Auburn, NY

Emerson Park DGC

3.275(based on 24 reviews)
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7 0
DumfriesLizzie
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.5 years 111 played 101 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Tranquil, pleasant course with good challenge

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 31, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

A lovely grove of trees has most of the F9. Another pleasant grove holds holes 10-16. Beautiful view of Owasco Lake, particularly from the green of no. 3 and the tee of no. 4.

Challenging no. 4 is over 400 feet (from the gold tee) and has a double mando with a creek running dead through the fairway the length of said. Could be a signature hole although uphill no. 6 (with the basket on a mound) and wide-open massive no. 17 (489 feet from the gold tee) would give no. 4 a run for its money.

The course doesn't seem to be busy. The first time I played it (F9), I think there were 3-4 others on the course but (happily) not coming along right behind me. Different parties, but all started on no. 10. Second time at the course (B9 played), it was just me and one of the groundskeepers on a large mower.

F9 elevation is subtle but real. Most of the holes are on a wooded slope down to the creek. The play is down and up, over and again. The B9 though is dead flat, but it has tighter woods after opening with mostly-treeless no. 10. You stay in tight woods with fairly short but challenging holes until you punch out of no. 15's teebox to the open field.

Every hole presents some sort of challenge. Generally involving trees (!), parkland-style and more densely-wooded fairways. There are also dogleg fairways, the creek, the densely-reeded pond near nos. 15 and 16, and distance (nos. 4, 6, and 17).

Your disc is a goner in that pond unless you manage to land on an edge of the water...

It's an unassuming-looking course that actually packs a good deal of variety.

Cons:

On your first visit, you will probably wind up in the main park at Emerson. Ultimately, you discover that the disc golf course is across the street behind the agriculture museum. Directions here in DGCR indicate that as well as UDisc.

I only accurately ID'ed the gold tee for each hole. There were some forward potential pads that are more square. Short blue? Even shorter junior tees? Such does not exist at every hole though. Expect to play the concrete pad that is the gold tee and forget the rest.

The biggest problem the course has is the gathering of water after rain and snow. Big puddles of water and mud are everywhere. Makes establishing a stance difficult. You are likely to leave with a higher score as well, as all that casual water forces you to relocate your lie behind the large puddles if you land in them. Most are pretty big. Chances of landing in said? 100%.

Everything is a par 3, and a 500-ft, uphill hole like no. 6 should be par 4 (at the least). Other par-4 candidates could be nos. 4, 10, and 17. Only from the gold tees, I am suggesting.

Other Thoughts:

If you don't live in the area, you want to attach other things to the drive out here. Perhaps visit the Harriet Tubman and the William Seward houses in Auburn. Maybe get lunch or dinner in chic Skaneatales (15-20 minutes away from the course and the same from Auburn).

Or maybe Emerson is part of a far-ranging DG day trip from Syracuse, also including TC3 north of Ithaca and one of the Syracuse courses (Clay West, Clay Central, Van Buren, Oxbow Falls or 9-holers Heritage, Sullivan, or Green Lakes).

It appears that some seasons are better than others to play here. Perhaps a dry, summer day is best to avoid the mud (though others talk about the bugs). It had rained the night or morning I came in July. Plenty mud. Bugs not so bad (had bug cream which went on from the start). Perhaps a dry mid-fall day features a thinner canopy/higher ceiling on the F9, slightly wider fairways on the wooded part of the B9, dry leaves, and less wetness? I don't know; I am just guessing. The locals can say.

Muddy fairways drowning in puddles seems to be par for the course for these upstate NY courses. I found similar in March 2023 at Van Buren, Heritage, Clay West, and Oxbow Falls.
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2 1
seanyboyhoward
Experience: 10.7 years 40 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Tons of Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very well manicured course. Great park setting. Excellent Tee pads, holes are very fair. Multiple lines to the basket to play to all kinds of throws. Wooded holes were tight and kinda wonky but made the round interesting. Loved the use of the OB creek and the pond.

Cons:

There were no map of the holes on the sign, and there are no pars marked for the holes so not sure if they were par 3 or 4.

