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July 8, 2016
8:15 AM
Temp: 73
Wind is NE @ 3
Partly cloudy
DGCourseReview link

Quivira DGC is a 9 hole course in Marquette, Kansas. It was installed in 2016 and the ribbon cutting was on July 4 of that year. Each hole has a sign, 8’ cement pad, DISCatcher basket and nice bench. Interestingly, the course was totally financed by a previous city clerk…who doesn’t play disc golf.

I’d never been to Marquette before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Like a lot of my travels, I always wonder about small town disc courses, but I’ve stopped judging before I see them. I was able to see pics of the tee signs before I got there and wondered about all the trees. It was easy to assume that if there were ball fields and ball diamonds in the immediate area, it would be a fairly open course. Boy did I set myself up!

I met a friend, Bentley Richert, at the course to show me around. He was nice to have along simply because there are a couple of walks from baskets to tees I didn’t have to spend time on. I could have figured it out on my own, but it’s more fun with someone else. Having played it several times, he was of great help my first time through. The permanent signs will have arrows for Next Tee.

The first three holes are open fairways and are the only holes with marked OB.

Hole 1 (314’) throws down a line of trees on the left to an opening on the left and a slightly elevated basket with trees around it and a drop-off behind.

Hole 2 (252’) tees out of trees across the corner of a football field and back into an opening in trees to the left.

Hole 3 (315’) is mostly open and a baseball field comes into play. I only saw one way into the fenced field and it was a ladder over the fence close to the tee. Bentley thought they were working on a second entrance closer to the basket. Noted after my drive ended up 5’ inside the fence close to the basket!

The rest of the holes are in the trees and I do mean trees. Every fairway was somewhat congested. I remember thinking on 3 holes there was no way to get to the basket on my drive. After two times around that was proven wrong by either Bentley or myself.

Hole 4 (217’) started the tree madness. It actually had a couple of old telephone poles as well. The fairway was straight, the line was not.

Hole 5 (319’) looks longer than it is and the closer you get to the basket the more trees you see. While it is a par 3, I believe that par is going to be a really good score on that hole for a lot of people.

Hole 6 (107’) is ‘short’ and it goes from high to high with a deep drop-off to a creek in between and of course some trees. There is also a deep drop-off to the right of the basket. The second time around, Bentley and I both had drives that made it through the trees to the basket, but hit a tree behind it and ended up down in that drop-off.

Hole 7 (176’) is fun to look at from the tee. You’re staring through a bridge that has a triple mando looking at a fairway with trees and a dry creek on the right.

Hole 8 (169’) has a big ‘Finger’ tree about a quarter of the way to the basket. The creek runs in a shallow dip across the fairway with thicker shrubby trees to the left of the basket. Amazingly, I made it to the basket my first time.

Hole 9 (294’) has lots of trees, one mando and two paths; one to the left and one to the right. Where those two paths meet is a few trees lined up like a fence to go through, but it’s not so tight you can’t get through. The first time I went right and got a bit deep and ended up in some shrubby trees and there was no good path out. The second time I tried an anhyzer down the left path with some good success, but a got a bad bounce off a tree at the end.

I really enjoyed playing Quivira DGC. Most of the course is technical and overall not very long. It reminds me a bit of Cowskin Creek DGC in Colwich on a smaller basis. I remember walking up to tee 15 (Hole 7) and thinking, “I can’t wait to come back and give this another shot.” If you’re in the area, you definitely want to stop and give this course a play, but leave the big guns in the bag and bring your finesse game.

Note: You do need to be aware of poison ivy and deer ticks. I did not have either of those problems, but I am glad I brought some good bug spray to help with the mosquitos!

July 8, 2016
Temp: 90
Wind SE @ 8
Partly cloudy,
DGCourseReview link (not available)

So while I was playing Quivira DGC in Marquette, Bentley and I were talking and he says something about a new course in Hesston? I assume they are reworking the Hyzernaut Farm course at the retreat center and he nixed that. Now he has my attention! After grabbing lunch in Marquette I headed to Hesston. I stopped at the Sonic for a half price Route 44 Diet Cherry Limeade. While I’m sitting there waiting for 2:00, I see on Facebook that Smitty (Chris Smith) just saw baskets east of the interstate at Hesston. My biggest problem was that I didn’t know there was a park where the course is located and my wife’s family has lived in Hesston for years.

