Pros:
After striking out with Happy Camp's disc golf course we headed south on the 96 to the junction with Salmon River Rd which becomes Cecilville Rd. in a few miles. I have never heard of Cecilville before this disc golf course was put in, which is funny because I have driven highway 96 from Willow Creek to Happy Camp many times before and just had never seen this road apparently. Of course, there really is nothing to Cecilville, it is basically this disc golf course, the saloon, and the gas station, all located on the same property, that's it. The road itself is quite the little adventure coming in. It is a narrow two lane road that often feels like a one lane that winds its way over the river canyon for miles at a time with a steep drop below. The real trick is oncoming traffic on these roads and trying to get around each other. We actually got to experience both of the roads to Cecilville as we came in from the east and left to the west. Cecilville is located about halfway beteen Willow Creek and Weed on this narrow little road about a two hour drive from each, making this a very remote location. The road on the east side of Cecilville is definitely an improvement as it two lane all the way to Weed, just narrow and winding. Anyway, that's enough about the crazy road to get you to Cecilville. The course was clearly marked after 2 hours of driving and we pulled up to the saloon steps, and went in. The saloon sells drinks and discs, what more can you ask for. We were told that they had plans for food too. We payed, were given a map and scorecard and were on our way. As we came out a herd of wild horses was crossing the road into the grass area where the first couple of holes are at. The first hole was located behind the gas station so we kind of walked around the horses and got to the first tee, only to have a wild horse staring me down about 10 feet off the tee. I've played a lot of courses and encountered a lot of critters, from rattlers, bears, deer, elk, and cougars, to an alligator in Florida, and cows a plenty, to a turtle earlier on this trip, but I think this is my first showdown with a wild stallion. He took his sweet time grazing before he finally cleared the area so we could throw. The tees are all concrete and more than ample although I noticed a big crack across one. The baskets were all brand new DGA Mach X's. Signage was simply small rocks with the hole number on them and the course logo. The first three holes are set in kind of a campground area with a pastoral setting, hence the horses. Unfortunately with big horses comes big piles of pooh, and there was more than their fair share out here on these first couple of holes. Luckily you only stay up here for the first three holes, holes 4 and 5 have you teeing off and playing alongside Crawford Creek, making for lovely little water hazard holes. Hole 6 is an open par 4 throwing back across the meadow at 505'. Hole 7 is a little wrap around hyzer along the tree line, and holes 8 and 9 play across and down a little wooded hill area back to almost hole 1s basket. The back 9 are a little bit of a walk or in our case a drive, about a ½ mile down Cecilville Rd. and across the bridge on the other side of the road. They make a big loop out and about a large meadow framed by the road on one side and the Salmon River on the other. Most of the first couple holes were large hyzers for RHBH in the open and felt a little repetitive although the baskets were tucked into trees and bushes for some obstacle. Hole 13 played all the way down to the river bank with the basket sitting a few feet from the river. The last holes played along the wooded riparian area alongside the river, and were quite enjoyable. One of the last couple holes had a big bench swing where you could sit and enjoy the views.
Cons:
The biggest con will probably be the remoteness of the course, although as others have mentioned that is also a pro. If visiting you probably should plan on camping and overnight accommodations, although the course is doable as a day trip from Redding or Eureka, just plan on a long day, especially with the drive on the crazy roads. As for the course itself I don't see any real glaring cons. Signage can be improved, but since they give you a map and scorecard with distances when you pay, really a minor quibble.
Other Thoughts:
This is an incredible and beautiful area for a disc golf course, and it seems like the owners are attempting to do the course right. Although elevation is used often for shots this is not an extremely strenuous course, and the course plays very relaxing and mellow. There is a good mix of ace runs along with long bombers. The course is very beginner and intermediate friendly, but also challenging enough for even the most seasoned player. The river and scenery are of course the big tourist draw for the area, this course just adds one more layer to the mix.