Road Trip...Part I
A couple of weeks ago, circumstances beyond my control led to an impromptu road trip of sorts. Although the primary purpose was moving my brother from the mountains of the Keystone State back to coastal North Carolina, we were able to squeeze in some disc golf stuff.
You'd be surprised at how many disc golf courses are an upshot away from the highway on an 1100-mile trek, or just around the corner from our pivot-point in Schenecksville, PA. In layman's terms, that's in the realm of Allentown, rated #6 by Udisc (based on usage of their app) as one of the top places to play in the country. At least one of the two I played in the area should be a stop for you if you're in the area, the other, perhaps a setting for a low-budget horror flick. We'll start right there...
The following day we came back for a lunchtime round. It seemed more inviting, although, I think that if you weren't heading here, you'd probably drive right past it.
It's nine holes with multiple teepads, but it can be challenging to figure out the location of those pads without local support. I still think number 11 had 3 tees, but I followed my brother's lead to the blue for that one. Short technical shots and long, open holes are mixed about the property. There's a creek running across your lines on 1/10, and 2, possibly 11, depending on which location you're using. The most trying of those is the basket setup for 2, which comes from the right, heading left in the linked picture.
It's a great course for beginners learning the game, and experienced players to try new discs and enhance shot control. If you happen to face the "death putt" on 5/14 with a smaller portion of the creek behind the basket, it can be super for building confidence as well.
I finished with a somewhat frustrating 2-over, but bested my bro by 5. I would show the video of me missing putts, but that's gotten old...and I'm improving. I enjoyed our lunch trip the previous day much more, at Covered Bridge Park.
The first few holes follow part of the Jack Nicklaus course design mantra. His principle was to open a course with a "gentle" par-4, saving challenging par-3s and 5s for when a golfer is "warmed up." The first setup here is a 225-foot open hole. You'd have to be intoxicated to hit the tree on the left. Two RHBH fades later, I was missing my birdie bid from about 25, while my brother floated his in from the edge of Circle 1.
Hole 2 is also open, although 100+ feet or so longer. Back to a short Teebird flick distance on 3, where I got my birdie and took a stroke back from my bro. This one is pretty open with the basket just cut into the tree-line, but still a "gentle" hole. Holes 4 and 5 are tree-riffic, introducing obstacles to the line. We took turns hitting and missing trees for a couple bogeys each. I'm sure there are better "local" lines, but apparently my counterpart hasn't been local enough for this pair.
To this point, we've thrown in the open, toward, the mountain. Then we threw along the mountain. When we came up to the teepad for 6, I turned to my brother and said, "Where's the basket?" He said, "Up there," pointing to the area over what seemed to be an enormous rock at the crest of the hill. Sometimes you just need to scout ahead. So on this 156-foot hole (not including a "slight" elevation change,) I had to go check it out.
The line is just right of the rock, under the branches, skipping a thumber to the right. Yeah, no problem. Well...I did it. Quite remarkably. Plus, I actually made the birdie putt. I was loving this course already, but more challenges lay ahead.
Seven is a bit tricky. Downhill, basket behind a large tree. Looks like a wide hyzer, but any rollaway could be bad. It's ok. I was well short. Nice layup and got away with par. both of us. I'm still up one at this point, but don't worry, I'll miss more putts.
Holes 8, 9, and 10 play across open field with basket up another hill, then off the mountain across a field, then back to the base of the hill before climbing back up the mountain for a short par-3. We both played 2-over. Then 11 ate me alive with tree hits all over. His birdie and my 3-over was just the swing he needed to get me down, and keep me there.
Following that debacle, 12 is just a short toss...off a cliff, with water behind, just in case you get to rolling your disc. Pars, done.
Thirteen is a nice flick skip, or thumber skip with ace run potential. A couple of birdies later we moved along to a pair of bogeys for my bro and par-bogey for me.
I had just acquired a EMac Truth and had tested it once with a poor result. The 198-foot straight-away at 16 with a water over the cliff behind the basket, looked like another opportunity to slide one through. I made it. Circle 1, and the kind of angle to avoid the death putt...and I totally choked it from about 17 feet. Made the comebacker for par, while by partner bogeyed. Still one down.
I'm not exactly sure what he threw on 17...but he just about parked it, while I went left. He gets back the stroke and I need to ace 18...I didn't though. He finished at 2-over and I was at +4 for the round.
I had a great time though. The course is beautiful and treacherous, all at the same time. I look forward to coming back to play when we return in July.
You'd be surprised at how many disc golf courses are an upshot away from the highway on an 1100-mile trek, or just around the corner from our pivot-point in Schenecksville, PA. In layman's terms, that's in the realm of Allentown, rated #6 by Udisc (based on usage of their app) as one of the top places to play in the country. At least one of the two I played in the area should be a stop for you if you're in the area, the other, perhaps a setting for a low-budget horror flick. We'll start right there...
