On the JAARS campus in Waxhaw, is the eponymous disc golf course. It features 18 holes, with DISCatcher baskets, tee signs, gravel tees, and a practice basket. While I am typically not a huge fan of gravel tees, I think they seem okay here because the light traffic seems to have kept them fairly even and none of the holes require much run-up anyway. The signage here was great, and it made the navigability of the course a snap.

The course begins on a couple of beautiful open holes, set next to a pond. These are very scenic shots, and give players a lot of room to work with in shaping their shots/warming up. Then the course moves into the woods, and things get tight fast. The course requires a lot of accuracy from players, and different shots are needed. Right handed players will benefit from a wide range of technical forehand shots, as even some of the left finishing holes felt better suited for a forehand anhyzer than a backhand.

While the fairways were extremely narrow, they felt fair in regards to length and par. So even newer players shouldn't feel too discouraged playing here. As long as they focus on accuracy over distance. Despite the distances, the course features multiple par 4s that actually felt like they deserved said par due to the fairway shape and width. And yet, they didn't feel like they were luck based either.

With what limited elevation there is to work with in Waxhaw, this course had a few cool shots featuring noticeable elevation. There's a surprising amount of holes that feature downhill, uphill, and valley tee shots. The holes that play around the pond are very scenic, and Hole 6's tee shot features a water carry (or pseudo-water carry when the water is low) that provides one of the most interesting tee shots of the course. You just want to make sure you time your steps well, lest you follow through into the water below.

The fairways at JAARs seem to have been leaf blown, which while it may seem helpful because the course likely doesn't get enough foot traffic to really fight leaf fall, but I am not a fan of this. The fairways become leaf lined channels that direct water down the fairways, accelerating erosion and will become muddy messes after rainstorms. Plus this means the leaves that are in the rough with much deeper and harder to look for discs in. Not to mention the dead leaves provide nutrients for the trees that line the fairways. You can already see erosion in some spots. Not to mention, by the time I played in mid-December the leaves in the rough were already worn down enough that losing a disc wasn't as bad as it could have been. So if they weren't leaf blown things would have been okay. Whoever maintains the course, might want to try to find a solution to provide a happy medium.

I personally felt like Hole 8's basket should probably be moved about 10-15 feet further from the edge of the water. As it stands, it seems like it is only 10 feet away. Since the course will primarily be played by families on the JAARS campus, this would help the hole stand out, without being overly punishing. In the very least, nice erosion bars should be added as the wear around the basket is already turning the green into a slope straight into the water.

Hole 18 was probably my least favorite hole on the course. Due to the mando, it is a layup to a longer second throw. The idea would be fine, but the distance of the layup is really only a long putt, and there's not enough room to actually swing a shot, realistically, to make much distance down the fairway. I think if the hole was shaped just slightly better, it would serve as a much better finishing hole.

There aren't really any amenities here for people, and the course's parking is very limited. So do not expect anything. This course was primarily made for families living on the campus, but that shouldn't detract from your enjoyment of the course.

Overall, JAARS DGC is a fun course that features a lot of variety and will offer something for players of most skill levels. Beginners and Rec players will benefit from the shorter distances that the course provides on holes, but Intermediate and Advanced players will find enough challenge with how tight the fairways are to consistently score on every hole. I really enjoyed playing here, and not just because my putting was better than it's been all year, but because the course was well designed. My rating probably would have been a bit higher if the course had featured a few benches, and maybe a few minor tweaks to a couple holes, namely 8 and 18.

Favorite Holes: 1, 3, 6, 15

Holes 1-7 are fun to play, along with 13 and 14. Signage and navigation is good. Hole 13 is a dog leg to the right with the tee very close to the road. It's the best designed hole on the entire course (my opinion) Some holes a birdie material, especially 1,2,3, 6 and 13

This is not a beginner level course. Beginners can play it but they will be frustrated in many places if they do. Hole 8 is too close to the water and hole 9 has too many prickly type vegetation to the left of the fairway which is very easy to throw into. Hole # 10 is a bad design unless you like to try and fish your discs out of a prickly bog. Hole #12 is a joke with a very narrow winding fairway. Hole #15 is way to narrow. #16 has you throwing downhill with a bog hard to avoid on the left. #17 has you throwing over a bog and then a very narrow tree scattered fairway. Hole #18, another thin fairway with trees scattered all over again.

I play this course at least once a week and sometimes more.
When I play a course I always think about the design and what the designer was thinking who would play the course. I am a bit confused about what type of player this course was designed to entice. Narrow fareways attract fast hard throwers with lots of experience, too many trees does not encourage beginners to play either.

Remove all the junk from between the tee and basket on #10 and remove some of the trees near the basket and this could be a fun and still challenging hole. Open up the fairway to #12 more. On #15 clear out all the trees in the middle open section of the fairway and this could be a doable hole. If you cannot throw straight because you do not throw fast, this will be a frustration course for you, especially on 12, 13 and 15. I give it a low score because it's not well designed for a beginner or a person who cannot throw fast and hard, but who has been playing a long time. Plan on bringing some old discs or floaters for #8 and #9 and possibly #6 - Approx. 5 holes have water in play - #1 ,2, 6, 8 and 9. Holes 1, 2 are in the open, 6 and 13 are partly open and the rest are wooded. Hole 13 is a dog leg to the right with the tee very close to the road. Very sad that much of the open areas could not be incorporated into the course. The muddy parts of the course convey, this is the best we can do towards the seasoned disc golfer. I've dubbed it "The Course in the Bog".

