All Disc Golf Pro Tour Courses: Ranks, Histories, & Descriptions | Release Point - The UDisc Blog (2024)

In the short time between now and its first iteration in 2016, the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT) has established itself as disc golf's premier professional event series. The DGPT's growing prominence has made competition to host one of its tournaments fierce. Not only does the tour coming to your course result in competitors, staff, and spectators spending money locally for a weekend, but it also means media exposure that can turn a track into a must-play destination for fans of the sport's pro side.

In 2023, the DGPT will hold events at 29 of the world's over 14,000 disc golf courses. Unsurprisingly, none of those courses are duds, and at the time of publication they collectively averaged a 4.6 rating out of 5 in the UDisc disc golf course directory. All are within the top 25% of courses in the directory by rating and nearly half of them are in the top 1%.

But what happens when, instead of looking at these courses as a whole, you stack them against each other individually? Said more simply, which DGPT courses are the best?Here you can find out.

Along with the ratings and rankings, you can learn a bit about the courses' histories, their signature holes, and what styles of disc golf they offer.

What You Should Know About the DGPT Course Rankings

The rankings of the DGPT's best courses are not based on the same metrics as the World's Best Disc Golf Courses. Since quite a few DGPT courses are temporary layouts erected specifically for large, professional tournaments, they are often rated by a very small number of players who nonetheless come from a wide variety of places. Due to this, many of the things we do to account for differences in rating totals and local rating norms in the World's Best Disc Golf Courses rankings don't work when comparing all DGPT courses.

That's why the rankings you'll find in this post are based simply on the average rating each course has in the UDisc directory without any alterations.

Note that we didn't include courses from the wrap-around 2023 season events that happened at the end of 2022.

Navigating the DGPT Course Rankings

To find an easy-to-read table of all the courses ranked by ratings in UDisc jump to 'What Are the Best Courses on the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT)?'.

Disc Golf Pro Tour Courses Ranked

Here all the courses that will be used in the 2023 DGPT (Silver, Elite, Elite+, Playoff, and Championship) ranked according to their ratings on UDisc.

29. Mill Ridge Park Disc Golf Course, Nashville, Tennessee

Mill Ridge ParkDisc Golf Course Basic Info

Mill Ridge Park Disc Golf Course History in Brief

The property was previously a 600-acre/243 hectare farm that was purchased by Metro Nashville as a regional park. Mill Ridge entered the scene as a temporary course in 2021 and is still awaiting approval for permanent installation. The Music City Open staff hopes to garner support for a permanent course through the DGPT event's success and the exposure it offers.

Because the course wasn't used prior to 2021, the rough is particularly thick, hard to navigate, and offers stiff punishment for errant shots. That rough has slowly begun to beat in while staff has made several tweaks and adjustments throughout the course based on player feedback.

Mill Ridge Park Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

What's Mill Ridge Park Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Originally designed to counterbalance the tight lines on the nearby Cedar Hill Park disc golf course, Mill Ridge is a more open track where distance matters. That said, you won't score well here if you can't navigate around trees and other obstacles to reach specific landing zones. The fairways are fair and the rough is thick. The designers also made use of the area's rolling hills to assure players frequently face elevation changes and challenging greens.

28. Rose Valley Disc Golf, Breadalbane, Prince Edward Island, Canada

Rose Valley Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Rose Valley Disc Golf History in Brief

In 2019, the first iteration of a championship-level course went in the ground on Canada's east coast. The course was part of a multi-year improvement plan at Rose Valley Disc Golf to slowly build up a facility that had the design and surrounding infrastructure to host a future Pro Disc Golf World Championships, a roving pro disc golf Major that switches venues every year.

Following the increasingly popular trend of blending breweries and disc golf, the property also boasts a top-notch pub called Barnone Brewery. Players can finish their last hole and head straight over for a post-round drink. The designers have made the property beginner-friendly for all levels of disc golf skill with the installation of their nine-hole Rosebud course.

Rose Valley Disc Golf Signature Hole

Players are forced to throw several different shot shapes in order to score a rare birdie on the signature hole 5. This 710-foot/216-meter par 4 begins with a tight gap off the tee. Hit that, and your disc can fly freely into a grassy meadow. But each tee shot needs to move at a fairly specific right-to-left angle in order to reach the preferred landing zone just before the creek. If you are fortunate enough to reach the prime landing area, a long, uphill approach awaits through a birch-lined tunnel that forces you to throw either right or left of a grouping of trees that stands at its heart.

What's Rose Valley Disc Golf Like to Play?

Rose Valley aims to have something that challenges all aspects of disc golfers' games. It offers open bomber holes, tight wooded lines, tunnels, left-to-right moving shots, and right-to-left moving shots. Players will ascend and descend several hills along the way and navigate numerous white birch forests. Elevation adds difficulty to what can seem like standard throws and the strong Atlantic wind is almost always a factor on the open hills.

27. Parma Disc Golf Course, Spencerport, New York

Parma Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Parma Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Responding to the request of local disc golfers, the Town of Parma purchased nine baskets in 2004. They were subsequently installed by the local club but reconfigured just two years later with the addition of nine more baskets to complete a full, 18-hole course. In 2010, the permanence of the course was further established with the installation of cement tee pads. In preparation for the 2023 DGPT Silver Event, the course is once again undergoing a large-scale redesign to accommodate the world's best disc golfers. The new look includes a new starting location and renumbering of all holes.

Parma Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The signature hole on the 2023 redesign is hole 13 (previously hole 4). This 700-foot/213-meter par 4 gives the opportunity to unleash onto a wide open fairway off the tee. Placement will still be important, though, because the hole finishes deep in the woods and an errant drive will have a hard time accessing the entrance to the green on the ensuing shot. The green itself is heavily guarded by trees, forcing a technical approach.

What's Parma Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Parma is a wooded course with a handful of open meadow shots. In the meadows, expect to see brush patches as obstacles that force specific lines. Technical prowess and touch are a bigger advantage than power on most holes at Parma.

26. Harvey Penick Golf Course, Austin, Texas

Disc Golf Course at Harvey Penick Golf Course Basic Info

Disc Golf Course at Harvey Penick Golf Course History in Brief

Harvey Penick was a professional traditonal golfer, longtime coach, and best-selling author. His namesake course, the Harvey Penick Golf Campus in Austin, Texas, has been in operation since 2005. It's open 364 days per year, but in 2023 its traditional golf operations slowed down for a week as the DGPT arrived there for the first time.

