The Mecca of Disc Golf

[DiscChucker]

I have taken it to mean something along the line of the answer to this: "If you were to take a week disc golf vacation to one spot and wanted to only travel in a 25 mile radius (or maybe 50), what is a can't-go-wrong destination?"

Yep. I concur.

 

[1978]

I live in Cornelius NC and work in Matthews. My commute home because of traffic is about 1 hr. If I instead hit a DG course in Charlotte on my way home (little extra distance)
In the direction of my house...I can hit:

Under 30 minutes:
Reedy
Nevin
Hornets Nest
Sugaw
Kilborne
Sugaw
Future Idlewild
Future RL Smith

Under an hour:
Bailey
Future Bradford

That is the definition of my Disc Golf Mecca...

 

[Dave242]

.....and if you took the southern route to hit I-77N via I-485 or 51, you could add Renny, Elong & future Wm Davie.

 

[AdamE]

There are lots of areas across the country with great disc golf scenes and tons of quality courses in close proximity. But Highbridge has set the bar all disc golf mecca's should be compared against IMHO.

6 courses (7 when Whitetail is done) all on the same property. Chestnut Grove, the beginner course, is the only one that's a throw away course. There's camping and the Honka House on site and they have some of the best disc golf courses in the world.

 

[1978]

Well...then it wouldnt be on my way home, based on where I work in Matthews...all those courses are pretty much directly between me and home (north) of where I work...Reedy the only exception because I wouldnt normally take 85 to get home although it is a viable route. I basically work at Independence and 485 and my trip is Independence to 277 to 77. But either way... yea, it makes it easier to get out than when I worked in Huntersville and had to drive all the way south after work and then back north when I was done.

 

[Dave242]

Whatever dude. I was trying to help bolster your case/definition by adding a whopping 5 extra miles to a 35 mile trip and 3 awesome courses to what you had listed.

 

[hogleggbob]

dont forget squirrell lake...

 

[DavidSauls]

There are lots of areas across the country with great disc golf scenes and tons of quality courses in close proximity. But Highbridge has set the bar all disc golf mecca's should be compared against IMHO.

6 courses (7 when Whitetail is done) all on the same property. Chestnut Grove, the beginner course, is the only one that's a throw away course. There's camping and the Honka House on site and they have some of the best disc golf courses in the world.

While a lot of folks boast of their hometowns, I'm the opposite. I have a hard time thinking of the areas near me as "Meccas", because I don't aspire to get to them at least once in my life. I can daytrip to Charlotte or Augusta anytime.

Highbridge Hills is my idea of a Mecca---Way up on my wish list, and as much as I long to I doubt I'll ever get there.

 

[notBOB]

Not necessarily meccas, but hot spots for sure:

Tulsa, OK, 10+ sick courses in Tulsa alone,several Houck designs, not to mention the outskirts...plus its a short drive up to THe Lodge courses at Pawhuska(4-5rated)-the 2 nicest courses in Oklahoma hands down (i know, why would anyone want to come to OK,right? but if youre pulling thru check it, you wont regret it....)

Joliet, IL, hottest spot on the south side of Chi town, a short hour drive to Lemon Lake complex

 

[Steve West]

It just so happens I've been computing the "attractiveness" of courses. This is the amount of activity they generate on DGCR in excess of what would be expected, based on the surrounding population. By this measure, Highbridge is the single disc golf complex that has the strongest drawing power: 33 times as powerful as the average course.

33.1 = Highbridge Hills, Highbridge, Wisconsin
19.8 = Flip City Disc Golf Park, Shelby, Michigan
15.5 = Glacier Point, Glacier Point, Alaska
15.1 = Lake Nacogdoches DGC, Nacogdoches, Texas
13.8 = Seven Pastures, Skagway, Alaska
13.4 = Mason County Park, Ludington, Michigan
12.2 = Sandy Point Resort DG Ranch, Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin
10.8 = Leviathan, Ludington, Michigan
9.7 = Whistler's Bend, Roseburg, Oregon
9.1 = Holler In The Hills, Brownsville, Kentucky

This thread seems to be more about cities to visit, so I added up the attractiveness of all the courses that share a city. Here are the top 25:

40.6 = Bowling Green, Kentucky
33.1 = Highbridge, Wisconsin
24.1 = Ludington, Michigan
20.6 = Charlotte, North Carolina
19.8 = Shelby, Michigan
18.8 = Nacogdoches, Texas
18.7 = Austin, Texas
15.5 = Glacier Point, Alaska
13.8 = Skagway, Alaska
13.6 = Flagstaff, Arizona
13.4 = Big Sky, Montana
12.8 = Moab, Utah
12.8 = Grand Rapids, Michigan
12.7 = Stevens Point, Wisconsin
12.5 = Brownsville, Kentucky
12.2 = Lac Du Flambeau, Wisconsin
12.1 = Roseburg, Oregon
11.7 = Tulsa, Oklahoma
11.3 = Traverse City, Michigan
9.4 = Huntsville, Alabama
9.0 = Spotsylvania, Virginia
8.9 = Rock Hill, South Carolina
8.8 = Appling, Georgia
8.8 = Kalamazoo, Michigan
8.6 = Red Feather Lakes, Colorado

Wait, where's Minneapolis? Well, the courses that list "Minneapolis" as their city don't include those in St. Paul, Bloomington, East Bethel, etc.

