Gillette, WY

Energy Rotary Club DGC

3.155(based on 13 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Energy Rotary Club DGC reviews

Filter
11 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20 years 987 played 555 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Energy Rotary DGC is located in an arboretum for the first 12 holes before playing in a mostly wide open field for the next 7 holes. Hole 20 has you back in the trees playing back to the parking lot.

There are concrete tee pads on all holes except hole 12. Hole 12's is a rubber mat. The concrete pads are all nice sized and have good grip. They're level with the exception of a couple. One tee pad per hole.

The tee signs are very well done, albeit in pretty rough shape, but still readable and have all the pertinent info you'd need from them. They have a very descriptive hole layout map that shows all possible pin positions, distances to each pin, hole #, any applicable OB and a next tee arrow. Nicely done with these.

The baskets are blue powdercoated Mach V's. These are really nice baskets. All were mounted nice and level and caught solidly. There's anywhere from 1 to 3 pin positions per hole. Most of the wooded holes seemed like they had 3 positions. Very good variety in this regard.

There's a good mix of shots needed to score well here. Left to right and right to left shots. Even a couple tunnel shots sprinkled throughout. There's some decent elevation throughout too. Nothing too crazy, but enough to keep things interesting.

The wind can be a big factor on the more open prairie holes, though it wasn't too windy when we were there. Even the open holes have a few trees in the fairway to add a little more challenge.

The front half of the course has lots of shade, which is nice. Lush green grass makes it feel very park like. The course was very clean and well maintained when we were here. It's permanent and free to play.

Cons:

The signs, while very descriptive, have one major flaw. There's no indication on what position the pin is in. This is especially frustrating on the holes with 3 different pin positions. Some have one to the left, one to the right and one straight. Without walking the fairway you're left to guess.

The cacti on the open holes are obnoxious. I was wearing pants and hiking boots and somehow I had at least 4 of the little bastards stabbing me in the leg, through my pants, almost all the way up to my knees. Not sure how but they did.

A couple of the holes have some borderline unfair lines off the tee. Only a couple, and I'm guessing this is due to the trees off the front of the pads growing in to cut off the angle a bit. Nothing too major, but worth noting.

Other Thoughts:

This is definitely the better of the 2 courses in Gillette. But not by much. To be honest it's actually kind of similar in design as Dabley. Starts out more wooded and technical before giving way to some blah openness. The wooded holes here, though, are far superior.

I wouldn't tell anyone to go out of their way to play this one. But if you're passing by and have some time to kill, you could do a lot worse than this place. If the course was entirely like the front half I'd give it a 3.5, but with the prairie holes dragging it down, especially towards the end of the round, I'm going with a 3. If I lived nearby I'd probably skip the open holes pretty regularly.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Average Arboretum Course In Gillette, Wyoming! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 7, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

The front nine of the Energy Rotary Club course plays through some kind of experimental arboretum containing plants from all over the world. The property has a little bit of elevation while the trees/plants are scattered in some areas and more bunched up in other parts. I can't call it technical but the front nine does have lots of trees to contend with. The back 11 is mostly very open.

The baskets here are a very pretty shade of blue. They're gorgeous but I didn't think they really popped in the distance. I think Discatchers with the yellow bands would've stood out more. The tee pads are large and concrete. The tee signs are a fiberglass type which I haven't seen before. Only one sign was broken. The tee signs did show the next tee which is helpful if you can only remember to look for it.

The hole distances on the front 9 were mostly in the 250' to 400' range. The back 11 features a couple 600' plus. Quite a few previous reviewers commented that it's fairly easy to just throw a tomahawk over the trees and bushes. Unfortunately, my weiny arm doesn't reach the sky.

I did like the two gauntlet holes ( # 5 and # 12) where you're throwing down a fairway of planted trees standing maybe 25' apart. There are two benches and two garbage cans at # 5. There is a practice basket. The kiosk at the start has some information and there a lost disc return cage thing.

Cons:

I'm not a fan of much of the design of the course. The trees/bushes in the arboretum are planted in such a random configuration so there aren't many fairways to hit.

