Calico Creek - Hole One

I'll admit it, I'm not an objective reviewer when it comes to Calico Creek. I LOVE the place. For a variety of reasons, I have a personal connection to this course.

Calico Creek from the green tees gives beginners an exposure to classic a New England woods course without being too overwhelming. From day one, a newbie has a chance to make some pars and maybe even have a look at a birdie. Elevation, shaping shots through the woods, facing risk/reward options and putting on contoured greens are all a part of the experience, though with shorter and more forgiving fairways.

From the red tees, Calico Creek is a bit more of a challenge, though it doesn't have the "teeth" of the Spoonwood Ridge red layout. For a quick fun round, Calico Creek is hard to top. This is a first of a series of hole-by-hole posts of the course.

When you pull in to the parking lot of the New England Disc Golf Center, you'll see the "pro shop" shack, and our three hole putting green. Just past the port-o-potty you'll see the first tees.

The opening hole is a wide open 'bomber' hole, a toss of 285 feet from the red tee, and touch under 200' from the green tee. It plays slightly up hill, it's easy for someone to underestimate the distance.

This hole is probably a good test of which layout you should play... if you are reaching for a mid from the red tees, your will be fine sticking to the reds for the whole course. If you can't carry the 200' feet from the green tees with your favorite driver, you should probably play the round from the green tees.

Dozens of first time players have found this hole to be a great introduction to the sport. If you bring out a "newbie", be kind, let them throw a few on the practice range before turning them loose on Calico Creek! After a few practice throws on the range, they might surprise you on this hole!

For experienced players, no trouble here, though on occasion I've seen some big arms "turn over" their drive and see it reach the woods to the right before it had a chance to hyzer back. The left side of the fairway is wide open, with just the practice range running parallel to the fairway.

Just give it your best run, try to get inside the circle, take your run at birdie and now your ready for the rest of your round. Just keep in mind that the winds can be a bit tricky on the meadows portion of the course, and it's a slightly raised basket, get too greedy and you might have a roll-away and a troubling par save.

Once you putt out, follow the "next" sign on the bottom of the basket, you'll be directed into the woods and a short walk to the second tee. Your next several holes will be "in the woods".