Jamestown, ND

Jamestown Reservoir DGC

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4.445(based on 8 reviews)
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13 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
4.50 star(s)

The Island 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Jamestown Reservoir course is pretty epic. The course, the views, pretty much the whole experience. They're not lying when they say this is a championship caliber course. Every kind of shot and disc in your bag will probably be used at some point. It will take you probably, at minimum, 3 hours to play the whole thing. It took us just shy of that and we were only able to play 20 holes. It was still set up in the Spring layout without the water carry holes by the beach.

The baskets are DISCatchers with brand new(ish) bands and chain assemblies. These are easy to spot and catch fantastically. About half or close to it had two baskets per hole. Can't speak on if this is normal or if some of these were from the holes not in play down by the reservoir. Either way there's 2, sometimes 3 pin positions on most of the holes.

The tee pads are very large and level. Plenty big enough for a long run up. These were all nice and grippy and aligned in the right direction to the pin. Very well done with these.

The tee signs are top notch as well. They show an overhead shot of the hole with hole #, all applicable pin placements, distances, next tee arrows, pars for every distance, any OB present and there is even an overlay of distance markers every 100 feet on each sign. There is literally nothing more you want from these. Probably the best signs I've seen to date.

The flow of the course is pretty easy to follow in most spots, especially with the next tee arrows on the signs. Be sure to take a picture of the map by hole 1 or have one on your phone though because there are a couple tricky spots. Nothing too major but you'll want to avoid any extra walking if possible.

The elevation here is crazy. There are huge uphill shots. Monster downhill bombs. There's holes with both those things in the same hole. The mix of wooded to open skews more toward the wooded. There is not an unfair hole here. There's plenty of punishing holes with an errant drive or approach shot though. Great design. Fair but extremely challenging for rec level players. Fair but still a good challenge for pro level players. Execute and you'll be alright. Don't and you'll struggle.

A couple water carries over the reservoir look to be pretty fun, especially if the wind is up. If you have a big arm it shouldn't be a problem though.

The course is permanent and free to play, which is almost criminal if you ask me. This and Idlewild are the 2 best free to play courses I've been to. That's some lofty company.

Cons:

My biggest con was the fact that they only had 20 holes playable when we went. It was mid June and the reservoir appeared as low as it gets. Really wished all the holes were in but it is what it is. Still a brute of a course.

As mentioned in other reviews, the ticks! I was pulling them off me for the next couple hours. Be sure to check yourself over after your round. The plus is that it's so windy that it keeps the Mosquitoes at bay pretty well.

A couple of really long walks from one hole to the next in the layout I played. I think it's normally much more seamless though.

The rough can be pretty brutal in spots. There's a real good chance you'll lose a disc while playing here. I'm honestly shocked that we didn't but we came really close a handful of times. Using spotters would be highly recommended to cut down on lost plastic.

Other Thoughts:

It sounds like this is the best course in North Dakota. I'd be hard pressed to believe there's something that can top this monster. This was the main reason for our trip to North Dakota and it didn't disappoint. It was actually better than I thought it would be. And we didn't even get to play the full layout. If you're anyway near here I'd highly recommend this course. Top ten or very close to it for me out of 400+ played. Not too far off the expressway but it's not a quick round. Plan for a minimum of 3 hours to play this. Minimum. Be sure to pack plenty of liquids and be prepared for a grueling amount of up and down hills. Not for the faint of heart. Must play course.
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5 0
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Best course I've played so far in ND 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Easy to get to
- Bathroom right on the first hole
- Nice long concrete teepads and Innova Discather baskets
- A lot of very nice scenic views from a lot of parts of the course.
- Hole one starts next to the parking lot and 27 finishes at the parking lot
-Good variety of short and long holes making you use almost every disc in your bag.
- A lot of holes where the risk reward factor is in play.
- The flow from hole to hole was pretty seamless except for a few places.
- Pin placements were all pretty spot on. A lot of tough greens making your drives and up shots pretty key to success.
- Every hole out here I was able to execute with a backhand. Not because there were a lot of righty hyzers but because a good majority of the holes were very fair and played to every shot type.

