I'm going southbound baby. from Georgia to Florida and then back to Georgia

[danhyzer]

I'm calling it my FFF with my FF (in short FFF tour), which stands for Finally Finding Florida tour (with my Friend Fleetwood). As once I get in a round in Florida I will personally accomplish my goal of playing at least one Disc Golf course in every state.

We should be in Florida by the first weekend in February if not sooner.

I have a dream list already (from which I read all about on this site and other DG publications) of which DGc's I want to play. But I want to hear your favorites and least favorites. I also would like to know if theres any restuarants that are hosts for the area DGclubs so we could patronize them before others and it would be cool to know if theres any DG stores that we could stop in a say hello and maybe purchase a disc (in case we loose one of ours along the way). also can anyone recommend noteable sights to see along the way such as the first Hooter's Restuarant in Clearwater, Fl..

We'll be flyin to Atlanta late Jan. and will be working our way towards Florida via Augusta, GA. and then towards Jax, Fl. southbound to the Daytona area then towards Orlando to the other side of the state and back up to Atlanta on the middle of Feb.

 

[tallpaul]

Biggest disc store in the world in Clearwater. Also, I'm jealous of 50 states played. I was after that goal as well; am at 38 (though my list says 37 cause I can't figure out for the life of me; what course I played in Colorodo/may not exist any longer)....but, in recent years; shorter trips have been more common place than country wide ones. I will hit my second state with 100 played in the spring....Wisconsin/and soon, Illinois. This used to be something special too; but now, with a course every two miles; people like Harr (darn it) can pull this one off pretty quickly too. I will be beginning to challenge Iowa and Minnesota in 2010; both of which, I have @35 to 40 played in....

 

[tallpaul]

danhyzer; just went and looked at your played list; you are a machine!!!

 

[Pooka]

When you come back North. There are a lot of stops along I-10 west from I-75. Magnolia DGC is in Live Oak and two great courses in Tallahassee (where I am). You can go back North to Valdosta and play freedom park, put in by local pro Toad Reynolds. Let me know and I can tour you around Tallahassee. There is also a 9 hole course on the Florida State University Reservation Lake open for FSU students/employees (I work in maintenance at FSU)

 

[jrawk]

htt://clearwaterdiscgolfstore.com

DON'T SKIP IT

Bring cash, they didn't add taxes when i payed cash.

 

[Ishulebest]

Hit Fore Palms in Jax. Send me a pm if you would like, I'm in the Daytona area would be happy to show you around Tuscawilla( if you hit on a weekend, work gets in the way during the week), and steer you away from the Hollyland course.Reed Canal (only 3-4 miles from Tuscawilla) in Daytona is ok, but you may be better off playing as many rounds as possible at Tuscawilla.There is a nice 9 hole(dual t pads = 18) on your way to Orlando from Daytona that is just a few minutes off I-4 in Debary. In Orlando, stay away from UCF, make sure you hit Turkey Lake and play T-2. You can also hit Barnett park, It is only 15 minutes or so from Turkey lake and both parks have 2 courses. I prefer Turkey Lake over Barnett personally. In Clearwater playing Cliff is a must. Joe G and Wendy run the Clearwater Disc Golf Store and are very nice people to deal with. Make it down to Tocabaga in St. Pete while your in the Tampa/Clearwater area. I can even suggest 1 or 2 courses an hour or so south of Daytona before you head to Orlando if it fits your schedule.

 

[Hippy]

Hit Fore Palms in Jax. Send me a pm if you would like, I'm in the Daytona area would be happy to show you around Tuscawilla( if you hit on a weekend, work gets in the way during the week), and steer you away from the Hollyland course.Reed Canal (only 3-4 miles from Tuscawilla) in Daytona is ok, but you may be better off playing as many rounds as possible at Tuscawilla.There is a nice 9 hole(dual t pads = 18) on your way to Orlando from Daytona that is just a few minutes off I-4 in Debary. In Orlando, stay away from UCF, make sure you hit Turkey Lake and play T-2. You can also hit Barnett park, It is only 15 minutes or so from Turkey lake and both parks have 2 courses. I prefer Turkey Lake over Barnett personally. In Clearwater playing Cliff is a must. Joe G and Wendy run the Clearwater Disc Golf Store and are very nice people to deal with. Make it down to Tocabaga in St. Pete while your in the Tampa/Clearwater area. I can even suggest 1 or 2 courses an hour or so south of Daytona before you head to Orlando if it fits your schedule.

Exactly!!!!!! What he said!!!! There is also some gems in Ocala!!!

 

[DavidSauls]

I'd recommend Cliff Stephens and both courses at Turkey Lake.

Caution that the park at Turkey Lake closes early---5:00, I think---and they really mean it. Locked gates, surly rangers if you have to beg your way out. Keep in mind when planning your day. But a great place to play. The new course, T2, the Turkeynator, is the more challenging of the two.