This could have been a superb course to advertise the work of JAARS, but what do I know. So sad! NOT a course to play after a heavy rain! Only playable holes after a big rain are #1, 2,13 and 14

JAARS is now an 18 hole layout. With a heavily, tightly wooded back 9, you're starting to see why this is the jungle course.
- The rest of the review is from the original 10 hole layout. If I ever get around to it, I'll update to include info on the back 9. If not, this will suffice.
- A good, varied layout. Hole #1 is a simple opener while also featuring the most scenic approach shot. The basket is on top of a ridge with the pond serving as your backdrop. Unlike #8, the water is no factor here.
- Fun, tight wooded layouts. I really enjoyed #3 and 4. #3 is a dogleg left, 192-foot layout. #4 is a dogleg right, 164-foot layout with a pipeline running along the left side of the fairway. You may think this is the most interesting obstacle on the course. Well, just you wait.
- #6 is easily the most creative layout from tee to basket. You're teeing off from a raised platform on the edge of the pond. Be advised footing isn't the greatest, but it is a great view. From there, your approach your throwing to a basket that's protected by a massive fuel tank. Depending where you land off the tee, you may be throwing over, or at least have to redirect your shot around it.
- Easy navigation. You can spot the practice basket in the field, right next to the small parking lot. Form there, you do have signage and/or paths that lead from one hole to the next.
- Tee signs. Simple yet helpful as there are several blind tee shots - #1 & 6 year round and #4 & 7 once leaves are on the trees.
- (Mostly) a good course for casual players. As of this writing, there are 10 baskets in the ground. I'd say nine are good for new players / the 1 or 2 disc carrying types. #8 is where the danger lies.
- Expanding course. The back nine is being installed with a target date of being completed by the end of the year. Once done, Waxhaw will have three 18-hole courses, two of which were essentially (or exclusively?) built by volunteers. Only Cane Creek is a county-run course.

Natural/gravel tee pads. On most holes, it's not an issue. On #6, you want to make sure your footing is good as you are teeing off on the edge of the pond.
- Muddy in spots. There's a major drainage issue all around #9's basket. I'm thankful they built a bridge past 9's basket leading to the next tee and basket, or back to the parking lot. When I played the course was dried out except this area, which was extremely swampy. Note that the problem is being addressed, just be prepared in the interim.
- No amenities on the course itself - benches, trashcans, restrooms, or water fountains. It's a 10 minute drive back into town, so just plan accordingly.
- The basket for #8 will be a love/hate layout. This could easily be the course's signature hole.....however, the basket is too close to the water to fully enjoy this layout. I'm saying this mainly based upon the course's intended audience of families, casuals, and first timers who live in the community. The basket is 10 feet or so from the water. You're teeing off throwing directly at the water. Say you play conservatively and land 30 feet short. That now leaves you a 30-foot putt directly at the water. If the basket was moved 15 feet inland, or a netting was place right behind the basket, I'd love this hole instead.
- Poor drainage around the basket for #9. It's swampy. This is getting addressed and should be fixed sooner than later.

This is overall a pretty nice 10-hole course. In its current form in March '21, I enjoyed the course for what it is.
- I like looking for variety and fun layouts, especially when playing the shorter, 9 (-ish) hole layouts. Big credit for each hole feeling different from the others, creating a nice, flowing layout.
- The water offers some good safari options. Standing on #6's tee, why not make a run at #1's tee? Why not throw some discs from #8's basket back to #2's basket?
- Another nice aspect of this course is that most holes feel as if they're scaled down versions of longer, tougher layouts. Instead of throwing driver off the tee, you can throw putters or mid-ranges, allowing for more margin of error. #3 & 4, for example, feel like scaled down versions of a valley layout on Richmond Hill in Asheville. Instead of 300-foot layout over that valley, you're throwing 192 & 164 foot ones instead.
- More holes!! This will be an intriguing layout once its completed. As of this review, four additional holes are in-progress. Based on the initial 10, this should be a fun layout.
- Just think, before long, you'll be able to play 54 holes in Waxhaw making for a fun half day of disc golf. For people who say small towns can't get courses, Waxhaw (YES, WAXHAW), will soon have three 18-hole courses.
- I expect to see plenty of reviews/comments that will be missing one A. Between spell check and lack of attention, I expect to see people talking about JARS.
- JAARS is a great mission in and of itself. My great aunt worked for JAARS for decades, spending years deep in the Amazon. There will be critics of JAARS for what they stand for. But, if nothing else, search for what the acronym stands for and why it exists.
- My rating is based on the current layout. My rating falls in line with similar 9/10-hole courses of this ilk. Once all 18 baskets are in the ground, I look forward to playing and updating my review.