Winder, GA

Fort Yargo State Park

2.865(based on 36 reviews)
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6 0
theskulls
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.4 years 42 played 20 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Now's the Time to Try Ft Yargo 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 20, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The beauty of the course and the isolation you feel to me are what keeps me coming back. If you're tired of getting stuck behind that group that tries out every disc in their bag or takes forever on each hole, than this is the course for you. Rarely will you see someone other than a few hikers near the course, unless its a holiday weekend.

Good sized concrete pads, typical baskets & signs, most of the basic necessities are there, but nothing that will wow you. Its a solid course as far as amenities go, but the interesting holes are what makes it worth a trip. Very good use of elevation & the contour of the land will test your technical ability while you enjoy the epitome of what a woods course should be like.

Cons:

Maintenance vs the cost to me is what keeps people away from playing this course more, which is a shame really. To me this course always feels like I'm the only one who's played it in weeks, if not longer. I like that vibe, but the course definitely could do with regular maintenance.

Fallen limbs, holes, poisonous plants & blackberry bushes are all factors to deal with either on or right off the fairway. The spring & summer are the worst obviously, which makes this time of year the best to give it a shot.

Playing solo make sure to keep an extra sharp eye on your disc as there are plenty of places they can just disappear.

A couple of holes have missing or damaged signs and next tee markers would help on a few transitions. Nothing major if you're experienced or have played it before, but it could be confusing your first time.

Other Thoughts:

Each time I play this course I think about what to tell other people when I describe it & I always say it is worth giving it a shot. It is a fun & picturesque course in a great park that's worth exploring, since you've already paid to get in. Miles of great trails to hike or bike in the 1800 acre park, plus the lake to kayak in are all worth the trip on their own, but add in a round or two of disc golf and any group will enjoy the day.

As of this review a yearly GA State park pass is $50 & a DG pass is $25, which covers the 4 parks out of 63 that have DG courses, 3 of which are in N GA. If you're near any of the courses & play them on a regular basis this makes sense, otherwise the park pass alone is a much better value.
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12 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.4 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I Missed The Fort But The 18 Hole Course Around The Lake Has Some Lovely Holes! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

PARK DESCRIPTION - Fort Yargo State Park is a beautiful park which circles a 260-acre lake. The park features picnic areas, playgrounds, cottages and yurts for rent, a log fort built in 1792, pavilions, boating, swimming and more.

VARIETY - It's mostly a wooded course but a few holes play through more open areas. A few play alongside the water are mostly fun and non-threatening.

ELEVATION - Just enough to make for some interesting and challenging holes. Everyone's favorite hole, # 6, is just 225' but is really a stunningly beautiful hole. # 13, without a tee sign, is another fun little downhill Ace run.

CHALLENGE - Upper recreational but not quite intermediate level. The course is recreationally short with only # 17 playing over 400'. #'s 10 & 11 are in the mid 300' range, 14 more play in 200's and # 9 is the shortie of the course at just 182'. The lake is lovely but doesn't offer much in the way of challenge. The trees are the major challenge here.

EQUIPMENT - Great big, wide trapezoid tee pads. Nice Discatchers with the yellow bands which are an always great, visible choice for these Georgia wooded course. The tee signs are nice and readable although the signs on (8, 13 & 14) are missing. Some benches would be nice.

AESTHETICS - Maybe it's when I was here (mid-October) but I'm not sure in Georgia golfers realize how lucky they are to have all these lovely wooded courses WHICH are all mostly underbrush free. Yes, there is some underbrush, falling leaves, etc. But nothing compared to where I hail from, Washington state.

FUN FACTOR - The course fits me better than my favorite pair of Levi's.

ROUTING/NAVIGATION - The most trouble I had was finding the first tee. A tee sign would be most welcome.

Cons:

Paying a park entrance fee of $5 and then a course fee is silly.

Could someone please put together a map for this course (and Mathews DGC).

Missing tee signs on 8, 13 and 14.

Am I the only dip stick to be confused by the backwards facing tee sign on 17? I looked long and hard for a basket somewhere out yonder behind the sign but finally coming to my senses.

Other Thoughts:

Some areas seem to be known for a certain type of courses. The Chicago area is well known for its preponderance of flat, nine-hole rec courses. The Charlotte area is known for its tough advanced level courses like Nevin, Hornet's Nest, Renny Gold and more.

