Warren, VT

Sugarbush - Peak Course

2.835(based on 9 reviews)
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Sugarbush - Peak Course reviews

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0 2
david sunoo
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Sugar bush 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 3, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

In a cool spot not busy at all, back nine is fun short and thru the woods. Easy to follow next holes. We played aug 3 rd no one was on the course .

Cons:

Gravel tee pads suck, first 9 holes kindof not exciting just zig zagging up. Distances are off on some signs.

Other Thoughts:

After you play You have to go and take a dip at warren falls very close and absolutely fantastic
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5 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
1.50 star(s)

No Wow Factor For Me! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 8, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

As I was riding the Sugarbush Super Bravo Chair to the top of the mountain, I was thinking, Man, this is a long way up here! The views of the Vermont Green Mountains are lovely from the top. If you hike up another 1/4 mile from # 2 basket, you get an even better view. Another amazing view if from # 9. The view there is looking down at the resort.

(This part of my review has been shamelessly copied without his permission because it's exactly what happened to me.)
After finishing three I ran into the next problem that would plague me for the rest of the day. Where the hell do I go from here? There is never ever any signs near the basket that point you to the next tee. So I went up the same trail that had led me through the first three holes. I went about four hundred yards up a super steep climb only to find that that was not the way. Now after climbing uphill about two hundred feet in elevation I had to turn around and go back down. I finally found the tee for four half way back down the fairway for three.

Sugarbush features Discatcher baskets with the yellow bands. They're easy to spot from these great distances. As with every ski course I've ever played, the pads are an afterthought. These are no exception. They're too small, rough and just haven't been maintained. The course does have wooden signs with the par, distance and a very simple map. On this course, that map usually just points downhill.

One thing that sets this ski course apart from others I've played is, Sugarbush is more technical. The fairways are tighter those on other ski courses. And here lies one big problem with this course. The brush is so thick off the fairways that if your disc lands even a couple of feet off the fairway, it's so difficult to find. Combine that with extreme elevation and it's a recipe for lost discs.

Of all the big downhills on this course, my favorite hole might be # 3. It's just a little 253' throw to a basket set down in a gully. The basket is only partly visible from the tee and there is some danger lurking behind it. I liked it a lot.

Cons:

I thought this course suffered from a real lack of creativity in it's design. Straight downhill throws soon become pretty boring to me. Also walking downhill is hard on the body. I agree with reviewers who say you might want to play this course once for the experience, but probably won't care to return.

And then I came to the final hole, # 18. On at least three other ski courses I've played, # 18 has been a cool hole finishing with a big open throw to a open basket down near the lodge. So what do I get here I at Sugarbush? Another straight tight boring downhill. That plays to the lodge? No, this hole plays to the back of some maintenance building. It's ugly! But I play it anyway. And when I get to the # 18 basket, it's lying on it's side. That's what I got for my $15.

Other Thoughts:

When I pay $15 to play a course and I get tee pads that haven't been maintained, baskets lying on their side, missing tee signs and an absolutely lack of creativity in the design of the course, then I don't feel like I've gotten my money's worth.

I enjoyed the base course much more. Two of it's first three holes impressed me more than any on the Peak course.
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6 0
bradharris
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.9 years 90 played 46 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The scenery on the mountain is incredible. As you ride the ski lift to hole 1, you know you're going to be in for a treat. The views from the top are just the beginning. As the course winds its way down the ski slopes, players are treated to a number of amazing panoramas of the Green Mountains as well as very scenic overlooks of the resort at the base. This is definitely a course you want to play in good weather to take full advantage of the scenic opportunities.

Given that the course plays on ski slopes, the fairways are wide and clear. They're still narrow enough, though, to punish bad shots.

There is a nice mix of distances, with a short putter hole at just 180' to a long 1200' downhill bomb.

The course does well to test player's mental game. Good decision making is key on a course like this.

Despite the extreme conditions, rollaways are not very common. The grass stays just long enough to hold discs in place and the pin locations are often on fairly level ground.

Cons:

A round on the peak course definitely requires a very different mentality. This gives it a somewhat gimicky feel. It is the kind of course that you want to play once for the experience, but wouldn't want to come back to over and over again.

Tee pads need some work. The pads really are small gravel patches that give very little room for run up and no clear toe line at the front.

You really need a spotter on this course. With all the downhill shots and thick woods, it's very easy to lose track of a disc without someone to help track it.

Speaking of those thick woods, anything off the fairway is punished severely. Not only are you faced with thick woods, but also very steep drop-offs that can require multiple shots to recover from.

While it is a cool experience, constantly playing downhill does get redundant. There is a little bit of uphill to break things up on holes 2 and 15, but going downhill the rest of the way gets old.

