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North Putnam DGC reviews
14
0
This Cougar has Claws
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Sep 10, 2023
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
North Put DGC features 21 (soon to be 22) holes painstakingly carved out of some thick woods behind the eponymous school complex. Each hole features a long and a short tee pad. And to the designer's credit the long tee pads usually alter the shape of the shot rather than just adding 30-50 feet.
The aforementioned tee pads are the concrete hog-slats typical of the newer courses in this area. They're perfectly serviceable unless you have a James Conrad style run up. The baskets are new and work just fine as well.
Hole 2 from the long tees is probably the best candidate for a featured hole. The tee pad is naturally elevated over the fairway which contains some grabby guardian trees. Navigate your way around them (or just throw over them if you're actually good at disc golf) and you'll find yourself rewarded with a risky putt onto an elevated basket.
Speaking of elevation there's plenty to be found here, and it's put to good use - particularly on holes 15 and 16. You'll find yourself throwing up, throwing down, and throwing across all sorts of ravines and hills and slopes and what-have-you's throughout the course.
Accuracy is at a premium here on this property. Hit your gap and you're usually rewarded with a look at birdie but miss your line or hit a tree and you'll find yourself through the Wardrobe looking for your disc in Narnia.
The aforementioned tee pads are the concrete hog-slats typical of the newer courses in this area. They're perfectly serviceable unless you have a James Conrad style run up. The baskets are new and work just fine as well.
Hole 2 from the long tees is probably the best candidate for a featured hole. The tee pad is naturally elevated over the fairway which contains some grabby guardian trees. Navigate your way around them (or just throw over them if you're actually good at disc golf) and you'll find yourself rewarded with a risky putt onto an elevated basket.
Speaking of elevation there's plenty to be found here, and it's put to good use - particularly on holes 15 and 16. You'll find yourself throwing up, throwing down, and throwing across all sorts of ravines and hills and slopes and what-have-you's throughout the course.
Accuracy is at a premium here on this property. Hit your gap and you're usually rewarded with a look at birdie but miss your line or hit a tree and you'll find yourself through the Wardrobe looking for your disc in Narnia.
Cons:
Maintenance may prove to be the biggest downfall of this course. A lot of the course plays through the woods but there is a half dozen or so holes where the fairways will need to be mowed regularly through the warmer months. I hope I'm wrong but I'm afraid the school's custodial staff won't be going too far out of their way to ensure those fairways are kept playable.
The rough here really lives up to its name. Losing a disc is a clear and present danger. There's a reason the description mentions long pants are recommended. One errant throw or bad tree kick and you'll be waist-deep in thorns and whatever else grows in the wilds of Putnam County. Also being in Putnam County, this course would not be complete without the Corn Field on hole 4 that very much comes into play. There's also a boggy marshy area that comes into play on holes 1 and 22. And since hole 22 features a semi-blind tee shot if your disc ends up in there then good luck finding it.
Navigation is also pretty tricky until you get a lay of the land. The course essentially plays as 2 separate 11-hole tracks. So, after hole 6 you'll have couple hundred-yard stroll along the corn field to get to 7, and then repeat the process after hole 17. There are some next tee signs and posts to help but you may still find you need a compass. You will definitely be getting your steps in here, and with all the elevation it can feel more like a hike than a round of disc golf at times. There's an old rickety bench by 15's basket and some benches at the old abandoned outdoor classroom between 13 and 14 but it could do with some more places to rest out here.
The rough here really lives up to its name. Losing a disc is a clear and present danger. There's a reason the description mentions long pants are recommended. One errant throw or bad tree kick and you'll be waist-deep in thorns and whatever else grows in the wilds of Putnam County. Also being in Putnam County, this course would not be complete without the Corn Field on hole 4 that very much comes into play. There's also a boggy marshy area that comes into play on holes 1 and 22. And since hole 22 features a semi-blind tee shot if your disc ends up in there then good luck finding it.
Navigation is also pretty tricky until you get a lay of the land. The course essentially plays as 2 separate 11-hole tracks. So, after hole 6 you'll have couple hundred-yard stroll along the corn field to get to 7, and then repeat the process after hole 17. There are some next tee signs and posts to help but you may still find you need a compass. You will definitely be getting your steps in here, and with all the elevation it can feel more like a hike than a round of disc golf at times. There's an old rickety bench by 15's basket and some benches at the old abandoned outdoor classroom between 13 and 14 but it could do with some more places to rest out here.
Other Thoughts:
Hole 5 is slated to be installed by local legend Steve Boylan in the fall of 2023. I hesitated to post a review until it was complete, but I don't think it will alter the overall score enough to matter - and they had a kickoff ceremony / tournament already, so I figured all bets are off.
I must admit it's hard for me to remain impartial and objective since this is actually my alma mater. It's almost surreal to be back on campus throwing frisbees through the old cross-country course.
Anyway the reality is this course is a very unpolished gem. The fairways should probably be a little wider and there's still some trees that would be better off removed, and you will eventually get sick and tired and exhausted wading through chest-high brush looking for discs, but the essence and soul of a great course is buried somewhere underneath all that. Things are rough around the edges here but if you can overlook or deal with all the inconveniences there's some real salt-of-the-earth charm to be found. For instance there's an old family grave plot literally next to hole 18. Some of the folks buried there were alive during the Revolutionary war. If nothing else it's unique!
I must admit it's hard for me to remain impartial and objective since this is actually my alma mater. It's almost surreal to be back on campus throwing frisbees through the old cross-country course.
Anyway the reality is this course is a very unpolished gem. The fairways should probably be a little wider and there's still some trees that would be better off removed, and you will eventually get sick and tired and exhausted wading through chest-high brush looking for discs, but the essence and soul of a great course is buried somewhere underneath all that. Things are rough around the edges here but if you can overlook or deal with all the inconveniences there's some real salt-of-the-earth charm to be found. For instance there's an old family grave plot literally next to hole 18. Some of the folks buried there were alive during the Revolutionary war. If nothing else it's unique!
