Must play courses in SC

[ToddL]

Yeah, the steps are pretty annoying; at the very least there's a bit too large of a gap between the steps so you feel as if you're going to fall at times. The ones that I found to be particularly bad were 17's.

Pro Tip: Go down the stairs backwards. Or the big stairs at least.

Which par 3's are you talking about? The only one that I felt was unfair was #6, where there's the 90 degree turn uphill; I'm guessing the other is 7, and I feel like that could be a good skip shot with either a RHBH or a LHFH. The nice thing on 7 though is the rough is pretty well cleared out; I kicked pretty far into it when I played and still recovered for a three.

Truthfully, I think it's a very tough par 56 course.

#6 is completely fine as par 3. It's a definite lefty/flick hole, and if you don't have that shot you're not going to get the birdie. Suck it up and learn to flick, I guess.
Of players rated 950+ at our first and only tournament there, the breakdown was 1x2, 14x3, 9x4, 1x5, avg 3.31, std dev 0.54, ssw 2.21

#7, 8, and 9 are all long (350'), tough par 3s. 7 has a right-side pin after a left turn that plays much more favorably to the lefty/flick again. If you can't flick, play for par. 8 is perfectly straight. 9 is a definite righty hole.
Hole 7, 950+ players: 1x2, 9x3, 12x4, 4x5, avg 3.73, std dev 0.76, ssw 3.12
Hole 8, 950+ players: 2x2, 17x3, 6x4, 1x5, avg 3.23, std dev 0.64, ssw 2.56
Hole 9, 950+ players: 9x2, 13x3, 2x4, 2x5, avg 2.88, std dev 0.85, ssw 3.03

#10 is a tweener. 440', downhill, tight. I've put my drive within 20' a couple of times, and I'm not good enough to get eagles. I've also had sequences of: bad drive, bad recovery shot, approach, tap-in for par. If I screw up twice and don't do anything *amazing* to recover, I don't think I deserve par.
Hole 10, 950+ players: 1x2, 8x3, 11x4, 6x5, avg 3.85, std dev 0.82, ssw 3.29

#17 is definitely a par 3, although I'd rather either have the basket 50' shorter or 200' longer (for a true 4).
Hole 17, 950+ players: 14x3, 9x4, 3x5, avg 3.58, std dev 0.69, ssw 2.58

#16 and 18 are true 4s.
Hole 16, 950+ players: 5x3, 16x4, 5x5, avg 4.00, std dev 0.62, ssw 2.54
Hole 18, 950+ players: 5x3, 14x4, 7x5, avg 4.08, std dev 0.67, ssw 2.73

 

[DavidSauls]

#6 is completely fine as par 3. It's a definite lefty/flick hole, and if you don't have that shot you're not going to get the birdie. Suck it up and learn to flick, I guess.

LOL. It's my philosophy that ever course above a certain skill level should expect players to be able to throw FH & BH, reward those who can, and not apologize to those who are one-sided.

And I say that as a near-100% RHBH player.

 

[TheOtherBill]

opcorn:opcorn: Can't wait for the Lefty Activist's review opcorn:opcorn:

Bennett are you taking Griffin and his pet human to Pipeline? Long course, may need extra battery for the camera... since I know you'll do a great vid for those of us that may not get there for a couple years

 

[sjberry2017]

I went out to Shaver today and had a really good round; it looks like they're starting to get somewhat of a club together, there was a calendar posted for May with a bunch of events; June is nearing the end but still, that was nice to see. Also saw a guy walking back into the course with a weedeater before I tee'd off on 18. Hopefully things are going to start looking up; there's so many extra pins now, if only the course was cleared out a little more of all the weeds and poison ivy etc around the baskets.

 

[Pbmercil]

LOL. It's my philosophy that ever course above a certain skill level should expect players to be able to throw FH & BH, reward those who can, and not apologize to those who are one-sided.

And I say that as a near-100% RHBH player.

Well said! I agree 100% and am also almost exclusive RHBH

 

[BennettUA]

Thoroughly enjoyed Pipeline. Excellent blend of challenge, fun, and beauty, and the combination of the three is why it's rated so highly and now listed as one of my favorites. The pictures on this site are good, but the course is so much more beautiful on-site.

Shot a 60 on first time through, and left ~ 6 strokes out there. Could do better than that with a couple more rounds and learning the best lines and landing spots.

#6 is completely fine as par 3. It's a definite lefty/flick hole, and if you don't have that shot you're not going to get the birdie. Suck it up and learn to flick, I guess.
Of players rated 950+ at our first and only tournament there, the breakdown was 1x2, 14x3, 9x4, 1x5, avg 3.31, std dev 0.54, ssw 2.21

I don't remember this being too severe of a right turn. I would never expect this to be a 4, regardless of skill level.

