage if you need to season discs quickly.

Gray metal baskets are sometimes difficult to spot. Adding a brightly-colored flag would be helpful. Some chance of disc loss if you get a bad kick off the fairway.

Some mosquitoes, but nothing 40% DEET wipes couldn't handle.

One big loop, so no opportunity to stop at the car mid-round.

Other Thoughts:

There are a goodly number of short, technical holes. This suits my game but some might prefer a few intermediate-length holes (number of holes in the 325-425' range = ZERO). Overall there are 3 holes < 200', 9 holes in the 200-325' range, and 6 holes > 425'.

Nichols Field is woods golf. If you prefer wide-open bomber holes, this probably not the course for you. If you enjoy the challenge of throwing precise lines through fair fairways, you will probably enjoy playing here very much.

Hole 1 is an example of excellent design on a seemingly simple hole. A 215' hole, slightly downhill, with two lines to the basket. The left gap looks more forgiving but a well-thrown RHBH anny or RHFH leaves a 25-30' putt. To park your drive on the left gap one must force over a stable to OS disc RHBH and get a late fade at just the right time. That's a lot of risk-reward decision-making packed into 215'.

Hole 3 has water just past the basket, but blind from the tee. I was fortunate to leave my drive short or I might have lost a disc. Not a problem for local players who know the course.

Tee signs are basic but sufficiently informative in most cases. Course navigation was reasonably intuitive with occasional map consultation.

I enjoyed this course very much.
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5 0
stupidmansuit
Experience: 8.9 years 3 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Outstanding, challenging woods course with zero redundancy of shots. The variety here is what a New England woods course should be. Especially incorporating the elevation changes. I played it once, and am already a fan. Every single hole is challenging. Even those with the baskets right in your face. Can't wait to better learn this course.

Cons:

The challenge here is real. Almost Rockwell park level demanding. I need to play the course more before I get critical of par ratings. Also I lack the skills necessary to make those criticisms worth a damn. Course's fault.

I can see mud and over growth being problematic. Also I lost a disc here. Also the course's fault. I don't make errant golf plays. Stop suppressing my genius, tree/rock/bush/root! That was going to be perfect if...

Other Thoughts:

It's not in my backyard. I have to drive 30 minutes to get there. Not fair. Designers didn't consider me when they made an awesome course not super close to me. Rude.
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9 0
Ryal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.9 years 222 played 186 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Nichols Won't Shortchange You 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 22, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ All tee pads are wide and long rectangles of sturdy flat rubber anchored tight within wooden frames. Many are equipped with brooms to sweep away debris.
+ The fairways are well defined requiring no guess work from the player where to throw.
+ On top of that, the venue was spotless. Numerous signs throughout the course remind players that it is a 'carry-in carry-out' place. Plan accordingly, and please don't litter!
+ The setting is peaceful, secluded and adventurous. The player feels as though they are within an unexplored rural forest with sheer cliffs alongside some holes, a trickling stream during the early holes, stunning downhill glides in the back nine and plenty of rocky and wooded scenery to enjoy all throughout. Much of this course is a fun hike.
+ All holes have benches or some kind of seating arrangement for players to wait and/or recuperate.
+ The 'next hole' signs are visible arrows on wooden planks installed at eye level with multiple signs during the longer walks.

Cons:

-The tee signs are shockingly basic. Despite their clean and consistent appearance at every single hole, they contain very little detail beyond the distance, path and par. This leads to hesitation and/or confusion on the longer more complicated holes.
- Safety is a concern here. Numerous exposed roots, stumps and moss-covered rocks are all over the place. A few of the walks between holes require some gentle climbing, too. Wear sturdy footwear, keep both hands free and go at a leisurely cautious pace, and you'll be fine.
- The lovely forest setting will likely feel repetitive to some players after awhile and offers zero opportunities for full-power throws. Also, keep both eyes on your disc as it flies. I get the feeling that discs can be lost easily here.
- The baskets do not catch the eye. In a heavily wooded course like this with tons of overlapping shadows, visibility of the pin is key. Putting flags on top or using brightly-colored cages could fix this minor issue.

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole at this course might have to be hole 13. I've always had a soft spot for downhill throws, and 13 at this course is a gem. It is one of the shortest holes at Nichols, but the position of the pin is so thrilling at the edge of a small cliff and the elevation between the tee and basket is so drastic that I couldn't help but fall in love.
As for a least favorite hole, I might say that's hole 6. I didn't like the feel of the two fairway options. This is purely subjective. Something about it felt off to my mind, and I can't even be more specific than that.

As for the course as a whole, Nichols Field is magnificent. Some true effort went into making this place a dazzling spot to play our sport. The designers and builders knew exactly what they were doing with this piece of land. Every well established fairway, each of the sturdy and reliable tee pads and the purposefully placed pins combine to form a disc golf course that stands proud and tall over a majority of the courses I've played so far.

