Ski Santa Fe DGC reviews
6
0
Special course...special conditions. 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 10, 2017
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
-Highest course in the world? Thrills n Chills.
-Truly Grand View of Santa Fe Surroundings.
-Designed by players, already tournament ready.
-Not just a 'take the chair up and play down' course.
-Not a 'Just one or our many activities' resort course.
-Supremely challenging disc control shots.
-Several epic Big Air drives and even 2nd shots.
-Base with beer, burgers, music, facilities etc.
-Friendly Support from SF Ski Basin folks.
-Some balance of FH, BH, OH, Bomb, Dink and Mids.
-Truly Grand View of Santa Fe Surroundings.
-Designed by players, already tournament ready.
-Not just a 'take the chair up and play down' course.
-Not a 'Just one or our many activities' resort course.
-Supremely challenging disc control shots.
-Several epic Big Air drives and even 2nd shots.
-Base with beer, burgers, music, facilities etc.
-Friendly Support from SF Ski Basin folks.
-Some balance of FH, BH, OH, Bomb, Dink and Mids.
Cons:
NOTE: This is more 'Cons' than any 4 star course I have reviewed. Many of these are 'Realities', not complaints.
-Only open Early Fall at this point!!!
-Seriously long and steep descents.
-Some rough/ slippery descents as well.
-Some woods too rough or deep to play through
-Not a Family, Rec, Casual friendly course
-Spotting/ Lost Discs on 7, 9, 13.
-Safety! Hole 13 is especially dicey.
-Long and Winding road up from town.
-Lots of hikers and some bikers on course.
-
-Only open Early Fall at this point!!!
-Seriously long and steep descents.
-Some rough/ slippery descents as well.
-Some woods too rough or deep to play through
-Not a Family, Rec, Casual friendly course
-Spotting/ Lost Discs on 7, 9, 13.
-Safety! Hole 13 is especially dicey.
-Long and Winding road up from town.
-Lots of hikers and some bikers on course.
-
Other Thoughts:
OVERVIEW: The Ski Santa Fe Disc Golf Course is Special! It has many 5 star features and many 'Realities' that a traveling player should note carefully. At this time, the chairlift is only open on weekends in the early fall, plus everyday from 10/7 through 10/15. Yes, you can walk up on weekdays or to save the $10.00 chairlift ticket. Figure on 30 to 50 minute hike, plus more hiking up from #2 to #5.
This course plays to over 11,000 feet. Even if you take the chair, there is a sustained steep climb before you then play all the way down to the base. Discs will not anhi much unless you TELL them to LOL. Dehydration can sneak up on you, as well as sun burn. Old knees and joints will get a workout. No complaints...just sayin... this is Mountain Disc.
However, lightening would be more of a problem if they open up all summer...by fall it's usually pretty nice.
COURSE TOUR: For your ten bucks you get a slow but fairly short and scenic chair lift ride. The top of the chair is better....a great place to walk around, take pictures, yak with tourists about disc etc. Then get a load of hole 1! A huge RHBH hyzer that forces you to either hold a line forever below tree-line, or go big over the top and around. Reachable either way by strong Advanced/ Pro players.
The next 3 holes really climb, up the road, then past the road and well up to the right, then a dang touchy little monster straight up through a few disc grabber pines. The last climb then, up to a bench for Tee 5, offers one of the best views anywhere: a wide open sweep of the City of Santa Fe and parts West. Take a long break...you've probably earned it.
Hole 5 is an epic 'Putter Flair'. So steep you need to take something off it, but serious hang time anyway. Watch for hikers, dogs and players on the next tee. Hole 6 is a touchy little cross hill shot to a little 'ledge path' with steep trees on both sides.
Hole 7 gets mixed reviews. It is basically 2 or even 3 short tunnel shots in a row....you need to spot. You don't want to fade a backhand left. But a nice little Roc Flick did the trick for me all 3 times, so it can be done. After you eventually clear the path, you then cross a wide ski slope with a serious drop down to the basket. I am proud of the 4, 5 AND the 6 I threw here. Many 7s were recorded at this weekends 'Ski Bueno' tournament.
Hole 8 plays back down across the same ski slope and had an especially tricky tee location. Then there is a long hike...follow the marked path through the woods....then turn UP the next ski slope to the flat tee area. Here you will again need to spot....spotters hike further up that ski slope to the gap in the trees to see all the way down this epic left to right par 4.