So, these are Mecca cities, not Mecca metros.

I suspect the ones in Alaska are more the result of a little bit of activity divided by almost zero nearby population.

 

[Dave242]

Joliet, IL, hottest spot on the south side of Chi town, a short hour drive to Lemon Lake complex

Joliet:
Mecca = Definitely not
Hot Spot = Maybe
Oasis = Definitely!

 

[Dave242]

Good list there Steve. As usual your ability to peel back the onion and expose interesting analysis takes things to the next level.

I think your first list is simply "great courses in the boonies". Your second list is much more close to nailing it as far as I can tell regarding Mechas. But to really get there all the way, I think you need an area (25 or 50 mile radius) rather than a town. I do not know Bowling Green, but the city limits of Charlotte are basically the entire county (other than a couple very small towns in the corners.

Ludington & Shelby are about 30 miles apart and that is just a little more than the "diameter" of Charlotte (and time-wise less). I imagine greater Minneapolis is the same.

What is "the amount of activity they generate on DGCR"? Or is that your secret sauce?

 

[Mando]

While a lot of folks boast of their hometowns, I'm the opposite. I have a hard time thinking of the areas near me as "Meccas", because I don't aspire to get to them at least once in my life. I can daytrip to Charlotte or Augusta anytime.

Highbridge Hills is my idea of a Mecca---Way up on my wish list, and as much as I long to I doubt I'll ever get there.

Good point. Maybe, the mecha of disc golf is just one complex or even a single course... the one that is most wishlisted.

 

[The Valkyrie Kid]

As one who has played a few of these mecca locations, I'd rate Charlotte easily # 1 on my list with it's total number of quality courses for all skill levels. Portland is a another great city to visit. The SF bay area has some wonderful course although they're a little more spread out north from Stafford Lake to 80 miles south to Santa Cruz. Los Angeles has courses but is no mecca. Augusta is not in consideration IM humble opinion. My home city of Seattle is behind everyone.

And this summer I've been granted permission from a higher authority (wife) to spend seven + glorious days in Minneapolis playing as many courses as my aging body can rack up. My only question is ? Should I go for quanity? Stay in Minneapolis and play every 9 hole rec course in sight? Or should I drive the four hours to Highbriddge and tackle those quality courses up there? I'm torn. The Highbridge courses are quite a bit over both my skill level (almost 60 year rec player) and stamina level (almost 60 year overweight, out of shape dude).

 

[DiscChucker]

My only question is ? Should I go for quanity? Stay in Minneapolis and play every 9 hole rec course in sight? Or should I drive the four hours to Highbriddge and tackle those quality courses up there? I'm torn. The Highbridge courses are quite a bit over both my skill level (almost 60 year rec player) and stamina level (almost 60 year overweight, out of shape dude).

You've already achieved diamond status. Go for the creme de la creme! Make the trip the best it can be.

 

[harr0140]

You've already achieved diamond status. Go for the creme de la creme! Make the trip the best it can be.

I have played a bunch in Minnesota, and I think you could probably get an equal or better experience if you hang in the cities than heading to Highbridge. I have not been to Highbridge, but I would think you can get a lot more awesome variety hitting as many of the best in MN as you can.

My personal favorites would be

Blue Ribbon Pines
Bryant Lake Park
Kaposia
North Valley
Hyland

but there are simply a ton of good to great courses in the cities. You can definitely make a trip out of going to Highbridge, and I look to do that soon, either this year or next, but I personally would still choose the quantity and the variety of the cities over heading to one place to play 5 courses. If it was a camping gathering and all sorts of other things were planned then I would say Highbridge all the way.

 

[Dahlemj24]

I would like to apologize for saying Cir C and Slaughter Creek, I meant Circle R.

 

[optidiscic]

Charlotte has alot of good courses, but I can't imagine wanting to spend an entire week there, but then again, a week of dg means camping to me. For a week of dg in the eastern US, I'd choose North east PA.
Nocky,LLP,Tinicum,Jordan Creek,Camp Sanakanac,Blue Mtn,Tyler SP are all 4+
rated courses...

along with French Creek, South Mountain and a handful of others......people just don't know

as far as a Maryland group going to Charlotte and being unimpressed.....playing Iron Hill and its SSA Gold Par of 72 will change a man's thinking about what a difficult course is

I loved Charlotte and its unique for its concentration of good disc golf courses but it doesnt surprise me that some mid atlantic guys went down and were not blown away

 

[tallpaul]

Mid Atlantic is stronger than many realize.

*But, with that said, it also appears to me, that the group spoken about was more interested in scoring disc; than getting your butt kicked disc.*

 

[optidiscic]

the one place I wanna go is Clearwater Florida......I used to live on Drew St near rt 19 20 yrs ago as a wayward youth.
I think playing where God plays regularly and playing in his footsteps as well as visiting the Clearwater Disc Golf Store along with the 4 best Pinellas County courses meets the definition of a pilgrimmage
To me thats a religious experience!
Visit God and come home with Trinkets....a once a yr or once a yr pilgrimmage to Mecca