UC Santa Cruz campus sits high above Monterey Bay with a lovely view of the bay and surrounds. The intramural building, the pool and some athletic fields overlook the parking lots, soccer fields and the bay farther out in the distance. According to the map we acquired in the intramural office, the course starts behind the pool near some woods playing by some campus buildings hitting a light pole on the way then teeing off from the 220 meter mark on the track heading over to the Felta Nu Thi House back to small white pole over there crossing back over to that small bush before finishing at some metal pole over here and Tippicanoe and Tyler too. And we saw some coeds sunning by the pool! And we didn't need the map for that. So that''s the good part.

The map was written by either:

A: University California Santa Cruz Graduate Students writing their Doctorate Thesis on :The Earth's Relative Poisition To Monterey Bay Regarding The San Andreas Fault"

or

B: Drunken Japaneese Frat Boys

Either way. It made absolutely no sense to us. But that didn't really matter as there were no teepads to reference as to object targets anyway. But the views of the Monterey Bay were great. And there were coeds sunning by the pool!

There really is no course here. But there is a map. You figure it out! Then you could find the teepads. Then you could find targets. Oh wait! You could do that at any park, campus, mall, high school, elementary school, hospital, pretty much, anywhere in America. Stand somewhere. Aim at a distance target, Throw disc. Count throws. Hit target. Make your own map and you have UCSC disc course. All you need to add is the coeds.

UC Santa Cruz is nestled in the foothills of Santa Cruz, just minutes away from downtown. The DG course is located on the outskirts of campus near the intramural fields, about five to seven minutes away once you turn down Bay Street.

As I made my way toward the course for the first time, what caught my eye was how serene the landscape of the tall dry grass appeared as it undulated along the hillside. As I made my way into the parking lot and up the walkway toward campus, a gorgeous intramural field awaited, with vibrant green grass and an incredible 180 degree view of the Monterey Sanctuary (coastline). The way the course was set up in 1979, it plays along the hillside above and around the entire sports field. With anywhere from gentle to hard western winds always coming in from the water, disc flight will usually be altered to some degree so an overstable disc might be useful on this course. When I went with my friend, we both only played with a Buzzz, which made the course more challenging and enjoyable. There is no reason to bring out a tour bag considering the course is wide open with little to no obstacles. However, with the elevation, wind, and at times distance, the holes can still require some skill to par. Holes appear to range anywhere from 150-350 feet, with elevation on every hole.

This course is located in one of the more beautiful areas I have had a chance to play in yet! It is unfortunate however, that the course doesn't seem to measure up to the landscape. As the previous reviewer stated, the course is unplayable without a map and the chances of obtaining one are quite difficult. Because of this, Safari is your best bet. If moving clockwise or counter clockwise around the perimeter most of the holes can eventually be figured out. Finding the tee pads on the other hand is another story. Tee pads are extremely difficult to find, although there are some of the original metal tee signs standing above ground three feet high which may be of some help at times. The rest of the pads are just worn away in particular spots along the course. Tee posts are all over the place, although there are the original ones with numbers toward the top, and then others which appear like the originals, and others that are there just to be confusing.

What drew me to this course was the notion that it was installed in 1979, four years before De LaVeaga in 1983. Growing up in the Santa Cruz Mountains for over 20 years, Santa Cruz has always been my home away from home. With world class disc golfing and ball golfing nearby, as well as breathtaking beaches, fine cuisine ,and colorful people, you are guaranteed to enjoy yourself in this quaint little city.