Pros:
- Private Course, rare to see another group at this course due to isolation from big populated areas.
- Secluded and quiet, you will not hear the interstate or much other noise here besides babbling creeks and wind through trees or wildlife.
- Warm up Basket which matches the "course baskets"
- Pretty Blue Veteran baskets that are in great shape.
- Beautiful wooded setting which does not exist at nearly any course within a 2-hour drive. Course is typically cooler than the surrounding high desert climate due to elevation and shade on the course.
- Course plays 1/3 "open" holes and 2/3 "wooded" holes.
- Course is mowed and watered by the owners.
- Several unique lines are required on many holes, very unique for Colorado disc golf.
- Portopotties at hole 1 and hole 8.
- disc retriever pole on hole 8 pond.
Cons:
- Natural tee pads could be improved upon as they are a soft material which is less preferable than a turf, concrete, or rubber tee.
- A few of the holes require a similar shot, which is a 250' controlled straight putter RHBH. I would say Hole 4, Hole 9, Hole 11 are the most similar, although there are other options on Hole 4 and 9 for RHFH lines.
- Occasional cow pies.
Other Thoughts:
The first 3 holes and last 3 holes play quite differently than holes 4-15, giving this course an interesting feel. I recommend playing all water as casual besides hole 8. This is because the creeks are impossible to see until you are right up on them and its unfair to take an OB stroke like that.
Hole 1: Climb up to a tee pad and throw across a gap and crash your drive into the basket area. If you are throwing RHBH you can either throw a big stalling hyzer shot with a driver and let it crash the basket, or you can take it tighter with a straighter shot, but it brings aspen trees which hide the basket into play. If you miss speed, angle or height, you could be looking at a tricky upshot. I normally throw a fast overstable driver. Tough hole for the lefty's to start on, but fun no matter what.
Hole 2: This is an uphill throw which moves R to L about 250' away from the teepad. The left side of the landing zone is defined by mature aspen trunks and the right side drops off away from the basket creating consequence for any drive not landing in the middle of the landing zone. The basket sits beyond a fair bottleneck created by grabby conifer trees. Birdies are rare on this hole and it plays as a power and technical challenge.
Hole 3: After climbing up to the tee you will be winded. You will be staring at a 450-500' par 4, slightly uphill the whole time, with a severe slope to the right. Most of the landing area field is covered by sage. Land your drive high on the hill to create an easier upshot.
Hole 4: Straightforward shot with options for hanging it out Left or going straight at the basket, but plenty of danger since left of the fence is OB and the right is guarded by a big grabby conifer. There are also mature aspens dotted along the OB line.
Hole 5: Enter the Forest. This is one of my favorite holes. Swooping downhill and R to L with guardian trees in the middle of the fairway and forest on both sides defining a classic DG tunnel. So rewarding to float one down to the basket, but usually players are forced to make a precise, slow downward elevator shot past a second set of mature tree trunks to reach the basket. This hole you will not find anywhere else in the state of CO.
Hole 6: Nice little knee-knocking 180' shot through a 9' gap to an elevated basket. Fun little Ace run.
Hole 7: Slightly downhill tunnel to a hard R to L turn to access the green, which is sloped downwards steeper than the initial tunnel. A well thrown skip shot has been my favorite and most consistent way of getting a birdie look. Like hole 5, this is a demanding tunnel shot so often times players are left with difficult upshots to save par.
Hole 8: Very unique par 4. Climb up a hill to find yourself staring down a tunnel-placement shot. The idea is to land as close to the pond as possible to make your 2nd shot easier. Basket is placed on pond's edge with a slight drop off behind it, so sealing the deal for a birdie requires either a very precise, slow speed approach from at least 100' away over water, or a tricky putt with nothing but OB water or air behind the basket. This hole will force you to make a decision once or twice each time you play it. Fantastic.
Hole 9: Tight tunnely shot with OB behind the basket. Charming little bridge over the creek. I have seen flex forehands and straight putter shots on this one, lots of trees all along the fairway to hit.
Hole 10: Again a very unique hole to this course. No one obvious line so forces players to get creative with their shots and balance risk/reward. Sloping green creates tough upshots for less-than-successful drives. Mix of aspen and conifer trees make it visually satisfying (like most of the course)
Hole 11: Another straight RHBH shot or RHFH with a tougher gap, you need to manage a sloping green to some very bad lies downhill.
Hole 12: Climb up do a great vantage for this downhill straight bomber. Not a wide open shot, one must hit an early and middle gap created by the tops of some mature trees and span the meadow to reach the basket. The basket is surrounded by aspen trees which can create some tricky putts. If this was the last hole on any course, you would empty your bag on his one, just fun to watch it crash. I've seen neutral mid-ranges for the "throw it straight at it" approach, as well as some players attempting to throw it high and crash the basket with a hyzer.
Hole 13: Swoops up, then down. Left, then right. Very tough to park this one, again lots of tough upshots if you don't nail the very tough tunnel.
Hole 14: Another tight 220' type shot with a precarious basket placement. Flex forehands, backhands and rollers have worked.
Hole 15: Choose the wide hyzer with a gap or straight at it with a mid range. Nice down hill shot that is a bit more open and long than most of the truly wooded holes. Very fun to park if you can! Basket guarded by mature aspen trees. Nice to get to blast one out into the open!
Hole 16: Throw back up the hill to a fancy elevated basket suspended by a railroad tie arch. Distance challenge.
Hole 17: Longest throw on the course. Pump it as far as you can. Discs can really fly far on this one with correct angle.
Hole 18: Usually a 2-shot par three, plays as another power challenge back up to the start of the course. Looks like some ponds are being installed for extra challenge.
Overall this is a must play course due to the overall feel of the place. (Gorgeous forests, sounds of nature, all the work obviously done to improve the fairways, mow the meadows etc.)
Also it is a unique challenge for this area. Many of our favorite courses (Hole in the Sky, Glenwood CMC, Leadville CMC, Frisco, Dillon) simply have a more flat, open style, with trees you can throw OVER. This course will force you to throw some tunnel shots.