Seven Springs - Old Layout reviews
10
0
Acquired Taste 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 27, 2011
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
+ Three tee locations per hole, providing options for various skill levels.
+ Practice basket near tees 1 & 10.
+ Superb views, from holes 1, 3, and 15 in particular.
+ The map is quite useful in navigating the course - a must have.
+ Only 15~minutes off the Donegal exit of the PA turnpike
+ Extreme downhill numbers 3 & 15 give you plenty of opportunity to watch your disc fly
+ Practice basket near tees 1 & 10.
+ Superb views, from holes 1, 3, and 15 in particular.
+ The map is quite useful in navigating the course - a must have.
+ Only 15~minutes off the Donegal exit of the PA turnpike
+ Extreme downhill numbers 3 & 15 give you plenty of opportunity to watch your disc fly
Cons:
- Tee locations are natural, typically grass, often at a slant - whatever the slope of the hill happens to be.
- Baskets showing their age - rusting chains, fading yellow bands.
- Costs $15 for a round, or $35 for a wristband which grants you access to the course, and other activities, all day. Disc golf-wise, the chairlift starts operating at 1000, and quits running at 1700, possibly longer hours on weekends.
- Flow is a bit choppy in places. After riding the lift to the top, holes 1 & 10 are up the path to the right, then walk back past the lift to find tees 2 & 11 to the left. It actually makes more sense to play number-1, re-trace your steps up the hill, then play number-10, which plays back towards the lift. This allows you to start at tee-11 the second portion of your round. Later, the most obvious teesign, to the left of basket-12, is white-14 - the tees for number-13 are to the back right, so after finishing number-13, turn back left to find the tees for number-14.
- Chance of disc loss is on the high side. Numbers 2 & 11 have large ponds near them/along flightpaths. Several baskets are set near/in the small pockets of trees that separate the ski slopes. Because the copses of trees aren't extremely dense, plenty of sunlight infiltrates them. This generates very thick undergrowth, which isn't mowed/cut, because it doesn't interfere with skiing, but it certainly makes finding discs very difficult!
- Extreme downhill numbers 3 & 15 give you plenty of opportunity to watch your disc fly ... far away into the sunset, or dense trees, or thick underbrush, or wherever they may eventually land (I think my Wraith on #15 is still flying, several weeks later). You then have a treacherous walk down the steep decline prior to initiating your search(es).
- Baskets showing their age - rusting chains, fading yellow bands.
- Costs $15 for a round, or $35 for a wristband which grants you access to the course, and other activities, all day. Disc golf-wise, the chairlift starts operating at 1000, and quits running at 1700, possibly longer hours on weekends.
- Flow is a bit choppy in places. After riding the lift to the top, holes 1 & 10 are up the path to the right, then walk back past the lift to find tees 2 & 11 to the left. It actually makes more sense to play number-1, re-trace your steps up the hill, then play number-10, which plays back towards the lift. This allows you to start at tee-11 the second portion of your round. Later, the most obvious teesign, to the left of basket-12, is white-14 - the tees for number-13 are to the back right, so after finishing number-13, turn back left to find the tees for number-14.
- Chance of disc loss is on the high side. Numbers 2 & 11 have large ponds near them/along flightpaths. Several baskets are set near/in the small pockets of trees that separate the ski slopes. Because the copses of trees aren't extremely dense, plenty of sunlight infiltrates them. This generates very thick undergrowth, which isn't mowed/cut, because it doesn't interfere with skiing, but it certainly makes finding discs very difficult!
- Extreme downhill numbers 3 & 15 give you plenty of opportunity to watch your disc fly ... far away into the sunset, or dense trees, or thick underbrush, or wherever they may eventually land (I think my Wraith on #15 is still flying, several weeks later). You then have a treacherous walk down the steep decline prior to initiating your search(es).
Other Thoughts:
* Two 9=hole loops, starting up and to the right of the lift exit, finishing to the left and slightly above the entry to the lift.
* Flightpaths on most holes were quite open, accommodating a wide variety of approaches, with a bit of left-turn bias. What obstacles (typically trees, occasionally a ski-related structure) a hole might have were most frequently near the basket - only a few times were there any obstacles near/mid flight.
* About half the holes had some loss in elevation, about half were flat/cross slope, and only a couple had any regaining of elevation.
* Favourite hole: #2. Water along the right side the first half, thick line of bushes and small trees the last half along the left side, one tree dead straight at the 2/3rds mark, and a few scattered trees near the basket to toughen the approach.
* Least favourite hole: #17. Low/mod 100s, up slope, wide open except for one large hardwood near the basket.
* Playing disc golf on a ski slope in general, at Seven Springs in particular, may not be for everyone, but it poses challenges different than what you'll find at a typical disc golf course - certainly give it a try at some point in your dg-career.
* Flightpaths on most holes were quite open, accommodating a wide variety of approaches, with a bit of left-turn bias. What obstacles (typically trees, occasionally a ski-related structure) a hole might have were most frequently near the basket - only a few times were there any obstacles near/mid flight.
* About half the holes had some loss in elevation, about half were flat/cross slope, and only a couple had any regaining of elevation.
* Favourite hole: #2. Water along the right side the first half, thick line of bushes and small trees the last half along the left side, one tree dead straight at the 2/3rds mark, and a few scattered trees near the basket to toughen the approach.
* Least favourite hole: #17. Low/mod 100s, up slope, wide open except for one large hardwood near the basket.
* Playing disc golf on a ski slope in general, at Seven Springs in particular, may not be for everyone, but it poses challenges different than what you'll find at a typical disc golf course - certainly give it a try at some point in your dg-career.