Other Thoughts:

This is definitely a must-play....once. It's an incredible experience playing down the mountain enjoying the beautiful scenery. But the actual disc golf is nothing to write home about. On future trips to the mountain I'd be just as happy to keep the disc golf on the base course and just hike the mountain separately.
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11 0
zapplayer12
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.9 years 149 played 40 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Extreme Mountain Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Relaxing ski-lift ride up to Lincoln's Peak; amazing mountain views; beautiful & peaceful setting amidst an abundance of nature
• Extreme elevation changes throughout
• Some ridiculously long holes especially on the back nine (in a 7 hole sequence starting with #10, 5 of the holes total 4510ft from the blue tees which is just under half the entire course length of 9235 ft)
• To assist in navigation, use the map/scorecard available when paying (there are a couple next tee signs where needed - specifically from 2 to 3 and 16 to 17)
• Fairly logical flow for the most part (backtracking down 2's fairway to #3's tee is one obvious exception)
• DISCather baskets in good shape and yellow band on top makes them easier to see from a distance
• Dual tees with adequate signage showing distance/basic layout
• Not a good place for beginners or the casual player, this is a pro-style course which forces disc control and mindful shot selection - otherwise frustrating disc hunts and lost discs will be incurred.
• A time investment is required (two people playing took approx. 3 ½ hours)
• There's a second course on site also (Base Course) which contains elements seldom found in the Peak Course.
• Pro shop & other amenities on site

Cons:

• After a while the holes became repetitive and seem like transitions down the mountain for the sole purpose of playing those epic downhill holes (which are awesome btw). You're basically throwing down a gravel/grass path bordered by thick woods/rough/mountain run off streams with significant elevation drop offs on one side or the other.....over and over again. #17 is the lone woods example with a tee in them featuring an uphill drive, THEN incorporating the gravel path (with the same attributes as described above) & finishing with a pin tucked in the wood's edge behind a bridge covered mountain run-off stream. This course could use more aspects like the ones found on hole #17.
• Many of the tee pads have weeds growing through them. This did not affect footing as the gravel underneath is packed tight. However some of them look abysmal.
• Tremendously overgrown off the fairway (played during peak of summer) & even on some fairways therefore disc loss/hunt probability extremely high due to ridiculously thick rough/trees & drop offs (to be expected since it's on a mountain in the middle of Vermont)
• Runoff water from the recent rain caused mushy conditions throughout
• Bugs were abundant the entire time and diminished the enjoyment of the course
• $15 pay-to-play is high (even taking the ski lift into account) as it appears the course is somewhat neglected/not a maintenance priority

Other Thoughts:

This is without a doubt a place you have to WANT to play - it's extreme disc golf for the serious disc golfer and depending on the type of player you are, this can be good or bad. I would be the in the former group as I was expecting an intense, over-the-top DG experience and that's exactly what I got.
Many of the tips in previous reviews are spot on, highly recommended & cannot be emphasized enough: wear proper footwear, use bug repellent, utilize spotters (actually they are a necessity), keep control of your disc (minimizing fade is best - you do NOT want to go off the fairway here as punishment is beyond brutal), 'disc down' (use dependable/broken in discs that you can repeatedly throw accurately), bring provisions & conserve energy as best you can. (We did so by purposely playing on a cooler, overcast day as the course is mainly open and exposed to the elements.)
The repetitive nature of the course was the most disappointing - it required me to use the same type of throws and the same handful of discs on a large portion of the holes which stifled creativity. However this strategy could be attributed to 'survival technique' since after being in the rough on a couple early holes, the harsh lesson was learned and I made certain to stay on the fairway thereafter.
I struggled with my rating of this course for a few reasons. It's in the middle of Vermont, on top of a mountain and rugged - consequently many of the cons listed above are well-known and to be expected (but worth mentioning). With many mammoth holes (seriously, a 1200ft par 5 - that's nuts!), it's going to sacrifice elements generally found in a 'typical' disc golf course to achieve these astronomical goals & perhaps alienates a good segment of disc golfers in doing so. Words like 'fun' and 'enjoyable' aren't going to be used to describe this course. Excessive exertion, pain, suffering, exhaustion...these words seem more accurate & appropriate!
Therefore while I feel it's a rating 'tweener' at 3.75, I'm rounding up to a four as the current overall rating appears inappropriately low & punitive.
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8 34
ESPNEWS
Experience: 16.3 years 84 played 2 reviews
0.50 star(s)

The designed is bad. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Other Thoughts:

