Pros:
Gary Braman, the designer of this course is a marathon runner. After attempting to get through this course without breaking any major bones, this fact does not surprise me one bit. Only a fitness guru would design and build such a physically challenging course. Add on the fact that much of Dragon Ridge is covered with sharp, jagged ankle busting rocks. Every step you take has to be carefully taken.
Dragon Ridge (an appropriate name) sits in a baseball complex park. The start of the course is next to a nature trail. There is a sign here for Cardenton Disc Golf. Now prepare to meet your fate.
Dragon Ridge has some concrete tee pads and some carpet pads. The Monkey Trap baskets come in a variety of color combinations, purple/gold (my U. Washington Huskies); black/teal, solid yellow, green/red and others. I don't know why they mixed up the colors? There are plenty of benches, next tee signs, some baskets have tape on a spoke pointing towards the next tee.
The course starts out rough and quickly get bat shit, crazy, treacherous. # 2 is a twisting 400' fairway through the trees. # 3 is just 200' but there is a 40' Ridge on your right.
# 6 is where things really heat up. First, there is a warning sign stating something to the effect that you are entering a series of holes (6-9) with rougher than average terrain and only players in good physical condition and sporting proper foot ware should proceed beyond this point. It shows a route where you can detour and miss this section.
Hole # 6 is either of one the greatest holes in all of disc golf OR the worst, most treacherous, diabolical hole ever conceived! Honestly, I'm not sure which way I'm leaning. 6 plays 275' straight down a very steep hill. It is actually a very fun throw. It's when you when starting descending the steep, slippery, rocky goat trail that you start to question your decision/sanity. When you reach the bottom, you see how genuinely diabolical this hole really is. The basket sits on a small peninsula maybe 25' x 40' with a 15-20' drop off on three sides. Anywhere off this tiny peninsula is craggy, jagged and dangerous.
Holes 7-9 are equally treacherous. Sorry, I can't come up with s better adjective to describe this place. 7-9 all three play up a rugged gorge strewn with these sharp jagged rocks. Walking on a the so-called path is ridiculously uncomfortable and anything off the path is worse. As this wasn't enough, the # 7 basket is perched 25' a crazy rock formation. This makes for some horrific approaches. Now you just have to climb out of this gorge.
Are we done yet? The very next hole, which seems almost normal until you realize that on your left all way down the fairway is that dangerous, deep gorge you just climbed out of. Don't hyser your shot.
Now you enter of series of semi-normal holes until you get to # 14. It's just a normal 330' hole until you spy the very cool elevated basket built into a tree. The bottom of the basket is 14' high. There is a ladder which is needed to retrieve your disc once you finally get a putt to stick.
# 15 is a fairly normal 190' shot over a gully but it's great fun.
# 17 is a wonderfully designed hole. There is a strange tree right in front of tee with a big branch growing out horizontally across in front of your line. This gives you all kinds of options on how to play it. The popular choice is teeing off right through this branch although players can throw way around it on the left or right and some players try to throw under it. Any hole that has players having to decide between three and four options must be considered a well designed one, Right?
Cons:
Dragon Ridge's rugged terrain is not for everyone.
Carpet tee pads are very sloppy when saturated by recent rains.
Craggy, jagged rocks are hazardous to negotiate over.
Mix match of baskets colors is kinda weird. Plus, when you are looking for the usual yellow basket in the woods, spotting the teal/black basket is more difficult.
Just getting to discs off the fairway, especially on holes 6-9 is arduous and has to mentally affect you on your next throws.
Other Thoughts:
Dragon Ridge is reminiscent of of the high that mountain climbers get when they reach a point on a mountain that 99.9 % of the world's population will never see. This course has some awesome holes to experience but probably only the younger, more physically fit 50% of all disc golfers would even attempt. Then you think what % of those will ever get to Camdenton, Missouri. Those fortunate ones will then have incredible tales to tell their friends about.
I, in no way, fall into the 50% or younger, more physically fit disc golfers. I somehow managed to play through the course and managing not to injury myself in the process. I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones who have experienced Dragon Ridge. I have tales to tell my friends and family.