And the course is tall. Any player that comes here is in for a treat because of the views provided by the gradually rising vantage points as they progress through the holes- not to mention the holes that incorporate that elevation to begin with. Some players will find the endless trees to be repetitive and boring. I think most players would wish that there could be at least one wide open hole to let loose with a grand reckless glide. Wide diversity certainly makes for a great course, but so does marvelously-executed specialization, and Nichols pulls that off without any doubt.

Newer players might be a bit intimidated at first with all of those trees and only one tee & basket per hole, but there are actually quite a few brief holes. Eleven of the holes are shorter than 300 feet, so fresh players will get good training as they learn to manage woods and elevation- often at the same time! A nice example of this is hole 3 where the player is faced with a gradual rise through a tunnel before a gentle left turn sends the player downhill where the basket waits within a wooded clearing next to a lake.

In closing, I emphatically recommend Nichols Field. Players who prefer to air out their shots and not worry about accuracy until later will have to tone it back a little. Nichols requires accuracy and tactics. The dull baskets and bare-bones tee signs are kind of letdown, but that's the biggest course-specific fault I can aim at Nichols. Just about any player will find themselves charmed by the challenges on offer here. Newbies will appreciate how approachable most of the holes are. More experienced players will like the more brutal challenges through the forest up and down hills. Add to that a presentation that's consistent from start to finish, and you've got one of the best courses in the northeast!
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7 0
TBabb
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 65 played 56 reviews
4.50 star(s)

18 Holes in Middlesex County 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 27, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nichols Field Disc Golf course is located in a public municipal park in East Haddam, CT. The tee boxes here are big, beautiful, and level rubber pads that ensure solid footing off the tee. The course is in its second year and so the Mach V baskets are in great shape too. The designers have put together a widely varied course with all kids of shots and distances required to complete each hole. Fairways are clearly defined and thoughtfully cut out in the woods. Benches are present at many tees and signage is generally excellent and clear. Tee signs show the hole's number, distance, and par information with a hand-drawn map showing the general trajectory of the fairway. This course is very challenging and requires players to negotiate tight gaps, dramatic elevation changes, mandatories, sloping and fast greens, and a variety of angles. Even the shortest holes - there are three under 200ft - are incredibly challenging and have potential to put a big number on your score card. There's a practice basket at the head of the course and an open field near the parking area where one can practice driving. There is plenty of parking and a small playground in the park too. It's a very scenic environment too.

Cons:

The terrain is pretty fun to play here, but can be precarious especially in muddy conditions. The woods are pretty punishing and it would be nice to have an open shot to mix things up a bit. Hand-drawn maps don't provide much help on blind shots. The course overlaps some with hiking trails. I can imagine that the bugs are bad in the warm months.

Other Thoughts:

There is little that one can complain about here. It's a stellar course. It's great to see a great place to play in Middlesex County.
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6 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 304 played 198 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nichols Woods - It's in there like Prego! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent course design integrating an aesthetically pleasing and unique nature hike while playing through winding fairways of heavy woods, decent elevation changes, some huge rock outcroppings/cliffs, and wildlife.

Course mixes up the holes very well with some short fun and dangerous ace runs and some beastly par 4s and a par 5. Downhill shots, flat shots, uphill shots, straight shots, left shots, rights shots, snaking fairway shots, you better believe it's all in there like Prego Traditional Italian Sauce.

Nice rubber tees and decent tee signs and baskets. Easy navigation. Underbrush was fairly well kept considering the newness of the course and the extensiveness of the woods, except in a few places with ferns and downed trees.

IIRC there is a port-a-potty and trash can in the parking lot.

Cons:

Only one big loop of 18 holes back to parking lot, although you can easily play a shorter loop of 9 or 14 holes. Only one set of tees and basket position set for intermediate-advanced skill level. Rank beginners may struggle, but not impossible.

If you have an aversion to woods golf there is nothing anything remotely close to resembling an open hole although the fairways are generally fair.

Thirsty skeeters. Possible hiking trail interference on a couple holes.

Other Thoughts:

Ain't no open field holes at Nichols Field DGC! This gem of a course is all tucked into the heavy woods and rock outcroppings. Nichols is by far my favorite course in CT although I've only played 2 with Rockwell being the other. I feel like the current rating of 4.20 before this review is spot on, and I was really close to giving Nichols a 4.5 rating.

