dgNOMAD Glow Chains/Portable Disc Golf Glow Target Review by JT
Posted by randomtiz
Good evening!
Do you enjoy night disc golf? Have you ever wanted to get into night disc golf? Or do you simply wish you just had a super lightweight practice target that you could easily tote around and set up in minutes?
Just about everyone could use some practice on their short-game, right?
Well I might just have an idea—or solution if you will—if you answered “yes” to any of the above questions.
A few weeks ago I posted a teaser video for this upcoming review here on the blog. Let me just preface this by saying the filming of this 13 minute video review took longer than anticipated to cut, edit and produce the music track in it. But several weeks later and many late nights put into it, I can proudly say IT’S FINISHED!
Just in case you missed the teaser, the guys at dgNOMAD were grateful enough to send a set of their new UV Glow Chains for us to review right here on Dogleg. While I was at it, I also bought one of their Ultralight Portable UV Disc Golf Glow Targets to include in the review as well. Both of these products are awesome I must say!
OK enough of the suspense already, just watch the video review!
Once again, special thanks to Jeff at dgNOMAD for hooking us up and a BIG thanks to fellow Doglegger Justin for filming and producing this video. You guys rock!
To get your very own dgNOMAD Glow Chains or dgNOMAD Ultralight Portable Disc Golf Target, check them out at dgNOMAD.com. Tell them DoglegDiscGolf sent you! =)
-jt
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Prodigy D1 & D4 Review
Posted by alphagenerator
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I will use the post to drive more user feedback. Take my brief review with a grain of salt, as I was forced to play with my non-dominant hand… still recovering from shoulder surgery. |
Most, if not all, proto D1 & D4 discs currently come in max weight. The D1 is meant to be very fast and over stable, without the dreaded meat hook at the end. The flight path was narrowed significantly… reducing the side-to-side travel down the fairway. The inner lip has been rounded as part of Prodigy’s patented Easy Release Technology. The easy release is meant to reduce both grip lock and blisters. (Soap Box Rant: Innova’s most recent production of discs (late 2012) has a micro-bead on the inner lip that is extremely sharp and difficult to release.)
I am consistently getting more distance (20-40 ft) on every throw with both the D1 and D4. The D1 flies over stable, as intended. Prodigy claims the D1 flies well into a headwind as it does with a tailwind. I have yet to play in these conditions.
The D4 is designed as a very fast, under stable driver. In my experience, this disc is not under stable. I would actually classify it as slightly over stable. Obviously, I am not getting a solid pop on my release, but I was expecting something along the lines of a fast Innova Roadrunner or Mamba (Definitely not the case). I figure a 150 class disc will make the D4’s alleged under stability more apparent.
Overall I am happy with the purchase and look forward to throwing more Prodigy plastic. Both of these discs throw very well and get max-d with every toss.
What are your comments / reviews?
– Jeremiah
Golden Retriever, Not Always a Man’s Best Friend
Posted by randomtiz
Today I’m reviewing the “Golden Retriever” by Disc Diver. I bought a “Golden Retriever” about two years ago after I started losing more and more discs to ponds and lakes on disc golf courses that I was frequenting at the time. Reality is, losing discs suck. Especially on repeated occasions, because plastic “ain’t” cheap. I had even switched to discs such as Innova Dragon’s that float, but their super light 150g weight severely affected my distance from the box.
After multiple attempts with sticks, fishing rods and the occasional “swim” for a disc, I got tired of trudging through algae-infested mud-ridden ponds retrieving my weary discs. I knew there had to be a better alternative to fish out discs without having to actually swim with them in hopes to find my sunken disc and not catch some disease…
Then I found Disc Diver’s “Golden Retriever” and what seemed to be a clever invention–a disc retriever for discs sunken in the water. I watched the video on their site and was immediately sold. (Currently ~$25-30 on several disc golf websites out there.) I had just lost two discs a week earlier, so I was ecstatic about getting this thing in the mail. Almost considered rush shipping because I wanted those discs back that bad. Seems like a handy tool to frolfers everywhere, right? I’ll let you be the judge of that.
First you might ask What exactly is the Golden Retriever or How does the Golden Retriever work?
According to their website, DiscDiver.com, it is a fold-able device that’s “designed to retrieve sunken golf discs from the bottom of water hazards. It only takes a few seconds and is exceptionally easy to operate. The Discdiver ‘Golden Retriever’ is small enough to fit in any disc bag or back pocket.”
- Simply tug on the Golden Retriever’s throw rope to unfold it.
- Then toss it beyond the golf disc and pull across to retrieve.
- As it skims across the bottom of the hazard, it will scoop and retain the disc.
Seems easy, right? The concept of it is, yes, a fact very easy. Actually successfully throwing it and retrieving the disc? Not so much. Now let me explain; and this is why I named this post the way I did.
The Disc Diver “Golden Retriever” only successfully works under very specific conditions. If you watch the video on their site and notice, you can clearly see the disc sunken in the bottom of a shallow creek. The “Golden Retriever” works really when you can actually see your disc. I don’t know about you guys, but the ponds and lakes around here are both murky and have muddy bottoms. You’re S.O.L. trying to use one of these things around here as you throw blind into the water. The “Golden Retriever’s” back bar frame is barely as wide as the disc itself. With that said, you must have the “Golden Retriever” lined up almost perfectly behind the disc as you drag it over it. Just think if you can’t even see the disc?! Now you understand.
The goal is to throw it so it lands behind your disc. Let it hit the bottom, then carefully drag it towards you as you pull on the supplied 15-30 ft. line (TIP: Make damn sure you have the other end of your line tied to your body or bag. I’ve thrown the whole thing—line and all—into a pond before and spent another 30 min trying to retrieve that too!). As the “Golden Retriever” approaches your disc, the lip of the frame should catch on the underside of the rim of your disc. The disc somewhat “locks” into place in the back of the frame. Don’t try to lift up on it or you might drop the disc, just keep pulling straight towards you.
But what I’m not sold on is how effective it is in a variety of scenarios. Yes, it works wonderfully in a clear body of water with a smooth ground bottom. I would simply suggest actually observing the different bodies of water around your local courses before considering one of these. Like I mentioned earlier, here in the Southeastern states—where I play most of my disc golf–ponds are very murky, have muddy bottoms that often covered with algae, slimy plant life and debris. And I’m going to be perfectly honest with you; If your local ponds have any characteristics like the aforementioned pond descriptions, I do not see this product being of any help to you. Check out this picture to the side, this is what I “retrieved” with one throw into a disc golf pond while playing in Mississippi. If the pond has any kind of grass/weeds like that, there’s no way you’re returning anything that you hoped you would be. If you’re into kelp or need weeds for your home aquarium, go for it. =)
Another thing, this really only works if the bottom of the pond/lake/river is near flat. If there’s debris, large rocks, or limbs then you might be in trouble. The bottom floor needs to be near flat in order for the retriever to “scoop” up the disc. It does have a slight learning curve with getting it to fall and line up with your disc though. Don’t get me wrong, the “Golden Retriever” does have several great features as well as being super compact and portable! Its lightweight design has a high-vis color paint that helps visibility in slightly murky water. The ones I’ve seen online now actually come with up to 50 ft of line. Just keep in mind, it’s all about lining the retriever up with the sunken disc and being able to actually see the disc in the water. If these two conditions apply to your sunken disc, then you have a high chance of being able to recover your lost disc!
Honestly I’ve retrieved more of my friend’s discs than any of mine. It does work to a degree. I finally feel like I’ve gotten my money’s worth two years later. I take it with me every time I go out on the course just in case. But in most scenarios, this might not be your best friend when trouble arises.
Would love to hear anyone else’s stories and/or feedback if you own/or have ever used a Disc Diver “Golden Retriever”?
-jt
dgNOMAD UV Portable Target Review Teaser
Posted by randomtiz
Earlier this week I received my dgNOMAD Ultralight UV Portable Target and a set of Glow Chains for my DGA Mach Lite in the mail! Join some of the Dogleg Crew as we will be doing a full review of both of these products from dgNOMAD in another week or so here on our blog. Check out this quick teaser for now!
Enjoy!
-jt
Weekend Recap Part II: White Oak Park
Posted by randomtiz
Our disc golf-filled Saturday last weekend concluded with a trip to White Oak Park DGC.
After a successful round at Deer Lick [Read Deer Lick DGC Recap here.], the three of us headed down the road to the next course on our list, White Oak.
White Oak Park Disc Golf Course is a very large, open park with long, beautiful rolling hills located in Dallas, GA. It is one of my Top 5 Georgia disc golf courses that I’ve played around here. Although I wish it was a lot closer to where I live, but the experience and the views never fail me each time I go. Two things that really draw me to White Oak Park are: 1) Several elevated teebox areas set you up nicely for long, open drives to a downhill basket and 2) Signature Hole #17’s pond-flyover to a peninsula green [See image inset below.]
