Tripper
Double Eagle Member
Lincoln is a must play for me. Now I will have to have the debate with the boys over Airy vs Osage. I see Airy is rated 4.17 and Osage is 3.85. Is the Airy inflated due to great reviews when it was in better shape?
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Visiting Idlewild in October- course suggestions
- Thread starter Tripper
- Start date
Lincoln is a must play for me. Now I will have to have the debate with the boys over Airy vs Osage. I see Airy is rated 4.17 and Osage is 3.85. Is the Airy inflated due to great reviews when it was in better shape?
Hard to say. Osage has improved greatly in the last couple years, at least anecdotally. Tbird may have some more input into that.
Airy is a fine course, but I think its history in the area keeps the rating a bit inflated.
HarkeyPuck
* Ace Member *
This^
Osage was a tad rough when I played it, but has some great giant holes through the woods. I prefer that to the more open "park" style holes at Airy. At least visit Mt. Airy to visit the Nati pro shop.
tbird888
Salient Disc Test Team
Osage was on DGCR when it was brand new. There have been a lot of rough edges smoothed in that time. It also doesn't have a beautiful pro shop and warm up area like Airy.
Dettmerb
Bogey Member
You really can't go wrong with Airy or Osage. But I'll throw my opinion out there as a Cincinnatian that I would pick Airy to play.
Agreed. Everyone has their personal preferences and favorite type of course.
Tripper
Double Eagle Member
It will be a hotly contested debate that may not be resolved until tee time. looking at all the photos from both, Osage looks like a more open version of most NC courses that I have played. Mt Airy reminds me of Ballou Park in Danville Va/ Bryant Park in Richmond. The pro shop probably gives the edge to Airy so we can get some swag.
Osage isn't that open, and that's coming from somebody that loves wooded WI courses. There's a few more open holes, but even those take some finagling.
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fyi, there's a possibility that Osage Grove will have its concrete tees installed this fall. The club is down to a couple of tee sponsorships to pick up, and then the plan is going to be to adjust all the big boxed gravel tees (currently with rubber tee pads) so that they are trapezoidal (like hole 12) and pour concrete.
In addition, there's been a huge amount of effort put in by Kurt, Gibby, and the chain gang out there over the past two or three years, clearing the edges of underbrush, adding alternate tee locations, wonderful bridges & stairs, significantly lengthening your options on 7, 14 & 15, etc. By spring, with new signage, it would be unfair to rate it any lower than a 4.0 course, and some folks will be rating it better than 4.5
Finally, fwiw, I REALLY enjoy our local courses in this order of (my personal) preference (to suggest to others):
Lincoln Ridge (best overall fun round based on variety and appeal to a broad range of players)
Idlewild (a MUST experience, despite its challenge)
Osage Grove (the up-and-comer)
Mt Airy (for the pro shop and all the extras, even though I call the long baskets the 'Ams be damned' positions)
Then I often suggest Cedar Sentinels out to the west, Monroe out to the north, and Williamsburg out to the east)
Keep on the lookout for Johnson Hills in about a year!
In addition, there's been a huge amount of effort put in by Kurt, Gibby, and the chain gang out there over the past two or three years, clearing the edges of underbrush, adding alternate tee locations, wonderful bridges & stairs, significantly lengthening your options on 7, 14 & 15, etc. By spring, with new signage, it would be unfair to rate it any lower than a 4.0 course, and some folks will be rating it better than 4.5
Finally, fwiw, I REALLY enjoy our local courses in this order of (my personal) preference (to suggest to others):
Lincoln Ridge (best overall fun round based on variety and appeal to a broad range of players)
Idlewild (a MUST experience, despite its challenge)
Osage Grove (the up-and-comer)
Mt Airy (for the pro shop and all the extras, even though I call the long baskets the 'Ams be damned' positions)
Then I often suggest Cedar Sentinels out to the west, Monroe out to the north, and Williamsburg out to the east)
Keep on the lookout for Johnson Hills in about a year!
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This is pretty much my assessment of the area, as well. LR is just crazy fun, especially for an Int-Adv type player (from the longs). Idle is tough, but is a must play. Osage is just plain fun, and if I lived there, I'd play it 10x more than I'd play Idle.
Monroe is fun. Mason is a really fun 9 holer.
gdub58
Birdie Member
While I accept that everyone has different preferences, I have never understood how people like Lincoln Ridge over Idlewild. There are some fun shots at LR and it has 24 holes, but it's average difficulty at best and is usually really crowded. I suppose a round at LR is more "fun" because it's easier and a pretty course, but I don't think it's the must play that others seem to think it is.
