New course No.GA Canopy Tours DGC - Feedback and info thread

[jritger]

Keith Johnson and I spent yesterday flagging a new course design that will be @ North Georgia Canopy Tours near Gainesville, GA (http://northgeorgiacanopytours.com/)

This course should end up being sweet as they are doing it right with heavy cutting to produce valid fairways. The course will have an advanced/pro level layout and a rec level layout. Innova baskets & concrete teepads. The long layout as marked yesterday is ~7,500' par 63. Tons of elevation change, lots of downhill shots, very nice setting.

They are moving fast and the course should be opening by Spring 2011. Look for an event in the April/May timeframe. It will be $5 per day to play with monthly/annual passes available. Awesome facilities on site include the zip-lining, clubhouse with retails/food/restrooms, camping area, grilling area and more.

[Rubiks]

About a 90 minute haul from Downtown, FWIW. Keep me posted, especially if someone can snag some pics.

[Jaronshaffer]

Thanks guys, appreciate your work

[jritger]

About a 90 minute haul from Downtown, FWIW. Keep me posted, especially if someone can snag some pics.

Less actually, took me just over an hour.

A few photos: http://imgur.com/a/HVpks/all The building is an old chicken house, there will be a hole inside.

[Funky Bobby J]

About a 90 minute haul from Downtown, FWIW. Keep me posted, especially if someone can snag some pics.

Less actually, took me just over an hour.

A few photos: http://imgur.com/a/HVpks/all The building is an old chicken house, there will be a hole inside.

The wife and kids have been dying to try zip-lining - sounds like a fun afternoon and well worth the trip. We'll definitely be checking the facilities out once it is in!!!

[soupdude62]

Cool,
Only 29 minutes from my house.
I'm ready to start throwing now.
Had back surgury in Sept.

[Cha Ching]

Cool,
Only 29 minutes from my house.
I'm ready to start throwing now. Had back surgury in Sept.

SWEET!

[richardhead]

Is this the zipline place in Lula? If so, it's only 5 minutes from my G-Maw's place. Wife and I did the zipline tour, it was really cool! Can't wait for this one.

[keith johnson]

Is this the zipline place in Lula? If so, it's only 5 minutes from my G-Maw's place. Wife and I did the zipline tour, it was really cool! Can't wait for this one.

Yes it is.

[billnchristy]

About a 90 minute haul from Downtown, FWIW. Keep me posted, especially if someone can snag some pics.

Less actually, took me just over an hour.

A few photos: http://imgur.com/a/HVpks/all The building is an old chicken house, there will be a hole inside.

That sounds great, thanks for thinking outside the box.

[djester]

Looks like thinking inside of a box to me.... (at least the chicken shack hole)

Can't wait to see the finshed results

[jritger]

Update on this course: We did the final walkthrough last weekend. The course is 90% cleared and looking fantastic. Innova baskets have arrived and been assembled and most teepads are in. The course will have two sets of concrete pads with a few holes having fly pads on wooden frames. The course is opening next weekend, April 9th.

Note -- It's very muddy and a bit rough given the recent construction and rain, so recommend visiting after a dry spell, but this course will mature very nicely. Think ERP when it was new.

Approximate distances:
short pads (rec level) -- 5,300
long pads (blue level, pros will shred) -- 7,200
Par 61

Also -- it's on private property and is pay to play. I believe it's $5 per day with monthly/annual options available. Pay inside the main building.

[Mike D]

Got this today....

[crguanaco7]

info on camping?

[BradT]

Played the course yesterday with 7 others. Great job John and Keith. It's a bit raw right now but still a lot of fun to play. Are there any thoughts of putting something on the wood platforms you tee off on some holes? Could get a little slick.

Loved the chicken coop hole. We all emptied our bags trying to get to the basket without hitting the roof. Wish I could throw a roller.

Will definitely be playing this one some more.