 

[12StonesScott]

I notice you already have my local course, East Roswell Park in Roswell, GA, on your wish list. If you make it up here while you're in Atlanta, there's a Mexican restaurant called Monterrey's across Holcomb Bridge Road from the park that regularly kicks in as a tournament sponsor, ponied up for one of the tee pad sponsorships to get concrete in on the black (long) pads, and is our regular spot for informal discussions after our local club meetings.

Redan Park would probably be the other course most locals would recommend in the Atlanta area; it's reasonably close in, and wouldn't be much out of your way as you're heading to Augusta (it's not far off I-20 on the east side of town). There's a few courses in the Athens area, particularly Sandy Creek Park, that would be worth a detour, and if you're willing to go a little farther out of your way, Richard B. Russell State Park has a highly regarded course.

Two temp courses in the Atlanta area are definitely worth your time if you happen to be in town when they're available. Perkerson Park is located inside the city of Atlanta, in a bit of a rough neighborhood, but has become a favorite of locals. There's an Ice Bowl tournament there on 2/7, but not sure how that'd fit into your plans. Also, southwest of Atlanta, Flyboy Aviation is an amazing private course, featuring 27 holes with lots of distance, including a 1600' par 7 that plays down the grass landing strip of an active airport. It's only available during tournaments and by appointment; let us know if you're interested and we can try to hook you up with the owner.

There's also an Ice Bowl at the IDGC in Augusta on 1/30, FWIW.

 

[billnchristy]

Gonna step in and recommend Limona DGC in Brandon FL, I think you can get there pretty easy if you are heading towards Clearwater...it is a fun 9 holer with Gateway titan baskets and some of the biggest elevation changes in South FL I have ever seen.

 

[DavidSauls]

Re: restaurants in Augusta, GA

Matt Flynn, an active disc golfer in Augusta, owns several restaurants there. Someone in Augusta surely knows more, but I think Nacho Mamas is one of them.

If you're playing Augusta, you'll certainly be playing multiple courses and in need of a lunch break.

 

[jdawg24]

in ATL area, be sure to play:
Fly Boy (absolute must play, 45 min west of downtown) it's listed as temporary in an above post but it is more permanent ... kelly legette's (owner) contact info is in the pdga course directory, shoot him an email to play it

JP Moseley is a very good, big course on the southside on your way to FL

 

[danhyzer]

I love it, A BIG THANK YOU to all that are giving me and hopefully many others some great ideas.

Cliff Stephens is a must play, since that's the DGc that the CHAMP plays (How cool would it be to get in a round with him?) and the Clearwater store will be investigated.

My friend and I both love Mexican food and will keep Monterey's in mind when visiting Roswell.

Personally i'm after a body count as I use different colored stick pins in which I rate of all the DGc's I've played on a USA/ Canada map down in my DG room (ie... the basement) (like the boy in the movie Mask did). The more pins in the map the more stories I have to share with friends of my travels. but I also love to play special DGc's and the one that Mr. Saul has in SC looks like it will be worth the extra effort to find and play (as # 18 looks very tasty).

I'd love to play with you all and who knows... we might. But I love all your suggestions and depending on the weather and how we feel (as I'm not traveling alone) will depend on where we go and where we play. But my friend can't drive (a vehicle) and I am determined to play as many DGc's as God will give me the opportunty to play.

So keep those suggestions (especailly those local excellent eateries. We both love Mexican but anywhere they serve a good cold micro brew is just as good) coming. I love it. And will be loving every minute of it when I head southbound. Even though it's warmer in Juneau, Alaska than it is in Tampa, Florida yesterday.

And towns or cities that are known for their speed traps. Don't want to think about something like that, but if I'm playing as many DG's as I can we'll be russian around to get to the next DGc.

 

[Mando]

Dan Hyzer was most gracious in helping me plan my dg trip in Ohio last summer, so here's my chance to return the favor.
Hit Russell Lake on the way to Augusta, even if it's not really on the way.
After Augusta, meet an undetermined # of the Sauls clan for a private tour of Stoney Hill, for some southern hospitality.
Stop in at Crooked Creek on the way to Columbia.
Play Earlewood in Cola and continue downtown to California Dreamin.
Take the interstate south and if time permits play the Sarge.
If pressed for time, skip the Sarge but do not, I repeat do not drive past Pooler, Ga.
Stop and play Tom Triplett, then take the 4 lane east into Savannah to the historic district. Eat on the waterfront. Have a beer or two. Seize the day.
After lunch you are driving west, minding your own business and you notice the entrance to TT.
Road trip decision...should we stay or should we go.
Well, all I can tell you is that we didn't plan playing two rounds at Sims Park, back to back but we sure didn't regret it !

