Mars Hill, NC

Mars Hill University DGC

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3.295(based on 34 reviews)
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6 0
Tom_oconnor
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 9.5 years 63 played 24 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hills for days 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 7, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great views. Good use of land. Small yellow signs posted up helped get you to each hole.

Cons:

No Tee signs
For predominate RHBH players, there's a bunch of holes with severe sloping fairways with OB on the left. Very easy to throw a bit too high and end up way left OB.
The ground was still slick in spots even though it hasn't rained in 4 days. With some holes requiring some steep navigating, I'm not sure if this is even playable after rain.
Not really a con, but this is not cart friendly. I managed with a double decker zuca cart packed, but it wasn't fun. I recommend switching to a bag if possible, the lighter the better.

Other Thoughts:

This was a tough course playing blind with a cart. I wasn't playing well, but realized that my score could vary by 10+ throws if I played multiple rounds. If dialed in and hitting putt's it's scoreable, but be just a little off, it could be +10 or worse. Lots of rollaway potential, a buddy of mine tested a blowfly and started using it all over the course to reduce the risk of rollaway
My thoughts: Be ready for a workout, pick your chances to attack, and enjoy the great views. Looking at pictures on this site, it looks completely different in the summer with full foilage.
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3 2
takman
Experience: 22.4 years 122 played 25 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Road trip highlight! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2006 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Amazing scenery and manicured property
-Elevation changes almost every hole create a wonderful aesthetic
-Private feel due to college campus location and seclusion
-Challenging layout

Cons:

-Mushy in spots when I played due to recent rain
-Layout was tough to navigate, threw to wrong basket a few times.

Other Thoughts:

Played here with my brother on a road trip and introduced him to the game here. Emptied our bags on some of the down hill holes and made some videos. Amazing place.
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10 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Steep slope Mars

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 14, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-This course is pretty easy to navigate and to find. Just drive past the downtown area and you'll be on the campus. While the campus is nowhere near as good as the campus at WCU, the course here is much better. It has 18 holes, a couple of them have long pads and almost every hole here has a long pin position.

-Starts off interesting with hole 1. The basket was in the long when I played it. It sits on a tall hill. The tee shot is through a small clearing. There is a mando gate maybe 200' away. The short pin is in the wooded area. The fun continues on hole 2, a short but significant uphill drive to get to the basket on the side of a hill. Those holes to me are decent, but it gets quite fun on hole 5. It's a downhill shot and the hill is sloping left. It's very easy to reach. If you go long, chances are you'll be at the bottom of the hill. #6 and #7 utilize excellent elevation changes. Hole 6 is a open bomb. But for the last 100', it goes straight up the hill. Hole 7 is a huge downhill par 3 that I can reach with a putter! But the hill is sloping so if you fade right, without question you will roll left. Just an awesome sight to see on this one.

-The wooded holes here are some of the most unique holes that I have played. Especially holes 10 and 15. 10 is a 190' gauntlet with many pine trees to avoid. Still a great chance for a two for me if I jump putt this one. #15 is a great steep downhill ace run, similar to #10, but it's an incredible flick shot from the long. It has an elevation drop of at least 25 ft. from the short and over 50 ft to the long pin, it's down much further. Reminded me of #8 at Fontana Dam.

-Has a great end with a fun hole 18. It's like 650' from the long pin. The hole is a nice flex shot where you may want to aim for the trees to the left and get the driver to fade right. I was left with a short upshot, maybe 120'. So this is a very fun bomber hole.

-The downtown area looks pretty great. Probably a coffee shop, a cool restaurant, and I'm sure there is a store that sells discs.

-There is a course kiosk when you get to #1's tee-pad. Take a picture of it so you'll know exactly where to go.

-There are tee-pads, some are carpet and some are concrete. The hole #'s are on the concrete pads. There are markers beside the carpet pads.

Cons:

-There are no tee-signs. So you'll have to walk up the fairway to find the baskets on some holes. Many baskets are tucked into wooded areas.

-I'm going to join the bandwagon and say that #12 is a poorly designed hole. I like the skip shots over the roads but the pad is on the right hand side of the road where there is a speed limit of 35 mph. It's a terrible idea for a design. #17 is also a bad hole like many others said. The woods to the right are dense so you don't want to go in there, but the basket is tucked into the woods on the right side. The hole plays on a sloping left fairway next to the road. It's just horrible.

