Paw Paw, WV

Whippin' Post

4.45(based on 25 reviews)
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24 0
New013
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.8 years 179 played 120 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Whip it Good 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Paw Paw is everything you could want in a disc golf venue; an incredible landscape with giant rolling hills and two courses weaving in and out of the woods. Whippin' Post is not just the best of the two on site, it's one of the best there is.

It's a combination of everything that makes a layout great and forces you to throw every shot you have and then the shots you don't have.
Let's start with the variety; open / open to wooded / wooded to open / wooded to wooded; and every single hole requires accuracy and usually accuracy over distance to score well. Not only are you being forced to hit gaps over hundreds of feet but you're dealing with fairways that bend back and forth and slopes that make you consider every possible kick and landing. It felt like every hole here needed to finish one way or the other just to be safe or have a solid look at the basket.

The kicker for this course is that all of this is playing out over a massive amount of land and elevation change. The open holes roll over huge slopes and the wooded holes teeter on e the edge of sheer drop offs that would make anyone who kicked down the wrong way regret doing so. The elevation changes not only make you throw up, down and over but they force you to take away entire parts of the course as possible avenues unless you want to pay a steep price for missing your line.

Now the open holes here aren't your garden variety bomb it out and not worry about where it lands type. Yeah you can really let some fly here but the basket positions coupled with the elevation changes and the old growth trees make you work the disc over huge distances and make you really consider what part of the fairway you're landing on.

The greens are very well designed and on the multiple shot holes how you approach the green and where you landed off the tee really come in to play. In many cases the lines shrink to fair but tight alleys that really make you want to push your distance off the tee so you can have a shorter more finesse approach. If you are looking at some of these wooded holes and didn't get far off the tee you can pretty much forget about getting to the basket unless you pull off a miracle shot and to me this all just adds to up to what disc golf at its highest level should be about.

On top of how the land creates one of the perfect settings for a course of this magnitude it also gives you a gorgeous rolling pasture and one memorable shot after another.

There's one pond on this side of the property that comes in to play twice. Once giving you a real thinker of an approach as the land goes sharp downhill towards the water where the basket sits and then another shot off the hill and over the pond as the finishing hole. Every great course needs a great finishing hole and this course really gives it to you.

I could keep going about all the details that make this course easily in my Top 5 and quite possibly my favorite pure course yet. It's challenging yet fair and gives you options on how far you want to push off the tee or how close you want to push your approach to that edge. It makes you think on a level most courses just fail to do and that coupled with the landscape it's built on creates the monster that is Whippin' Post. If you don't bring your A game to this course you will get whipped.

Equipment - The baskets are in solid condition and caught well even though they've seen some weathering. The tee signs are in poor condition and on some holes not really there or faded but on arrival you are given a map which shows the layout and hole distances. I've seen some people say it was confusing and hard to follow but with the map we found our way pretty easily.

Cons:

Layout - One of the few cons for this course is what I think are a few over-guarded greens that take away solid lanes for really good drives on multiple par holes. There's only a few but I do think some could have a few more trees taken down without taking anything away from the challenge.

Without a map there are a couple intersections where multiple holes have tee and basket in the vicinity so I can see where someone could get confused. However as I said it really isn't that hard to figure out if you pay attention. Definitely download the map off the site in case the owners are not there to give you a map on arrival.

Equipment - The pads here are crush and run and in some places not level and being overgrown. I was not a fan of these pads and many times when able I threw off to the side off the grass. Secondly the teesigns here are in bad shape and in many cases don't give you a great idea of what to do. The map is actually what you should rely on. With this type of course it's easy to understand why these two features aren't more advanced but to me this is the one real drawback to both courses at Paw Paw.

Other Thoughts:

As I write this review I have this course #1 in my top ten and after the recent trip I took with this course included I really had to think about how things would shake out. I've gone back and forth but when you combine every aspect of this course together it just gives you the most balanced epic course I've played to date.

