Empire, CO

Rocky Mountain Village DGC

Seasonal course
3.775(based on 11 reviews)
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13 0
JuanA
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 23.8 years 119 played 29 reviews
3.50 star(s)

27 holes of Mountain Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 24, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

- 27 holes
- Very challenging
- Very scenic
- A lot of elevation changes
- Mostly shaded
- Some concrete tees
- Plays in a loop bringing you back to one.
- Fun mix of short and technical / open bomber shots
- Tee signs are easy to spot making navigation simple
- Secret outhouse along the route
- Course maps available at the main lodge

Cons:

- Closed for most of the summer
- Not particularly cart friendly
- Can be strenuous
- A few holes are a bit overgrown
- Many blind holes call for pre-shot scouting
- A mix of concrete, natural and rubber tees
- Constant din of highway noise

Other Thoughts:

RMV starts out with some easy warm-up holes on the flat areas surrounding the camp. A few long field shots allows you to open up your arm before you start your journey up the mountain with hole 7.

The mountain section of this course follows a camp trail with tees along the route. Navigation here couldn't be simpler and this is where the course really starts the challenge.

The uphill shots along the path are wide but if you can't throw straight, you will be taking the long route up. The rough isn't totally punishing, but you will regret not staying on the trail.

Large trees give all the shade you need, while providing some great challenging woods shots.

The last handful of holes finish in the field sections of the camp with the last two being some longer shots to once again stretch the arm.

Some players may not like the mix of tees. Natural or rubber tees don't bother me, but for this course to score higher, consistency would help. The tees and tee signs are lacking compared to other mountain courses in the area.

The camp sits right off of I-70 and the highway noise is constant and noticeable. Not a 'true' con, but it is worth mentioning.

DG is not the focus of this camp, and some of the holes felt overgrown. They do a great job keeping the grounds and trails in shape, but some holes have no clear route to the basket. I'm a fan of disc flight, and throwing high spike hyzers to clear overgrown fairways doesn't really excite me.

We played this course during the COVID summer and camp was closed. Normally the course is off-limits from May through August so if you'd like to play during the summer instead, 2020 looks like your year. Keep in mind that the course fee has been bumped to $10 per person. I felt it was still worth it.

My final thought...if you're in the area, and the schedule works out, you should play this course. It's not perfect...some tees need attention and some areas need trimming and mowing, but the challenging shots up the mountain are what make this course fun. It calls for a lot of different shots to be successful so bring your full bag of tricks.
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7 0
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.4 years 115 played 79 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great variety, never a dull moment 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-excellent variety of distances, elevation, hazards, and shots needed - a great challenge

-not far from the interstate for those passing through

-plays most of a loop, and is a bargain at $5

-variety of basket types but all catch well and are painted bright red which helps them stand out and most have a nice big flag on top

-really takes advantage of the land available - you're playing in fields, among buildings and along a mountainside

-1 & 2 actually have light water hazards, which I don't see much of in the area

Cons:

-tee pads vary, some concrete, some dirt, some rubber mat

-signage lacking a bit, right now there's just a post at each tee

-no regular amenities to speak of - there's a restroom in the main lodge, pack it in/pack it out, the closest you'll get to a bench are boulders at some tees

Other Thoughts:

Rocky Mountain Village is definitely worth a stop if you're a local or just passing through. 27 very varied holes for $5. With the range of what the course asks of you as a player that's a bargain. The staff are also super helpful. You've got short ace runs, long bombers in fields for the big arms, tight wooded shots for the precision crowd. You've got backhands, forehands, hyzers, anhyzers, tomahawks, name it. There's definitely some elevation in play and some punishing terrain not only in terms of errant shots but errant steps. Most of the open shots don't have defined fairways, just shooting in a field; a lot of the wooded shots are tight, but there are lines visible. Part of the course plays through a horse pasture so on those open shots short grass isn't plentiful, in the woods what fairways you have are clear, and if you go off fairway it isn't too overgrown, though some of those holes can get steep and punishing.

I wouldn't bring a beginner or anyone that's not expecting a real hike. Or anyone afraid of horses. On a related sidenote, make sure to close their gate behind you. One issue that could be a problem is navigation/signage. It's inadequate at the tee and the map is a tad inaccurate around holes 24-27.
25 plays diagonally across the field toward the road, then you backtrack up to the tee for 26 to throw the other direction across the field. This tripped me up. That said, I've had way worse times finding myself around other courses.

