Beyond course design, tee pads, baskets, what amenities make a good course great?

[BrotherDave]

Yes and no. The key here is are the trash cans regularly emptied by the park employees? If yes - they can be a great asset. If no....they are inviting disaster. Thinking of 2 courses I've played with lots of cans. One is in a state park with cans built into every tee sign and these are emptied daily in the summer by the parks dept. This is one of the cleanest courses I've played. On the other end...another course I've played has cans everywhere and they are only emptied by well meaning DGers. In reality, they are usually overflowing and folks take that as an invitation to just chuck their crap on the ground next to it. It is always a mess.

Yeah, this is going to vary regionally. The OP will have to consider the likely demographics of this park/course and make an educated guess which will work better. They could try the "carry in/carry out" no cans tactic first and see how littered up it gets. IME there is going to be litter regardless, it's just a matter of whether it's all over the place or somewhat around the vicinity of trash cans. :\

 

[AikenCountyPRT]

Wow. Thanks for the great responses.

Just to get this out of the way, 2 very experienced designers were hired for the project and the land is perfect. It is, for the most part, exclusive to DG only. We have a trail that weaves the property and is used to transition to the next hole. But the course and trail never intersect. We have put in a 4 tee driving range and 2 basket practice area that could be closed at various times depending on event at the park and people using the field for play/drones/kites/etc. But this doesn't affect the course at all.

I'm happy to say we have 2 benches at every hole: 1 behind the long tee and 1 behind the short tee. 18 only has one tee because, well, no one would not throw off the elevated tee. On the back of each bench is a broom tucked away to sweep the DiscGolfPark artificial turf tees. Trash cans are placed sporadically throughout the course. At the driving range, there is a kiosk with large course map and info board. Scorecards and smaller maps will be at this location soon. Next tee signs and directional signs are all over the course. There are also signs pointing towards the amateur tees. We have a large shelter between the driving range and Hole 1. We also have nice bathroom facilities that are now open year round for the course. In this same structure is a concession stand and office. This will soon be open for a small pro shop and to buy snacks and drinks before you head out. The entire course is away from these facilities with 18 leading back to the parking area. We have already procured bids for a 16x16 shelter adjacent to Hole 10 long tee, which happens to be near the walking trail and is an elevated area overlooking the pond. We will have a water cooler at this shelter. A lost disc box will go in shortly near 18 basket and the driving range. We have built 2 sets of stairs on holes where it was needed. We still have to build 2 more sets of stairs on 2 holes, but the materials are already at the site to do so. You will also see 2 rail wooden fencing up until hole 6 so far. We will add more as we have time. These don't serve much of a purpose other than aesthetics.

It's probably obvious since I don't play, but I've spent a lot of time talking with the course designers and have visited a few courses. I played in high school and college, but nothing in 10 years or so.

Go check out the Langley Pond Park Facebook page (and Like it!!) for pictures and videos. The ribbon cutting ceremony had over 130 people and the doubles event had around 40. Not bad for a small town in South Carolina on a Friday at 3 pm.

It sounds like we are headed in the right direction with course amenities. But I felt this site and forum is the best place to check out trends in the sport and what people like to see on courses.

If you want to come down to play, contact us on the Langley Pond Facebook page or through the Aiken County Visitor's Center page. We are working on special hotel rates for those coming in to play DG. Being 10 minutes away from Augusta, Georgia, there are many great courses to play.

 

[DavidSauls]

I've been hearing about this since its conception and can't wait until my schedule allows me to come down from Columbia. As I said before, everyone who's been there already, even before everything was completed, give it high marks.

Yes, some of our answers were speculative, since we don't know what you already have. I know the designers and certainly expect they've done a good job, and given you good advice.

The thing I'll say about "great land" is that some places have uniquely great land for disc golf, and gives them an advantage. I'm missing a tournament this weekend at a course in an old limestone quarry in Florida. It would be wasteland for most purposes, but is fabulous for disc golf. You might have great land....or you might have, for our purposes, merely very good land.

One other thing that makes a great course, that I believe you have, is cooperation between the designers and the property owner. It makes a big difference when the designers have a great deal of freedom, as opposed to restraints and compromises.

A big huge tremendous thanks for putting in this course.

 

[sisyphus]

In response to the original question, if you can imitate Bryant Lake Park, you've got the amenities figured out! I've never seen better.

 

[AikenCountyPRT]

In response to the original question, if you can imitate Bryant Lake Park, you've got the amenities figured out! I've never seen better.

That course does look great. I really like what they've done with the stonework, paths, and stairs.

We have some similar amenities, but I think the biggest difference is Langley Pond Disc Golf Park has 16 of 18 holes in the woods. We had the soft opening in October, so the course has only been beat in for about 5 months. However, I understand it is way further along than most wooded courses. Partly because of the number of players using the course, but we also have staff, volunteers, and contracted vendors working on clearing the course every week.

Thanks for the input. I hope you can come play Langley Pond and let us know what you think.

 

[fatty mcbutterpants]

A shaded picnic area to the left of a green so that I can claim to accidentally shank towards the LARPERs

We have that happen here, too, sometimes. I do not bother with any facade. I have adopted the character of a wizard ninja (NOT a paladin), a deadly practitioner of the wizjitsu martial art. The ninja aspect allows me to quietly an secretly enter their battles. The wizardry training allows for casting my deadly "decapitation discs."