Maybe a break would be in order: I seldom say 'Duece or Die', but Holes 10 and 11 are tiny little pitch and putt testers in the woods....go straight beyond the #9 basket.
Hole 12 is down the wide slope a ways and plays like the big boy version of Hole 5. Here you could let the putter go or throw a short mid. I loved the basket placement between a small ditch short and a fat ditch long. It is almost impossible to keep a disc between the ditchs on this steep decline....but you end up with a worthy 30 footer down or 50 footer straight up....real testers either way.
Hole 13 is a testy and controversial hole. It throws over 1000' steeply down to a popular hiking trail...yikes. Our groups did not find it possible see if hikers might pop out right in front of the basket, or to call to them if we did see them. On the other hand, they are a needle in a haystack way down there and probably won't get hit.
The shot itself is open enough to throw over the trees right for HUGE air or down the fairly wide slope to get somewhere near the basket. Note that if you play for score, a lost disc, on the drive only, is a TWO stroke penalty with the drop zone by the small stand of trees about 200 feet above the basket on the right.
I really loved hole 13. It's a great challenge. But if I played just for fun, I'd throw a couple mids and take out the risk of absolutely clobbering someone I didn't even see.
Hole 14 starts the lower course....still downhill but a much gentler, easier and more crowded 'resort area' stretch of holes. The 14 tee is just below to the left of the chairlift and plays across the slope and steeply up the hillside. 15 is all the way back across the slope on the right side of the chair/restaurant complex and is a another lovely little mid down to a meadow. The creek is O.B. but mostly out of play.
The 16 basket is hard to see at first. It is down and then right across the creek in a green sized opening in the wood. The creek is really in play here and the ground can be swampy all the way to the base. 17 has a mando left of the chairlift pole that I could do without but I guess it might protect a hiker or two. This entire area does require some patience...we can whine about them being on our course but we are temporarily allowed on their permanent hiking trail. 18 is just a lovely, touchy little 200 footer across to a pine knob of a green. The last few holes SEEM like easy pickings but the ordinary pro types I played with mostly shot around par and shook our heads.
The course has Mid Tees on the 15 holes that need them. Holes 5,10 and 11 are fine without. But these are not Short or Rec tees. They can only do so much to soften what is entirely a physical and challenging terrain. The 2017 tournament saw many below par scores for skilled ams but some blow up scores for players still learning disc control. For that matter the same can be said for the Longs.... typical scores for the Par 59 SFSBDGC ranged throughout the 50s, 60s and several 70+.
AFTERMATH: I was a bit disappointed that with perfect weather, a band, a tournament and plenty of folks around, there was nothing open by the time many players finished. But if you can catch SF when it IS happening, the deck can be a pretty rocking scene.
I found the course pretty well laid in for a seasonal layout in it's 2nd year. Signage and trail flow got the job done. However, a course map helps, especially for after baskets 9 and 14: See Elite Brothers Disc Golf or their Tournament Facebook page. Many of the tee-pads are still pretty rough. However, there are few full on power drives, so I only felt the run-up was an issue on a few holes. I didn't play the mids, but they looked about the same.
Can't say this enough: this is a special place. The drive up is over 1/2 an hour. The drive down is 'sobbering'. Wear boots or your strongest hiking shoes. Bring tons of water and sunscreen etc. The first 15 holes are more out there and better golf than your usual 'Colorado goes Disneyland' chairlift course. Enjoy this up and coming jewel if you can get there when they are open. If you read this after 10/15/17, highly recommend you check on dates and conditions before traveling. Bueno.
This course plays to over 11,000 feet. Even if you take the chair, there is a sustained steep climb before you then play all the way down to the base. Discs will not anhi much unless you TELL them to LOL. Dehydration can sneak up on you, as well as sun burn. Old knees and joints will get a workout. No complaints...just sayin... this is Mountain Disc.
However, lightening would be more of a problem if they open up all summer...by fall it's usually pretty nice.
COURSE TOUR: For your ten bucks you get a slow but fairly short and scenic chair lift ride. The top of the chair is better....a great place to walk around, take pictures, yak with tourists about disc etc. Then get a load of hole 1! A huge RHBH hyzer that forces you to either hold a line forever below tree-line, or go big over the top and around. Reachable either way by strong Advanced/ Pro players.
