Het Doornse Gat

This is a temporary course that is part of the Netherlands open tour which runs from fall to spring. Disc golf is a winter sport in the Netherlands because there are too many people in the parks to pl ... show more ›

This is a temporary course that is part of the Netherlands open tour which runs from fall to spring. Disc golf is a winter sport in the Netherlands because there are too many people in the parks to play safely. The tour, which is played on every first Saturday from September to May, is made up mostly of temporary courses that are only played on the chosen day. The event I believe is sanctioned by the PDGA, but walk-ons, like myself, are welcome as long as they register in the morning. There was no fee for registering. There are approximately 50 serious disc golfers in the Netherlands, and about 30 of them showed this year as the weather was fantastic for fall.

Pros: This course offers real elevation changes and is a mix of open and wooded holes; open fields and tunnel shots. Holes 6, 10, and 11, the baskets are about 30-40 feet below the tee; I have been playing at Rotterdam's only permanent course which is flat and it took me a little bit to find my form for drives off ledges where your disc has a lot of room to find its hyzer. I truly enjoyed the variety of holes, some holes were elevated with respect to the tee, but for the most part the course takes advantage of vista type tees. A good variety of length as well - some 400' to 180'.

Cons: It is a temporary course and you have to register and be ready in the morning with everyone else. Since you are playing in a large group, the event is all day and is three times through; this course is a commitment. However, I do not know how it could be permanent. The park is clearly popular with families and there was much warning and pushing of children and families in harms way of drives. In order to appease the park's concern for trampling in the woods, the OB on some holes are fairly strict, and all of the strict ones are highly biased against a LHBH or RHFH throws. Eight tees are grass and by the end of the day the tee pads were getting a little mushy and slippery - I did not wear the correct shoes and slipped on a number of drives.One tee is sand and by the end of the day there was quite a hole in the tee box.

Overall, this was a nice change from the two permanent courses and I am sorry that I will likely miss over events in other months. December's course is the permanent course in Amsterdam at Sloterpark.