Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course Review!

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Course review Introduction

If you look at the reviews for Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course, you might be tempted to just skip it.

And whatever you say about this course, let’s make sure to give it credit for a few things.

First, it’s free. Right there, you’ve got something positive to go on.

View of open field at Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course. — **Hole 18** is better before the poison ivy comes in!

Secondly, it was around before disc golf hit it’s boom. So, it was ahead of the curve and probably didn’t get the resources a newer course would get today. That, to me, means it was probably fueled partly by passion and I have to respect that.

Thirdly, it’s got some fun and interesting holes and it even has a bit of a Lord of the Rings theme going on.

All told, that makes it worth a visit.

My personal preference is to visit it in the winter/fall. There are some holes with a fair amount of poison ivy, and I just assume avoid that. It also has a good amount of thick brush that can be a bear to navigate through if your disc goes off line.

But let’s have a look at some of the featured holes and see if a visit to Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course is in the cards for you!

Basic Information

Address: 53-171 Burts Pit Rd, Northampton, MA 01060

Price

Directions

Parking

Ease of Navigation

Busy?

Free

Easy with GPS

Plenty

Got lost twice

Not While I was there

Course Level

Poison Ivy

Maintenance Level

Tee Pad

Scorecard?

Easy/intermediate

Moderate to high

Below Average

Rubber Pads

On Udisc

Signature Holes

These are just the opinion of the writer. With each course I like to showcase a few holes and explain what stuck out to me on that particular day. Then, I let the photos do the talking…

In general, the earlier holes are more wooded in nature and the back 9 is a bit more open. All in all, there is some nice variance to suit your style.

Have a look below and see for yourself!

View of open field for hole 9 at Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course. — **Hole 9**, pictured above and below, has a very picturesque layout and is a good indicator of the back 9 experience!

View of basket at Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course.

View of wooden bridge over a brook at Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course.

View of basket in woods at Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course.

Sign saying Middle Earth in front of high grass

Ideas to Borrow for Future Course

Some day I would like to construct my own disc golf course. Come along for the ride and see if I do (Subscribe)! With each course, I play, I want to find some element that I appreciate and can use for a course I help create some day…

There are some things we have control over and others we do not. Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course course has some fun terrain with brooks and hills that my own course will either have or not. However, one thing that I could think about including is a theme.

There are times and paths where you can’t be blamed for feeling like Frodo Baggins with a disc golf backpack while playing this course.

I think it’s a nice touch and will look to find a theme that fits my future course as well!

19th Hole

After a round there is nothing better than going to a local establishment, having a beer (or whatever you want), some food, and talking about your round (or just disc golf in general). This section is always open to suggestions on where the best place to go after your round is…

two mugs of brown liquids — *Relax and have a pint after your round. Get a bite to eat as well and feel free to let disc golf be the topic du jour!*

Downtown Northampton really is a nice place to walk around. There are many places to go after a round, but Northampton Brewery is my preferred destination.

They make their own beers on tap and have nice pub food to boot! The prices are great and it’s definitely worth a visit!

Course In Summary

Northampton State Hospital Disc Golf Course has plenty to offer anyone in the area. It has unique/interesting holes, it’s not very busy, and, of course, it’s free.

The creators clearly put a lot of thought into the course and despite the fact that the course maintenance is not a top priority, there is still plenty of value to be had in visiting.

Personally, given the thick brush and poison ivy, I prefer to visit in late fall, winter and early spring.

And after, be sure to head to downtown Northampton for plenty of dining options. You can make a nice day of it and have yourself a great all-around experience!

Thank you all for reading! If you’ve played this course and wanted to add anything, please feel free to post it below. And while you are there, don’t forget to subscribe (free and no spam) and follow as I build a course in my back yard and travel around the world playing the courses built by others! All subscribers are permanently entered in a raffle to win $50 gift cards to Infinite Discs.