Bill Allen Memorial Disc Golf Course

This is a fairly well-maintained public DGC with well-marked, gravel tees. A technical, wooded course with tight fairways and tree-guarded targets, Bill Allen Memorial requires either conservative or skillful play to avoid the numerous water hazards and deep brush. Air it out on 5 and 15–18. Other holes play shorter and punish errant drives.

TIPS:

- First-time navigation of the course can be a little challenging due to lots of trees and elevation changes. If you think of the course as generally moving in a counter-clockwise circle from 1–18, it may help.

- Wear shoes you don't mind getting wet and be prepared to chase a few discs into the think wooded undergrowth.

Moving to your left from hole #1, you come to the second tee. Several natural obstacles and a hard break to the right make this a challenging hole. A ricochet off one of the fairway trees could land your disc in the creek to the right.

Moving once again to the left after finishing up on 2, takes you to the third tee. Water comes into play for the first time here as you must clear the small creek that guards the target. It's a short hole, so you shouldn't have much trouble.

After your drive, it's not obvious how to get over the creek. Walk to your left from the tee box to find the concrete bridge to cross the water then follow the path into the woods to reach the basket.

Assuming you cleared the creek with your tee shot on #3, cross the creek here. If not, you'll get your feet wet.

To locate the tee, exit the wooded area surrounding hole 3 to the left with your back to the #3 tee box. When you come to the amphitheater, take a right and tee #4 will be at the top of the hill.

The fairway slopes downhill toward a target guarded on three sides by trees. To avoid the steeply banked creek on the right, play your drive long and to the left.

The wind carried my drive down into the creek bed. Stay to the left to avoid this mistake.

After the tightly-wooded confines of the previous holes, #5 comes as a wide open relief. Big arms can heft two satisfying drives up the hill toward the target. Many players need 3 shots to reach the hole.

However, a careless throw can still cause you problems here. A railroad easement and barbed wire fence runs along the left. Be sure to lay up a little short on your approach -- a deep pond awaits beyond and below the basket to punish a miss long.

Many consider #6 to be the course's signature hole. It presents the player with a uniquely challenging risk/reward decision -- to launch a drive across the deep pond or to play safe and tee off to the left around the water.

At 367 ft., long players can possibly reach the basket. But, the hole plays uphill and frequently plays into the wind. For those inclined to gamble, be aware that any disc that drives into the 10 ft deep pond will likely be irretrievable.

Par is a good score here.

367 ft from the tee, plays longer than the yardage

This short hole has a narrow fairway that hooks left toward the target. There's little danger here in attacking the pin since the trees surrounding the hole will likely keep any stray shots out of the water that's located on the distant right.

To find the 10th tee, cross the same concrete bridge you used to cross the creek while playing #3. Once across the creek, follow the walking path to the right.