The next 3 holes really climb, up the road, then past the road and well up to the right, then a dang touchy little monster straight up through a few disc grabber pines. The last climb then, up to a bench for Tee 5, offers one of the best views anywhere: a wide open sweep of the City of Santa Fe and parts West. Take a long break...you've probably earned it.
Hole 5 is an epic 'Putter Flair'. So steep you need to take something off it, but serious hang time anyway. Watch for hikers, dogs and players on the next tee. Hole 6 is a touchy little cross hill shot to a little 'ledge path' with steep trees on both sides.
Hole 7 gets mixed reviews. It is basically 2 or even 3 short tunnel shots in a row....you need to spot. You don't want to fade a backhand left. But a nice little Roc Flick did the trick for me all 3 times, so it can be done. After you eventually clear the path, you then cross a wide ski slope with a serious drop down to the basket. I am proud of the 4, 5 AND the 6 I threw here. Many 7s were recorded at this weekends 'Ski Bueno' tournament.
Hole 8 plays back down across the same ski slope and had an especially tricky tee location. Then there is a long hike...follow the marked path through the woods....then turn UP the next ski slope to the flat tee area. Here you will again need to spot....spotters hike further up that ski slope to the gap in the trees to see all the way down this epic left to right par 4.
Maybe a break would be in order: I seldom say 'Duece or Die', but Holes 10 and 11 are tiny little pitch and putt testers in the woods....go straight beyond the #9 basket.
Hole 12 is down the wide slope a ways and plays like the big boy version of Hole 5. Here you could let the putter go or throw a short mid. I loved the basket placement between a small ditch short and a fat ditch long. It is almost impossible to keep a disc between the ditchs on this steep decline....but you end up with a worthy 30 footer down or 50 footer straight up....real testers either way.
Hole 13 is a testy and controversial hole. It throws over 1000' steeply down to a popular hiking trail...yikes. Our groups did not find it possible see if hikers might pop out right in front of the basket, or to call to them if we did see them. On the other hand, they are a needle in a haystack way down there and probably won't get hit.
The shot itself is open enough to throw over the trees right for HUGE air or down the fairly wide slope to get somewhere near the basket. Note that if you play for score, a lost disc, on the drive only, is a TWO stroke penalty with the drop zone by the small stand of trees about 200 feet above the basket on the right.
I really loved hole 13. It's a great challenge. But if I played just for fun, I'd throw a couple mids and take out the risk of absolutely clobbering someone I didn't even see.
Hole 14 starts the lower course....still downhill but a much gentler, easier and more crowded 'resort area' stretch of holes. The 14 tee is just below to the left of the chairlift and plays across the slope and steeply up the hillside. 15 is all the way back across the slope on the right side of the chair/restaurant complex and is a another lovely little mid down to a meadow. The creek is O.B. but mostly out of play.
The 16 basket is hard to see at first. It is down and then right across the creek in a green sized opening in the wood. The creek is really in play here and the ground can be swampy all the way to the base. 17 has a mando left of the chairlift pole that I could do without but I guess it might protect a hiker or two. This entire area does require some patience...we can whine about them being on our course but we are temporarily allowed on their permanent hiking trail. 18 is just a lovely, touchy little 200 footer across to a pine knob of a green. The last few holes SEEM like easy pickings but the ordinary pro types I played with mostly shot around par and shook our heads.
The course has Mid Tees on the 15 holes that need them. Holes 5,10 and 11 are fine without. But these are not Short or Rec tees. They can only do so much to soften what is entirely a physical and challenging terrain. The 2017 tournament saw many below par scores for skilled ams but some blow up scores for players still learning disc control. For that matter the same can be said for the Longs.... typical scores for the Par 59 SFSBDGC ranged throughout the 50s, 60s and several 70+.
AFTERMATH: I was a bit disappointed that with perfect weather, a band, a tournament and plenty of folks around, there was nothing open by the time many players finished. But if you can catch SF when it IS happening, the deck can be a pretty rocking scene.
I found the course pretty well laid in for a seasonal layout in it's 2nd year. Signage and trail flow got the job done. However, a course map helps, especially for after baskets 9 and 14: See Elite Brothers Disc Golf or their Tournament Facebook page. Many of the tee-pads are still pretty rough. However, there are few full on power drives, so I only felt the run-up was an issue on a few holes. I didn't play the mids, but they looked about the same.
