Orange, CT

High Plains DGC

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2.85(based on 15 reviews)
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8 0
Captain Beefhooks
Experience: 12.7 years 19 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Much Improved From Earlier Years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Course design itself: Good balance of shorter shots (holes 2/3/5/6) and more standard woods play.

- Clearly marked layout: A new sign has been added behind the pavilion to guide players to the first tee. All other pins have been taped to mark the location of the next teepad. Teepad signage has been added.
- Teepads: Teepads have been added on most holes, a vast improvement from the rock/dirt pads which were unplayable after heavy rain.
Fairways: lots of younger growth, deadwood, rough thorns/bushes/brush, and sagging branches have been cleared. A lot of these holes were unplayable in the past because of overgrowth.

Cons:

The teepads still need work and the existing alternate tees need pads.

A few of the holes are still very flick/lefty-unfriendly for holes that pretend to have those lines, and could be helped with one or two more trees being pulled.

Alternate tees on additional holes would be nice. I have heard there are plans to gradually add them in the next year or so.

Course still gets very muddy in spots. I'm looking at you, hole 7.

Other Thoughts:

It is very clear that this course has been given quite a bit of love in the last year. I played the course in the original and updated layouts years ago and it was not worth playing. It was really starting to get out of hand to the point where a few holes (2 and 7, especially) were unplayable. Props to the crew of regulars for their hard work on making this one of the better 9-hole courses in the state.
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16 0
HyooMac
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 415 played 382 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun in the Woods

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 29, 2022 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A lot of volunteer work has gone into this course snce I last played it over a year ago, and many of the "Cons" have been reduced or eliminated. A few tee platforms have been added (they're short, but the holes don't require a lot of run up), signage is greatly improved, and the thickest brush has been removed. A short, hilly and wooded technical 9 is emerging from what used to feel like baskets randomly placed in the woods


+ Hole #1 is a nice downhill with a dropoff to a narrow creek right behind the basket. This is a short par 3, so there's plenty of challenge to both hit the narrow line, and stay out of the creek long


+ Hole #4 is the longest hole at 300+ feet, and it's slightly uphill along an old dry creek bed or trail. Elevated basket up on some rocks - nice hole


+ Holes #5 and #7 have received a lot of clearing (7 was especially bad; the last time I played it wa easier to just play up the road on the right and hope to fade in through the trees to the basket). Now you can actually stand on the tees and see the lines to hit: #5 is a narrow fairway with a late left turn to a slightly lower green, and #7 gives you a chance to swing a long left-to-right shot into a hillside basket


+ Hole #8 is a throw across a deep ravine, and #9 is uphill threading through woods


+ None of the nine holes is particularly long - and par here is pretty easy - but it's surprising how many different types of shots you've going to need to make birdies


Cons:

- Now that the rest of the holes are getting better, #3 is probably the weakest. It uses a pair of large trees to frame a double mando That's a good idea, but the hole is only 126', so you're really just flicking an upshot for your ace or birdie


Other Thoughts:

~ There are a few very steep climbs down when playing the course, dramatic enought to have safety ropes along them (holes #2 and #8). These could be pretty hazardous in muddy or icy conditions


~ There are some fun and challenging shots here, though the quality of the holes varies. On my second visit, I was lucky enough to hook up with the guys doing the work. They're realistic about the layout's shortcomings, but the amount of improvement they've already done - without any municipal help - is pretty remarkable. They're currently adding alternate tees on most holes to keep it interesting for the regular players (and yes, they have leagues and small tournaments)


~ The oldest reviews here might actually be of a different layout. It appears from reading them that the course moved to the current location in 2010. In any event, this is a work in progress, so the most recent reviews are your best bet.





RECOMMENDED COMBINATIONS:
Unless you live very close by, High Plains is a bagging stop on a day when you're hitting other courses. We played it at the end of a day bagging courses around Norwalk, the closest being the very good Veterans Park


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3 0
maninthebox
Experience: 36.8 years 56 played 11 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Needs some work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 3, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good terrain, nice use of elevation. Once you find the next hole, there's at least a sign pointing to the basket.

Cons:

This has been stated before, but I feel the need to underscore it; there needs to be some direction to the next hole. Every time I finished a hole, I'd look around trying to figure out which way to go and it took a minute or 2 of wandering and looking for the trash can at the next tee box. Once you've played a round or 2, no big deal, but for first timers, this gets frustrating. Hole 8's tee box was an ankle-buster, with lots of rocks making a run-up difficult.