The 2023 Open at Austin was the second time a course went up on the property. In 2022, two teenagers from the local Cates family who frequent the golf club were allowed to run a disc golf doubles event at Harvey Penick. Neal Dambra, an experienced designer and tournament director of Texas' 'The Open at...' event, attended the friendly competition and saw the property's potential. When the DGPT came knocking a few months later looking to bring an Elite Event to Austin, Dambra didn't hesitate to point them to the Harvey Penick property.

The idea for a permanent course has been floated but is yet to be approved. Currently, the only time disc golf will be available at Harvey Penick will be during the week of The Open at Austin.

Disc Golf Course at Harvey Penick Golf Course Signature Hole

The signature hole at Harvey Penick is the 800-foot/244-meter, par 4 hole 18. It takes the course's most notable feature – tricky and constant out-of-bounds lines – and turns them up to 11. On the drive, there's OB left of the entire fairway and a large OB green in what would otherwise be a solid landing zone. The green is insanely skinny and intimidating with OB lurking left, right, and behind. It's a creation that looks like its sole purpose is to create and prolong drama, with big stroke swings possible on nearly every throw at every round's conclusion.

What's the Disc Golf Course at Harvey Penick Golf Course Like to Play?

Like most disc golf courses at active traditional golf courses, the temporary disc golf track at Harvey Penick plays mostly down the fairways and around the greens of the traditional golf layout. Elevation comes into play quite often, especially in the northwest portion of the course. Brief sections of the layout incorporate the surrounding woods, giving players an old-growth, park-style experience for a few holes. A deep creek cuts the property in half. It adds an OB water element but doesn't come into play a whole lot and serves as more of a beautification aspect than anything else. Along with lots of TD-designated OB areas, active ball golf greens, sand traps, and cart paths serve as OB and hazards to add difficulty.

25. Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Gold), Houston, Texas

Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Gold) Basic Info

Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Gold) History in Brief

The Brock Park Municipal Golf course operated by Houston Parks and Rec officially closed its door in 2016. Since then, the space has become a Houston reclamation project. One addition to the property was an 18-hole disc golf course, but the back two-thirds of the land remained untouched. When the Texas State Disc Golf Championships decided to return to Houston for 2023, tournament director Chris Vandagriff and co-designer Scotty Linthicum remembered the unused portion of Brock Park.

Together, Linthicum and Vandagriff laid out a brand-new temporary course measuring over 10,000 feet/3,048 meters. Many disc golf layouts on active or defunct ball golf courses largely follow pre-existing fairways, but not Brock Park. Though a permanent course was not approved, Linthicum and Vandagriff were given free reign as to their temporary course design.

Brock Park's Disc Golf Course (Gold) Signature Hole

Brock Park Gold's 850-foot/259-meter third hole plays as a par 4 and showcases the property's elevation changes like nowhere else on the course. It features three distinct tiers and makes players think hard about whether or not to attack the green for birdie on their second shots. The green itself sits on the crest of a pyramid-shaped hill with flat ground on one side but punishing slopes on the other two sides.

What's Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Gold) Like to Play?

The layout plays through and around an inactive ball golf course, but it is far from a links-style experience. Brock Park Gold offers park-style golf with old-growth trees and green grass. The ponds on the property add aesthetic appeal but are also incorporated as obstacles into the design. Having distance is a benefit for players, but accuracy is equally as important as many holes have very specific landing zones. The property features many significant elevation changes, something rarely seen in the Houston area.

24. Sunset Hills Disc Golf Course, Pekin, Illinois

Sunset Hills Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Sunset Hills Disc Golf Course History in Brief

The Sunset Hills traditional golf course first opened in the 1960s and included a private club and swimming pool. In the early 2000s, the swimming pool closed and the course opened to the public. In 2010, a pair of locals purchased the property and did extensive redesign work on both the course and the clubhouse. The new ownership welcomed disc golf to the property. Initially, the course was just on a defunct executive nine, but disc golf's success convinced the new owners that they should allow the sport to expand.

The disc golf course was installed in 2014 and welcomed its first big event three years later with the DGPT's Ledgestone Open. It has been a venue for the event's FPO division ever since. In addition, Sunset Hills helped host FPO during the 2019 Pro Disc Golf World Championships.

To learn more about Sunset Hills and how its story is a model for adding disc golf to an existing golf course, check out our post "Join The Clubs: Bringing Disc Golf To Ball Golf Courses."

Sunset Hills Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 6 is the signature hole at Sunset Hills. It's the only par 5 and has the ability to change the trajectory of an entire round.

The first two-thirds of the fairway slope from left to right toward a cart path which serves as an OB line while the left side of the fairway features an artificial OB line. Two good shots (or a great shot for power players) won't make the hole much easier because the real challenge is getting to the green.

A pond stretches out through the final 160 feet/49 meters of the hole, coming as close to the basket as Circle 1 at its farthest point. There isn't a gentle drop into the water near the green that could possibly catch an iffy shot, either. Instead, there's a 25-foot/8-meter long brick wall that forms a formidable cliff straight into the murky depths, plus two guardian trees that knock anything high back toward the water. Even a successful approach that reaches the green and goes long of the basket will leave the player with a death putt directly back at the pond.

What's Sunset Hills Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

This links-style layout plays through and around the Sunset Hills Golf Course. It features open, manicured fairways over rolling hills. The track makes use of many cart paths to establish OB lines but also employs some artificial OB to keep players out of neighboring yards. Being on a ball golf course, there are numerous sand traps on the disc golf fairways that play as hazards while the greens and tee boxes play as regular OB. Seven of the holes also feature water hazards and sloped greens that add to the difficulty.

The first 11 holes meander through the ball golf course while the back seven have their own separate plot of land next to the golf course and bring more natural barriers into play like long grass, mature trees, and guarded greens.

23. Bad Rock Creek Disc Golf Course, Liberty, Missouri

Bad Rock Creek Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Bad Rock Creek Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Even before the pandemic boom, disc golf's popularity was rising steadily. And in 2014, enthusiastic players approached the Parks and Rec department of Liberty Missouri, with the idea of installing a brand new 18-hole course at Stocksdale Park in the northeast sector of the Kansas City Metro area. With the expertise of designer John Thiess, a two-in-one course was installed to cater to the skill levels of all local players. Since then, the course has hosted the KC Wide Open multiple times as well as the 2018 PDGA Pro Masters World Championships. In 2020, the course got the addition of an extended Gold layout in hopes of bringing in a higher tier tournament like 2023's DGPT Silver Event.

Bad Rock Creek Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The course starts off with a bang as players are greeted with a steep downhill shot on the 575-foot/175-meter first hole. At the bottom of the slope is a large pond which extends for the final 200 feet/61 meters leading up to the basket. Safer players will elect to lay up though the slope can still funnel shots to the water. Aggressive players may elect to push for more distance with a right-to-left moving shot that will land in the safe zone left of the pond.