Other Thoughts:

The course is in a beautiful park. Views off the lake are great! The course is lightly wooded as it is in the park but the trees are definitely a factor! Had an amazing time and a great round. Hit an Ace on hole 5!
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3 1
Timeetyo
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10 years 41 played 33 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- The course really has two different feels to it on the front and back 9 which keep it interesting. Then you get out of the woods for some open shots to end the round.
- Nice concrete tee pads
- Decent signage
- A good mix of shot selection is required. L>R, R>L, wide open bombs, tight, technical shots.
- The pond shot is very well done. ~225 hole (~210 carry or less if the pond is low) simple hyzer shot with a small landing zone right at the pin. There is an option to play it conservative to the right (at the cost of a longer putt but more room for error) for those who don't have the accuracy to go for the otherwise easy 2.
- Not much chance of lost discs. The ditch/creek comes into play on several holes but is easy to retrieve from. The woods for the most part isn't so thick that losing a disc is a threat. The pond is the only real danger for a lost disc.

Cons:

- Hole #12. I'm not sure what they were thinking with this one. It is a 360' wooded par 3 with a 90* turn left dead in the center. The first half is VERY tight and restricted with little room to make the corner (without a lot of luck). There is a bit of a landing zone at the corner but it is still ~180' out and fairly tight to the pin. I played this in a tourney and everyone either played the lay up to the LZ for 2 180' NAGS or tried for the hero route and ended up worse. There is very little risk/reward here with the angles provided off the tee to go for even a reasonable look for 2. I don't mind challenge - but there is just no risk/reward there.
- Hole 4 is played with an OB creek/ditch ~10' wide starting just to your left and straight down the fairway. There is also a double mando ~100' out with 1 tree on the left of the ditch and the other on the right (although away from the bank a bit. The pin is across the ditch on the left so it isn't an issue for a RHBH throw as any straight to fade shot that makes the mando should be safe. For lefties though making the mando may leave you at risk of fading back into the creek. It just seems odd that you can make the double mando (enough of an obstacle by itself) and be punished with an ob shot landing in the ditch.
- When I played we had just had unusually nasty rain the day prior but there was a ton of standing water (large, shallow puddles) throughout the park section. This may not be an issue normally but I thought it was worth mentioning as I saw other reviews with standing water as well.
- Hole 17 will be unplayable if soccer games / practice are going on as it throws over the fields.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I really enjoyed my time playing this course. Going from the park setting which is a very well manicured park with the obstacles being several mature trees to the tight & technical back 9 and then ending with a pond shot & some open bombs is a nice mix.
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1 2
Ernie4
Experience: 17.8 years 4 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Alot of trees so you can really hone in on accuracy other wise your going the wrong way. Shorter holes that allow for newer players to par a few.

Cons:

Trees like to mess your shot up. Not too many open shots available only but a few holes.

Other Thoughts:

Course is good for experienced and non experienced players
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1 0
Johnny Betts
Experience: 23.8 years 35 played 9 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice setting 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Beautiful setting on the northern end of Owasco Lake.

First half plays through a well manicured gassy area with big trees.

Some good holes with big drives that need to be accurate.

Clean park and not crowded

Good baskets

Nice breeze from the lake

Front nine is beginner friendly

Cons:

Unrealistic fairways on the wooded holes.

Poison ivy on the wooded holes

No elevation

Last hole is unplayable when soccer games or practices are in session.

Other Thoughts:

Overall a decent course that would be fun to play a quick nine after work, or a casual round with friends.
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1 0
jkdisc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 117 played 108 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Emerson is a clean well maintained park. The disc golf is away from most of the other park activities. There is a mix of open and wooded holes. The navigation to the next tees were easy enough without a map. There are tee options for each hole. The long tees are concrete and the shorter are natural and have markers.

Other Pros:
- views of Owasco Lake
- not crowded while I was there
- pond in play
- mature trees as obstacles but not too many

Cons:

The course has very little elevation. The wind off the lake becomes a factor too. Those are just part of the location but worth mentioning. The biggest con would be if there was a soccer game going on because hole #17 plays over the corner of that field.