After playing courses around Atlanta, I'm thinking Atlanta has a large grouping of fun, 18's that are tweeners, that is, they're more challenging than a recreational level but fall short of being called intermediate level. Courses I would include in this tweener 18 category would include; Frog Rock, Oregon Park, East Roswell, Wills Park, Suwanee Creek, Little Mulberry, Fort Yargo, Mathews, Rosewood- DeKalb which is at the lower rec level, Deer Lick and many others I haven't had the pleasure of playing.



I feel that Fort Yargo falls right in the middle of this spectrum of tweener 18 type courses. I also feel strongly that it's natural beauty and overall fun factor make it a 3.5 rated course. It was really lovely on a perfect, October day here in Georgia.

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10 0
Shadrach3
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.1 years 339 played 322 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beauty Outdoes the Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 14, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

A really beautiful track of woods golf with mostly run-of-the-mill shapes.

-Amenities: Humongous concrete tees, somewhat inaccurate tee signs, good DISCatchers, practice basket.

-Beauty: One of the loveliest courses I've played. (1)-(5) and (16)-(18) are inland woods holes with a thick pine biome and consistent mild elevation. (6)-(15) play near to the lake, which provides additional challenge and a beautiful backdrop. Hole (6) throwing downhill straight towards the lake is one of my favorite holes under 350' anywhere. My non-playing partner very much enjoyed walking the course.

-Playability: Not a huge risk of having to search for a long time, since most holes are on the shorter side and the rough is mostly pine trunks and not scrub (at least during winter). Not having any big slowdowns makes it easier to enjoy the environment.

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Most holes are good if not stunning. There are some notable flaws below, but I enjoyed playing. Mostly it's short (under 300') woods holes, most of which are birdieable for anybody rec-level and up. A couple of tweeners marked as par-4s provide more challenge, such as the 350+' (11) that gently turns downhill to a flat green. (6) goes towards the lake, and several other holes play parallel to it. Good mix of ups and downs, and a couple of wider fairways on (12) and (17). Definitely ace runs in the mix.

Cons:

A lot of issues with Fort Yargo drag down its overall rating.

-Unreasonable Lines: I think there is no good flight path to the basket on (13), (15), and the approach of (10). It's possible to invent something, but not very satisfying.

-Fee: $9 to play? Really? Maybe if it was a championship-caliber course.

-Maintenance: What really irks me about the fee is that none of the $4 supposedly going to disc golf appear to be dedicated to routine maintenance. There were piles of branches inside the circle on some holes, pine straw coating every tee (with no brooms to help clear them), a couple of fairways with long grass, and two missing tee signs.

-Disc Loss: The lake could claim one on (6) or a ricochet on a couple other holes that parallel it.

-Footing: The pine straw, pinecones, and roots on steep slopes make this a somewhat treacherous course. My partner badly turned an ankle and I wiped out on one tee shot due to slippery pine straw.

-Signage: No next tee cues, and the tee signs here all consistently overestimate the distance and have maps that are either only minimally helpful or actually misleading.

-Fairway Bleeding: A couple of fairways play very close and could lead to issues with many groups on the course.

-Rough: I played in December, but I could see substantial issues with thorny overgrowth during warmer months.

Other Thoughts:

Fort Yargo is a very beautiful course. The basics of disc golf and shaping are enough to easily give it a 3.0, but there are so many course issues that I've almost dropped it to 2.5. A little maintenance, refreshed signage, and a lower fee would make it a place I'd return to often.
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9 0
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.8 years 239 played 236 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Leaves of leaves, but fun holes overall 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 28, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

I would say this course is better than its rating. The fee is a simple $4 dropped in the box by the first hole, and there is an older practice basket that I think might be a Mach II on the way up from the parking lot.

The holes other than 17 the distances are mainly in between 215-350 with most being under 300, so a lot of heavy midrange and putter work here, with the possibility to use a driver on a few holes for extra distance or just a better line.

The teepads are massive and have a wood plank at the end which sometimes helps you tell which way the hole is supposed to be played.

Good use of elevation here, and there are some spots where you could have one go long into the lake. The trees here are mainly older hardwoods with many twisting branches that proved to be quite the challenge to miss.

Some cool blind holes and interesting lines too.

Cons:

Tons of leaves right now and no one seems to be doing a ton to keep the pads clean. No benches or trash cans.

A little short overall and needs Just a bit of tree trimming.

