Pros:
"The Sarge" is located in Sergeant Jasper Park in Hardeeville, SC. It alone makes the trip well worth the ride. The wildlife and the scenery make this place a peaceful and enjoyable location. (As long as the bugs are minimal)
-Scorecards, Course maps and the restrooms are located at the welcome center (You will need to park at the welcome center. No charge to play, but you are required to sign in)
-Practice Basket in the parking lot
-The course has multiple tee boxes for varying difficulty; Blue, gold and a few white on some of the more difficult holes there are white tees.
-Baskets are Innova DISCatchers.
-Pin placement definitely made the course more interesting.
-The course is strictly a DG course, so there should be no interference with other park goers.
-The course has a nice flow, like that of a nature trail or hike, and the next holes weren't too difficult to find. Plus you can get a map of the course at the visitors center.
-The course is very challenging, narrow shots, long distance drives, as well as some risk/reward hole
-Just to keep things interesting there's even a long distance, narrow shot that can be a risk/reward. Water on both sides of the land!
- Great water hole on hole 12. It's a 177ft where the Tee is on one bank, and the basket is on the edge of the water on the opposite side! Have fun! There is a safe alternate white hole that is much easier to cross, if you are a beginner or just not quite ready to throw this type of hole
-the risk/reward holes have a safe alternative, which can be relieving for a beginner. (Beginner Tip: Just because it's safer, doesn't mean you won't risk losing your disc)
-This course will challenge all players, from beginners to advanced.
--Requires a lot of strategy shots on narrow fairways
- If you are looking for a challenge on an interesting course, this is it!
-If you are a beginner, this course can be intimidating and challenging, but do not let that stop you. The Sarge will make a better player out of you!
-The Sarge also had a great "Fun Factor" for me as well. I will be back!
-Tom Triplett Disc Golf Course in Savannah is 15 minutes down I95, which can make a great follow up, once you finish "The Sarge".
-There are a bunch of Fast Food Resturaunts right before you get to the park. (McDonalds, Wendy's, BK, etc..)
-Just spoke with a very nice lady on the phone, she said they do have a small selection of discs for sale, as well as a special edition Sarge Disc, in the Welcome Center.
-Added 07/04/10 I spoke with another gentleman today, while registering to play. He was very nice and friendly. Kudos to the whole staff here, they really enjoy what they do, and they are genuinely happy to see people coming in to play.
-They were constructing some new teeboxes, that were raised up, and had some board walks. Only a couple holes were completed, but it looked very nice.
Cons:
-Dirt Tee pads (to which, I'm not going to hold against this course. I'll explain later on)
-The Sarge is very flat, no variation in elevation, but then again this is in the Low-Country of South Carolina. This type of terrain is the norm for this area. I'm not holding it against the course, just making the observation.
-Signs at the Tee box could use improvement.
-Tee pad color marked by flags. (FIXED! see pros)
-The bugs can be horrible, to the point of beyond nuisance. Now, I played on a day when it was in the 50's, and I didn't have a problem. But, mental note, BRING REPELLENT, STRONG REPELLENT!
-Be careful, there are Snakes and Alligators here.
-Water Hazards do have Gators in them, so be mindful about going after your disc in the water.
-Hole 18 could use another bridge across the water hazard. If it lands on the other side, you have to walk a long way to cross, then back to the disc, then down again to cross back over.
- It is a long walk back to the parking lot, and/or the 1st hole, if you decide to play another round. It is a nice walk though. It's on a boardwalk that crosses the lake; there are sitting areas as well.
-There are no restrooms on the course. Go before you start at the welcome center.
-Casual water can be a major factor on this course.
Other Thoughts:
This is a very nice course; it is on a beautiful lake in the Low-Country of South Carolina. I had a great time, it was a cold morning, so the bugs were nil! The place is well taken care of, and it plays like a nature trail. If you really want to get the most out of this course, take your time and enjoy it. (Provided the bugs will let you) There is a lot to take in, so enjoy it!
There are dirt Tee pads, but I will not hold it against this course. I feel that installing Cement Tee pads would take away something from natural setting. I can see why they wouldn't plop down a cement slab, when it can take away from the feel and the sanctity of this park. In fact if the park did install them, it could be an eyesore! They would need something similar to Richmond Hill in Asheville, to keep it in sync with the surroundings, but that would probably be very expensive and costly. I would prefer Teepads, I but I can understand why they haven't put them in yet.
I would recommend hiking shoes for this course; it can easily get sloppy and muddy. I would also recommend a Fat Max Measuring tape of at least 30ft. Wal-Mart also sells a Stanley equivalent. I retrieved quite a few discs out of the water with that tape measure, thank God I had it! By the grace of God, I walked away with all my discs, but you might want to bring an extra disc or two you don't mind parting with! The water hazard on 18 may not be wide, but it is deep!
One last little FYI, before you come down to Sergeant Jasper park, just remember that they offer a lot of other activities as well. If you are interested in making a day of multiple activities (i.e Canoing, Kayaking, Fishing, etc) look into it before you come.
Address for your GPS:
1458 Red Dam Rd
Hardeeville, SC 29927
Now, the GPS might be a skosh messed up. Sometimes it will take a person the long way through the residential area, making the park entrance on the left. Shortcut: When you exit off 95 Go to the East, Pass the 95 exit then turn left Just past the Exxon station on the left. This will put you on the "Old Frontage road". Turn Right on Red Dam Road. drive down and take your first right. That is where you'll register, and you'll see a practice basket in the parking lot. You'll have to walk back and cross the main road. Hole 1 is on the front/left side of the Lake. Look for the Big Sign.
UPDATE: 07/04/2010 - They have done some improvements since I played here last. They've added a boardwalk to #4, as well as a raised Teebox made out of wood on another hole. They have also replaced the Tee markers. They have also begun installing Signs, with bag hooks. At the moment, there are paper signs on the boards, but it looks like they are just temporary until permanent signs can be made. The course looked great!