Other Cons:
- tee signs do not map the pin
- short tees are not as nice as the longs

Other Thoughts:

The finger lakes area is a beautiful area to visit. I enjoyed this course but I wasn't wowed by any particular hole here. Many holes will work your technical game especially if the wind picks up. It's worth playing if you are nearby.
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1 0
cdamon
Experience: 43.9 years 9 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Eminently Decent 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Nice setting. Most of the holes are in a grassy tree-filled park. No crowds - I was the only player on a Monday afternoon. Baskets are in good shape, and the course is well-maintained. Great place to practice controlled drives.

Cons:

Many of the holes in the trees are similar, and are not great holes. Since the trees are pretty dense, the fairways aren't obvious. You start your drive on its way through the first gap and then hope for the best. Tee signs do not have graphics of the hole, so pins can be hard to find. The handful of holes in the dense woods are borderline silly.
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1 1
GrEaTeRNaTeR
Experience: 13.6 years 19 played 19 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 8, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is littered with mature trees on the front nine. The back nine has nice lanes through dense woods. Fairways are well taken care of while throwing from a concrete tee pad is always nice.

Cons:

a hole on the back nine has a 90 degree turn in the middle of the fairway. I think they could have used that space for that whole a little more creatively.

Other Thoughts:

good time with some great disc control
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7 0
toothyfish
Experience: 14.7 years 31 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Leisurely, Yet Challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 18, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is set in a well-maintained grassy park, with many trees and a small wooded section. It offers challenging fairways, yet easy walking:
* beautifully maintained park - clean and manicured
* concrete long tees and marked shorter layouts
* family friendly - great beginner course
* easy walking
* several low ceiling shots, left turns, right turns - does not seem to favor any particular shot
* long tees are clearly marked
* wind can often be a factor,which adds challenge

Cons:

There are a few shortcoming, nothing major. The entire park is mowed, so there is not high grass/low grass to help shape fairway. Also, the trees are random, and while plenty of them, there are few defined edges.
* most fairways are not well-defined
* shorter tees are not as clearly marked
* no hole maps on tee signs
* Hole 18, while a nice open bomb, plays across a soccer field - you will have to skip if there is a game

Other Thoughts:

This course sets in a section of a large public park that is on the east side of Owasco Lake. This means wind, which adds a nice challenge. The entire Finger Lakes region is beautiful, so I enjoyed the ride to and from the course as much as the round itself.

The front nine play through the grassy areas of the park. The back nine has four holes that play through the woods in the back, requiring risk/reward decisions. I played this course as a "rest stop" on my way to a vacation place. So, given that context, I enjoyed the easier walking attributes of the course.

It is a fun course to play. It will require shaping lines and good placement, but does not punish you terribly for a mistake for the most part.
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1 0
ssejhill
Experience: 22.7 years 21 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Short but challenging 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Short, compact course that can be completed fairly quickly. A bit of variety adds to the character. The trees provide plenty of shade for hot summer days and the lake provides fabulous views and a cooling breeze.

Cement tee pads for the Yellows are a HUGE help. The give you a good spot to throw from and also "point" you in the correct direction for the basket if you are not sure where it is.

Cons:

Several of the holes on the back 9 through the woods are VERY tough. You will often only have a 6-10 ft wide window to throw through. If your disc doesn't fly straight through that narrow window you could be in for a pretty high score for that hole. A better course map or small maps at each hole would be helpful for those here for the first time.

Other Thoughts:

I actually liked the course I just didn't like the round that I had. Having just played a great round at Emery Park and avoiding the trees there I more than made up for it today. When even a tomahawk throw hits a tree no wider in diameter than 3" you know today isn't your day (and that happened twice!).

Better to go conservative and accurate on many of the holes than to try for long distance. Two accurate throws will often between you in position at a shot for par on most holes as the distances from tee to basket are on the short side.

... and can anyone explain the color scheme for the tees? Why is Blue shorter than Red and why is Yellow the longest? It would be nice if they followed the PDGA standard colors.
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4 0
sloppydisc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 201 played 147 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A tale of 2 courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course is located on near the Owasco Lake shoreline in a large park. The disc golf course is separateed from other park activities so yuor round won't be interfered with by other park users. Nice concrete tee pads. Grass on fairways is mowed and well maintained. Signs with distances at tees. Most of course is played through semi-wooded fields of mature hardwoods. Lots of trees, but lots of lines to hit also. No fairways were unreasonable to play, and every hole had at least one path to the basket.

