North Grosvenordale, CT

West Thompson Lake

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3.615(based on 23 reviews)
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4 0
Knickerbocker73
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A New England legend reduced to a scab 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 7, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course stood as a Gem of N.E. for many years. I would make the journey from 2 hours away to take in all that this course had to offer. It held a special place for me. Now what stands in it's place is an abomination. Clearly to make room for dog walkers the course has been modified. What remains is a sorry excuse for the classic lineup that stood for years. The new holes are some of the worst I have played to date. Hole 18 if you make it there is a complete joke! Maybe someday people will stop ruining what others have established and what stood the test of time. Not sure how these scavengers sleep at night.

Cons:

Several iconic holes remain. But in current context they are greatly diminished.

Other Thoughts:

Army Dam courses are the Gold Standard in Disc golf!! Don't touch them please, they are sacred ground.
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4 0
Guilius24
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice course worth playing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is free to play. A lot of courses have a fee or a donation. You can always show up and play a round or three even if they are having a tournament.
The location is 5 minutes off the highway and less than 10 minutes from Putnam center and restaurants.
THe course is very well designed to offer a good mix of wooded and open holes with some elevation.
The view and scenery is amazing especially at sunset! With the lake and fields you can just spend an hour sightseeing and forget your playing. The lake usually makes a nice breeze that usually keeps the bugs low

Cons:

Hole 9 and hole 14 tee area are right next to each other facing opposite directions. There is an open area with a picnic table but it forces you to wait if someone is teeing off at the other tee box.
The course has been used a lot and it is obvious that some people do not respect the area. A lot of the tee signs are old, banged up and just hang in upside down.
There is a lot of trash around the area. Bottles, plastic containers and cups and cans can be found all along the edges. There is a trash can at the beginning of the course and at the end of hole 11 and that is all. There is a lack of restrooms once you leave hole 1. There is a small parking lot area accessible from hole 6, 7 and 11 and just before tee box 12 that could be used for even just one porta John and some trash receptacles.

Other Thoughts:

The trash along the course upsets me and I always bring a trash bag with me when I play here. There's no excuse for this. Carry it in.... carry it out! I understand that you sometimes leave your water/drink at the tee. It happens. But please respect the land. Since this is an open hiking area I also understand this is not all disc golfers. The course is still beautiful and worth playing over and over. I will always play here once a month even in the winter when the snow isn't bad. I have met so many wonderful people playing here and this course has every kind of hole you can think of if you need to work on your game. Come here and throw high hyzers around the bushes after the tee box on 8. Practice your anhyzers on 7. You can stand on tee 6, 15 or 17 and throw drives all day. This course has it all.
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2 0
Discette
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 663 played 64 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Big Park - Big Views - Big Challenge 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

West Thompson Lake is a big beautiful course, in a big beautiful park with big beautiful views. This is not a city park, this is the natural land that surrounds the lake operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. I played this course as part of a road trip playing 12 states in 12 days. This was the only disc golf course I played in Connecticut. This course was beautiful, with a real fun vibe that challenged me to play my best. There was no fee to enter the park or play the course.

I used bullet points for those that don't want to read the entire review.


Variety
This course covers a variety of terrain. It starts out in the thick woods and moves into wide open fairways that bring the wind and elevation into play. Except for Hole 1, most of the wooded fairways were fair and had ample routes to the pin.

Navigation
Each tee sign clearly shows the direction to the next tee. I am happy for that as I forgot my map in the car...again! I did not get lost once or have to backtrack to find the next tee. I really love courses that are easy to navigate.

Amenities
Concrete tees on all holes. These tee are wider in the back and narrow in the front, effectively pointing the way to the target. They were framed and level with the surrounding area. I personally prefer the wide area in the front and just a little more length. The tee signs had great graphics showing hole information as well as that all important arrow to the Next Tee! There were a few picnic tables and trash cans along the way, but plan to carry out your trash.

All 18 in a row
Once you leave the parking area for the first tee, you do not return until after you play Hole 18. Be prepared for a big hike. Even though I play fairly quickly on my own, this course took well over 2 hours to play and I didn't get lost or backtrack.

Restrooms
There was a well maintained portable restroom in the boat ramp parking lot. There were no other restrooms on the course. However, since the course is in the wilderness, there are plenty of opportunities for privacy.