Other Thoughts:

Well worth the play and a lot of fun just not one to go super out of your way for.
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10 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Machismore 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 28, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.885 Rating) A one dimensional heavily wooded course.
- RAW BEAUTY - Out of 330 courses played as of this review, I'd put Fort Yargo at around 30th for raw beauty. So about 90 percentile. I'd say every holes looks at least average and often better. Hole (6) and Hole (11) are uniquely stunning with lake taking up much of the back-drop on these fun downhill lines. (13) and (14) are both beautiful plays as well with the lake sort-of along the left edge the entire way.
- TEES - I loved the huge tees. 6 feet by 12 feet and tapering to 10 feet wide in back. So big, that I could put my bag on one corner and still have room to throw.
- CHAINS - The perfect baskets for a woods course with the wide yellow band peaking threw the trees.
- SHOT SHAPING - Hitting some of these lines will be exhilarating . I was shocked to run it clean to the blind basket on (12), where I then followed it up with an airball on my deuce attempt. I hit a lot of trees out here, but I blame some of that on the 30 degree temps and sporting a puffy winter coat. The lines are very tight, but generally plausible on all but one or two holes. Veteran players who crave technical courses will love these lines.
- QUICK PLAY - Quick for a heavily wooded 18 holer. I had an empty course early in the morning and finished in just under an hour. figure two hours for a foursome.

Cons:

A bunch of minor issues of note and an unreasonable extra fee.
- OVERGROWTH - I played in late November and I still thought the overgrowth was bad. I spent a few extra minutes looking for my discs and got scraped by some briar. There is likely poison ivy during the summer and it's probably loaded with ticks too.
- PAY TO PLAY - I paid 9 dollars to play this course. 5 dollars at the gate and 4 dollars for disc golf. So let me get this straight. It costs nothing extra to use the boat launch, picnic, playgrounds, fish, play basketball, play tennis, hike or bike, all of which that take money to maintain, but disc golf... Hey, you have to pay extra. Ridicules.
- LACK OF MAINTENANCE - Other than a couple mowed spots, the effort to maintain this course is a minimal effort. The tees had natural debris on just about all of them. A few tees have substantial breaks in them. Many holes had nothing more than a 10 to 15 feet wide thinned out fairway width. Nothing new has been added to this course in probably 3 or 4 years. Again, why am I paying extra?
- TRASH CANS - I paid 4 extra dollars, and not one friggin trash can. What am I paying for?
- CHARACTER - No extras other than a beat-up practice basket. Not one bench on this up and down layout. Yes, there are benches all over the park, but the other park users didn't pay extra, so they get all the seating areas and shelters.
- PARKING - Lots of nice paved parking areas all over the park... except by the disc golf course.
- NAVIGATION - Not horrible, but less than desirable. No course map on site or on DGCR. I don't recall any directional cues on the layout and the signage doesn't have next tee direction. There are a few intuitive paths, but my assumptions got me headed the wrong way a couple times.
- TERRAIN - I don't take point away for this, but I wouldn't go here if I had knee or ankle issues. Most of the fairways have slope to them. Lots of rock and stumps in fairways as well. Although the course is listed as not cart friendly, I think a Zuca would do just fine here.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Despite the shorter distances, this course is not beginner friendly.

Other Thoughts:

Despite my long list of cons, I actually very much enjoyed the course. Far away what made me enjoy my experience here was the beauty, and I sent photos to others during my round to instill jealousy. I was shocked that this course was not rated higher, post play. I went through all the past reviews to try and figure out why. Through my research, I came up with two reasons why this course is rated lower than it should be. Number 1, only the last 14 reviews and one other revised review, notes the large concrete tees. Apparently it went from horrible gravel to giant concrete pads in 2010. These newer reviews average a 3.33. While on the flip-side, the older unrevised reviews average 2.31. Whoa. The number 2 reason is due to a legendary reviewer's zero score review. That review alone, shaved off a tenth of a point to the overall review score. Fort Yargo is definitely under the radar due to the course ranking. Any player that likes tight technical courses with scenic fairway lines will love this place.
- CHALLENGING - The challenge is one dimensional being short and very technical. Advanced bombers will hate this course, but Advanced technicians will adore it. I couldn't find any official round rated scores online, but I'll fathom a guess that even par will net an 880 round or upper Recreational difficulty. I personally shot +1 as an Intermediate level player, but I was unfairly handicapped with the trees conspiring against me and walking into my throws.
- VARIETY - About average. All woods plays but the lines change up enough to be pleasing IMO. I wish a few holes were lengthened to 500 feet or so to bring in a true multi-play hole. Hole (11) is not a par 4 being downhill, and many Advanced players will have no problem getting to the other two par 4s as well. I liked the subtle flaunting of water danger, although I do wish one play was even more aggressive. Excellent use of elevation as well.
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5 0
lazrman778
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 264 played 100 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fort Yargo State Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Has practice basket

