Suggestions for Weeklong Roadtrip Through VA-MD-PA-NY-NJ-DE

[t i m]

NOTE: Edits made based on some suggestions from members. Sadly, the trip is getting shorter on both ends due to schedule conflicts, and the play schedule is getting slightly unrealistic, but we've played close to 200 holes in a day on shorter (but still demanding) courses, so I think we have a good chance at hitting (or exceeding) this schedule. Thanks again for all the help...

I'm arranging a discgolf roadtrip with my brother after he graduates college on Aug. 9 -- we''l be heading up from NoVA to Warwick and hitting PA/DE/NJ courses all the way up and back. Right now, the revised roadtrip starts on August 13 and goes through August 18: 6 days, 6 states (plus DC), ~700 miles, a dozen courses and ~400 holes of play -- with a little time to browse New York City on the side.

I've worked up a tentative schedule, but am open to suggestions -- both for other/better places to play, as well as places to camp or cheap hotels/hostels etc... in the right areas. Or if anyone wants to join us for a round and/or has a spare patch of floor and a shower, it would be great to meet a few of the DGers on this board... I'm always game to provide great microbrews and extra discs in exchange for room and board.

For a rough map of the proposed roadtrip loop, go here: www.tinyurl.com/discglory

Day one (Wednesday, Aug. 13) -- 99 holes today, or however long daylight lasts
Leave D.C. in early a.m.
Drive 100 miles to play Codorus (Hanover, PA -- 54 holes + 9 holes of mini disc golf)
Drive 27 miles to play at Pinchot State Park (Lewisberry, PA -- 36 holes), play until dark.
Camp at Pinchot State Park.

Day two (Thursday, Aug. 14) -- ~78 holes today
Get up and drive ~90 miles to play at Jordan Creek (White Hall, PA -- 18 holes)
Drive a few miles to play at Little Lehigh Parkway (Allentown, PA -- 18 holes)
Drive 15 miles to play at Nockamixon in PA (Quakertown, PA -- 14 holes, play three times or more, until dark)
Drive 20 miles to Tinicum Park and camp there.

Day three (Friday, Aug. 15) -- 72 holes today
Wake up play Tinicum Park (Erwinna, PA -- 18 holes)
Drive 90 miles to Warwick state park in NY and play three rounds from different tees (54 holes)
Stay somewhere near Warwick (Wawayanda State Park in NJ?)

Day four (Saturday, Aug. 16) -- 54 holes today
Play one or two more rounds at Warwick
Drive 18 miles to Play Campgaw in NJ (18 holes at a ski resort area, play once or twice, time permitting)
Drive 30 miles to Manhattan in NY and spend evening/night with a friend in the city

Day five (Sunday, Aug. 17) -- 0 holes today
Spend the day in NYC and crash with friend again

Day six (Monday, Aug. 18 ) -- between 72-90 holes today
Get up early, early a.m. and escape traffic
drive 75 miles to play Tyler State Park (Newton, PA -- 27 holes, play twice)
Drive 75 miles to play Iron Hill (Newark, DE -- 18 holes, play twice if possible)
Drive 105 miles home to my house and crash. Hard.

BONUS Day (Tuesday, Aug. 19) -- 54-72 holes
Sleep in, drive 80 miles down to Hawk Hollow (Spotsylvania, VA) and play 2-3 rounds.
Drive 20 miles to Loriella Park (Fredericksburg, VA) and play one round
Drive home and crash. Lazy day

 

[t i m]

I've already made some changes based on suggestions folks have PMed to me... more thoughts are welcome. Thanks again for all the help.

 

[ferretdance03]

You can camp right in Codorus for fairly cheap. They have nice campsites. Warwick I'm not too sure about. It's a town/city park not really a state park. There is a campground right next door though. Didn't stay there so I can't comment on it.

 

[roadkill1]

Day two (Wednesday) -- 90+9 mini holes today
Drive a few miles to play Codorus in PA (54 holes + 9 holes of mini disc golf)
Drive 27 miles to play at Pinochot State Park in PA (36 holes)
Drive ~90 miles to crash somewhere near Allentown, PA

While you're most likely younger and in better shape than me, trying to do all this in one day may kill you for the rest of the week.

54 holes at Codorus is pretty demanding from the pro tees but you could do it. You could probably even play the 18 hole Boulder Woods course at Pinchot if you want to push it. However the 18 hole Quaker Challenge course at Pinchot is very physically demanding as it is very hilly, long and over rough terrain through woods. If I were you I'd camp at Pinchot after the BW round play QC first thing in the morning before it gets hot then drive to Allentown.