Kids, Carts and Strollers
For golfers, a cart is probably a great idea as this course covers a lot of ground. However, I would say no to kids and strollers as it is just too long and the terrain is not suitable for strollers with kids. The course is far too long for young kids to walk along. You have to play all 18 before you get back to the car. The only restrooms are in the parking lot and I didn't recall seeing any running water.


Upkeep
Except for a couple of missing tee signs, the course is in fantastic shape.

Cons:

Suggestions
I am not sure there are really any cons for this course, but I do have a few suggestions. The tee pads could be a little longer. Maybe the course could use some alternate pin placements or alternate tees for a few holes to add some variety. It might be nice if there were more holes close to the water to bring the big beautiful lake into play. Seems like a lot of land available for another 9 holes. Again, these are all suggestions, not really cons.

Other Thoughts:

Good Choice
I only had time to play one course in Connecticut and I am glad I played this course. The course was right off the interstate making it easy to reach. Again, this was big and beautiful and worth the stop.
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4 1
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.7 years 1002 played 214 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid, scenic 18 holer 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 18, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Set in extremely scenic park around West Thompson Lake. Good signage leading up to the park, and finding the parking was pretty easy. Hole 1 is just off to the side.

DGA baskets were in good repair and caught well enough. No issues here.

Solid mix of wooded and open holes, with some using both, which creates a nice mix and never leaves you feeling like you've "played that hole before".

Good use of the available elevation here. No drastic changes, but nothing is really too flat on this course, which is nice.

Solid tee signs with plenty of information about distance and topography. Intended lines would be nice, though.

Cons:

The tee pads here are concrete and trapezoids, but they're about six feet too short. Also, there's only one set of pads at each hole. This course could REALLY benefit from another set of tees, as some holes are a bit short.

Speaking of that, there's quite a few short holes here. With the open lines on most wooded holes, there's not a ton of challenge on many of them. **edit** Just to explain this a little more...the course itself isn't crazy short, but a few holes really skew the average here.

The water on a couple holes is pretty scummy, and you're really not going to want to go in and grab a disc in those spots.

It's too bad there aren't more holes bringing the lake into play. Would add a lot of challenge and pucker factor.

Other Thoughts:

This is a pretty fun course, even if it's not the most challenging thing around. Completely scenic, and even running along a highway for a couple holes, it feels like you're out in the middle of nowhere, for the most part.

If you're in the area, this is definitely a course worth playing once or twice, and would make a pretty decent home course. More of an intermediate course, but advanced players should still find some fun here.
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1 0
Mythy
Experience: 10 years 5 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A "Dam" Good Time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Thompson Dam... er 'West Thompson Lake' course has some seriously scenic moments with the lake in the background.

Variety in the type (wooded/field/water/rock) and distance (200+ to 600+) of holes and direction (left to right, right to left)... You'll never get bored on this 18 hole course.

New signs clearly provide the particulars of the hole you're about to play.

Level concrete tee boxes.

The water doesn't dominate play, although it adds to certain decisions. If you're not packing a floating disc have a friend spot you on hole 16... you'll thank me later.

Picnic tables along the course.

It's free to play.

It's free to park.

Cons:

West Thompson Lake (can I just call it Thompson Dam?) has short, plenty wide but short, concrete tee boxes.

Occasionally could use an arrow pointing to the next tee.

Grass is a little tall on some holes... causing occasional disk searches - in fairways!

Lacks a real signature hole - I think it's supposed to be 16 because you could put an errant throw off the 10'x10' peninsula and into the lake fairly easily... there are better holes, and the whole place is pretty scenic.

Actually the first place I've played where trash along the course is something of an eyesore, if not a small issue.

There are quite a few people doing other things in the park... so don't be surprised if you have to wait a few minutes to make a throw a few times.

Other Thoughts:

It's scenic, it's beautiful, and it's a Dam Good Time...

Technically speaking, (that's from a technical course standpoint) in Connecticut all I hear is Wickham, Wickham, Wickham... and that's halfway between myself and a good friend so we play there often. West Thompson Lake (seriously just call it Thompson Dam) is amazingly comparable just short of a little grooming, a little longer or nicer tee pads, and a little more elevation change (but seriously... it's a flood plain and there is some decent change).

Follow the road signs on the east side of the dam that say DISC GOLF COURSE... to the parking lot by the boat launch... don't turn in until you see them.