Has concrete tee pads

Has tee signs

More wooded than open fairways with most holes having changes in elevations and some having doglegs - which will be challenging to the casual player

Has a lot of shade - which can be appreciated in the hot and humid summers of Georgia

Course navigation without a map is fairly straightforward

Had the whole course to myself on Labor Day

Nice scenic views of the lake

Restrooms

Water Fountain

Cons:

Has a lot of undergrowth on several holes that needs trimming or burning

Hole #2 tee sign and post have been lying on the ground for some time

Bike trail runs along a few holes and may cause delays

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice course in Barrow County that I enjoyed playing. If you're like me who didn't buy the $50 annual parking pass for the state parks, the park is $5 per day to enter and $4 per day to play disc golf. You'll get a separate pass for each from the attendant to put on your windshield. To be honest with you, the course looks a little rough and lacking in course maintenance to be paying $4 a day. Holes #12 & 17 had vegetation higher than 6 feet in certain places of the fairway - which was quite intimidating to throw towards to. Holes #7 & 10 had tree stumps that were uprooted from a storm. Overall, the course is short but challenging due to some of the tight fairways and many trees to shoot through. I played on Labor Day and I was the only one playing on the course at the time. However, finding an available parking spot to park was a challenge. It is a nice park to visit if you're in the area, but there are nicer courses to play nearby without the fee.
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10 1
Connor Jones
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.4 years 76 played 35 reviews
3.50 star(s)

PB&J's 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hell yeah. That's exactly what this course felt like. The most perfect sandwich combination known to man, creamy and sweet, you feel me?

This course completely blew my expectations out of the water. The rating is much lower than it should be and this is definitely the best course in the immediate area, I would consider it much better than alexander.

Pure fun to be had out here. So many fun ace runs, hole 6 is extremely memorable for being such a basic shot. Pretty scenery all around you and there wasn't another soul to be seen our entire round.

Extremely wide teepads are awesome out here, you don't really need a long teepad as you won't really be ripping any huge drives.

Solid balance of shot types. I threw a lot of thumbers and flicks, along with backhand hyzers and straight shots, I enjoyed how it tested all areas of my game.

Cons:

This isn't a championship caliber five star course by any means, but it is a ton of fun.

There are a couple of trees that could stand to be removed, hole #15 stands out in my mind as a hole that has a very strange route to the pin, if you throw your disc on the fairway i imagine it's near impossible to actually get in the circle.

Other Thoughts:

I didn't mind paying to get in, this course was well worth it, and was just a ton of fun, probably the most fun i've had in disc golf in the past few months.

Definitely ignore the older reviews and come out and form your own opinion, I know there used to be a ton of undergrowth and poison ivy out here but I didn't notice any issues with either of those things.
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3 0
BillyChipp
Experience: 14.2 years 4 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Solid Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Very easy to navigate, the first time I went I had no trouble finding the next tee after each hole
-Nearly all of the holes were wooded, but most still had a clear path (not many trees in the middle of fairways)
-Not much heavy brush or thorns to navigate through when you throw your disc off the fairway
-Pretty views, a few of the holes have an elevated tee box and you throw downhill towards the lake, nice to look at in the late afternoon

Cons:

-Bike trails: Throughout much of the course, bikers are within range of being hit by discs, so I had to wait for them to pass on more than one occasion
-The holes are somewhat crowded into a small section of the park, meaning your disc could wind up in another fairway, or someone else's disc could wind up in yours, making you wait
-Could not find a scorecard
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11 0
damtroll
Experience: 12.9 years 228 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

The home course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 8, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is my home course, so I may be somewhat biased, but let me enumerate the pros and cons.

