Disc Golf Course Must-Haves

2010 PDGA World Champion Eric McCabe has visited championship-caliber courses all around the world. Throughout his travels, McCabe has witnessed firsthand the attention to detail that can truly set a course apart. Here are his must-haves for a championship level disc golf course.

Multiple pin placements

“I believe having multiple pin placements is a must for a championship course. Options are always good to have, but the main reason is wear and tear. I’ve played so many great courses all over the world that have only had one pin placement and the erosion or dirt around the baskets caused from constant traffic can bring the appeal down, or be a safety issue.”

Par 4’s and Par 5’s

“For a true championship course, you have to have multiple Par 4’s and 5’s. I personally prefer a course Par to be set between 65-68. A Par 5 on both the front and back nine would be ideal, with a handful of Par 4’s mixed in with 3’s. I feel EVERY course must also include that relatively easy Par 3, maybe a good ACE run hole.”

Good Signage

“This is also a MUST for any course, in my opinion. Having a quality sign that is readable is important. Some things to include would be distance, elevation, O.B. Hazards, possible crowded areas, next tee arrow, etc. So many times have I played a great course that needs updated tee signs, and it truly takes away from the overall views of the course. There’s nothing more frustrating than stepping up to a hole and having no clue where the pin or potential areas you can lose a disc are due to bad signage.”

Practice Basket/Warm-up Field

“Have you ever shown up at a course with no practice basket, and found a big group of people warming up on Hole 1’s pin? Or you show up just after a large group of players and they’re unloading their bag on Hole 1? In a perfect world, every course would have the room for two practice baskets, about 40-feet apart, and a nice open field with plenty of area to unload shots. This will also help with the players that want to take their game to the next level. I realize this can’t be a reality at a lot of courses, but at the very least having one practice basket is a must.”

Facility/Shelter

“This one may throw you off a bit, but it is very important to have restrooms and a large shelter. If it’s a championship course, you’re probably going to want to run tournaments, and having these facilities is a must.”

Contact us if you are interested in having Dynamic Course Design design a new disc golf course or re-design an existing course.