Day three (Thursday) -- 82 holes today
Drive a few miles to play at Jordan Creek (18 holes)
Drive a few miles to play at Little Lehigh Parkway (18 holes)
Drive 15 miles to play at Nockamixon in PA (14 holes -- play twice)
Drive 20 miles to play at Tinicum Park in PA (18 holes)
Drive 90 miles to Warwick state park in NY and sleep/camp somewhere

I'd play Jordan and Little Lehigh as they are both right off 15th street and 5 minutes apart. Nockamixon in Quakertown and Tinicum in Erwinna are a considerable drive. (45 minutes to Nocka and an hour to Tinicum from Allentown).

Day four (Friday) -- 90 holes today
Play Warwick State Park all day (18 holes with two tees and two baskets on
each, so four rounds)
Play Scott Wolfe Park (adjacent to Warwick)
stay in same place that night

Are you guys masochists? Warwick is a world class course. Even though Wolfe Woods is literally next door I'm not sure what condition it's in it may not be very pleasant and probably not worth the time. Four rounds at Warwick is a full days golf already.

Day five (Saturday) -- 54 holes today
Play Warwick again -- whatever our favorite layout was
Drive 18 miles to Play Campgaw in NJ (18 holes at a ski resort area, play twice)
Drive 30 miles to Manhattan in NY and spend evening/night with a friend in the city

Campgaw is on a ski slope Ya think the course may be a little hilly and fatigueing? Skip the morning round at Warwick by now you've played four rounds there save your time and energy for Campgaw. If you have time and energy left to deplete you can drive over to Buzzy's Creek and play a round or two there it's close to Campgaw.

The remainder of your schedule appears doable provide you haven't injured yourself yet and still have energy to burn. I don't mean to be a kill joy it's just that many of the courses you're choosing to play are very long and/or hilly and will tire you quicker than other courses you may be accustomed to playing.

 

[the_lung]

DO NOT waste your time at Buzzy's Creek.

 

[headrick-er]

If I can, I'll gladly help you navigate through Iron Hill while you're in DE.

Word of suggestion, though - playing Brandywine, then Iron Hill twice is murder. It'll be fun, but murder.

 

[eric_dmb]

Those schedules are dreams dude, not humanly possible.

You are talking miles, but not traffic time in those drive times. 20 miles is not far when you are doing 80mph, but when you are going through metro areas with lights, traffic etc. you are not going to be doing 80!

Good luck and please give us a full recap of what you were actually able to get in!

Having played all those courses (minus Iron Hill) I can say for certain that you are going to play on some amazing courses! HAVE FUN!

I am in philly, so PM me if you have any questions about any of those courses, drive time etc.

ERIC

 

[t i m]

I know the schedule seems slightly unrealistic, but I'm a perpetual optimist, and on shorter courses, my brother and I have hit close to 200 holes in a day on several occasions.

On longer courses, we've done okay as well. Last time we got to play disc golf together, we were heading out from grandparents in North Augusta, SC, got up early to head to Charlotte, and managed to get in four rounds of golf -- we hit up Renaissance, Renny Gold, Hornet's Nest and Charlotte's Web -- all before 6 p.m. when we had to hit the road to make it up to a New Year's Eve party in D.C. before midnight. Most of our recent DG trips have been in winter months, so not nearly as much daylight. But four rounds a day at blue/gold level courses is pretty typical.

We both are in good shape from Ultimate, play pretty quickly and are decent enough (I play ~970-rated golf, he plays ~930-rated golf) that we mostly hit fairways and don't spend too much time looking for discs. My main worry is having maps for the various courses, because I think the biggest slowdown on this trip could be trying to find the holes some places. So if folks have course maps you want to e-mail me or link to, I would appreciate it.

There are several places I see to cut courses if needed.

Day one, if it looks like we're going slow, I'll skip one of the front two courses at Codorus.
Day two, we'll skip Tinicum if needed.
Day three, it's unlikely we'll play Scott Wolfe, but I was there for the opening weekend in 2003 (and haven't seen it since), so I'm a little curious what the course looks like after 5 years, because back then it looked like it had a lot of potential.
Day four, we can skip a round at Campgaw
Day six, we are unlikely to have the time for a second round at Iron Hill, but we'll be playing until daylight fades, whenever that is.

And I've tried to plan the trip so that most of the actual miles traveled are done after or before daylight. Most of the distance between courses during each day is pretty minimal -- just enough time to rest, grab some lunch, and be ready for the next course.

I'll be taking a notebook and recording scores, holes played, etc... and will definitely give a rundown upon return. I'm so excited already about the trip that it's hard to focus on other things. I haven't done a true disc golf roadtrip since 2001, when my best friend and I went from Dallas to Charlotte and back in 4.5 days, racked up 2500 miles on the car, slept an average of two hours per night, played close to 20 courses, and just about died countless times from sleep deprivation on the road. And back then, in an old Subaru wagon that got more than 30 miles to the gallon, with gas at $0.89, the whole trip -- food and gas and everything -- cost us only like $70/each. *sigh* those were the days.