1. Nice big trapezoidal tee pads.
2. There is at least one solid line for a birdie or ace run on each hole. I can't think of any holes that are just throw and pray.
3. The course is rarely crowded.
4. The course is out in the woods, isolated from other park activities. Holes 4 and 5 run adjacent to the MTB trail, but I have never run into any difficulty. The hiking trail may be an issue with the 12 tee pad and hole 13, but it has never been a problem when I have played. (over 20 times)
5. The aesthetic value of the course is quite good. As previously stated, hole 6 is quite fun, with a downhill 225' putter shot daring you to go for the basket. The remainder of the holes are in the Georgia woods, with views of the lake, which helps in the summer. The swimming area is just across the access road.
6. With the exception of 17, the holes are in the woods, benefiting accuracy over raw power.
7. Discatchers in good shape.
8. I just love hole 8. It is not extremely long or difficult, but there is an anhyzer/flick line, and I have parked the backhand dead straight line with my Comet numerous times.

Cons:

1. No benches or trash cans except for a few old benches along the hiking trail after 11 and adjacent to 13.
2. Hole 17 is the only real hole to let it rip.
3. Water and restrooms are only available at the start of the course.
4. The lake does not really come into play on any of the holes. On hole 6 and 8 you could conceivably overshoot and get wet, but the chances are minimal. There has been some talk about an alternate tee pad on 13 that would require a shot over the lake. I did actually put my FLX Avenger SS in the lake on 13, but that was just a terrible shot on my part.
5. Holes 1-3 start out somewhat slow, with a simple short anhyzer (for RHBH) on 1 and 3, and a short RHBH straight shot with late fade on 2 for an easy birdie chance. The course does improve after that.

Other Thoughts:

The course is pay to play. I don't consider it a positive or negative. I bought the annual disc golf pass and state park pass so I can enjoy the course as much as possible.
There was talk during the summer/fall league at the park about lengthening holes 11 (the downhill par 4) and 17 (the longest (480') hole on the course). Although I am more of a noodle arm, I think the extra length would be great. The par 4 on 11 is a bit of a stretch. I think that extending the pin on that hole would make a par 4 more realistic.
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11 1
prerube
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 17.4 years 275 played 236 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Under-rated Georgia Gem. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Deep enough into park to give you some isolation and great scenery to look at.
Good signage, nice concrete tee pads.
Course is tight: numerous opportunities to hit your line or work on your second shot if you miss.
I really like hole 6, short down hill ace run with water behind the basket.
Good flow, easy to navigate.
The $8 fee keeps the chuckers and crowds away.
Lots of non disc golf family activities including a large mini-golf course across the street.
Wooded course gives you shade, to make playing in the Georgia heat more tolerable.

Cons:

Cons: First 9 are pretty short and easy. Much of the course was just about hitting tight lines, even if you missed your line it was not hard to maintain par, especially on the front 9. You do not hit a hole over 300 feet until hole 10. There are only 3 holes over 300 on the entire course (average hole 267ft.).
Only single tees and pin position.
$8 to enter the park, while I included this as a pro as well, $8 leaving my wallet is a con, but the course is worth it.

Other Thoughts:

There were very few major flaws, it is a very solid course, but it is also 18 short tight holes with single tees, no alternate pins, and not much in the way of signature holes. It is definately worth a stop if you are in the area, I personally enjoyed it as much as nearby Alexander Park.
As far as numerous comments on Briars and Thorns, I was wearing shorts and long socks and never had any issue with violent vegitation.
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6 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21.4 years 562 played 429 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Fort Report 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 3, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fort Yargo State Park is home to a very nice disc golf course. Playing through the woods, the fairways are defined, but are generally spacious, and tend to be short. There are one or two holes that are more crowded with trees, requiring very tight lines to hit the windows. Only one hole over 400 feet, and two over 300. Changes in elevation add another wrinkle on four or five holes. Don't expect to wear out your arm on epic par 4's and 5's. Do expect to score a few birdies and enjoy a well laid out course, in a clean and beautiful park.

The equipment is top notch. The discatcher baskets are all in great shape. Tees are all marked with signage including a hole map, with distance. The transitions from hole to hole are well marked, also. The tee pads are concrete and they are BIG.

Cons:

The down side of this course is the cost. A disc pass and park entrance was $8. There are no benches and very few trash cans around the course. I played about noon, right after an overnight/morning, soaking rain. There was some standing water in the fairways, but the footing was surprisingly good and still very playable. There is water near a couple of holes, but it takes a wild roll or serious shank or ricochet to put a disc in there.

Other Thoughts:

Fort Yargo DGC was very fun for me. An experienced player without elite control, I was able to score several birdies, and have some looks even after less than perfect drives. A great mix of shot shapes and enough trees to keep it interesting, but not ruin your day.