I drove by this for years on my way to work... never stopped... I no longer drive by it for work... I do, however, now drive THOMPSON DAM specifically to play.
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4 0
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 755 played 414 reviews
3.00 star(s)

West Thom in East Conn 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 11, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Even amount of open/wooded, "pyramid" (~half 200'-300', ~third 300'-425', ~remainder up through 650') of distances, and blend of right/left/straight off the tee, creates a varied course which should appeal to a broad spectrum players - something for everyone, without too much of anything.

Cons:

Single tee (a bit on the short side)/basket (a bit of the old side) position.

Other Thoughts:

Course is set in the partially wooded (smaller, thinner trees, for the most part), partially open, flood control plain (so not too much elevation change available) of West Thompson Lake, which forms the eastern border of the last few holes. The water potentially comes into play on 14-17, especially on numbers 14 (sits behind this downhill basket) and 16 (basket practically surrounded by it!). Riprap flows along the entire right-side of uber-long #10, at times squeezing the fairway, with woods and marshy area to the left. You'll even have a mini-swamp to throw over on #12. For the wooded holes, some have scattered trees, creating a number of small throwing lanes, while others tend to form a single/wider tunnel.

Cement tees (plenty wide, but a bit short), and teesigns. Scattered picnic tables and trashcans. Between the map and the well-worn paths, navigation was simple enough for this first-time visitor, but some comments include:
• the map suggests a gentle right-turner for #3, but the left-turner I threw led to a birdy.
• from basket-8, walk straight ahead, into the woods to find tee-9 (you'll pass tee-14 on the way, to the right)
• Basket-9 is NOT in the open, as the map indicates, but is now in the woods, to your left.
• From basket-12, into the woods to your left to play number-13, then back out into the open for tee-14.

Favourite hole: #16, despite the chance of a wet disc!  A long (400'+) open hole, with a gradual loss of elevation, and a bit of a squeeze (bushes/tree) at approximately the midpoint. Basket is located towards the end of a small peninsula which composes the last ~1/3rd of the hole, making one definitely pause for thought before making one's approach shot.

A very solid course, requiring a well-rounded game, offering several challenging greens - definitely worth a stop if passing nearby.
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2 0
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 222 played 189 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Frankly I do give a dam 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 2, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

West Thompson Lake is another course set along the shores of a New England dam site. It's also a rare New England course that has a pretty even split of wooded and open holes.

The wooded holes are all fairly short, under 300 feet, but pars are not gimmes. Most of the holes have a tight line for birdies and a safer, less direct line. The open holes have several long par 4's that require some thought about where your drive and approach end up. Unlike Buffumville (its dam cousin to the north), the rip rap rocks only come into play on one hole, which is nice for the health of your discs.

The signature hole is probably 16, a 419-foot downhill hole onto a peninsula. A clump of trees and thick bushes split the fairway about 225 feet from the tee. A well placed short drive can leave you a good look at 3, but if you got for the birdie, you can easily end up in the water or in some thick rough. I do wonder if the tee should be moved up a bit, as the chances of getting a birdie on this hole see so low that few would go for it (but then again, I'm not very good).

Hole 14 is the only other one where water comes into play. It's a 220-foot downhill shot that is technically an ace run, but you'd never got for the ace because the lake is 10 feet behind the basket. I like this hole for the most part, but I could see a missed putt rolling quickly into the water (which apparently isn't very clean).

Another good hole is 7, a pretty open horseshoe-shaped hole. This is one that tempts overconfident players to throw a huge anhyzer or forehand to go for the birdie, but doing so can leave you behind a grove of trees protecting the basket. I like when a designer can take a wide open hole and wring some risk/reward from it.

Navigation is good. I only needed the map once or twice. There are no "next tee" signs, but the trails are broken in pretty well. Tee signs show distance and the general fairway contour, but they could be better in showing where the basket is relative to the tee and the fairway(s).

Cons:

There is a bit of elevation here, but not much. It is too bad that the dam could not have been used for a good downhill bomb.

Most of the holes are perfectly good, but not particularly memorable. There are worse things in the world than that, though.

There is just one set of tees, and it doesn't appear there are alternate basket locations, so I could see the course getting slightly repetitive.

I played on a beautiful early November day, but I could see the grass getting long on field holes during the summer.

Other Thoughts:

This course ate me alive on my first round because my accuracy wasn't there (no complaints there). So in spite of the shorter holes in the woods, they are no cakewalk.