Signature Hole #17 at White Oak Park. Yellow line indicates roughly a 180-200ft shot over the pond. Or take your chances on the blue line with a 380ft shot to the bank in front of the basket.
Once we got there, the disc golf part of the park (in the very back) was nearly vacant. Awesome, for disc golf. We met up with fellow contributor and Doglegger, Destin here to join us for this round. The weather was nice, mid 50’s and overcast with little wind. I was a little disappointed to find out that the park had temporarily removed holes #13 and 14 due to frolfers disrespect to neighboring properties. I started off with a rough start dropping me to +4 after just the first 2 holes. I think I hit every tree in sight. I turned it on at Hole #7 with a short-lived birdie streak run. Pulled it back together at the end and finished at +5. Not bad for me for that course.
Here’s a look at some pics from that day at White Oak along with videos of our Hole #17 pond-flyovers! I apologize for the crappy quality uploads from our phone.
Destin launching a killer drive from atop Hole #8’s elevated teebox area.
White Oak’s Hole #17 — Looking back towards teebox.
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*To read Destin’s White Oak Review and his tips on adjusting your grip and disc weight for winter weather, click here.
Weekend Recap: Deer Lick Park DGC
Posted by randomtiz
This past Saturday marked the first chance I’ve had this year to actually get out on the disc golf course. Prior to last weekend, I hadn’t played a round since being home for Thanksgiving. I was going through some serious disc golf withdrawals let me tell you. I normally play once a week. But with a strew of nasty weather, long work days, and being out-of-town on the weekends, I haven’t been able to.
Last weekend brought cloudy skies and milder temps reaching the mid 50s. Finally, it was nice enough to get out and throw. I had wanted to try a different course that I’d never played before. It’s a course that’s roughly an hour south of here called Deer Lick Park in Douglasville, GA. I actually tried to play this course last February when I just happened to be in the area. I only made it through the first six holes before calling it quits because I couldn’t feel my fingers any more. Obviously not dressed warm enough, temperatures were in the lower 40s that day with wind gusts near 20 mph. No condition to play in favorably. I wanted to give it another shot. So I called up the guys and it was time to roll!
Deer Lick starts out with two shorter holes barely breaking 200 ft. With not having played in well over a month, I was pretty satisfied when my first drive landed within 15 ft from the basket and sinking my first bird of the new year. Hole #3 got a little more interesting when the length doubled from the previous two holes and ran parallel to a large pond on the left. Not only did you have the pond and increasing wind speeds picking up, the fairway consisted of varying tree obstacles and being completely on a downward slant towards the pond.
Hole #4 we got to tee off throwing around powerline support cables to a downhill basket tucked into the wood line which was protected by a small, winding creek [Inset on right]. The next few tinkered through the woods and then back out to a field and across the street. In the pic below is Justin with a long par save attempt on #7.
#8 introduced us to a 463′ long straight, slightly downhill fairway that ran parallel to a county road. The only thing stopping a wayward disc were two rows of 6’+ tall shrubs. All three of us landed near the road if you were wondering. I had a terrible drive when I released the disc too late which pulled it way left (I’m LHBH thrower). It went smack into the thicket and dropped at the inside edge. I had a killer approach shot from ~300 and parked it within 10′ from the basket…Not sure how that happened, but I’ll take it.
As luck would have it, my bro lands behind a set of trees on Deer Lick’s #13. You can barely see him through the trees. Up and over for par save? You got this bro! [Inset image above.]
As we got to the back 9, #15 was pretty interesting. A kudzu-filled hole. [Inset image above.]
I really enjoyed Deer Lick Park. It sets less than 5 min off of I-20 West coming out of Atlanta. Very quite and serene in the disc golf area, hardly anyone playing disc golf. I like the courses where we can play at our own speed and not have to wait on the group ahead of us. This course was built back in 1997, but it well maintained. At this park, there are ball fields, a gymnasium, batting cages, skatepark, mini golf, and whatnot! This disc golf part of it is mild-moderately hilly with a good mix of long open holes and tighter, wooded holes. I did pretty well and lucked up with some incredible approach shots. I finished at +2—not too shabby considering not playing for over a month and being a newbie to the course. We had a good time all around and was a great first round for me of the new year. I will definitely go back and play there again.
-jt
UP NEXT: WHITE OAK PARK: WEEKEND RECAP COMING TOMORROW, STAY TUNED!
Around the Rock: Disc Golf Game App Review
Posted by randomtiz
This past month and a half, I have been playing and testing out disc golf game apps for the iPhone. One of the latest ones I’ve been trying out is called Around the Rock Disc Golf Challenge by Tribaloid Games. I first found out about these guys through their twitter account, @ATRDiscGolf. Curious, I looked them up and found out what “Around The Rock Disc Golf” actually was. It looked like a pretty sweet arcade-style disc golf game from the few screenshots I saw. With the Daylight Savings Time ending and winter ahead, my discgolf-round-after-work would no longer be an option. I hate having to wait until the weekends to play now, but hey, I’m thankful that I can even do that! Anyways I was looking for an addictive disc golf app that I could play on these evenings after a long day at work. I had to check this one out.
At the time of downloading, I still had my old iPhone 3GS. I did not realize until later on that this game was optimized for the new iPhone 5. So I was confused when I first launched the game and noticed everything was blown up and hanging off the edges of the screen. How in the world was I supposed to play? Frustrated, I turned back to the app store to read the reviews/description for it and read that part about the optimization. Well, I was in luck. I had just so happened to upgrade to the iPhone 5 a few weeks prior and was waiting its arrival. So I wanted to delay this review until I gave it a fair shot on my new phone. Got my phone. So here goes..
Getting Started:
At the home screen I was welcomed with subtle animations in the background and NO music ambience—which I actually preferred. A previous disc golf game I reviewed had an annoying melody bit playing on the home screen that I was immediately put off by. Turn me off from the beginning and more than likely I’ll feel the same throughout the experience. So, yes, I was pleased to not have music on the home screen. A hovering, spinning island-like green in the air? This looks interesting. I’m hooked so far. Let’s start with Practice mode (and it says “Make Aces”..I like the sound of that).
First pop-up, instructions, YES! I’ve find the lack of this often in games and apps. I need to know how to play! So where’s the instructions?! Ya know? Usually it’s tucked away somewhere or not even there period. I was glad to see instructions popup immediately without having to search for them. I felt like they could have been a little larger on the screen, but at least they’re there. Oo I like this screen—definitely the arcade look, but this looks like the ultimate “disc golf dream”…Disc Golf Heaven?
Prepping to Throw:
Subtle wind noise, birds and crickets chirping fill the air. The blue compass indicator at the top of the screen is your directional pad/aim. Move this around to adjust for the wind and height of your throw. Next, you need to figure out how much power/disc you will need for your shot. This is indicated by a vertical scroller bar on the right side of the screen. Slide your finger up and down this to adjust the level of power. The lower the slider bar is, the lighter and less power (putter) the shot will be. For a driver, raise the slider bar towards the top. Anything in the middle would be like throwing your midrange. Pay attention to the distance to the basket in the bottom right of the screen. This will help in determining the amount of power you’ll need. I like how the location of the basket is indicated with rotating skyhigh yellow vertical lines. It’s easy to see way off in the distance (and times that the basket is located behind trees that block your line of view.) To actually throw, hold your finger on the red disc then quickly slide your finger up towards the top of the screen and release! Figuring out the windage, amount of power, and release point will take some practice. I like how it involves some physics and math so you’re not aceing every shot. If it’s that easy, what fun is that?
Ok I think I’ve got my throwing down for the most part, now let’s go try this Tournament mode. Wait..how do you quick Practice mode?? I’m only like 8 holes in. Do I really have to finish all 18 just to get back to the main menu screen? I don’t like that part of it. There should be an in-screen menu icon somewhere that I can click to easily quit. Please let me know if there is and I’m just overlooking it. Anyways, I had to double-tap my home button to get back to my phone’s home screen, close out the app, then restart it.
 Approach Shots: Now in Tournament mode, let’s discuss approach shots. Approach shots are set up just like your teepad shots. You have your wind indicator, power meter and distance to the basket showing. Depending on your tee shot went and the distance left to basket, you might need to power down on your power meter indicator. This is where you might need to move the indicator bar closer to the middle for a mid-range throw. Pay attention to the wind direction in relation to your basket position. Unfortunately I had a bad tee shot, which left me sitting right behind a big tree. Luckily the wind direction is in my favor so I’m going to angle this one up and to the right to allow my disc to curve around the tree back towards the basket. |
 Before teeing off on the next hole, pay close attention to the hole overview in the upper left corner. Most holes have multiple “floating islands”. You must land on one of these or else it’s Out of Bounds! Sometimes you will have to lay up because a full power throw might not necessarily get you to the second island. On the hole overview, you can see your current position indicated by a red dot and the basket’s position being a yellow dot. |
Putting:
Much the same as the first two, except for close-range shots you will need to downpower your throws and aim. The aiming target arrows place more eye-level with the basket. Adjust for slight windage if necessary. Pull your power level indicator bar almost all the way to the bottom to use your putter. Aim and fire away! Hopefully you heard chains on that one.