The state park is also home to other activities, but I didn't look around much. There is a lake, and a historic fort on the premises, as well as campgrounds. Well maintained park with nice staff. I would recommend this course, although elite players would likely find it a bit to easy.
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1 3
mdfenley
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Well maintained course. Great design. Challenging and yet fun. Great pads on each tee. Good signage directing flow from hole to hole. Very enjoyable, easy to play.

Cons:

Need to have trash cans at every other hole ideally, every couple of holes at least. Need to have benches along course.

Other Thoughts:

Living in the area, I wish that there was a way to be able to play and not pay. I paid for the annual park pass, maybe they could come up with a annual DG pass.
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6 0
JBryant
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 107 played 46 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Woods WoOdS and WOODS 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Large concrete teepads.
- Great signage.
- Easy to navigate.
- Challenging design.
- All shots required. Straight shots are a premium.
- Nice uses of land and elevation
- Easy to find, parking right by 1st tee.

Cons:

Not much to complain about. The local DG club has really done a lot here. It is pay to play but if you are going for a few rounds and with friends that isn't a terrible negative. I'm not sure how much considering we were there for a tournament. Somebody said $3 a round but I'm not sure how they could enforce a round fee after you are already in the park.

Needs more resting benches, trash cans, and signage needs updating.

Other Thoughts:

This is a must play if you are heading towards Atlanta. Due to thick brush/briars, long pants or tall socks are a big plus here. This is a solid course that is a lot of fun to play and can be challenging to all.

PS!!!!!!!!! Check yourself for ticks. I found one on myself in the days after the tournament.
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2 2
Hegemony
Experience: 13.9 years 29 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Trying to like this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Large concrete teepads: Can't say enough good things about the size of the pads.
- Great signage
- Easy to navigate. Next tees are pretty obvious from the previous basket
- Lake views/scenery: Being in the woods looking out over the water for most of the middle of the course was really relaxing
- Shule is currently at a minimum due to the control burn late in 2010. It will be interesting to see how this is maintained as time passes.
- Traffic on the course is minimal. Went on Memorial Day. The park was full, but the course was empty.
- 11 and 14 were my favorite holes. Both holes are nearly straight runs at the basket with trees guarding the fairway knocking down sweeping shots. 11 plays shorter than the actual distance because of the down hill.

Cons:

- pay to play: This would not be a concern if it were a better course.
- Mix of holes: There's a good mix of hyzer/anny shots, but there's not a good mix of long/short, so it felt monotonous after a while. I was so relieved to see 17 that I took multiple drives just to stretch my arm (no one else on the course.) 10 is the only other hole that really plays long.
- lack of variety for repeated play/skill levels. Single pin placement and single teepads means no mixing it up on repeat visits.

Other Thoughts:

Being from Atlanta, This course is an hour's drive away. There are better courses within that radius that aren't pay-to-play. Though I can see this course having local charm if you live in the area and being a good place to practice a variety of accurate shots.

Because the course is so short, low power/conservative drive placement and a good short game will yield a good score.

I don't mind a tough, technical course, but this place just didn't excite me.
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4 1
ProOffense
Experience: 15.5 years 25 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Ehh.... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 19, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Tee pads are amazing! Tapered to accommodate for multiple shots. Very wide and very flat. Well done FY!
- The recent control burn has provided copius room to find errant shots. Also, it has cleared any and all shule that previously would make the chains almost impossible to find/see from the teepad.
-Encourages you to play various shots and lines.
-The design was clearly made to expliot minor and major flaws in ones game. It really was designed well to compliment a discs flight.
-Very good signage to show "next hole." Easy to find your way around the course.

Cons:

Well, I really enjoyed the new teepads and the clearing of the underbrush. Also, the park is BEAUTIFUL! Fort Yargo itself is worth the trip to go see. The course is well designed and difficult. Any weekend warrior will find it overly tough, though more advanced players will embracethe challenge.

Other Thoughts:

-Holes need to be lengthened. The course is a short one. Not much of a distance challenge.
- ^^ With that said, the aount of trees on each fairway is ridiculous. Fort Yargo had put so much money, im sure, to build new teepads and do a control burn, why not cut a few trees down and make the course more playable?
- No trash cans!
-Pay to play is lame.

3.5 says very good, but the idea of this course being excellent or better would have been a lie. Its a good course and ill be back alot more, ill probably even use it as practie getting ready for a tourney. The woods here really forse you to through perfect shots and weave your way in and out of the hazards and trees. All-in-all, good course, not the best ive played though.

