East vs. West PA

[Mando]

As far as a 3 day DG destination, would you opt for the quality of great, western PA courses (Pittsburgh) or the quantity of really good Eastern Pa courses (Lehigh Valley) ? Not adverse to playing the same course twice.

 

[mike]

As far as a 3 day DG destination, would you opt for the quality of great, western PA courses (Pittsburgh) or the quantity of really good Eastern Pa courses (Lehigh Valley) ? Not adverse to playing the same course twice.

i'm partial to E PA...

You have Tyler, Tinicum, Nockimixon, Little Lehigh Parway, Jordan Creek, South Mountain, and the 2 blue mountain courses....all within an hr of each other...

 

[discdug]

i'm partial to E PA...

You have Tyler, Tinicum, Nockimixon, Little Lehigh Parway, Jordan Creek, South Mountain, and the 2 blue mountain courses....all within an hr of each other...

Ya! But we got Timberlink GC/DG. LOL

 

[swatso]

West v. East ... and Central?

3.5+rated / 5+reviews / 50-miles of Pittsburgh airport

• Knob Hill Park 12.3 Miles [Reviews: 25 - Rating: 4.08]
• Two Mile Run Extension 16.3 Miles [Reviews: 5 - Rating: 3.50]
• Deer Lakes Park 23.2 Miles [Reviews: 25 - Rating: 4.68]
• Moraine State Park 31.8 Miles [Reviews: 33 - Rating: 4.61]
• The Black Course 49.4 Miles [Reviews: 5 - Rating: 3.90]

I've played all these but The Black Course. They were all very good or better, and both Moraine and Deer Lakes made my favourites list

3.5+rated / 5+reviews / 50-miles of Lehigh Valley airport

• Little Lehigh Parkway 0.7 Miles [Reviews: 25 - Rating: 3.84]
• Jordan Creek 5.4 Miles [Reviews: 24 - Rating: 4.42]
• Unami Creek Park DGC 11.3 Miles [Reviews: 26 - Rating: 3.65]
• Nockamixon State Park 11.3 Miles [Reviews: 27 - Rating: 4.11]
• Blue Mountain - Skyline Park 14.4 Miles [Reviews: 9 - Rating: 4.17]
• Tinicum Park 21.6 Miles [Reviews: 27 - Rating: 3.76]
• French Creek State Park 33.8 Miles [Reviews: 18 - Rating: 3.69]
• Yetter Park DGC 34.0 Miles [Reviews: 12 - Rating: 3.63]
• Fields of Dreams DGC 35.2 Miles [Reviews: 23 - Rating: 3.52]
• Tyler State Park 36.3 Miles [Reviews: 46 - Rating: 4.63]

I've only played Tinicum, French Creek, and Yetter. They were all solid or better courses. I have all the others on my to-play list, hopefully within the next year or so.

And if you want to consider central Pa ...

3.5+rated / 5+reviews / 50-miles of Gettysburg

• Codorus State Park - Blue 14.2 Miles [Reviews: 23 - Rating: 3.67]
• Whispering Falls DGC 26.5 Miles [Reviews: 21 - Rating: 3.50]
• Pinchot State Park - Quaker's 27.8 Miles [Reviews: 18 - Rating: 4.00]
• Patapsco Valley State Park 39.8 Miles [Reviews: 32 - Rating: 4.05]
• Scarboro Hills 48.9 Miles [Reviews: 15 - Rating: 3.70]
• Seneca Creek State Park 49.3 Miles [Reviews: 27 - Rating: 4.19]

I've played all these, and they're all very good or better. Many of Patapsco's ratings were made before it dramatically improved its tees and added a second set of baskets.

Regardless, PA and neighbouring courses are awesome!:clap:

 

[Beable]

i'm partial to E PA...

You have Tyler, Tinicum, Nockimixon, Little Lehigh Parway, Jordan Creek, South Mountain, and the 2 blue mountain courses....all within an hr of each other...

From looking at maps, I think that'd be a Microsoft hour, mike.