#7, 8, and 9 are all long (350'), tough par 3s. 7 has a right-side pin after a left turn that plays much more favorably to the lefty/flick again. If you can't flick, play for par.
Hole 7, 950+ players: 1x2, 9x3, 12x4, 4x5, avg 3.73, std dev 0.76, ssw 3.12

7 is a very, very tough 2. BUT, a very managable 3. The ideal shot for me as a LHBH is an flip shot that turns over to the left and fades out to the pin placement on the right. While that is a very tough shot to perfect on a treeline gap, it's also very satisfying to hit it and worth the reward.

That said, I didn't flip left enough, kicked into the trees straight ahead as it was turning, and had to save for a 4(the rough on the right is much thicker than the left).

8 is perfectly straight.
Hole 8, 950+ players: 2x2, 17x3, 6x4, 1x5, avg 3.23, std dev 0.64, ssw 2.56

Beautiful disc golf shot. Feels longer than 348' but I know it's not. The ground lifts up a little through the first part of the fairway, dips down below sight around halfway down the fairway, and then lifts back up to the pin.

9 is a definite righty hole.
Hole 9, 950+ players: 9x2, 13x3, 2x4, 2x5, avg 2.88, std dev 0.85, ssw 3.03

BraveThrower43 came within inches of canning an ace here. Definitely a righty hole, but I like it very much. A good LHBH flip-to-anny can get a look at 2.

#10 is a tweener. 440', downhill, tight. I've put my drive within 20' a couple of times, and I'm not good enough to get eagles. I've also had sequences of: bad drive, bad recovery shot, approach, tap-in for par. If I screw up twice and don't do anything *amazing* to recover, I don't think I deserve par.
Hole 10, 950+ players: 1x2, 8x3, 11x4, 6x5, avg 3.85, std dev 0.82, ssw 3.29

If you make the first gap(which is tight but fair), this is an easy 3. Approach offers a lefty route and a righty route.

#17 is definitely a par 3, although I'd rather either have the basket 50' shorter or 200' longer (for a true 4).
Hole 17, 950+ players: 14x3, 9x4, 3x5, avg 3.58, std dev 0.69, ssw 2.58

Exactly this. Excellent downhill teeshot with a canopy that forces you to stay low in relation to the tee.

#16 and 18 are true 4s.
Hole 16, 950+ players: 5x3, 16x4, 5x5, avg 4.00, std dev 0.62, ssw 2.54
Hole 18, 950+ players: 5x3, 14x4, 7x5, avg 4.08, std dev 0.67, ssw 2.73

Both have greens perched on top of big hills. Definitely par 4s; a three is certainly possible on each, and would feel very, very good.


Personal favorite holes(REALLY hard to narrow it down to three favorite holes though):

--- 11 --- feels like this hole was MADE for me. Gorgeous tee shot gives you a chance to bomb one and likely disc down a little, and an elevated basket with the "creek" as a backdrop(that spot is closer to a small river than a large creek). Sank the putt below for the duece.

--- 12 --- Simply beautiful hole. Gorgeous fairway with enough canopy to keep you honest and enough room to choose from many different lines, with a picturesque green that feels like an open window from the heavens.

--- 18 --- I love to finish a round with a par 4. Another great fairway and a green that begs for camera clicks.



This is a track I'd love to play over and over. There are higher-rated courses on here that do not have nearly the fun factor of Pipeline. I can walk the entire layout in my head after only playing it once, which to me shows how balanced the course is(short v long, up v down, left v right, open v tight), how beautiful the course is, and how fun the course is. Another gem in the Upstate of South Carolina.

 

[TheOtherBill]

Great review...:thmbup:

Have to wait until next spring to play Pipeline :thmbdown:

 

[BennettUA]

Great review...:thmbup:

Have to wait until next spring to play Pipeline :thmbdown:

Worth the wait, and by then it will be well-seasoned.

 

[BraveThrower43]

I liked pipeline a lot. Wasn't a big fan of hole 7. I found the basket placement to not make sense with the shot that was required off the tee. A shot of that distance on a rhbh hyzer line with the basket tucked up and right at the end doesn't make sense to me.

Hole 6 seemed kinda weird. The angle seemed too 90°ish to me

I felt like 17 would be a better hole with more separation if it were a little shorter where a good shot that challenges the ceiling would give an opportunity for a 2. Seemed like a really straight forward 3 that won't lead to a lot of separation.

Liked the course a lot overall. I don't often say that about Russell designs. Wish I had of gotten that ace!!!

 

[BennettUA]

I liked pipeline a lot. Wasn't a big fan of hole 7. I found the basket placement to not make sense with the shot that was required off the tee. A shot of that distance on a rhbh hyzer line with the basket tucked up and right at the end doesn't make sense to me.

Hole 6 seemed kinda weird. The angle seemed too 90°ish to me

I felt like 17 would be a better hole with more separation if it were a little shorter where a good shot that challenges the ceiling would give an opportunity for a 2. Seemed like a really straight forward 3 that won't lead to a lot of separation.