I didnt mean to put my other thoughts in the cons section... just switch the two till I update on something other than my mobile device.
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5 0
bk_ching
Experience: 35.2 years 141 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Hi Ho, O Merry O - to Yargo I Will Go! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 12, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

It should be called The Gem of Barrow County - Fort Yargo State Park in Winder. The disc golf course is just over a mile past the front gate. Such a beautiful scene on a bright, sunny, cloudless Saturday afternoon, and 72 righteous degrees! A nice view of the lake reservoir is within full view for most of the ride inside the park. Tons of spots for camping, fishing, grilling, hiking, etc. Heck, they even have miniature golf right across from the DISC golf course. Now how cool is that??

--- Just park right past the 'Mini Golf / Disc Golf' sign and you can see Teepads for #1 and 3.
--- Super easy to find the next hole. Didn't even need any arrows to point us the way.
--- Nice concrete teepads that are wider in the back and then narrow to the more typical width at front . You can easily lay your golf bag at back of teepad while teeing off.
--- Most of the holes are in the woods and some of them have very defined tight paths to get to pin.
--- To me, it has that that 'old school' course feel to it. Lots of short holes, but technical. Feels like a step back in time to my earlier golfin' days (1989-1995).
--- Holes had a nice flow from one to the next, despite the walks from 9-10 and 11-12, which are worthwhile themselves since you're walking along the lake.
--- A lot of the briars and underbrush have been burned away through a control burn, which must have been done within the last couple months.
--- The bathrooms just after Hole 18 were convenient, and clean too.

Cons:

Overall, there were really not a lot of negatives to this course.

--- One obvious thing was the lack of trash cans. Several pieces of trash were thrown down on various holes, which I promptly picked up. Later after my round, I threw them away in the cans at the restrooms just behind pin 18.
--- I wish that a few of the holes were a little longer (such as 1, 3, 5, 9, 16). Hey that's fine with me, allows more for me to birdie ;)
--- Having to pay $5/park fee PLUS $3/round (I guess it went up from $2 to $3 this year). But read on further and I'll tell you how you can avoid paying that $5 daily parking fee (a cool teaser - stay tuned...)
--- There are some walking/hiking trails throughout the course, but for most part they don't interfere with the fairways. Just be wary of pedestrians at times, who may not have any idea of disc golf or the origin of these strange, yellow, metal chain thingies.

Other Thoughts:

To sum it all up, I give it a 3.5 - a very fun, 'old school' type of course! The scenery along the lake didn't hurt either. Also it was neat to see at least 3-4 groups of golfers throughout the course. The more foot traffic and exposure for the course, the better! Glad to see park officials are finally putting in time, care and maintenance into the course.

I know a few other golfers who had played it last year, or even in '09. They complained a lot about the lack of maintenance on the holes, cruddy gravel tee pads, and the fact that the briars were sharp and prickly enough to slice your throat. That was then...

This is now... March 2011! After the control burn done recently, the course looks fantastic. There is still some charred ground and dead trees, but all (if not most) of those vines, thorns and briar patches of yesteryear are gone!!! (Sorry Brer Rabbit, you'll need to find another home).

To me, the most scenic hole of the course was #6, a short downhill 225' flick. Just seeing the grand lake behind the pin on the mound was so nice. Tricky hole - if you go too far to left of pin or 20' behind it, your disc will likely be swimming.

After playing 9, look at the edge of the lake, where you will see a wooden bridge. Takes you right to 10. After 11, take the foot path along the lake to 12. The course had a good balance of flat, hilly, lefty, righty, backhand, forehand holes. The designer used the terrain and contour of the land to the best of his ability.

Speaking of Holes 10 and 11, the local par is listed as 4, same with 17. Legitimately, I think 10 and 11 should be Par 3's, with 17 being the only true Par 4 (and even that's a small stretch). I'm not always a Par 3 purist however, and at times, I will keep score based on local par.

Oh, let me tell you the 'teaser' from earlier. In case you don't know, you can go to your local library, sign up for a free library card, and actually CHECK OUT a parking pass for any State Park or Historical Site in Georgia. It will waive the entrance or parking fees. So I went to my local library and did just that. (You can check it out for 7 days). Hung the pass on my rearview mirror and... voila! $5 park fee waived! Only had to pay $3 for my round.

