Favorite type of course (long, short, open, wooded...)

I wanted to see what type of courses people like playing the most. That's the one awesome thing about our sport is that every course is very unique and courses can exist in any climate. I want to see ball golfers play in the mountains or in the desert!

[David "OLD" School]

I recently got back from a road trip through 13 different states and it' absolutely amazing the different kinds of courses I got to experience! I played in the maintains overlooking Lake Tahoe and in the desert.

I think the "best course" needs to have a little bit of everything. Elevation changes, tight and open fairways, left and right curving holes, cement tee pads, good baskets, lots of blind holes, and different length holes. Its nice to have a few 200-300 footers to have a chance at an ace, but I think the future of our sport is going to shift to a lot of par 4 and 5 holes, where placement on the drive is very important to set up your next throw.

They talk about this in the CLASH: RENNY GOLD movie, which features some of the best pros in the world. You can purchase the movie here: http://www.marshallstreetdiscgolf.com/proddetail.asp?prod=clashatre...
This is an amazing movie, definitely worth the money. It's a few hours long and you get to know all the players personalities and the shots they throw. The course they play in North Carolina is absolutely sick!

[Jamie 'gr8rocshot' Ruane]

I can have fun on all types of courses. That's one of the most appealing things about Disc Golf....How a design can utilize the natural terrain to define fairways and different shots. My favorite type of course is one that has a few more longer, open holes ...as opposed to short technical shots. Fairways should be defined, flight paths...obvious. Lots of elevation, some natural hazards to contend with, a couple of risk and reward water holes. ....Less pavement!!!

[Rizbee]

I think I agree with you for the most part that what I like best is variety - mix up the long and short, left/right curves, up and downhill and flat, some open shots and some tight. Is that too much too ask? I know I'm dreamin'! I might disagree about the blind shots though, unless there are tee signs or a map so you don't have to walk 90% of the fairway to see the basket so you know where to aim.

Some things just can't be done in certain locales. It's very hard to have holes with elevation change in South Florida, for example. It's tough to create tight tunnel shots in areas where trees don't grow in abundance or aren't very dense. But that's one of the things I enjoy about playing courses in different places - seeing a course designer take what's available and make the most out of it, or at least acheive the goals they have set out.

A few things that are mandatory in my book, though:

Signage - tee signs, hopefully with distances, and some sort of signage announcing the course's presence.

Safe tee pads - not necessarily concrete, but something where you won't trip or slip.

Directions to the course that list street names, not "turn at the second light" or "just past the farmhouse."

Toilet facilities, trash cans and a picnic table or too are nice too.

[mark ellis]

My first hope is for balance between lefty and righty shots. Well maybe balance is too big a word because almost all courses are righty favorable. So some reasonably fair degree of balance. Anything even close to balance is fine. The total righty favorable courses drive me crazy.

I don't view golf as a challenge of me versus the course. It is me versus the players in my division and roughly 90% of players are righty backhand dominate. I am righty forehander-so essentially a lefty as my discs fly with counterclockwise spin. So a righty-hyzer-tunnel-deuce -or-die course is a nightmare.

So I will take a balanced course-of any type-over any unbalanced course. At least I have a fighting chance on a balanced course. I don't even care if there are no fairways ( the poke and hope shots) because there are no fairways for everybody.

BTW, it is a hoot to play a lefty favorable course. I only know of two of them: Rolling Hills in Ypsilanti, Michigan and V.A. Barry in Ontario, Canada. A couple years ago I was playing a tourney at Rolling Hills. After the first round I saw Scott Martin ( a lefty and at the time the top Pro in Michigan) who was playing the Open division. Rather than asking him how he shot in the first round I asked him how many strokes he was leading by. He laughed and said "A few". Still laughing, he asked me how many I was leading by (in Masters)? I told him, "More". (If this joke makes no sense to you, have a lefty explain it to you)

After balance, I prefer long, tough and tight. The longer, tougher and tighter the better. I love holes where anyone might blow up and take big numbers. I love long tunnels where hitting an early tree is a virtual guarantee of a bogey or worse. If the tunnel is long enough I don't even care if it curves righty favorable because hitting a small landing zone if hard for everyone.

I love courses where even par is a great score. I love par 4's and par 5's unless they are just wide open shots (then I love them much less). I love risk and reward. I love huge sections of OB. I love omnipresent OB (Winthrop Gold, Idlewild). I love anything designed by Harold Duvall or John Houck.

[jd]

Having played numerous rounds with Mark & other lefties, these guys think all courses are prejudiced against them. Something about being a lefty and having a persecution complex. :-) And while they are whining about the unfairness of the course, they are concurrently thrashing you!!

[JC]

Maybe it's just me (I'm a lefty), but I don't like to complain about biased courses and don't worry about prejudice. Instead, I revel in getting holes that on the surface appear to be "righty" (simply for the reason that it turns right to left) but in truth the ideal shot is a lefty s-curve or anhyzer shot that turns the corner and keeps going. I revel in righties marveling at my turnover shots that just keep turning left and then being able to blame them (the righties) for creating so many "righty" holes that forced me to hone that turnover shot so much.

What irritates me is when we do play that one left to right turning hole on the course where I get a chance to throw the hyzer line, all I hear is snide remarks like "lefty hole" as if I'm getting away with something. Do you hear me chiding you righties on any of the last nine right to left turning holes where you threw a simple hyzer to get your two while I had to place my turnover shot just right or throw my weak sidearm to get it myself? :-P

All right, maybe I do feel a little persecuted...but not by the course or the course designer, it's by the righties who want them all to be "righty" holes. ;-)

[Terry "the Pirate" Calhoun]

Mark, you need to try Bandemer in Ann Arbor. I think you will enjoy the experience.

[jd]

btw, in response to the original question, I agree with Mark, balanced courses that reward multiple skills are the best. A combination of long/short with a mix of woods and semi-open make the ideal course. Most courses have a theme so it's best to rotate to try to keep different skill-sets fresh.

[jon korevec]

Heck, I just love to play. Nearly any course makes me happy..........

I really enjoy watching discs fly down a seven hundred foot fairway. I like short blind holes and having to listen for chains. I appreciate the one tree that is in the flight path I'd most like to take. Scenic vista's will keep me coming back again and again. Having to drive with an understable putter can put a smile on my face. I love standing on a tee box feeling butterfly's in my stomach because I know there is a good chance (if I go for glory) that I will never see my beloved insert fav. disc here
again.
A mix of all those things Priceless.

[johnny betts]

I like courses that are mainly wooded. I love to snake shots through the woods. Every course should have at least 1 or 2 somewhat open holes though. I hate courses that are just one drive after the other in a wide open field. Why do people love these holes? (boring). Having a balance between left and right and up and down is also key.

[Disc Player Sports]

Variety is the key.
Given the room it is nice to use all that you can get out of a property. If you have water use it.
Elevation is cool, not all down or up.
Not all long holes, some short, wooded finesse (technical). Don't put a basket out in an open field!
Some par 4's, 2's. 3's.
Alternate pin locations & tees.
Played on courses where all the holes are 300-350' and putt, ...BORING!
Not all righty holes.
I tend to like courses with insight from more than one person in the original design.
Don't like all long, mix it up....

[Ben "Sandwiches" Uvaas]

Milford Mi, the toboggan, I'd be happy to play that course alone for the rest of my life.