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Nockamixon State Park reviews
31
1
The Most Beautiful Beating in Disc Golf! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 1, 2009
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
For starters, I am an opinionated reviewer due to being one of a handful of volunteers who helped build this course. That being said I will try to be as fair as possible in this review. I think I know the course inside and out like few others.
This course was conceived and built by disc golfers for disc golfers. This does not mean newcomers should not test their mettle against one of the hardest courses ever built. I say this because Nocky is just a thrill to play and don't feel bad no one conquers it.There are no filler holes. Long wooded fairways ending in technical approaches! Every hole will challenge in a way that the prior hole did not. It's long ,8911 feet, and primarily wooded with significant elevation shifts on 2/3 of the holes. The 4 "open" holes, 6,7,8 and 9, still have trees to negotiate off the tee or on approach so there is no reckless driving here. The wind coming off the lake really plays with the disc on holes 6 & 7. There are several creeks that come into play on holes 11,12,14,15,16 and ponds factor on 17. There are also massive boulder fields off the fairway on holes 16 &17. So before we start just remember that unlike other challenging courses that derive their difficulty from a handful of factors, Nockamixon can make your score blow up in countless ways. Wind, Hills, Rocks, Water, Woods, Length, and not to mention the mental aspect of playing the highest rated SSA of any Worlds Championship course ever. (67 by the top pros!) I should know my score has blown up on this course many times. The frustration of not hitting that miniscule fairway and landing in an ice age boulder field on hole 17 can soon turn to joy when your standing off balance atop a giant rock and recover with an approach for the ages. It's just that type of course, plenty of opportunity to save par or even save bogey if you will. You never just throw and approach and putt here. You think about every shot before and even afterwards as you drive home. Nocky is a permanent course in the "eternal" long position so never will you show up and the baskets are in a short position.(holes 1,13,14,and 18 have 2 long baskets each) I think of this as a pro because your gonna get that challenge everytime you show up here, unlike other courses with short pin positions. A quick rundown of the holes:
1-530 ft a flat wooded drive anhyzer off the tee and hyzer upon approach
2-414 ft slight uphill with 2 lanes on either side of a row of evergreens
3-527 ft extremely wooded fairway down to a right dogleg and then to a basket behind a low stone wall
4-246 ft short drive between 2 goal post trees to a basket behind a massive stone wall and perched atop a boulder
5-678 ft long wooded weaving fairway, many complain it's a par 4....just take your bogey, Climo 3ed here and he thought he Eagled as well only to learn it was a par 4. Welcome to Nocky champ!
6-363 ft downhill into the open with dramatic views of Lake Nockamixon all around...the wind drifting off the lake and the pin position on the side of a huge grassy hill can garner birdies as well as double bogeys
7-438 ft Biggest elevation drop on course...big throw into the air to a green surrounded by trees below, placement golf here
8-501 ft uphill journey that eventually ends at a hanging basket from a massive branch
9-730 ft downhill screamer to a grassy plateau and then downhill again to a protected basket tucked in some cedars
A walk past your car and the bathrooms and your looking at
10-821 ft of tight fairway dogleg left that ends with a basket behind a rock wall, this is a true par 5
11-485 ft tight fairway with many options to approach a basket snuggled between 2 creeks
12-252 ft options off the tee R or L uphill but beware as there is a dramatic cliff to the right with many knockdown trees
13-548 ft of can you throw straight to avoid jail left or drop off right...the basket sits atop a cliff so don't over throw your approach
14-305 ft throw R down a tight wooded fairway or L over a creek that lines the entire alternate fairway and make a run at the basket all the way down there
15-555 ft between 2 trees over a steep bank and then uphill to a basket tucked above to the right
16-399 ft downhill a power line over a creek and the baskets sits in the streambed with water beyond and surrounded by waterfalls...did I mention the boulder field that lines the left side of the fairway!
17-552 ft of can you keep it on the fairway tight unforgiving ponds to the left, boulder field to the right...downhill and eventually to a basket that is framed by a huge pond behind her
18-567 ft a nasty right dogleg that will have you negotiate trees, a rock wall and a stream bed before your finally out of the woods on an open green and putting to finish your day!
Nocky is a unique course that will challenge you in so may ways. The beauty of the place will keep you smiling as your score goes well into the 70s, 80s and above!