The approach is also a challenge as the pin sits just three paces from the edge of the water. Going long is the safe play on the approach, but doing so leads to a death putt on the next shot.

What's Bad Rock Creek Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Bad Rock Creek plays through the northwest portion of Stocksdale Park. The layout ranges from wide open to heavily wooded and incorporates elevation constantly along the way. The wide open shots are far from simple, big-arm bomber throws, though. Obstacles like sloped greens and/or OB water appear on virtually every hole with open distance. The heavily wooded holes all have defined fairways but they're tight, and accuracy is the name of the game. On several of the woods shots, leaving the fairway means a very unpleasurable experience in the rough and a likely bogey.

22. Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Modified), Houston, Texas

Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Modified) Basic Info

Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Modified) History in Brief

The Brock Park Municipal Golf course operated by Houston Parks and Rec officially closed its doors in 2016. Since then, the space has become a Houston reclamation project. One addition to the property was an 18-hole disc golf course installed by renowned Texas designer Neal Dambra, which has garnered great ratings from players since it opened in 2020. With the Texas State Championships moving back to Houston in 2023, Scotty Linthicum put together a tweaked version of Dambra's permanent course that will function as the FPO's layout for Texas States.

Brock Park Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 10 (hole 16 on the permanent course) is a 355-foot/108-meter par 3 playing through a tunnel of mature trees. Just behind the trees on the right border of the fairway is an OB cart path running the length of the hole and beyond. On the left side is the open expanse of a former traditional golf fairway which takes birdie out of play but also eliminates an early tree hit. The topography is completely flat until the highlight of the hole: the green. The pin is perched atop a large mound, giving this demanding tunnel shot both extra beauty and extra danger at the end.

What's Brock Park Disc Golf Course (Modified) Like to Play?

Brock Park (Modified) is a beefed-up version of the permanent course on the property. It plays through the same area in the northwest section of the park, making use of elevation changes that are uncommon near Houston and bringing occasional water hazards into play. Though it's laid out through and around a former ball golf course, the track is very much a park-style disc golf experience featuring large, mature trees and well-kept grass underneath the canopy.

21. Swenson Park Disc Golf Course – Gold, Stockton, California

Swenson Park Disc Golf Course – Gold Basic Info

Swenson Park Disc Golf Course – Gold History in Brief

The City of Stockton opened the Stockton Park Golf Course in 1952. Over a half century later in 2018, it voted to install a permanent course for disc golfers running alongside the traditional golf course. However, most of the time, that disc golf course only passes through a small portion of the traditional golf layout. But in 2021 when the DGPT stop the San Francisco Open (SFO) was forced out of its title city because of strict COVID restrictions, Swenson welcomed the event with open arms – and permission to use its entire course to make a truly pro-level disc golf experience.

The tournament morphed into what is now the OTB Open, and world-class California course designer Leonard Muise was called in to put together a championship layout. Muise is a master of integrating disc golf into traditional golf courses, and he has created what he calls "dual golf" layouts for the host of the now-defunct SFO, Gleneagles, and many other locations on the west coast. He convinces many of them to do so with his rentable mobile disc golf course.

Swenson Park Disc Golf Course – Gold Signature Hole

What's Swenson Park Disc Golf Course – Gold Like to Play?

Swenson Park is long. It plays through and around the Swenson Park Golf Course, giving players a mix of links-style and park-style shots. The layout is mostly flat, but water hazards, traditional golf greens, and sand traps bring an element of OB risk into play on many holes. After players threw huge numbers of rollers to add distance to their drives in 2021, Muise and his team added "roller guards" in the form of strategically placed logs in early portions of several fairways.

20. Wildhorse Disc Golf Course, Henderson, Nevada

Wildhorse Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Wildhorse Disc Golf Course History in Brief

After the Las Vegas Disc Golf Club ran a successful Halloween Classic in 2015 at a different property owned by the same oragnization as Wildhorse, management got interested in disc golf. Impressed with the professionalism and organization of the event, they asked tournament director Jeff Jacquart if he would like to run a disc golf competition at their traditional golf course. The Las Vegas Challenge (formerly the Gentlemen's Club Challenge – more on that in our LVC profile) moved to Wildhorse in 2016.

The tournament was formerly played by all competitors on three courses set up across the golf facility. In 2023, there were still three layouts, but MPO played just the Millenium and Innova layouts and FPO played just the Infinite and FPO Innova layouts. This change shows deference to most pros' wishes to play fewer courses at events so that they have enough time to practice thorougly.

When the DGPT isn't in town, Wildhorse offers two different layouts on one of the top disc golf courses at an active traditonal golf course in the world. Those layouts are not simultaneously available as one is open mornings and one evenings. They have some, but definitely not all, of the holes played at the LVC.

Wildhorse Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 18 on the Innova layout used for the LVC at Wildhorse is a top-notch finisher. It's a 675-foot/206-meter par 4 with two OB ponds and an OB cart path coming into play along the final third of the hole. A picturesque, mulched green gives a truly polished feel to the tournament's conclusion. Players can get aggressive on either their drive or their approach as they seek birdies, but they'll need precision to avoid OB no matter what they choose to do.

What's Wildhorse Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The layouts used for the LVC all feature links-style disc golf where distance matters and avoiding artificial OB as well as cart paths, greens, water features, and sandtraps are the main obstacles. Though some holes utilize the limited trees and shrubbery to make tighter fairways, this is an exception rather than a rule. The Infinite layout in particular often makes players hit gaps to reach open fairways by placing tee pads strategically behind natural obstacles.

19. Nevin Park Disc Golf Course, Charlotte, North Carolina

Nevin Park Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Nevin Park Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Located in one of the top places for disc golf in the United States and world, Charlotte, North Carolina, Nevin Park sits on a 197-acre/80-hectare plot extended even further by an adjoining nature preserve. This urban park features a splash pad, a large playground, numerous baseball and soccer fields, and, of course, a championship-level disc golf course.

The disc golf course went in at Nevin Park in 2009 thanks to ever-rising interest in the sport in the greater Charlotte area, which ended up hosting the Pro Disc Golf World Championships in 2012. Gradually the course has been tweaked and extended to offer multiple tee pads and challenge levels. In 2022, the toughest layout yet with six new tees was featured in the DGPT Championship after the tournament relocated from Charlotte’s Hornets Nest due to construction at that park. Nevin will again host the Tour Championship in 2023.

The course's layout has quite a few World Championships behind it as two people who've had a hand in its design, Stan McDaniel and Mark Huether, own world titles. McDaniel won multiple Pro Masters World Championships in the 90s and Huether has an MA40 (previously called Advanced Masters) title from 2018.