But all that said, this trip should only be about 700 miles of travel, so it shouldn't be that bad, depending on what lodging/campgrounds we can find.

Thanks again for all the helpful suggestions and keep those ideas/comments/insights coming.

 

[roadkill1]

I think you'll be surprised how grueling your schedule is. I admire your try to hit everything attitude and these are all great courses but nearly all of your chosen courses are rather physically demanding. I'm rather entertained by your naive ambition. However if you have a triathelete's stamina you may surprise me and get it in but you guy's are gonna be two tired Futher Muckers by week's end.

 

[eric_dmb]

Tinicum is not a course to be skipped - one of the better courses in the area (IMO)

 

[t i m]

Tinicum is not a course to be skipped - one of the better courses in the area (IMO)

Eric -- thanks for the opinion. If you had to miss one of those four courses, which would it be? I wish I could stick around that area longer (maybe on a future trip), and it's hard to tell just from course reviews which ones are most essential.

The only one I won't even consider skipping in the Allentown area is Nockamixon, which I've heard rave, rave, rave reviews about by friends whose course opinion I trust.

Thanks for your input.

 

[t i m]

I think you'll be surprised how grueling your schedule is. I admire your try to hit everything attitude and these are all great courses but nearly all of your chosen courses are rather physically demanding. I'm rather entertained by your naive ambition. However if you have a triathelete's stamina you may surprise me and get it in but you guy's are gonna be two tired Futher Muckers by week's end.

Thanks for your comments -- it does help to have the perspective of someone who's played the courses.

I've heard such great things about all of these courses that the thought of being right next to them and not getting to play them is almost physically painful, so I'm staying the optimist. The realist in me will set in, probably during the third round on day two, and I'll see how it goes from there. I doubt I'll have internet access on the road, but if I do, I'll try to put up an in-progress post to let ya'll know how it's going.

Which course are you closest to?

 

[Cgkdisc]

I would skip Tinicum. It will feel like a driving range compared to the other three courses (Jordan, Lehigh, Nocka) unless you like that sort of thing. Not that there aren't some tight, tricky holes there, but on balance.

 

[t i m]

Made a few changes to the schedule based on which state parks have campgrounds. I really don't care if I'm driving first thing in the morning or late at night, so now I've got a night planned at Pinchot and a night planned at Nockamixon... still looking to confirm a campground/hostel/cabin near Warwick if anyone has stayed near there before.

 

[Shaolintrained]

Just a suggestion...make it out to the West Coast.

 

[eric_dmb]

Of all you have listed - the one single course I would skip is Boulder Woods at Pinchot.
The rest are all top knotch courses and the single best courses in the area!

Tinicum is fun - it is mostly wide open bomber holes with some trees - but there are a few holes that are all wooded and a few were a canal comes into play.
Nockamixon is great and you will enjoy yourself there.
Jordan is a lot of fun as well with water (creeks & pond) & elevation.
Tyler is my home course and I can't say a single bad word about it - great course!


One suggestion would be, finish up at Nockamixon and then drive to Tinicum - you can camp right there, just a few feet away from hole #7 and that way you can wake up and get your round in there before you even get in the car....

Let me know if you need any other info on the PA courses.
I have played Warwick a ton and love it there, but have never stayed in the area - I do know for certain they do not have camping on site there.....

ERIC

 

[the_lung]

The Black Bear campground is about a mile down the road from Warwick, on the same road as the course. Simply take a right out of the park.

 

[roadkill1]

I would skip Tinicum. It will feel like a driving range compared to the other three courses (Jordan, Lehigh, Nocka) unless you like that sort of thing. Not that there aren't some tight, tricky holes there, but on balance.

While I do like Tinicum, if I were on a tight schedule I'd skip it before the other courses in the area if choosing courses on their own merits. For me the biggest drawbacks are almost no elevation change as it is rather flat and there are a lot of really open holes that are not as interesting if you throw less than 425. For me I have other attractions like those found across the river in Frenchtown, NJ that I like to visit while I'm there.

During 2005 Worlds it seemed Tinicum was the least liked as no one I know mentioned it as their favorite. Nockamixon was either you loved it or hated it. It's the most difficult course in the area and the footing is a little tricky so those who need a run up from a fairway lie didn't like it, but it is very beautiful and a one of a kind course.

 

[t i m]

The Black Bear campground is about a mile down the road from Warwick, on the same road as the course. Simply take a right out of the park.

Thanks for the lead. I just looked at their site and they don't allow tent camping. Rental cabins are $90+tax this time of year with a two night minimum, so no love there.

Other ideas from locals? Any place for a tent nearby?

Thanks again.

 

[eric_dmb]

http://www.nynjdiscgolf.com/new_site/

That is the Skylands disc golf board - post something up on there, perhaps a local will let you pitch your tent in their backyard or something....

just an idea...
ERIC