Can't say this enough: this is a special place. The drive up is over 1/2 an hour. The drive down is 'sobbering'. Wear boots or your strongest hiking shoes. Bring tons of water and sunscreen etc. The first 15 holes are more out there and better golf than your usual 'Colorado goes Disneyland' chairlift course. Enjoy this up and coming jewel if you can get there when they are open. If you read this after 10/15/17, highly recommend you check on dates and conditions before traveling. Bueno.
3
1
lohrtom
Experience:
15.2 years
40 played
18 reviews
Good Course for Hiking/Playing 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 26, 2016
Played the course:once
Pros:
Absolutely stunning views. Layout was given a lot of thought. Helpful staff at the ski office. Great way to get some exercise as well as play some baskets. Equipment is brand new. Unique in that it is one of the highest courses in the world.
Cons:
If you take the lift up it cost $10. Free to hike up and play. Play on a weekday and you are hiking regardless (lift does not operate). Only open seasonally. Easy to lose your footing on some shots, particularly on the steep ski slopes.
Other Thoughts:
As others have stated, tee #1 is over 11,000. Altitude sickness can be a concern. You can really wing it down the slope for some awesome long distance shots, just notice where your disc exits the slope and enters the forest. With long shots like that it is easy to lose the reference point and make finding a lost disc a lost cause. Don't pass up the chance to play. It is a one of a kind course!
6
0
rflahive
Experience:
24.9 years
63 played
7 reviews
Great views and physically strenuous 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 3, 2016
Played the course:once
Pros:
The views atop Santa Fe Ski basin are fantastic. There are some great holes--#1, #5, #8, #12, #13, #16, and #18. It offers a mix of long downhill floaty shots and large forehand pulls--and lots of opportunity for big arms to go over everything with thumbers.
The best run of holes is along the bottom part of the course.
The best run of holes is along the bottom part of the course.
Cons:
--$10/person to ride the lift or a 35 minute hike to the first tee.
--Natural tee pads were rocky and often times not flat.
--Not beginner friendly (even from the short tees).
--Not family friendly (downhill hiking is strenuous).
--Lots of time spent looking for 1) baskets from the tee pad and, 2) discs that fly into the trees after being thrown at said blind baskets.
--#7, the par 5, offers back-to-back-to-back blind shots--in my estimation it should be two par 3s.
--#17 has a mandatory to force the player left of a lift pole--but I'm unsure why the mando was instituted--it does not seem to be for safety, which is the only rational used by professional designers to use that feature.
--My primary concern is safety. Standing on tee #6, our group was nearly hit by a disc coming from hole #5 (a beautiful downhill shot where discs fly forever). The #6 tee pad is in a very unsafe position--directly in line with #5 basket--be very, very careful.
--Holes #10 and #11 are short, parallel, and sketchy. If you overthrow the basket on #10, you end up in #11's fairway. If you pull your shot right on #11, you will end up in 10's fairway.
--Natural tee pads were rocky and often times not flat.
--Not beginner friendly (even from the short tees).
--Not family friendly (downhill hiking is strenuous).
--Lots of time spent looking for 1) baskets from the tee pad and, 2) discs that fly into the trees after being thrown at said blind baskets.
--#7, the par 5, offers back-to-back-to-back blind shots--in my estimation it should be two par 3s.
--#17 has a mandatory to force the player left of a lift pole--but I'm unsure why the mando was instituted--it does not seem to be for safety, which is the only rational used by professional designers to use that feature.
--My primary concern is safety. Standing on tee #6, our group was nearly hit by a disc coming from hole #5 (a beautiful downhill shot where discs fly forever). The #6 tee pad is in a very unsafe position--directly in line with #5 basket--be very, very careful.
--Holes #10 and #11 are short, parallel, and sketchy. If you overthrow the basket on #10, you end up in #11's fairway. If you pull your shot right on #11, you will end up in 10's fairway.
Other Thoughts:
As a member of the Santa Fe disc golf community, I'm very happy to have such an epic course 45 minutes from my home.
Considering the course was just installed I hope the lack of signage, poor tee pads, and myriad of safety concerns will be addressed before next season.
Considering the course was just installed I hope the lack of signage, poor tee pads, and myriad of safety concerns will be addressed before next season.