At the beginning of the course, you’ll walk through an intricately-carved wood entryway built in honor of one of the original designers, Matt Keatts.

Nevin Park Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 9 is arguably the most difficult hole on the Gold layout, and it encapsulates the essence of Nevin. This demanding par 4 moves left-to-right off the tee with small margin for error on a tight, tree-lined fairway. The landing zone is very specific and missing it will eliminate any chance for birdie. Hitting the correct landing zone still guarantees nothing, though, as a tight tunnel continues to force pinpoint accuracy on the approach.

What's Nevin Park Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Nevin is long, hilly, and heavily wooded. Beautifully carved fairways through the thick, North Carolina forest define almost every hole on the course. Elevation makes placement key as players constantly contend with hills, valleys, and precarious greens. Staying on the fairway is essential to score well. One kick into the rough on any hole can end hopes for birdie or even par almost immediately.

18. North Cove: The Gorge Disc Golf Course, Marion, North Carolina

North Cove: The Gorge Disc Golf Course Basic Info

North Cove: The Gorge Disc Golf Course History in Brief

The property was originally manicured by professional golfer and course designer Fuzzy Zoellar to become a championship-level traditional golf campus. When that venture didn't pan out, the property was sold. The new buyers dreamed of creating a music venue that could eventually become an east coast version of the famous Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, but they also had a passion for disc golf. They recognized the property had enormous potential as a disc golf mecca and could generate an early stream of revenue through that avenue.

In 2021, North Cove opened to the public with a beginner-level course, River Run, and an intermediate-level course, Boulders. One year later they completed the installation of a third course, the championship-level track known as The Gorge.

Notably, the venue hosted the College Disc Golf National Championship in 2021 and 2022 and is set to do so again in 2023.

North Cove: The Gorge Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The final hole at The Gorge is the one players and fans will remember most. Touted as one of the hardest finishing holes in the world, this 824-foot/252-meter par 4 is rarely birdied. A large tree contests the initial tee shot across the Catawba River and the remainder of the hole is bordered by the river on the right. Not only is the water a factor on the edge of the fairway for each shot, but at the end of this long hole, the basket is perched on a small island measuring only about 50 feet/15 meters across.

What's North Cove: The Gorge Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The Gorge course is a championship-level track at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains that ranges from open to partially wooded on the south end of the North Cove property. Elevation changes and stunning views of Grandfather Mountain abound, but the biggest test on this layout is pure distance.

Rock features are prevalent throughout and are incorporated as fairway obstacles, picturesque decorations, and challenges on greens. Beyond the rocks and elevation, players are tested with shots of all shapes and sizes, large trees, open meadows, and occasional water hazards.

17. Shelton Springs Disc Golf Course, Shelton, Washington

Shelton Springs Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Shelton Springs Disc Golf Course History in Brief

The history of Shelton Springs is all tied to Mason County Disc Golf. This group of dedicated individuals has worked hard for over a decade to maintain the course and keep up its reputation as one of the best courses in Washington.

In 2011, MCDG found a plot of land about 30 minutes northwest of Olympia in the small town of Shelton. The property was heavily wooded but had a cleared area for power lines and a creek flowing through it. They got right to work installing their new course. Over time, they perfected the property, adding a total of three layouts for beginners, intermediate players, and experts: Springboard, Timberclaw, and Misery Whip, respectively.

Shelton Springs Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The ever-daunting "River Island" hole 11 at Shelton Springs is the clear signature on the course. The 295-foot/90-meter par 3 is reachable for a majority of players, but it creates a large element of risk-reward off the tee. Players can elect to pitch up short of the makeshift "river" or go for the small, log-encircled island green to snag a birdie. The hole shape is a classic Shelton Springs tunnel shot and is relatively straight with the slightest left-to-right movement from tee to basket.

What's Shelton Springs Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The course is flat, heavily wooded, and features a large number of tunnel shots through tree-lined fairways. The cleared area for power lines along the southeast stretch of the track adds openness that can't be found anywhere else on the course. The course isn't long by pro standards, but its tight fairways demand accuracy. Hitting gaps will lead to birdie looks while a bad tree kick can end hopes for birdie, or even par, in a heartbeat.

16. Emporia Country Club Disc Golf Course, Emporia, Kansas

Emporia Country Club Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Emporia Country Club Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Emporia, Kansas, is the home of Dynamic Discs. They have successfully run the Dynamic Discs Open (originally the Glass Blown Open) in the town for 20 years using a handful of different courses over that time. For a majority its iterations, the nine-hole private traditional golf course at the Emporia Country Club has hosted at least one round of the event. In 2014, the Country Club officially welcomed disc golf full-time with the installation of a permanent 18-hole course on the property which is rated by players as one of the best disc golf courses at an active golf course on the planet. It has undergone small tweaks each year but consistently offers thrilling rounds, most notably hosting the final round of the 2016 and 2022 Pro Disc Golf World Championships.

Emporia Country Club Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

By far and away the signature hole at Emporia Country Club is 16. The scenic look over the pond from the dock tee pad to the small plot of green grass floating in the middle of the water might be postcard-worthy, but it can also be a round-killer. The island green is barely larger than Circle 1, and the basket is within an arm's length of the water and over 300 feet/91 meters from both the MPO and FPO tees. Even more daunting is the slope of the green, which can send even a well-placed drive into the depths of the Country Club pond forever.

What's Emporia Country Club Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The course plays through and alongside the nine-hole traditional golf course at the Emporia Country Club. It is very much a links-style course with OB cart paths, traditional golf greens, sand traps, and water hazards. The design makes use of rolling hills and occasional trees to provide difficulty not based on OB. The main constant challenge at this course is pure distance, but if the Kansas wind is up, nothing about Emporia Country Club is easy.

15. Pickard Park Disc Golf Course, Indianola, Iowa

Pickard Park Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Pickard Park Disc Golf Course History in Brief

In 1974, the town of Indianola purchased 160 acres/65 hectares of land from Clarence Pickard, a local teacher, farmer, and Peace Corps veteran. The property became home to six softball fields, horseshoe courts, hiking trails, and, in 1999, disc golf.

Iowa native and five-time pro disc golf world champion Juliana Korver designed the original layout. Pickard Park would go on to host the 2004 PDGA World Championships which saw Barry Shultz win his second consecutive title. The course remained relatively the same until the Des Moines Challenge (DMC) was added to the 2021 DGPT when COVID restrictions made the European portion of the pro circuit impossible. For the DMC, Pickard got an extended layout. In 2022, the course changed yet again as over half the holes received tweaks and distance changes.

