Pros:
Nichols Field is an 18-hole course located in what felt like a rural part of Connecticut. The namesake field has other park amenities, but the first hole of the DGC plays into the woods behind it and you won't see the field again until the end of your round.
These woods are far from normal too. The forest is frequently broken up by exposed rock faces, some of which are used to create fairways and greens with extreme elevation changes. The fairways are often covered in smaller rocks and roots as well, which was aesthetically beautiful and also created a unique unpredictability about how your disc would finish. I don't think I have ever played a course this rocky before, and the rocks are what sticks out most in my mind now (writing this review two weeks later).
The course plays on the technical side throughout, with a great variety of left turns, right turns, and "other shape" fairways. Hole 11 has a fairway shaped kind of like a question mark. There is quite a bit of distance to contend with too - five par 4's ranging from 434' to 658', plus hole 17's 822' par 5 challenge. The challenge presented by the trees, elevation changes, distances, and unique rocky terrain here will be enough to interest most disc golfers.
Some noteworthy holes in my book:
- Hole 3 plays 280' down a rocky slope. The fairway curls to the left, and there is water lurking to the right of and behind the pin. This is the only water hole on the course.
- Hole 10 is a very picturesque 250' throw uphill through a rock "valley" that curls to the right as viewed from the tee.
- Hole 13 is the most memorable of three short but especially rocky throws in the middle of the course. It's a steep downhill off the tee, with a few trees to make you think about your line. The basket is straight ahead 200' away - but the entire approach up to it is on a single continuous rock face that slopes away from the tee. The basket is installed near the end of the rock face, and there is a significant drop off behind it. This could be one of the most memorable putter aces you ever earn - or a tough scramble just to make par.
The baskets are red Chainstar Pros in like-new condition. These are beautiful and easily visible in the woods. Many baskets are mounted directly on rocks and some elevated on the rock, creating risk/reward situations. One per hole.
The tees are decent. The pads are rubber mats, but they are large and mounted in wood frames. Some are even elevated on decks to ensure that they are level. I saw brooms at a few tees too, although I didn't need them. There is one pad per hole. The tee signs are simple but high quality, showing a rough layout in addition to the hole number/distance/par. Benches are installed at many tees.
The course layout is basically an "out and back" style, but there are established paths available to create cutoffs for DG'ers who don't have time to play a full 18.
There is a kiosk at the front of the course that includes a course map and even a lost disc locker! A practice basket is near the kiosk, and there is a porta potty at the parking lot.
Cons:
Navigation is a bit tricky in a couple places. There was tape on the bottom of some baskets, and a few arrows on trees, but overall I felt like a few more aids were needed. There is one spot where paths cross between holes and you could easily play the wrong hole if not paying attention.
Concrete tee pads would be a nice, although not critical, improvement. I was wishing for a little bit more detail on some of the tee signs too.
Although some wooded fairways were wider than others, there were not any holes that I would call even "semi-open". Even on the longer holes, the fairways are narrow so you can't really just "grip it and rip it" off the tee. Those who prefer that style of golf might get a little frustrated.
Seriously, there are so many rocks on the fairways. It's almost inevitable that you'll have a couple throws during the round that would be good, but they kick off the rocks in unexpected directions and you end up with a tough lie. I can see others getting irritated with this "luck" factor, although I enjoyed it myself.
Other Thoughts:
I did not have cell service on this course. Plan accordingly.
There are no trash cans on the course, but signs tell you to pack out what you pack in.
With all of the uneven terrain, I recommend wearing grippy shoes or boots.
I played this course as part of what I'll remember as my "Maple Hill Run", in which I had a Friday afternoon and Saturday to make my way from the New York City area up to Maple Hill in central Massachusetts, play, and drive back down in time to catch a 9 PM flight home. This course added Connecticut to my states played list, but I mainly chose to play here because it looked solid and was only a half hour or so detour. It's a testament to this course that even after playing Maple Hill twice the next morning, I still vividly remember some of the holes here.
I agree with HyooMac's comment that the terrain here feels similar to Leonard Park in Mt. Kisco, NY - but in my opinion this course took that theme and pushed it up another notch. I think it is accurately valued at the current ~4.2 average rating here. I decided to round down to 4.0, but with some of the small Cons above addressed this is an easy 4.5. If you're anywhere near the area, come "rock out" at Nichols Field!