I encourage everybody who reads this review to go check out this course. Well worth checking out, despite the short length. Lots of fun holes and the lake scenery more than makes up for the cost to play. And as you're driving into the park (hopefully with your Parkpass in tow ;) just take in all the wonder and scenery of this beautiful state park.
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6 0
3OrangeWhips
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 96 played 40 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fort Yargo State Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Super-wide, tapered concrete tee pads on every hole.
• Discatcher baskets look brand new.
• Good flow and easy-to-navigate; no map needed.
• Most holes are short but very technical.
• Lots of elevation (not extreme) in play.
• Ample parking & restrooms adjacent to #1 tee & #18 basket.
• Clean, well-maintained state park.

Cons:

• Worst stickers/thorns/briars I have experienced on a disc golf course.
• Pay to play ($5 per car parking; $2 per player per round).
• No trash cans or benches.
• Mountain bike trails parallel a couple of fairways; be alert.

Other Thoughts:

This state park is a hidden gem in the backyard of Atlanta. There are all kinds of facilities such as camping, cabins, mountain biking, pavilions and a huge lake that offers swimming, fishing and a great scenic backdrop for the disc golf course. Based on earlier reviews, my expectations were low and I was surprised to find a very enjoyable disc golf course. There has obviously been some serious TLC applied recently, as the tapered concrete tee pads and Discatcher baskets all look to be brand new. The tee pads are the widest I have seen; we were able to set our bags on the tee pads while we were throwing our tee shots. Many of the baskets are blind, but due to the short nature of the course, you don't have to go very far down the fairway to scout out the target. If you have to go into the brush after a stray disc, you will find the thickest, sharpest thorns and briars I have encountered while playing disc golf. Long pants are a big plus here. Otherwise, this is a solid course that is a lot of fun to play and can be challenging despite its length.
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2 0
Chukker
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Updated and Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wow, all the online reviews must be old. There are concrete pads on all holes. Very nice, challenging course with lots of cool elevation features which make it a lot of fun. Playing next to the lake makes for nice scenery

Cons:

There is a mass of poison ivy. I will be amazed if I don't have some somewhere. It is all wooded and a lot of ivy (regular) so finding rogue discs can be a challenge sometimes.

As others have said, I am not keen on paying an extra $2 after I paid $5 to get into the park.

Other Thoughts:

I see that this course received poor reviews. It has clearly seen some TLC as of late. Weeds appear to have been sprayed in several spots. I spoke to a park attendant and she said that the boy scouts have been in there for their eagle projects. Well God bless the boy scouts. The concrete pads are great. It really is a fun course. Not really for the beginner though.
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5 0
splash_4
Experience: 16.2 years 29 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Updated Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 27, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A nice small wooded course with newly installed concrete tee boxes. These tee's are trapezoidal in shape and have added a nice new dimension to the course.

The dense undergrowth has been cleaned up as part of an overall maintenance program at the park.

There is a nice wash room facility just prior to the first tee pad and at 18 which both end at the parking lot.

All in all, a fun, short, technical course.

02/26/11 Update - After playing DG a little longer, I am starting to understand more and more the enjoyment of this course. There is a good mix of possible shots on most holes, although there are preferred routes.

Cons:

Course requires a $5 parking fee and there is a $2 a round per person fee. For a long time this course was ignored by the park and these funds seemed to be a total waste.

The other thing this course desperately needs is multiple pin positions for each hole. This could make the course re-playable again and again.

There is also no garbage cans on the course and this leads to the detritus that disc golfers seem to leave behind on many of the holes. At times it seems that the beer bottles and cans outnumbers the trees on the course.

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice challenging course for beginners that are starting to learn to play in trees. While it can be short, the course makes good use of the terrain and the space available to it and one hole will give you night mares! (Hole #6 is a short down hill shot that if you over shoot drops rapidly into the lake!

If you are in the want a nice quiet time on the course without large crowds, this course if for you.

02/26/11 update - The park has done a controlled burn and taken out all of the briars and other undergrowth. The course if very clean now and very enjoyable to play. Most of the 'tiger' traps have now been revealed and it is a much safer park.
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1 7
MrFixIt
Experience: 17.7 years 40 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nice course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 11, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nicely wooded course. Well removed from other activties.

Cons:

Gravel tee boxes. No benches. Not well maintained, if I pay to play (which I don't mind), I expect the fairways to be mown,etc. No trash cans.

Other Thoughts:

Bring water in summer, as well as bug spray.
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