Pickard Park Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Though it's not the only island hole on the course, hole 7 is still Pickard's signature. A tight gap off the raised tee pad greets players with uncertainty early on. Add to it an uphill shot with an island green sitting over 300 feet/91 meters away and the difficulty begins to mount quickly. The green itself is beautifully mulched with logs defining the edges. The uphill shot and the openness of the hole after the initial gap allows fans to gather just beyond the hole's end during big events. Bleachers are set up to give a few hundred spectators great views, and those fans are happy to make some noise when any shot lands on the green.

What's Pickard Park Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Pickard Park mixes wooded holes with open shots and sprinkles in some more park-style designs as well. The rolling hills make the distance more menacing than tee signs indicate on the open holes while baskets placed on slopes increase the challenge on approach shots. Well-manicured grass fairways and defined rough add to the professionalism of the property and mesh perfectly with the diversity of hole design. Another unique feature of Pickard Park is the number of island greens.

14. Disc Side of Heaven Championship Disc Golf Course, Jonesboro, Arkansas

Disc Side of Heaven Championship Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Disc Side of Heaven Championship Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Until 2013, the small Arkansas community in Jonesboro didn't have a quality disc golf facility nearby. Jonesboro Open tournament director Brad Pietz and other avid disc golfers had moved into the area and needed a place to play. Slowly, they rallied support for a local course with the added incentive that a championship course could also host a championship event that would benefit the entire community and not just the disc golfing population.

The course sits on an active hay farm, which shuts down disc golf on the property from May-October every year. During the six months of open play, the Disc Side of Heaven Championship course is one of the top disc golf destinations in Arkansas and U.S. generally.

Disc Side of Heaven Championship Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 6 is a par 3 with an island green. Both beautiful and demanding precision, it offers many of Disc Side of Heaven's best qualities all at once. From the crest of a hill, players throw across a pond. The far shore features a walled-off island green, most of which is smaller than the diameter of Circle 1. A pair of large, towering trees frame the edges of the green perfectly on this ace-run hole.

What's Disc Side of Heaven Championship Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Rolling hills with wide but well-defined fairways bordered by thick pockets of rough are this course's calling cards. Elevation changes abound, and they only add to the number one challenge on the Disc Side of Heaven Championship course: distance. Specific landing zones on a number of par 4s require accuracy and multiple water hazards introduce risk-reward situations on several holes. The course offers a full disc golf experience, demanding all varieties of shot shapes.

13. Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course, Missoula, Montana

Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course History in Brief

An early use for the land where Blue Mountain disc golf course now stands was a fruit orchard for Fort Missoula during the first half of the 20th century. After World War II, the fort was decommissioned and the land went from a grazing ground for livestock to a local dump to a National Guard training ground. Some of the original pear trees can still be found around the course and hole 8 (hole 13 during the 2023 Zoo Town Open) still has tank bunkers from the military training.

In the early 1990s, the U.S. Forest Service cleaned up the site to make it a National Forest. As part of that cleanup, a group of disc golfers got permission to install a pole course. In 1999 the first nine baskets were installed as part of the World's Biggest Disc Golf Weekend event that year. In 2007, Blue Mountain finally cemented its 18th basket in the ground and Missoula's "folf" destination course was complete. It has been looked after and cared for by the Garden City Flyers since 2005 and ranks as Montana's best disc golf course.

Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The rolling hills and majestic pines scattered across the open mountain landscape are all on display from the elevated tee of hole 10 (hole 17 of the 2023 ZTO). The 560-foot/171-meter downhill tee shot allows players to crush drives into the open air and watch their disc fly with a backdrop Montana's mountains (yeah, we know that's a bit repetitive given the meaning of the state's name in Spanish). The hole is more than just a big rip, though. The green is tucked neatly in front of a grove of small pines and between a pair of larger pines, obstructing the landing area for high flying drives and making this hole far from an easy birdie.

What's Blue Mountain Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

It's name isn't a misnomer; Blue Mountain is very much a mountain course. Extreme elevation changes make for massive downhill throws as well as steep uphill shots. The layout is moderately wooded with rocky outcrops scattered across the landscape. Despite a lot of open throws, the design utilizes guarded greens to add to the difficulty of pure distance. The elevation provides some fantastic views of the surrounding area, countryside, and nearby mountains.

12. Eureka Lake Temporary Disc Golf Course, Eureka, Illinois

Eureka Lake Temporary Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Eureka Lake Temporary Disc Golf Course History in Brief

The temporary course at Eureka Lake was first created in 2015 to challenge the best players in the world. It is only set up for the Ledgestone Open and other special tournament events each year. Since 2015, it has seen many layout tweaks and rule changes. In its early years, stroke-and-distance OB was king at Eureka Temp. If a player threw an OB shot, they would take a one-stroke penalty and rethrow from their previous lie. In 2018, the stroke-and-distance penalties were totally removed from the course. The course hosts the annual Ledgestone Open and was also used in the 2019 Pro Disc Golf World Championships.

Eureka Lake Temporary Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The signature hole at Eureka Temp is hole 9, known as "the bridge hole." This 354-foot/108-meter par 3 tees through a bridge to an island green. Players are forced to throw down the length of the 100-foot/31-meter bridge before their disc can hit open air and glide toward the basket. Missing the island from the tee can prove disastrous as the drop zone is located at the near end of the bridge, forcing a 256-foot/78-meter shot onto the small green just to save bogey (well, unless you ring it up for the miracle par).

What's Eureka Lake Temporary Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Eureka Temp is an expansive park-style course playing over and around Eureka Lake. It incorporates extensive artificial OB and, as you might guess from the name, plenty of water.

Big arms will have advantages on several holes, but placement reigns supreme over power on this course. The layout opens with a par 4 and a long water carry that gets longer the more aggressively players attack for birdie position. The course then moves into an open park area with large mature trees before playing through a wide-open field for several holes.

The back nine, especially four of the last six holes, is long and grueling with artificial OB and water defining relatively narrow fairways.

11. Brazos Park East (The BEast) Disc Golf Course, Waco, Texas

Brazos Park East (The BEast) Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Brazos Park East (The BEast) Disc Golf Course History in Brief

This course is familiarly called the "BEast," but not just because that's an intimidating way to shorten "Brazos East." It truly is a demanding layout that tests touring professionals year after year during the Waco Annual Charity Open. The course has been in the ground since 2003 but it was revamped in 2014. Although several pars have changed, the 2014 version of the course is essentially the same layout fans around the world have seen at WACO each year.