The scenery, design, and terrain don't quite match Buffumville (the most logical comparison given the nearby location and the dam-oriented design), but this is a solid course where big arms and technical players can compete on an even field, and where the chances of a lost disc are low.
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0 3
dznutzz
Experience: 13.9 years 5 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great all around spot! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Short technical holes mixed with long distance wide open holes, a great overall diverse course. Great views and lots to see as far as natural beauty goes.

Cons:

Next holes are easy to get to but not clearly marked at the pin. Found a few "Next Hole" markers on the ground.
Found some of the tee pads a bit short for a running drive. Gravel was added to some for this reason I believe!
Couple more trash cans would be nice also.

Other Thoughts:

Lost a red Valkrie at around hole 2 or 3 or 4...Idk!
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3 0
HomemadeBasket
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.5 years 64 played 39 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Place to Play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice flow and feel to the course.
Great mix of shots.
Nice variety of holes.
Water comes into play, but doesn't dominate your game.
Good risk/reward choices on most holes.
Cement pads.
Trash cans.
Free to play and park!

Cons:

Needs directional signs to next hole.
A few of the baskets were bent.
Cement section of tee pads are a bit short.
No bathrooms.

Other Thoughts:

A really nice course to play a challenging, yet very laid back round.
Had a great day here and will be making the hour drive more often.
It is well worth it.
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6 0
adlacro
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 149 played 125 reviews
4.00 star(s)

I "Lake" This Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 6, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

18 holes of challenging yet fair disc golf. Good mix of open and wooden holes with some elevation mixed in. Baskets are a little older, bu still easy to see from almost every tee and still in good shape for the most part. A small pond comes into play on 5 and 6, and the main lake comes into play on the 16th. Fairly well maintained. Concrete tees with a little gravel room beforehand to allow for a run-up or cross-step. Friendly locals are always a plus. Signature 16th with the peninsula green is a challenge and the best hole on the course. Pin locations are challenging and do incorporaate some additional thinking on your part to score well.

Cons:

If you're not a fan of water courses or water holes, then play it safe and stay away from those holes. I happen to like water courses so long as I'm not stupid enough to go near it to risk losing a disc. The tenth hole is the longest hole here, but if you have trouble staying left, you could easily score very high and that could be frustrating for some people. Other than that no additional complaints.

Other Thoughts:

Nice course with a short drive off I-395 and not far from the spectacular Worcester, MA area courses, so if you have a couple of days, swing over from Worcester to this gem in NE CT. You'll be glad you did.
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1 2
JAKE master
Experience: 15.5 years 77 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

natural beauty 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 13, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Easy to follow layout. New metal signs with great graphics and info. generous tee pads that are flush to the ground. warm up basket. picnic tables spread every few holes through out the course. benches and garbage cans on many others. great mix of open, tunnel and wooded holes. it does not seem to be left or right hand bias, as i played with a lefty today. well behaved dogs can run freely. free to play, camping onsite during summer.

Cons:

the rough can be very rough at times of the year in between mowing, however, the fairway seems to stay short and matted down. there are several holes that can be sloppy muddy in the spring or times when there is three day rain storms ect. ive seen 16 not be playable at times due to water blocking the path to the peninsula. dogs, can be a distraction to some people. walkers also use the park and can sometimes slow progress down in the summer.

Other Thoughts:

there is a good cummunity of players here. even when i go alone i end up playing with some locals. the place seems to stay free trash. it is great piece of property for disc, terrain and scenery wise. the designers used the lay of the land quite well. i feels all levels and throwing styles can enjoy this course. There is 5 wooded holes, 8 open holes and 5 that are somewhat tunnel shots but without being overly tight. the course is not overly technical but there is some water and OB which gets you thinking about shot placement. overall im very pleased to have this course somewhat close to home and feel it is worth a lengthy drive to play.
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1 0
S. Flavius Mercurius
Experience: 12.2 years 278 played 10 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Favorite course in CT 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 20, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

My favorite course in the state, with some of the most unique and memorable holes that I've played so far. Very fun and challenging, a mixture of wooded and open holes, creative pin placements on a few, and some great use of water OB. Incredibly scenic and free to play.

Cons:

Can be a little busy at times but that's a minor detraction. Some of the rough is rough, and can make disc retrieval of errant shots a process. Hexagonal shaped tee pads were an odd touch. I feel like there's room here for alternate tee pads and loops, too. Some more maintenance (especially lawn) would be nice. Would've liked a scorecard/map but navigation wasn't difficult.

