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Post by Teerex on Jan 29, 2007 14:19:07 GMT -5
Hey everyone! With the new forum in place, I am very excited to create a new "Is it worth the trip?" However, this time I would like your input on what makes a great course. I would like to come up with 5 factors (used with a rating scale of 1 Excellent, 2 Very Good, 3 Good, 4 Fair, 5 Poor ) that will help determine a courses ranking. This ranking system will determine whether the course achieves a YUP!, a CAUTION! or a NOPE! I am asking you to help determine what these 5 factors should be?
I think one should definitely be FUN!!!
What do you think?
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Post by NomaD on Jan 29, 2007 14:33:47 GMT -5
landscape, one thing that i think makes a good course is the landscape.
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Post by tdg on Jan 29, 2007 14:42:47 GMT -5
Here are some of the things that I look for in a good course; How easy is it to follow- ETF , Tee Pads, Fun Factor, Fairways, Design, Pin Sighting- Do I have to walk a mile to find the pin? This I despise. The PIA factor- Would I drive to play it again? Wow factor- Does this course wow ya? Overall Appearance, Risk and reward, Pin Placements. These are some of the things that I look for. Maybe some of them can help you out.
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Post by Teerex on Jan 29, 2007 15:04:25 GMT -5
Very nice gentlemen!
So far the nomines are:
Fun Factor Landscape/Apperance Design (Risk, reward, pin sighting, Fairways) PIA FACTOR (NICE!)
I look forward to hearing from many more of you!
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Post by Teerex on Jan 29, 2007 16:40:46 GMT -5
If you read this post, please take the time to enter your thoughts on what makes up a great disc golf course. Your input is important!
Thanks,
Teerex
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Post by toccoafred on Jan 29, 2007 17:20:03 GMT -5
This all sounds good ,so far . Aesthetics are important to me , being in the business that I am . I am not a big fan of blind shots. I at least like to know where to throw . A degree of difficulty might be included . That will be different for everyone though .
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Post by richardhead on Jan 30, 2007 7:06:47 GMT -5
Tee signs that show the preferred route to the basket. Also tee-pads, they don't have to be concrete but they should be level and cleaned out. I personally like to see a kiosk that has scorecards available this is good for first timers to your course. I personally save every scorecard that I ever use. They also help for knowing distances and alternate pin placements. I agree with the other posts as far as how the course looks also. These are just some extra little things that I like.
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Post by toccoafred on Jan 30, 2007 7:33:03 GMT -5
Good point about scorecards .Having access to them and a map of the course is huge , if you've never played it before .
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Post by Teerex on Jan 30, 2007 8:27:20 GMT -5
You guys bring up a good point about line of sight and throwing lines. I think everyone has been at a course, walked a "half mile" and wondered "Is that really the basket?" or you see a basket to your right that is almost behind you and come to find out it is the basket for the hole you are throwing (kinda hard to throw 250 feet and make a complete 90 degree right turn) Scorecards and a kiosk, great input! Thanks guys!
Teerex
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Post by Birdall on Jan 30, 2007 11:06:27 GMT -5
I like playing courses where there are quality baskets. I've played a course or two where it didn't matter how good a putter you were... if you didn't hit it in the perfect spot, you didn't make the put. I also think that good course maintenance is essential. Grinding stumps when you clear new places, weed-whacking and mowing regularly, etc. And, (of course) everybody loves a course with a good design, and cleverly made holes, where the designer made good use of the natural hazards already there, and yet didn't make the course so hard that it is impossible and frustrating. that's my two cents. ;D
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Post by mrbill on Jan 30, 2007 11:37:05 GMT -5
I agree with the maps, scorecaeds and tee signs. My wife would say clean bathrooms.
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Post by randgolf on Jan 30, 2007 13:20:12 GMT -5
One of the key elements of a better than average course is variety. Variety of distances and most importantly hyser vs. anhyser. Mnay courses favor one over the other and in bigger events (A tier NT) you have the top players complaining that a course is a "lefty course" or the other. A well designed course will offer as much variety as possible. If you have a long hyser hole you need a long anhyser hole. Throwing hysers all day is all to familiar at many of the courses that I have played, maybe because the disc falls to the left for right handed throwers. Either way, people will complain if everything is not in place especially if you plan to run an event that will draw players from most of a region. If you offer good variety which would be challenging to both right and left handed throwers (sidearm included) you will find that many of the top dogs will make it a point to hit the tournament. Wills park is a good course with lots of variety it offers almost an even number of both shots 8 anhyser and 10 hyser to straight. Great design that is nearly 25 years old. Redan Park is the most fun course to play in the Atlanta area, but the anhyser shot is only seen 5 times out of all the pin positions on the course, SAD. I have played close to 100 courses around the nation. The top Pro tournament caliber courses that I have seen to name a few: Rockhill regular layout and USDGC, Hudson Mills MI "Monster Course", Clearwater CLimo's home track "Cliff Stephens", The Canyon Course (no longer exists), Wickham Park in Melbourn, Hippodrome in Augusta, and "The Crucible". As you can see I like the newer style tough as nails courses that challenge every aspect of the golf game. If you look into course design in ball golf you will find that variety is the key elemnet of design. Check this site out: www.cliffscommunities.com/golf/ It seems like the average anhyser shot per course in GA is about 5. I am counting straight shots as hyser since that is the most typical play. A course like the Crucible offers both hyser and anhyser shots on the same hole in many cases. This is what I hope the future of tournament caliber course will look like. Good thread TeeRex
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Post by Teerex on Jan 30, 2007 14:01:54 GMT -5
Great reply randgolf, great information and experience. Maybe one of the words to be voted on or incorporated, will be BALANCE.
Updated word list:
maintenance (Bathrooms/tee pads/underbrush, course...) Fun Factor- clear information, clear tee markers, ... Landscape/Apperance Design (Risk, reward, pin sighting, Fairways, shot selction, Balance hyzer vs. anhyzer...) PIA FACTOR (from tdg, "Play It Again" ,NICE!)
(List will be refined and combined as more input is gathered)
Shout out to birdall, I played this course at UCF in orlando and it probably was a great course when it was put in, however several of the baskets were literally falling apart and one was held together by sticks. That doesn't spur on the disc golf spirit.
Great stuff, I am looking forward to this ongoing discussion.
Teerex
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Post by Patrick on Jan 30, 2007 15:51:13 GMT -5
Lots of benches. And trash cans are nice, too.
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Post by Teerex on Jan 30, 2007 16:31:11 GMT -5
True, True, True!
one place I was at they had brooms at some of the holes. Maybe some of us can sponser a few select holes at Roselane? I.E. 9,11,12,(13, well it is dirt, nevermind)16, 18
Is that possible tdg?
Teerex
Teerex
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