Buffumville Lake
Disc Golf Course

Charlton, Massachusetts

How to Get Here Local Weather Course Rules Rules of Disc Golf League Photographs Tournaments & Events Tournament Results Course Records Aces and Eagles Scorecard Lost and Found Course Map NEFA Other Courses in New England Nationwide Course Directory The disc golf course at the Buffumville Damsite in Charlton, Massachusetts was designed and laid out in the fall of 1998 by Brian Longcore, a Student Conservation Association volunteer doing an internship for the US Army Corps of Engineers. The course was expanded to 27 holes in 2000, each with gravel or asphalt tees and a polehole basket (like the drawing above). In September 2001, during National Public Lands Day, tee pads for the first 18 holes were concreted.* Later that fall, the Bufumville Lake staff, along with volunteers from Oxford (Massachusetts) High School's Project Coffee, finished the remander of the tee. Now, the entire course has concrete or asphalt tee pads. (*Thanks primarily to the volunteer labors of Greg Crenshaw, Rich Gunther, Jason Ballard, Vincent Steele, and Javier Melendez, with assistance from John Alper, Dave Boneparth, Joel Brown, Felix Harvey, Zak Martin, Oden Shong, Jon Sterrit, Steven Tumicki, Dave Balkema, Ryan Brunelle, Rachel Beebe, Steve Ditter, Paul Grimes, Jeff Poltczyk, Mike Wood, Dave Johnson, Tim E. Walsh, Mike Mattioli, and Lee Rothstein.) There are two separate courses, the "A" course and the "B" course, utilizing alternate polehole placements. Most of the 27 holes have both the "A and "B" polehole locations (exception are holes 6, 7, 8, 14, and 25 which have only one pin placement). Approximatly every three months all the poleholes are switched at the same time to their alternate locations. Check the bulletin board at the damsite restroom to see which course is in play. Statistisc for the "A" and "B" courses. A map and scorecard are available at the golf course bulletin board, as well as course rules and a list of out-of-bounds. (Out-of-bounds for each hole is also shown on the scorecard.) Tee No. 1 starts behind the public restroom building. The blue "Pro" tee is at the top of the hill, overlooking the polehole and a large pond in front of the hole (see photograph of Hole #1 below). If you are not a "Pro" (and don't enjoy losing discs in the pond--most do not float), there is an alternative white tee at the bottom of the hill. (There are also white amateur tees on holes #14, #16, #19, and #27, also with water hazards). We have added a set of red "family tees" very close to each polehole on the first 18 holes so the entire family can enjoy disc golf. Advanced family players can drive from the blue or white tees, while others play from the family tees to even out the "level" of competition. You are welcome to participate in doubles league play most Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and there is a full schedule of tournaments and special events each year. (Go here for tournament results.) We keep track of holes-in-ones and eagles and course records, so contact INFO-at-buffumvillediscgolf.org if you have new information for our records. For documented aces, your name will be placed on the tee post to establish your "bragging rights." Also, contact INFO-at-buffumvillediscgolf.org if you have lost or found a disk. (Hole 16 during the Ice Bowl 2001 with frozen lake in background. Photo by Kraig Steffan.) Go to the PDGA disc golf directory for more information on the course and an on-line message board. Contact NEFA or INFO-at-buffumvillediscgolf.org for more information on disc golf and schedule of disc golf events in New England. Lost and Found If you play Buffumville Lake disc golf courses often, you will lose a disc. Please turn in found discs to the lake office or a park ranger. Keeping found discs that are not yours is stealing. It is imporant you put your name and phone number or email address on the disc. The Lost and Found for the Buffumville Lake Disc Golf Course is now located at the Swimming Pools store at 3 Sutton Avenue in Oxford. Contact: Choice Swimming Pools - Steven Dakai 3 Sutton Ave / Oxford 508-987-2800 Photographs World Master's Flying Disc Championship, July 15-19, 2002, courtesy of Kraig Steffan. Ice Bowl 2002, courtesy of Kraig Steffan. The Scott Stokely Clinic, October 5, 2001 The New Nine Tour of the 27 holes during the 2000 PDGA Tournament of the Damned, courtesy of Kraig Steffan. Ice Bowl 2001, courtesy of Kraig Steffan. Disc Golf Course Rules KEEP OFF rock slopes (except to retrieve disc) Please don’t litter (carry it home with you.) Do not enter the outlet channel - This is a restricted area. 1. Disc (frisbee) golf is played much like ball golf. The object of the game is to land your disc in the metal polehole basket, using the fewest throws as possible. 2. Each time a disc is thrown it counts as a stroke. The winner is the player with the lowest score. 3. Tee throws must be made within the designated tee pads (or throw line at #16, #18, #23, and #27). Non-pros should tee off from the short (white) tee pads on holes #1, #14, #16, #18, #19, and #27. The pro tee pads have blue tee posts. Family tees (red round stones), very close to the hole, are located on the first 18 holes. 4. Tee thow from tee #15 must be thrown to the right of the mandatory. If you miss the mandatory, re-tee (and add a stroke). 5. After teeing off, the player whose disc is farthest for the polehole usually throws first. 6. All throws (except tee throws) must be made from the spot where the disc landed. 7. A run-up and follow-through is allowed for most throws as long as the player releases the disc behind the spot where the previous throw landed. Inside 30 feet, a player may not step past the point of his/her lie until after the thrown disc has landed. 8. Any disc that comes to rest more than 3 meters (6 ft. 6 inches) above the ground must be thrown from the ground directly below or behind the spot where the disc came to rest. It is now optional to count a stroke penalty for discs above 3 meters. 9. A throw that lands out-of-bounds (see below) must be played from the point where the disc last crossed into out-of-bounds. However, OB discs thrown from pro tees #1, #14, and #16 may be thrown from the drop zone (the amateur tee for that hole). 10. Never throw until the players ahead of you are out of range, and the fairway is completely clear of spectators and other people recreating in the area. Out-of-Bounds (one stroke penalty) A. Paved roads and parking areas (and across the roads). This includes roadway on top of dam (except hole #23). B. Permanent water (holes #1, #14, #16, #17, #19, #20, #21, and #27). C. Riprap – rock slope of the dam (except hole #23). Please, DO NOT throw from the rocks. D. Fence at hole #15 and hole #26 (the lower fence). E. Concrete dam (hole #17, #26 and #27) F. The outlet channel gorge (hole #26 and #27). Note: No golfers are allowed in the outlet channel downstream of the dam. Project staff will retrieve errant discs in this restricted area. (Hole 1 - photo by Dave Balkema) (Hole-in-th-Rock #20 on the new "outback" nine.) To get to Buffumville Lake Disc Golf Course.... From Interstate 395, take Exit 4 Oxford center. The Buffumville Lake office is on Old Oxford Road (Buffums Dam Road) 2 1/2 mile from the Interstate. From the Massachusetts Turnpike, take the Sturbridge exit and follow Route 20 to Charlton. Take a right onto Route 31 and follow the signs to Buffumville Lake. Tee for Hole #1 is behind the public restroom and office complex. Buffumville Lake & Hodges Village Dam Disc Golf Association 41 Dellwood Road Worcester, MA 01602 Tel: 508-791-9094 Email: Webmaster-at-BuffumvilleDiscGolf.org Home Page | Buffumville Lake (USCE) | Hodges Village Dam (USCE) | Buffumville Lake Disc Golf | Hodges Village Disc Golf | Events | Aces| Course Records| NEFA| PDGA| Lost & Found| Tournament Results| Other Courses| Webmaster