Try your best to stay out of and away from trees. I did notice a glitch when you land right up on a tree. Sometimes your next shot, the tree will cut into your view of the disc/basket. Gameplay-wise it won’t affect your throw, but mentally you’ll be throwing to a blind target.
Graphics:
I really enjoyed the arcade-style of the game as well as the graphics. Funky trees and funky floating islands make for an enjoyable sky-high, disc golf adventure in the clouds. Big plus on the rotating, tall yellow vertical beams that surround the hole. This makes it much easier to find the basket on those twisty holes with towering trees. I even liked the added “wisp” wind trail that follows the disc after each throw. And of course the added instructional graphic at the very beginning was a nice touch.
Sounds:
Like I mentioned earlier, very glad to not hear some cheesy intro tune at the main menu home screen. Sound effects sounded pretty good throughout my playing experience. During gameplay there was the subtle wind noise, birds and crickets chirping in the background which made for a nice outdoor ambiance. If I closed my eyes, it truly sounded like I was outdoors playing DG at my home course. Kudos there. And the sound we all love to hear, the rattling of the chains.
Summary:
Overall I very much enjoyed this disc golf game. It’s what I would consider to be the first arcade style of disc golf game that I’ve played/reviewed. It is challenging to say the least! I like having to guess how far my throws will go with the power indicator. It’s measured on a 9.6-12.5 meter—which I still not sure where that number range came from. Trying to figure out the right power level and correct aim will always have you coming back for more, practicing and honing in on your skills. It’s addictive enough because it’s challenging. I don’t like anything too easy, because one you beat or do awesome, then what?
My final thoughts to these guys that I feel did a really good job on the game! I feel like these few critique tips could help really put their app over the edge.
– Larger instructional graphic. There’s plenty of space on this screen that’s not utilized for the sake of the actual instructions. Having an iPhone 5, I found some of it difficult to read clearly.
– An in-screen menu. There needs to be a way to quit the game when you’re in Practice or Tournament mode. I don’t think you should have to finish all 18 holes just to get back to the main menu home screen. Hopefully, it’s there and I’m just overlooking it.
– Stuck in the Trees/View Glitch. I don’t know if there’s a way to fix this or not. But when you land in/behind a tree, your next shot is blocked by the limbs cutting into the disc/view of the basket. Nonetheless, it’ll teach you to stay as far away from the trees as possible!
-jt
» Go download Around the Rock Disc Golf now in the Apple Store for only $0.99!
Like this review? Be sure to check out our other disc golf app reviews here!
Innova Disc Golf Baskets: Which one is best for you?
Posted by briangiggey
Hi everyone! This is a guest blog post from Explore Disc Golf, a full-service disc golf design-build firm based in Western Massachusetts. We at Explore Disc Golf work exclusively with Innova Disc Golf products in our course designs, and took the time to take a look at the four types of baskets that Innova currently has on the market. While we install DISCatcher Pros at permanent courses, we have a fleet of DISCatcher Sports that we take on the road through The Mobile Disc Golf Experience, where we setup temporary courses at events up and down the east coast. DISCatcher Sports are wonderful for temporary courses and backyard putting, while DISCatcher Travelers and Skillshots are extremely portable for offering disc golf on the go. Check out some of the information we put together below and see what Innova Disc Golf basket is best for you!
Skillshot
The Skillshot, with it’s tripod leg system, enables this lightweight basket to be situated on hillsides as well as flat terrain, something not seen in the following three models. This model of basket is best for those who are constantly traveling, as it folds down to the size of an umbrella, and can be easily stored in your vehicle. The basket weighs in at 26 pounds, and has 16 chains — in comparison to the Traveler’s 12 — and is approved by the Professional Disc Golf Association. This basket, however, does lack the professional appearance of a typical disc golf basket, and is best used for backyard play and integration into physical education programs. This basket retails for $129 and can be found online or at the majority of local disc golf shops.
DISCatcher Traveler
The DISCatcher Traveler is Innova’s lightest basket, weighing in at only 16 pounds, and is terrific for disc golfers that are constantly in transit and looking to keep up with their thirst for the sport. Similar to the Skillshot, the DISCatcher Traveler comes with its own bag for easy transit. This basket, however, has the least amount of chains with 12, and is the least professional representation of a typical disc golf basket, although the dimensions are correct. This basket does have the ability to have mesh pulled around the chains to soft the sounds that so many of us love, but this is a plus for those who live in busy neighborhoods with neighbors right next door. The DISCatcher Sport can be purchased for $149, and while a sturdy basket for backyard play, we’d suggest that you spend the extra $50 and buy an incredibly nice basket in the DISCatcher Sport.
DISCatcher Sport
Our personal favorite out of the bunch, we highly suggest the DISCatcher Sport for any and all personal use. It is very comparable to the professional appearance of the DISCatcher Pro, while being more than half the weight at 40 pounds and a price tag of only $199. These basket — similar to the Skillshot and DISCatcher Traveler — have no way of preventing theft since they come with portable bases only. That being said, we at Explore Disc Golf, have found a way to secure the baskets in cement footings for temporary installation at events and locations like campgrounds, churches and schools. If you’d like more information, or to purchase one of these secured baskets, please contact us at info@explorediscgolf.com. With 18 outer chains and a small yellow band for visibility, this basket is extremely comparable to the DISCatcher Pro and a wonderful addition to backyard. This basket is admittedly less portable than the previous two baskets, but can still be broken down and stored away to the size of the tray, while the 40 pound frame can still be lugged through the woods as a single entity for friends that want to create a disc golf course on the go.
Innova DISCatcher Pro
The DISCatcher Pro is best suited for permanent courses. Weighing in at 85 pounds and costing the client $425 for a single basket, these high quality, durable baskets have 28 chains; bringing enhanced catch-ability with 14 outer chains, 7 intermediate chains and 7 inner chains. Clients can pick these basket up for $325 (plus shipping) per basket if you order 9 or more baskets, so if you’re looking for a single practice basket, this may not be your best bet. DISCatcher Pros do have a portable base (as seen in the picture) but are primarily situated and secured in sleeves that are concreted into the ground. This enables the client to easily move the basket to alternate sleeves on a hole to reduce compaction in any given area, while increasing the variety of the hole for players. A wonderful basket any way you slice it!
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If any of you folks out there have any questions about Innova Disc Golf baskets, please get in touch with us info@explorediscgolf.com or check out our website at www.explorediscgolf.com. Our most sought-after basket is our modified DISCatcher Sports where the baskets have 6 additional interior chains and are capable of being secured in the ground to prevent theft.
Explore Disc Golf’s primary services include Disc Golf Course Design, Site Planning Consultation and Installations, we also offer Course Improvements, Disc Golf Equipment Rentals and Merchandising — all done in house. We look forward to hearing from you and encourage you to check out some of our current projects on our website, ans sign up for our newsletter to stay in touch! Thanks for reading.
Mancation 2012: Denver Disc Golf (Part II)
Posted by randomtiz
Continued from Mancation 2012: Denver Disc Golf (Part I)
After Saturday’s windy experience and lack of elevation at Arvada’s Johnny Roberts DGC, I was a tad bitter with my Colorado disc golfing thus far. First of all, I thought Denver was mountainous and had a lot more hills than it turned out to have. I expected Colorado disc golf courses to be filled with firs, spruces, and aspens, elevation changes, cool breeze and impeccable, breathtaking scenic views. Don’t get me wrong, now the Johnny Roberts course was indeed fun, but it was just not the scenic course I was hoping for. We needed to find a bigger, better course before this trip was over.
Then I remembered back a few weeks prior to our trip, North Colorado Disc Golf (@NoCoDG) tweeted us and mentioned that we needed to get up in the hills—that that’s where the bigger, better courses are. We researched that night and found out about Conifer Park at Beaver Ranch. The only problem?, it was about 45 min north of Denver and we had no car. After calling around town, we luckily found a car rental place that actually still had cars available. [There were several big events and conferences going on that same weekend, so it was hard to find any still available.] Locked it in for Sunday, check. Now we’re headed to the Mountains, boys!
Goodbye city. Hello Mountains.
Conifer Park at Beaver Ranch (Conifer, CO)
The whole drive up to Conifer was really nice. The Rockies—once off in the distance—were finally now getting closer and closer. Steeper inclines ahead as we winded up the hills leaving the city behind. The directions we had were horrible..or either it was that stupid GPS. Either way, once we got off the main road it felt like we drove in circles for a half hour trying to find one little road. I don’t know how many times it redirected us after we’d make a turn. The address on the GPS took us up one hill into this mountainside trailer park. Yea…don’t think there’s a disc golf course in this mess. “Heya Billy, 2 points if you ding one off da satellite dish into the plastic kiddie pool.” Yea..no. Ok after a different address confirmation, we’re back on track and finally get there. It’s already starting to look and feel like the “Colorado Disc Golf Experience” I was hoping for. Beaver Ranch is located down a long dirt road with a small dirt parking lot at the base. There to the side is a small cabin store-looking thing that reminded me of what you’d see atop a mountain while skiing. It is cool out, light breeze and the air is thin. Then you catch the subtle scent of the mountainous, evergreen air. Yes, this is it.
