Buena Vista, CO

Amy Lynch Memorial DGC

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35(based on 12 reviews)
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3 0
bobmcnelly
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.9 years 324 played 189 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

- good quality baskets
- good quality tee pads
- navigation is very easy on this course with all the signs pointing you in the right direction
- two separate tee pads to play different layouts
- good variety of distances ranging from 200" to 500"

Cons:

- tons of blind shots that will have you walking up and down the fairways to find the baskets
- its seems that the tee sign diagrams of the hole are way off on at least a few of the tee signs, I would throw my drive based on the tee sign and find myself 150' away from the basket on a 200' hole
- tons of cactus and yucca on the course that you must watch out for
- hole 18 just seems to end right in the middle of the course and then you have to walk out around the course to back to parking

Other Thoughts:

This could be a great course if a few holes were changed so you can actually find the basket off the tee and if a few tee signs were changed to more accurately show where the basket is.
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13 0
reezyF
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.4 years 277 played 40 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Amy Lynch Memorial DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

My Three Pros:

1) Beautiful scenery and location. The course is situated just next to the Arkansas River that runs through Buena Vista and the adjacent rocky outcropping, though the river itself never comes into view. The Sawatch Range just to the west is always visible and is a fantastic mountain view of nearby 14000ft peaks that one would expect out in the Rockies.

2) The course has good tee signs, teepads, baskets and signage to guide you through the course without needing a map. Teepads are generally all pretty flat and smooth and made from pavers. There are two sets of tees with signage at each at every hole. There appear to be 2 pin positions possible, with the current position marked by a bolt on the signs.

3) In reaching to find a 3rd pro to list besides the nice scenery and nice amenities all I could think of is that its nice that the course was renamed in honor of avid disc golfer and Buena Vista Parks Department Supervisor Amy Lynch. I can only hope to leave an impact like Amy and maybe one day have a course dedicated in my memory.

Cons:

My Three Cons:

1) This course is just a pain. The course is in an over grown desert environment that makes disc risk a factor on every hole. You will end up searching for even your best shots on just about every hole.

2) The baskets are all blind? Not only are you throwing into brushy undergrowth on every hole; you are throwing at blind pin positions that require you walk down the 'fairways' to find them and then hoping you land in a visible spot.

3) The holes all play the same. As others have mentioned the holes all generally require you throw over top of short trees in whichever line suits you best. As long as you can clear the short trees the course will play fairly wide open.

Other Thoughts:

Unfortunately Buena Vista DG was kinda no bueno. This was a course that I found myself looking forward to the end of. I was pretty happy to come home with all my discs and there is zero water in play.
Its kind of like the nearby 14ers Mt Princeton - you gotta do it while youre in BV and it will have its good points, but its gonna be a rough outing.
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3 0
Hey it's Stellato
Experience: 24 played 22 reviews
4.00 star(s)

In the running for best views 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Incredible views, beautiful scenery, and in Colorado's "banana belt" so benefitting from temperate to warm temperatures basically year round. Played in mid May and it was bone dry. From the rushing creek to the views of snow-capped 14er peaks, this course is truly incredible. High quality discatcher baskets, easy navigation, and well defined fairways considering the type of alpine desert environment. You need to make the drive to play this course!

Cons:

Hard to say any cons about this course. Sure I would love it if there were some elevations changes, maybe a shot that played across the Arkansas river!?!? And I'd love it if we could import some beautiful green-grass fairways, but this is alpine desert environment, and this course is beautiful and a little rough around the edges.

Other Thoughts:

There are oddly placed hangout areas throughout the course. There was a family RVing nearby and thier kids were running throughout the course, occasionally in danger of being hit by a disc but consitently screaming their head off. It's a public space and I'm glad they're enjoying it, but does there need to be a picnic table in the middle of the fairway?

THANK YOU to the crew that developed and maintains this course. Will be back for sure!
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10 0
markmcc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.9 years 278 played 254 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Over the Top We Go... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This 18 hole course through Pinion Pines and low scrub offers excellent views of the Arkansas River Valley and surrounding mountains.

