Pros:
Many ball golf course are looking for different revenue streams as ball golf popularity grows and wanes . New Albany Golf Course , a 9 holer has recently opened its doors to disc golf (2018) with an `18 hole course . Adequate parking here and a small pro shop sits right next to it , serving favorite beverages to its customers . The groundskeeper and pro shop attendant were there when I checked in . Make sure you call ahead for a tee time in case they were busy . I called ahead but was playing at 1:00 on a Tuesday . Don't ask the staff too much about disc golf . They both are the nicest guys ,but they know where the course starts , where the first few holes go , and that's about it .They said that they had no more maps ( uh-oh ) but gave me a scorecard . I paid my $12 , was given the key to my golf cart ( pretty cool to drive a cart ) and started about 10 ft from the door . The tees are natural and are marked by a reddish brown circular piece of cardboard for signage with the hole number . The baskets are the nice Prodigies with deep buckets . Like most all disc golf courses , the grounds were mowed and immaculate and bathrooms are naturally in the clubhouse . There were only a handful of regular golfers and I was by myself on the disc golf course for the 2 hours I was there . David Greenwell did a great job of designing this course . This course starts off on the left with a downhill 396' blast to a basket under some trees . The next is a 511' drive that scoots low for some trees in the fairway , eventually left to a hidden basket close to a creek behind and to the left of it . 3 is a shorter drive with a gully and creek guarding the front and left . #4 has a tricky tee box that sits on a hill kind of behind the #3 basket , The course has some great holes here , is easy on the legs and has some fun to it . I could see a foursome getting together in 2 carts and having a blast all afternoon . #6 is an elevated tee like #4 . I won't go hole to hole and bore , but I will tell you that #7 is a tight drive from level ground to an uphill basket wedged between small trees and a lot of rough . You have to come straight back down to where you were and , standing at the tee for the hole you just played , turn immediately right walk several steps forward and throw forward to a basket ( 672') sitting on a small mound . 9 is to the left of it , near what looks like a small shelter to a hidden basket sitting on a small hill to the left . 10 is behind it , uphill and you throw to the basket on the right . 11 is a top of the world shot to the basket sitting on the level with woods off to the left . 14 was my signature hole ,. Elevated tee to a drive to the right , keeping out of a deep rough patch on the left and lots of rough on the right ( 582' ) . The hole ends slightly downhill with a couple of trees near the front of it . #16 has a great basket placement ( providing you find the tee ) deep in a tight grove of trees . #17 is 962' and level , but you will have to fight a long straight fairway with trees and their canopies to a small green tucked into the left . You will backtrack to the 18 tee 564' to the basket that sits on the hill with the clubhouse on it . The course has good length measuring just under 8000', with 7 holes at 485' or longer . It is a slow play . It took me 2 hours , but partly because of no map . I suggested a course map when I was leaving as many probably did , and it looks like the map they just added in the last couple of weeks is pretty good . Disc Risk : minimal . The course fairways are defined and the course is so clean , that the only way you are going to lose a disc is up in a large tree , or chucking a drive into the creek after a long rain . Good variety of shots . And a clubhouse with beer and soft drinks just steps away from where you leave your cart .
Cons:
#1 Navigation . Without a map you are in trouble . With the map , well,,,,,,The cardboard tee signs are lowered or moved when they mow . I had fits trying to find where to tee of from or even find tees . I had to safari a couple of the holes , 17 comes to mind . When these signs are down , you can see up to 3 baskets at a time and are confused there to throw to , especially since some of these holes play 500 + . #2 Course equipment , besides the shoddy uninformative signage , there are no definitive tee areas . Rubber mats or gravel would be nice . There also lacked benches , NEXT TEE signs . If you are charging disc golfers $12 to play , cart or no cart , you have to make it worthwhile to play . It's almost as if the course is saying " have fun on the cart , stay out of the way of the ball golfers and play Where's Waldo with the tee signs . #3 Safety . Many ball golfer may not be paying attention to you . Pay Attention To Them . They can hit a solid projectile a lot farther than you can throw a disc , and it will hurt more . Be aware of them . #4. Time . This course probably fill up during the weekends or evenings , tee time or not . With the length of the course and sharing it with ball golfers look to be here a while .#5 weather The flat part of this course looks like it could hold puddles of water . Flat grassy + natural tees = falling on your rear . There is also a danger element here . There are a couple of place where you cart has to climb the steep hills . you don't want to roll a cart on yourself or your partner . That's about it . $12 to play might feel steep to players that are used to playing for free .
Other Thoughts:
It may look like my rating makes it look like I don't like this course . While I think some issues need to be addressed , I think that this course could easily be a 3 1/2 or 4 some day . New Albany does have some good highlights : great course design , clean course, carts , and a clubhouse to hang out in after your round . I am going to play this course next fall with a buddy , and will adjust my rating upwards ( hopefully ) . My Recommendation : not far off of I-64 , and barely west of Louisville a thought provoking play . A little expensive for continual play for the locals, families and newbies trying to learn the game and too long a play for a leg stretching course . This is still a play for the traveler , the intermediate or the pro . I would say depending on your circumstances that this course is worth a try . I am glad I played it within it's first year , so I can see what it looks like in a year or 2 .