The perfect course

[S sjfoop]

So many factors go into making a great course. The unfortunate reality is that you'll always be limited to the resources you have to work with. For arguments sake, let's pretend this is not the case. What factors do you put into the course and what's most important? I'll start by throwing out a few of what I believe to be important factors in building the perfect course.

1) Challenge. This will be different for everybody but for reference, I am typically between even par and +5 on most Nefa courses I've played. If I can get par or below for the course on my first or second round having never played there before, something's not right.

2) Balance of left/straight/right holes. A good balance requiring a variety of different shots to give yourself a birdatune is probably the most important thing imho.

3) Good use of the land's prominent features, elevation changes and natural objects. I would also say that in this category I'd include good continuity from pin to tee without long walks or especially back tracking in between.

What would your perfect course have?

[Dave McHale]

i like a balance of EVERYTHING. not just right/left/straight, but fields/woods, necessity for throwing high/low, uphill/downhill holes, OB, mandos (i never think of most mandos as strange on a hole, but rather a designers' posed challenge to the players), water... gimme it all.

probably a reason i love wickham and warwick so much

[Scott Connell]

birdatune?

Is that a song that a bird sings?

Explain please.

[S sjfoop]

birdatune? Is that a song that a bird sings? Explain please.

I was waiting for that Birdatunity -Noun- The act of giving oneself an opportunity for a birdie.

I don't know. I said it one day and have always said it since.

Dave- good points. Water hazards et all. In and out of woods to show accuracy and then a few holes to show off some distance. I'd also say the perfect course should have an array of par's. e.g. 12 par 3's, 4 par 4's and 2 par 5's. That's why I love Tyler State park in PA. I still haven't made it to Wickham. I'm going to try to go this weekend.

[andy]

I have played disc golf from the West coast to the east coast. I have to say that some of Vermont's courses provide the most unique and diverse disc golf experiences I have ever encountered. With the new addition of the Sugarbush courses you have everything you could want within a 60 miles radius. To me perfection can be found at any of the following courses.

Waterbury
Calais
Blackfalls
Sugarbush

[Jay Ducharme]

I agree with the comments above. I think a variety of challenges makes for a great course. I also think the course should be challenging but doable for both amateurs and pros (whether by design or with the addition of amateur tees). There are holes on some courses that I feel are not fun because I stand no chance (at my current level) of ever parring them. That's one reason I'm not a believer in overly-long fairways.

I also think that an attention to beauty is important in a course. A balance between nature and man-made features (the poleholes and tees) plus carefully chosen tee, fairway and polehole positions can make for a really enjoyable round regardless of what I score.

[Dave Jackson]

Really great greens (the 30-40 ft. circle around the basket). A bar. Ya know there is nothing like cold beer when you're playing. And of course, a strip club. Disc golf, booze and strippers. Need I say more.....

[Steve Dodge]

I think it was Mikey that said you need smokin', drinkin' and hoorin.

[Todd Lapham]

I'd say add beer girls and a food vendor to Maple Hill and there's your perfect course.

[Dave Jackson]

Yeah baby, I'm gonna work on the boys for that request....