Other Thoughts:

Bright yellow Innova Discatchers were actually very helpful in finding the next hole. Many holes, I'd spot the basket first and use that to determine where the tee box probably was. I never did find the tee for hole #2.
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2 0
SnowSerf
Experience: 25.1 years 6 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun Little Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Had the opportunity to play this course over the summer. Just a couple miles off the Merritt Parkway and or Route 34. This course has a variety of holes allowing for some low scoring opportunities on short holes, challenging accuracy on others and a couple with some distance. It is quite wooded, has some elevation and a little stream that runs through the first few holes. Nice baskets and a quick round for 9 making 18 quite doable.

Cons:

No tee boxes on any of the holes. Decent signage for each hole layout, but no direction between holes. The later holes of the nine were especially challenging forcing us to wander around on our first time there. I am sure no problem for locals, but a little tricky for first timers. Also a couple of the holes lacked a true fairway that I could find forcing some head scratching.

Other Thoughts:

Overall a fun course. We did it as part of a little DG/Brewery run. New England Brewing Company, arguably CT finest, is one exit north on the Merritt, about 10 minutes away. Made for an nice Saturday afternoon. Enjoy some DG and some fresh Ghandi Bot!
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4 0
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This niner is better than I expected and certainly better than I assumed after the first two holes. If you are tempted to call it quits after glancing down the second fairway, don't. It gets better. There are a bunch of solid holes here that are fun to throw. I'm speaking of 3, 4, 5 and especially 8. Quality holes. 6 and 9 seemed like they were of equal quality, at least in terms of the fairway shape but I never found the tees for those.
It makes for a quick, fairly easy and mostly fun round. The experience is boosted by the aesthetics. It feels out there, with a swiftly-running stream and a lookout point just feet from a basket that gives an incredible view. With some improvements, this could be a really great place.

Cons:

1 looked intriguing from the top but I wasn't entirely sure where I was supposed to throw from or where I was aiming. I'm left wondering if a regular player could create a loop that skipped 2 because I honestly wouldn't care to play it. There is just no fairway wider than a goat path. Since 7 runs down a service road for most of its length, that leaves only six quality holes here. Those six are very playable but still, only six.
The navigation is pretty messy though. Since there are no tees or signs, and you are typically looking for a number spray-painted onto a tree, it can be difficult to find where you are supposed to tee off from. The tees themselves are nonexistent. Not always flat and frequently broken up by roots or rocks. Real tees and signs would make a difference for the traveling player.
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1 1
connecticutsfinest
Experience: 22.1 years 12 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 25, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Tough pin positions super fun very pretty

Cons:

Bad signage the teepads were poop

Other Thoughts:

I liked the course a lot my girlfriend almost aced three so I'm glad it was beginner friendly love the straight on shots on one and nine. Hole six was an awesome hole I found some of the local routes
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1 0
polishedmarvel
Experience: 10.8 years 36 played 9 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Needs trimming badly 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice to have another disc golf course in the area, if you live locally, which I don't :)

Cons:

At least half of the holes lack a fairway due to trees and branches. A little tough to find your way around the course if it's your first time. If you get into the rough (almost everywhere) it can be really tough to find your disc.

Other Thoughts:

I suspect with judicious trimming this could be a challenging but fun course. I'm not a fabulous player, but I can at least imagine a shot at other courses. Here, not so much.
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2 0
ryan35
Experience: 11.9 years 6 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fun, Quick, and fairly easy to play. Wont even need drivers on most holes. Hole nine ends right at hole one and you will find yourself done so fast that another 9 holes is easy to endure.

Cons:

Tee markers are small concrete blocks on the ground, hard to find first time through but once you play through you wont forget so hard to even call it a con. Heavily wooded but not impossible.

Other Thoughts:

Great for beginners and as others said its good for short hame practice.. Minor elevation and all holes are short except for maybe hole 4 where basket is on a hill surrounded by trees after a long dogleg lright
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6 0
TBabb
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.7 years 65 played 56 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great training course for locals 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Closest course to New Haven! Good for beginners; no holes +400'. The course has beautiful landscape and a few unique shots. Baskets are in good condition. Trees keep your drives honest and there's lots of elevation change. The woods keep you out of the sun, so you probably can leave your sunblock at home. A nice quiet little course to work on your short game. I've only run into other players on this course once. Small trash bins have been added to many tee pads so keep the course clean! Discs are available for rental in the Parks and Rec office so you can get your friends hooked on the game if they've never played before. They also have maps, restrooms and water fountains in the community center.

