Bayville is my first course played, first birdie made on #18, and at the time of this rewrite I have played 463 rounds rotating tee's and baskets. I've been able to develop my game from a newb, to what I now think is a decent Disc Golfer. The moderately wooded course also provides development in gap play whether off the tee, down fairway, or trying to make a birdie between the V shape guardian trees protecting #1 short basket in C1. The course is home to local top Pro's and Amateurs in the area, so you may find yourself playing a round with them. My biggest personnel con is the slow play with a heavy crowd from about mid-morning during the rest of the day. I make sure I'm teeing off shortly after sunup to avoid it.
My overall rating is anchored on a 5.0 based on all skill levels can play the course and with repeat play can develop there game, and course history. The time to play short to short averages about 50 minutes, Advanced/Pro tee to long basket 80 minutes.
Course History:
-What I call the "Old Timers" bench by parking, you may find a group of guys in the morning a few times a week when its warm. Some of them play a partial round. I like to say hello and hear their disc golf stories from years past. Say hello, there likely to ask you questions about your disc golf experiences.
-The course installed in 1977, per one installer Bayville was supposed to be the first course on the East Coast, but the baskets were diverted to Sedgley Woods in Philadelphia. I know of one who has played the course since 1980, and she tells me concrete tees were in play then.
-"Course relics" from several realignments, I like seeing the history. There are several concrete tee's not in use. To the left of #1 long concrete tee is a disengrating concrete tee from years past. There are other tee's still in good shape, but smaller and not used, and a few used on #12, and #13 in place of the intermediate blue toe boards. I've come across three basket anchors no longer used and likely not stable enough for today's baskets on #1 about 100 feet before long basket, #8 about C2 short basket, and #9 about 75 feet from short basket. They would be hard to find, all three center right fairway. #17 long concrete looks to have been used several decades, maybe 1980?
The only Original Hole remaining:
No. 16 Par 3 at 245 feet short to short without the mound the basket is currently placed on. Dead straight ahead thru a tunnel of pines with overhang, fairway about 30-feet wide. Basket in open, mound is a roller green when mowed.
My Favorite Hole:
No. 7 Par 3 Long Concrete Tee to any basket at 286/350-feet. Tee from top of the slope dogleg left with the slope right to left all the way to short basket, and levels out at long basket. From the tee on right a wall of cedar trees, on the left about 100 feet out a wide mid-size tree protecting the dogleg. At 225 feet out a wall of Pines with plenty of gap space to get thru. Short basket a guardian tree, long basket open in C1. Beautiful line for a LHBH turnover flip, and for whatever reason for I can execute it more than half the time. Just recently putted in a birdie in long basket for the first time.
Featured Advanced/Pro Hole:
No. 2 Par 3 at 459 feet to long basket, the toe board is placed about 3 feet lower than the flat fairway, to reach the level fairway about 40-feet. This is a LHBH or RHFH favored hole with tree blockage on the right off the tee, your line is over the short tee pad with a lazy dog leg right before tree blockage on the left. Best to be at least No. 1 long basket high at about 250 feet or longer for best results right side of fairway for approach. A few large oak trees next to short basket act as a guardian for long basket from right center fairway all the way left, basket about 50 feet past guardian trees. The idea from tee is a sweeping left to right center fairway, approach either skip under guardian trees or sweeping right to left too reach basket. I'm normally blocked on my approach and likely to hit a guardian tree, normally finish with a bogey.
Featured Basket Placement:
No. 1 Short Basket is protected by a "V" shape duel pine trees 3 feet wide, basket just 5-feet past. If you don't get it basket high, you may be two-putting, I've had plenty. Plenty of birdies clean thru the V if short, I've had birdies deflecting off one of the trees, and also being swatted down by one of the trees. Fun way to start your round.
Signature Hole:
No. 16 Par 3 Long at 285 feet the basket sits in the open on the other side of canal 10-feet past it. Go long past the basket at 25-feet bushes. The canal is 50-feet across, in the summer cattails tall enough to block basket from some angles, a scenic look, in the winter dreary. Lost disc potential in the summer. There is a dry landing area to the left of the canal about 25-feet from the line to the basket over the canal, the canal is piped under the short 16 basket fairway. From the tee it looks like a poke and hope with a narrow gap of about 10-feet in front of you 25-feet away, after that it does open up some with a few routes to take. In the winter the canal when dry easy to find a disc. I like to play dead straight ahead into the canal, seeing if I can avoid trees about 200 feet out, from the canal is C1 for an up hill birdie putt. In the summer is an unseen LHBH/RHFH line to the dry area C1 if your long enough. I've picked up a handful of birdies both ways, most recently after hitting a tree 119-feet out skimming over the cattails.
Trouble Hole:
No. 13 Long Tee Par 4 at 489 feet straight ahead right center of fairway to basket, this hole will make you think about it. The hole is a poke and hope, with an OB busy road all along the left with some tree protection to keep your disc in play. The tee angles slightly right to help line up away from the road, you have some open space before the first tree line 175 feet away, with gaps no more than 12 feet wide. To make it harder there is a bushy tree just 5 feet off the right front corner tee pad to force you in play with a possible tree kick onto the road, and to the narrowest of gaps. Past the first line of gaps its all poke and hope with dozens of gaps to reach the basket, depending on where your disc lies, you're likely going to have to use your imagination to continue down fairway. If you can make it to the short tee fairway off to the right at about 200 feet, the lines are more open there. Short tee fairway runs at a left angle to the basket from short tee, its closer to you from long tee if you can get some good distance. If I'm throwing good during the round, I'll throw straight down the middle to the narrowist of gaps, if not feeling it I'll fade skip a disc to the short fairway. Regardless its a fun hole, on any approach I may be looking at a different angle to the basket from round to round and have likely used every disc out of my bag at one time or another whether on approach or 3rd shot after a tree hit. The basket has guardians within C1 but is open at a 20-foot circle. I've had my share of doubles after kicking to the road, and clean pars never making C1 because of awkward lines. In the summer a very scenic hole with the canopy, in the winter layer of leaves doing a lot of "Bayville Shuffle" kicking and having one disc lost in the four years I've played here. I have hit more trees on this hole, than any other hole on courses I've frequent.