Brazos East was the main reason why WACO was added to the Disc Golf Pro Tour in the first place. In 2017, when the DGPT was looking to build out its tour, then-director Steve Dodge fell in love with this track on the banks of the Brazos River and pushed hard for the annual WACO event (which hadn't previously been using Brazos Park) to join the tour using the BEast as its feature course.

The BEast is also one of Texas' top-ranked disc golf courses.

Brazos Park East (The BEast) Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The BEast's signature hole is none other than its final one (at least in the DGPT layout). Formerly an eagle-able par 4, hole 18 has been a par 3 in recent WACO iterations that asks players seeking a birdie to hit a fairly small in-bounds green area after carrying well over 400 feet/121 meters of water. There are plenty of spots where players can lay up if they want a fairly safe par, but when the wind is up, even those lay-ups can be dangerous as OB lines and water lurk everywhere. Considering WACO is almost always close near its conclusion, this risk-reward hole is the perfect dramatic finish.

What's Brazos Park East (The BEast) Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The BEast has a mix of everything. There are tight, wooded shots for a portion of the course and then park-style holes with grassy fairways and large, mature trees. Long, open, distance testers can also be found on the track. Anywhere out of the woods, the Texas wind could be a huge factor when its up.

10. Northwood Black Disc Golf Course, Morton, Illinois

Northwood Black Disc Golf Course Stats

Northwood Black Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Disc golf has been a part of Northwood Park since the early 2000s. The original course was installed and designed by Greg Nettles. Since then it has been revamped three times. Once after the inaugural Ledgestone Insurance Open in 2011, once for the 2019 Pro Disc Golf World Championships, and finally for the 2021 Ledgestone Open event.

The most recent redesign split the park into two separate courses: Blue and Black. The Black course features a few of the previous holes from the Gold layout, which was available from 2019-2021, but it's mostly brand-new designs. It is widely regarded as the most difficult and punishing course on the pro circuit.

Northwood Black Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 12 is, without a doubt, the signature hole on the course. From the MPO tee, this 1,050-foot/320-meter par 5's initial drive features, like much of the course, a long, tight tunnel shot. If a player is able to navigate the narrow alley with power (a big ask even for the world's best), they're rewarded with an open look on their second shot. If not, they have to settle for pitching up short of the bridge, which is only halfway to the basket.

The preferred landing zone off the MPO tee is similar to the location of the FPO tee (725 feet/221 meters from the pin), and from there the two holes play the same. There is an uphill shot into a tight tunnel barely wide enough to fit a truck through, an approach (or two...or four) through that same tunnel, and then, finally, a putt.

The rough off the fairway is extremely unforgiving, and even staying in the fairway but missing a landing zone could be a critical mistake because doing so is likely to completely cut off any good angle for an ensuing shot. Competitors also need to be wary of the last 300 feet/91 meters along the left side because just past the tree line is a steep gorge that funnels straight down to the creek about 80 feet/24 meters below.

What's Northwood Black Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

This heavily-wooded course is an absolute beast. There are more par 4s (eight) than par 3s (seven) on this track. Add in three par 5s and this course is just as mentally draining as it is physically demanding. To call the rough "thick" would be an understatement. It provides natural OB that almost forces players to lose strokes pitching back to the fairway.

Only hole 10 plays like an open, park-style hole. The remaining 17 holes are long tunnels of varying shapes and distances weaving through the dense woods of Northwood Park. Players looking to unleash on a drive must have pinpoint accuracy or they will finish deep in the rough.

9. North Cove: Boulders Disc Golf Course, Marion, North Carolina

North Cove: Boulders Disc Golf Course Basic Info

North Cove: Boulders Disc Golf Course History in Brief

For the history of the multi-course North Cove disc golf destination in North Carolina, check out theentry above for North Cove: The Gorge.

North Cove: Boulders Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The signature hole on the Boulders course is hole 7. About 650 feet/198 meters from the long tee and just over 500 feet/152 meters from the short, this par 4 moves east-to-west across the river. The downhill tee shot brings the OB river into play for a fun opening throw, but the real highlight of the hole comes at the green. The basket sits within a pile of boulders on the side of a hill at the entrance to what looks like a miniature cave. The rocky outcrop limits approaches so much from above and behind that the only putting angles come from the front and sides.

What's North Cove: Boulders Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The Boulders course is an intermediate-level track that ranges from open to partially wooded. Its main challenges lie in distance and elevation changes. Rock features are prevalent throughout and are incorporated as throwing obstacles, picturesque decorations, and challenges on the green. The rocky ground and quick elevation changes make throwing with ground-play in mind more important than usual. The majority of the Boulders course winds along the North Fork Catawba River, bringing water into play on several holes.

8. Kensington Toboggan Disc Golf Course, Milford Charter Township, Michigan

Kensington Toboggan Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Kensington Toboggan Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Discraft founder, Jim Kenner, designed and laid out a temporary course for the 2000 PDGA World Championships using the toboggan runs at Kensington Metropark. The layout was an instant hit and has hosted the United States Amateur Disc Golf Championship every year since 2002. It first appeared on the DGPT in 2018 during the Great Lakes Open when Paul McBeth pulled off his historic 18-under second round.

Being on a toboggan run, the course was always meant to be temporary. Historically, it was only open for less than two months per year – just enough time to squeeze in the USADGC and the Great Lakes Open. However, in 2021 Nate Heinold was hired to run the event and was successful in acquiring permission for the installation of permanent cement tee pads. The layout is still seasonal and baskets are pulled in early November to make way for the sledding hills, but the course is available for play in much of summer and early fall.

Kensington Toboggan Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

After the layout was tweaked in 2021, the signature hole became hole 5. A picturesque, downhill, right-to-left tunnel shot through tall trees over a green grass fairway in the middle of the woods. Keeping the disc pushing straight for long enough to fly beyond the trees and fade toward the basket takes both accuracy and power on this 480-foot/146-meter par 3.

What's Kensington Toboggan Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The course is extremely hilly with moderate woods. The fairways are beautifully manicured, but the rough is some of the thickest on tour. Elevation is the defining factor at the Toboggan. Almost every tee shot brings some sort of hill into play. Previously known as a bomber-friendly course, the 2021 and 2022 redesigns have made precision an additional prerequisite for success.

7. Airborn Preserve: Black Bear Disc Golf Course, Clearwater, Minnesota

Airborn Preserve: Black Bear Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Airborn Preserve: Black Bear Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Experienced pro disc golfer, course designer, and Minnesota native Cale Leiviska had always dreamt of a private course he could call his own. He had attempted to purchase an abandoned traditional golf course in 2019, but the deal ultimately fell through. One year later, Leiviska was driving home from the COVID-shortened WACO tournament, contemplating what this new pandemic was going to do to the world and his beloved sport of disc golf when the phone rang. In a twist of fate, the owners of the former traditional golf course were now open to the offer from Leiviska they'd previously denied, and the long-time pro jumped at the opportunity.

