When entering the Student Center fr
om the library, you might have noticed a metal basket with a yellow strip at the top and a black 12 on it. This is part of Hocking College's Disc Golf Course. As of now there are 12 holes throughout the hill behind the Student Center, Shaw Lab, Davidson Hall and the Public Safety Services buildings. We hope to expand and make our course a full 18 holes.
In order to play the course all you need to do is go to the main desk in the Student Center and ask them for the map and also ask for the discs. To use the Outdoor Pursuits discs, you must give your student I.D. to the worker. This ensures that O.P. gets all their discs back from the course. You will get your I.D. back when you return the borrowed disks. If you over-shoot a basket and your disc goes into a ravine, please do your best to retrieve it. Since the course is in the woods, it makes for a great challenge and a nice hike.
The course has two different par levels, one for the beginner and the advanced. Each are shown on the score card that is on the back of the map.
At each tee off there are signs that show the thrower where the basket lies and the way the fairway curves. Also the signs tells what the par is for that hole and how many feet it is from tee off t
o basket.
The first tee off place is between the Student Center and Shaw Lab. You then throw across a little run-off stream and around some trees to the basket.
Second shot to basket one.
After making the first hole there will be signs pointing you in the right direction to hole 2. Hole 2 is also played in a more open area;
there are some trees in the fair way but that just makes it so much more interesting.
Hole three starts back in the woods so there is a trail that starts across the street. After the ascent you come upon hole 3. This is a nice open fairway that starts in the shade of a white pine.
The white dot is Tim Rice standing beside hole 3's basket. This picture taken from the tee off.
Hole 4 is where things really get interesting. There are two fairways to choose f
rom. One is up a little ridge where it is trickier to keep your disc on the course and the other is through the lower portion where it may get stuck in some mud or hit a sapling. This is the lower portion. The upper portion is to the left more. The basket is on the left side of the little island of trees.
Hole 5 is a straight shot with woody brush on both sides of the
fairway,
over a small run-off creek, past a clump of trees where the basket is sitting a few feet behind. Don't worry it is easier than it sounds. It is simply a par 3 for both the advanced and beginners.
After a short hike through the woods you come upon hole 6 at the top of a small ridge. This hole is a downward throw and
relatively easy, after you avoid the trees in the fairway. No worries though, most of the little brush has been cleared for your convenience.
Hole 7 is tricky. It may be tempting to throw your disc down the pathway but if you look at the sign you will see that the
fairway actually curves into the wooded area behind basket 6. It looks tough but after you clear the first couple of trees, the little valley is quite clear of obstacles.
Hole 8 is a simple par 3 and only 198'. It is a
nice throw that curves a bit to the left. There is also a little hill to take you out
of the small valley. The brush has been controlled to make this hole more bearable, but the trees remain to test your skills as a disc golf player.
Hole 9 is semi-tricky for a few re
asons. A. it is pretty much uphill. B. it is relatively narrow for such a steep throw. C. you must be careful not to toss your disc in the valley to the
left at the beginning of the throw. Other than that, this hole isn't too bad. It is only 160' and a par 3. This hole is leads up to a fun throw on hole 10.
Hole 10 seems like the easiest hole in the entire course. It is certainly one of the more scenic holes, I must say. But don't let its openness fool yo
u. It is 370' to the basket from the tee off. There is a valley between you and the basket which caus
es you to throw harder or even misjudge your force and not throw hard enough. But be careful, if you throw too hard then you risk over-shooting the basket and what awaits your disc is a cliff with a whole lot of multiflora rose, a very invasive species not native to Ohio. Anyway, after you throw there is a trail leading off to the left of the tee. Oh, and when you go to make your second throw and can't find your disc, be sure to look UP in the trees. We once spent 10 min. looking for a disk that was orange and it turned out to be caught in a branch 5 feet above the area we were looking in.
We draw near the end of our course with Hole 11. This one is different than all the others due to the fact that it has a 90 degree right turn towards the end of it. This one is a
407' throw and a par 4. The fairway is clear of trees until the turn. Then you shoot through some trees and find the basket a little deeper in the forest. Careful in the rainy season because it can get very soggy back there, as well as on the rest of the course. Hole 11 is a good challenge to see how good at distance throwing you are. In order to get the par you must be a superb thrower.
Finally you make your way out of the
forest to Hole 12 and you will come out in the fire tower field. Please be careful as you make your way back towards the Public Safety Services building and Davidson Hall because the fire tower area might be in use and it could be dangerous. When you get to Davidson Hall, just follow along the pond and you will come up on the 12th and final tee (for now). This is a spacious fairway. Your biggest worry is that your disc might curve into the pond. If that happens, we ask that you ask for some sort of net to retrieve the disc. Hole 12 curves around the pond and sets you close to the student center to return your discs. Or, if you want to play another round then Hole 1 is very close as well.
Hope you go out and play the Disc Golf course!! It is fun with family or friends!!
Join the Outdoor Pursuits staff on November 2nd, as we take a little trip over to the Hocking Hills climbing and rappelling area, to sample what the "Blackhand" Sandstone has to offer. Spend the day top rope climbing and bouldering with O.P. as we show you the ropes. Staff member will be there to set up the climbs and point the best boulder problems in the area. Whether it be the boulder classics "Wet Willy" , "Six Crack"(pictured above),"The Stripper", "Beached Whale" or one of the many roped lines; Such as "Sex and Candy", "Gear Shift", or the infamously dirty "Side of a Beech". The O.P. Staff will be there with the spot and the classic beta for the send.
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