[keith johnson]

Yes - there will be rubber matting for the deck teepads down the road. Glad you had a good time playing it and also in understanding that it is a work in progress that will improve over time.
I hope you and the crew will come back and see the improvements. (maybe you'll come back for the first doubles in May)

Just got back from spending a few hours trimming up foliage on 8 holes - after meeting with them for over an hour lining up the exciting announcements which follow.

Very exciting news and info will be posted here as well as in the NEW course thread for the complex coming soon.

They offer Monthly ($20) and Annual passes ($60) for those who wish to play the course more often that will save on the $5 per day course fee.

They opened the course on April 9th which coincided with the start of their busier Zipline season and also while I wasn't able to be there helping with trimming the new spring growth. (The course was designed and cleared during the wintertime and the guides - which have have done a TON of work - are just mostly learning about Disc Golf and they are VERY excited about the course and are now playing on a regular basis when their tours are done for the day.)
They also now have a setup with Georgia Power to deliver mulch to be used on the fairways for the wooded holes, and I also will be there more often now going forward and will keep the fairways sides clear as well as they will mow the grass on a regular basis.

Exciting News Part 1) Doubles will be taking place EVERY 3rd SUNDAY year round starting on MAY 15th - No greens fees for Annual Pass holders!

Start times will be at 2PM in Daylight Savings Time (Mid MAR-OCT) and at Noon in the non-Daylight Savings Time part of the year (NOV-Mid MAR).
We will park at the side of the parking lot by the practice basket and will meet at the tables on the dock.

There are restrooms in the main building next to the meeting area along with refreshments/icecream products for sale and they will also stock discs with their logo and bags. There will also be a permanent soda machine along with water station (during doubles) on the Chicken coop hole.

They will offer Rustic camping and teepees (with electric) for overnight visits projected to be starting later in May and there will be a total of 20 Rustic camping spots (holds 1 larger tent with up to 4 people inside) and 10 Teepees from 18 feet (Sleeps 2) to 26 feet (with 2 Queen beds) when the project is completed later in the summer. There is also a restroom/shower area bathhouse building with water for the camping area that is almost finished.

Exciting News Part 2) A Bonus GSSevenS Event will be taking place on OCT 15th and 16th, 2011Info will be posted soon about the Bonus Event. The complex will also be the hostof the first GSSS Event in 2012 in MARCH!

Course directions and address here: http://northgeorgiacanopytours.com/directions.html - It is around an hour from ITP and around 1&1/2 from most any area near I-285. Less than 45 minutes from Athens or Blairsville as they are right off US 129 / US 23.
And the good part for me personally is it is the closest GSSS spot except for Wills Park - as it is only 1 hour and 20 minutes from my house.

More info will be posted on the Course thread when the Course thread becomes available.

[heartman]

Sounds awesome. Can't wait to get up there and check it out!

[soupdude62]

I agree with Brad T, course will be awesome, it's just raw right now. I will be getting the annual pass as it is only 15 min from my house. Great job John and Keith.

[keith johnson]

I agree with Brad T, course will be awesome, it's just raw right now. I will be getting the annual pass as it is only 15 min from my house. Great job John and Keith.

Good to know - and after yesterday's trimming the course is already 50% better than it was on SAT the 23rd.
Once the rubber mats are on the decks and the trees get planted where all the flags are on Holes 6 and 7 it will be even a better course - and I'm going to be sure to keep working with them on keeping the regular maintenance going somehow during their busy season evne if i'm going up there one night a week after work.

I want to see this become the best PERMANENT course in GA and I believe when all is said and done it will be just that. And if all goes well with the 18 - they have agreed in principle to expand to 27 holes with a loop of 9 with even more elevation changes and bringing the pond behind 5's tee into play that would start after current Hole 9 so that you could play 2 different 18's or 27 holes.

Keep the 3rd Sunday of every month open everyone!!

Keith

[BradT]

I will be back up there this weekend. Plan to buy an annual pass as well. When we checked in, a few more of the staff besides who was behind the counter came out to talk disc golf. You're right, they're very excited about it.