Nichols was my last, but not least course played on another epic New England disc golf road trip, so I was already beat up and ready to go home before I got here, but I really enjoyed playing this course and wanted to stay longer and play it again! Highly recommend this course to any traveling players!
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4 0
cmoney2634
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

CT upped it's game 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2018 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Wow. This course is challenging and fair. The mix of attackable short holes with monster long ones keeps it very interesting. I am also a fan of the lack of OB throughout, and while many people have pointed to the playable rough I disagree. I think, especially for the longer holes, if you find yourself off the fairway it plays like a natural OB. I prefer that to regular OB anyway, keeps it challenging and I don't lose my disc in any water. I also love the use of elevation. Not every course does it correctly, but Nichols uses elevation leading to the pin and also along the hole. Playing up and down hills all day isn't fun, but at Nichols you play up, across, over, and down hills throughout. Hole 17 is a bear that I will one day trap.

Cons:

Fern monsters

Other Thoughts:

Nichols joins Rockwell as the hardest courses in CT. And since Nichols is 3 strokes higher for par I enjoy that too!
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4 1
blazerico
Experience: 19 years 321 played 37 reviews
4.00 star(s)

updownupdownupdown 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 10, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Perhaps it's my love of rock outcrops, but Nichols is a beauty of a course. Lots of elevation changes. Benches, brooms and great teepads. Easy to follow without a map and no long walks between holes.

Cons:

Swampy throughout the course which I'm sure will be mosquito infested areas in the warm months. Baskets are hard to spot, could use some high-visibility tape on the pole or number plate. It's a new course, so some more tree removal may be necessary to make one or two of the fairways actually fair.
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6 0
lannino
Experience: 14.7 years 12 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

WOW! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 24, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Beautiful tee boxes, all are leveled off with good gripy rubber mats.

-Greens and Fairways are very well cleared out of loose brush and undergrowth.

-Shot selection varies widely throughout the course. The added elevation on many of the holes makes for some challenging decisions right off the tee.

-Signage shows the general shape of each hole as well as distances.

Cons:

-Only 1 set of tees. Although the current layout might play as an "Advanced" course, I hope that novices dont get discouraged and that more skilled players dont get bored.

-Signage indicates hiking trails throughout the course, however it wasnt immediately clear to me where I was supposed to be looking for hikers when I was throwing. A couple times I had to HOPE that I wasn't hitting anyone around a blind corner. Perhaps some clear flagging ON the fairways to indicate the path of the trails more clearly?

-Grey baskets tended to disappear against grey rocks and tree trunks. Perhaps flags on top to make baskets more visible?

-Rocks. Not much can be changed about this one,but my discs got CHEWED UP after playing 2 rounds through the many ledges and boulders on the course.

Other Thoughts:

This was my first time visiting this course when i was home for Thanksgiving. I cant wait to play at Christmas time, and will look for tournaments next summer!

The cons that I listed are not really cons as much as suggestions for improvements, I feel like I must stress that I LOVED the course and cant wait to come back.
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5 0
maninthebox
Experience: 36.9 years 56 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 2, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A lot of work has gone into this course and you can tell. Entirely in the woods, but every hole has been sufficiently cleared, with well-defined and more than fair fairways. The rough isn't even too bad if you find yourself straying from the fairway. The course flows well and it was very easy to find the next hole, with very obvious paths leading away from every basket area. The tee boxes are great, with nice wooden frames and rubber tee pads. Signage at every hole shows distances and there are nice benches at every tee if you need a rest. The course uses elevation well and doesn't fall into the trap of making every hole as difficult as possible. There are many sub-300 ft holes to offer birdie chances, as well as a few really long ones to really challenge you. The kiosk at the start of the course has pencils and is stocked with high-quality scorecards. Overall, another very well done course only increases the options for a round of golf in central CT.

Cons:

There's not much to dislike about this course, unless you really hate playing in the woods. Some open holes would improve the variety, but as a course designer, you've got to make due with the land you're given and there really isn't any open land available in this park.

Other Thoughts:

There are 2 entrances/parking areas in this park. Go to the eastern-most entrance and head to the far end of the dirt lot, by the playscape. There are some trails that come into play throughout the course, so be careful of hikers. Although I was there on a nice weekend day and didn't encounter anyone, so they might not be widely used.
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6 3
Pockets
Experience: 8.9 years 4 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful and peaceful part of the state. Love the design of this course, it seems well thought out, it's fun to play and they did a nice job highlighting the natural features of the land. Well balanced in terms of shapes of the fairways (i.e. not all backhand or all forehand shaped, some holes can be played either way which is fun) Efficient layout, no long walks between holes even though there are definitely some long holes. Great tee pad structures/surfaces with nice benches at most of them. Whoever worked on building this course seems like they knew what they were doing and cared about quality.

Cons:

It took longer than normal for our group to play 18 holes (3 person group, took us about 3 hours to play). Not sure if that was because we were just new to the course and had to think longer about our shots or what

It's deeper in the woods than some of the other courses I'm used to, which is awesome, but obviously that means more bugs

Other Thoughts:

Overall one of my favorite courses I've played so far
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