Hole lengths vary from 234' out to 420' with most playing in the 250' - 360' range. There were two pin locations shown on the back 9 signs, but I believe a single pin location for the front nine.

Since everything plays over the top of the short trees (see cons) this course is absolutely friendly to RH/ LH and BH/FH players. No bias at all.

Baskets were Innova Discatchers in excellent condition, and tee pads were built up out of individual patio/paver stones. They were flat and in good shape. Tees signs offered Hole #, Par, Distance, and Sponsor information. Many of the signs included an arrow pointing the direction to the "pro" tee, but we never found one.

There is modest elevation on some of the holes, but nothing extreme.

Cons:

This is a one-dimensional course. There are no real fairways, and all drives are pretty much over the top of the 6' - 12' pines, hoping to land in an opening near the basket. If you land in a clear spot great (but watch out for the cactus). If you happen to land in one of the scrubby little pine trees you might have to scramble a bit.

So you may have a slight uphill/downhill shot, and the wind will play a role, but the basic approach to all of the holes is the same.

Some areas of the course are carpeted in ground-hugging cactus. Lots of little thorny things so watch where you put down your bag or stick your hands.

Other Thoughts:

Given the terrain the course is designed and built well. But there isn't a lot of variety among the holes.
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1 2
jeffboi
Experience: 9.9 years 14 played 14 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hard to navigate 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This could be one of the best courses in Colorado. Baskets and tee boxes in perfect condition. Lots of wind - low trees to play in between and cheat the wind ... play technical or go over top and brave the wind. Scenery is awesome! And I can't imagine ever loosing a disc.

Cons:

This may be the worst marked course I have ever played. We spent more time trying to navigate the course then we did playing. Imagine coming to a 300' hole, teeing off based on the signage and still not being able to locate the basket for your second shot. Then spending 5-10 minutes per hole finding the next tee box. The paths in between holes were nearly all unmarked - what a pita. We ran into some locals and asked the location of the next tee, and they said they only play the front, because the back was too hard to navigate.

Other Thoughts:

I am rating this as a 3 because of the perfect conditions, awesome scenery and potential of playing low and technical vs over the trees and braving the wind. Honestly, I wouldn't go back until they make some improvements. Too much of a hassle trying to figure the track.
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0 2
lmyers
Experience: 4 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Buena Vista DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 27, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Back 9 is in and the cactus/yucca is starting to get beat down into better trails. Concrete paver tee pads are nice on all holes. Putting green at the parking lot is a good way to warm up when waiting on friends. Alternate placements for back 9 will make course more difficult.

Cons:

Still lot's of cactus on back 9. No brooms on back 9 and front 9 brooms are slowly disappearing. Signage is getting better, but still difficult for 1st timer to follow.

Other Thoughts:

Additional improvements in the works for the BV disc golf course include: better signage and maps on all back 9 holes. Benches at each tee pad, and a common area in the center of the course with picnic tables and a picnic area style bbq grill.
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5 0
Wise Fool
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 125 played 116 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great Nine Hole Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 2, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Good use of the trees and other obstacles to provide challenge on many of the holes and distances range from about 250 to just over 400 feet (The longest hole is 402 feets)
-Hole 4 is the standout of the course and a lot of fun to play
-Really nice tee-signs that show the hole layout and the distance
-Course flow was pretty easy to follow (with the exception of one spot between hole 4 and 5) and most of the paths between the holes were rock lined and easy to follow.
-Nice brand new Innova Discatcher baskets
-Pro and am teepads on each hole. The pro teepads do give each hole a different look.
-Between hole two and three there is a spot for your dog to get water and some benches and trashcans throughout the course
-The am tee-pads are made of paver's stones that have now been set into the ground and they are pretty solid tee-pads.