Cons:

- Ticks. I pulled 6 of them off of me during my round
- Finding some of the holes took some time. Next hole markers would have been very nice for this course.
- I couldnt find the tee for hole 3 so I just skipped it.
- A lot of the long holes out there were blind from the tee. Not too much of an issue but playing it for the first it was a bit annoying to have to walk all the way up to the hole just to get eyes on it.
- Finding hole 5, 13, and 21 took me a while and definitely need signs pointing you in the right direction.
- There were a few holes out there were it seemed like the fairways needed to be trimmed because there was not a fairway.
- Tee signs for the most part were fine except on the blig holes. They just pretty much just give you a distance and they are not the most helpful but they do work.

Other Thoughts:

- I suggest skipping holes 2 and 3 and just going straight from 1 to 4. Hole 2 looks like it was under water for a while and the basket is brown and the area around it is very overgrown and just not a well laid out hole for the 180' it is. And I just couldnt find hole 3's tee so I skipped it. Convienently tee 2 and 4 are next to each other so it makes it easy.
- I would 100% suggest making your way to this course if you are in the area. It has been the only course in the Dakotas so far that I would suggest people go play and the only course that I would gladly go back to again and play.
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2 1
WhaqP
Experience: 18.8 years 37 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Awesome course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 15, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fun Course. Many challenging holes. Large variety of shots will require every shot type you have.

Other Thoughts:

New basket tops and chain assemblies were installed in 2018 with the help of Innova. All new tee signs were installed in 2018. The course is now fully mowed and maintained.
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3 4
PaganLinuxGeek
Experience: 17.6 years 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Must hit course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Challenging but fair, scenic course that will test your mental game, physical skills, and stamina. One of Darrell Nodland's crown jewels demanding shot variety, excellent use of Risk/Reward strategy. Challenging to the advanced and pro players, while still being playable by newer player (provided they play smart). Loved the "Panda's Nest" hole as it rewarded a smart shot to the left of pin, but punished less accurate lines.

Cons:

Unforgiving holes and errant shots can put you in the rough tall grass or spanish olives. Avoid getting stuck by them as some people have a strong reaction to their toxins. Isolated so you need to bring plenty of liquids with you to fight dehydration and that can add more weight when trudging up and down the many hills. BUGS!

Other Thoughts:

I would suggest visitors stop in the gravel area just prior to the bridge and tuck away a quart bottle in a shady spot near the basket of 20 for later use when you emerge from the back 9 empty and thirsty. Bring DEEP WOODS OFF.

When last played this course (late summer of 2010) I was a local and we were making efforts to maintain the course. The "backside" or middle nine were NOT mowed by the city or county and required us locals to drag mowers out there. Prairie grass is difficult to cut with push mowers and I can tell you it's a labor of love taking a weekend to complete with a small team.
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2 0
HiFi
Experience: 28 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

So much potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 31, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Variety, variety, variety, from long bombers to short technical holes, over water, uphill, downhill, open holes, holes crowded by trees and brush.

Cons:

Extremely overgrown to the point that it adversely affects your experience.

Other Thoughts:

This is a truly challenging course that starts out fairly easy going and progresses to extremely difficult. The tree lines and elevation are used well, and also the water is used well always leaving the player a safe option of some sort. This course has anything you could ask for in terms of hole design and landscape. If a fairly serious player comes to this course and does not have a good time the actual design will not be the culprit...

Which leads me to why this course gets a 4 and not a higher score. The easier part of the course early on is soon forgotten as you travel deeper in. There are zero garbage cans on the course, once you take off you will come no where near your vehicle until the very last holes, and the course gets overgrown to the point where finding your disc and throwing from your lie become drudgery. A major portion of the last half of the course has holes with a single 4 foot wide path mowed into them, leaving the rest of the fairway with grass 2-3 feet high. Shrubs and branches are reaching into the fairways to the point where it looks like there hasn't been any true upkeep to these areas of the course for several years.

