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Swordstone DGC reviews
12
0
The Sword(in the)Stone Course
Reviewed:
Played on:Nov 3, 2023
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
+ Generous slopes, water features and a fair tree cover round out the challenges.
+ Some lovely views of the distant hills, mountains and towns.
+ The landscaping and features installed here are pretty incredible.
+ It is an exclusive venue for tournaments and special events only. No chance of dog walkers, joggers and bicyclists here! But...
+ Some lovely views of the distant hills, mountains and towns.
+ The landscaping and features installed here are pretty incredible.
+ It is an exclusive venue for tournaments and special events only. No chance of dog walkers, joggers and bicyclists here! But...
Cons:
- ...It is an exclusive venue for tournaments and special events only. No chance of leisurely rounds with friends here.
- Several blind tee-offs that require beforehand knowledge of the fairway.
- No tee signs at all.
- No lost disc box that I could spot.
- Several blind tee-offs that require beforehand knowledge of the fairway.
- No tee signs at all.
- No lost disc box that I could spot.
Other Thoughts:
As the eponymous folklore name implies, you cannot choose Swordstone under normal circumstances. Swordstone decides when and who can play. But it is private property! If someone chooses to make their course an exclusive locale accessible only during certain occasions, then I honestly can't register a complaint. I was fortunate enough to play this course as part of a tournament. So, this review will be based on that experience.
I don't think I've ever played at a course quite like Swordstone. I have to mention the scenery and landscaping right away. There are impressive fixtures installed all over the place. Just for three examples:
The putting area of link3 boasts some sort of courtyard with neatly maintained lawns underneath some decorative columns that overlook a fancy central concrete fountain made with tile, brick, stone and cement.
Link10 throws right past a somewhat intimidating artificial pond with similar cement and stonework.
Link16 begins right next to a stone firepit with chairs for relaxing nearby. Don't forget to look at all of the smaller decorations, trinkets and ornaments scattered all over the course. A lot of energy has gone towards making this place peaceful and atmospheric.
But how is the actual disc golfing, right? In the past, we've been burned by courses that went all-in on their presentation but didn't have the fairways to match.
Well, I'm glad to say that Swordstone mostly delivers. I like dense tree cover and steep hills in my disc golf. While Swordstone isn't a mountainous adventure in the deep woods, it has a few fairways that caught my attention. Link12 was a brief but appreciated narrow tunnel. No other fairway comes close to that level of tree cover except 16. Link2 is an enjoyable bumpy ride with trees on both sides to make you questions your choices.
Going back to link3, before you arrive to that pretty approach area, you tee off atop a nice slope that gives you a view of some of the other fairways and the background houses and rounded mountains. Link5 is the same way except much higher and prettier, though #3 still had the more enjoyable golfing. Honorable mention: link9 has a fun downslope towards an OB pond it shares with 10.
On the downside, things never really return to that level of excitement that links3-5 provide. The terrain still has bumps and grooves. It still slants left and right. The trees never truly vanish. However, a few of the links feel under-developed. Flat links8 and 11 both have triple mandos to arbitrarily intensify the difficulty. Worse, there were no tee signs anywhere (as of November 2023). That leads to confusion. Returning to link3 one last time, there are trees blocking your view. Unless a player has been here before, there is no way that they can know from the tee which way the basket is or how far. Signs would surely help- especially on the longer fairways like 10, 13 and 18.
Oh, and I really didn't like link6. It was too flat and open, and the central entrance road shares the same exact space with 80% of that fairway. During the tournament, my card had to wait for a few cars to drive out of range. I get that space isn't in abundance here, but is that the only spot a fairway could be?
In closing, what do I think? Swordstone is a really good course. It gets a hearty recommendation. If you are planning to visit or live anywhere near the Austin, TX area when there is to be a tournament at Swordstone, register for it! All of the criticisms I had will fade to the background as you admire the scenery and setting while waiting for your turn to throw. Remember to take pictures!
I don't think I've ever played at a course quite like Swordstone. I have to mention the scenery and landscaping right away. There are impressive fixtures installed all over the place. Just for three examples:
The putting area of link3 boasts some sort of courtyard with neatly maintained lawns underneath some decorative columns that overlook a fancy central concrete fountain made with tile, brick, stone and cement.
Link10 throws right past a somewhat intimidating artificial pond with similar cement and stonework.
Link16 begins right next to a stone firepit with chairs for relaxing nearby. Don't forget to look at all of the smaller decorations, trinkets and ornaments scattered all over the course. A lot of energy has gone towards making this place peaceful and atmospheric.
But how is the actual disc golfing, right? In the past, we've been burned by courses that went all-in on their presentation but didn't have the fairways to match.
Well, I'm glad to say that Swordstone mostly delivers. I like dense tree cover and steep hills in my disc golf. While Swordstone isn't a mountainous adventure in the deep woods, it has a few fairways that caught my attention. Link12 was a brief but appreciated narrow tunnel. No other fairway comes close to that level of tree cover except 16. Link2 is an enjoyable bumpy ride with trees on both sides to make you questions your choices.
Going back to link3, before you arrive to that pretty approach area, you tee off atop a nice slope that gives you a view of some of the other fairways and the background houses and rounded mountains. Link5 is the same way except much higher and prettier, though #3 still had the more enjoyable golfing. Honorable mention: link9 has a fun downslope towards an OB pond it shares with 10.
On the downside, things never really return to that level of excitement that links3-5 provide. The terrain still has bumps and grooves. It still slants left and right. The trees never truly vanish. However, a few of the links feel under-developed. Flat links8 and 11 both have triple mandos to arbitrarily intensify the difficulty. Worse, there were no tee signs anywhere (as of November 2023). That leads to confusion. Returning to link3 one last time, there are trees blocking your view. Unless a player has been here before, there is no way that they can know from the tee which way the basket is or how far. Signs would surely help- especially on the longer fairways like 10, 13 and 18.
Oh, and I really didn't like link6. It was too flat and open, and the central entrance road shares the same exact space with 80% of that fairway. During the tournament, my card had to wait for a few cars to drive out of range. I get that space isn't in abundance here, but is that the only spot a fairway could be?
In closing, what do I think? Swordstone is a really good course. It gets a hearty recommendation. If you are planning to visit or live anywhere near the Austin, TX area when there is to be a tournament at Swordstone, register for it! All of the criticisms I had will fade to the background as you admire the scenery and setting while waiting for your turn to throw. Remember to take pictures!