Also, Paw Paw is remote. Bring whatever you might need with you because once you're up there the closest store is miles down a mountain.
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21 0
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.8 years 181 played 150 reviews
5.00 star(s)

18 Ways to Say "Awesome" 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

While there are many, many pros here, what makes Whippin' Post truly special is how packed it is with character across the board. There isn't a bad hole here, to say nothing of throw-aways: the top-level consistency is amazing, with each hole chock full of wrinkles, surprises, and brow-furrowing challenges. You'll find yourself doing battle with an astonishing range of shots, terrain, and obstacles, in combinations you've never dreamed of. Many of those dreams can easily turn into nightmares if you're not careful, but the uniqueness and beauty help temper the sting. When you gladly take a 6 on the tree-studded 4, if your putter kicks into the terrifying abyss bordering hole 8, or in case your favorite driver gets swallowed up by the pond on 18 because you fooled yourself into thinking you could throw 400', just take a deep breath, admire your gorgeous surroundings, and remind yourself that disc golfing here is the definition of the good life.

There are just so many individual nuances here that it makes singling out shots or holes difficult. Whippin' Post's awesomeness pervades throughout. I could almost say that my favorite holes are something like 2-17. The exceedingly varied terrain the course plays across helps keep things fresh throughout the round: the middle third of the holes play through thick woods, but the progression to this point is paced, with the level of woodedness slowly building over the first seven holes. Hole 14 brings you back out into the more spacious terrain that closes things out, but the excellent use of available obstacles keeps the challenge up, only shifting the focus. Overall, the mix of shots and looks is nothing less than superb. "You'll need every shot in your bag" gets thrown around a lot in course reviews, but it's the only way to describe Whippin' Post. Versatility beyond one throwing style is in high demand here: if you throw exclusively one style, be it BH, FH, OH, whathaveyou, you'll be behind the 8 ball at some point. Elevation plays a major factor throughout, as a direct challenge, OB-like deterrent, or secondary factor that further complicates your shots. The course emphasizes obstacle-laden multistage holes, with an extremely high challenge level wherein every shot counts, but within that theme Whippin' Post presents some very varied takes.

The setting is beautiful, and I was very impressed with how well the course was groomed, especially considering: 1) it's private, 2) it's huge, and 3) it plays through some crazy-thick woods. The tees are hard-packed gravel, which may not sound attractive on paper but do a great job in practice. Run-up and footing are essential here with the long holes and precise demands, and the tees were never anything less than completely reliable. Navigation is mostly intuitive, though having the map on hand can be helpful at a few points.

Cons:

Whippin' Post is the most uncompromising course I've played. It's hole after hole of extreme challenge, with seemingly no concern to mix this up. Only one set of tees further hammers home that there is only one way to play this course. This intensity distinguishes Whippin' Post and is part of the fun (more like "fun" at times), but probably the biggest design critique I have is the lack of variety on the challenge front, and the accompanying focus on long, multistage holes. This is of course a huge matter of preference, especially since its this focus on demanding golf throughout that helps make Whippin' Post unique and incredible. It bears mentioning, though.

The immense challenge offered here means this course is only for experienced players. You don't by any means need to play Open - I'm a high Rec/low Intermediate golfer, and I was blown away by Whippin' Post - but the course is certainly not for everybody. The physical challenge associated with navigating the hilly, wooded terrain could also deter some. It's not an unreasonable trek, though.

The long holes and lack of adequate signage often force you to scout ahead to put eyes on the basket. This makes an already-long course play even longer. Two of us played our round here in three hours, perhaps a little more, and we weren't dilly-dallying. That's on top of an even longer round on Woodshed, too.

Though the rough is for the most part very well thinned out given the environment, there are still a lot of opportunities to lose discs, be it the extreme drop-offs, the occasional high grass, the thick woods bordering some holes, or the pond. Be mindful of the many disasters that could strike before you throw that uber-rare CE Eagle of yours.

