Least Favorite course rated 4/5 or better?

[Cgkdisc]

A general observation on the comments in this thread is several of the courses identified were either too easy or more likely a bit too difficult for the poster, i.e., not in their preferred skill range. Perhaps an argument for additional tees in some cases?

 

[Stardoggy]

I'm glad I read this thread; the next top ten course I was planning to play was Idlewild.
Sounds like it might be about as much fun as a root canal for a rec level player.

Idle is fun enough, especially when paired with Lincoln Ridge.

 

[brutalbrutus]

I'm glad I read this thread; the next top ten course I was planning to play was Idlewild.
Sounds like it might be about as much fun as a root canal for a rec level player.

Idle is fun enough, especially when paired with Lincoln Ridge.

It can be rough on rec/int level players, but its still worth the trip. Just play 13 and 14 in the short positions to give yourself a couple more chances at ace runs/deuces. It definitely helps to have a guide at Idlewild. Not so much for navigating from hole to hole, but for navigating your way to the basket. There are several holes that require at least two, all but, perfect shots before you can see the basket and a couple of those its more like 3 really good shots. You may want to wait a year or two. Like Crook said the course is gonna change a lot over the next couple years... Stupid tree eating bugs...

Also, you will get a chance to watch the pros play it in a couple months...

 

[sidewinder22]

I'm glad I read this thread; the next top ten course I was planning to play was Idlewild.
Sounds like it might be about as much fun as a root canal for a rec level player.

It's about as fair as Sugaree but longer.

 

[tbird888]

It's about as fair as Sugaree but longer.

It's not nearly the funhouse Sugaree is.

 

[ISUME]

There are several 4/5* courses I've played that I think are overrated, but if I had to pick a single least favorite it would be Hippodrome Old Glory by a mile. I would give it 2 stars, and this site has it at 4.07 stars. Just ... no.

Other modestly overrated courses are Richmond Hill (4.05, should be 3.0) and Tyger River (4.07, should be 3.5). Additionally, the Blue Angel Park in Pensacola FL is rated backwards. There are three courses on the property: Pines 3.81, Oaks 3.89, and Palmetto 4.13. The correct order should be Palmetto worst, Pines middle, Oaks best. (I think when I played there a couple of years ago the three courses were rated completely backwards. At least now Oaks has risen to the #2 spot.)

I went to IDGC one day and had an amazing time. I followed that up with hippodrome the next day and was very disappointed. I played Old Glory and Hogback and I'm not sure either course is over a 3.25.

 

[Mando]

It's about as fair as Sugaree but longer.

Supercourse ?

 

[sidewinder22]

Supercourse ?

Yep.

 

[brutalbrutus]

Supercourse ?

If you play all 24 in the longs its over 11,000ft and a legit par around 90. The original 18longs was set up like a par72 golf course. 2 par5s and par3s on each side.

 

[ToddL]

Probably the closest comparison is Brakewell...pure golf.

Love love love Warwick/Brakewell. I've known for a while I should get up to Harmon, but injuries busy yadda yadda.

Handyman Ace Hardware is the only one I've played. I live almost walking distance from it, but I'm in no hurry to go back. I can see why it's rated so highly, with a variety of tightly-controlled shots required, but it's way beyond my skillset. Most annoyingly, it seems like they hardly ever cut the grass in the fairway. I spent more time looking for my drive than actually playing. Toward the end of the round I was intentionally choosing the wrong driver for the hole, just because it was brightly colored and I could find it in less than five minutes. Plus that creek is nasty.

I still gave it a 4 though.

I played that course over the winter and had some mixed feelings about it. I played the long tee pads, but pretty quickly decided that the shorts are probably a lot better. It seemed to me like the short pads were a very well designed course, and then someone said, "hey, let's just cram another tee pad back behind that tree over there and not bother cutting any more trees", and voila, long pads.

An additional problem with that course is simple maintenance. There were several fairways that were cut into the woods extremely well, but all the felled trees were just pushed to the edge of the fairway instead of being hauled off. A few times I found myself less than 5 feet off the edge of the fairway but stuck in a pile of logs and limbs.

Even with that, it's close to a 4* course. I think it could be quite good with a little more work.

 

[BrotherDave]

I think Hambrick is a solid 3.5 at least but it's been years since I've played it. I really liked how each 9 hole section could appeal to about everyone with open, moderately wooded and then the really tight, technical section. That being said, there really wasn't much that was extremely memorable, kind of vanilla.

 

[TheOtherBill]

You're probably right on that.

I think Richmond Hills in Asheville is weaker than a lot of people think.

Perhaps part of that rating is due to older reviews. When the course closed for redesign the area was left with only Mars Hill and a 9-holer in the entire county, so when it reopened it was like the heavens opened and solid gold discs rained down on the locals. The early rounds I played on Richmond Hill when it first re-opened were amazing. Teepads were killer, lines were tight/impossible, and it required shots that didn't exist in WNC or Greenville areas.