 

[12StonesScott]

My friend and I both love Mexican food and will keep Monterey's in mind when visiting Roswell.

Well, don't expect too much. You asked about places that support disc golf and where dg'ers hang out. Monterrey's is a perfectly acceptable ISO-standard American Mexican restaurant, but nothing more or less than that. But they do support us, and we try to return the favor.

 

[danhyzer]

Well, don't expect too much. You asked about places that support disc golf and where dg'ers hang out.

I appreciate these kinds of suggestions, because I like to support the local DG scene as much a I can. Here in NE OHIO, we have places like Dick's sporting goods selling plastic, but when you ask for support for a tournament their say they can't (corporate reasons). so I try to support the other DG stores that do. or the restuarants that do.

 

[DavidSauls]

If you follow Mando's suggestion and visit Stoney Hill, then down I-26 & I-95 to Jacksonville (and the courses he mentioned are all fine and convenient to the interstate), AND if you've lost some discs along the way (which, if you've played Lake Olmstead, Ed Headrick, and Stoney Hill, you probably have), we have some small disc stores in Chapin & Columbia. Yes, we---the same contacts for Stoney Hill Disc golf---have a small unnamed store in our office building in Columbia (about 300 discs, Innova, Discraft, Millenium, bags & other stuff), plus a smaller selection in an office in Chapin. There's a link on the Stoney Hill website for this.

If this ends up too far out of your way, well, nevermind.

 

[Mando]

Has there been a Danhyzer sighting Yet ???
He sure picked a good time to head south.

 

[DannyM]

If you do go to Augusta to play, Riverview is an awesome course. Just a few blocks from there is a restaraunt called "GARY'S".....this is a must stop for lunch. Great lil' mom&pop burger place, they also have chicken fingers, etc... but the best there is their chocolate shakes...still made the "old fashioned" way, mixed. If you decide to play any in my neck of the woods <Chapin, Columbia> PM me, I'm listed as a guide.

 

[harr0140]

My most recent trip and last years trip to florida had me playing some good ones.

Tallahassee may be a little far away from your route but if you like tough tight wooded course play Jack Mclean. It was the most frustrating I have ever played because I kept hitting the first tree off of like 8-10 of the 24 holes. But I love a challenge

DO NOT miss Ocala Greenway it is an absolute must and one of my favorite courses ever (truthfully, I didnt think I could enjoy a FL dg course as much as I did here)

Northside park ( in Gainesville) is another good one but fairly open, so if you dont like open courses with spotty trees this wont be for you but I like to refer to it as a classic designed dg course.

In Orlando I did get to both Turkey Lake courses and enjoyed them, but I think people talked them up to be better than they were. They were still enjoyable don't get me wrong, just not what I expected. There was also some changes happening here on one of the courses on the first holes and that may have left me with a negative impression.

Cliff stephens (lots of water) and the under appreciated North east coachman (hopefully the flooding will have receded because I would have enjoyed this entire course if 3 or 4 holes werent under water) in tampa area along with Tocobaga and the two Sarasota courses North Watertower (a lot like Ocala just not as cool of a property) and Lakeview (bring a floater disc or some junky ones you wont mind losing to murky water). All good courses that are enjoyable.

I did enjoy playing North Charlotte Regional Park too just south of Sarasota, but don't worry about going south (to Fort Myers) of that you won't be missing much. Obviously you are as much (or more so) of a course whore than I am so maybe it would be worth it, but if you had to cut the trip short of missing the S.W. corner of the state you won't be missing out on much because. Most of these courses have simply too much palmettos on them which is nasty, difficult to find discs, houses snakes and the like and simply makes the courses look overrun (much like buckthorn in the north).

Other courses I have played
Limona (decent 9 holer that can play like 18 with different tees), Taylor Lake Park, Gregg Paas Memorial, and Youth Park all in the Tampa area (decent course set amongst mature evergreen and some deciduous trees), Sunset Park in Gulf Breeze (western most tip of FL panhandle), Bonita SPrings Rec Center, Bay Oaks, Florida GUlf COast University, North FOrt Myers, (the last 4 which are the ones I think should come last on your trip and only if you have time to head that way.

I did stop by Clearwater Disc Golf Store and was unimpressed at the size of the store. I don't know what I was expecting but someone said the worlds largest store. It isn't very big, sure they have a lot of discs and a good selection, I just was expecting a warehouse type store and this one was just a typical strip mall size store.

If in Georgia you can make it near Savannah I also played a short little 6 holer Gascoigne and the awesome courses near Savannah Tom Triplett and The Sarge (well worth a stop if it isnt too far out of your way.

Not sure how much time you have or how many course you plan on playing. Have fun nonetheless . . . I know I will be looking forward to my yearly driving trip to Florida as a way to hit new courses all the time.