Cons:

This is classic NY lakefront property. Which means water. The course has a creek running through it, and also has enough low-lying land to hold water anytime it has rained. It rained quite a bit the week before I played, and the course had large puddles throughout the fairways and thick mud throughout the hevily wooded holes. It was not pretty. An upgrade of signs shwoing basket positions with better graphics wouldn't hurt. Especially for the wooded holes on the back 9.

Many of the holes not in the thick woods are fairly straight and simply use the trees as obstacles. It works, but a few more creative holes would be good.

#17 plays a little too close to a soccer field. If there is a game going on you might have to skip that one. I like the slightly elevated tee pad, but maybe putting it over the field wasn't such a great idea.

Other Thoughts:

If you start to get bored throwing through the big trees on the first 9 holes don't worry. #10 takes you towards the woods, and #11 through #16 adds a little more line-shapping and challenge to the round. The pond shot on 16 can be especially challenging. I nicked a tree branch and watched my Orange Cheetah sail into the pond. It's a fair hole, but any error will cost you. There is a creek running through or along holes 4, 8, 9, 10, 15 and 18, but it fairly easy to avoid, and get dics back from.

Overall this is a really nice course to play. I can see why some people would give it a higher rating than me. But with the mud and water issues I can see why others would downgrade this course. One day it's a 3, the next week it plays like a 4. If a little water and mud doesn't bother you play it any time. If you want pristine playing conditions choose your spots. It a nice course with several different kinds of challenges to keep you on your toes.
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4 0
alx133
Experience: 19.9 years 78 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The best around, for now 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Big, long, and level Cement throwing pads
-Big long holes
-Big trees everywhere
-Wind training course
-Wooded like no other in the area on the back 9
-Intuitive course layout w/ two 9 hole loops that lead to the parking lot
-Friendly park staff
-Course being worked on constantly since its inception (new bridges and wood chips most recently)
-Strongest League in the area

Cons:

- Flat, so flat. the only elevation is 17s long tee
- This course has truly poor drainage; although this has been an issue that is being worked on it is definitely still a problem after some rain, or a thaw
- Wind and cold can make the front 9 brutal depending on the day and your character
- a few holes on the front have a redundant feel, but, I attribute that more to topology than design

Other Thoughts:

- Probably my favorite course within an hours drive of my house, and this course is definitely fun all year round if i could id give it a 3.8 or so, just short of the 4
- I do not see the back 9 as many others seem to. there are lanes to be hit on each hole; although they are definitely much tighter on the back 9
-I have heard rumors that auburn will be installing another course close to emerson because of emersons popularity
-park office has cheap x outs for sale (seperate from the course, closest to 17s tee pad)
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1 2
Gator
Experience: 14.8 years 19 played 19 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Across the Lake 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 12, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A very fun and technical course. There are a good number of tree's on the course that make it difficult. Cement teepads are nice.

Cons:

A lack of tee signs and the three poor holes in the woods.

Other Thoughts:

overall I enjoy playing this once a year. If your in the area and want to play its not a bad choice.
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6 0
WillACarpenter
Experience: 14.7 years 36 played 15 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Yin and Yang of Disc Golf...I love it! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 2, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Mix of open holes, wooded holes, open wooded holes, some water, and one nice elevation change. Tees are Cement and really nice. The signs are big and easy to see, but don't have pictures. The map I got on the scorecard at hole 1 worked great!

The course is well taken care of, and it appears that they are continuing to work on the course by doing things like digging trenches to keep the fairways dry.

Cons:

This course get breezy on the first..8 or so holes, due to it being near a lake. Come prepared for that.

This course tends to hold water on some spots, wear waterproof shoes.

Other Thoughts:

I had a great time playing this course, it wasn't very hard to navigate using the map I picked up while I was there, but if you want to bring your own the one DGCR has is wonderful!

I would recommend that anyone getting out this way certainly take a look at this course.

With the great mixture of shots, the changes in wind and density of trees, you can't help but find a few holes that just sing your name.