Liked the course a lot overall. I don't often say that about Russell designs. Wish I had of gotten that ace!!!

I can't say much to the angle on hole 6, seems I didn't get to judge the fairway properly from either my spotter's position or where my teeshot landed after ricocheting to the right off the first tree gap. (miraculously saved the three)

Agreed on 7. I feel like it would take a really perfect LHBH-flip-to-anny-and-fade-out-just-enough-at-the-end shot to even have a chance at a two. But it's an easy three, and I wouldn't make it a par 4 unless you could lengthen it into the woods somehow.

 

[sjberry2017]

I don't think the pin on #7 is tucked back in too far to take away a two possibility, it will just be a bit longer putt and slightly uphill. To me, that's a reasonable bit of challenge to the hole.

I'm glad to see that people agree with me on 6. I don't really have any sort of flick shot, apart from some really sloppy up/scramble shots, so there really isn't any hope for me to get a 2, period. But having the sharp turn and the huge uphill really seems like it will limit the opportunities for birdie, even with a flick or LHBH shot. But if the numbers are there, then I suppose the numbers are there, although I don't really pay attention to the scoring spread numbers myself, it's more about the fun of the hole. And I do suppose having a tight, straight shot with a long uphill upshot does make for a fun hole; and if that's emblematic of the primary complaints against the Pipeline, then I think that speaks volumes as to how good of a course it is.

On another note, does anyone know what's going to happen on holes 4 and 5 at Timmons park? They have the area seemingly surveyed right behind 4's basket and encroaching on 5's teepad for that development behind the park.

 

[BraveThrower43]

I can't say much to the angle on hole 6, seems I didn't get to judge the fairway properly from either my spotter's position or where my teeshot landed after ricocheting to the right off the first tree gap. (miraculously saved the three)

Agreed on 7. I feel like it would take a really perfect LHBH-flip-to-anny-and-fade-out-just-enough-at-the-end shot to even have a chance at a two. But it's an easy three, and I wouldn't make it a par 4 unless you could lengthen it into the woods somehow.

I agree it wouldn't be a 4 in any way but I didn't think the best location was the most ideal.

I'm really interested to see how those rubber pads hold up and if any low spots will appear in time. That's the first time I have seen them on a public course that will get a lot of play

 

[sjberry2017]

Aren't they the same style teepad as they have at Grand Central? The ones at Central have held up pretty well, with only a few buckling issues, and are actually my favorite kind of teepad now.

 

[TheOtherBill]

On another note, does anyone know what's going to happen on holes 4 and 5 at Timmons park? They have the area seemingly surveyed right behind 4's basket and encroaching on 5's teepad for that development behind the park.

A couple years ago Brandon Barker, Harold Duvall, a parks guy and I had a meeting about that at Timmons. That's when we proposed (and ultimately got moved) the pin and teepad for #4 based on the survey stakes and also the new location for basket #7 to avoid erosion issues at the creek's corner. The teepad for #5 was not within what was then staked off so we decided to leave it, but did pick out the new basket location for 5 in case it did end up moving so the hole would essentially be the same, just moved around the corner a bit.

 

[BennettUA]

Shenanigans and highlights from our first round at Pipeline:

 

[sjberry2017]

A couple years ago Brandon Barker, Harold Duvall, a parks guy and I had a meeting about that at Timmons. That's when we proposed (and ultimately got moved) the pin and teepad for #4 based on the survey stakes and also the new location for basket #7 to avoid erosion issues at the creek's corner. The teepad for #5 was not within what was then staked off so we decided to leave it, but did pick out the new basket location for 5 in case it did end up moving so the hole would essentially be the same, just moved around the corner a bit.

I think this new survey is pretty recent, as it wasn't there last fall, or even early on this summer. It could have been surveyed again, or they're just now getting back there. But I mean it runs RIGHT beside the new pin, with no room at all. If the teepad for five does end up moving up though, I'd be fine with that. It's seriously a 3.5 par hole; even with a great drive you've more got an approach than a putt on your second shot.

 

[Pbmercil]

Sooooo since we are talking SC courses has anybody made it to Canaan yet?

 

[DavidSauls]

Sooooo since we are talking SC courses has anybody made it to Canaan yet?

Not me....though it's in the plans for this weekend.

 

[BraveThrower43]

I have. It's a solid course. Definatly gold level from the longs. Kinda rough right now but its a great course overall. Solid 4-4.5 when it's all said and done. They are still working On things and making adjustments.

It's hard to play the first time through because a lot of the holes are about placement and there are a lot of blind baskets.

The short course is fun but nothing special. Perfect for the campers that will be playing it.

 

[Streets]

After finally playing Pipeline, I would indeed say this is a must play course not only in SC but this region. :hfive: