Denver Area in June

[bcr123psu]

I'll be attending some training (as well as staying) in Broomfield, CO in mid-June and I wanted to see if I could get some suggestions on courses. I'd like to bag as many as I can while I'm out there. Ideally, I'd like to play a course (or maybe two) in the morning before training and another one or two in the evening.

Any must-plays? Anything I should absolutely avoid?

This is what I had in mind but I'd like some feedback:

East Interlocken Park - very close to where I'll be
Superior Rock Creek
North Midway Park
Louisville DGC - Is this worth my time?
Westminster DGC
Bird's Nest Disc Park
Red Rocks Campus
Johnny Roberts DGC
Camenisch Park - Badlands DGC
Camenisch Park - Blair Witch Project DGC
Waneka Lake DGC
Harlow Platts Park

Many thanks!

 

[Flip Hyzerman]

Johnny Roberts is a must play - though it's fairly short; so much history out there and one of the coolest local 'scenes' I've seen on a DG course (lots of players, everyone friendly, etc.). I also enjoyed Expo Park in Aurora when I was out there.

 

[threevok]

The weed/grass will make some courses unplayable.
Avoid:
Superior Rock Creek
Bird's Nest Disc Park
Waneka Lake DGC

You'll love Interlocken
Badlands is great.
Blair Witch only has 2 baskets as of last Saturday.
Johnny Roberts is great, carry a handful of putters.

Westminster, my fav, is long, but the weeds can be frustrating.
Harlow Platts is fair.
Louisville is lame.
North Midway is lame even if you figure out the baskets.
Never bothered with Red Rocks.

Add these to your list:
Benedict Park in Brighton, my fav park course.
Valmont in Boulder, super busy.
Clark Centennial in Longmont.
Exposition Park, lots of water, lots of birdies.

If you like trees, bring some.

For weekly tags matches check out Mile High Disc Golf Club. You don't have to have a tag.

I could play Interlocken all day and not get bored. Look for alternate tees.

PM me if you want some company or forget your shoes. I'm size 12.

 

[sillybizz]

Badlands is great.

I have to disagree with you. I found it to be pretty blah and I had one of the most uncomfortable feelings playing that course that I've ever had playing. Weird atmosphere for sure. I suppose if you like open courses, green grass and shady people you might find it fun.

 

[sillybizz]

Louisville is one of the shortest courses I've ever played, right up there with Ferguson Park here in WA. It's only interesting because of the mach 1 baskets and that it was built by Steady Ed in 1980. If you care about history of the sport or bagging a course in 10 minutes I'd go but otherwise I would avoid it.

 

[threevok]

...I suppose if you like open courses, green grass and shady people you might find it fun.

I try not to judge.

 

[jasonc]

I have to disagree with you. I found it to be pretty blah and I had one of the most uncomfortable feelings playing that course that I've ever had playing. Weird atmosphere for sure. I suppose if you like open courses, green grass and shady people you might find it fun.

Badlands/Blair Witch is not in a great neighborhood and I would probably want to avoid a late afternoon/early evening round there...but I did not experience similar uncomfortable feelings. I actually ran into a couple of locals on Hole #3 who were kind enough to allow me to tag along for the rest of their round.

Having said that, it's not a great course and I would not go out of your way to play it, but there were a few interesting holes. Hope that helps. :thmbup:

 

[TheWCG]

From what I've played, badlands is the best course currently in the Denver metro area. I've never run into "shady" people there and I don't think its really a bad area. I've played a few solo rounds there as well as random doubles on Saturdays.
bcr, just head up into the hills if you get the time. Denver area golf is ok during the winter months and that's about it.

 

[Shmacka]

Metro Denver Courses to bag

Starting from Broomfield, North and West

Midway- a multiple-use kinda park with some fairways that run parallel to back yards. Watch out for other park users, and please don't jump fences.

Interlocken (Properly East Park, on the Interlocken Business Park campus)- 9 baskets, 2 sets of tees. Beautiful park, treacherous water. Great for glow rounds. A real gem.

Superior- meh. The layout I remember was a square: out in the tall grass, up the hill, back across the top of the hill (nearby apartment residents let Cujo poop up there the last I was there) then back down. Not manicured. A "hey let's put some baskets in that wasted space" kinda park.

Louisville- never been there. 5 holes.

Waneka Lake (Lafayette). I haven't been there yet. For Shame! The baskets (partially) came from an old DG course at the Lafayette Rec Center which is not there, anymore.

Harlow Platts (South Boulder) A 9 holer that are being re-set frequently by the jovial townspeople. Fridays at 6PM is a local doubles group, worth connecting with. First Friday of each month is GLOW, starting at 9.

Valmont (north Boulder) another wasted space park, but the first 7 holes play over and around a volcanic intrusion covered in a weird mix of mountain and plains flora, as well as some domestic plants from back in the day. This is my home park, so I'm partial. 12 Noon on Saturdays is a regular pickup round, there are likely other regular activities that I don't know about...

South of Broomfield

Bird's Nest- long (27 holes!) and potentially overgrown. Play with partners to keep eyes on your disc. It does get mowed during the summer, and maintenance is performed regularly. There is now a standing pond in what was, for YEARS, a dry lakebed.