All bets were off and I went and found the course. As I drove in there were 3-4 mowers hard at work knocking down the grass. It appeared to be a fairly open course which was quite a contrast to Marquette where I had battled trees earlier in the day. One of my first questions getting out of the truck is always, “How do I find the tees?” In this case I found basket 9 and started looking around to see any kind of marker close by that would indicate the designer put the finishing hole close to the first tee. I found a 1x1 stake with a blue wire flag stuck next to it and on it was written T1. As I looked up I saw a basket in front of me out in the open and I was in business.

At this point I stopped to consider the course just a bit. I didn’t do a Periscope as I already had 36 holes under my belt for the day and it was HOT. Between Marquette and Hesston I had stopped and thrown Moundridge which I hadn’t done in a couple of years and it was on my way home. It appeared to be a pretty open course where wind would play a factor. I decided to take pictures and measure hole distances via GPS in my UDisc app. I didn’t map it in UDisc.

DISCLAIMER: The distances note below are not highly accurate and are straight line measurements. The baskets were all in their short positions.

Hole 1 (230’) This is a wide open hole with a couple of trees to the right. I played on/over the road as OB. As I got to the basket and looked at it I discovered it was a new DGA Mach III. I also discovered there was an alternate basket location with a sleeve in the ground and marked with a 1x1 stake and a red flag.

Hole 2 (460’) I assumed the course was going to pretty much follow the perimeter of the park so I started looking for basket 2. There is a tree line that runs to the NW and basket is in line with trees towards end of the row. The tee is on the south side of tree line. You can throw along the trees which is a longer route or cross over the tree line to cut down on the distance. I again played on/over road as OB.

Hole 3 (215’) The tee is just north of basket 2. You’ll throw north around a group of trees to the basket across road tucked up against some evergreen trees. If you step right of the tee, you can see the basket. An overthrow will get you in a bit of trouble.

Hole 4 (210’) The tee to right (SW) of 3 basket. If you look towards the cell tower you will see the basket through cottonwood trees. Going left around trees puts you in tall grass if you don't make it. Going right is mowed but a bigger bend around trees. The basket is in an opening with a landing area. There are no real problems unless you don’t get around the trees.

Hole 5 (210’) Tee 5 is south of basket 4 and don't confuse with alternate 4 basket placement (until more permanent tee markers are in). This is a straight shot to a basket with trees and a small hill behind it. It shouldn't be a problem unless you overthrow it. The alternate basket is to the right around the trees/hill about another 70'.

Hole 6 (350’) The tee for 6 is NNE around trees/hill. You are throwing south to a wide open basket. The only challenge here may be the distance.

Hole 7 (240’) The tee for 7 is back to the NNE between two trees. You can't see the basket from the tee. Step about 30' to the east and you can see it between two sets of evergreen trees to the right.

Hole 8 (235’) The tee is south of basket 7 in the open. If you look SSE towards the big blue sign in the sky, you'll see basket 8. The large group of trees to the left of basket are closer to the basket and thicker than you think. There are a few trees line right side of fairway

Hole 9 (265’) Tee 9 is south of basket 8 in the open. Basket 9 is in the circle drive and is a straight shot to west. There are few evergreens on the right of the fairway.

Here are some thoughts I had as I finished up. As I stood on Tee 9 and looked to my left I wished they would have incorporated the pond into the course. It could have added a couple of holes with some different challenge. What I don’t know is what the city of Hesston gave them permission to do. I also think some holes would be more interesting if the baskets were in their long positions. Hole 3 and 5 come to mind.

I’ll definitely play it again. It was hot and I had 36 holes under my belt already. I’d like to play it when I was fresh. This course was on nobody’s radar and I’d like to see what the designer(s) have in mind for the future.

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Quivira DGC - Marquette

Hesston DGC - Hesston

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