 

[Beable]

3.5+rated / 5+reviews / 50-miles of Pittsburgh airport

• Knob Hill Park 12.3 Miles [Reviews: 25 - Rating: 4.08]
• Two Mile Run Extension 16.3 Miles [Reviews: 5 - Rating: 3.50]
• Deer Lakes Park 23.2 Miles [Reviews: 25 - Rating: 4.68]
• Moraine State Park 31.8 Miles [Reviews: 33 - Rating: 4.61]
• The Black Course 49.4 Miles [Reviews: 5 - Rating: 3.90]

I've played all these but The Black Course. They were all very good or better, and both Moraine and Deer Lakes made my favourites list

If I were visiting Pittsburgh to play DG, I think I'd get a hotel (or camp) north of the city. Center your travels somewhere near Moraine or between Knob and Moraine. Then you'd be able to get to Knob, Deer Lakes, Moraine, and Pymatuning pretty quickly. 2MRX is past the airport on 376 (like right on the highway), so you could hit it on the way in or out.

 

[Troy Jan]

tyler and tinicum are at one end while blue is at the other. You would not make it in an hour ,but all the others are within an hour or less in most cases of each other.
honest

 

[mike]

tyler and tinicum are at one end while blue is at the other. You would not make it in an hour ,but all the others are within an hour or less in most cases of each other.
honest

i was referring the courses are within an hr of allentown

 

[jbischoff]

If I were visiting Pittsburgh to play DG, I think I'd get a hotel (or camp) north of the city. Center your travels somewhere near Moraine or between Knob and Moraine. Then you'd be able to get to Knob, Deer Lakes, Moraine, and Pymatuning pretty quickly. 2MRX is past the airport on 376 (like right on the highway), so you could hit it on the way in or out.

I second this. If you were thinking hotel, I suggest staying in the Cranberry area; you would be convenient to I-79 with access to Moraine, Pymatuning (a ways north) and Knob Hill as well as I-76 which is a good enough way to get to Deer Lakes. There is great replay value on these courses! I can't speak for Pymatuning yet, but it looks very promising.

 

[Monocacy]

And if you want to consider central Pa ...

• Patapsco Valley State Park 39.8 Miles [Reviews: 32 - Rating: 4.05]
• Scarboro Hills 48.9 Miles [Reviews: 15 - Rating: 3.70]
• Seneca Creek State Park 49.3 Miles [Reviews: 27 - Rating: 4.19]

Or central Maryland . . .

Just yanking your chain, thanks for the lists. I hope to pull of a road trip or three to check out as many of the PA courses as possible.

 

[Mando]

I would definitely include IUP College in with the west PA group and probably Schenley for the view of the city. So with Moraine(x2),Knob Hill & Deer Lakes(x2), how do these stack up with Lehigh Valley ?

 

[Raptor]

I would definitely include IUP College in with the west PA group and probably Schenley for the view of the city.

I played Schenley this evening. The sun was just setting when we finished 18, and looking back on the skyline at all the buildings with their lights on was pretty amazing. The Pittsburgh skyline is beautiful as it is, but seeing it lit up from the Schenley Park view was astounding.

 

[vslaugh]

An Embarrassment of Riches, Part II

People seemed to like this breakdown of the Pittsburgh + 2-hour radius scene on another thread, so I thought I'd repost it here for reference with a couple changes:

CHAMPIONSHIP (Par 60+): (# Reviews--Rating)
1) Deer Lakes Park (25--4.68)
2) Moraine State Park (33--4.61)
3) Pymatuning State Park (4--3.50)
4) Seven Springs Mountain Resort (6--4.00)
5) Orange Crush, Fairmont, WV (8--3.94)
6) The Black Course, Moundsville, WV (5--3.90)

CHAMPIONSHIP 9-Holes (would be 4+ stars if 18 holes)
7) Two Mile Run Extension (5--3.50)
8) Slippery Rock University...Front 9 to be installed later this month. Will be initially wide open and awesome before a more technical Back 9 is installed in the future.

ALMOST CHAMPIONSHIP
9) IUP College Lodge (16--3.84)
10) Knob Hill Park (25--4.08)
11) Seth Burton Memorial, Fairmont, WV (10--3.80)
12) Thompson Park, East Liverpool, OH (7--3.36)
12.5) Under construction: expanded Old Economy Park Disc Golf Course?