This course was conceived and built by disc golfers for disc golfers. This does not mean newcomers should not test their mettle against one of the hardest courses ever built. I say this because Nocky is just a thrill to play and don't feel bad no one conquers it.There are no filler holes. Long wooded fairways ending in technical approaches! Every hole will challenge in a way that the prior hole did not. It's long ,8911 feet, and primarily wooded with significant elevation shifts on 2/3 of the holes. The 4 "open" holes, 6,7,8 and 9, still have trees to negotiate off the tee or on approach so there is no reckless driving here. The wind coming off the lake really plays with the disc on holes 6 & 7. There are several creeks that come into play on holes 11,12,14,15,16 and ponds factor on 17. There are also massive boulder fields off the fairway on holes 16 &17. So before we start just remember that unlike other challenging courses that derive their difficulty from a handful of factors, Nockamixon can make your score blow up in countless ways. Wind, Hills, Rocks, Water, Woods, Length, and not to mention the mental aspect of playing the highest rated SSA of any Worlds Championship course ever. (67 by the top pros!) I should know my score has blown up on this course many times. The frustration of not hitting that miniscule fairway and landing in an ice age boulder field on hole 17 can soon turn to joy when your standing off balance atop a giant rock and recover with an approach for the ages. It's just that type of course, plenty of opportunity to save par or even save bogey if you will. You never just throw and approach and putt here. You think about every shot before and even afterwards as you drive home. Nocky is a permanent course in the "eternal" long position so never will you show up and the baskets are in a short position.(holes 1,13,14,and 18 have 2 long baskets each) I think of this as a pro because your gonna get that challenge everytime you show up here, unlike other courses with short pin positions. A quick rundown of the holes:
1-530 ft a flat wooded drive anhyzer off the tee and hyzer upon approach
2-414 ft slight uphill with 2 lanes on either side of a row of evergreens
3-527 ft extremely wooded fairway down to a right dogleg and then to a basket behind a low stone wall
4-246 ft short drive between 2 goal post trees to a basket behind a massive stone wall and perched atop a boulder
5-678 ft long wooded weaving fairway, many complain it's a par 4....just take your bogey, Climo 3ed here and he thought he Eagled as well only to learn it was a par 4. Welcome to Nocky champ!
6-363 ft downhill into the open with dramatic views of Lake Nockamixon all around...the wind drifting off the lake and the pin position on the side of a huge grassy hill can garner birdies as well as double bogeys
7-438 ft Biggest elevation drop on course...big throw into the air to a green surrounded by trees below, placement golf here
8-501 ft uphill journey that eventually ends at a hanging basket from a massive branch
9-730 ft downhill screamer to a grassy plateau and then downhill again to a protected basket tucked in some cedars
A walk past your car and the bathrooms and your looking at
10-821 ft of tight fairway dogleg left that ends with a basket behind a rock wall, this is a true par 5
11-485 ft tight fairway with many options to approach a basket snuggled between 2 creeks
12-252 ft options off the tee R or L uphill but beware as there is a dramatic cliff to the right with many knockdown trees
13-548 ft of can you throw straight to avoid jail left or drop off right...the basket sits atop a cliff so don't over throw your approach
14-305 ft throw R down a tight wooded fairway or L over a creek that lines the entire alternate fairway and make a run at the basket all the way down there
15-555 ft between 2 trees over a steep bank and then uphill to a basket tucked above to the right
16-399 ft downhill a power line over a creek and the baskets sits in the streambed with water beyond and surrounded by waterfalls...did I mention the boulder field that lines the left side of the fairway!
17-552 ft of can you keep it on the fairway tight unforgiving ponds to the left, boulder field to the right...downhill and eventually to a basket that is framed by a huge pond behind her
18-567 ft a nasty right dogleg that will have you negotiate trees, a rock wall and a stream bed before your finally out of the woods on an open green and putting to finish your day!
Nocky is a unique course that will challenge you in so may ways. The beauty of the place will keep you smiling as your score goes well into the 70s, 80s and above!
Cons:
What makes Nocky so great is what makes it so despised. It's just so difficult. The chance to lose discs is possible if you can't keep it on the fairways. the shule is not so thick, it's just that the course is entirely woods and long so your often driving wildly off the tee with little room for error. Many novices tend to rip with reckless abandon and then its search search search. The footing can be mush or rocky if you don't land in the proper areas....this can be fun as you will often be forced to stand and drive off balance. many get upset that they can't run up and X step due to slipping or tripping. When it rains the course can be a soggy mess, especially holes 3,7 and 18. Never was meant as a beginner course and will beat down any inexperienced players without mercy. If you attempt to lay up you are usually left with an equally difficult 2nd shot...you are better off going for it which typically spells dusaster for those who have less experience.