Some locals pull up about the same time we do and tell us Hole #1 is about a half mile from the parking lot.. Half a mile, seriously? Gees. That first time you know how it always seems like it takes forever? Well we walk and walk—crossing an overgrown, brush-filled creek. I’m talking thicket so thick, there could be bears hiding in there.
We get to #1’s teepad and the excitement and thrill level could not be any higher! This was intense. Hole #1 is straight uphill? Yes—with a very tight, heavily wooded fairway window staring right back at us. Hole #1 you’re basically teeing from ground level and throwing high and up into the mountain. Leaving no room for error, the first hole was a little intimidating. With the majority of us being from the Southeast, we’re not used to this level of drastic elevation change on the holes to follow.
There was a courtesy box and sign at the bottom of the wooden stairs leading up the fairway to basket #1. This was to put in your $3/per person (highly worth it) and grab a dated tag for the day’s round. After teeing off, the elevation change kicked in. I believe Tim was the only one that had a decent tee shot on this hole. On our next throws, we found ourselves fighting for a steady balance along the hill’s steep incline. I’m glad the day was cool, because with all the hiking/climbing we were about to endure, it could have been miserable.
Joe at Teebox #1
Joe Approach Shot on Hole #1
Basket #1 looking down fairway to #1 Teepad
The first four holes you’re playing your way up the mountain. So each hole the hike gets a bit more strenuous and the air gets thinner and the 9mm ammo in the bag gets heavier. Beautiful views of the trees and mountains off in the distance as you play. Tight cut lines surrounded by tall, thin pines and firs filled the landscape. Didn’t see any wildlife, but loved the nature sounds. I also did like how there was not a lot of small plant life around. This made it much easier to find your disc in the dirt or pine straw. Really the only thing you had to watch out for was if your disc became a roller and rolled off course…and down the hill. On Hole #10 I believe it was..we searched nearly a half hour for one of mine that skipped and rolled away. One of the zipline guides actually spotted it for us. Whew, did not want to lose that one. Oh and Yes, they had ziplines (next time I’m adding that to my list)!
Hole #2 Basket
JT on #4 Teebox
Joe on #5 Teebox
Needed a breather.
After the first 7 holes (1/3 of the way done), we needed a breather. Lots of walking, hiking on this treacherous hilly mountainside already. I’m glad we brought all of the water and snacks that we did. Come prepared if you play this course! Especially with this tight #8 (pic below) coming up, we needed to think about just how in fact we were going to pull off this next laser drive. It required roughly a 100+ft straight shot just to clear the tree line with literally less than a 15-ft window to work with. Here in the pic below, Jason’s eyeing the fairway leading up to the basket. Throw it soft to lay up and keep your line? or risk pinballing one through the trees and down the left side of the hill with a burner? Decisions. I’ve scored par on every hole up to this point and up by several strokes, so what do I have to lose? I’m going for it, son. Indeed did hit a tree or two, but would end up serving me well on this one.
Hole #8 Teebox and view of mountain from basket.
I managed to hang on at even par through the first 9, then I started to fall apart…as did everyone else. I would go on to bogey the next 6 in a row…ouch. The holes were getting longer and more difficult. We were feeling the burn from all the walking/hiking and arms were getting sore after the next handful of holes.
Jason about to ding the top of the #12 basket on a 310′ shot.
Basket #13…Anthill Mound. Unforgiving to say the least.
See the basket? Neither do we. But it’s in the midst of the Aspens in the back. #14 Approach Shot
I feel like we’ve been playing across the top of this mountain for hours. Isn’t it time the holes start making its downward spiral? Yep. Here goes. Hole #17 was a beast of a downward distance hole. This hole is some odd 430’+ long, but you’re pretty much teeing off from on top of the hill aiming to a downward basket. With a steep incline directly behind the pocketed basket, you could huck the hell out of your disc and not worry too much of overshooting the hole..As long as you angled it downhill. My goal, spike it in the hill behind the basket. Or at least hit it hard enough it would catch an edge and roll down to the pin. Check out the view from the teebox down to the basket.
JT on #17 Mountain Teebox to Downhill Basket. Seeyahhhhhhhhh. Bomb.
Tim bombing one at Hole #17. 435’+ to downhill hole.
Jason on #17 Teebox
Tim sinking a solid on #18.
Then the rain came. And it fell hard! With nowhere to go, we found slight shelter under some low-lying branches. The next few holes we played in the pouring rain. We were this close to the end—can’t stop now. Conifer Park is made up of “21” holes, but could not seem to find Hole #21. Hole #20 was a steep downhill hole with a heavily-wooded line to the basket. This hole you needed one to lay low and set down or your disc might be rolling all the way to the bottom off the mountain. There was one last teebox after Hole #20, but was not designated by a teesign. Could this be #21? It was long and far and required throwing over that overgrown, hellish creek I mentioned earlier. And the bad part about it? The creek lied maybe 50-ft in front of the basket. You either had to lay up before the creek, or bomb one hoping to land on the other side. We turned this into a CTP hole instead.
Course Recap:
All in all it was an excellent course with 21 beautiful holes. By far, the absolute BEST disc golf course I have played yet (yes, even topping Flyboys). Conifer Park at Beaver Ranch has the whole package. You’ve got the cool weather; the beautiful scenery; the mountains; the tall-standing thin trunked trees; challenging elevation…everything. This course is not for the beginner nor would I recommend for people out of shape. It’s rough. It demands lots of stamina, walking and hiking up steep terrain. Some holes have loose footing on the dirt and straw on the hillside. Bring LOTS of water/snacks. You’ll be out here for a few hours with just the amount of time to walk the entire course. It’s challenging and I loved every minute of it. I would catch myself taking in the scenery and snapping pics and missing some of the great shots we made. Ahhh if I just had some of those on film. No aces, but a few close ones. I love the outdoors, nature and I certainly love the mountains. This course made my “Colorado Disc Golf Experience”. It was everything that I imagined disc golf in Colorado to be like. I would’ve been highly disappointed to make it all the way out here from Georgia, and to have not gotten a chance to play something of this caliber.
Course Rating: 9.8/10
If you’re ever in the Denver area, you have to go play this course. Set aside a few hours to play..and of course, transportation to get there. Like I mentioned earlier, it is a ways out of the way but you will not regret it. No wonder it is rated a 4.6+/5 on DGCourseReview.com.
For a full look into our Denver Disc Golf Experience and over a hundred more pics, please check out our Dogleg Flickr page.
If you liked this post, don’t forget to “like” it and share below! Thanks guys!
-jt
Night Rounds – Reviews on glow sticks, LED Lights, and Glow plastic
Posted by alphagenerator
With the impending time change, night golf will be our only option if you work traditional hours. I have used mini glow sticks, flashing led lights, and glow discs as my test subjects for when day light savings goes into effect. The mini glow sticks work fairly well if disc is almost clear. Any slight tinting of the plastic will drastically reduce the visibility of the low powered mini glow sticks. I’ll give it a 2 on a scale of 5.
The flashing LED lights have been my staple for the past year. They are roughly $2.50 ea and give roughly 12 hours of use. These are the best option of the 3 test subjects. They are the heaviest of the addon options but they work well in all lighting scenarios (ie low sunlight, dusk, and completely dark). The newly redesign 2 alternating color lights that emit a combination of Blue/Red, Blue/Green, Red/Green colors for very easy identification from a far. Dynamic Discs seem to be the main supplier of this particular light setup. I barely notice the LED taped to my discs, but I don’t try any crazy hyzer flip shots at night, much. I highly recommend these particular models and give them an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5. I’ve dinged the 5.0 rating for the weight weenies out there. =)
Lastly I have tested the Innova CFR glow discs, Innova Pro Glow, and the GatewaySuper Glow plastics. one of the problems with glow plastic is that not all the names are available in glow. Innova probably has the largest selection of glow plastic but its still limited compared with their full product offering. The less translucent discs seem to hold a glow longer than the more translucent. That being said the Innova Pro and Gateway Super Glow outlasted the Innova CFR’s. All glow plastic seems best suited for near zero visibility. Any close street lamps will drastically reduce your night vision and the perceived glow from the discs. LED Blacklight flashlights tend to be the best option for charging this plastics in between rounds. I picked one up off ebay for around $13 shipped. My rating for the glow plastics is 3.5 out of 5 mainly due to the limited disc option in glow plastic and the fact most of my dg gets played around dusk and street lamps. All the above plastics are perfectly suited normal daytime use, as the Innova CFR plastic has excellent durability. Hope this helps someone!
