Pros:
Another year of course improvements means it's again time to update my review. The course continues to be developed, with some alternate tees, improvements to existing holes and infrastructure.
With the addition of the long basket on hole #1, the front nine now has six holes with alternate tees or baskets, providing you with different looks and a few different pars.
And now, with the (very) recent addition of a long tee on #18, one of the back nine holes has some variety, to encourage multiple plays.
Other improvements include a retaining wall guarding the front of the 15th green, and a timber-and-rope wrap around the concrete base of the raised basket on #17. I'm also pretty sure more staircases have been added to help navigation and prevent erosion around raised tees and greens
One of the "older" improvements was to raise the basket on #10, which sits on a narrow ridge with 6'-10' drop in front and behind (thereby emphasizing the possibility of rollaway or airmailing a death putt). But the designers also added a short backstop at the back of the shallow green, before it drops away. This backstop encourages you to go for the green on your approach, but anything that isn't under the basket faces the possibility of a death putt
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+ Allaire is a beautiful piece of property developed exclusively for disc golf. It's been carved out of pristine woods that make for a great setting. The walks between holes aren't very long, yet the woods and the elevation changes mean that you seldom see any other holes or golfers
Cons:
Woods = Ticks. Because Allaire is created from existing forest, they're particularly bad here. I try to get my rounds in before and after tick season
Not every hole is a gem...yet. Despite different appearances, there are a few holes that require pretty much the same shot (#1, #7 and #16). And the short, almost back-to-back downhills #11 and #13 might make you wonder if you're playing the same hole twice. But the designers continue to rework and tweak.
Slow and steady changes aren't reflected on the tee signs or the main course map. The original signs are beauties, but now some of them are out of date, and none of the new tees have signage. As a regular visitor to Allaire I don't notice the problem too much, but it could be frustrating to first-timers.
Other Thoughts:
~ The design features a "gauntlet" of challenging holes in the middle: the par 5/4/4 of holes 8, 9 and 10
~ Terrific paver teepads, Great navigation signs throughout the course.
~ If you want to, there's an option for playing nine holes without crossing the firebreak road: 1-7, then back in on 17 and 18
~ This is a woods course, but it's a fair one, and a genuine test of skills. The landing areas on the par 4's are a little bit long for my noodle arm, but par is still possible with careful placement. You can see the lines on every hole - it's up to you to execute.
~ Allaire remains the only disc golf course in a NJ State Park. I hope the State park authorities look kindly on this facility, and take the cue from the bordering states of Pennsylvania, Delaware and New York