Non-Natural Courses

[gregwil2]

There was a new course installed in the St Louis area by Dave McCormack that recently opened. Since this park wanted to make use a lot of the wide open spaces it had to make there own non-natural OBs and obstacles.

For some examples see http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=5936

Hole 11 for some man made ball golf like bunkers and small hill/raise toward the basket. Then Hole 12 has the same type of protective bunker in front of the basket. Hole 13 (not really able to see in pictures) is currently using stick markers for OB lines to create a fairway that must be followed. In the spring the grass will be mowed higher to more define the lines. Then hole 17 has both the man made fairways and bunkers with a protective man made hill before. And finally hole 18 creates a man made island style hole similar with wood stakes.
The bunkers are all played as OB, almost like small water hazards. Then the made fairways were played as re-throws with stroke if missing the red stakes (left side) and OB but take the distance and pull back in-bounds with stroke for the green stakes (right side).

It seemed to have a polarizing affect on people. Some loved the idea of making the open areas more challenging by adding the man made obstacles. Others didn't like the gimmick or ball golf like aspect of it. Since this is less than a couple weeks old, it may grow on people. Didn't know if others had similar courses or what they think of the course design.

 

[Subwire]

I've always thought about a indoor course with a driving rage either attached to the outside or inside.

 

[notroman]

I saw that course pop up on DGCR and I'm actually happy to see this working its way into designs. I always wanted golf-style bunkers somewhere on the fairways of wide open holes. It takes a boring hole and adds some danger to it making you think twice about your shot selection. I always enjoy the course more if the holes require me to think about my shot before throwing.

 

[joshmo65]

I don't really care for artificial OB, but I love to see bunkers where a bunch of rocks are placed in a large circle in the fairway to prohibit a run-up and force a shorter or less accurate shot, similar to bolf.

 

[bcr123psu]

I always wanted to convert an old steel building into a course. Well, not always but for at least the past three years.

 

[zenbot]

There was a thread about making an indoor course.

 

[zenbot]

Rabbit Flats has become a dumping ground for all the tree waste in the city. The city comes and dumps giant piles of mulch. It actually works out pretty well because the course is constantly changing.



The course also has a ring of rocks that serves as an island for the pin placements inside the ring and a lake for the pin placements outside.

 

[scarpfish]

My home course has always had a handful of sandy bunkers, similar to ball golf bunkers, (albeit without ball golf course maintenance). We also have non sandy areas that are "designated bunkers". If you're disc lands in one of these, you are required to throwyour next shot with your thumb on the bottom (this is to simulate chipping in ball golf).

 

[harr0140]

I knew I should have gone back to play that course when i drove past it! Darn . . . another missed opportunity. SO many courses to be played so little time.

 

[Sadjo]

Speaking of artificial buncers, the newest course I helped get into the ground now has a burning trash pile on the fairway for #3. The city, in all their glory, decided to dump a bunch of trash and burn it. When i asked what the ??? was going on, they said it was easier than transporting everything to the county dump.

I'll post pictures soon.

 

[Matt B.]

Speaking of artificial buncers, the newest course I helped get into the ground now has a burning trash pile on the fairway for #3. The city, in all their glory, decided to dump a bunch of trash and burn it. When i asked what the ??? was going on, they said it was easier than transporting everything to the county dump.

I'll post pictures soon.

I've encountered some burning or smoldering slash piles where brush and branches have been piled and burned on the course, but trash!? That's not even legal in civilized parts! :doh:

 

[DavidSauls]

It seemed to have a polarizing affect on people. Some loved the idea of making the open areas more challenging by adding the man made obstacles. Others didn't like the gimmick or ball golf like aspect of it. Since this is less than a couple weeks old, it may grow on people. Didn't know if others had similar courses or what they think of the course design.

Like many things, it often comes down to whether this stuff is done well.

Perhaps the word you're looking for is "created" or "contrived". Many courses have artificial obstacles and O.B.---sidewalks and fences and earthen mounds and lakes and other man-made obstacles. Some people have a bias in favor of what was there before the course, and against what was created afterwards. I'm not sure why.

 

[Billipo]

One artificial obstacle no one seems to like is a short basket on a two pin hole.

 

[Brokensaint]

I really like Dunegant park (The OP St. Louis course). An 800' field hole is just outright dull. Leaving the back nine as straight field holes would have really decreased my opinion of the park, but the bunkers and OB lines made it pretty great. Gotta throw with a little finesse, not just chuck it chuck it...chuck it a little and then putt.
$.02

 

[Sadjo]

Here's what was suppose to be the hole #3 fairway at Eagle Creek. Picture taken from the proposed tee area.

We got approval for the course and then got approval for the design. After we started raising money but before we bought baskets, the city dumped a bunch of broken concrete and old asphalt on the areas the included the proposed green for #2 and the tee for #3. So we redesign the first fee holes. Put the baskets in, mark the tee area with landscape flags and then later in the week there's a pile of trash burning on the new 3 fairway.

The city has never had a park. The property was included with the purchase of an old school building they turned into their new City Hall and police department. They were really excited about being able to offer the citizens their own park.

Needless to say, I think they may not really know what they're doing.

On the positive side, that's one unusual obstacle for a Disc Golf course.

 

[Royal Hill]

Looking at the course photos here on the site for the thread starter I'd say I like the effect.
It looks implemented well. esthetics are good for the sand areas and are readable to the casual viewer or park attender. I see it and "get it"

Might need some edging to hold the line over time, but if the bunkers are a total misfire with the locals it wouldn't require much leave alone time for the areas to grow in.

My favorite edged green/OB is the railroad tie with sand infill then seeded green in Stockholm at the vissatra course. Having the green shaped and slightly raised vs having lowered traps works well for our sport as discs slide "off" the sides and you don't incur any water entrapment areas.

The jailed bamboo hole is likely a tougher sell than the bunkers on the flat ground.

And there's nothing stopping a casual foresome from ignoring the sand traps and playing it conventionally, or even with special insider rules. Those are fun to come up with.
Really flexible that way.

 

[Skulboy]

Some man-made obstacles from Brent Baca in Albuquerque.

 

[BraveThrower43]

Pim Farms has hay bails and other farm materials on there course which is kinda cool. The tiki course is probably the most manmade stuff I have ever seen even though it isn't considered a "real" course

 

[Hazer]

I've always thought about making a course that shoots through old abandoned warehouses or workshops. It would be so cool to shoot to baskets through bay doors and into a smaller side room with only open windows to shoot through. Or shooting into, or through, an old barn with open doors. Or a top of the world shot shooting from the roof of an abandoned warehouse, or a 3rd story haymow in a barn. I have heard of some courses with a lot of man made objects in play, but have never had the opportunity to play one myself. This sport has a lot of options for course design, and playing through buildings or having indoor courses is something I believe we'll see more of in the future.

 

[LeewayeDiscGolf]

Some man-made obstacles from Brent Baca in Albuquerque.

The man-made stuff at Brent Baca really helps make the course. Last time we were there the tank was still upright. Not sure it's still there, but #3 has a net stretched across out in front of the tee to change up an otherwise straight forward shot.