Also, Osage is nice but is one of those courses you need to play a few times to get full enjoyment out of it IMO. There are a few quirky tee shots that you have to place just right to have a path to the basket, and there is a lot of potential for tree kicks that will have you searching in some nasty rough. While there is some length to the course, it is mostly placement shots.
Airy has more length - a number of legitimate par fours and a par five. You still have to be accurate, but there is more opportunity to throw drivers off the tee than just about any other course in this area if that appeals to you.
If I had to choose between Osage and Airy it would depend on what positions the baskets are in at the time. Both courses are much more interesting when the baskets are in the longs...
As for Jeff's other recommendations, Monroe is my favorite short course anywhere, Williamsburg is fun although a little out of the way, but stay away from Cedar Sentinels until winter - while I really like the design I played there last week and it took four of us 3.5 hours to play a round because the fairways are narrow and rough is so nasty, and afterwards I looked like I had been in a fight with a bunch of cats from all of the sticker bushes...
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Excellent input, guys! And yep, once you get to looking at the top 4, 6, or 12 courses around here, you've got to decide if you prefer a challenge, a bunch of deuce opportunities, or other factors, in order to choose where to spend a visitor's limited time. Nice problem to have!
ps: agreed: Mason Sports Park is an exceptional 9 holer (I think it's challenging the way Mt Airy is challenging. Wish there were more than nine!)
ps: agreed: Mason Sports Park is an exceptional 9 holer (I think it's challenging the way Mt Airy is challenging. Wish there were more than nine!)
Where is Johnson Hills? What part of town or suburb? I visit the area near Mariemont.
agentdozzer
Eagle Member
Cedar is in bad shape right now, and the designer Greg has moved away. So i worry about its future, the layout is one of my favorites but I wouldnt recommend it in its current shape.
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Sorry, I should've mentioned it's a Pete Caldwell design going into Anderson Township on the East side of town. Corner of Little Dry Run & Bridle. Just in the 'clearing the fairways' stage, but the park district has already got 19 Mach X's
Initially, it'll have nine of the intended holes plus three temps, with the back nine going in shortly thereafter. There'll be natural turf tees (until it gets a little playing in and tweaking), then these'll be upgraded to boxed gravel with artificial turf. Looking for volunteers, of course, but I can't predict a timeline. Kind of depends on how much help they get and when the park cleans up some of the trees.
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Apologies if I keep stepping on your thread, Tripper. Hope you're still looking forward to a great October trip here.:thmbup:
But I have to thank my buddy Troy (iTryson) & Steve (tbird888...and Smokey, of course!) for joining me and The Valkyrie Kid at Idlewild this morning. We had a really fun round on a relatively cooler summer morning, and still appreciate the design of this great course. Some great shots, and some times we'd like to see more animated trees getting out of the way, but it wasn't a total beat down (we played the original 18 short...c'mon, we're not young whippersnappers!, with relaxed OB rules: "Idlemild"...while looking at the longer layout and the letter holes). It is likely due for some tidying up in tourney prep for the Kentucky State Doubles (soon), so hopefully it'll look good for your trip here this fall!
But I have to thank my buddy Troy (iTryson) & Steve (tbird888...and Smokey, of course!) for joining me and The Valkyrie Kid at Idlewild this morning. We had a really fun round on a relatively cooler summer morning, and still appreciate the design of this great course. Some great shots, and some times we'd like to see more animated trees getting out of the way, but it wasn't a total beat down (we played the original 18 short...c'mon, we're not young whippersnappers!
, with relaxed OB rules: "Idlemild"...while looking at the longer layout and the letter holes). It is likely due for some tidying up in tourney prep for the Kentucky State Doubles (soon), so hopefully it'll look good for your trip here this fall!
Hampstead
* Ace Member *
Some friends and I are thinking about heading to Idlewild in a month or so. It's been awhile since I was last there. Some of the guys have carts. Is the course fairly cart friendly?
Sorry if this was discussed, I didn't really read the thread and didn't feel the need to start a new one.
Sorry if this was discussed, I didn't really read the thread and didn't feel the need to start a new one.
tbird888
Salient Disc Test Team
It's friendly enough. Definitely friendlier than Lincoln Ridge (still friendly even though there are a ton of hill climbs and a stair climb).
Hampstead
* Ace Member *
Thanks. Last time I was there, carts were for "old" guys. Now, it seems like they're everywhere.