Will definitely be at Sunday doubles as well. I will try and bring a few others along.

[richardhead]

I'll be playing the course for the first time Friday afternoon. I can't wait. I'll be purchasing that yearly pass too!

[keith johnson]

Anyone that purchases an Annual Pass will obviously NOT have to pay greens fees when the Doubles action or the GSSS Event in OCT takes place and will only have to sign the waiver once.

Hopefully the storms that went through GA last evening didn't cause any issues to the complex.

Jay,
Please let me know your thoughts after you play, keeping in mind the issues mentioned above that are still to come (mostly trees to be planted on the now open holes) and the completion of the mulching on fairways and wider clearing of the greens on some of the holes - which will be completed in the next few months.

[Wookie]

I can't wait to see the new track. I think we are going to try and get up there on the 6th with a small group.

[Rubiks]

Went up there today and played a couple rounds. Great work Keith and Ritger on the design. The elevation changes are no joke, I think this course is actually more work to play than White Oak. Any chance on installing some stairs up to 16's tee?

The thing this course needs the most right now is people playing. I didn't see another soul playing golf in the four hours I was there (granted it was 11-3 on a Thursday). Some foot traffic is needed to keep spiderwebs off of the baskets and to thin out the rough, which is still very thick in some spots. I was expecting some muddy spots after the storm we had last night, but I showed up around 11 this morning and had absolutely no issues with it whatsoever.

[keith johnson]

There are going to be stairs at that point soon - Kirk had the materials in the back of his truck when I was there on SUNDAY.

Keep in mind this is a work in progress that went from design in JAN - to clearing from JAN thru MAR - to opening up on APRIL 9th (they chose the date to try and grab spring breakers and the collegiate golfers that were coming to Augusta for the college championships to come check the place out) knowing it wouldn't be 100% ready and knowing that we had asked them to wait until more finalized clearing could be done, trees planted where the flags are on 5 and 6, rubber mats on the decks, greens to be more cleared and groomed, etc to be completed to make it worth someone's time and money to travel to to play.

I'm encouraged that everyone that has posted here and on Discgolfcoursereview seem to understand that and still seem to like the design and can envision what it will look like when the project is further along.
With the multiple pin placements some pins are also NOT in places right now that John and I had asked them to be until other areas could be more cleaned out, but that is easily remedied when I have the opportunity to go up there before the first doubles on the 15th. The multiple pins and pads also makes it worth getting the annual pass for as the pins will move around regularly (not all long or all short, but keeping a good mixture) making it a different but enjoyable experience every time you visit.

Thanks for the feedback - and now that the course has it's own spot on the message board under Regional Courses - I will copy these posts to a thread there so it will be easier to locate for people looking to talk about the course.

Someone had mentioned somewhere in discussing this course that it would be cool if the holes had names - they do have names that I have talked with them about using when the permanent signs are done later on (Not 100% sure if they will use some, all, or come up with others, but these pretty much fit the course in my mind).
Here are some of the hole names:

1 - Down the chute
4 - Throwing Down the River (with apologies to Ike and Tina)
5 - The Windmill of my Mind (keep in mind this hole will eventually have 2 entrance alleys to the basket when the trees all all in)
6 - Windmills Revenge (keep in mind that the entire right side of the fairway to the turn will have trees on it also making it more of 60-100 foot wide tunnel in the future)
8 - Over the valley and through the woods
10 - The Mountain Hole - (you can see the mountains in the distance standing on the tee pad)
11 - Ain't Nothing but a Hound Dog(leg)
12 - Don't be Chicken!
15 - The Hills are Alive
17 - "S" CUZE ME!
18 - Up the Alley

Keith

[richardhead]

Played my first round this afternoon. I'll just say that the future looks bright for this place. What an ass kicker! There were several great holes. I really enjoyed 1, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17. I played the course blind obviously, but I didn't have a course map to help guide my way. There were a couple of places that I got turned around. I know that eventually there will be better signage. I had called earlier in the day to make sure that they would be open, the lady said they would. When I got there they were closed. I would definitely recommend getting a course map your first time through. As others have stated the course is new and will need to be tuned as time passes on. I do agree with a previous statement about basket placement on a few holes. There were a couple times that I threw a good shot only to approach the green and find myself in jail, but still within the 10m circle.