Other Thoughts:

I did not know what to expect from my visit here, with the minimal amount of pictures and the lack of recent reviews. What I found was a truly top-level course in Whippin' Post, one of the best I've ever played. It's presently one of only two 5.0s I've given out of the nearly 60 courses I've played, ranking ahead of stalwarts like Moraine, Deer Lakes, Shawshank, and Selah Creekside. I cannot urge you enough to make this trip, as long as you're willing to make a day of it and take on the challenge here.

I preferred Whippin' Post to Woodshed pretty handily: the design was more varied, more challenging, and altogether better. The navigation was significantly easier, too. I was impressed with how distinct the two courses were.

My rounds at Woodshed and Whippin' Post made for the most demanding day of golf I've ever had (and this is from a guy who has played five courses in a day). Don't expect to do anything other than play these two courses on the day you visit. They'll bring you really out of the way of civilization, so come prepared food-wise.

Play here!
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18 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 178 played 144 reviews
5.00 star(s)

True to its Name 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hole 3 at the Whippin' Post is cleverly named "Surprise" with its basket tucked away among many trees on an uphill slope. This name would be appropriate for many of the holes here, as every time I stepped up to the tee, I was greeted with another gem of a hole, unique to others I have played: Surprise, here's another heart-pumping, one-of-a-kind hole. The Whippin' Post offers hole after hole of greatness and maintains this high-level consistency throughout the round.

It is located on an awesome piece of property with its rolling hills and dense woods that was made for disc golf. Far from anything else, you will most likely have this land all to yourself. While I didn't meet Gabbi when I was there, I had a very helpful phone conversation with her as she gave me precise directions for how to journey to their property. She was kind enough to have her son welcome us, give us a course map, and show us where each course began. "Rustic" doesn't quite adequately describe the property, which offers bathrooms and a practice basket near the parking area. There are couches to relax on between rounds and they even set out jugs of water for us in the barn.

This is one of the best courses I have played in regards to technical design, variety, and fun factor. This course truly has everything as it offers extremely tight lines in the woods, more open shots over the rolling hills and pond, and multi-stage holes playing from open to tight woods and vice versa. There are multiple holes with EXTREME elevation and ravines come into play on many occasions.

The course starts with a fairly open shot into the woods and hole 2 throws you a dauntingly tight ravine hole. Holes 3-6 play through a moderately wooded area, allowing you to throw calculated bombs through multiple lane options to tight pin positions. Holes 7-11 is one of the most intimidating stretch of holes I have played, incorporating different looks around a vastly deep ravine. 12 and 13 take you to the edge of the woods, while 14-18 offer welcoming open holes that play over huge rolling hills and near the pond.

Great risk/reward factor throughout, whether it's trying to avoid a tree kick down to the bottom of the ravine, parking an upshot without rolling down yet another steep hill, or avoiding the pond as you approach the basket.

The course has such a great replay value, as every hole could be played differently again and again. This is due to the fact that most holes are multi-dimensional, combining elevation, different lines, and different levels of woodenness. There was never a hole where, "Ok, here is a straight-forward, super tight tree-lined path to the basket, you either hit it or you don't." Even as you play through dense woods, multiple lanes are offered and catering to a FH or BH player. While most holes are very heavily wooded, it isn't devastating to scramble back onto the fairway. The course has been very well groomed and discs were always easily located.

Navigation is not really an issue here and is intuitive to finding the next tee. The map was helpful for the few confusing points and in listing the hole lengths.

I have to say, I enjoyed using these huge gravel tees and the tee signs here were well-appreciated.

Cons:

-The bookend holes would be brutal to play if maintenance was an issue, but it seems as though the owner will mow ahead of time if he knows you are coming. All of the fairways were freshly mowed for us, so our experience was great in this regard.
-I wouldn't want to make the trek to this course in the rain or snow, but even my low-riding Altima with worn-out tires was able to make it here fine. Getting here isn't an issue, but the steep, winding roads encourage careful navigation. As others have said, come prepared with food, water, and gas, as not much is around this area at all.

