USDGC Course Layout...TOUGH!

[Swisher Streets]

http://www.usdgc.com/caddybook09/index.htm
Looks like a hell of a tough layout. Should make for an interesting tournament. Hole 5, 10, and 13 look like killers!

 

[tamahawk]

Very cool link! I just wish I was closer and could go watch some of the action live.

 

[billnchristy]

We thought about going on Saturday but we really need to get some rounds in before an upcoming tourney.

 

[vonDrehle]

To be honest I'm not a big fan of Rock Hill. Don't get me wrong it's a nice course but 99% of the time it is much easier because the ropes aren't layed down. The times I played it I didn't leave saying "WOW, that was awesome!" I would rather see them try a USDGC on one of the Charlotte Courses. That might just be me though.

 

[Raider Dave]

Thanks for that awesome link!
It would be neat, if you could load a caddy book, of any course, onto a smart phone. Never get lost on a new course again!

 

[scarpfish]

I would rather see them try a USDGC on one of the Charlotte Courses. That might just be me though.

Challenge wise, the gold layout at Renaissance (a mere 20 miles from Rock Hill) would make a much better course for the USDGC. I think the sticking point is that its woodsier nature would make it not as friendly for filming or for galleries.

 

[Smoost4T]

Isn't this the same layout its been since they started having it at Winthrop.

They are broadcasting it live on the net too

 

[vonDrehle]

Nah they have changed it a good bit since the first one. I haven't looked to see if anything is different from last year but I'm sure there is something. They used to play the long walk between 16 and 17, which I believe now is still apart of the smaller course.

 

[billnchristy]

I think the crowd accessibility is the key.

 

[vonDrehle]

Yeah definately. If the course is in the woods that means fewer fans, which means less $. I just wish Charlotte would at least get a NT every year. You could go back and forth between Hornets Nest and Renny. Either way I will be down in Rock Hill next week.

 

[tamahawk]

It would be neat, if you could load a caddy book, of any course, onto a smart phone. Never get lost on a new course again!

Heck yes, that caddy book was awesome. It would be nice to have that type of guide for all courses!

 

[Cgkdisc]

There are nice full-color caddy books still floating around for 2006 Am Worlds in Tulsa and 2007 Pro Worlds at Highbridge.

 

[Swisher Streets]

Everyone watch out for Adam Olsen! Reppin' Iowa!

 

[Three Putt]

Challenge wise, the gold layout at Renaissance (a mere 20 miles from Rock Hill) would make a much better course for the USDGC. I think the sticking point is that its woodsier nature would make it not as friendly for filming or for galleries.

I've never been to Renny so I don't know what I'm talking about, but Winthrop University provides a lot of amenities that you would not get in a public park. That and the fact that Carolina Flying Discs AKA ZoneDriven AKA Innova East is right down the street from Winthrop makes Rock Hill easier from a logistic standpoint. Once you string all that rope, that is.

They have made a lot of changes to the course over the years. One of the early gripes about the layout was a hole called the "clowns mouth" which was a triple mando shot where they ran big Innova banner between two trees and you had to shoot between the trees and under the banner. That made a lot of people complain that all the artificial out of bounds amounted to "putt-putt disc golf" and that the "gimmicky" layout was not the appropriate place to be holding the biggest disc golf event of the year. You still hear old timers complain about that from time to time. Over the years the layout has been tweaked quite a bit and the clowns mouth is gone. Most people have just gotten used to the yellow rope as necessity.

It brings up the question of what exactly is needed to make a "championship" course and how do you balance the needs of the public who are going to play your course against the need to have tournament courses to challenge players who are 1000 rated. West Lake in Davenport IA is a really nice course, but when it is tricked out in the longs the aggressive use of the lake and thick rough makes several holes virtually unplayable for someone of my skill level. It's brutal in every sense of the word and pretty much impossible for someone like me not to lose half a dozen discs in one round. While having a course like that seems good for the sport in an abstract sort of way, I'd hate it if it was the closest course to my house.

Now from the perspective of designing a disc golf course on public land for public use, I have a hard time justifying using 30+ acres of public land for a course as hard as West Lake. It seems to me that a course designed to be attractive to the top 10% of disc golfers is catering to a very small portion of a demographic that is pretty small to begin with.

With that in mind, I don't have a problem with taking a fairly average disc golf course that can serve a large percent of skill levels on a day to day basis, then tricking it out with yellow rope and artificial OB to make it super-challenging for a pro event. To me that is more responsible use of public land than designing a course that is really too hard to be attractive to most players and leaving it set up that way 365 days a year.

 

[Swisher Streets]

One of the early gripes about the layout was a hole called the "clowns mouth" which was a triple mando shot where they ran big Innova banner between two trees and you had to shoot between the trees and under the banner.

That would just piss me off.. Especially if i was sponsored by discraft

 

[biscoe]

There are nice full-color caddy books still floating around for 2006 Am Worlds in Tulsa and 2007 Pro Worlds at Highbridge.

as well as the 2 courses at the grange in spotsylvania, va that are played in the virginia open each year. hawk hollow caddy book is in development.

 

[Three Putt]

One of the early gripes about the layout was a hole called the "clowns mouth" which was a triple mando shot where they ran big Innova banner between two trees and you had to shoot between the trees and under the banner.

That would just piss me off.. Especially if i was sponsored by discraft

It probably seems funny now, but when they first used the layout for World's in '97 it was pretty controversial. Artificial OB had not really been used a lot before that. I might be remembering it wrong but the '97 course was pretty much baby steps toward the course they used for the first USDGC in '99, and they have gotten more aggressive with the set up as time had gone on. However, people have copied the idea and it's not nearly as controversial now as it was a decade ago.

 

[chain-addicted]

I went down there and played the Gold while they had the ropes up last week. It was dissapointing...(I'm refering to my score that is)....Saw a couple Discraft pros as well working on their game.

There are some killer holes on that course. It made me realize how much I suck compared to these guys who qualify every year.

I cant wait to see the best of the best compete next week while I am sitting in my portable chair sippin' on a couple 12 ouncers.

 

[NothinButChing]

that course is amazing def need to step my game up if I evenr want to even think about playing a course of that caliber

 

[Swisher Streets]

It probably seems funny now, but when they first used the layout for World's in '97 it was pretty controversial. Artificial OB had not really been used a lot before that. I might be remembering it wrong but the '97 course was pretty much baby steps toward the course they used for the first USDGC in '99, and they have gotten more aggressive with the set up as time had gone on. However, people have copied the idea and it's not nearly as controversial now as it was a decade ago.

I'm not really familiar with artificial OB/Mandos. What are some other things that are used besides signs mentioned before?