Waynesburg, PA

Butler Farm

35(based on 6 reviews)
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2 0
leath
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.8 years 141 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A fun trip 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Butler Farm offers a quiet, scenic setting for disc golf. The South Loop takes advantage of some slight elevation changes (holes 2, 3, 4, and 9) and a twisting, meandering stream (holes 5-7) for a fun, though not demanding, 9 holes. The Hill Loop features a handful of wooded holes and more elevation changes in the more demanding 11-hole section of the course.
- Tee signs were generally helpful, and "next tee" signs were up in most of the areas where a long walk was required.
- There are a number of small bridges to cross the streams, which is especially helpful on hole #5.

Cons:

- Mostly the holes were straight, relying on a trees or shape of hillside for variety. I only counted a few holes that forced a left or right shaping of the shot.
- There is a bit of a walk between baskets and next tees on the Hill Loop. The owner mentioned that he was planning to add a few holes to that part of the course, which would probably reduce the extra walking considerably.
- The cows graze in different parts of the course and have caused a little damage to the course (tee signs used as scratching posts, grass torn up in muddy areas, and cow pies on some holes). It's not a big deal to me, but it may bother some. There are also some electric fences that Jim turned off so we could play the Hill Loop.
- I don't mind natural tees or the use of rubber mats, but I prefer them to be flat and level. That was not always the case here.

Other Thoughts:

The owner of the property told me that he installed it for students at the local college, and I hope they are taking advantage. For me, a rec level player, the difficulty was just right. It may not be very interesting to the advanced crowd.

The course was in good shape when I visited in mid-April, though mid-summer growth could make it a very different experience.

Hole 1 seems to have been moved, as neither the distance nor posted picture are accurate. Basket #7 has been moved farther to the right, bringing the stream into play on two sides.

Overall I had a pretty fun round. I especially liked hole 5 on the South Loop, where the stream crosses the fairway three times between the tee and the basket, and again just behind the basket. I think it's somewhere between a 2.5 and 3.0 rating, but ultimately decided that a 3 was slightly more appropriate.


Family friendly rating - 3.0 for South Loop (Hill Loop not recommended)
PROS: I would not take a stroller, but young players would be able to manage this loop pretty easily. There's not probably not going to be anyone else playing the course, and the gravel road that hole 9 crosses is not at all a busy one. I judged it to be a very safe environment. The course never gets that far from where we parked (by the barn), and there are porta potties near hole 2.

CONS: No playground, and not much else for kids to do but look at the cows, horses, and ducks. It's pretty far off the main highway, so it's not a convenient place to stop as you're traveling by.
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3 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Variety and Setting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 13, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Beautiful setting on a private southwestern PA farm with striking views of hills, farmland, and mountains provides a unique experience
-Great variety of the types of holes throughout the course! Open hyzers, open anhyzers, slight uphill/downhill, extreme uphill/downhill, on the side of a hill, through the woods, and a few straight shots on the hill that you have to work around some trees.
-The variety of the holes welcomes all types of players. Beginners will most likely be able to handle the South Loop without getting too frustrated and get to experience the Hill Loop and playing in the woods, with very concrete lines. More experienced players get a chance at some birdie/ace runs on the South Loop while playing enjoyable holes with tough elevation and through the woods.
-Fantastic elevation changes
-Since it is private, you will most likely have the course to yourself
-Friendly/helpful staff; just explain why you are there
-The course flows well and finding successive holes is pretty easy. The only trouble may be the few holes after 8. 9's tee is on the same side of the road as 8's pin, playing over the road to its pin. To get to hole 10 - and the beginning of the Hill Loop - walk behind the cabin then turn right. Hole 20's pin is on the left, and 10's tee is to the right of that and plays up the hill. Keep walking up the hill to find the successive holes.
-Flags on top of pins that say the hole number (Numbers start over for Hill Loop)
-A fun hike
-Bridges where neccessary

Cons:

-I haven't played here at a time when the top of the hill in the woods wasn't at least a little muddy. Not a big deal, just a fair warning
-Single chain baskets, although they are nice and new
-A few of the tee signs have the wrong number (I think just the last two holes)
-Tee pads can get overgrown with weeds
-Since it's right on the farm, you need to watch out for animal droppings

Other Thoughts:

This course is very much in a private setting. Not necessarily a bad thing, but something to keep in mind. You'll take some back roads to get to the course, approximately ten minutes from the local town of Waynesburg. Finally, you will arrive at a barn on the right where you will see multiple pins. Hole one starts at the top of the small hill on the right (when pulling in on the gravel road near the barn). You may run into different kinds animals - domestic and wild - throughout your round. The owner, designer, and staff have worked very hard at maintaining this course and have greatly reduced the thickness of rough over time. This is a tremendous job well done for a private course. Please make sure to contact the course designers/owner before playing. Earns a 3 because of variety of different shots and hole types, as well as course setting. Hurt a little by the lack of amenities. Tough for a private course to provide, so I do give them credit for the amount of upkeep that has been done. An enjoyable course.

Holes worth especially noting:

3- Tough hole on an exaggerated hill; tough to get passed the slanted part and onto the flat green
4- Easy hole but a definite ace opportunity
5- Very cool pin placement which gives you multiple shot selections. Best hole in this regard
13- One of the toughest/most fun holes on the course due to its length and tight lines, as well obstruction by trees
15- The longest, most extreme uphill shot I've played
18- My favorite hole on the course - downhill and through the woods
20- Downhill bomb - great way to finish out the course
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5 0
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 755 played 414 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Raki’s Revenge 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Easy navigation with a natural flow. Small bridges where needed.

