Pros:
Everybody who plays disc golf, has a course that started it all. It could be a nine hole pitch and putt, a five disc wonderland, or everything in between. Knob Hill was the course that started it all for me.
I have written and rewritten this review, and it never seems right. To me, it's perfect. I have spent days on the course, held tournaments here, played leagues, and put blood sweat and tears into keeping it maintained. So here it goes, Knob Hill.
Knob Hill combines woods golf with park golf. Playing through a 100+ acre suburban park 20 minutes outside of Pittsburgh, it shows the beautiful nature of Western Pennsylvania. Rolling hills, waving trees, and luscious green grass.
The course itself is well maintained by the local club, one I am part of, and the pin positions change often, as well as trees are trimmed, and improvements are made.
The holes, while mainly Par 3 and Par 4 golf, provide a unique challenge that can be accessible for anybody depending on pins. The trees were placed well, and there are no holes that I feel are too hard.
The prodigy baskets are only 2 years old, catch fine, and are visible, even though they are green.
Two concrete tee pads on each hole are always a plus. The whites are great for amateur players to provide a challenge, as well as give pros a chance to score well. The blues are high-caliber and worthy of professional tournament play.
The tee signs are full color, provide accurate information including par, distance, and a pindicator telling you which position the basket is in.
Cons:
Park disc golf usually has the same cons, as well as each course has individual cons. For park courses, including Knob Hill, it is very possible that the course is very crowded, with either players or parkgoers, you must be patient with everybody. People can be a nuisance, I know, but wait your turn.
Another common problem with park style courses is length. Knob is not a pitch and putt, don't get me wrong, but it would be nice to have more true par 4s and 5s rather than gimme birdies on 500 footers. Moraine and Deer Lakes can provide these types of holes, if you are interested.
Knob is known around the area as the wettest, muddiest, worst drained courses in the area. After a harsh winter, a weeklong rain, or any weather event, the course can be a sloppy mess. This has hurt tournaments and leagues by making the course almost unplayable come early spring.
Hole 16 white tee plays across hole 18 fairway, and 16-18 are probably the most boring holes on the course. They are all wide open for the course, and mostly play as filler holes, but they can provide challenge with steep hillsides and OB.
Other Thoughts:
There comes a day where you have to look at your home course from an outsider perspective. You have to see what is really wrong or right with the course to get a true feel for how it compares. I am truly blessed with the opportunity to live by such amazing courses, but I know it can be better. However, I truly feel that Knob Hill is right up there with the best of them, a true gem.