Other Thoughts:

The owners clearly love hosting these awesome courses and do their best to enhance your experience. There isn't even a remotely bad hole at The Whippin' Post. This course flows so well in variety of shots and hole types. You will use a seemingly endless multitude of discs in your bag and will want to empty it on many occasions. Even though this course gave me a severe beat down, I would come back in a heartbeat. Hole after hole greets the player with something truly special. I kept waiting to see if the course would let up in terms of its Gold-level design and variety, but it did not at any point.

Each hole was a pleasant surprise because it was unreal how time and again the player is offered yet another unique, masterfully designed hole. Heading north on 51, surprise, we saw a bear run across the road. This was Paw Paw's way of saying, "Yes, you were truly in the middle of nowhere. Yes, this is a one of a kind experience. And, yes, it was awesome!"
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22 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 302 played 198 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Totally Friggin' AWESOME!!! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 26, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

18 Championship caliber holes (36 really) on a private course with some of the most ideal terrain and scenic quality you can imagine to play on. The variety of open and wooded holes combined with the distance and elevation really test a player's mastery of skill through the air and mental toughness. There is rolling on elevation on most holes which always makes shots more interesting. There are big downhill and uphill bombs, as well as some long holes through the tight woods, and shots around the pond. Baskets are well placed with high risk and reward in most cases. Some huge flags on the baskets where they are blind from the huge elevation change. There were decent tee signs.

The Whipping post features another pond, a little more elevation, and a little more woods than the Woodshed but plays a little more fair but harder. You also could lose your disc off the side of a mountain here never to be seen again.

The course is typically groomed like a 5 star ball golf course when I've played on Holiday weekends. There is tall grass off the fairways on the open holes, but the fairways are really generous like 50' wide, and there was little underbrush off the tighter fairways in the woods, so losing a disc is fairly hard unless it's a really bad shot or really unlucky.


Camping is available on site, so you can spend the weekend. Two very clean portapotties by the shed.

Cons:

There are cons to the course, but I don't really care about amenities when the golf is the best of the best. For the uninitiated first timer to the course, the number one issue is navigation. The signage is lacking here, but if you have a map it's not hard to figure out. The other issue people may have is with the natural/gravel tees, while not ideal, it's sufficient.

Don't know if it's con but this course maybe too much a beginner or intermediate player, it really wasn't designed as such. It was designed for the best of the best. With that in mind I know some local beginners that do play the course and do ok, but can get frustrated.

Other Thoughts:

For anyone traveling through Berkley Springs the experience begins with the drive to the course. It is simply breathtaking overlooking the valley of the mountains with the Potomac river below. The roads do get a little scary as you get closer to the course, but it also adds some thrill and anticipation. In some cases you may have to pull off to the side to let vehicles pass from the other direction. I would not want to drive here in the snow, it's scary enough in the dark, or even daylight. If you are arriving from the west side of Paw Paw the drive is even scarier and not as scenic.

Upon arriving I put $20 in the can in the shed where the money to play and camp goes. I was only here to play both courses one day, but just looking at the property and work that has gone into here I felt obligated to pay more, and have payed more for some dinky courses comparatively. Gabby came out almost immediately to greet me with a smile and give me course map. This map is better than the ones on the website here. She also gave some quick pointers about the course and warned to watch for copperheads as one of her dogs was recently bitten. I know there are also bears, bobcats, and coyotes in the area.

Come here prepared not only as far as your golf game goes, but with enough water and food for your stay. There is hardly anything locally, and you really don't want to venture away for a few good reasons.