The LARPers are not the problem that they once were.

 

[Pwingles]

LIGHTNING BOLT!

 

[BuzzSharpe]

Perhaps the coolest, most welcomed and unexpected amenity that I've ever encountered are the cold water stations, complete with disposable paper cups and trash and recycling cans on holes 10 and 15 on the Rotary Club course in Frank Liske Park in Concord, NC.

 

[DavidSauls]

I've been hearing about this since its conception and can't wait until my schedule allows me to come down from Columbia. As I said before, everyone who's been there already, even before everything was completed, give it high marks.

Yes, some of our answers were speculative, since we don't know what you already have. I know the designers and certainly expect they've done a good job, and given you good advice.

The thing I'll say about "great land" is that some places have uniquely great land for disc golf, and gives them an advantage. I'm missing a tournament this weekend at a course in an old limestone quarry in Florida. It would be wasteland for most purposes, but is fabulous for disc golf. You might have great land....or you might have, for our purposes, merely very good land.

One other thing that makes a great course, that I believe you have, is cooperation between the designers and the property owner. It makes a big difference when the designers have a great deal of freedom, as opposed to restraints and compromises.

A big huge tremendous thanks for putting in this course.

Now I've seen it....and I wish I'd paid better attention so I could answer better.

Are there benches---particularly benches with backs---by the practice putting and driving range area? I didn't notice....but this can be a great feature while waiting for buddies to show up, waiting for league play to begin, or just cooling it at the end of the round. I know there are some across the road.

In the I-don't-think-its-possible category: a porta-john or, even better, a water fountain at the far reaches of the course would be great. It's an out-and-back course, so when you get the turn you're a long way from the car and bathrooms.

In the I'm-sure-they're-coming category, and perhaps already there: A few more navigation signs for the long transitions. We were lucky to hook up with some people who had been there before; had we not, it would have been a bit tough in places. (I understand part of this has to do with a bridge having washed out).

Finally, maintenance. This is going to be a tough chore for a while, beating back the re-growth. Eventually I'm sure you'll get ahead of the vegetation.

*

None of which should be interpreted as criticism. With what has already been done, and the projects I saw underway, I can only applaud you. It makes it tough to suggest what other things you might do to polish the course.

 

[IDGC_SUPER]

Now I've seen it....and I wish I'd paid better attention so I could answer better.

Are there benches---particularly benches with backs---by the practice putting and driving range area? I didn't notice....but this can be a great feature while waiting for buddies to show up, waiting for league play to begin, or just cooling it at the end of the round. I know there are some across the road.

In the I-don't-think-its-possible category: a porta-john or, even better, a water fountain at the far reaches of the course would be great. It's an out-and-back course, so when you get the turn you're a long way from the car and bathrooms.

In the I'm-sure-they're-coming category, and perhaps already there: A few more navigation signs for the long transitions. We were lucky to hook up with some people who had been there before; had we not, it would have been a bit tough in places. (I understand part of this has to do with a bridge having washed out).

Finally, maintenance. This is going to be a tough chore for a while, beating back the re-growth. Eventually I'm sure you'll get ahead of the vegetation.

*

None of which should be interpreted as criticism. With what has already been done, and the projects I saw underway, I can only applaud you. It makes it tough to suggest what other things you might do to polish the course.

Please write a review David, we greatly value your opinion. Thanks for the feedback, I will take a look at the directional signs, I thought we had enough out there... Also benches in the driving range are built and in the storage shed, just need to get them installed. AK and I are working on a beginner/intermediate course for Aiken County right now that should be open by mid June! Great things coming from Aiken County PRT.

 

[DavidSauls]

I'd like to play it again before I review it. Hopefully with the pond up so I don't have to imagine it. Not sure when that will be, as that round---plus a bonus round at Hogback---just about crippled my bad knee.

My casual thoughts come with a big caveat---this style of course is not my cup of tea. I'm not a huge fan of all-wooded courses, Charlotte-style. That's just my taste, not a knock on the course, but it tempers anything I might say. If I were to review it after one visit, it would be a 4.0 in current condition, destined to be a 4.5 when the water rises and the woods get broken in. I might feel different after another visit or two, a round from the short tees (that match my skill level), and a chance to see lines I may have missed, and to better separate the holes in my mind. Which is one of the problems I have with wooded courses---the holes tend to run together in my mind, after only once or twice through.

I know the horseshoe-shaped hole is considered the signature, but I think the monster on the back, #16 or just before it, should be. The one that tees over water, up a hill, down a hill with water perilously close to the left side, back up and to the basket, is simply epic. It's the kind of hole that, when you get to the end, so much has happened that you can hardly remember the beginning.

Anyway, this thread is about amenities to polish up the course. It's clear that the park is really invested in it, and that a ton of work has gone into it, all of which is highly impressive.

 

[DavidSauls]

Also, keep in mind that I'm a tough grader when you read that. In 63 reviews I've only given two 5.0s, neither of which were Stoney Hill. And three 4.5s, one of which I will demote to 3.5 if I ever get around to revising the review.