Other Thoughts:
I love this course like no other. I have played many other courses and few can compare to this place, combining beauty and difficulty. Keep in mind that the course is maintained by less than 5 people and it is a labor of love. The deer do their part as well eating all the foliage off the cedars up to the 2 meter mark! Plans are in the works to upgrade and improve the course. I would think a trip to Nocky is worthwhile for every level of golfer. Pro's will be truly challenged and novices will enjoy the chance to play a real course in an amazing setting. When conditions are wet and Nocky is not maintained it is a 4 disc rating but when it's dry and the course is maintained it is a five disc rating. The true true scenario is somewhere in between...
6
3
jtcline
Experience:
15 years
4 played
2 reviews
ToughEST 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:May 9, 2009
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
The extra 4 holes are great! I always felt slightly cheated with only 14 holes. By far the toughest course I've ever played.
Cons:
None. Thank you for cutting the grass. And thanks to all state workers and volunteers who maintain this course. It is AWESOME! (I still think #5 hole,old #1 is a PAR 5, but that is my only tiny gripe)
Other Thoughts:
It is a love/ hate relationship. It is the course that truly challenges me. If I get single digits over PAR, I consider it a great round!
10
3
Now 18, back to the beast it always was! 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Mar 5, 2007
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
18 of the toughest holes I've ever played! Tee pads, rubber, are in excellent shape and absorb rainfall well. Baskets are in nice shape as well. Many holes marked with orange flags for sight as well, adding additonal help. Fairways are well defined, and with spring here, bad drives are punished more than, say, in the fall and winter. Not too many truly "open holes" here, but there's not one true "pinball machine" hole where you're just throwing it and hoping for luck. This course will take every trick you have. Getting pars on a few of these holes will be extremely tough. Bathrooms and water fountain with faucet at the bottom of the hill towards the 6th tee. Holes 15 through 18 are new to me, so I will go through them:
Hole 15: Mostly straightforward with small creek about 3/5 of way through. Bad drives punished but not a tight fairway.
Hole 16: Interesting par 4. The basket is easily seeable and you have a tight route on the right and a much more open, but longer route, farther left. This evens the playing field for lefties vs. righties.
Hole 17: Left hander benefits on the tee shot. Once out you will have a small creek and a lot of room to work with. Be careful of the boulders (true with almost the whole course).
Final hole: Probably the easiest hole if you can make it past the first set of trees. Basket is on a small pile of rocks maybe four or five feet high. Makes for terrific ace runs on a course that is mostly ace dry.
Hole 15: Mostly straightforward with small creek about 3/5 of way through. Bad drives punished but not a tight fairway.
Hole 16: Interesting par 4. The basket is easily seeable and you have a tight route on the right and a much more open, but longer route, farther left. This evens the playing field for lefties vs. righties.
Hole 17: Left hander benefits on the tee shot. Once out you will have a small creek and a lot of room to work with. Be careful of the boulders (true with almost the whole course).
Final hole: Probably the easiest hole if you can make it past the first set of trees. Basket is on a small pile of rocks maybe four or five feet high. Makes for terrific ace runs on a course that is mostly ace dry.
Cons:
I recommend bringing the oldest shoes you have and the oldest pair of socks you have. The course tends to stay wet a while after rain but still quite playable. The holes don't have maps, but the fairways are defined enough so even a newcomer can probably enjoy it.
Other Thoughts:
Certainly not a course for first-timers. Many holes here would be awesome signature holes elsewhere. Hole 2 has a pin high on a hill, and any disc that would roll will be found at the bottom and will take at least 2 to get back up. Hole 4 has a hanging basket off a low branch. Hole 6 is probably the toughest and longest hole here, easily 800 plus feet and not all open either. If you birdie this par 5, remeber that shot for a while. Hole 9's pin is just feet away from a cliff. If you're going to go for it, hope you either make it or come short. Go over the man-made bridges, including the Nocky infamous "Motherbridge" after the 11th tee. There's a waterfall both near the 7th and 12th pins, and after a railfall it looks even better. The elevated pin on the 18th rounds out what is easily one of my top courses and THE must play course in and around the Lehigh Valley. Ten minutes from major connector route 309 and about 15 minutes from I-476. Many good eating establishments in nearby Quakertown.