The holes all have two basket placements and many have three positions. The problem is there is no way of knowing where the basket is today and the different in distance from the A to B to C positions can be as much as 200'. As many of these baskets are blind off the tee, you're forced to walk ahead to figure out where the basket is.

PPP -One of my personal pet peeves is when a pad is either slanting up or down a hill. The # 6 tee pad slopes downhill quite a bit but I like the way the # 13 pad is roughened to give more traction.

I didn't like # 13 which is the hole with the basket on the hill. It's a boring 383' open hole. Why not use the trees there to make this hole more interesting?

The back 11 is too open, too exposed to the wind and elements and basically, just mind numbingly boring.

Other Thoughts:

I feel like the front 9 is probably an average 2.5. The back 11, a little lower at 2.0. I'll be generous and give the course a 2.5. This course is just a short distance off of I-90 which makes for a nice pit stop while driving through Wyoming. I'm pretty sure I'll be making this drive another time and Energy Rotary will not be on my designated stopping list. Next time, I'll check out the other Gillette course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
cweis347
Experience: 10.6 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

20 Holes, 3 Players, Under an hour 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful park - the front 9 is an arboretum so enjoy the different trees which are labeled with information about them. Well manicured grass. Interesting whole placement on the front. Back is definitely setup for distance throws but take your sunscreen and tie down your hat - there are few trees for wind break or shade.

Cons:

Highly recommend you have a copy of the map from the Links/Files tab. There is also a map at Hole 1 - we found using both was best to find our way around. Watch out for 4 and 6 - the baskets are placed in each others' fairways. We interrupted a local putting basket 6 because we thought it was 4. Really hoping that was just accidental mix-up of baskets and not by design.

Other Thoughts:

Really enjoyed this course - beautiful, challenging and fun. Look forward to another round on it!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
comet45
Experience: 17.6 years 27 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good front 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 3, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

I did like the variety of trees and shrubs and basket placement.
The course was long enough on the front to have a variety of throws.

Cons:

The course layout was not the easiest to find the next hole on the front 9. Not too dificult but the only real con I could come up with.

Other Thoughts:

I only had time to play the front 9 on my lunch break passing through town for work. It was a good course with good basket placement. If i was able to play with locals the layout would not have been an issue. I would play it again next time i come through town.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
Bioxena
Experience: 19.9 years 227 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Who Designed this Course? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has good tee pads and nice baskets. Decent signage, the tee signs told you where to look for the next tee box. All holes had benches or picnic tables, and the course was really clean.

Cons:

Holes were all set in the long position, no variation. Most drives were blind in that you had no idea where the basket was. There was no indicator whether the basket was short or long, after awhile we just figured everything was long.
The designer apparently thought he/she could make the course impossibly challenging by not using the tree lines as natural fairways, instead he just hid the baskets IN TREES/BUSHES! seriously? The course would still be challenging even if the baskets were placed a bit more in the open.
The part of the course that was a bit more wide open was made challenging not by being creative, but instead making REALLY LONG holes. I get that there needs to be some long bombs, but they weren't challenging except for the length. Overall the corse design could use some work. I get that the designers have to work within the bounds of the arboretum, but the couse could be more friendly with a few minor tweaks.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, the layout of the course ruined what could be an AMAZING course. It is obvious the course is well maintained and cared for, but honestly the a cement of baskets bumped this one down to the 2 ½ disks for me.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
mndiscg
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 483 played 478 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tale of Two Halves 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 25, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

+The first half of the course was awesome. It was fairly wooded with some fun holes. It was also slightly rolling hills which added appeal and fun to this course.
+Great tee signs, very detailed, very easy to follow this course. Hole 9 also goes right near 1 if you only want to play the front 9 a few times.
+Great blue baskets. I like colored baskets better than plain metal.
+Like I already mentioned, fun shots with ups and down and some valley type shots
+You shouldn't lose any discs at all.
+Some ace runs and some longer holes, a good combination.

