Selah Ranch Lakeside Course – Talco, TX

I had already played one round of challenging disc golf in the Texas heat (at the Creekside Course), but I was there to play the #1 and #2 courses in the world – BOTH of them. I hopped in my all-terrain golf cart and went to the first tee.

I laughed because there’s a giant animal trap near the first tee. I think it’s probably for wolves or hyenas or coyotes or some sort of larger animal. Maybe even a mountain lion or something. I just hoped I didn’t see whatever it was out on the course. Intimidating. But still, I’m always more worried about fire ants in Texas than cougars.

At almost 700 feet, this hole is an awesome opening to a pretty monumental course. The rule for this hole is don’t hit any trees, or you won’t even have a chance at the posted par 5. Remember, these courses should not be played using traditional everything-is-a-par-3 method. Use the posted pars to save yourself from blowing a gasket on the course (or at least that’s what I told myself about every three shots). From the tee, hit one of the gaps in the trees and throw out into the open landing area. Then take a couple of big shots to a basket that sits right next to the huge lake (from the course namesake). Challenging hole – really enjoyable.

I should also point out that this is the first time I noticed there were distance markers implanted in the ground (like at ball golf courses). This way you can tell if you’re 100, 150, or 200 feet out, depending on the color. This is a brilliant idea. It’s pretty cheap and good for course management.

Hole 2 is a big out-over-the-water shot, whether you’re a lefty or a righty. There is a tricky set of trees RIGHT where you want to land your drive. If you can throw it 400+, then try to land past the trees, but otherwise, you can decide if you want to throw less than 300 feet to a safer landing spot. The basket is 528 feet ahead on top of the berm that serves as an access road to the rest of the course. This hole makes you think from the tee, and then again when you’re going for the basket that’s on a fast green.

Hole 3 is a short 244-foot shot, followed by hole 4 at 837 feet. It’s got lots of placement shots along the bank, and then a final tricky approach to the green over the edge of the lake. Amazing golf, this hole. Well designed. I only took one photo of this one, from the green, looking back over the little water-filled inlet I threw over to get here. I’m guessing I was sweating to death in the heat and too lazy to make any additional body movements like taking my camera phone out. Hahaha

Hole 5 is a challenging 581 feet curving to the right from the tee. It isn’t narrow, but it definitely isn’t wide open. Need to keep this one on the fairway. I know it’s obvious, but if you keep it in the fairway, you can get the 4 strokes you need to make par. Fun hole.

Then, hole 6 is a narrow, short 250 feet through a generous tunnel of trees to a picturesque tree-covered green. If I played here a lot, my score would range from 2 to 8 – I just know it.

Hole 7 is 890 feet constantly out over the water on your left. Now the right-handed folks get to understand what most courses are like for left-handed players. You either need a reliable turn-over disc or need to know where your forehand shot is going to land. Seriously, every shot you throw is in danger of hitting the drink. I love this hole, all the way to an amazing island green with a bridge going out to it. I played this hole like garbage and loved every second of it.

Hole 9 is a 500-footer with a very narrow fairway that you really need to hit. It doesn’t matter how far down that fairway you get, but you need to be on that fairway. If you aren’t, then you get off into some serious rough. And that rough has billions of spider living in it. This isn’t a great photo of the cyclone shaped web, but these things are all over the place. Be ready!

Hole 10 is 555 feet with a generous fairway (that you need to stay on) and a nice realistic up-shot to the green. Hole 11 is a 213-foot shorty for right-handers with some elevation to play with. Holes 12 and 13 are 300-ish and narrow, but drive-able. Fun little holes that you need to capitalize on. I didn’t, of course.

Hole 14 is one of those poke-and-hope holes. 426 feet isn't a terrible distance until you take away a realistic fairway. The tee sign is what I like to politely call “bullshit”. If you draw enough lines on it, you can pretend there’s a fairway. There isn’t. You throw into the trees and then try to figure out where your second shot will be thrown through the trees until you take your third shot (now uphill) which will be thrown through the trees to a green that’s just past the tree line (with a few trees surrounding it, just to be a pain in the ass). I didn’t play this hole as poorly as I expected to, thankfully. Here’s a view from the tee so you can see the weird uphill angle you throw your first shot through. Tricky hole.

