Every year, the Waco Annual Charity Open takes place at the Brazos Park East disc golf course. Known as “The BEast,” the 2022 version of the event has been no different. As far as wooded disc golf is concerned, things don’t get much better than what The BEast has to offer …
Amongst others, the pinnacle of wooded disc golf courses on the Pro Tour include Idlewild, Northwood Black and Maple Hill. Don’t discredit The BEast, though. Immediately following the Las Vegas Challenge, it gives fans and players an early-season taste of hardcore wooded golf.
Still, it’s more than just that …
WACO is wooded disc golf at its literal finest – here’s why:
1. The BEast offers variety
You’ve likely never played the Ledgestone Open’s premier course: Northwood Black. If you’ve watched the pro field do it, though, you know that it requires skill, patience and insanity, to a certain degree. Really, playing the course is about as much fun as a routine root canal …
The BEast isn’t like that – stay on the fairway, and you’ll (probably) be fine. That’s easier said than done, but the course is fair – take what it gives you, score when possible and move along.
In large part, this is because – though certainly a “wooded” course – there’s more to it than a half-million trees. The first three holes are fairly open, playing through a park setting. The back nine offers more of the same. It might sound odd, but it’s definitely a major selling point …
The BEast is heavily wooded, but not too heavily wooded.
2. The BEast is one giant photo op
It might not be Franz Ferdinand over in Benešov, Czech Republic with the Konopiště Castle on it, but seriously – The BEast can hold its own in the ways of Instagram-worthy scenery.
For starters, grass fairways on wooded courses make me weak in the knees. With the tree canopy preventing sunlight from hitting the forest floor, you don’t see this as often as you’d think. The course’s finest holes feature such fairways with the tenth being a personal favorite of mine.
In late winter, the grass isn’t as thick or green, but come springtime, it’ll pop.
Also, the Brazos River runs straight through the middle of the park. It’s wide, deep and surrounded on one side by a flat, towering rock wall. Whether an amateur or touring professional, disc golf’s a great way to get outside – it’s better if it’s pretty, though …
The BEast doesn’t have that problem.
3. The BEast provides for player parity
If your hometown course has any wooded holes on it, you understand how “make-or-break” the kicks you get off of trees can be. It’s not that luck is required to win in the woods, but there’s a reason courses like DeLaveaga in Santa Cruz often produce strange leaderboards …
The best don’t always have “luck” on their side.
While frustrating for the professional field, the immediate parity produced by wooded disc golf is great for fans. Combine that with the fact that WACO is usually the second DGPT event of the season, and you have the likes of Luke Humphries competing for his first Elite Series win.
Here’s a Green Splatter freebie for you, Mr. Jeff Spring:
The Woods + Early-Season Rust = Underdog Drama On Sunday Afternoon
The DGPT should always seek to give you (the fans) what you want …
Today, thanks largely to The BEast, you’re going to get it – enjoy final-round action.
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