Desperate for suitable venues in the heavily-regulated early days of the COVID pandemic and trusting Leiviska's reputation as a designer, player, and organizer, the DGPT decided they'd take a leap of faith by having an Elite Event at Leiviska's new Airborn Disc Golf Preserve less than four months after he'd purchased the land and even less time after he'd installed two courses on it. That inaugural DGPT event went swimmingly, Leiviska's course design was well-received by touring pros, and the Preserve Championship is now a staple on the tour.

Since its first appearance on the DGPT circuit, the Preserve has expanded into the woods, a third course has been added, and the design elements have been perfected to make the entire property a destination for all players (hence why two of its courses are ranked as top disc golf destinations in Minnesota). The Black Bear layout plays across all three of the Preserve's courses to make one giant championship-level experience.

Airborn Preserve: Black Bear Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 12 is a 348-foot/106-meter pure tunnel shot. Arguably the most beautiful hole on the course, the green foliage blankets the right edge and ceiling of this narrow fairway for the entire length of the hole. The green is mulched to make the finish even more majestic as the mighty Mississippi River flows in the background. The tunnel itself is difficult to navigate, and the green is no picnic. The basket sits dangerously close to a downslope that leads straight to the river. Any errant putt will leave players with a steep comeback putt and possibly an OB stroke to go with it.

What's Airborn Preserve: Black Bear Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Black Bear combines the best and most challenging holes from the Preserve's Lynx, Timberwolf, and Red Fox courses. The layout ranges from open links-style holes to long park-style shots to technical wooded lines. The occasional water hazards from the defunct traditional golf course add an extra element of beauty and difficulty. Distance is king on this course, but accuracy on approaches is not far behind. Not a fan of artificial OB lines, Leiviska uses them sparingly and finds ways to let the course challenge players on its own – and gives players the chance rescue their scores if they can pull off a spectacular throw following a poor one.

6. Harmony Bends Disc Golf Course, Columbia, Missouri

Harmony Bends Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Harmony Bends Disc Golf Course History in Brief

In 2012, the Columbia Disc Golf Club wanted to supply their local community with a true championship course. They had plenty of space and unused land at Columbia's Strawn Park, so they reached out to world-renowned course designer, John Houck. Over the next four years, Houck, along with Columbia Parks and Rec, transformed an unruly plot of land with meandering rivers and natural obstructions into a one-of-a-kind destination course capable of hosting the best in the world. Since then, Harmony Bends has played host to a number of large events including the annual Mid America Open.

Harmony Bends Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

The finishing hole at Harmony Bends is a true standout. The 870-foot/265-meter par 5 asks for a downhill tee shot through a tight, tree-lined fairway. The second half of the hole presents players with scenic beauty and a daunting creek that crosses the fairway on three occasions. From the preferred landing zone at the bottom of the slope, players have three options: 1) a wide, safe route to the far right of the creek that adds distance, 2) a slightly higher stakes shot along the edge of the creek, or 3) a risky shot directly over the creek that can bring eagle into play if executed perfectly.

What's Harmony Bends Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Harmony Bends is mostly a wooded-to-moderately-wooded layout, but it features a handful of open throws that offer players the chance to choose which lines they take. The rolling, boulder-filled hills and grassy, tree-lined fairways make this place beautiful year-round. Harmony Creek snakes its way through the course, providing unique obstacles and water hazards as it winds through the same fairways multiple times on some occasions. Precision with a variety of shot shapes is needed to excel at Harmony Bends.

5. Milo McIver Disc Golf Course, Estacada, Oregon

Milo McIver Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Milo McIver Disc Golf Course History in Brief

The State of Oregon purchased formerly private land in 1968 to create Milo McIver State Park. The property had previously been developed to become a nine-hole traditional golf course. The traditional golf venture never came to fruition, but the cleared portions of the park were still there.

About 25 years after the state park opened, Wally Raker and David Vargas helped spur the installation of a permanent 18-hole course on those never-played fairways. A few years later, local pro Aaron Kirschling stepped in to expand the layout into the championship course that it is today. Notably, the layout used for pros is a mix of Milo's East and West courses.

COVID did a number on the entire world and Milo McIver was no exception. With restrictions in place, no one was able to keep the park groomed and maintained, causing the disc golf course to shut down for a significant period. Park officials and volunteers worked hard to return the property to its former glory and the course was back in 2022 for its flagship event: the Beaver State Fling.

To get an even more in-depth look at this track's history, check out our profile from when Milo McIver was among the world's top 10 disc golf courses in 2021.

Milo McIver Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Milo is packed with memorable holes, but 10 is a knockout. It's dubbed the "Genius Hole" because when designers were trying to figure out a tee location, someone suggested the elevated point where the iconic tee now stands, and the immediate response was simply, "Genius."

Beginning on the edge of a small cliff and looking down a sloping tunnel of mature evergreens, this 585-foot/178-meter par 4 is majestic in every way – from the tight tee shot, to the well-defined grassy fairway, to the elevated pin tucked alongside a massive cedar. Hole 10 can produce large numbers but also offers bigger arms a chance for eagle.

What's Milo McIver Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The course plays through the diverse terrain of Milo McIver State Park, just southeast of Portland. Rolling green hills and towering coniferous trees define this course. Well-rounded throwers have the greatest chance of success as the course demands a wide variety of shot shapes at a range of distances. OB roads and paths come into play on a handful of holes as well as small island greens. There are holes under 200 feet/61 meters and holes well over 1,000 feet/305 meters.

4. Idlewild Disc Golf Course, Burlington, Kentucky

Idlewild Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Idlewild Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Idlewild was born from the death of a previous course. In 1997, the nearby Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport was expanding space for a new runway and took over a plot of land that housed Limaburg Park and its popular disc golf course. Saddened with the demise of Limaburg, locals Robert Herbert and Fred Salaz set out to find a new place to house disc golf in the area. They settled on the city's replacement for Limaburg Park, which was a mostly untapped piece of land they were naming Idlewild Park.

Unable to use power equipment in the park, Herbert and Salaz led a team that slowly chipped away at the park's dense woods for three years. Their dream was to create a design where par would feel like an accomplishment and birdies would bring a sense of euphoria. They succeeded.

Learn even more about this track's backstory in our profile from when Idlewild was among the world's top 10 disc golf courses in 2021.

Idlewild Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 2 features a long tunnel shot off the tee with a pair of trees in the middle that force a decision to play either left or right to reach the preferred landing zone on this par 4.