Since then, the constant traffic has really weathered that course. The baskets don't get moved like they used to - when was the last time #1 was in any of the other two positions? - and I have to mention the amount of foot traffic again. This course has the same holes but looks NOTHING like it did when it in the months after it reopened.

Agreed - it's a mid 3 rating at best, but man it was something hot 'n new six years ago.

As far as Tyger River, I enjoyed the first three holes. The rest was either forgettable or maddening.

 

[jasonandsharon]

One of the things that I think skew some of the ratings on these courses is that reviewers are reviewing tournament layouts that may only exist once or twice a year. The rest of the year the course is a rather lackluster and boring experience but in a certain configuration can be leaps and bounds ahead. One of the problems of being able to so easily move baskets and even tees is that you may be looking at a completely different course than the reviewer even just a week later. The obvious example is of course Winthrop Gold although at least on here that course is listed completely separately from the everyday course.

 

[Mando]

Perhaps part of that rating is due to older reviews. When the course closed for redesign the area was left with only Mars Hill and a 9-holer in the entire county, so when it reopened it was like the heavens opened and solid gold discs rained down on the locals. The early rounds I played on Richmond Hill when it first re-opened were amazing. Teepads were killer, lines were tight/impossible, and it required shots that didn't exist in WNC or Greenville areas.

Since then, the constant traffic has really weathered that course. The baskets don't get moved like they used to - when was the last time #1 was in any of the other two positions? - and I have to mention the amount of foot traffic again. This course has the same holes but looks NOTHING like it did when it in the months after it reopened.

Agreed - it's a mid 3 rating at best, but man it was something hot 'n new six years ago.

As far as Tyger River, I enjoyed the first three holes. The rest was either forgettable or maddening.

Good points. It's definitely the most crowded course I have ever played, but atleast there are some newer courses in Asheville to share the load now. It's not even in the upcoming Mountain Disc Golf Experience this year.

 

[sidewinder22]

Good points. It's definitely the most crowded course I have ever played, but atleast there are some newer courses in Asheville to share the load now. It's not even in the upcoming Mountain Disc Golf Experience this year.

There was only a handful of golfers at Richmond Hill when I played the other day.

 

[takman]

Haven't played many 4/5 rated but of all I would say Diamond X (4.14) was my least favorite. Incredible layout and scenery but just frustrating to navigate and physically challenging. Hope to play it again with a guide sometime. Not overrated at all, underrated if anything just frustrating.

 

[armiller]

Shawshank DGC, Huntsville, Texas

This was my first thought. I really enjoyed playing there but it didn't meet my expectation of a top 20 or so course. The maintenance and character is awesome no doubt, but the technicality of the course isn't comparable to many other courses rated around 4.5 out there.

I think the issue is that it's 4.5, but it definitely deserves to be over 4 somewhere. It probably gets a little bit of a ratings boost because the proprietor is so nice and basically letting folks play in his backyard. I played in pretty poor conditions this winter, but had a very enjoyable and even memorable experience.

Maybe it should be a 4.3 or 4.1 or something, but I'd imagine reviewers tend to choose a higher rating (e.g. when deciding between 4.0 or 4.5) because of the "nice host of a private pay-to-play course" factor.

I suspect that many DGCRers tend to rate P2P courses higher in general (even with higher expectations), simply because we appreciate the fact that these courses even exist. Plus, it's these courses that seem to be propelling course development in general, even if it's the apparently infamous Vision Quest or Idlewild or whatever other course is "overhyped" or overrated.

 

[Tripper]

You're probably right on that.

I think people in our area got excited about Tyger since it was the first course in the region that had more than 2 long, open holes. I have a little backlash hate against both of those courses. They're both fine, and I'd rather have them than not, but I don't go out of my way to play them. Neither of them are very close to a 4* course.


Harmon or Richmond? I think Richmond Hills in Asheville is weaker than a lot of people think. I actually haven't played Harmon.

Harmon.

Richmond hills is fun. Not super special. I do like getting some exercise when I play and Richmond is definitely good for that.

 

[shakatak]

I'll go with Pickard. It's the 3rd rated course in Iowa at 4.36. It's about an hour from me and even though I often drive that far to play a number of courses, Pickard is very rarely one of them. I don't hate it but I just don't understand why it's the highest rated course in the Des Moines area. I'd much rather play Walnut Ridge, Big Creek, or Ewing.

 

[1978]

Idlewild has a few great holes, but it also has too many too-narrow uphill right turns.

LaMirada is a shade overrated, mainly a city course.

Leviathan is underrated.

La Mirada, totally. shorter teepads, dangerous drop offs after each one, often filled with water. Gets benefit of 2 courses on 1 property and a pro shop and for what is around it.