If you happen to be outstanding in your field at BG Ams every spring, we're likely to find you out standing in their field for the finals. I happened to finish early enough to give this interesting nine hole course a try before the finals in 2013. Unfortunately, I happened to finish BEFORE the finals.

The final nine temp course in the Wah Bah 'back yard' is designed to challenge Ams at all levels to control moderate length drives left and right, up and down the gentle slopes, through piney obstacles, and even to navigate your way behind a stone wall over 420' from the tee on #4. Being a temp course, there are no permanent tees, but the tee sites are relatively level, and the field grasses are cut low for play. Even so, it is possible to slip on the mown hay underfoot and wind up in a pile of rocky debris left of the # 5 fairway (yeah: I tried that...unintentionally...my advice is: don't).

Distances range from about 265' to 650' in just the nine holes, and the course ranges over a large piece of property behind the restaurant (which is a great setting to play if you like good food, refreshments, facilities, and, during the tournament, every vendor you can think of). The finishing hole comes back up through a grove of trees to a fair but tricky pin position, so that (final nine) Rec level players score between par and plus nine or so, while the Advanced players generally have the game to crush par here, so it separates the finalists on talent as much as luck.

It actually would be really cool if this course got a permanent installation, but I suppose they might want to use the space for other events at different times of the year... Anyway, there aren't going to be permanent tees, benches or trash cans out on many temp courses, and that is the case here, too.

There are a lot of blind basket positions, meaning first timers may have to walk ahead often, which might slow things down during the finals (so anyone with a chance to make the finals at BG Ams would be well advised to visit this course before that Sunday!).

The design tends to focus on length more than technicality, but an errant shot could bury you in a pine or a patch of nasty stuff, so the one ongoing 'con' that might be addressed would be to work a little more on clearing the obvious 'rough' patches of more thorns & stickers. But again, you go in there with final nine talent, you pay the price!

I had the guilty pleasure of seeing that I was able to play Wah Bah with a competitive score for my division (Rec), on the same afternoon and conditions, even though I didn't make the finals. But I'd like to congratulate those who did, for putting together a more consistent weekend of disc golf than I did. It's an awesome tournament, and if you haven't been, plan to be there in 2014!

Finally, I'm breaking my guiding rule of playing a course multiple times before writing a review, but Wah Bah is a very special case! I rated it 'Good' because the design fulfills its intention, not because of its (lack of) tees, signage, etc.

The course plays in the large field behind the steakhouse. There are some moderate elevation changes that come into play on most holes, they're used pretty well to add some challenge and variety. A few holes play in small stands of trees, providing an opportunity to shape some tighter lines. The last hole calls for an anhyzer through a tight gap into a stand of trees with ob left and brushy rough right (my favorite hole on the course). A few other shots also offer some rough, waiting to punish errant shots.

This course is designed to test players at the end of a multi-day tournament, so it has some length. Only a couple of the holes are shorter, and those have large pines and bushes to avoid. Many of the rest have a chance to air out a drive, with a little punishment for missing your landing zones.

The course is temporary, so you can only play it when set up for the Bowling Green Am Champoinships. The tees are natural, and several have thorny vines that catch your shoes while you're running up. The rough is pretty thorny as well, you'll pay in blood for shanking it on a couple holes. A couple holes are blind, and there is no signage (understandable on a temp course). The course is fairly open overall, and doesn't make you really shape interesting lines, the majority call for a wide open tee shot and then a more interesting upshot/putt. In my opinion, that doesn't make for as meaningful a final round in a tournament that features lots of interesting tighter holes.

This layout is meant more to showcase big arms and the top am players, so it isn't all that beginner friendly. It's long, and a few holes have nasty rough, so new players will likely be frustrated. More experienced players will find some good tests of distance and shot placement, but it doesn't really have a full range of different types of challenges.