The opening shot is slightly downhill and requires players to navigate two mini-hills and valleys within the initial tunnel that can spell ground play disaster if their disc isn't in the air long enough. Once competitors reach the landing zone, a more daunting decision awaits.

The basket sits on a guarded green beyond a water hazard with the same pond continuing along the left side of the green. The target is also on a hillside that slopes toward the water at an angle unfavorable to right-hand hyzer throws. Even a well-placed approach can find edge and roll to the water if it hits a guardian tree or the landing angle isn't ideal.

What's Idlewild Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Idlewild Park has plenty of open space, but the course plays through dense woods for a majority of the layout. Tight lines and water hazards abound and one small tree kick can mean a big number on any hole. Small greens surrounded by a creek are a signature feature on this course as well. They might be pretty to look at, but they can be deadly to your score. The design also makes use of elevation, demanding long downhill shots, uphill shots, and unique lines along hillsides.

3. Øverås DiscGolfPark, Øverås, Norway

Øverås Diskgolfpark Basic Info

Øverås Diskgolfpark History in Brief

It began as six homemade baskets on the farmland of owner Sivert Øveraas in 2013. Gradually, with the help of local volunteers and funding from nearby businesses, the farmland turned into a world class disc golf course nicknamed Ragnarok, the world-ending event of Norse mythology.

Learn even more about this track's backstory in our profile from when Øverås was among the world's top 10 disc golf courses in 2022.

Øverås Discgolfpark Course Signature Hole

Enter the Gates of Valhalla on the signature sixth hole. Teeing from an elevated platform, players must throw downhill through a tree-framed fairway to a triple mando (two sides of which are giant viking swords). The visual from the tee pad shows off an incredible view of the fjord and surrounding mountains, but the hole is more than just beauty. Missing the triple mando will add strokes to your round and throwing downhill at a target is easier said than done.

What's Øverås Discgolfpark Like to Play?

The course mixes elevation changes with wooded golf and more open shots made difficult with ample OB. Rocky ground and slopes define most of this course though grassy clearings are also prevalent. Mountain views and a majestic look over the Midfjorden provide a scenic backdrop unlike anything at U.S. DGPT events.

2. Glendoveer Disc Golf Course, Portland, Oregon

Glendoveer Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Glendoveer Disc Golf Course History in Brief

The Glendoveer property has housed two functioning traditional golf courses for nearly a century. In fact, it was the first 36-hole complex in Oregon. It has been a budget-friendly favorite for players all over the Portland area since opening.

In 2021, the DGPT's Portland Open was prepared once again to showcase the legendary Blue Lake disc golf course to the northeast of the city. But when that opportunity fell through in the aftermath of COVID, the DGPT had to look for another property in Portland. Crunched for time, they worked with Oregon native and pro disc golfer Dustin Keegan to lay out a course on the Glendoveer Golf Course in a matter of weeks. When players turned the course into a birdie-fest at the 2021 event, Keegan stepped in again with a major redesign for 2022, a layout which tested the best in the world.

Glendoveer Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

A massive, downhill rip is what players need off the tee of hole 5. Framed by the DGPT stanchions, this signature par 4 is memorable for both the tee shot and the approach.

It measures 910 feet/277 meters, but the elevated tee shot often allows top-level players to cut the hole in half at worst. The challenge comes at the landing zone, which is bordered by four large hazard sand traps and an OB golf green. Then, on the approach, players must clear another OB traditional golf green and a small pond. Last, but not least, the basket sits atop a small rise with OB not too far behind, causing poorly angled upshots to stand up and roll back toward the pond.

What's Glendoveer Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

The course plays through and around the well-groomed traditional golf fairways of the Glendoveer Golf Course. The layout is littered with OB cart paths, traditional golf greens, and hazard sand traps with the addition of ponds on a few holes. Big distance is a signature feature of this course, but the OB can lead to big numbers for aggressive players who are off their game by just a bit. It utilizes elevation and the towering red cedars whenever possible for challenge and scenic effect, and there are a high number of guarded greens.

1. Maple Hill Disc Golf Course, Leicester, Massachusetts

Maple Hill Disc Golf Course Basic Info

Maple Hill Disc Golf Course History in Brief

Ranking as the world's best disc golf course for the last three years in a row, Maple Hill has been building its reputation and quality up since 2003. Inspired by a love of disc golf and the construction of the nearby, private Pyramids course, cousins Steve Dodge and Tom Southwick had a dream to build something immaculate. Southwick had grown up on the Maple Hill Christmas tree farm and Dodge had vacationed there in his youth, and both knew the property had enormous potential. Even now, in all its glory, Maple Hill is still an operating Christmas tree farm and shuts down from mid-November through Christmas to sell Christmas trees to consumers.

Tucked away in the northeastern United States, Maple Hill wasn't an instant success, but its prestige steadily grew as more people saw the vision for a disc golf paradise creep toward reality. In 2008, the high-profile Vibram Open was held at Maple Hill (now the MVP Open), which cemented the course's reputation among pros and put it in the minds of disc golf's hardcore fans as a bucket list destination.

Maple Hill Disc Golf Course Signature Hole

Hole 1 encompasses the full beauty of Maple Hill all at once, making it the signature hole on the property. Teeing off the top of a hill, players get the opportunity to crush on their opening drive. They (hopefully) watch their discs soar over a pond and part of the tree farm before the real meat of the hole kicks in. The approach to the green is guarded and surrounded by OB, giving players a tough decision to go for the birdie or play it safe and lay up at the mouth of the woods for par.

What's Maple Hill Disc Golf Course Like to Play?

Besides wide open flat shots in a field, Maple Hill has pretty much everything. Elevated tees? Check. Elevated pins? Check. Long shots, short shots, open shots? Check, check, check. Every hole features the woods in some facet, whether it be a guarded green, a tunneled fairway, or a gap off the tee, but Maple Hill goes far beyond just a woods course. It even has water hazards on several holes which add an element of risk to a handful of already challenging shot shapes.

What Are the Best Courses on the Disc Golf Pro Tour (DGPT)?

Learn More About the World's Best Disc Golf Courses

UDisc has the largest and most frequently updated disc golf course directory in the world, and we like to help disc golfers learn which courses should be on their radar as phenomenal destinations. Take a look at these posts to learn more about some of the best disc golf courses in the world and in your country:

• World's Best Disc Golf Courses 2023: #1-100
• The 5 Best Disc Golf Courses in Each U.S. State
• The 5 Best Disc Golf Courses in Every Country

Another great resource for finding courses in your region or one you're visiting is UDisc Places. Use it to check out what sort of disc golf courses are available inanytown, city, state, province, territory, etc. in the world.

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