Hilltop DGC

Hilltop DGC, and specifically the King of the Hill tournament, is one of the greatest disc golf experiences that I have ever had. I've been there for the last three years and I don't plan on ever mis ... show more ›

Hilltop DGC, and specifically the King of the Hill tournament, is one of the greatest disc golf experiences that I have ever had. I've been there for the last three years and I don't plan on ever missing it.

The course is epic. Currently there is an 18 hole championship level course (red pins) up and down a ski mountain with short basket placements (blue pins) for 9 of the holes. Pro divisions only see the short pins once during the four rounds of KOTH, but they're a nice break and offer good, alternate looks at the holes they're on.

There's also a short 9 hole course (yellow pins) winding through some of the interstitial spots not utilized by the main course. This allows junior divisions to play their tournament rounds at the same time as everyone else on a course more suited to their distance and abilities. It's still a tough little layout with tight lines through trees that spend their winters separating ski runs, but I've never been to a tournament that integrates junior play as smoothly as KOTH. If growing the sport is the goal, then all TDs should pay as much attention to the junior divisions as Adam Klein and Rick Cramer do.

I would go hole by hole and describe why I love this course that is so often hard on me, but Hilltop is a course that gets rebuilt from scratch every summer and there are changes happening now that I haven't even played yet. Suffice to say that you will have to throw very far both up and down hill to baskets perched on the edge of dangerous rollaway greens.

Because it has to be rebuilt every year the course staff is able to respond to feedback from the top touring pros that make it up to KOTH every year and implement design changes. Currently, course caretaker/head devil's club battler, Thad Murgatroyd is spending the waning hours of his Alaskan summer cutting in new fairways for redesigned holes 11-13 . From the pictures I've seen it'll be a completely different test up and down the hill through that stretch.

If you are interested in coming up for KOTH you should know that it's not only one of the greatest disc golf experiences available, it's also one of the cheapest ways to hang out in Alaska at that time of year. I haven't had to check for a couple of years, but three years ago one night in a Motel 6 cost $250. If you are playing the tournament you are welcome to camp out at the course--for free--with some of the most excellent people I have ever met, and all your meals are provided with your tournament entry! Breakfast, lunch and dinner!

As for the nuts and bolts of the course: tee pads are rubber, but on solid foundations that are rebuilt every year, the baskets are solid and they have 9 extra that they strap together for a tic-tac-toe tournament which is an absolute blast. And the views from the top of the mountain are stop-and-take-a-picture-before-you-tee-off amazing. It's a serious hike up and down the hill, and when you play two rounds in a day you have earned your adult beverage of choice, but Hilltop, and especially KOTH, should be on every disc golfer's bucket list.

Hilltop Ski Area is dedicated towards building the sport of disc golf. The 18 hole (red) course is designed to be challenging to even the best pro player while at the same time fun and enjoyable for t ... show more ›

Hilltop Ski Area is dedicated towards building the sport of disc golf. The 18 hole (red) course is designed to be challenging to even the best pro player while at the same time fun and enjoyable for the beginner as well. The course has a wide variety of shots opportunities, it will not only sharpen your physical skills but also your mental game.
The view from the top of the course is fantastic.
The newly added (summer 2014) 9 holes (yellow) course is a short, mostly wooded, technical adventure that has fast become the favorite of many players, experienced and novice alike.
Hilltop will continue to strive to make the courses here the best they can be and we have many things planned for the future.
Hilltop has some new looks for the 2017 season. We have added 9 new additional baskets on the eighteen hole course. This gives your a shorter basket on nine of the holes (Blue course).

Simply Epic! A challenging hill course that takes awhile to master. The most beautiful course with mountain views behind the top of the course, and ocean and distant mountain views when looking down t ... show more ›

Simply Epic! A challenging hill course that takes awhile to master. The most beautiful course with mountain views behind the top of the course, and ocean and distant mountain views when looking down the course. Hilltop has lengthened the tee pads this summer and is in the process of removing the majority of the alders on the sides of the fairways. A+ once alders are gone. This course has it all, especially with the addition of the new technical beginners 9 hole. A MUST PLAY course when visiting Alaska!

First time playing there for the King of the Hill, played doubles and damn it was an amazing course especially if the weather holds while you are playing up there. Didn't to to great score wise but he ... show more ›

First time playing there for the King of the Hill, played doubles and damn it was an amazing course especially if the weather holds while you are playing up there. Didn't to to great score wise but hey its a blast and ill do it any day of the week i scrounge up 4-5$$ haha. hole 10 might piss people off a bit with its crazy cross winds.

Things to bring: Bear spray or gun, food, water, durable shoes, camera, and extra discs. There is a Bears den on the left side of fairway 10, so keep your discs under control, and always be aware of y ... show more ›

Things to bring: Bear spray or gun, food, water, durable shoes, camera, and extra discs. There is a Bears den on the left side of fairway 10, so keep your discs under control, and always be aware of your surroundings through holes 11-15. MAKE LOTS OF NOISE, unless someone is putting. Great Alaskan course filled with big shots, Good luck.
(lil story) I walked through the bears den looking for a disc, scared the shit out of me when I realized where I was, luckily the bear was somewhere else at the time. Who said DG was not a dangerous sport...

Hilltop is a great ski area course that features some great scenery and epic shots. Watch out for the OB when you're playing by the ski lift and try to stay out of the rough as you'll probably have t ... show more ›

Hilltop is a great ski area course that features some great scenery and epic shots. Watch out for the OB when you're playing by the ski lift and try to stay out of the rough as you'll probably have to burn a stroke to get back to the fairway. It has fly pads which are nice although the tees are a bit shorter than I'd prefer. Make sure you have a nice compact run-up as well as being able to perform your run-up on an incline, as you will throw many shots requiring it. Most of the putts involve some gradient as well, so hit that practice basket before you start! At $5 a day the fee seems reasonable although the only local pay-to-play course to compare it to is Russian Jack, which doubles as a golf course and costs $11 a day.

Where to begin? $5 to play all day... worth it! This course has it all, long down hills... long up hills... your shorter yet more technical holes... dog legs... some tree/alley holes... wide open fair ... show more ›

Where to begin? $5 to play all day... worth it! This course has it all, long down hills... long up hills... your shorter yet more technical holes... dog legs... some tree/alley holes... wide open fairways... punishing holes (with OB and nasty drop offs near the basket)... drives off a 100' hill/cliff down to the basket... and epic views of our great state.

Come see what some great planning and hard work by our local disc golfers can accomplish. My only complaint would be the shortish teepads. Some are OK to start back off tee, others not so much.