-It can get muddy here and when it does get muddy, you'll have to prepare to slip and fall. I'm 5'9" and 130 lbs and I slipped like four times. I think it needs stairs on the walk from #4 to #5. It gets steep in some places, and the fact that you walk on the side of the hill half the time makes it pretty tough to walk in places.

-While it may be clear most of the time, there is danger out there. There are holes that play over the road and there are tee-pads that are on the road. Ahem #16.

Other Thoughts:

-I wouldn't suggest playing here in the rain. It seems to be much easier to enjoy when it isn't wet outside. Nevertheless, I am a huge fan of Mars Hill and I think it has the capacity to be a 4-4.5.

It has multiple pins which makes the whole game more interesting. I'd rather see new pins than new pads. Because of a few long pins, there are some holes here that truly stand out. #6 is great par 4 that goes straight uphill. #7 is a great steep downhill par 3. Hole 13 is a true par 4 from the long pin. Only complaint is that it is over the two lane road. But still very enjoyable. It has OB to the left and thick woods on the right. You may want to think twice before throwing a driver because of the fade and you don't want to land in that enormous bush either. #18 is a true long bomb. Feels great to birdie this one (I had an eagle run at it.) #15 long to long is my favorite hole. The long pad is straight up a large hill in the woods and back down a much bigger hill that takes you out in the open and to a steep and punishing drop off green. It's a par five from the long to long. Despite being under 500', it plays as a double dogleg and has danger written all over it. Definitely the most memorable hole at Mars Hill!

-It's pretty much Stumpy Creek's doppleganger.
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2 2
johngarcia79
Experience: 9.8 years 35 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 8, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has a great variety of shots. Some really nice lines on a few of the holes. Elevation change mixes it up quite a bit. Nicely manicured grounds due to the college.

Cons:

The hills are kinda ridiculous on a few holes. Don't play this course if the ground is at all wet, saturated, frozen, or slick. There are a few holes that require cleats.

Other Thoughts:

Good course to play once in a while. I would get sick of the holes on the hillsides if I played it all the time.
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3 0
Airubus
Experience: 20.9 years 43 played 19 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Where am I going? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are a handful of holes that have some really good lines. The course name has "hill" in the title, be prepared to live up to the name and throw elevation changes and slopes.

Cons:

I happened to have a local with me the day i went, and if i didn't i would have probably wandered aimlessly trying to find the next hole. Also that day, any fairway that wasnt mowed by the campus was a disgrace. the forest was reclaiming the fairway, with poison ivy past my knees. Some of the holes that actually had signage, was covered with growth. I can recall one hole where the tee was ON THE ROAD. not a campus driveway, but a real, honest to God road - and it was designated with white spray paint. Some of the slopes are a twisted ankle waiting to happen. Quite a few holes are just thrown in. I would recommend that most of the holes need to be completely rethought and maybe even redesigned. I left thinking, "why?"

Other Thoughts:

The course is there, and needs some tender loving care. keep the fairways beaten back. add signage. add arrows under the baskets that point to the next tee pad. actually build a tee pad where needed.
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6 5
Vavulous
Experience: 13.3 years 15 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

EPIC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 28, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

To the previous reviewer, BrotherDave. I literally had to write this review, my first review, just in spite of the 1/5 rating and completely negative review this course unjustly didn't deserve.

-Wide variety of holes. You have Hilly, shady, wide open bombers, blind turns, heavily wooded, urban, YOU have almost every variation in one course. Many holes felt like a different course. It was like the Twilight Zone.
-I came on the weekend, I saw zero other disc golfers. Where I come from, you have people in front and behind you most of the time. I was able to take my time and enjoy the scenery.
-Most important, at least to me and those like me. This course is adventuress. I felt like I got my hiking, exploration, and disc golf fix all in one.

Cons:

- I will agree partially with said previous reviewer, this course is dangerous! But I felt he exaggerated a bit. It doesn't take much skill to know when and when not to throw. If a car drives by or a person walks by; DONT THROW. BTW, most of the roads are indeed small, less used roads. I saw 2 cars the whole time. The urban areas you'd have to throw a very bad throw to even remotely danger anyone or the buildings. Atlas, the danger does exists.
-Wild life. I'll enjoy what I can, but when you throw a bad throw sometimes it's worth just leaving it. There are some nasty spiders everywhere, some we don't have in AZ and I've never seen. They freaked me out. There are some questionable vegetation as well, maybe poison ivy? Be careful retrieving discs that you threw off course.