You really should try this course!
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1 1
jonnieoh
Experience: 14 played 13 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not my favorite 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 11, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

It is at a well-maintained, nice park. The course is luckily separated from the rest of the park, so there will not be much, if any traffic from dog walkers, hikers, picnickers, etc.

Cons:

Wooded for a majority of the course, which can get frustrating at times. There's a tough water hole with lots of cat-tails. You can easily lose a disc here...

Other Thoughts:

This course was tougher than I had expected. The trees are not my friends, and it kind-of soured my experience here. I'm sure if I played it again, I'd probably like it better.
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1 0
nickstaudt
Experience: 17.8 years 18 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tale of two 9's 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 11, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Excellent tees. Surprisingly technical and challenging course. Front and back 9 are very different which is great to avoid a repetitive feel for the entire course. Both accuracy and distance are utilized throughout. Many pins are well guarded by trees. Great mix of open and wooded holes, birdie opportunities and double bogey blowup holes.

Cons:

Drainage was an issue on many holes and much of the front 9 was very similar from hole to hole. Somewhat difficult to tell which basket you are supposed to throw at without walking halfway down the fairway. A couple of the wooded holes on the back 9 are crazy hard because the lanes are so small with trees everywhere, but the second time I played them I was much better and appreciated them more. They are challenging, but not impossible making them still alot of fun. Hole 17 will be unplayable if a soccer game is on.

Other Thoughts:

This course doesn't seem too intimidating at first glance, but by the time your round is done your score is not what you envisioned. The back 9 plays so much harder than the front 9. Nice use of the pond and drainage ditches as water hazards. A highly technical course overall. Very fun.
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1 0
Hattrick12488
Experience: 20.3 years 17 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Front and back: Day and Night 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 4, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great contrast between a relatively open, easy front nine and a brutal back nine through the woods.

Nice cement tee pads for the yellow tees.

The course is well-maintained, and scorecards/course maps are available.

Cons:

No tee pads for the two shorter tees, which are not marked very well.

Hole 17 features a downhill shot over the corner of a soccer field, which might be a problem if it is in use.

The back nine can be discouraging to even the most persistent players, as it features tight blind shots on a couple 90 degree fairways.

Other Thoughts:

While playing the front nine, I thought it might be too easy to give it a good rating, but then the back nine punched me in the face.
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1 0
rjb4392
Experience: 15.1 years 30 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

only course ive played 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

very fun course all holes have the ability of getting three on. all tees are cement. for first timers on this course i would print out a course map

Cons:

back nine heavily wooded 13 and 14 are difficult but a thumber should help out on 14 the pond on 16 has taken many a disc (bring hip waiters) haha and the 18th hole is kind of a week end

Other Thoughts:

although its the only course i know i think it is fair. some holes have some distance but some are shorter so thats nice the golfers are respectful with returning discs if your name and number are in them
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1 0
EJD17
Experience: 16 years 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Versitility...(did i spell that right) 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 20, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of different holes. Front nine is really open and gives you the freedom to bomb a couple shots, but at the same time you have to work on your accuracy. Back nine are really technical but fun.

Cons:

You wont be able to navigate very well your first time on the course, but it is easy to learn. There is also that god forsaken pond on 16 :p.

Other Thoughts:

If you are pressed for time the course is set up really well to just play nine holes. It's a 3 par on every hole and in the past year I've been going I have yet to pay for parking or get a ticket.
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3 0
cdeane
Experience: 19.8 years 50 played 19 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Should have played the red tees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Well maintained, with clear tee markers and beautiful big signs with the distance from each tee.
Front nine is a "Field of Trees" - great for practicing your accuracy.
Back nine is a mix of open field and wooded holes, with some wicked turns and a couple of holes where a pond comes into play.

Cons:

Course can be confusing first time out even with a map.
Lack of variety on the front nine.
Yellow tee on Hole 17 plays over the corner of a soccer field and may not be playable if a game is on.
No pars on tee signs

Other Thoughts:

Looked to be a couple of mandos on holes 4 and 13 but no indication on map or tee signs.
I played tee 10 to basket 11 and had to replay after finding 10 tucked in the woods. Battled mosquitos on a cold wet May morning - could be pretty buggy in summer. I played from the yellow tees and this course kicked my butt - i'll play from red next time out
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