Cons:

-This course starts to feel repetitive after a while as many of the holes ending playing similar to each other.
-I would have liked a little more distance on the course as most of the holes are under 300 feet
-There are a lot of sharp plants like cactus and yucca throughout the course that can go right through your shoe if you step on them so watch where you step.
-The pro tees are still only carpet and the tee-signs don't do a good job of showing where the pro tees are and i had trouble finding a lot of them. I only ended up finding about 4 or 5 of the pro tee-pads. The tee-signs aren't any help in finding the pro tee-pads, and on a few holes I'm not sure the pro tee-pads existed even though the tee-sign said there was one.
-None of the holes really provide much of a challenge or punish you too much for a bad shot.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a great stop to make if you are traveling in the area. It is a lot of fun but not the most challenging course ever. I feel that the new tee-pads detract a little from the overall feel of the course. I am also very excited to hear that there are another nine holes planned for the course and I will definitely be back to play when those holes are in.
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2 0
14erDisc
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.1 years 40 played 40 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Interesting 9 Hole Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Buena Vista is certainly a quality 9 hole courses. It is a quality mixture of technicality and distance as most holes are around 300 feet or more. Mixed in with these shots are an absurd amount of short (juniper?) trees. Most holes have a clearly defined fairway that you must hit in order to end up near the basket. Many of these fairways are good and tight with minimal room for error. However, if you do find yourself outside of the cut-out fairways, it is usually easy to find your way back to the basket for a par. This course also allows you to practice your tomahawk, as almost every basket can be accessed by going OVER the trees and landing in the proper position.

Most holes are straight shots with fairways cut out, lacking a bit of creativity. There is still creativity in incorporating the trees into the course, however most shots (1,2,5,6,7,8,9) are straight ahead off of the tee. My favorite hole was #4 which was also straight ahead off of the tee. However, this hole is elevated, and in a small clearing surrounded by trees. This means a great tee shot is an easy birdie, and a poor tee shot will leave you a very rough second shot.

I heard from a local that they are planning on putting in an additional 9 holes on the land. There is certainly room for it, and the land has a good amount of potential. They did a quality job using the land that was given to them to make this course. With all of the trees being so short, it is hard to make everything as technical as they did.

There are amateur and pro tees at every hole on this course. For me personally, the amateur tees were more fun and technical, while the pro tees seemed to just be huge bombs with less technicality. However, I did have some locals tell me that they only play the pro tees because they love the distance factor (the amateur tees usually add around 100 feet). The tees are also dirt areas with a rug laying on top. At first I thought this was "ghetto", and wouldn't work very well, however the rugs turned out to be very grippy and a wonderful surface to throw discs from.

There are signs at every hole, and paths bordered with rocks that lead you from tee to pin.

Cons:

The general layout of the course was not the best. It was a bit confusing, and very hard to find my way around. While the signs at the previous hole point you towards the next tee, they are extremely vague. The map is also fairly accurate, but it does not allow you to pin-point where you are in relation to the next tee. You will need both!! The combination of the map as well as following signs is necessary for a first timer.

As mentioned before, I thought the design lacked creativity. I brought my entire bag and ended up throwing two drivers, one midrange, and one putter. Almost all holes allow you to throw your best throw (I throw RHFH), so teeing off with the same throw 9 times can get a bit boring. I threw one RHBH, seven RHFH throws, and one tomahawk.

Other Thoughts:

This course is certainly unique and fun. It is possible to get 18 holes by playing the pro/amateur tees, however the "same-ness" may have you a bit bored by the end. While I did manage to dwell on the lack of creativity in this course, it is still a great 9 hole course. The plentiful trees and tight lines keep you on your toes for at least 9 holes.
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1 0
ChargerRacing
Experience: 13.9 years 15 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Interesting Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Excellently maintained when I was there. I loved the rock paths and the signage was absolutely excellent.
- Interesting terrain. The scrub-like terrain and lack of normal grass / dirt fairways made for some out of the ordinary play.
- Good variety of shots, including number 4, which was an excellently designed hole.