Spencer Thurman created The Woodshed to pay homage to the Boylan Christmas Tree Farm DGC which was one of the first epic North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountain courses that had par 4 and 5 holes and everyone was throwing lids. The Whipping Post was built after acquiring the neighboring land several years after the Woodshed and together this is truly the best disc golf experience I know of, and if you consider yourself a disc golfer this is an absolute must play and totally worth the journey from wherever, and I will hopefully be back sooner rather than later! What more can I say other than Paw Paw or as some call it Wap Wap is totally friggin' AWESOME!!!
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27 2
discRabbit
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.9 years 1136 played 136 reviews
5.00 star(s)

My Bum is Red! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 19, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The Paw Paw courses in rural West Virginia are without a doubt one of the top disc golf destinations in the US. Not only is the disc golf fantastic but beautiful scenery and wildlife abounds. Both courses, Woodshed and Whippin' Post have extreme variety in the types of shots, both off the tee, and off the fairway. If you haven't thrown a sidearm, flick roller, tomahawk, etc. during your round, you probably weren't paying attention because you likely were in a position where 'X' shot could have saved you a stroke. This course will expose any weakness in your game, skillwise and especially mentally.

Do you have confidence in all of your shots? Can you make them under adverse conditions (footing, intimidating lines)?

How do you deal with a bad kick? Can you shake it, can you recover from it even under pressure?!?

Like the Woodshed, Whippin' Post also demands that you 'learn it' rather than just play it. Many of the holes have subtle scoring differences that aren't immediately apparent upon first glance. A hole that may appear to be a tight hyzer might in fact yield better scoring to a turnover sidearm. Some landing zones might be in unexpected places requiring several rounds to figure out or careful study of the hole. Some might say that this creates a bit of "home-boy" bias, but putting in a few rounds of work to figure out the course is well worth the time. I'd recommend to play with a player who knows it and you will get an idea of where to attack and where to be conservative. The usual knock on this course is that it is all "luck" because of the tight fairways but you will find players who can consistently shred this course. Luck? I would argue that they put in the work, developed the skills, and mindset to succeed where others lose patience. While I prefer the consistency of Whippin' Post to the Woodshed, you'll find better variety of holes on Woodshed along with a few of the most creative ones such as "Circles".

Hole Profile
Chloe's Run
Certainly one of the classic holes at Whippin' Post, Chloe's Run is a fiendishly long but relatively open (for this course anyway!) bomber hole on the front nine of Whippin' Post. Woods line both sides of the hole and several trees near the basket offer a stiff but penetrable defense. There is a narrowing of the fairway right near the ideal landing zone for the drive creating a classic golf-hole feel. All players will need to weigh bonus distance against increasing odds of a bad lie for the second shot. From a well-placed drive there are several routes to reach the pin from a tight, wrapping RHBH hyzer to the ideal bomb left to right finishing route ideal for a LHBH hyzer or big sidearm. This hole really rewards those who can throw 350+ from both sides as a RHBH drive combination with a sidearm or LHBH can frequently card an impressive birdie. But confidence is needed for both shots because a shank will certainly result in 4 or more strokes.

Cons:

As with the Woodshed, new disc technology is starting to erode the design of a couple of the field holes. The open par 4's, while still requiring great shots, are becoming more routine birdies and the upshots are looking much easier. A good example of this can be seen in the awesome finishing hole "Ed is Watching". At 402 downhill, this hole used to allow birdies for only the most confident and skilled players (back in the days of <10 speed discs). Now, to huck an Xcalibur far over the pond is an easy three with birdie potential.

Other Thoughts:

As other reviewers have stated, these courses really should be experienced at some point during a disc golfers career.