Below is picture of a fresh charge on the 3 plastics in a completely dark room. They are visible for 10-15 minutes in a zero light area.
Jeremiah
Grip-and-Rip.com
The Importance of a Fairway Driver
Posted by destinjames
After reading J.T.’s review of Legacy Park, I thought I would take the trip to Kennesaw and check out the lil’ 9-holer. The course is in a beautiful community that is extremely well maintained, but as you may have already read in previous posts, the course is private to residents and/or their guests.
I LOVED the little course, and it may be my number one favorite course in Georgia so far. BUT… I feel the reason may have been the day I chose to play Legacy. 68 degrees, perfect breeze, leaves falling and squirrels everywhere gathering for winter. It was simply beautiful disc golf or no disc golf.
The best thing about Legacy may be it’s downfall. It is extremely accessible to beginners and is certainly the course that hooks a newbie into the sport, but serious disc golfers may be bored with it’s mainly ace-able holes and lack of diversity on the land.
What this course is PERFECT for is working on your straight game, and I can’t stress enough the importance of a fairway driver. While not as fast as a distance driver, it will go where you put it without a lot of fade.
I throw the Innova TL, and exclusively threw it playing Legacy. I don’t know if I was just having a good day on the course, or the TL is truly amazing. I’m not a hard thrower, so it tends to go just as far as my distance drivers anyway, but it’s placement is reliable.
A lot of players think that throwing a distance driver means getting distance, but what may happen is they under power the disc and it doesn’t go any farther than a mid range would, and the disc dives to the ground where you didn’t want it. I’ve been there.
What I love about a fairway driver is not only how they fly, but how they feel. When I toss the TL, The grip is much more comfortable than a sharp distance driver, and it rips out of my hands with grace.
After having a wonderful day with the TL, I know what my go-to disc is now. The next time you need a straight beautiful drive, reach for your favorite fairway driver.
—
Here are a few pics from beautiful Legacy Park:
Pocket Putt: Disc Golf App Review
Posted by randomtiz
Welcome to another disc golf app review here at @DoglegDiscGolf. This is the second disc golf game app review this week. If you happened to miss the first review this week on iDisc Golf Pro, you can check it out here.
Tonight, we take a look at Pocket Putt disc golf putting game app by DiscGolf2Go.com. Pocket Putt is a laid-back, flick style of disc golf with photorealistic background graphics. It is available in the iTunes store for iPhone, iPad, iPod for $1.99 (Available for Android as well).
Starting Your Round:
Soon as this app loaded, I was little put off by the music. I thought I had downloaded a bowling game instead. Little jazzy maybe? I don’t know, I felt like I was in a lounge or a bowling alley. Anyway, I got a retro vibe from the start, even with their font choice for logo. I will get into graphics here shortly. Ok, let’s start.
From the home screen you have the option to either “Practice” or “Trial”. Let’s begin with Practice. I need to figure out how this game even plays, right? The next screen that advances is my course selection. There are four course selections are The Hills, The Grove, Open Field and The Pond. Ah there’s the button on how to play.
“The Hills” is first on the list, let’s go with that.
Gameplay:
At first glance, I was impressed with the background scenery. Extremely photorealistic, but surprised with what looked like a weird, cutout image of a basket sitting in front. After a couple of flicks, I realized that this game reminded me yet of another game by how you flick (throw) the object and the flight pattern that it took…the classic, Paper Toss. Yes, you throw the disc by sliding your finger up the screen. The further up the screen you go, the harder/further your disc goes. Pretty simple, huh? Way too easy, let me try another.
Next course I tried was the Grove; it says “Medium”. Ah ok, now the basket is maybe 3-4x the distance from me than it was on The Hills basket. After maybe 15 throws later, I finally sink one. But once you find that certain “sweet spot” on your screen of where to release your finger..you’re basically hitting chains everytime. Ok now that I’ve found the spot, too easy. I’m bored. Give me some difficulty! Next…
Let’s back back out and check out this “Trial” mode.
“Open Field” it is. Whoa, the basket’s moved back even further AND NOW wind? Seriously? That’s quite a leap from the “Medium”. Whatever, let’s do this. I also now see three discs that appear in that upper right corner. No instruction anywhere that tells me what that means. I’m guessing I get three misses. I shall throw and find out. First throw…holy crap that wind is strong. That’s more like hurricane wind if I’ve ever seen it. My disc went maybe 50-ft and the wind carried it straight off the side of the screen faster than I could realize what had just happened. Lost one of the discs in the corner, great. Disc down.
The wind not only changes for each shot, but also varies speed while throwing. Frustrating. My next—and last—2 throws were horrendous and my round was immediately over. More Frustrated. I go back in and give it another shot…about 10 more rounds worth; nothing. Now it’s just really pissing me off that the difficulty level changes THAT much from that previous level to this. I don’t want to say it’s impossible to hit one with varying high wind speeds from that far a distance, but it’s sure damn close.
I play a variety of games on my iPhone, so I consider myself to be somewhat well-rounded with different types of gameplay. But the more I played this course, the more frustrated I became. I got fed up with Trial mode and went back to Practice on this course. I felt like the more I threw, the worse I got. I was not making any progress in getting closer or figuring out any type of “sweet spot” to throw at and ring a few. I threw almost 50 times before I actually sank one… How much fun is that? Would you stick it out that long or would you give up? That’s my thought..
To me, Paper Toss is way more entertaining compared to this app. Paper Toss is fun because even the furthest paper basket is still make-able with higher wind speeds with some practice. I don’t know how you’re supposed to score high on this “Open Field” course with winds that strong. I found it near impossible to aim far enough to either side of the vertical screen to play the strong left/right wind directions. I would have liked to see slightly less wind on a closer placed basket (like on The Hills, maybe The Pond).
Graphics:
I give props for the photorealistic, beautiful scenery in the photos. Coming from a graphic designer, I appreciate the level of detail and photography that went into those background. However, I think it falls short on the “clipart”-looking basket with the cheesy black stroke outline around it. What’s up with that? It gives the whole thing this Hanna-Barbera cartoon look with the illustrated basket on top of a 3D realistic background. If they’re going for cartoon, have the whole game in that cartoon look and feel. But don’t mix 2D cartoon foreground elements with 3D backgrounds. It’s a clash of dimensional and spatial realities.
Sounds:
Besides the annoying lounge music on the home screen, I actually really enjoyed the nature sounds and the rattling of the chains when you sink one. I didn’t like hearing the “dink” of metal whenever I hit the side of the basket, but I appreciated the sound effect. Another annoying sound is that that you hear when you miss your third shot in Trial mode. It’s like some kind of horn sound that reminded me of an old arcade game.
Final Thoughts:
When I think disc golf, I think outdoors. Nature’s beauty. The elements. Realism. A rapidly-growing sport that’s evolving with today’s culture. Anything but corny sound effects on menu screens. I’ve noticed this often on a lot on sport games. I just don’t get it. You can’t call this an “arcade” game when you have that much realism and detail in the graphics. I may just be rambling, but if I have to leave you with something…I say, save your $1.99.
TIP: On the longer holes, I’ve found that a good rule of thumb on determining how much speed/distance to put on a throw. If you flick your finger upwards across the screen, stop it (release) about where the wind indicator is. I’ve rung a good bit more when stopping at that height on my screen. =)
-jt
Mancation 2012: Denver Disc Golf (Part I)
Posted by randomtiz
Whew, what a trip!
I’ll start with that. Months in the planning and almost as long to finally get a review up on the blog. This past Labor Day, several of the Dogleg crew flew out to Denver for a guy’s weekend full of local brew tours, good eats, and of course, disc golf.
There is soo much to cover from our trip that it’d take me hours to write up. So I’m breaking this trip review down into two parts to spare you all the details. I’ll sum it up the best I can and try to focus on mostly the disc golf part of it. At the end I will also provide a link to our Dogleg Flickr account so you can see most all of the pics we took from our trip (Special thanks to Jason for submitting his pics and for being the only other one to take a camera).
We had been talking this trip up forever it seemed, but just couldn’t get it all worked out on finding that perfect weekend to go that all of us could make. It’s always nice to get away from your local routine courses, terrain and weather and branch out to something new. Something far away that has very different terrain and weather conditions. Here at Dogleg, all of us share a strong passion for disc golf and (the majority of us) good beer. Where else has an excellent selection of both? Denver, Colorado. Home to several big beer names as well as loads of microbreweries. Not to mention all the disc golf courses!
With so many courses to choose from and so little time, I had to turn to our Twitter friends for Colorado disc golf recommendations. North Colorado Disc Golf (@NoCoDG) shot us back some of their favs which included Johnny Roberts, Badlands and Birds Nest. They also told us we should really go higher up in the mountains and play Beaver Ranch. One minor problem, we lacked a car. The closest course to our downtown hotel was roughly 6 mi away. Too far to walk and about a 45 min bus ride…exactly. We walked most places or either took the bus. Either one, it took forever to get longer distances.
