Pros:
Rockridge DGC is a six hole course located on the property of Rockridge Secondary School, in West Vancouver, B.C. This course is located on the east side of campus behind the football field. Parking can be found right by basket six / tee one, but will be difficult to use on a weekday due to limited space. The course itself is moderately hilly and heavily wooded, with elevation coming in to play on nearly every hole. Woodchips are spread out all along fairways on one and six, as well as around the pin of five, giving the course a very clean look. The other holes play up and around small boulders and beautiful evergreen trees where there is less of a need for the woodchips. Baskets seem new, very durable, and catch well. Signature hole would be #5 where players throw from the highest point on the course down toward the basket 65 feet away. If not #5, then hole #1, where players throw down a low tunnel dead straight toward the basket about 150 feet away.
*Course Navigation*
If you park in the east parking lot there will be a basket visible when you first arrive, basket six. Tee pad one is to the right (look for a small piece of wood with a number on it) of the basket where you will throw a beautiful tunnel shot toward basket one. To find tee pad two you will need to backtrack toward basket six about 30-40 feet and then up the hill about 10-15 feet to the right. Basket two is a blind throw toward the gymnasium. The tee to hole three is above basket two but about 10-15 feet back toward tee two. Tee four is somewhere below and just past basket three shooting up the hill. Hole five you will need to follow the trail to the highest point on the rocks. There will be a dirt patch on one of the boulders where the locals throw from. This hole is a short downhill throw, but a lot of fun! Tee six is currently a log that is about 15 feet from basket five toward the parking lot. Hole six is another tight fairway shot but without the low tunnel.
Note:
I am not a local so I tried to explain the layout the best that I could.
Cons:
The course although ideal for beginners and those looking to hone in on their skills, felt like a practice course. With six holes, three poorly marked tee signs, no designated tee boxes, and no numbers on the baskets, the course is almost impossible to navigate. Because of this, it is difficult to rate this any higher than a 1.5. The potential is there though, and safari golf is endless. Although Ridgerock doesn't have a lot of space to add any more holes, alternate tee pads could easily be made to add to the length and perhaps course difficulty. Many of the holes lack any kind of distance, but make up for it with fun fairways that allow for multiple approaches. Holes one and six are by far the longest holes and they are about 150 - 175 feet at best, while the others are around 100ft.
Other Thoughts:
Even though I shot four under my first time playing the six holes, I had a lot of fun. This place seemed to have a lot of work put in to it and the locals seem to do a nice job with the upkeep. The course was in immaculate shape, and as I mentioned before, the perfect place to practice midrange, putts, and trick shots. This course over time, assuming all the above mentioned is fixed, would help bump this course up in its rating. It is located in a nice area of town, connected to a football field where throwers can practice drives, and close to the freeway for quick access.