Other Thoughts:

There is most likely, in all fairness, some bias in my view. To give a little background, I'm from AZ we have many boring grass and desert courses. Think dry, dusty, and brown. NOTHING compares to the majority of courses I have yet to play on as the 3 courses I have played here in NC have demonstrated. Without a doubt though, it saddens me to know that I may never play on this course again in my life. I came for a wedding and was happy I decided to bring my discs, I'll never forget this course.
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14 6
BrotherDave
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.6 years 192 played 188 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Marred Hill 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice campus, well mowed. Occasionally a concrete tee here and there. Quite a few nice open holes to bomb on. Plenty of parking.

Cons:

This course feels like an injury is bound to happen, either to you or some student that just happens to have the audacity to use their campus. It plays around buildings, roads, sidewalks, over roads, in roads, volleyball court directly in the line of fire, you name it. In disc golf course terms, this course is about as safe as taking a tour of Vietnam's red light district without jimmy hats. Sure, you can have some fun here but eventually somebody is going to pay a price.

The course just seems to sprawl aimlessly around the campus, just crammed in. Multiple long walks between holes (6 to 7 for a glaring example) with hardly any clue where to go. I had a map and was still guessing a lot.

Poison ivy and briers abound. If the hole has any shade to it at all, it's covered in poison ivy.

Specifics:
Holes 1 &2 aren't too bad but they're still some tree kicks away from taking out cars and pedestrians. Holes 3 & 4 felt like filler holes with high tree kick into people danger. Hole 5's basket was literally within arm's length of a construction fence and would be ridiculously easy to toss one over (a gust of wind could carry a putt over this fence even). Plus, if you BH an anny on this FH'ers hole and it fades back the danger of taking out a car in the crowded parking lot is high. Hole 6 is okay as long as you don't A) early slip into the parking lot immediately left of the tee or B) griplock into that construction zone from the previous hole. Hole 7 isn't obvious to find, extremely high risk of throwing into another construction zone on the left. Half to walk back uphill 7's fairway to get to hole 8 which asks you to either a) throw at least 300' to clear the construction fences or B) lay up your drive under that tree on the left which requires no skill and just chews up an unnecessary stroke. 9 and 10 are poison ivy-ville. Hole 13 is the next tee you come to and you walk half way down it's fairway to tee off from the road for hole 11. Stupid. Then you tee off from a different road for 12 (complete with a blind curve behind you so you worry about a college kid drifting around irresponsibly while you're teeing off, awesome!) Play back to hole 13's tee which would be a great hole if you didn't throw over that road. These are actual roads, not seldom used cart paths or something. I played on a weekday morning and there was still traffic. Hole 14 is also a poison ivy jungle with thick underbrush to make losing a disc easy. Ignore the map when trying to get to hole 15, just follow the stupidly long goat path. Hole 16 tees off from a parking lot, straight uphill to a blind basket tucked into the woods. Dumb. Hole 17 is pathetically easy to roll OB into the road or hit a car, etc. Plus immediately left of this tee is steep grass, which due to being wet from the AM I managed to slip and fall down into a hilarious prat fall. Basket is tucked away and hidden on the right. Dumb. Hole 18 is a decent open hole except for the beach volley ball court immediately center-right of the fairway.

Other Thoughts:

Let me explain the bad rating better: I review courses now like a food critic reviews a restaurant. If it sucks that day, I'm sorry but it sucks. I don't assume that the course will be better in the future no matter how likely b/c you know what they say about assuming. The 2 construction zones DIRECTLY in play are probably temporary, I get that. The copious amounts of poison ivy will recede in the fall and winter, you bet. But comparably in regards to all the courses I've played, this one has major flaws. There was a tee LITERALLY IN THE F*&^%ING ROAD. I don't care how unused that road is, teeing off with your back to a blind road is chitty design. I can look the other way on a park drive or utility road or something but c'mon, it's a state road. The flow of the course is really bad and if you've never played here before (the demographic this website is focused towards, roadtrippers) you're very likely to be walking aimlessly from hole to hole on numerous stretches. Sorry homeboys, that's the honest truth. Either deal with it or improve your course.