JOhnny ROberts Memorial Park- redesigned to reduce conflict with the many users of this pretty park with mature trees. Beautiful putter course that is busy, and good for glow rounds. Ralston Creek is a nice menace.

Badlands- tongue in cheek name. I don't care for this course, but I don't care for having my A** handed to me on a regular basis, so that explains that. You can tell who plays Badlands regularly, 'cause they stomp you into the ground. Crowds there are friendly, if a little rougher looking. Don't judge the tatoo-d scalp set until you throw a round with them. It has recently had a BIG BIG BIG extension added to it. I have not played it, but it will surely cement this course as the premier metro area course.

Westminster- long, open, and full of high grass. I haven't played here for a long time- just a little far for me to travel. When you play all 18, you end up on the far side of the park, and you will earn your fitbit credits when you walk back to your car.

Check out Mile High Disc Golf (MHDGC.ORG) for the list of casual tags matches the club puts on during the season. There's one or more every night!

 

[bcr123psu]

Thanks everyone

 

[Chiefstang]

Make sure you hit up the two Longmont 9 holers, Clark Centennial and Loomiller Park. They're actually better than many of the 18 hole courses on the plains and are only 5 minutes apart.

I run the Longs Peak Disc Golf Club out of Longmont, and would love to show you around. When are you going to be in town?

 

[Future_Primitive]

Johnny Roberts is a must play - though it's fairly short; so much history out there and one of the coolest local 'scenes' I've seen on a DG course (lots of players, everyone friendly, etc.). I also enjoyed Expo Park in Aurora when I was out there.

JOhnny ROberts Memorial Park- redesigned to reduce conflict with the many users of this pretty park with mature trees. Beautiful putter course that is busy, and good for glow rounds.

Johnny Roberts used to be a "must play" course before the inevitable redesign. Really loved the old course but I totally understand why they did what they had to do as safety was an issue with the old layout for non-golfers.

Still a nice course but mostly a shorter, putter style course now. Could see it being fun for Glow, maybe next time I can visit when it is warmer and not a few inches of snow on the ground.

 

[bcr123psu]

Make sure you hit up the two Longmont 9 holers, Clark Centennial and Loomiller Park. They're actually better than many of the 18 hole courses on the plains and are only 5 minutes apart.

I run the Longs Peak Disc Golf Club out of Longmont, and would love to show you around. When are you going to be in town?

I'll be in town from 6/8-6/12, but my schedule is going to be all over the place. I don't get out to this part of the country all that often, so I'm going to be visiting some friends way out in Fairplay one night and then spending time with family in Parker another night. Weather as well as my work load will factor into how many courses I can play. So any planned rounds will have to be scheduled fast and loose.

 

[Shuie]

I will 2nd Cheifstang's emotion about the Longmont courses. He showed me around a few years ago and was quite and amazing host.

 

[Chiefstang]

I will 2nd Cheifstang's emotion about the Longmont courses. He showed me around a few years ago and was quite and amazing host.

Awww, shucks.

 

[jeffmonty]

I'll be in town from 6/8-6/12, but my schedule is going to be all over the place. I don't get out to this part of the country all that often, so I'm going to be visiting some friends way out in Fairplay one night and then spending time with family in Parker another night. Weather as well as my work load will factor into how many courses I can play. So any planned rounds will have to be scheduled fast and loose.

If you're driving up to Fairplay you'll be driving right past those amazing Conifer/Pine courses ( Beaver Ranch, Bailey, Phantom, and Bucksnort) I recommend you try to make time for at least one of them, with the exception of Phantom, which you would need to block about 4 to 5 hours for.

 

[Hyzer Ale]

I regularly play in the weekly tag match out at Expo. Always a good crowd and you can join without a tag, only money they take is a dollar for the ace pot. Starts at 5:30, but is kinda far from where you'll be.

 

[MNThrower]

Which courses in the Fairplay area aren't P2P? More so, which courses don't require reservations? We're heading to Denver in about a week and a half and then up to Leadville etc. Maybe over to Estes Park. Definitely planning to play but not sure where is our best bet. Couple of these guys aren't real hardcore and don't want to take 4-5 hours to play a round.

 

[bobmcnelly]

Which courses in the Fairplay area aren't P2P? More so, which courses don't require reservations? We're heading to Denver in about a week and a half and then up to Leadville etc. Maybe over to Estes Park. Definitely planning to play but not sure where is our best bet. Couple of these guys aren't real hardcore and don't want to take 4-5 hours to play a round.

It's not Fairplay but more of the Conifer area you are talking about. Phantom Falls, Bucksnort, and Eagle Vista are all $20 a person with tee times and a 4 person minimum. Beaver Ranch is walk up and pay $5. Bailey is donations. Beaver Ranch and Bailey are well worth hitting, but both are pretty extreme terrain, especially if your coming from somewhere flat. Beaver Ranch is 24 holes and Bailey is 18.

 

[MNThrower]

It's not Fairplay but more of the Conifer area you are talking about. Phantom Falls, Bucksnort, and Eagle Vista are all $20 a person with tee times and a 4 person minimum. Beaver Ranch is walk up and pay $5. Bailey is donations. Beaver Ranch and Bailey are well worth hitting, but both are pretty extreme terrain, especially if your coming from somewhere flat. Beaver Ranch is 24 holes and Bailey is 18.

Excellent. Thanks for the info! Exactly what I needed to know.