Johnny Roberts DGC (Arvada, CO):
Saturday, we decided upon Johnny Roberts DGC located in Arvada to be our first course of the trip. We checked into renting a car for the day, but everywhere around was rented out. So we took to the ol’ trusty local metro transportation of the bus route. After waiting nearly 20 min for the bus to come to our stop, we were now on a 6 mi journey to Arvada. 45 minutes later, we were to our stop in Arvada.. Don’t get me started on local transportation.
Anyway, after walking a few blocks we come up on the park. Doesn’t look like the best part of town, but heard that we just had to play this course for the history of Colorado disc golf. A couple of people calling it the “granddaddy” of Colorado’s courses. You could tell. The park was crowded and the signage wasn’t real clear of where the start of the course was from walking up to it. Hole #1 you throw across an open field, which seemed a bit dangerous for other people and young ones playing around and running through it. There were a few holes where you threw across the sidewalk, which also seemed a bit dangerous to pedestrians and bicyclists. One of my favorites parts of the course early on was the creek that runs through the park. This intertwining–very wide, yet very shallow–creek became a great obstacle through half of the course’s fairways. Several holes had the pin placement fairly close to the edge of the water. I thought this was pretty clever and as it required much more accuracy in laying up on your throws.
Hole #2 Basket next to Ralston Creek
In general, this was a very tight course. It had several very narrow fairways off the tee pad with lots of trees and brush lining the sides. On the holes that had open fairways, you had to deal with pedestrians and young bicyclists crossing by as you were about to launch. I could see where people could get hit often. They had nice, concrete tee pads and decent signs on each hole. The sign’s graphics were a bit weathered, but were designed very well. Each tee pad sign had an actual photo of the fairway, prominent hole number, distance to each pin location, and an overhead graphic of the fairway. Awesome! But, it was a little difficult–once you got to the basket–to figure out where the next hole began.
[Review continued after the jump.]
Joe on Hole #3 Tee Pad
Tim on Hole #6 Tee Pad
Hole #6 was a longer hole and liked to suck discs into the creek off to it’s left. Not only did they roll into the creek, it left an almost impossible clear shot out through the thick brush. Here’s Joe tossing up towards #6’s basket.
Joe for Par on #6
Thanks to the tip from a few fellow locals, that there is no longer a Hole #8. Apparently Hole #8 line of throw used to cross back over Hole #7..all out disc war, right? Throwing towards one another and high speeds of spinning plastic. Hole #7 was neat too as you threw over the bridge down the creek line to a basket way off to the left alongside the sidewalk. Hole #9 was an Ace-able hole for sure. You tee off a slightly elevated pad and toss ~150 ft down to a lower pin placement on the edge of the creek. This is when the sandstorm hit. I mean hit hard! This is some of the hardest wind I have ever played in. The sky got dark and the wind blew furiously. Much of the course alongside the creek is dirt–which was where we were. I have never seen wind pick up dirt and blow it like that. It was ridiculous and you could hardly keep your eyes open but for a few seconds. Dirt, debris and leaves were flying everywhere. The wind storm lasted a good 15 or 20 min as we scurried as fast as we could through the next several holes. The wind in general made it very difficult to get in a good throw. Lots of our throws were picked up by wind changes and taken way off course. Bogeys and Doubles to follow.
Jason looking for his disc in a tree on #18.
The wind stopped, but the holes kept getting harder. More lines along the creek, more mandos, and tighter tee shots. Back 9 I fell apart and finished +7. All in all, I’d like to give this course at least another shot. Too crowded for me, but loved the challenging and technical game that it brings out of one. Not much for the scenery, I was expecting to be surrounded by more firs, pines and aspens..and hilly, mountainous terrain. I wasn’t going to stop at this course to my “Colorado Course”. I am, however, glad we got to play this one–especially to appreciate the history of Colorado Disc Golf.
Course Rating: 7/10
*CLICK HERE FOR PART II – CONIFER PARK @ BEAVER RANCH!
-jt
iDisc Golf Pro: Disc Golf App Review
Posted by randomtiz
About a week ago, I put out a tweet on our @DoglegDiscGolf account asking our followers what they would like to see more of on our blog. One of our Twitter friends suggested that they would like to see more disc golf game app reviews and where we see the future of these are going. I thought that was a great idea!
I have downloaded several disc golf games on my iPhone over this past week and have been playing each of them a good bit. These disc golf game app reviews will come in a series. After I have felt like I have played each one long enough to give it a fair review, I will review it on here.
The first one I would like to review is called iDisc Golf Pro by Hypergon Studios. They also have a “Lite” version that’s free if you would like to give it a run first. But honestly, I have a feeling that you will really enjoy this app. It’s really addicting, so I say go ahead and spend the $0.99 for the full “Pro” version. It’s well worth it.
Selecting Your Round:
You can choose between 1 or 2-player modes to start your round. The Pro version has six 18-hole courses that then lets you choose to play the front 9, back 9, all 18, or even just a single hole! I like that. For added difficulty, you can choose either to tee off from the White Tees or the Blues. I really liked the different course selections–everything from your urban course to desert to tropical to snow. It has every climate you can think of. So no matter what type of season it is, you can always be playing the climate of your choice. The six courses to choose from are Johnson Street, Sonora Sands, Tiki Island, Northern Exposure, Lakeside Landing, and Windy Gap.
Gameplay:
After selecting your round type, tees, and course, you are ready to begin son! So you are on tee pad #1, first either tap the fairway overview icon on the left or drag your finger around on the screen to aim your crosshairs in the direction you want to throw. Pay attention to the wind indicator in the upper right-hand corner. Once you have your aim down, hold your finger down on the disc. Then you’ll see these arrows pop up. These arrows show the potential flight path of your disc. To make it go in that direction, simply slide your finger as fast and hard as you can along that same line. The harder and faster you flick your finger, the more power behind your throw.
The lower left shows the par of the hole. The lower right shows what throw you are on. To it’s immediate left is the distance of the hole (and remaining distance to the basket after you throw). Remember you can check your lie at any time, by tapping the fairway overview graphic on the far left side of the screen.
Once you release, the disc will take flight through the air. A distance indicator will appear under the “Player 1” up top tracking your current throw. You do have the ability to hyzer/anhyzer some of your shots around obstacles. One glitch in the game is the “bubble” around some of these tree tops. You might catch yourself trying to throw over some of them and suddenly your disc hits this “bubble” around the top of trees/leaves and falls down to the ground. Also if you try to throw out of bounds, your disc will hit this invisible, vertical “wall” and will drop your disc straight down to the ground.
For your second shot, you might be close enough to the basket that you do not need to throw your driver again. If so, tap the left or right arrows in the middle of the bottom of the screen next to “Driver”. This lets you select either your Midrange or Putter. For this particular game, if you are within 130 ft, I would use the Midrange. If you are within 50 ft, go for the Putter. Remember to adjust your aim and watch the wind as it changes for each throw.
Watch out for water hazards, they will take your A game to the crapper in a heartbeat if you kerplunk a few plastics in the lake. These discs love to roll too, especially on hilly fairways. Keep that in mind when aiming. Try to land it on a flat spot. I had a couple the other day that rolled into the water after tossing upwards to an anthill type green/basket.
Don’t be afraid to go for it from way out. You will miss 100% of the shots you don’t take. What do you have to lose? It’s a game, and an addictive one at that.
Graphics:
This has by far the best graphics/interface that I have seen in a disc golf game app yet. For what it is, at $1, it’s pretty good. The discs skids on ice, tumbles off of boulders, and spins and flips as it hits the ground. Not the most realistic-looking action, but the concept was there—better than just sticking like glue to wherever it might hit. Love the interface, easy to use. Really good job on the graphics, guys! Especially the course loading screens; very cool.
Sounds:
Nice interlude during the main screens. I laughed at some of the sound effects as it hits the water, ice, trees, etc. But you can always appreciate the lovely sounds of those rattlin’ chains.
Quick Summary:
–Don’t waste your time “trying” out the Lite version. BUY THE PRO VERS! You know you want it.
-It’s only $1 for the full Pro version! Get it now!
-BEST disc golf game app I have played.
-Nice graphics and gameplay
-Well designed interface
-Six, very unique courses to choose from with lots of hole options
-Easy learning curve with challenging holes/shots
Weighing ’em in, Titanium (Plastic)
Posted by randomtiz
About a month or so ago I was on DGCourseReview.com and saw an ad banner up at the top talking about some new plastic called Titanium from Discraft. Does anyone know anything or have played with this new Titanium plastic? Is it stiffer than their other lines of plastic and/or comparable to Innova’s rigid Champion line of plastic? How about the weight, are they only available in the heavier sizes? I was curious and realized it was one of Discraft’s more premium plastics as it did cost a few extra bucks.
