Nockamixon is better than your favorite course

[optidiscic]

Dave
there are clear and distinct lines,even multiple distinct clear lines to all of the holes you listed

Most of the holes at Nocky were designed to have multiple clear fairway shots with some type of technical shot to the green area

I remember the exact conversations with the designer when building the course. That being said there really are very simple lines to the greens but the pics u have listed are awful as far as conveying this

 

[optidiscic]

someone list the choppy video walkthrough

 

[paulw]

Disclaimer: I have never played Nocky and pictures are deceiving. But, what is up with all the "late trouble" in the design of this course??

Late trouble is narrow gaps late in a fairway or fairway segment. The gaps are small enough that navigating them from a distance is not a matter of skill, but of luck. Bad luck costs you 1 throw at most the majority of the time. It is bad design, and should not be used on tournament courses. It is a fun design for lots of cheers/groans in a beer round with friends.

What are the thoughts on these holes from those who have played?

The gaps on the approach are not too small if you've gotten close enough. Using the picture of 16 (7) as an example, that's a basket you expect to get to off the tee. Your picture is deceiving since you're not approaching from that direction or that spot -- you're approaching from on top of a hill and if you make a great throw you're parked, if you make an ok throw it's a putt, etc. as with most of those pictures you're looking at.

Of all the basket locations at Nockamixon the one that's least fair you haven't shown is old 9 new 18? (I think). You can throw a good drive and a good approach and still have no putt, otherwise the rest of the place has some of the most challenging, while still fair basket locations around.

 

[BradC]

Disclaimer: I have never played Nocky and pictures are deceiving. But, what is up with all the "late trouble" in the design of this course??

Late trouble is narrow gaps late in a fairway or fairway segment. The gaps are small enough that navigating them from a distance is not a matter of skill, but of luck. Bad luck costs you 1 throw at most the majority of the time. It is bad design, and should not be used on tournament courses. It is a fun design for lots of cheers/groans in a beer round with friends.

What are the thoughts on these holes from those who have played?

Most of what you're looking at doesn't come into play off the tee, directly at least, unless you can thread a 500-600 foot shot through the woods. The way the greens are protected may skew you to want to put your tee shot in a certain area to open up a better approach look though.

 

[Dave242]

Dave
there are clear and distinct lines,even multiple distinct clear lines to all of the holes you listed

Most of the holes at Nocky were designed to have multiple clear fairway shots with some type of technical shot to the green area

I remember the exact conversations with the designer when building the course. That being said there really are very simple lines to the greens but the pics u have listed are awful as far as conveying this

This is what I was suspecting, thanks....but a lot of people's understanding of how fairways should be designed are about as good as the photographers understanding of how to describe fairways in picture.

Of all the basket locations at Nockamixon the one that's least fair you haven't shown is old 9 new 18? (I think). You can throw a good drive and a good approach and still have no putt, otherwise the rest of the place has some of the most challenging, while still fair basket locations around.

Good input - thanks. Yeah - I was going to put 18/9 on here, but the pictures seemed to provide a view of a fair approach airway....and the other pictures do not. It would do a nice service to a great course if the pictures were redone to fix this stuff....and to fix all the renumbering problems throughout.

The way the greens are protected may skew you to want to put your tee shot in a certain area to open up a better approach look though.

This is the point that I was hoping to hear. If the airways to the basket on the final approach throw on a multi-throw hole reward good/fair placement strategy...that is good design. Randomness is bad design....which includes no defined/fair landing zone to set up your strategic next throw.

Nocky looks like my kind of course....hopefully I'll be able to play it some day, but it is way out of the way to anywhere I regularly go in the NE (Boston/Hartford & Washington/Baltimore).

 

[Shamis]

Noc is an awesome course. I do think reviewers put too much emphasis on multiple tees and pretty signs. That said, noc isn't difficult to navigate at all, and it is easily one of the best courses I've ever played.

 

[Discette]

Noc is an awesome course. I do think reviewers put too much emphasis on multiple tees and pretty signs. That said, noc isn't difficult to navigate at all, and it is easily one of the best courses I've ever played.

Definitely a challenging course that requires you to think and execute.

 

[art_vandelay]

I love courses that have numerous holes that test multiple skills. "You mean I have to throw a big anny first and then thread the needle through the woods on my second shot?" You have to have your whole game going to score well, and those are the best type of courses to me.

I'm over due for a roadtrip...

 

[optidiscic]

Nocki is not better than Milo </thread>

I need to find my way back to the northwest someday

 

[Discette]

Nocki is not better than Milo </thread>

Sorry, but Milo is NOT better than Nocki. Not even close.

 

[blazerico]

Milo may be a bit longer and may seem more epic due to the mountains in the background, but I don't recall it being all that technical or demanding. There's a certain risk factor at nocky that pushes it higher up in the rankings for me. To the OP, the lines are all pretty fair at nocky and without the late danger, it would be kinda boring.

 

[tallpaul]

Nocky is one of the best courses I've ever played.

 

[optidiscic]

Nocky is one of the best courses I've ever played.

thanks Paul

Its funny how this thread got resurrected

I am sure there are great courses everywhere I just have not come across any that wowed me more than the course I learned to play on

 

[Peterb]

Sorry, but Milo is NOT better than Nocki. Not even close.

Nocky is a sick course for sure. When I played it with Opti it was pouring rain and I loved it despite the slick rocky fairway shots. Definitely a great course. But Milo McIver in the world's configuration is in my mind a notch or two better. And I'm not alone in liking it more. All of the top pros list it as their all time favorite course not only for competition, but for casual play as well. There's a reason that the BSF sells out so quickly every year and that there's no NTs at Nocky.

 

[Peterb]

I need to find my way back to the northwest someday

yes...and of course california!

 

[BradC]

there's no NTs at Nocky.

World's was there...

 

[BENFTS]

Nocki is not better than Milo </thread>

Agreed!

 

[Peterb]

World's was there...

yes, almost ten years ago. Is there an NT there now? No...

And that includes several courses around that are NT quality IMO with Jordan Creek, Tyler, etc.

 

[biscoe]

hosting a big event has little or nothing to do with the caliber of a course and a ton to do with having personnel to run it who are willing to raise a bunch of money.

unless you think the memorial courses or the ones in emporia are something special...

 

[Peterb]

that's a fair statement. All of this is subjective information, but so is the OP's sh*t disturbing thread title. Nocky might be his favorite and might be the favorite of many. I certainly loved it myself. But I didn't like it more than Milo McIver or actually several other courses out there. I would most definitely have it in my top ten though...