I would give both Sugarbush courses such as Base and Peak 0 star because these courses are extremely hazard to play there. I can imagine if there was actually rain (the weather was quite hazy the whole time), there would be mudslide on the Peak course. You must bring a spotter with you all the way from first hole to eighteen holes.
My friend got a lot of poison ivy on both of his legs from knees to ankles. He did not enjoy playing there. As for Base course, from 1st hole to 8th holes, it was virtually impossible to play these holes because you have to walk on the uphill and we were already worn out. As for Peak course, there were some areas that were virtually impossible to play and this course is definitely suitable for highest level of professional players; we were certainly not at that level of profession YET. We were already worn out at the beginning of the course. Do you know why? Because when you throw your disc, it would go downhill with the steep downhill and that made you go downhill and look for your disc at almost every hole. Each player in each group had the same problem and we all had to waste time looking for each other's discs because the holes were all downhill. Additionally, we had to pay 15 dollars to lift us to the top mountain and we lost discs in there. I am glad nothing happened to me during the Peak course. I can't imagine if something happened to one of us during the Peak course; that will be responsible for injured players? We should choose courses that are safe for us to play at. Honestly, I don't think I will ever go there and play at the course again unless they redesign the course to avoid the hazard areas. These courses are very physically demanding. There were some players that resigned the tournament due to these reasons and that did not motivate us to continue playing the whole tournament.
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13 4
great white buffalo
Experience: 20.7 years 70 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

not 4 me 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 7, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

There is a pro shop with a mediocre assortment of plastic at the base lodge. The workers were friendly and knowledgeable. The ride on the lift was probably the best part of my day. There was absolutely spectacular scenery with distant hills, streams of water, rough granite, and lush grass. The ride to the top probably took about 8 minutes.
Once I got to the top the day started to go downhill. (No pun intended) The operator at the top of the lift could not give me a very good explanation of how to get to the first hole. Upon finding the tee I was disappointed to find that for the fifteen dollars that I just dropped to play, the tee pads were horrible. The first three holes were pretty much flat to slightly uphill.
After finishing three I ran into the next problem that would plague me for the rest of the day. Where the hell do I go from here? There is never ever any signs near the basket that point you to the next tee. So I went up the same trail that had led me through the first three holes. I went about four hundred yards up a super steep climb only to find that that was not the way. Now after climbing uphill about two hundred feet in elevation I had to turn around and go back down. I finally found the tee for four half way back down the fairway for three.
The course then starts to go down in elevation from there. The holes for the rest of the way were ridiculously long and the fairways were honestly too narrow to be able to try to throw the kind of throw that would be necessary to achieve the distance required. You just can not afford to have any fade. The rough was literally so thick that in most places you could not enter it, so if you did fade any you were screwed. Forget about trying to throw out of it.
A few of the holes 12 in particular are natural drainage ways for the mountain. 12's entire fairway is super soggy. There were others but this one sticks out. It sucks to play the rest of the course with your shoes squishing.
Be aware that you are changing almost 1800 feet in elevation and it is hell on your legs. As far as the layout I would have to concede and say it is super challenging. But if you are not a top tier pro even the short tees (which are not more than 50 feet shorter on average than the pro tees) are just too long. I feel that two 18 holers could have been put in the same amount of area and it would have been so much more fun.

Cons:

Bad tee pads
No next tee signs or arrows at any basket.
Needs one or even two sets of shorter tee pads

Other Thoughts:

I hope that after reading this review you do not think that I just had a bad round. I actually finished just 6 over. I just feel that for the money I spent that there should have been a better experience available. I would not return here to play again.
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6 4
jdrapp
Experience: 15.7 years 26 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A truly unique disc golf experience. Spectacular views. Amazing long downhill holes.

Cons:

The weather can greatly effect the round, especially the wind. It is on a mountain.

Other Thoughts:

The two previous reviews are perfect in illustrating the nature of this course. This course does not favor first time players. Most of the holes are quite long and downhill. Experienced players will love the challenge of negotiating this course. It greatly rewards fairway play and going long off the fairway can easily turn into a lost disc.

Some tips for playing the Peak Course. Play with a good size group (4-5 players). This will allow you to use one of the group members as a spotter on some of the longer holes. Also, disc down. Just because a hole is long does not mean you have to throw your longest disc. The elevation drop on many of the holes will help any disc get plenty of distance. The key is to know your disc and how to control it on a long downhill throw.

Also wear good "sensible shoes" (hiking boots are a good choice), this course is not kind to flip-flops or high heels.
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2 5
cawesjmu
Experience: 17.7 years 12 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Long holes, steep hills, beautiful scenery. Variety of shots, left, right, straight, and all long.

Cons:

Super thick trees and underbrush are disc eaters. Not an ace run type course (could be a pro).

Other Thoughts:

I thought the long holes and steep hills were a pro instead of a con. This course will eat your discs alive if you don't throw it low. If you throw it straight and flat, it'll sail super high since the ground drops and you'll lose your discs.
This course is an experience all by itself. 15 dollars for the lift is not cheap, but it's definitely worth it. It's for all day, so if you can get a couple rounds in, it's very reasonable.
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3 9
N8malibu
Experience: 56 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Suggggghhharbush 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful views, nice pro shop.

Cons:

Long holes, steep hills, muddy terrain, flies

Other Thoughts:

It's a great location but the $15 lift ticket was a little hard to swallow for such a miserable round. If you can't throw a long staight bomb, do yourself a favor and try another course. Not a good course if you're not into searching for discs in thick evergreens. Hopefully the base course is a little more managable tommorow, no 1200 ft holes plz.
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