SENTIMENTAL OLD COURSE
13) Schenley Park (23--2.85)

If you look, most of these courses have fewer than 10 reviews, which I think indicates that they are relatively new and still being worked on. I would guess all those courses will be significantly improved over the next year or two.

 

[vslaugh]

If I were visiting Pittsburgh to play DG, I think I'd get a hotel (or camp) north of the city. Center your travels somewhere near Moraine or between Knob and Moraine. Then you'd be able to get to Knob, Deer Lakes, Moraine, and Pymatuning pretty quickly. 2MRX is past the airport on 376 (like right on the highway), so you could hit it on the way in or out.

That's sound advice. Add Seven Springs and the West Virginia courses as you are able.

As I think about it more, if you're going to do an Eastern PA trip one year and a Western PA trip another, you might benefit from waiting to do Western PA for a year or two so that a couple of the newer courses I mentioned have some more time.

 

[optidiscic]

Both sides are worthy of a trip and the center ain't too shabby either. Don't forget that when u r west you can include Thompson park, Ohio and Orange Crush Seth Burton and the Black Course, WV. In the central u can add Poor House and Paw Paw and in the east you get the best in Delaware in Carousel and Iron Hill Using this logic really makes for an interesting argument.
I live in the east and have played it all in and around pa I love this debate
I think the best courses overall inside the state are Moraine Deer Lakes in the west Nockamixon Jordan Creek Tyler SP in the east. The best ski hill courses are seven springs in the west and blue mtn in the east. Open Air Pymatuning in the west and Tinicum and Little Lehigh in the East. It seems every region has an argument. I feel like one of a few who has been blessed to have played them all

 

[optidiscic]

I agree with the following breakdown and decided to throw in the eastern comprable courses if applicable

CHAMPIONSHIP (Par 60+): (# Reviews--Rating)
1) Deer Lakes Park - Tyler SP great layouts great amenities
2) Moraine State Park - Nockamixon great challenge
3) Pymatuning State Park -Little Lehigh open long holes
4) Seven Springs Mountain Resort-Blue Mtn Skyline and Valley stellar ski lift golf
5) Orange Crush, Fairmont, WV-Iron Hill insane wooded challenge
6) The Black Course, Moundsville, WV-Carasoul open air and some woods

CHAMPIONSHIP 9-Holes (would be 4+ stars if 18 holes)
7) Two Mile Run Extension-Unami unique holes
8) Slippery Rock University-

ALMOST CHAMPIONSHIP
9) IUP College Lodge-Jordan Creek memorable holes and a bunch of good ones
10) Knob Hill Park -French Creek long wooded fairways
11) Seth Burton Memorial-Tinicum
12) Thompson Park-Roland improving 27 holers
12.5) Under construction: expanded Old Economy Park-Riverside soon to be 18s

SENTIMENTAL OLD COURSE
13) Schenley Park-Sedgley Woods historic but still fun great vibes

Not included from the east of equal or greater caliber were FEW Dam, Hickory Run, South Mtn, Yetter, Prompton?, Long Trout Winery, Anson B Nixon, and so on
this was fun little exercise. I'm not bashing the west. Both sides have some great dgc to be explored

 

[optidiscic]

A great caveat to all of this is that in the central area of PA u can play 54 actual holes (2 separate 27 hole courses not just multiple tees and baskets) and then 36 at Pinchot (2 18s) and 36 at Paw Paw (2 18 courses) in 3 stops that's 126 holes of top notch DG.

 

[discNDav]

Great debate, I've played just about all the courses mentioned and say you can't go wrong with either west or east choice. My top pick out west would be Deer Lakes and Blue Mtn on the east side of PA.

 

[jbischoff]

Wow. East and West PA are getting along. Must not be hockey season yet! Seriously though I can't wait to have the opportunity to play some east and central PA courses.

 

[HarkeyPuck]

Wow. East and West PA are getting along. Must not be hockey season yet! Seriously though I can't wait to have the opportunity to play some east and central PA courses.

haha! Seriously, can't wait for the opener against the Flyers!

From the sounds of it all of PA has some GREAT disc golf. Anyone in the East have a travel plan for us Westerners? i.e. where to stay and plan of attack?