Potential for an amazing championship level course is sitting right here in ND, yet the lack of any real level of greenskeeping leaves the latter half of this course as a brutal march.

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5 0
ACE Ventura
Experience: 12.9 years 105 played 24 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Prepare Yourself 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This 27 hole course is incredible!! It originates on the top an island in the middle of a huge reservoir with an amazing look out over the water. Enjoy the view from here because the rest of your time will be spent tackling this monster.

What's not to like? There are elevation changes on the majority of the holes, some more extreme than others. Trees and shubbery? Almost overwhelming. They are greatly utilized on basically every hole. Water hazards? Please. How many more could you ask for? Several holes play along and over the lake, be prepared to lose some plastic!!

The pads are cement and in excellent shape and most of the baskets are in good condition but some of very rusted, especially those along the water. The course is well maintained fairly easy to navigate but I HIGHLY recommend taking a picture of the map at Hole #1, you'll be referring to it a few times!

The design of this course can't be praised enough. I would rate it has extremely challenging and you WILL need every disc in your bag. Monster distance holes, anhyzer holes, hyzer holes, straight tight shots... etc etc etc.

I also recommend spending the time to scout the holes before you tee off on them. There are MANY blind shots so knowing where the basket is helps a ton!

Cons:

The holes not located on the island and a few on the island could use a little mower love. Once you are off the island most holes are in the fields with 2'+ grass so keep a sharp eye on your plastic.

Can be tough to navigate, even though I had the map I ended up skipping a couple holes near the end without realizing I did it until I finished. Oops.

TICKS. Lots of them. Wear pants if you can stand to in the summer. I wore shorts and from basket #2 to teepad #3 I ended up with 10 ticks on my legs. Talk about messing with your head early on in the round. I never found a tick on me once I got off the island, but when I woke up the following morning I found one suckin away on my neck so I don't know where he snagged me at.

WIND. Easily one of the most challenging winds you'll ever play in. Welcome to North Dakota, where the wind never stops blowing. Bring a couple overstable discs, you will want them.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a BLAST! If you can handle ticks and high winds, do NOT pass on playing this course.

Again, I stress a few things for newcomers:
- Take a picture of the map at Hole #1
- Wear pants/ tick spray
- Scout the holes
- Bring all your discs

I didn't give this course a full 5 star rating because it doesn't have much for amenities and needs a teensy bit more maintenance. I didn't down-grade it due to wind or ticks, those are just hazards you gotta deal with. Everything else about this course is GREAT! Play it if you ever get the chance!!
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2 1
joelwpg
Experience: 15 years 92 played 21 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Epic 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Easily the most epic course i have played yet!(i hate that word , but it applies here!) It has everything. Huge elevations changes, ridiculously long holes, forest and fields, hazards and rough. 27 holes of heaven for someone who likes a challenge. I will be back.

Cons:

When i played i don't think the course was officially open yet. 6 holes were unplayable due to high water, and no maintenance had been done on the course except and path mowed showing the way through the holes that weren't on the Island.

Other Thoughts:

I would give anything to play this course again in a little better condition!!
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14 0
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 235 played 180 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Extreme disc golf 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 11, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

This course has it all..27 holes, huge hills, tons of water hazards, cement tees, signs. It's basically on an island, and the land around the island, surrounded by the water of a reservoir. It can be 100' above the water, with fantastic views in all directions. Well designed. Challenging for all skill levels, with holes up to and well over 800' requiring two smooth drives up and down hills. It's worth it just to sit and look out from the top. There is a map-study it.

Cons:

The wind- the most I've ever played in, on a sunny day. It whips up the hills off the water at 75+mph, tossing your hat off your head and flipping your most overstable driver like it's nothing but a joke. There are insane amounts of ticks..I got a dozen on me on one hole, looking for a disc I lost while finding 2 others. The back part is not maintained as well, many holes with 2-3' high grass as a fairway. Could be tough to navigate a few times.

Other Thoughts:

Needs to be mowed down better, suggest long pants for ticks in summer if you can. Pay attention to the course map at hole #1.
Prepare to be blown away.
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