There were only 2 minor things that I would like to give contructive criticism about. First, the long teepad on 5 is really awkward. I would like to see that extended off the back 2-3 feet. That step-up on to the pad is difficult and with the end of the pad leading to a 5' drop off, I just didn't feel like I could be aggressive. Second, hole 6 is nearly impossible to 3. I crushed a 500' drive that landed in the field and at a good angle for the gap. With that guardian tree on the left side of the gap and the extreme slope of the hill, it's improbable that you will be able to get close to the basket. From a design aspect, I see that you were trying to create shot placement, but with that guardian tree pruned back a bit you still have the risk reward that you're looking for. Errant shots that don't pure that gap will end up in shule and cause you to scramble for par.

I look forward to seeing this course mature and I know that Hall County will have one of the best permanent tracks in the state. Kudos to Keith and The Ritger for putting this thing together. I did talk to a couple of the guys that work the ziplines. They were riding around on dirt bikes. They seemed very excited about the course and were very eager to lend a helping hand while I was lost between 9 and 10. Don't turn right after 9 and walk down the dirt road!! Of the holes that I liked, I have to say that 11, 15, and 17 are my favorite holes on the course. 11 for the risk/reward involved with crushing a RHBH turnover around the corner. 15 because it's the prettiest hole on the course. 17 because it forces you to make a shot and put together multiple shots, it's a true golf hole. As it stands I give the course a solid 4/5 and I know that it will only improve from here.

[keith johnson]

Played my first round this afternoon. I'll just say that the future looks bright for this place. What an ass kicker! There were several great holes. I really enjoyed 1, 4, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17. I played the course blind obviously, but I didn't have a course map to help guide my way. I do agree with a previous statement about basket placement on a few holes. There were a couple times that I threw a good shot only to approach the green and find myself in jail, but still within the 10m circle.

There were only 2 minor things that I would like to give contructive criticism about. First, the long teepad on 5 is really awkward. I would like to see that extended off the back 2-3 feet. That step-up on to the pad is difficult and with the end of the pad leading to a 5' drop off, I just didn't feel like I could be aggressive. Second, hole 6 is nearly impossible to 3. I crushed a 500' drive that landed in the field and at a good angle for the gap. With that guardian tree on the left side of the gap and the extreme slope of the hill, it's improbable that you will be able to get close to the basket. From a design aspect, I see that you were trying to create shot placement, but with that guardian tree pruned back a bit you still have the risk reward that you're looking for. Errant shots that don't pure that gap will end up in shule and cause you to scramble for par.

Of the holes that I liked, I have to say that 11, 15, and 17 are my favorite holes on the course. 11 for the risk/reward involved with crushing a RHBH turnover around the corner. 15 because it's the prettiest hole on the course. 17 because it forces you to make a shot and put together multiple shots, it's a true golf hole. As it stands I give the course a solid 4/5 and I know that it will only improve from here.

I sure hope hole 6 is impossible to 3 as it is the only par 5 on the course. It will be even tougher when the trees are planted.

Hole 5's deck will be extended/leveled to make for a smoother runup/transition in the future.
Basket greens will be better cleared as mentioned in earlier posts - we put flags down and said this needs to be cleared out of brush around here - some of the baskets ended up in spots they weren't supposed to until the greens were cleared better, (but that's one good thing about multiple pin positions as they can easily move) some got cleared nicely, others are still a work in progress.
Thanks for your thoughts of your favorites - if you saw what 17 looked like when John and I first walked it putting tape on the trees, you'd be amazed at how it came about.
6 and 17 are my favorite "golf" holes, and 10 for the view as well as needing a good controlled drive to have a chance at birdie.