And I took a little video so you can see the trees. Keep in mind that I veered left from the tee, so even though you think I’m driving down a clear road, that road isn’t in line with the flight path/basket. Good luck on this one.

Hole 15 is a glorious 831-foot hole down a small hill that you need to throw clean. Then take an upshot to a landing area that you need to be left on. Then you can navigate some elevation over a small hillock to the basket. I really liked this par 5 a lot. It’s solid golf. You’ll want to keep throwing this one until you figure it out. If I wasn’t playing on the surface of the sun for 6 hours already, I’d have played it multiple times.

Hole 16 is a slight incline, up 555 feet. You have a couple of fairways to hit, but the basket is directly behind that grove of trees you can see at the end of the fairway. Very fair, but tough hole.

Hole 17 is a drive-able 318 feet around some trees. I’m guessing once you figure out how far to throw his hole (for regulars), it’s probably mostly a deuce.

I was feeling good about how I had played this course (both courses actually). Only one lost disc for the day. So I got cocky on hole 18. It’s 600 feet with the lake on the left and an extremely narrow landing strip along the bank for the first 400 feet. I threw my best turn-over driver flat and just as it leaned back in to the right, the wind took it out to the middle of the lake. I grabbed another turn-over driver and put more angle on it, and the wind died so it landed on its edge and rolled into the lake. Then, I got mad and grabbed whatever disc I grabbed first and threw that way out into the lake. So now, I’m throwing 7 from the tee – fuming. Hahaha. Classic Chad. I was prepared to empty my bag out into the lake if I needed to. So I threw an angry forehand out over the water and it ended up crashing into all those trees on the right – but a long way up there. I managed to get out fairly well – well enough to throw my 9^th shot up by the basket for a whopping TEN on the final hole, and down four discs for the day. Oh well!!!

Even though my blood pressure and body temperature were sky high, I loved this course. It’s brutal, but still fair. I’d go back here and play anytime I get to Dallas. I’d recommend it to all my friends who play, and if I ever see the first guy that recommended this course to me, I’ll thank him profusely. It’s top-notch golf and I’m really glad I took the whole day to play here. I’d definitely consider staying overnight here sometime and playing both courses over two days. Again, get the golf cart – you’ll need it.

I’ll be honest, it’s a toss-up which course is “better”. I think they’re equally challenging and play a little bit different. I’m guessing my preference would change every time I played these courses. They’re both wonderful. And it doesn’t matter which order you play them in, either. There’s decent tree-cover on both of them, so it isn’t like one will be more shady in the afternoon or anything. Flip a coin and play what the disc golf gods tell you to play first!

Thank you, John Houck, for designing such an amazing course and to the owners of Selah ranch for sharing it with the public. Having played it, I wouldn’t question the cost at all. It was all worth it.

www.selahranch.com/disc-golf.html

Selah Ranch Creekside Course – Talco, TX

When I knew I was going to head to Dallas for the weekend, I asked around to some friends who play disc golf, “If I can only play one or two courses in the area, where should I go?” All of them said to play Selah Ranch. This disc golf country club has the #1 and #2-rated courses in the world. Both of the courses on site are designed by John Houck, who is somewhat of a legend in disc golf course design. I don’t love all of his courses, but I like most of them. He’s very creative and likes to challenge golfers.

I got a little lost trying to find this place, so be sure to use a combination of GPS, the PDGA course page directions, and the Selah Ranch page. It’s a two hour drive from Dallas, but not an unpleasant drive. 

It’s on a HUGE plot of land that includes a huge barn with golf carts and a pro shop, a large barn that looks like a banquet facility, a LARGE multi-room house that is sort of the club-house and guest rooms, and then a bunch of smaller cabins for guests to stay in. When I pulled up to the pro shop to check in, there wasn’t anyone there. There was a number on the door to call if no one was there, but someone just happened to pull up to the place and he told me to drive back to the main house and interrupt the guy cutting grass – he’s the owner and he’ll get me all set up. And he did.