Cons:

Course feels a little cramped. It would be nice to have one or two holes on the longer side. Only one anhyzer hole (#8). Be wary of hikers and dog-walkers, as the course does intersect with hiking trails. Also, be wary of vehicles on the service road on 5 and 7. Course is mostly clean, but there is broken glass on the tee at 8, some graffiti on the trees and fallen trees in the rough make retrieving those errant drives a pain. Teeboxes are natural, undefined, and the ground on them is uneven, so your footwork needs to be very cautious when teeing off or you might eat dirt. Hole #2 has gotten ridiculous with a lot of overgrowth and fallen trees from a big hurricane a few years ago.

Other Thoughts:

A nice course for working on technical shots and improving your short game. Baskets are placed in a way that allows for diverse putting practice. Probably not worth driving more than 10-20 miles to play it, but it makes a great practice course for locals.
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2 0
markfohara
Experience: 19.8 years 6 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My training ground 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A very fun and interesting course with lots of challenging shots. With only 9 holes, if you get frustrated, you don't have to play a whole 18 set, but if you play through twice (9th hole ends near the 1st tee) It's almost as fun as playing a real 18 hole

Cons:

Some of the holes are hard to see from the tee, and there's no real good map anywhere. The course would be more fun if there was an easy to understand guide of some sort. It's also hard to find the first hole if you've never been there before

Other Thoughts:

I've seen this entire course change it's location from the big open field to the woods in the back. This is the closest course to my home, and one i frequent, but i feel it could be beter. There's even one hole where if you're good enough, it's an easy hole in one.
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4 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Nice Hilly Terrain For Course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The High Plains course plays down below the picnic area in lovely wooded, hilly area. It's a grand area for a disc course golf course. The course from the shorts is definitely a recreational or beginner with only # 4 playing over 230 feet. It plays longer from the Longs but I wasn't always able to determine which tee Iwas playing from. But in spite of these relatively short distances, the courses offers some challenge with it's tight windows and hilly nature. It's too bad that the parks dept. won't allow any more permanent signage or teepads because they both lacking here. The teesigns are just patio bricks lying on the grounds with the info written on them. I'm sure they regularly get thrown into the brush. The teepads are natural and hard to determine where they start and finish. A board at the start would help. How about pavers? Would the parks dept. go for them?
# 8 was my favorite hole from the longs. It's 315', throwing across a tree ridden valley. I liked it a lot.

Cons:

I's really like to see some kind of simple improvement made to the teepads here. At least, bury a 2" x 4" at the front of the pad. Man, you should be able to work with the parks department ton the pads and some kind of simple signage that is non-permanent in nature. Almost every other course in the country is managing to make it work.

Other Thoughts:

There's a sign at the beginning notifying golfers that this course will be removed if they don't start picking up after themselves. Then I get to about three baskets in a row where the baskets are being using as trash cans with cans, glass bottles and plastic bottles stacked on top of the baskets. It was disgusting! I packed as many out as I could squeeze into my bag. Pick up after yourself guys, freaking slobs! Don't screw up and lose this course. Sounds like the parks guys already have their panties in a knot.
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4 0
jcardozo
Experience: 14.8 years 34 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Little Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 8, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Short holes make for easy pars and a few easy birds along the way. That's not to say that this course is not challenging though. Very tight fairways. Good elevation changes and a clean course. Also, the course has a wide open area right by the parking area to work on some distance shots.

Cons:

My biggest complaint is that some areas cross streams/brooks and there's not always a clear path across without getting wet. That's obviously not the fault of the course, but just know you may end up with a wet shoe or two...

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this is a great little course with short holes. On a few of the holes, I drive with my Roc (midrange) so as not to overshoot the basket.
Despite most holes being in the 150'-250' range, the tight fairways make it very challenging. Miss a fairway by too much and you can easily end up with a bogey or even a double.
I've played this course upwards of 10 times and have never seen multiple tees or even anywhere other than the tee box to consider shooting from. It's nice that the box has a marker of where the basket is as you may not always be able to see the basket from the box.
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4 0
gottafixit
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21 years 862 played 68 reviews
2.00 star(s)

still in progress 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hand painted tee signs
fun mix of holes
Next tee arrow at the bottom of the basket

Cons:

tees not the easiest to see or well defined
could only find one set of tees
some fairways need definition
no map

Other Thoughts:

I love woods courses and this was a fun little course but it still has some progress to be made. There is no kiosk yet or map available but the first tee isn't hard to find. The tees I could find were marked with flags and had a nice hand painted tee sign somewhere near them. I only found one tee per hole which I believe were the shorter ones. The holes had a good mix of shots and used the land well to maximize on the elevation changes avilable(8 I think come to mind nice uphill shot). At the bottom of the basket there were next tee arrows which helped but the paths were not always well define and the tees were sometimes hard to spot. I never found 7's tee I just shot from atop the grassy knoll. I also felt that a few holes could benifit from some more defintion(6). All in all it's a great little course that has the potential to get better. Define the tees(couldn't fine the second set), fairways, and paths(line them with downed trees maybe), and supply a map and this could jump at least disc.
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4 0
JHern
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.8 years 82 played 49 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun way to spend an hour or two near New Haven 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I woke up early one morning on a visit to Yale University, and walked to the bus stop next to the very same commons where, legend has it, students long ago tossed pie tins back and forth from the "Frisbee Pie Company" and then the rest is history. As I pondered this, I was obviously craving a round of disc golf, and I knew that Connecticut has the landscape to make for some really great courses, however, the course directories had very few options. Then I found out about this new course.

After a lengthy bus trip and walk to the park, I arrived at this brand new course in the suburban spread called Orange. I brought only my ESP Cyclone and a Pro Challenger in my luggage, and these discs were more than sufficient. I don't think there was any hole much longer than 300' (this is really good for beginners!).

This course is set back in semi-mature woods behind a community park, with a surprising amount of topography in the form of hills and small valleys. The brush was dense, and the fairways were tight, just the way I like them.

The holes were all very well-placed, I never once had the thought that the designers should have put them in any other locations. The hole lengths and over all balance and flow of the course was perfect for the property. There was a variety of shots off the tee, left, right, straight, up, and down. None of the holes was a gimme, since the slightest error could lead to bogey in many instances. I imagine a lot of local players will have a good time out there.

Cons:

The property is somewhat small and remote, but this isn't as big a deal in a car culture. Being from California, I was also craving a bit more length and challenge.

Other Thoughts:

The course was brand new, so I can't comment on lack of signage, since I know they are continuing to improve it. A fellow named Matt was very kind to give me detailed directions to and around the course, even though it was in its formative stages. He mentioned that they might be able to expand into other areas of the park in the future to make a full 18, and add a variety of other kinds of holes. This would be very cool!
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5 0
mzoro
Experience: 6 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

high plains drifting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 25, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Its been a while since my last round at High Plains DGC...well since i helped install the remaining baskets with Matt Aubin, the course rep. This is a long overdue review. This course recently underwent a complete redesign. What was originally wide open within the community center's walking paths, is now tucked into the outlying woods. This course now has nine WOODED holes, with two sets of tees on many of the holes. The majority of the holes are shorter in length, but test the throwers full arsenal of shots. While the course is more geared for novice and intermediates, it'll keep everybody honest, and is a fun play. There are no free-bees to be had. Pin-point accuracy and mid-range control will be rewarded, but don't worry if the occasional shot ventures off line into the rough. The course is nestled into an established forest resting on ledge. There are not a lot of small brush or prickers to worry about. Expect to play large elevation changes, tight tunnel shots, and one huge spike hyzer. Very cool pin locations on the majority of holes; #2 pin is 65' lower then tee with OB on the left, #3 is a killer ace run, #4 is long and straight with the basket perched on a tall mound, #6 is the really fun spike hyzer, #8 requires a long anny or flick to cross the gully. Other holes look easier then they are. #1 and #9 are fairly straight, but don't let anything hyzer to much or you'll be looking at a long uphill putt. The ground falls off quickly left of both those baskets, and its not really noticeable from the tee. The town of Orange has strict "passive land use" requirements, so don't expect any fancy tee-pads, but most have been leveled off and are clear from roots and rocks.

Cons:

The course is still a work in progress, and it's a little unfair to mention any cons until its completion.

Other Thoughts:

Matt has had a lot help from local pros while designing this course, as well as help with trail work from the local boy-scouts. it was the scouts that helped level the tee-pads and define the path from #7's basket to #8's tee, a once tricky route. i gave this course a 3.5 because there is still more work to be done. Tee-signs, defining rec/pro tee's, kiosk information and more are in the works. All will get done soon. In all, Matt deserves a huge pat on the back for a job well done.
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