Other Thoughts:

Warmed up for 9 at Pomfret Center before coming over and felt like that was the right way to do it, as another reviewer had suggested. Lost a disc to the lake here but had a great time anyway, and would definitely make the trip again. Playing this course is a pleasure, it's truly an obscure gem.
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0 5
Osmo
Experience: 9 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good beginners course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 19, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Not many Water Hazards (unless you throw wayyyyy off line). Short technical holes mixed with long distance holes. Great scenery, not very crowded.

Cons:

Summer months the grass grows huge and doesnt get mowed alot which makes for easy disc losses when throw in the roughs. No swimming allowed.
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1 2
tmc3442
Experience: 14.8 years 54 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

lots of different looks at baskets
not a lot of traffic
info at almost ever hole

Cons:

hole 16 is on a peninsula
hole 14 forces shot at basket on hill next to water
doesn't get mowed alot

Other Thoughts:

got my first ace on hole 3
top 3 i've played good course
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3 1
jkdisc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 117 played 108 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has a nice mix of short, technical, wooded holes and long open shots. There is a nice use of water on a few holes and they are all different (peninsula, behind the basket, and the side of the fairway.)

Other Pros:
- some picnic tables and garbage cans
- scenic and clean
- nice hand made tee signs
- well worn in fairways
- the limited elevation was used

Cons:

The directions take you to a parking area near hole #6. I checked the map and saw that there was parking near #1 but we walked there because we were already geared up.

Other Cons:
-short tee pads make you start on natural ground before entering the concrete
- very swampy areas
- "No Swimming/Wading signs where my brother threw his disc in :(
- walkway bridge had some bad boards

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole is probably not the signature hole of the course, I liked #12 because it was unique to any other hole I've played. There is a walkway over a swampy area to dry area where the tee is, throw threw a tight area over more swamp. Don't hit a tree or it could go anywhere. Loved it!

Nice course, just check out a map before arriving so you can park at hole #1.
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4 1
Johnny Betts
Experience: 23.8 years 35 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun, Challenging course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well kept, clean course.

Beautiful setting around lake

Good variety of shots and hole lengths
and nice use of elevation

No danger zones, good separation between fairways

Easy to find your way, good course flow
Overall good design makes for a good tounament course.

Nice concrete tee pads over 10' in length and signage describing hole characteristics

Good use of ob on some of the longer open holes keeping them interesting and challenging

Cons:

No real long technical wooded holes

Other Thoughts:

This is a great property for disc golf. There is plenty of room for more permanent tee pads and baskets.
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4 3
RHINESEL
Experience: 14.8 years 7 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful Grounds 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wonderful settings, great use of land.

Cons:

Challenge geared towards beginner to amateur level.

Other Thoughts:

For rating a course I base my ratings on 50% design, 20% course upkeep, 10% basket, tee, tee sign, and signage, 10% amenities, and 10% that special something that defines a course.

Intro:
West Thompson Lake Disc Golf Course is a course hosted by the Army Corps of Engineers at the West Thompson Lake Dam complex. The course is slightly difficult to find as roads in the area are missing street signs. I suggest researching your arrival route and printing a street map if possible. Parking is in the public boat ramp parking lot. Hole 1 is down an access road at the beginning of the parking lot. The grounds contain walking trails and I did see people walking their dogs very often. At no time did they cross my fairway though.

Design:
The course is a mixture of wooded and open holes. Holes had a good variety of straight and left or right turns. Length significantly varied with some holes being short and some being long (hole 10) to extremely long (hole 15). Holes played mostly flat with only a few offering elevation changes. There are very few (one or two) blind shots and even then the disc is in sight for most of its flight. Fairways were well established but limited shots. Undergrowth along fairways in the wooded holes was very light in nature and an errant throw would pose little challenge for recovery of par. Growth along open fairways was medium to heavy and would challenge recovery of par if entered. Water only came into minor play on a few holes (Hole 14 water behind basket, Hole 16 basket sits on a peninsula). Landing areas around baskets are pretty clear and none sat on significant hills. Overall, the course design is very thought out and uses the existing wooded lands very well. Challenge is on the light side and I anticipate advanced players would be less enthusiastic about the course than beginner and medium skilled players.