Cons:

- Short play time.
- Aside from #4, no real standout holes.
- Despite the shot variety, after a while the holes started to blend together due to a lack of variety in the terrain.
- Could have used concrete tee pads, instead of carpet.

Other Thoughts:

I heard from some locals that they were planning on adding another 9, but were having some problems with the local politics of it. If they can complete this, I would be very interested to play this again if the back nine were completed. With a full 18, I could easily see adding another half to full star to this review. It was a good nine hole course that does a good job with the spot it has to work with and I loved the scrub-like fairways. However, it just didn't stand out as a stellar disc golf course. Although I really wanted to give this a 3 star, I couldn't quite bring myself to, due to the lack of terrain variety and the lack of a back nine.
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0 0
mtndiscs11
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice open course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 17, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Although the elevation doesn't vary to much, the designer did a excellent job with the layout and using the obstacles to overcome the elevation issue. The 4th hole is one of the best set holes I have played on of many a course. Another big highlight everyone respects the people in front of each other and there is no throwing into other players on the course.

***New to the course is the back nine which I thought was well laid out and used the natural terrain and landscape to provide for some medium level technicalities. The back nine seems to be setup for a tighter fairway type course. Very nice addition and made the course improve overall.***

Cons:

Lots of cactus and now that the back nine is complete would like to see maps for new players as a few holes are hard to see from the tee area.
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2 0
Tclarencebrown
Experience: 15.1 years 107 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Buena Vista Disc Golf Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Tee Pads: There was carpet down on each hole, which made the start of each hole easier to find.

Baskets: The Baskets are brand new. Very nice.

Game play: Each hole has a different feel to it. There is not much elevation change on the course but the designer of the course did a great job designing the course.

Navigation: Although, there is no course map or specific signs on each hole to point you in the right direction, each hole has a tall 4X4 post with the hole number on it to help you to see the next hole. Also, the paths to the next hole are lined with rocks to show you the way to the next hole.

Cons:

Tee pads: It is definitely a "pro" that the carpet was down to help mark where the tee off is locate but the carpets were not a consistent size and the ground underneath is becoming uneven. Concrete pads would be a definite bonus.

Multiple pin placements/tees: There were multiple tee offs but they were not marked with the tall 4X4 posts so they were hard to find. There were not multiple pin placements.

Navigation: There was not a course map posted and there were not tee signs with the a map of the hole. At times it was confusing but any seasoned disc golfer could find his or her way around the course.

Scorecards: There were no score cards available. With this being a new course and still under construction I expect this to change.

Restrooms: There was not an on sight restroom.

Other Thoughts:

This was a very new and very fun course. It had a good variety of holes. For a nine hole course I really enjoyed playing it. After talking with the people at The Trail Head (very nice people) I found out that there are plans to expand the course to 18 holes later this spring.

With some simple improvements of the course (scorecards, tee pads, tee signs and course maps) and the expansion to 18 holes I would rate this course at 3.5ish.

*** Since this course is less than a year old I did not hold some of the above mentioned "cons" against the course. I will be back in the area this summer and will revise my review then.

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3 1
RevDrDisc
Experience: 46.9 years 114 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Buena Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 7, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is nestled down in the Arkansas river valley. I played on a blustery day but wind was not a major factor. Many of the tee pads have stone pavers which made it even easier to find. There are some interesting things done with the mild elevation changes that keep the course interesting. Many of the Tee's were sponsored by local business which was great to know who supports disc golf.

Cons:

The first tee is on the other side of the ball fields from the parking sign. Some of the holes seemed a bit short for me but would be good for beginners. I would have liked to get closer to the river or even throw across it. Advance pads are hard to find.

Other Thoughts:

The course takes a slightly unusual S turn on about 3 then snakes back around finish fairly easy to follow and ending back near 1. A couple of holes have blind tee shots and no map so it would be helpful to walk the course before playing. I played on a day that it was snowing in mountains and did fine without water but on a hot summer day you will probably want some.
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