A lack of amenities doesn't bother me; I had an awesome time, it tested my whole game and only left me wanting to play 27 more - I'll definitely be back. There is some rough out here though and it is a hike so, you know...know before you go.
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10 1
Money_Shot
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.8 years 125 played 39 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Its worth a play. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 25, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Great scenery and part of a camp that has many nicer amenities (bathrooms etc.)

-There were a lot of different shot requirements on this course. Some extreme uphill shots, extreme downhill shots, left to right, right to left in heavily wooded terrain as well as rocky terrain.

-quite a few of the holes had concrete tee pads but not all

-Some of the holes were very fun to throw

-$5 was a reasonable price to give this course a shot considering it was a course on private land.

Cons:

-The navigation at points in this course was very puzzling. We often found ourselves scratching our heads wondering where we should be going next, often times on the first like 8 holes wandering around fairways scouting for the next tee box. We spent a lot of time doing this and resulted in an early buzz kill for the course. This navigation seemed to get a bit better as the course progressed passed the first holes, but still required some scouting and the map seemed to offer very little assistance.

-Being that the course navigation wasn't intuitive at all points, there is no worse course in the area for having to scout where the pin locations are etc. The terrain here is very steep on some holes and involves a heck of a hike/workout up and down the mountain side. Of all courses we played in this Colorado region, this course involved some of the most aggressive terrain to navigate. I do not feel like being unsure of where to go next when it involves climbing up and down a mountain side like this to find the next pad.
-It's a private camp most of the year, making its playable season very short.

-Although its only $5 to play and the money goes for a good cause, the course as a whole should likely be a free course. It is understandable, however, why they do charge to have outsiders come in and play on their property.

-This is very steep, rocky terrain that can easily result in twisted ankles, stubbed toes, bloody trip and falls etc. Through portions of the course you are one faulty step away from a round or even disc trip ruiner. This was our first course we played when we got to Colorado and I will be honest, I was concerned that I may mis-step and wreck an ankle and completely blow my whole trip to Colorado down the toilet. I will say of all the courses we navigated, this course had the most footing hazards no question.

Other Thoughts:

I give this course a true rating of 3.75. I have rounded down to a 3.5 because the general rating of the course right now is above what I feel it should be rated and the rating scale does not allow one to rate in .25 increments. Although if this course was in my neighborhood I definitely would not complain, it is a course that if I ever went back to Colorado I would likely just pass up. Between some of the navigation issues, footing, physical exertion etc, we felt like we were doing more work than having fun at points. It is still a good course that I feel everyone should play at least once if in the area, but I do not feel the need to ever go out of my way to play it again when I go back to Colorado for disc. My group played this course as well as Ghost Town on the day we got to Colorado straight from the airport as they are very close to each other. At the end of the day we all agreed that we wish we would have only played Ghost Town all day with our daylight and skipped Rocky Mountain Village. I have seen in a few reviews people mentioning this could be a 5 rating if this or that happens, i honestly have to debate that and in fact had to scroll up to make sure i was still on the reviews for the same course. Its a nice course, but good grief, any course could be a 5 rating if this or that changes. Add 9 holes, make the holes better etc, it can be said about any course. Don't get wrapped into thinking you are going to be playing close a 5 unless you have extremely low standards for a 5. Not trying to bash the course, just give those considering playing it a realistic expectation.
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6 3
Tom Z
Experience: 9 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 5, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

A) Concrete T-Pads at SOME holes.
B) Nice use of elevation changes.
C) Some short ace runs; some medium distance holes, some fairly long holes but nothing extremely long.
D) Narrow fairways through the trees and wide open fairways. Nice mix.

Cons:

A) Concrete T-Pads are too small (I didn't measure them but they appear to be about 3x6 ft.
B) Many of the non-concrete T-Pads are just a row of rocks on each side of a well worn depression in the earth (from use) that do not lend them to a descent run-up. They are also often very narrow like the concrete T-Pads.
C) Blind holes are fine, but this place has way too many. Often have to walk the fairway to find the basket.
D) Many holes had no throwing lane to the basket. It was just throw and pray. However if you have a really big arm you can often overcome this by going over the top.
E) Signage was very poor. A map was provided but it was only a little bit of help. I would definitely recommend going with someone who has played here before ... many times.
F) Most of the open holes had 2 ft. high grass that makes it hard to find discs until you are practically on top of them.
G) Pond on the 1st hole can be a hazard. It's not too long to throw over but wind can dive a disc into the water. If it is not close to shore, you can kiss you disc goodbye. Summer scuba could yield a lot of discs.