Cons:

-This course could be crazy busy. Dalbey Memorial is also a fun course, I would recommend playing there every once in awhile to avoid crowds.
-The second half of this course is much more open than the first and much less fun. The closing holes are among the worst on the course and don't leave a good taste in your mouth.
-Some of the holes are nice tight lines but also leave you with many options to throw around the outside and therefore ruin the challenge. Mandos would be a great addition to a few holes on this course.

Other Thoughts:

+First half: 3.5, second half: 2.5
+This course is very easy to find from the interstate.
+This is the better of two courses in Gillette but this one is also much more busy so it is worth it to play at Dalbey.
+I would stop here to play. If you only have the time or energy to play 9, the first 9 are a lot of fun. Many of the locals that I saw playing skipped right from 9 to 1 as the holes are close together.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
DSCJNKY
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.6 years 682 played 132 reviews
3.00 star(s)

AIR-it-Out 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 11, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- That it's There. This course was a great course for me to break up my road trip with, but not a great course. I wasn't mad at it, it was fun. It just had some flaws that keep it from being really good... even though it's pretty good. It also appeared to be a good thing for the town of Gillette as many locals were out there playing (90% of them with only 1 disc).
- Air-it-Out. This course really allowed you to air-it-out. There was a 600+'er, several 400'ers, and several other fairways where a big air shot (spike hyzer) was the best way to go.
- Use of Vegetation to Create a Putting Situation. The course designer really did a good job utilizing the vegetation to make sure you put a premium on shot placement. A few feet to the right or left and you might have a thick cedar in between you and the chains. This was a good way to make you throw shots, and think about shot placement. It also made the wide open holes more challenging.
- Nice Sign and Tees. The course had professionally designed tee-signs (except for the "yards" part) and huge concrete tee-pads.

Cons:

- Airways, not Fairways. Because the course was situated in a park that has an "arboretum" of sorts, they were limited in the way that they could design the course. Apparently the land used to be an experimental piece of property where they tested to see what types of trees could grow in this type of environment. Because the park had so many mature trees, and that seems to be rare in the region, the course designer wasn't allowed to cut any of the trees. Therefore, all the fairways are really "AIR"ways... where you're pretty much forced to throw a huge shot over the tops of the trees.

Other Thoughts:

- I got to play with Tom (the course designer) and Wayne and his son Shad. Extremely nice guys... and Shad will be quite a player soon. I even traded a disc with Wayne at the end of the round, one of my local discs for one of his Gillette stamped discs. Hope to see those guys next year in Charlotte.
- I forget the name of the place we ate lunch... but it was good. It was a sports bar/pizza joint on the edge of the main street in town (had a beach volleyball court). Great wings for a decent price and the pastrami sandwich was really good. ALSO NOTE: the Taco Bell that is mentioned in my Diamond X review is in this town... do not eat there and then travel to play a Diamond X!
- My Score: -3
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 0
discRabbit
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 24.9 years 1136 played 136 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Best in Gillette 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Energy Rotary course combines an interesting collection of small trees and bushes with moderate hole distances to make for a semi-challenging play fit for players of all skill levels. The mostly unrestricted high ceilings allow big arcing lines on most holes for more advanced players with sky hyzers and tomahawk shots being obvious first choices on many holes. The lack of really punishing rough means that beginners will be able to throw without too much concern for lost discs or thorny lies.

Nice views: If you live in Wyoming or Montana, you are probably quite used to the expansive views of the plains but for two travelers just passing through, the difference in scenery was really cool and the vastness of the surrounding area was beautiful. We played here right through sunset which is a spectacular bursting of colors due to the nearly 360 degree view available at the course.

Memorable: The course is memorable because you almost feel like you are playing through some kind of strange orchard or arboretum. There are tons of different types of interesting trees and shrubs all around and there are rows of trees rather than a natural scattering. This all makes for some unique images that have burned in my memory from this course.

Solitude: We played Rotary on the same sunny late summer day as Dalby and found this course completely empty of both golfers and any other park users with the exception of a few cars driving through. The solitude made for a really peaceful, quiet round with only the sound of the wind whipping through the trees.