Honestly, I can’t even remember what store’s banner it was that it was advertising. Sounded cool.. but again that’s what I thought when I first heard about Innova’s Blizzard Champions. I still don’t like those. I have one and still don’t see any advantages to it. I can’t keep it out of the tree line because I turn it over every throw.
But, if you’ve hucked some Discraft Titanium plastic, let me know! I may give it a shot.
-jt
Cheers to Deer, a Legacy Park DGC Review
Posted by randomtiz
Now with the sun setting earlier than ever it seems, my disc golf adventures are being forced to the weekends. The closest two 18-hole courses from where I work are a mere ~30 minutes away. If I leave work on time, drive a half hour, I maybe have a good 7 holes in before I’m swamped with darkness and straining my eyes following my disc through the air down the fairway…or through the trees. Not worth it, especially when you spend more time looking for your discs in the dark than it did to play the first 5 holes.
But there’s Fall/Winter weekday hope. It’s called Legacy Park and it’s only 10 minutes away from my office. It’s only 9 holes, but it’s a fair course that’s very well maintained and landscaped. Biggest downside is that it’s located in a very nice Kennesaw neighborhood that’s technically only for the residents—unless you tag along with one.
It’s a great course to get in a very quick game after work that requires your short, technical game. Being in Legacy Park, you get a family friendly atmosphere as these 9 holes are laid out along the winding walking trail, nestled in the woods. I’ve played here maybe 5 times and every time I recall seeing at least one deer or more. Last month I played one evening around sunset and counted a total of 7 deer walking through different fairways; pretty cool! Ok, to the hole descriptions..
At Hole #1, there is a large course map sign. Pay attention to this as the course is poorly marked past this point. If you follow the walking trail, it will help you out if you’re looking for the next teepad. But don’t rely solely on this. Each “teepad” is marked by 6″ red pavers that are set in the ground. These are flush with the ground meaning you cannot see them from further than 15′ out or so. Keep your head down and look for the bare spots in the grass areas. More than likely, the pavers are set around that area and the grass is worn out from the disc golfers.
Hole #1 is tricky in that—for me being a lefty—it requires a hard anhyzer down the tree line. You tee off almost under a large overhanging limb and are required to curve it around the trees maybe ~270 ft. to a basket tucked approximately 15 ft. in a small cutout in the woods on the left. My suggestion, throw as far as you can and keep it wide in the fairway closer to the road. This leaves you a more open shot into the tucked pin position. If you hug it around the woods, you’ll more than likely have to throw it back out to the open, then turn around and throw back into the pocket. Another thing I don’t like is none of the teepads have teesigns with par/distance info. This is a fairly short Par 3 course with several Ace-able holes. This course will definitely test your precision and accuracy because most of the holes require tighter, straight shots through narrow fairways and low-hanging limbs.
PROS:
-Really close to work. Great for a quick 30 min. round right after work.
-Never seen it crowded.
-Wildlife! Good bit of deer around towards dusk.
-Several <270' Ace-able hole opportunities. Keep it low and straight!
-Improves your level throwing accuracy
CONS:
-Disc Golf Course for residents only. Find someone that knows somebody that knows somebody that lives there. Call ’em up!
-Only 9 holes
-Half of the hole’s fairways are actually the walking path. Watch out for joggers/walkers coming around the corner ahead of you!
-Course slightly difficult to navigate after Hole #1. Pay attention to course map on Hole #1.
-No teesigns. Pavers hard to see/find in the ground for first timers.
-Hole #9 ends a good ways from Hole #1. Requires a good little walk back to where you started from (where you parked)
-Parallel parking on side of road.
FINAL THOUGHTS:
-Don’t plan a weekend road trip to this course. Definitely play it if you’re local and/or know someone that lives in Legacy Park. Enjoy wildlife, nice landscaping, trickling stream and watch out hucking towards pedestrians!
-jt
Urban Atlanta’s Perkerson Park: Course Review
Posted by randomtiz
This past weekend I got a chance to play a course down in the city called Perkerson Park with a few friends. I really enjoyed the course layout itself, but as we finished, we each had mixed reviews. I’ll give my review.
I first came across this course a few months ago in a listing on DGCourseReview.com. I was doing a local search trying to figure out what all courses were located within an hour radius of where I live. Perkerson Park came up as one of them and also had one of the highest ratings of any within my radius. So I’m thinking Why haven’t I heard of this place before?. With a rating of a near 4 out of 5 on DGCourseReview, I thought Man, I’ve got check this place out! So, research I did…
Let me preface this by saying I’m not that familiar with all the different suburbs of Atlanta. After reading mixed reviews online, I was curious about where in Atlanta this course was actually located and it’s surroundings. The reviews online talked about how nice the park and the course layout was, but there were several concerns with the people that frequent the park. I even read where someone said that they carry a taser with them to the park…Now I’m thinking Oh gees, do we need to bring something? or yet even play?. We give it a shot. How bad can it be in broad daylight?
We get there a lil earlier than the others and we sit in the first parking lot for about 10 min. There’s a good bit of people around, maybe a reunion or birthday party. From the car, I’m not seeing where the first basket could be. I check the website on my phone and realized I need to be in a different gravel lot. We pull out and around to the next entrance which had the gravel lot. A lot less cars down there. In that first lot, I wouldn’t say I felt unsafe, but indifferent maybe.
So anyway, we get out and you have to walk down the creek about 300′ to the practice basket and trail for Tee #1. They had a really nice large, flat area with a practice basket and large stones marking 10′, 20′, 30′ and 40′ distances to putt from. After a bit of flippin’, we head up the short trail to teepad #1. Hole #1 is pretty sweet to start off the round. Picture this. You’re teeing off from halfway up the hill in a cutout in the trees. You’re roughly 30′ up teeing off over the creek, through the clearing and up the hill on the other side to a basket nearly 360′ away. Nice!
This large creek (trickling stream) bed runs through the park and comes into play for the first four holes and 11 and 18. I love how open and large this park is. There are trees in the open parts, but it’s not dense and the mature trees are spread nicely down/across the fairways for obstacles. After the first 6, you start into the woods where the fairways get tighter as your technical games comes out.
The course consists of mostly longer holes with the shortest only being around 240′ and going to the signature Par 5 Hole #18 at a hella-long 850′! I had a great time and never once felt unsafe once we actually got onto the course past the parking lot areas. I would definitely go back and play again with a group. Either way, I wouldn’t play the course alone. Play in a group.
You can tell how hard the crew works to keep this course up as best as possible. The landscaping, lines, and pin placement is excellent. I know they constantly work every Saturday mornings on the course using all 100% volunteer labor. There’s still lots to be done and they do only have carpet tee pads and temporary signs for now. I’m listing it as a con for now, but I know this park will be Awesome when it’s finally done. =)
PROS:
-Great layout and terrain. Loved the elevation changes and long open fairways.
-Enjoyed the Fall weather/leaves changing color.
-DG Course not crowded at all.
-Excellent balance of open and wooded, tighter fairways. Really tests your skills requiring a variety of shot types.
-Nice park in general! I hope they can keep this park up and going!
CONS:
-Surrounding neighborhood/area
-One of the trashiest courses I’ve played as far as garbage, shopping carts, baby strollers, baby cribs, random clothes lying in the woods/creek beds along the course. The park itself is really nice, don’t get me wrong. Just needs cleaned up in the woods.
-Temp signage; one was missing. I wish they had the Par listed on them. I had to constantly check my internet to see what DGCourseReview.com had each hole listed as.
-Carpet teepads; I know they’re working on getting concrete teepads.
-Hole #14…where is the basket? We couldn’t find it. Threw down fairway through mando, then ended up throwing 90 degree to the right across the creek to basket? Later realized this was Hole #17 basket. Do they share a basket?
-There is a good bit of walking between some baskets to the next teepad. We spent some time trying to find where the next holes were. Better directional arrows would help.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I say, GO PLAY IT! (midday, with some friends)
-jt
Hello Everyone! Want To Build Your Own Quality Basket?
Posted by destinjames
I’m proud to now be apart of Dogleg Disc Golf!
My name is Destin and I’m originally from the Ann Arbor area of Michigan, but currently reside in Marietta, GA for school. I’ve been playing DG for about 5 years, and love every facet of the sport.
Back in 2010 I designed and built my own basket. The cost was less than $100, and the feeling of using your own basket beats buying one any day; and it truly works just as well as a basket at the park.
Below is my original post I put on my own Michigan Blog a couple years ago. I hope everyone can use the information to make their own backyard basket!
It may not be worth it to spend a lot of time making your own basket when nowadays a portable basket is not much more more than the cost of this basket, but I certainly want everyone who views Dog Leg Disc Golf to have this option.
And always remember that all questions are welcome!
Enjoy the Greenleaf Basket! Named after the road it was designed and made on.
Destin
——
– Original post: 2010 –
Wanna go to Indigo?