The greens fees are the most I’ve ever paid (but you won’t regret it), and I heard from a number of people that you really need to get a cart (which I was suspicious of, but again you won’t regret it). It was the most money I’ve ever laid out to play disc golf for a casual round or two. I’m jumping ahead, but it’s the best money I’ve spent on disc golf ever – just shut up and pay the man.

I got a super bad-ass all-terrain golf cart. Never even seen a golf cart like this! But, as it turns out, you’ll need both the crazy suspension, the huge grippy tires, and the roof to get through this course. This cart was as big as the Kia Soul I rented at the airport.

I didn’t leave without putting on some sunscreen, either. Got to keep my skin baby soft, you know.

This course is long. Really long. People told me to forget the usual scoring system where everything is a par three. This is not the case at this course – you’ll go crazy if you don’t play the course pars, as marked. If it says it’s a par four, then you’re going to be lucky to get a four on it. If it says it’s a par 5, then you’re going to be happy with a five. Really happy. I decided to play Creekside first and save the Lakeside Course for the afternoon.

The first hole at Creekside is 630 feet, and really tricky. Over the creek, but between two sets of dense trees, with a dog-leg right. I felt like I crushed it, but still had a huge upshot with lots of trees to get anywhere near the basket. Which I didn’t. hahaha.

The third hole is 607 feet, over the corner of the pond to a landing area, and then water all along the left hand side to the basket. John Houck’s signature “risk vs. reward” shot. You can totally go for your three, but you’d better hit the landing area the basket sits on, or your disc is gone. LOVE IT!

Four is a shorty through a narrow opening, with a hidden basket that sits next to the water. You can play a safe straight show, or you can play the dog-leg and hope you don’t carry even a little bit too far.

Five’s basket also sits ten feet from the water – go for it if you want. It’s only 215 feet. I played safe, and then missed my putt. Story of my life.

Hole 6 is a tunnel shot with some elevation to maneuver. This course doesn’t have a ton of elevation, but when there IS some, they use it very well. Smart design, Mr. Houck.

Hole 8 is a monster 1019 feet. Lots of trees to hit along the left side, and if you don’t hit them, it’s out of bounds just on the other side of them. This hole is par 5, without question. Brutal.

Hole 9 is 644, but then hole 10 is another crusher: 930 feet, with dense trees to throw through or around. I played around and managed to get lucky on this one. I added some distance, but took some trees out of the equation.

Hole 13 is a little shorty (280’) with a small landing area along the bank of the pond. It was here that I noticed many of the quotes on the tee signs. Lots of biblical quotes, some billy graham quotes, Ben Franklin quotes, and whatever seemed appropriate at the time, while standing on the tee.

Hole 14 is 594 feet, bending to the right, through some well-placed trees. One just off the tee stops you from getting too wide and then, you’ve got a few more to navigate before throwing to a basket under a huge tree.

Hole 15 is a shorty with another well placed (and unique) tree right in the flight path. You can play it out wide if you want, or you can thread the needle. Multiple options from the tee makes for a really fun hole.

Hole 16, at 777 feet, has a hilarious quote from Miss Piggy on the tee sign. “Never eat more than you can lift.” It’s even funnier, since I got a little aggressive from the tee and threw one into the water. This is a fantastic hole with multiple risk/reward shots. A great landing pad on the upshot and looming out-of-bounds behind the basket makes for a tricky shot to the green. I love it (even though I lost one of my favorite discs).

Hole 17 is another water hole – short enough to drive to the basket, as long as you make it out of the few trees right off the tee. Risky landing area (that I actually found from the tee) – great hole.

Hole 18 is a reallllly tricky water hole. It’s a peninsula green with water in front of, behind, and to the right of the basket. You really have to land it on this little narrow thumb of grass to stay out of the water. Forget about landing it close to the basket – just keep it dry. This hole decides whether you go back to the car angry or elated.