Course Upkeep:
The course appeared to be kept up very well. Very few cut logs and trimmed brush piles were observed, placed well out of the way of the main fairways. Course was pretty clean with just a minor amount of trash observed. There was trash barrels only observed at two locations throughout the course (Hole 1 and Hole 11). More trash barrels would go a long way in eliminating the amount of litter.

Basket, tee, tee sign, and signage:
Baskets are in good condition with only one showing any abuse (bending of basket). Tee boxes consisted of cement bases. The design seemed odd though. They were trapezoidal shaped favoring width over length. More often than not I had to begin my X-Step off of the tee pad. The transition was smooth though as the surrounding ground was graded at the same level as the pad. Tee signs are present at most tees showing direction of fairway, distance, and par. Signs are fairly well detailed offering good graphical references. Next tee signs were at very few holes (Hole 2 to 3 I believe, and directional sign between Holes 8 and 9)) but I felt more should have been present. I did have to refer to my map printed earlier for directions to the next hole on a couple of occasions

Amenities:
In a grassy area at the parking lot there are three picnic tables with grills. There is no practice target. There is a billboard with a course map and a place for scorecards although none were present. There is a port-a-potty in the same grassy area as the picnic tables. I did not notice a source of water. Picnic tables are at a lot of the tees, but at tees where there were none there were no other benches or other seating arrangements. There are no bag hooks. There was no location to practice warm up drives.

That "special something":
If you go to this course expecting great use of the dam or wonderful views of the lake you will be disappointed. It wasn't until around Hole 16 that it fully dawned on me that the beauty of the course isn't the dam itself but the wonderful lands surrounding it. The course plays like it is on a cross between a farm and an English Manor. Beautiful fields, bushy outcroppings, and winding fairways weave you in around the property. The course is as much a please to walk as it is to play.

Conclusion:
This course was a lot of fun to play and a nice change from the very technical courses in the area. The challenge level of the course was on the lighter side. It is the type of course where someone could achieve their first par for the course as there are ample birdie opportunities. After achieving said par, I'm not sure if my enthusiasm for the course would continue though as I would be searching for a higher level of difficulty. I would not hesitate to take someone here for their first experience with disc golf as it is very beginner tolerant. If in the area I would highly recommend a visit to the course not only for a round but also for a nice stroll around the grounds.
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0 2
eastcoastf
Experience: 13 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

thought it was great 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

thought it was a great course. definitely go back.

18 holes , free

there were some great scenic holes..#16 was right at the lake.

Cons:

popular. seemed pretty busy..but the course goes fast..so it's not that bad.

Other Thoughts:

pomfret is about 15-20 minutes away ..so if your taking the trip hit them both up.
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11 1
solomon.trenton
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 89 played 67 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Another Dam course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The pin position makes somewhat boring holes challenging: fifteen comes to mind here, long straight shot with the basket right in front of some bushes on a small hill. On the water holes there is a very good use water OB and the pin placement is optimal there. A really good mix of holes and distances make the course less monotonous than it could be. Hand made tee signs are clear and very helpful. There are concrete tees on about half the holes. There are trash cans on two of the holes, some scattered picnic tables, and a welcome board near hole one. Some of the views (hole sixteen basket) and wildlife is pretty cool too.

Cons:

The navigation, even with a map, is a little tricky. The tee sign at two holes were missing. The natural tee pads are very uneven. The concrete pads are very small as well. The paths between the holes are pretty overgrown as well.The baskets in the woods are hard to see; a cone on top of the basket would help out immensly. The grass throughout the course, including the fairways is at least lower shin high. There are no next tee signs; at least none that I saw. Hole eight to nine took me forever to find. There is a crazy amount of bugs when you play close to the water.

Other Thoughts:

The directions take you to hole six. I would suggest you start play there.
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4 1
JoelKellam
Experience: 20.8 years 7 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Thompson is awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Free-play, fun holes, and great scenery will keep you coming back for more. Thompson Lake has great variety (long open field, straight, obstacles, turns, and wooded technical holes) for the thirsty golfer. They seem to keep updating the course with a few more concrete tees and signs here and there. Keep 'em coming. Over all, the course is challenging and a great time.

Cons:

There is chance of losing discs at Thompson. If the grass hasn't been recently cut, it'll make you uneasy at the tee on a few holes. And watch out for the lake! It will easily swallow your discs. Rarely, the lake will rise up and make holes unplayable.

Other Thoughts:

I've been playing this course for more than 5 years and I still love it.
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