And that walk you made down "roller coaster road" after turning the wrong way on 9 is where the other 9 holes are eventually going if the first 18 get a good response.

Hope to see you come on out on the 15th of May for the first doubles action on the course!

[keith johnson]

Course is looking fantastic - and starting to come together. NEW Tee Signs and next tee signs are installed helping to giuide the way.

During the 10 hours I was there working on the course today 21 people including 2 families came through playing - people from Florida came up to play and do the Zip line and 10 people were there for the first time after hearing good reviews about the course, so the word is starting to get out. The couple that had annual passes that came through near the end of the day were very impressed with the progress being made on the course.

All 20+ of the holes for the trees on 5 and 6 have been dug, and 6 trees are already in the ground!!

All of the fairways have been trimmed for the spring and summer season with ceilings to die for on a wooded course with elevation changes.

Anyone who played the course before today will be pleasantly surprised when they next visit - as it looks TOTALLY different down the fairways now.

To everyone who is not playng the DiscCaddie Event at ERP tomorrow, please come out for the first Monthly doubles at the course - and check out the next Georgia course to climb the ranks of the DiscGolfCourseReview countdown - as the management is behind Disc Golf 100% - and with dual concrete tees on most holes and multiple pin locations and with the possible addition of 9 other holes to give the course even more variety, this course has all the makings to be the best Permanent course in the state!

See you on the course,

Keith

[coreyml]

First of all, this is not a complaint. I had a great time today and the course looks great, a lotta fun!

I, as a flicker, noticed that a vast majority of the holes (that are not open shots) favor RH backhanders such as:
2,3,6,7,9, (NOT 11!!!),13,14 and 16
Like I said, I am not complaining. I enjoyed the challenge of using hammers and annies (i suck at backhanding).
I am only saying this because there are multiple pin placement possibilities for each hole. I noticed that the baskets tended to be on the left side of the fairways and If yall felt like it, a simple lateral move to the right side of the fairway would make it so that wrong-handers could make a run if not an ace-run.
Just a suggestion

Other than that, i had a great time! Holy crap I'm beat, tho. I do not recommend playing alone here because watching others throw would give you a breather and multiple pairs of eyes are better than 1 pair to find discs just off the fairway. I love 12 and yes, the pin placement was about as fair as you could make it

Nice job guys. Thank you for your work (and your continued work) on this course

Now I'm gonna check myself for ticks

[MrFixIt]

Played there yesterday, and the course is great!
I'm sure that over time, it will only get better. I loved the scenic views.
Quite challenging, bring extra water and tick repellant!
The only problem I had was the elevated, deck type tee pads. I think mainly it was mental for me, but I payed more attention to my footing than the shot
Thanks to all involved for yet another top notch course in GA!

[D-Wiz]

Played for the first time today. Nice course and design Ritger and Keith. The owners drove by our group, so I'm glad I had on my pretty hat. Definitely a two drink holder course. If I had my mower and weedeater, I could make that place look like Augusta

[Redan Randy]

I'm glad I had on my pretty hat. Definitely a two drink holder course.

NICE, MR. WIZ!!

[mr.disc]

is that moose.....

[Redan Randy]

is that moose.....

In college he was a futbol star!!

[richardhead]

I would definitely recommend a post-round tic check. I pulled 3 off during the round and detached 2 more afterwards!

[ryanwatson]

played my firsdt round there 2 sundays ago was very impressed and look forward to being out there more ofter\n

[tack]

Played the course for the first time Oct. 18th. We shot two rounds and were so impressed had to call in sick the next day and do it again. Fantastic layout that was challenging and fair at the same time. Course was in great shape, tee-pads were wet from rain, but the treated wood was no problem at all. The crew on site welcomed us both days and I very much look forward to getting back out to do it again. Only an hour from Roswell and WELL worth the trip and the $5.00. Excellent job and thank you to all who put in the work to make that course.