I played fairly well at this course and I would highly recommend playing this course. I’m overjoyed that I got to play this course and I’d love to come back here and donate more plastic to the various water features of this course. I headed back to my car to get some additional Gatorade and sunscreen, and then I headed off to play the OTHER amazing course. – The Lakeside Course.

www.selahranch.com/disc-golf.html

Eugene T. Mahoney State Park Disc Golf Course – Ashland, NE

I had time to play a second round the morning I was visiting Omaha. This course is about 30 minutes from Omaha, so again, not a terrible drive on a pleasant morning. It’s in a state park, the kind you have to pay $5 for, just a warning. I pretty much never complain about paying to play disc golf, especially when you can see your money at work on the course or park. This park is massive and it’s also REALY well kept. The guy at the guy taking money at the gate chatted me up about fishing when he saw my Minnesota plates – really a nice guy. He told me when I was done playing disc golf, I should drive to the end of the park and climb the huge tower for the best $5 view in Nebraska. I assured him I would.

I found the course pretty easily (using the map the front gate guy provided and circled). It’s behind a green house, and the first tee is RIGHT behind the green house. Like dangerously behind the green house. Also the first basket is a blind shot to the right, directly behind the green house. A little scary for the first shot of the round. I had been playing earlier, so I was warmed up, but geesh, I was a little scared to throw the first hole. 

The second and third holes were a little unusual, but after that, the course is pretty nice. Really nice, actually. It’s got nice big open shots up, down, and across hills. Good basket placements for some fast greens, some water hazards and creeks to navigate. It’s got some finesse holes and some bombs.

The tees are pretty well marked with signage, although they’ve made some changes out here, be warned. They have written numbers in the concrete pads that don’t always line up with the number on the sign next to it, nor the basket. The distances, therefore, are also not accurate, but they’re about half right. And there are multiple basket placements for each hole. Again, those are just amenities on the course – it’s still a really good course. 

I also love how the fairways are cut out of the prairie grass to class it up a little bit. They’ve done pretty fantastic work on this course (after you get past the first two or three holes). This one is worth the drive from Omaha to check out, even with the five dollar park entry fee. I played pretty well here, also (which helps my opinion of the course hahaha). One or two over, which I was really happy with.

After the round, I drove to the end of the park to climb the tower. It looked like it was going to be an awesome view form the top of this huge structure. Sadly, when I drove up to it, there was a sign saying it was closed due to wasp infestation. I half considered jumping the rope and checking it out anyway, but I had just seen a special on Japanese Giant Hornets (they can kill 40 honey bees in a minute!), so I opted to steer clear. I bet it’s nice though when it’s open!

Thanks for a fantastic round, Eugene T. Mahoney. I like what you’ve done with your property.

www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=4094

Ox Bow Trail Disc Golf Course – Ashland, NE

I had to get in a round or three of disc golf while in Omaha for roller derby. I looked up a couple of courses and picked this one, since it was recently upgraded to 18 holes, from 12. It is about 30-35 minutes outside of Omaha, so not a terrible drive. 

The park is set in a sort of transitional industrial area and residential area. The park has a set of ball fields and volleyball courts, but no one was there at 8 in the morning, so I didn’t have to worry about a lot of traffic.  The map online only shows the middle section of the course for some reason, so I had to figure out where each of the holes were – not usually a problem. 

The course is flat with just an occasional tree. So you don’t have to navigate a lot of doglegs or finesse or anything. Not very much distance on the original 12 holes and even the newer holes on the other side of the bridge were pretty drive-able. 

I don’t think this course gets very much play or attention. I say this because despite the tee pads being concrete, it was missing a few tee signs and an occasional basket (though they have planned for multiple placements, so you can see the pvc pipes indicating where the baskets should be. The area looks like it gets some flooding, so you may have to search hard for concrete pads. There’s also a tee pad with a brand new light pole installed at the throwing end of the tee. Very unusual hazard, frankly. 

For some reason, I was absolutely on fire this morning. I shot 8 under par. I can’t think of the last time I did that, if EVER. So, needless to say, it’s a pretty easy course. Worth the drive from Omaha? Probably not, but if you’re passing through, it’s an ego boost.

www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=605