Cons:

The raccoons think the various small bridges used to cross the tiny stream make excellent latrines. The deer like playing chicken with vehicles. The ticks think disc players make excellent modes of transportation - still finding them days later! :-O

Other Thoughts:

The course plays in two sections, up, down, and across the hills located on either side of the road running down this narrow valley. As you come up the road, the kiosk, first eight holes, and tee-9 are on the right, just past the house, while basket-9 and holes 10-20 are on the left.

The opening three holes are on the easier side, initially playing down, up, and across the gentle slope of an open hill. After short (80'!) but steep-drop #4, the next four holes are quite flat, playing between the road and the bottom of the hill. The baskets sit in pretty-but-challenging positions, near a small stream, and with a few tree branches forcing a bit of shot-shaping. Number-9 is a gentle right-turner across the road.

From tee-10 (aka hillside-1), look up to the top of the hill, mostly open, with a treeline atop the ridge - stop now if that seems too far/hard, because that is where you are headed! Holes 1-2, 6 are mostly open, and quite steep, while 3-5 play across the slope, with a scattered tree or two to avoid. Now atop the ridge, the next few holes are spaced farther apart, and play within the woods, but fairly short (~200') and straight. The course finishes strongly, long (nearly 500'), downhill (a reward for all the climbing you've endured), with the trees running along the right, and the open slope on the left, with the basket at the end of the valley.

The tee locations are level. Most are gravel, a few are mats, a few are natural. The tee signs are good. The baskets are single-chained, but sufficient.

Nicely done, pretty private course, worth a visit, especially if you want some cardio work, too.
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4 0
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.7 years 181 played 148 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Nice Private Course in a Pretty Setting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 8, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is in a gorgeous Western PA setting, and the location of the hill course makes for some grand views. Wild life and farm animals abound: in a single round, we saw turkeys, horses, highland cattle, snakes, groundhogs, and birds galore.

The private context means never having to wait to tee off or needing to let that annoyingly fast group behind you play through.

Fairways are well mowed. Bathrooms (portapotties) are conveniently located. Homemade tee signs are surprisingly professional: I've seen worse tee signs on many public courses.

The course is located in an area without other places to play in the immediate vicinity, providing a much-needed home course for locals or a stopping point during a road trip.

My favorite holes were:

- 5: the mix of rough, trees, and streams combined with quality pin placement makes for a challenging shot selection - do you throw a tight turnover coming in from the left or try to hyzer around the tree hoping you avoid landing in the streams?

- 12: The row of trees in the middle of the fairway plus the threat of the woods on the right force you to weigh risk versus reward on several possible routes.

- 16-18: Nice tight lines in the woods offer a welcome change to the preceding holes. 16's pin placement could be better, though - at present there's no line to approach the basket, almost assuredly forcing an extra stroke to get into position.

Cons:

Before I relay my criticisms, I'd like to say that they're largely a result of the limitations which come from building and maintaining a private course. While these criticisms are nonetheless real and deserve to be mentioned, I think it's important to recognize how much work went into this course. It's well appreciated.

The rough here is my biggest complaint. It's not omnipresent - it mostly factors into holes 3 and 13-15 - but when it's there it's hard to avoid, and it's exceedingly thick. An errant throw could well mean losing an inordinate amount of time searching for your disc, if you can wade into the rough at all. Looking is made harder by the fact that there's often no landmarks in the rough, so it can be hard to gauge where your disc lands.

There aren't a lot of "complete" holes here. Most emphasize a single shot or geographical feature, and the shorter distance of many holes often enables you to save par with a single solid throw. I craved a few more holes like 12, where you have to weigh the risk of various options and choose how aggressive or safe you want to play it. Shot selection isn't challenged on most holes - the route to travel is often pretty obvious and limited.

The course contains baskets and tee pads which aren't actually used, potentially confusing navigation. This is exacerbated by the fact that the numbering on baskets and tees didn't always correspond with each other or with the hole you're on; this is mainly a problem on the last few holes.

The baskets themselves are a few steps down from those you'll find on most courses. They have a single layer of chains, making chain-outs a real threat. I totally recognize that buying 20 DISCatchers for a privately funded course isn't exactly feasible; still, the baskets made for some tense putting. I found myself putting very gingerly, and we "house ruled" one or two blow-throughs that would have been perfect putts on most baskets.

Other Thoughts:

My hat goes off to the landowner and course designer who put this course together. I always appreciate individual effort, especially when others are made to benefit. I think this is a quality effort for a private course that will only get better with time.

My understanding is that they're trying to open this course up a bit to outsiders, so if given the opportunity to play a round, contact the landowner or designer and give it a go.
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2 1
dsmdave
Experience: 6 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Neat little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very friendly people to talk to at the farm.
Course is very well taken care of.
Little bridges for all the water holes.
Great country setting.
Course is well thought out.
Hilly terrain gives a workout.

Cons:

Some of the uphill holes have some tall grass that will eat your disc if you not careful.
Hilly terrain gives a workout.
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2 2
tdschrock1
Experience: 14.7 years 6 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Exciting Course for the area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 31, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

2 Loops of contrasting holes
Solid tee conditions
Good use of elevation
Beautiful Property
Easy to navigate

Cons:

Hill Loop is a hike

Other Thoughts:

The South Loop is beginner friendly, shorter and birdie-able for experienced players. This contrasts with the Hill loop, containing elevation changes, more obstacles and more distance.

This course if enjoyable and varied and a great addition to the region.
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