BY: Jeff 'Toad' Panis
toad@badcodisc.com

Jay Burghardt and I have heard a lot of talk about a disc golf course in the town of Fort Morgan, Colorado. Fort Morgan sits off of I-76 about 70 miles east of the Denver metro area. Riverside Park is a stone's throw north of the interstate at exit sign 80. When you circle to the back of the park the first sign of a disc golf course you see are the telltale yellow bands of the Innova Discatcher baskets placed around sculpted banks of a man-made lake. We knew immediately, this was going to be a unique experience.

Then, we walked up to the first tee and stumbled upon one of many details which make this course a study in good disc golf course design; the tee pads. Each tee pad tapers from back to front (similar to the new tee pads at Edora but without the raised portion at the end), is long enough for most any runup and has a crosshatch texture which is the best gripping surface I've ever played on a tee pad.

Then you have the course layout.

We were tested on the first tee with the OB road along the entire right side all the way to the basket (I was bit twice on this hole!). Every hole adds special character to the layout. For instance, hole 3 is very short but plays blind because of the elevated ground just past the tee. Hole 7 hyzers over the lake up to a basket tucked next to a tree and backed by OB parking lot. Hole 8, which Jay and I felt was the signature hole for the course, was long and played along the entire north side of the lake with the basket nestled at the end; very picturesque. Hole 12, very long, with the basket set just inside the OB bike path is a tough par hole (a three feels like a birdie). Hole 15 skirts the south bank of the Platte River and has an umbrella of tree branches right off the tee trying to keep your disc from working left to right toward the open area in front of the basket. Hole 17 basket is shrouded in cottonwood tree trunks and makes for another signature hole on the course. The course length is above average but leaves no shortage of birdie opportunities. Jay shot a 7 down on his third round (with a bogey tossed in).

Overall we were very impressed. Every tee pad could be like these, the wide cement base beneath the baskets shows care to the surrounding landscape and the thought put into the layout makes this course an instant favorite.

I can't wait until Bruce hosts his next event, I'm sure it'll be a blast for all who attend. And maybe I can get another shot to avoid OB on hole 1.