Posted by mojoe4u
I haven’t posted in a while due to the fact that other than league night on Wednesdays at George Ward, I haven’t played that many different courses lately. This post is long overdue for the course and this could be a blessing in disguise that I’ve waited such a long time to recollect my experiences in a nutshell. On my first two trips to this park I was accompanied by Tony Sanders – props to him for giving me valuable insight into a straighter drive with added distance.
The course = brutally awesome
The park = sketch
Highlights
- Coming together quickly for such a new course due to the efforts of volunteers associated with DGB – great job guys!
- Great layout with an intimidating first hole
- Very scenic hike – can even catch a glimpse of a rusted out car hull from the 50’s
- Tee pads are poured concrete
- For such a heavily wooded area, poison ivy is contained to the perimeter
- Gate at front entrance – doesn’t go anywhere but looks cool
- Amateur and pro pads – diggin’ this even though not playing pro pads
Sketch/This sucks/Why is this happening to me
- Got into chiggers – left and right legs from knee down covered
- Weird hiker on course
- Called a friend in the medical industry about the empty packets I found on the course and apparently it is similar to methadone – sketch
- Stung on right jaw bone by yellow jacket on hole #18
- No trash cans on course or parking lot area
- Slow drive bys in parking lot
- Found a shoe and backpack off gully on right side of #1 – don’t need a ‘Stand By Me’ moment
- Pulled tick off stomach and got a slight infection on the area it attached
- People sitting and/or sleeping in their cars at park entrance – because I normally like to pull my vehicle into a city park’s parking lot to catch a little shut-eye
- Traffic coming in and out of Lake Heather’s gated access for boats
Keep in mind that for beginners looking to have an enriching first time to play disc golf, this is not the place for such an experience. Out of the local courses, George Ward is still the best place to take people new to the sport due to: chill folks playing, easy walk, not difficult keeping up with your disc and most importantly, Tom is there. For those that haven’t met Tom, you are definitely missing out on affordable merchandise (discs, accessories, etc.) and solid advice.
Four of the Dogleg crew (including myself) returned from Denver this past Monday. Stay posted for some stories on this adventure.
Joe
What is in your bag?
Posted by alphagenerator
I am still trying to hone in my perfect bag but this is what I currently have…
Putters
- Gateway Wizard SSS
- Gateway VooDoo SS
- Discraft Elite Soft Challenger (Primary Putter)
Midrange/Fairway Driver
- Buzzz SS 175g
- Meteor 175g
- Leopard 170g
- Discraft Impact – 07 Ace Race
- ROC 147g
Drivers
- Sidewinder 150g
- Teebird 150g
- Valkyrie 150g
- Blizzard Boss 134g (way overstable, but i am working on my throw to compensate)
Any suggestions/alterations to my current bag setup for a RHBH novice player?
Droid Disc Golf Lite
Posted by alphagenerator
Haha I would not recommend downloading this mobile Disc Golf game from Google Play unless you have hours of time to kill. Wow….its addicting! It took me a minute to figure out some of the controls, but its fun nonetheless. I would like to see an array of disc selections besides “Driver”, “Midrange”, and “Putter”, but its free so I cant complain.
One neat feature is the shot selection… I am assuming this is changing up the Right-hand,Back-hand shots to a Right-hand, flick type shots.
Happy Gaming!
Jeremiah
First ace in my first tournament!
Posted by alphagenerator
So I played my first tournament about a month back and hit my first ace during the 2nd round! Civitan, hole 7 in c location….248 ft ace with an Discraft Impact Fairway Driver, which happens to the 07 Ace Race disc….Too bad I didn’t pay $3 to enter the ace pot… Competition is pretty stiff in Birmingham’s local dg scene. Even with my ace Stephen beat me out for the podium in our novice division.
That being said, Dogleg – (Jasper Division) is on path to host our first tournament later in the fall. Maybe we can arrange for the whole group to be in town that weekend to partake in the festivities! more to come on the tournament later…
Jeremiah
Sudden Death Defeat
Posted by randomtiz
What an eventful weekend it was. Our short trip to Alabama did allow for a few rounds of disc golf at my hometown’s North Jasper Disc Golf Park.
This course is a fairly easy and short course but the unforgiving wind conditions always take a toll on your scores. With few trees on this fairly flat and wide open course, knowing how to play into the wind becomes a vital factor.
Saturday morning, Stephen, Jeremiah and I took on the rolling flatness of this fore mentioned park. The previous week’s rains left for some marshy areas and muddy tee pads. Great. The wind came into play on the back 9 and really got me on #18 when it took my sailing disc and carried it damn near the parking lot. Awesome…I now have as long a drive to the basket from here than I did from the tee pad. Bogeying that hole knocked me to +1.
Saturday, a few hours later, Dad and Eliz join me for yet another round. It’d been awhile since I’d played that course with my Dad–granted too that he’d only started playing several months back and a handful of times at that. So I was just about to find out how much he’d improved. To much of my dismay, he took an early lead as I struggled hitting long putts. He had me on those shorter holes for sure as trees instantly became magnets to my throws. So Dad kept a 1-2 stroke lead up until about 15 when I tied it up. Got another back on 16. Missed a gimme putt on 17 to drop back and even it back up…Tie on 18.
Can’t stop now, it’s sudden death son.
Tie #1. Hole #2, Dad lands less than 10 ft from the hole. I fly about 20 ft past the basket leaving me up to my trusty Leopard and my putting skills. Hit that long bird shot to tie #2. Hole #3, I’m up and sail one 30+ ft past the hole and, of course Dad, lands a few feet from within the basket. Gees. This is it, my only hope. 30 ft ringer—which I practice regularly in my yard—to send it into Hole 4 Sudden Death or either a few month’s bragging rights for Dad. No pressure, right? I toss one high and straight on…banks slight right clanking the chains and sails on past…done, that’s it. Game over. Dad goes Crazy; calls my bro on speakerphone to tell him the news and I have yet to hear the end of it. Haha great game Ham! Well played, well played. My Dad beats me at my own game. He loves it.
-jt
NYE at Flyboy!
Posted by randomtiz
- Flyboy Aviation – Main Hangar
All I can say is, wow. What an awesome Saturday morning to be out playing disc golf. We couldn’t have asked for a better day. Clear skies, low 60s and very little wind if any. This trip we’ve talked up for months and the day had finally arrived. The majority of the Dogleg Team drove in from Alabama and met two of us from Georgia yesterday morning at Flyboy Aviation in Whitesburg, GA.
Flyboy Aviation is a private disc golf mecca located on and around a private gated community airpark. It is made up of 27 holes—11 of which are considered water holes—that range anywhere from around an uphill 190 ft hole to a winding, slightly elevated 1,080 ft monster. This course has a variety of terrain and elevation changes that’s 12291 ft in total length with a par of 95. Flyboy is one of the top-rated courses in the country and a MUST for any disc golf enthusiast!
There was 7 of us in altogether, but they only allowed 4-5 per group to play; so we split into two groups. We started around 10:30am and finished the last hole around 4:30pm. Yes, 6 hours of playing with only breaking once for an on-site lunch. The course was beautiful and very well maintained. Each hole had a tee sign with a rubber teebox and equipped with a broom to dust off the teebox area.
-jt
Stephen at #3 Teepad
Hole #3 was the first water beast of a hole. It’s roughly 440 ft from the teepad to the water’s edge. Then you had roughly a 285 shot to the basket from there to the basket. You needed a good 250 shot to clear the lake. Sweet setup, but scary this early on. Felt like we were in for a very long day after this one. The course is a nice mix of long, open fairways mixed with tighter, narrower baskets through the woods. Lots of elevation changes kept it interesting and challenging. There were a few holes that required you playing down the edge of the lake which really called for precision on your throws. I couldn’t imagine playing this course on a windy day, forget that unless you have a bag full of floaters.
As the day went on, the holes got harder, further and more challenging. Not to mention getting sore and tired from hucking long drives on several 700+ ft holes. All in all, it was a great day out on the field with most of us together playing an exclusive pro-level private course. Very glad we had to the opportunity to play and would love the chance to be able to play again soon.
TIPS: Make sure you grab the course map from the clubhouse. It’ll help you remember where the basket is after you’re already 8 throws in and forgotten where the heck you’re throwing towards. Bring SEVERAL extra discs. If it’s your first time playing this course, you’re bound to lose one in the drink..or three or four. If it’s hot, bring a swimsuit, you may actually swim and find your’s or twelve others. If you’re not comfortable throwing over water or don’t want to lose your fav disc, take the drop. But yea, bring older cheaper discs for the water holes unless you know you can chuck one 250+ consistently. Bring drinks/snacks with you. It’s a long way back to the hangar for this once you get past the first few holes. DO NOT litter. Please help keep this park up and well-maintained. By far, the nicest, cleanest course I’d ever played.
Justin - Basket shot on #9
JT on #20 Teepad
Jeremiah chillin' @ Hangar
Heads Up - Plane coming in!
#25, Teepad to Peninsula to basket...385 ft/ Par 3
(L to R) JT, Blake, Justin, Smalls and Stephen