Neff's (Creepy) Valley
When the directions to a disc golf course includes, "after passing the graveyard on your left," you have to go check it out. My brother had re-routed me by here the night before as we coming home late from visiting with family. Turning into the park onto a gravelly loop, I proceeded carefully, to not awaken any creatures of the night. The abandoned pool with the barbed wire fence surrounding it looked to be straight out of a B-flick slasher film. I was eager to get out of there and return during daylight hours.The following day we came back for a lunchtime round. It seemed more inviting, although, I think that if you weren't heading here, you'd probably drive right past it.
It's nine holes with multiple teepads, but it can be challenging to figure out the location of those pads without local support. I still think number 11 had 3 tees, but I followed my brother's lead to the blue for that one. Short technical shots and long, open holes are mixed about the property. There's a creek running across your lines on 1/10, and 2, possibly 11, depending on which location you're using. The most trying of those is the basket setup for 2, which comes from the right, heading left in the linked picture.
It's a great course for beginners learning the game, and experienced players to try new discs and enhance shot control. If you happen to face the "death putt" on 5/14 with a smaller portion of the creek behind the basket, it can be super for building confidence as well.
I finished with a somewhat frustrating 2-over, but bested my bro by 5. I would show the video of me missing putts, but that's gotten old...and I'm improving. I enjoyed our lunch trip the previous day much more, at Covered Bridge Park.
Wehr's Dam/Covered Bridges
I wanted to have a Randy Quaid moment here, but we had no Dam Guide and we should have taken more Dam pictures (I'll try to post some action on my FB page). Anyway, it was 35 degrees and a little breezy, so we just jumped into Flippin some Dam discs.The first few holes follow part of the Jack Nicklaus course design mantra. His principle was to open a course with a "gentle" par-4, saving challenging par-3s and 5s for when a golfer is "warmed up." The first setup here is a 225-foot open hole. You'd have to be intoxicated to hit the tree on the left. Two RHBH fades later, I was missing my birdie bid from about 25, while my brother floated his in from the edge of Circle 1.
Hole 2 is also open, although 100+ feet or so longer. Back to a short Teebird flick distance on 3, where I got my birdie and took a stroke back from my bro. This one is pretty open with the basket just cut into the tree-line, but still a "gentle" hole. Holes 4 and 5 are tree-riffic, introducing obstacles to the line. We took turns hitting and missing trees for a couple bogeys each. I'm sure there are better "local" lines, but apparently my counterpart hasn't been local enough for this pair.
To this point, we've thrown in the open, toward, the mountain. Then we threw along the mountain. When we came up to the teepad for 6, I turned to my brother and said, "Where's the basket?" He said, "Up there," pointing to the area over what seemed to be an enormous rock at the crest of the hill. Sometimes you just need to scout ahead. So on this 156-foot hole (not including a "slight" elevation change,) I had to go check it out.
The line is just right of the rock, under the branches, skipping a thumber to the right. Yeah, no problem. Well...I did it. Quite remarkably. Plus, I actually made the birdie putt. I was loving this course already, but more challenges lay ahead.
Seven is a bit tricky. Downhill, basket behind a large tree. Looks like a wide hyzer, but any rollaway could be bad. It's ok. I was well short. Nice layup and got away with par. both of us. I'm still up one at this point, but don't worry, I'll miss more putts.
Holes 8, 9, and 10 play across open field with basket up another hill, then off the mountain across a field, then back to the base of the hill before climbing back up the mountain for a short par-3. We both played 2-over. Then 11 ate me alive with tree hits all over. His birdie and my 3-over was just the swing he needed to get me down, and keep me there.
Following that debacle, 12 is just a short toss...off a cliff, with water behind, just in case you get to rolling your disc. Pars, done.
Thirteen is a nice flick skip, or thumber skip with ace run potential. A couple of birdies later we moved along to a pair of bogeys for my bro and par-bogey for me.
I had just acquired a EMac Truth and had tested it once with a poor result. The 198-foot straight-away at 16 with a water over the cliff behind the basket, looked like another opportunity to slide one through. I made it. Circle 1, and the kind of angle to avoid the death putt...and I totally choked it from about 17 feet. Made the comebacker for par, while by partner bogeyed. Still one down.
I'm not exactly sure what he threw on 17...but he just about parked it, while I went left. He gets back the stroke and I need to ace 18...I didn't though. He finished at 2-over and I was at +4 for the round.
I had a great time though. The course is beautiful and treacherous, all at the same time. I look forward to coming back to play when we return in July.
Next up...
This was the meat of our trip. If you're ever in this area, it's certainly worth the experience. Onto the rest of the sandwich, which includes the journey from and return to North Carolina with a not so quick stop in Gaithersburg, Maryland and Seneca Creek State Park...where no one is safe, from Flippin Discs.
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