Robert Morris from the tee pads provides an overwhelmingly tilted number of challenging holes that beg for 2 pro-caliber shots. This makes the few holes under 275' more important to birdie. there are several holes that making pro par 3 feels like a bird. Don't expect to find yourself too far under par. A handful under may be the perfect round.
Walking out of the car, you come to what the PDGA World Championships Selection Committee named "The Disc Golf's Toughest 318 Feet." A wash-out gully that rises over 280' easily seems like a 500+ foot hole with the Guardian obsitcal trees making you choose a path off the tee. A giant oak tree to the left and the unforgiving erroted hillside will stop any imperfect shot. Lucky huckers will have no look at the basket even on the best of drives...only poster drives will catch a glimpse of top-chain. After squeezing your approach through the final woodland guards, the basket sits on flat grassland protected on the left by row pine. A par feels like a birdie and expect to see fives and sixes on this hole.
After either the single worst hole of your life or a confidence-building par, Hole 2 awaits. The 2nd most difficult hole on the course, this long row pine gem will test your meddle and accuracy. Approximately 360 feet, players only have one chance: dead straight. For 95% of the hole, players work with 12' wide fairway. Arrant shots will riquochete wildly and could end up a hole away or behind pines that make a wall from that angle. Precise drivers will be able to hyzer out (RHBH) towards the basket towards an uphill lie, slowing down the shot. A moderate backstop of trees and foliage will keep monster drives from traversing too far from the goal. Again, another chest-pounding hole or a demoralizing 5 or 6 on the scorecard can set the pace for the rest of the round. Luckily, you are far away from the car at this point so you might as well just play on.
The course doesn't let up from there of offer many redemption holes. You keep the stroke you gain at Robert Morris. Holes 3 and 4 could not be more different with hole 3 a huge, arching anny (RHBH) setup for a run at a protected green = par at best , and Hole 4 which rewards the best and longest of drives with a kneeling, up hill run with a low canopy that can leave you outside the circle for your comeback putt. Another par at best.
Recording the shortest footage at 187', Hole 5 is a dogleg left carved out from row pine with a rolling, dirt and pine needle covered green. It is a hard hyzer poke with a treeline backstop to kill any progression or a super high spike hyzer that has to hang far over catchy pines in order to not overshoot the pin and end up sliding downhill through rows of tree. A good birdie for sure.
Flickers (RHBH) love Hole 6 for the fairway is on the left, the pin is to the right, and the danger is the entire length of the right hand cut. Danger lies close to the left edge of the grass but stability will slide you close to another possible birdie if that drive doesn't go too far and directly into a very large bush 7 feet behind the basket.
Back to it's original-ish position, Hole 7 is exciting! A perfect slight hyzer (RHBH) will set up this barely over 300' hole to the tunnel entrance. The continued arc of the drive will carry the disc to the basket through the 90' tunnel run, but there are many trees on either side to keep you from that much needed birdie.
The ever-evolving Hole 8 is now a little row pine poke that by distance should be a jump putt but when you can't even see the basket due to the trunks and branches of the pine trees that makeup it's home, you know you'll have your work cut out for you.
Hole 9 runs straight downhill with a hyzer finish (RHBH) with plenty of skip/slide danger because of the hard packed earth, rocks and roots. Skidding up to the basket always plays better than Ace Runs that may leave you over 70' away, with an uphill putt marred with trees.
Crossing from the woods, players are welcomed by Hole 10. A great place to show-off the Power of the Drive for cars paying their way into the park, a full huck will get you to the top of sledding hill. Dangerous woods that beg for an "out" shot awaits early hyzer (RHBH) drives. Once at the top of the hill, you're looking at another 180' across flat grass land to a whispy drop-off that protects the green. Poised on a flat 60' grass plot, danger lies not far from the goal. A very steep hill runs lengthwise the top plateau and is definitively in play at the green so mind your upshots.
The 2nd longest hole is pretty open, except for that big softball backstop, besides that, it's a hucker's choice. Hole 11 stretches around 500' with a standard tall, chain link fence from an old ball diamond in the hyzer path (RHBH). Throw too high over the fence and be at the mercy of the wind rolling up the hill from the lakeside, throw too straight and your shot will hyzer before the flat grass ends and the hill goes straight down to the road. Long arms are surely in danger of OB Road behind the basket and aspiring long arms will face hyzer skips into pines that line Hole 12's pad. The pin has been built-up with a small, flat catcher's mitt but only the most accurate shots will stay put. Roll-away OB danger is a real threat on your putt so throw true and move on to Hole 12.
At 427', most long arms would look at Hole 12 and think Driver 2, birdie for the hole from looking at the sign. Looking down the fairway, golfers see a line of pine for the first 70' that keeps drives straight. the fairway rolls from left to right significatly down to OB Road which is in play the entire length of the hole. Whispy wheat grass lines the left of the fairway is easy to manuever during the off season, but during the height of summer and fall, this wheat grass is tall and can become troublesome for loss. The pin is protected by another cluster of pine starting 50' before the target. Again, landscaping stone has made this sidehill basket flat for a few feet but blocker trees, roll-away OB, and low canopy make this a solid 3 hole.
Hole 13 is a blind spike hyzer (RHBH) over OB Fence/Road. Standing on a pad positioned atop a hill, you feel like emptying your bag. Measuring around 260', this hole represents the last easy birdie Robert Morris offers. The green has a giant tree as a backstop and several ornamental pine-bushes on the putting surface. What looked like a great drive may be somewhere close but unreachable.
Hole 14 has had many faces. Mid-Fall 2008, the original position needed to be changed when a wind storm took down the mighty maples surrounding the pin. After a tremendous clean-up effort by the Park Staff, the basket is back near it's original position. Be careful on the teepad however, as it is a downhill slab onto rocks and wash-out.
Hole 15 looks straight forward. 352'. Flat grassy fairway. Pocket green protected by a large pine to the right and thorny bushes to the back. Wind blows almost constantly head from the lake. A lot of variables to make this birdie.
Hole 16's tee sits on a slight hill overlooking the treetops that protect the hole's target. Spike shots for lefty and righty player, back hand or flickers, will all lead you to the dancefloor. Early shots may be problematic with the protecting trees and branches. A large pine looms near the back of the green 20' from the pin.
Hole 17. Hole 17 is the longest hole on the course and a very mean design for how straight forward it is. Measuring over 700', half up hill, a quarter flat land, a quarter downhill, this monster has OB Road the entire way on the right, whispy, knee high grass almost the entire way on the left that is blind because of the tunnel. 50' off the tee pad, players have to not only drive for distance but accuracy becuase the trees gap to 10'. This squeeze play intimidates most players into bad shots, making this crazy hole insane. A par feels like an ace. Expect 5's through 7's on this hole with an occasional snowman.
The last hole is one of the most picturesque holes at Robert Morris. A downhill sledding run lined with trees and danger both sides. This 300+ foot straight hole will test player's mental game. Considering the wind whipping up from the lakefront, this hole needs to be played with care. Two opportunities to get into danger on the left with woods than a pocket of trees that protect early left. The right side of the hole is riddled with trees, branches, foliage, and fallen trunks that leave players with a look but not footing.
Robert Morris will always provide a challenge to disc golfers of every level. The beginner golfer will see what is possible with land, compassion, and volunteerism. The moderate golfer will learn that to be a successful disc golfer, you will need to hone all aspects of your game and to respect each type of shot. The professional golfer will strive for score and battle not only the elements and environment, but themselves. RoMo will test all aspects of your game, physical and mental.