When they won't let you throw a thumber....

[DavidSauls]

Well, one of my favorite courses got its lowest-ever review, in part because there's a net on one hole that prevents overhand throws:

Pros: Beautiful scenery, great use of elevation, and some well-placed decorative elements. Good mix of holes, i.e. left to right, right to left, up, down, etc. No gimmicky stuff like elevated baskets.
Cons: Loses one star for no red tees. Loses another for putting up netting to prevent overhands, which is a really weak move.

Now, I'm a firm believer in the sanctity of opinions, and that reviews should reflect honest opinions. This one is fine. And it has a negligible effect on the course's rating, so no problem there.

But I'm also a thumber-detractor, so I laughed when I read it. It brought to mind the first time I saw the net, and immediately coveted it for my own course.

The funny thing is, I later found out, on good authority, that the main purpose of the net isn't to stop overhand throws. Not exactly, anyway. Apparently, it's to keep high throws from careening over a fence and on to a cantankerous neighbor's property, thus causing issues for that hole and the course in general.

It also left me to muse that, if the course was docked 1 disc for restricting forehands on just one of its 40-some-oldd tees, imagine the review if it had them on, say, half the tees.

 

[Karl]

I imagine it would be about a -7.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Having just played this course, the review you cute definitely caught my attention. And while this:

The funny thing is, I later found out, on good authority, that the main purpose of the net isn't to stop overhand throws. Not exactly, anyway. Apparently, it's to keep high throws from careening over a fence and on to a cantankerous neighbor's property, thus causing issues for that hole and the course in general.

... definitely seems to be a valid reason for the netting, I can't disagree that for the overhand player, I can understand how this would make things suck.

That said, I don't recall seeing netting on too many holes (perhaps because those aren't lines I'm looking for), which makes me say the reviewer's rating weighting on that is too harsh. If it were that case on the whole back 9, maybe. But unless I missed it, it was only a few holes on the back 9. So how much of a ding should it be?

Hopefully, I get around to writing a review for Ashe. I only played shirt to short, but really thought is was a great course.

 

[JC17393]

I wonder how the review differs if it's simply a big branch (or a few branches) that obscured the "thumber" line instead of a net? Like would it even occur to the reviewer if it were a natural obstruction as opposed to an obvious man-made one? I mean, it's an easy argument to make that leaving branches in that line is as much a conscious design decision as putting up the net, but it probably doesn't get nearly the notice or the derision.

I have no sympathy whatsoever for someone not being able to throw their preferred or best shot on every hole, whether it's a thumber or a forehand or a backhand. Diversify your arsenal or learn to adapt. Don't blame the course design for your shortcomings.

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

The review is garbage in my book because he complained there weren't dual tee pads. Every single hole other than #16 has dual tees and/or baskets. Giving this course it's lowest rating to date because of something that isn't even correct? I contributed to his thumb down votes.

His profile also states that he believes courses should be short and cater to casual players / 'the public.' If you're coming into a course with a preconceived bias, it's hard to give an objectionable review.

 

[Meillo]

How should that high net keep you from throwing a thumber?

Just go for the low-line fast-turning skip thumber with a flippy disc! :-D

 

[DavidSauls]

The review is garbage in my book because he complained there weren't dual tee pads. Every single hole other than #16 has dual tees and/or baskets. Giving this course it's lowest rating to date because of something that isn't even correct? I contributed to his thumb down votes.

His profile also states that he believes courses should be short and cater to casual players / 'the public.' If you're coming into a course with a preconceived bias, it's hard to give an objectionable review.

There are dual teepaids---blue and white. He docked it because there aren't a third (red) set.

 

[DavidSauls]

That said, I don't recall seeing netting on too many holes (perhaps because those aren't lines I'm looking for), which makes me say the reviewer's rating weighting on that is too harsh. If it were that case on the whole back 9, maybe. But unless I missed it, it was only a few holes on the back 9. So how much of a ding should it be?

It's only on one hole, and I believe only for 1 tee on that hole. I don't think that hole exists for blues and whites, though I'm not certain.

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

There are dual teepaids---blue and white. He docked it because there aren't a third (red) set.

How many courses have three sets of tee pads? I can think of one in South Carolina, just down the road from you - Crooked Creek. Other than that, there aren't any in the region that immediately come to mind.

 

[araytx]

Can you guys link the review or tell us what course we're talking about?

 

[glassila]

Ashe County Park, Jefferson NC
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1905&mode=ci

 

[BogeyNoMore]

How many courses have three sets of tee pads? I can think of one in South Carolina, just down the road from you - Crooked Creek. Other than that, there aren't any in the region that immediately come to mind.

Given what I've seen, 3 tees is very much the exception, rather than the rule. The only place I've been where 3 tees seems to be the norm is Pittsburgh... and I have to say they fit it pretty well at Knob Hill, Deer Lakes, and Moraine.

 

[brutalbrutus]

It looked to me like he wasn't asking for 3 tees but more like that one of the sets should be a beginner level tee. That's still a pretty dumb reason to dock a point though. Not every public course needs to cater to the beginner level.

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

It looked to me like he wasn't asking for 3 tees but more like that one of the sets should be a beginner level tee. That's still a pretty dumb reason to dock a point though. Not every public course needs to cater to the beginner level.

That's what the short tees are right now. 4800 foot layout. Every hole is sub 300 feet except for #9 & 18, which are the two big downhill holes. Both those holes have 50 foot drops from tee to basket so they play much shorter too. If you make holes any shorter you're going to spend more time hiking between holes than actually throwing.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

If discs were meant to fly overhand they'd have just made them a ball.

 

[Steve West]

...I only played shirt to short, ...

So, you played the "belt" layout?

 

[BogeyNoMore]

Ashe worked my strike zone (knees to shoulders) pretty well.

 

[aredoubles]

Weird that he lists Rock Ridge Park as one of his favorite courses, when that's public but also doesn't have red tees, and is in fact still incredibly challenging from the whites. Not sure how to square that with his complaints about Ashe County here.

 

[ThrowaEnvy]

I think someone just had a bad day/round.

 

[Tripper]

How many courses have three sets of tee pads? I can think of one in South Carolina, just down the road from you - Crooked Creek. Other than that, there aren't any in the region that immediately come to mind.

I can think of a fair number of courses with 3 tee pads:

Valley Springs, Cedar Rock, Rockness Monster (actually has 4), Sasquatch, Iron Hill (4), Tom Triplett (4) just to name a few. Granted they are not the majority but they are not that unusual.