The owners are some of the best folks you'll ever meet, they have put and continue to devote a big piece of their lives to Paw Paw, so feel free to kick in an extra few $$$ if you appreciate the course!
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17 3
craigg
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 42.7 years 186 played 37 reviews
5.00 star(s)

The Other half of DG MECCA 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 1, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Elevation, Water, woods, wind, huge variety, scenic, the hosts, the neighbors, the STARS :)
Together with the Woodshed, the two courses here at Paw Paw are really the ultimate test of your physical and mental DG skills. The Whippin Post has a couple of the all time classic DG holes anywhere.
The course's namesake is hole #2 - off the tee you throw through about an 18' wide gap about 40' in front of you and across a gulley to a landing zone about 20' round (it's about a 220-250' shot). If you hit that spot, you hang a left to an angle at about 9:30 and go another 350' through a very narrow alley and ever slightly uphill. Even when you hit a perfect drive - your second shot has to be absolutely perfect AGAIN to have a chance at 3. This hole has a HUGE scoring spread and can yield anything from a 3 to a 10.
Hole 7 (Cloe's Run) is a big boomin 800+ foot hole that can also be 3'd, but more often yields 5's, 6's & 7's as placemet is absolutley key to advancing across the big field. Hole 9 is another classic - crossing a huge ravine, and requiring 2 perfectly placed shots to card a 3.

It's hard to say enough about this course OR the Woodshed, as both have so many daunting, picturesque shots.

Cons:

It's 100 miles from my house.

Other Thoughts:

The brother of the original Paw Paw course (The Woodshed), the Whippin' Post was developed after Spence and Gabi acquired the adjacent property, and got access to an additional 30 or so acres in the mountains. This course plays a stroke or two easier than the WOODSHED, but has the ability to play 10 strokes harder. Accuracy is at a premium on this course, as is the requirement to get off the tee well, Hit an early obstacle, and your chances for big numbers go way up, as recovery efforts are significantly hindered by the extreme topography. Three are a few duece opportunities, but only a few, and they rarely offset the MANY oportunities for 4, 5 or more.
This is a must play for anyone who thinks they've seen a tough course. It's almost sad though - because after 36 holes at Paw Paw, everything else you'll ever see seems sort of well...........easy!
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21 1
t i m
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26.9 years 285 played 43 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Paradise for Disc Golfers 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 21, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

PawPaw is a two-course disc golf paradise unlike anything I know of anywhere else in the nation (and I've played ~200 courses in 20+ states). It's my favorite place I know of to spend a disc golf weekend.

Both The Woodshed and The Whipping Post are awesome, but what is even better is having both courses side by side. And having a hill by the house and barn where you can sit, surrounded by WV mountains, looking down over some of the pivotal and most beautiful holes on both courses makes this an unparalleled place to both watch and play disc golf.

Spencer and Gabi are two of the most generous and welcoming people I know of, and it has been a labor of love on their part -- and on the part of many dedicated volunteers -- to make these courses what they are and to keep them maintained for play.

The Whipping Post has an SSA of roughly 63-64 strokes, and when you're playing competitively, pretty much every hole will change the lineup on your card. Every hole will exact a range of scores from almost any level of players, and that's one of the marks of a great course. No matter how many times you play it, you will always have opportunities you missed and places you know you could have played better. But every time through, different holes will take a bite out of you. Not because of luck, but because every hole is a challenge.

Like it's sister course The Woodshed, The Whipping Post is a great mix of open holes and nasty woods holes, with many true par 4s and tons of elevation changes. Overall, I feel that the Whipping Post is more balanced in terms of giving you a tremendous variety of different types of holes with very little repetition (there are a couple of holes on the Woodshed that inspire a touch of dejavu). There are big uphills, downhills, tight fairways, roller holes, huge dropoffs, shots over valleys, places for max-D bombs, places for touch shots, lots of fast greens, risk/reward challenges, beautiful vistas and everything else you could ask for.

One of the perks of both courses is that every hole has a name and every hole has a history. Play through with a local or someone who's been there since the beginning and they'll tell you more stories than your brain can hold.

The camping opportunities at PawPaw are awesome -- lots of barefoot grass and flat places to pitch a tent. A clean pond for swimming. Enclosed areas for fires are provided, and Spencer usually has firewood and ice he'll sell you at a reasonable price if you've forgotten to bring your own.