Other Thoughts:

I've played about 25-30 courses in my short disc golf career. If the cons are fixed I would play this course again. As is ... probably not. This course has the potential to have a 4.5 rating when it better maintained and the cons are fixed.
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4 4
nannermonkey
Experience: 15 played 3 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Anti-climactic 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Pretty mountain setting
- Tom's friendly and welcoming
- Variety of shots

Cons:

- With the elevation comes the wind
- Too many trees on the south (mountain) holes
- So many thickets and tall grass and burrs!
- Difficult to determine basket location on a good number of holes (signage at the tee pads isn't very helpful or is nonexistent)
-*addendum* Forgot to add a main complaint of a bunch of our group (not so much me, since most of the dung was dry): the innumerable piles of horse poop we encountered

Other Thoughts:

A buildup of anticipation resulted in a big letdown - I'd read the favorable reviews, and having played Conifer a couple of times within the past few months, I was excited to go try out this well-rated mountain course. Unfortunately, I think Conifer set too high a standard. One of the monster thickets on hole two gobbled up a driver - we spent 15-20 minutes searching vainly. (Have fun with it - whoever the lucky disc-finder happens to be!)
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12 1
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 125 played 116 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Adventure at Every Turn 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Huge variety of holes and shots. This course features water obstacles, open meadows, really tight wooded holes, and holes that incorporate both trees and open spaces. The holes never feel repetitive.
-This course rewards being able to throw a variety of different shots. It also requires accuracy and the ability to throw a variety of distances to score well.
-Good distance mix on the course. There are longer holes (some close to 500 feet) and shorter holes. The shortest is probably about 190.
-While there are a decent amount of shorter holes on this course, they are not gimme holes. They are quite tight and require really good accuracy to score well. I found myself scoring worse on the shorter holes on this course than the longer ones.
-The elevation incorporated into this course is one of it's best features. Holes 12 and 20 are really steep shots down treed lined hills.Other than those many of the holes incorporate elevation. It includes uphill, downhill, side-hill shots, and even big drop-off on some of the sides of the fairways.
-This is a really beautiful and pleasant area for a disc golf course. Everyone we met at the camp was very friendly and checking in was no problem at all.
-Since, this course is private and requires a tee-time, we had the whole course to our-self it was awesome. I doubt crowds are ever a problem at this course.
-Holes 1 and 2 feature water obstacles. I thought the water obstacles were well done. Hole 1 has a decent carry over water but there are ways around the water and it plays downhill so the hole plays shorter than it actually is. Hole 2 tees off right near the edge of the water and it is probably 50 to 100 feet over the water. Overall, I thought the water obstacles were well done and not super punishing for those that can't throw as far.
-27 hole course
-Baskets are all Innova Discatchers (some are the older single chained and some are the new double chained) but they all catch well.
-Just off i-70 and very easy to access from Denver.

Cons:

-The tee-pads could use a little work. About half of the tee-pads are concrete, but most of the concrete tee-pads are a little too short and are raised above the ground and can make getting a good run-up a little hard. About a third of the tee-pads are dirt and rutted. The rest are kitchen mats and I thought those were the best tee-pads on the course.
-The course is a little hard to navigate, even with the map they gave us at the beginning, we had to spend a little time walking and looking for holes and baskets.
-Each hole has a post that marks the tee-pad and hole number. A couple holes have tee-signs but most of the tee-signs are faded and hard to read. Improved tee-signs would help finding some of the baskets better.
-Parts of the course (mainly the meadow) can get overgrown with itchy tall-grass.
-Some holes play close to buildings, tables, and picnic areas. Since the course is only playable during the camp's off season it is not a huge problem.
-Hole 15 is the only hole I didn't like on this course. The hole either forces you to throw near an eating pavilion or straight down a road. I feel like this hole is a little dangerous and needs to be re-designed.
-Course is only open for a limited time each year, but since this is an Easter Seals Camp that is totally understandable.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a spectacular mountain course. It has a ton of fun holes and is really fun and challenging to play. With some better tee-pads and improved navigation this course could easily earn a 5.0 rating. If you play make sure you bring an ID, they require a copy of your ID to play. Be prepared for a hike, as at times this course can be a bit of a strenuous hike. If you are driving up I-70 make sure you call for a tee time and make a stop because this course is a must play.
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4 8
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-great variety of shots
-lots of trees for some great technical shots
-lots of elevation change, and great use of it

Cons:

-you can only play this course a few months out of the year because of the summer camp
-pay to play and call to make tee time

Other Thoughts:

Great mountain course, one of the best courses in the along 70
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11 1
Fishy
Experience: 14.2 years 68 played 8 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Benchmark Mountain Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course truly has everything. Concrete pads, dirt pads, unknown rubber substance pads, and a kitchen mat pad. The first throw is over a lake which comes into play, the second tee shot is also over a lake but you are on the edge so unless you can't throw 75' you should be fine. After that the next few holes(3-6) switchback across some meadows with some aspen groves. Rumor has it they have horses here but we didn't see any. Hole 7 is where the heavily forested holes start. 9 and 10 work you straight up the side of a hill with the fairway being a narrow road. 11 you throw across the side of the hill and across a hidden stream. Very easy to take a bad roll here. at 12 you should take a break and enjoy the incredible vista laid out before you, right before you throw straight down the hill, If you manage to stay near the fairway there is a handline to assist you on your decent. 14 is short and plays along an old mining road, the basket sits on top of a tailing pile, if you are short you are throwing up the pile and too long you may be doing the same. Coming back down to 15 and near the main lodge (good place to restock from your car with water and a snack) you use the paved road as a fairway. 16 is a pretty sharp dogleg right to a basket hidden behind the pines across the road. Enough of the open shots, back into the forest! 17 and 22 share a teepad and can get confusing, throw behind the lodges and not into the open. This would be a good place to rest and contemplate at the memorial garden they have set up. 18 is back up the hill, From 18's basket walk up the path to 19's tee. At 20's teebox you should make sure no is at the picnic tables below (I landed under one). This is another shot straight down a narrow slot to a basket surrounded by tables. 21 is a shot over a hill to a basket near a grouping of aspens. Now into the open for the remaining holes! 22 is a dogleg right to a basket to the left of the climbing tower. 23 can be reached in different ways but the open way is another dogleg right. 24 plays over the hill and sits near the edge of a precipace that can land you with a tricky upshot. 25-27 are straight forward open shots the are pretty fun just to air it out after blasting your way through the trees and obstacles of the previous 24 holes. They do have nice elevation gain and drop, but I can imagine them being tricky with any kind of wind.

Cons:

The water on the first hole is daunting. If it wasn't for the ice I would have started the round losing a disc. No real warm up basket, 15's basket is close to the main lodge. Some of the navigation can be tricky, luckily we had a group behind us that had played so they kept up on track, also the map would come in handy. (My fault for not downloading it to my phone). We had the time planned in advance so I'm not sure how far in advance you need to call ahead. There really is very little bad to say about this course, except I wish I would have played it sooner.

Other Thoughts:

This is truly a mountain course and as such you should have your hiking boots and plenty of water. There is absolutely no alcohol or drugs allowed on this course! DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT BRINGING ANY! It is also P2P $5, which is awesome because this truly is one of the finest courses I've played and it keeps the riff raff out. So call ahead and make sure you fit this one in on any Colorado trip you make. I'm sure most of the winter it is unplayable so get here while you can.
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0 10
killabees36
Experience: 6 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

a must play colorado course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

variety of shots will test even the most seasoned player. Tom runs the camp and requires reservations prior to play. 5$ to play.

Cons:

no cons this course is sweet

Other Thoughts:

be respectful this is a drug and alcohol free facility and you will be kicked of the course for breaking the rules and also risk having the course pulled for everyone.
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3 2
HAWKSNEST1979
Experience: 22.8 years 31 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Love this course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

One of my favorite courses in all of Colorado. Some long shots, some huge elevation shots, a horse pasture, and some great technical shots.

You play some flat holes through a horse pasture and then move into woods with a great mix of shots. After the woods you move out into the open and get to really cut loose on a few shots.

Cons:

Not necessarily a con but since it is an easter seals camp you can only play on Fridays and saturdays during the summer.

Don't mess with the horse and the black one may very well mess with you. Makes for an interesting couple of holes.

Other Thoughts:

I don't think the horses have ever hurt anyone but the black one is definitely mischievous and it seems to me he enjoys messing with you. He'll get in your way and follow you around, he even chased us through the trees a few times.

Love this course and has one of the COOLEST downhill shots through the woods I have played. You are more or less throwing straight down.

You can see the climbing wall from I-70 which is part of the course so you'll know where to go.
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1 3
amcnutt
Experience: 8 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Tough course, closed in summer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Difficult course. First third relatively open. Middle third heavy woods, tight fairways. Last third open, longer with great views. Careful of pedestrians. It's an Easter Seals Camp.
Very near I-70. Terrific views.

Cons:

This year it is closed in summer through August.
Can be windy on the last third.
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