Tees/Baskets: Nice big concrete teepads and solid baskets are another upgrade that Gillette has on the neighboring Dalby course.

Cons:

While comparatively, the Rotary course far, far exceeds the challenge available at the only other Gillette course, very experienced players aren't going to get all that much out of this course. Because of the nearly exclusively low-lying tree obstacles and bushes, anyone with a good amount of power can throw sky hyzers up and over obstacles. In this way, players will likely only have to control distance and manage wind direction. These big hyzers, even if poorly thrown, at the very worst will leave experienced players with easy par approaches because they negate most of the available course obstacles and leave the player with very short distances to the hole. Course variety is plagued in much the same way, with players too often being able to have their choice in route to the pin rather than being pushed to throw new shots.

Filler holes: There are several filler holes which are nearly entirely wide open and serve mostly as connectors to other sections of the course. Because the space is so large and many areas are nearly treeless, I can understand why these are necessary although filler holes are never an ideal course characteristic.

Maintenance: Nothing too bad here, but when we visited the grass was getting pretty high in some places meaning you had to search around a bit to find longer drives into the deep grass.

Other Thoughts:

On the whole, the Energy Rotary course makes for a nice way to break up a long trip and its location right off of the highway means you'll be back on the road in no time. It isn't a course that anyone needs to go out of the way to play but does have a lot more to offer than the nearby Dalby course which I would skip altogether.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
thortracy
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Sleeper course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 2, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Like the other reviews said, The front nine has got mad tree and bush hazards and wide open spaces on the back nine, Multiple placements on almost all pins. All but one tee pad are nice big concrete slabs Northern Wyoming can be a desolate area, This course is like a little oasis!

Cons:

Quirky basket placement on a few holes, Too many slobs not using the numerous trash cans, Finding errant discs can be tough

Other Thoughts:

New chains and new Tee pads, New holes added. Waters scarce, Bring your own. The league people, Although not a large group are pretty active and a good bunch of folk.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
0 0
tbone618
Experience: 8 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 15, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Front nine is quite wooded with great layout, if you can find the holes and tees. Great the second time played.

Cons:

Back nine is wide open prairie. good for long distance, bad for challenge and beauty.

Other Thoughts:

Best course in the town.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
trw83
Experience: 17 years 29 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Suprisingly fun! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Quality baskets and concrete tee boxes. Multiple pin location for each hole, signs marking distance and direction to next tee box. Elevation change and a variety of different terrain keeps things interesting.Fairly easy course navigation as well.

Cons:

Thick brush on a couple holes could cause the loss of a disc, wind will usually be present in some form (though I played when it was calm).

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course and would play it often if I lived in the area. Definitely worth the time to check out and play.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
Justin L
Experience: 21.3 years 50 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A wooded and relatively tight front nine with an open windy back nine gives good variety. Locals were happy to help me find a few baskets. Course is very active when the weather is clear.

Cons:

Finding the baskets from the tee, especially on the front nine, can be difficult. Some basket placements seem illogical, completely shielded from any approach except "huck it into the tree". Large trees guarding a basket are one thing, but dense foliage all the way to the ground level is another. The only approach to whole 1A is from the rear. You have to climb into the bushes to putt. Maybe this is only a problem in the spring at this course and it plays better all other seasons?

Other Thoughts:

This course was a pleasent surprise. I didn't expect an above average course in Gillette. I also noticed on the bulletin board that a PDGA B-Tier was in the works, huge kudos to the local players for bringing disc golf to the powder river basin!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
dosahl
Experience: 16.1 years 45 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

trees to prairie 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

first nine is vaired. Trees are in play at every hole. Consistiant lenghths of holes. (could also be a negative.) Nice natural setting.

Cons:

Back nine is hindered by Wyoming wind. Back nine is also not very well maintained. Fairways are mowed but off of that will require some alphalpha searching to get discs.

Other Thoughts:

Course is a nice play. Once the basket is discovered from the tee, it can be a challenging course. I will play it again.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top