If you go out for a tournament weekend, expect a late night of live music in the barn and some of the most beautiful stars you'll see anywhere in the country. The Milky Way is blinding out there in those West Virginia mountains.

Cons:

The only cons are that PawPaw is out of the way. But that's part of what makes is so wonderful -- the solitude and the true escape from urban/suburban life. So that's not really a con so much as it is the price you have to pay for solitude. Just make sure to bring everything you need with you for a weekend of camping, because you aren't going to want to leave and it's a bit of a drive even to the nearest convenience store.

The biggest con is having to leave the course after a weekend and return back to regular life. At a course like this, you wish you could stay forever.

Other Thoughts:

Course fees are $5/person per day, but I encourage anyone who plays to chip in more than that if they can. One of the great things about PawPaw is that it has some of the most beautiful rolling hills imaginable -- all of which are mowed regularly by Spencer or a volunteer -- and mowing all those acres is an unforgiving task (and more and more expensive with gas prices going up). I encourage everyone to find some other place to save money when you're making a trip out to PawPaw and give what you can to support the course and the generous owners, Spencer and Gabi.

I also encourage people to take friends and family out to the course and just enjoy the weekend. Last fall, I was out there with my brother and sister. My brother plays; my sister doesn't. My brother and I had a great time playing, my sister hiked along some and spent most of the time just relaxing in a hammock under the trees, enjoying the beauty and solitude of the place. On tourney weekends, many folks bring wives/girlfriends/children and there are kids running around and extra adults kicking back, swimming in the pond, and just enjoying the views.

PawPaw is one of the best places I know of to camp -- even for friends who don't play disc golf -- so if you can get there for a weekend, DO. And if you can get in to the West Virginia Open tournament (it's Pro only, but I encourage Ams to play up), DO come play -- it will be the best weekend of disc golf you've ever spent. And if you can, do yourself a favor and take off Friday and Monday -- show up early and leave late and just enjoy paradise and the chance to play with some of the best golfers in the country in the most amazing setting imaginable. See you there.
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13 4
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Private Disc Golf Heaven! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2003 Played the course:never

Pros:

Every disc golf course designer should be so lucky as to have this piece of land to work with! The host and hostess are good people. This course will challenge the biggest arms and the top pros. # 18 is a long downhill throw across a pond with the basket just on the other side. Do you lay up? Do you go for it and risk going scuba diving? And the added pressure here when we played was???? About 10 players watching from lawn chairs imploring us to go for the gusto. Sadly, I must admit to total wimpiness. And one of the fews pars I earned that day.

Cons:

Paw Paw is a million miles from nowhere. As a below average armed, recreational player, I was out of my league here. Long, long drives with sometimes very narrow fairways and scary roughs combined to send my score spiralling upward.

Other Thoughts:

The Paw Paw experience is a must for the serious disc golfer, especially one with a big ole arm. The similarities to the Circle Ranch courses in Wimberly, Texas are amazing. Both are privately owned disc golf meccas. Both feature two monsterous 18 hole courses. Both have amazingly wonderful hosts. Both will bring you crashing to your knees. Both must be experienced! I'd rate the Paw Paw courses as more difficult of the two.
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11 1
John Merhi
Experience: 35.9 years 56 played 7 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Welcome to Heaven 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2007 Played the course:never

Pros:

Your host and hostess. 36 incredibly long holes. The golf! The property itself. The camping. The Barn. The people who play here. The Weddings. The seclusion. And most of all... your host, hostess, and their family.

Cons:

The pond isn't heated. Spencer won't wash your car while you play. Men play here without wearing clothes.

Other Thoughts:

The guidelines for writing a review say, "Remember, 5 is considered the ultimate. There is absolutely nothing that could be done to improve the course. It is perfect in every possible way"

Here you go folks. Here is your five. This is the disc golf property that is perfect in every possible way. Yeah, it's tough to find the first time you try to find it (it's easy, it's four right turns from Berkley Springs). Once you know how to get there, it's heaven on earth.
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