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4 4
OwRuth1
Experience: 6 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Mars Hill 1st time Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Awesome mix of long and short holes as well as wooded and open. I think this is the best course in WNC. however Richmond hill is great too but after a while you get tired of hitting trees every throw. Mars hill is great exercise but doesn't kick your butt. One hole you' throwing it as hard as you can down a hill, the next you have a great strategic hole. Great Course!

Cons:

If you are like me and you think you can somehow navigate this course without someone whose already played it think again. There are no mini-maps at the kiosk and the course is strangely laid out.

Other Thoughts:

Great course! if you haven't played it do.
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7 3
Sersan43
Experience: 15 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Leave plenty of time to play here 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful area. You use all sorts of shots and discs. Very creative pin placements. Good mix of long and short as well as a good mix of technical and elementary shots needed.

Cons:

It's kind of out of the way unless you are already passing through or are staying in the area. Don't play right after a downpour like I did. With a lot of elevation changes and playing on slopes, you are going to fall a lot, unless you play in cleats. The underbrush is a little thick on the wooded holes and that's become a pet peeve of mine because I hate searching for 10 minutes for a bright colored disc. You will get a good workout here, I'm a little out of shape and I was absolutely exhausted after playing a round here. A few holes are right in the middle of campus it seems. Throwing over roads, over walking paths, and next to dorms is something you'll deal with here. Cross your fingers you don't play the first 4 or 5 holes right after classes let out because the foot traffic makes it impossible to safely play.

Other Thoughts:

Bring your shoes that have the most grip along with plenty of energy. Be sure to walk a lot of the fairways before you make your drive and prepare to be patient on the holes that have a lot of foot traffic.
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7 0
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 548 played 429 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Mars Attacks 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Mars Hill DGC is a really good one IMHO. The terrain puts elevation in play on most if not all holes, and alternates through open, grassy hills and more wooded and thick rough on several holes. I liked the blend of shots required to play this course well. Many fun and memorable holes. The course has pretty good tee pads on most holes, concrete and pavement generally. No signs, but posts mark the pads, and the printable map makes it fairly easy to navigate. The baskets are nice DGA models.

Cons:

Some signs and info would be nice, and I'm not sure where the box for hole 8 was, it may have been temporarily displaced by construction in that area at the time. Not certain about the 12 tee either. Course weaves around buildings and across roads. Map is helpful. Sometimes cars and pedestrians can interfere with play. A couple of holes were less than spectacular. The rough can be very heavy in places. Poison ivy or thorns may punish errant throws and bad rolls or bounces.

Other Thoughts:

Mars Hill was very fun, and offers a nice blend of long and short, wooded and open, up/downhill, and left or right shot through out the course. A couple of filler holes (ahem, 11 and 12, cough), but overall, very fun. The wind spoiled some shots for me, and if I played there again, my shot selection would be vastly different in several places. In some instances, it reminds me of my home course, Riverview Park in North Augusta, SC.
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5 1
ashevillain
Experience: 11 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

sore ankles! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 30, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- It's very likely that you'll use almost every shot in your arsenal.

- Incredibly beautiful campus!

- Most of the tees are a perfect size. I like the concrete ones best.

Cons:

- Lots of sidehill walking = sore ankles.

- Every fairway that is on a significant sidehill is banked right to left...some variety in that respect would be nice.

- Portable maps for the navigationally challenged would be nice. Doesn't really bother me though.

- It would be nice if each basket had some sort of flag to make them stand out a bit more.

Other Thoughts:

- I don't really think it is a difficult course to navigate. Down vote me if you want but that's how I feel. Most of the reviews here are way overdramatic about the flow of the course (11 > 12 > 13). The only questionable part was where the course doubles back on itself. That part of the layout could be better.

- With the baskets in the long positions this course is probably too difficult for beginners. It is really long!
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3 1
porchmike
Experience: 21.1 years 34 played 19 reviews
4.00 star(s)

one of the best near asheville 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 17, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

great variety of shots- up/downhill, left/right, wooded, open. elevation a factor on almost every hole- several of the flatter shots(1,2,3,4,5,9,13,14,17) will travel well downhill if you miss your mark.

#7 is a great downhill shot, especially when the pin is in the right-hand position on the hill- you really get to see em fly here! and currently, the dorm downhill to the left is being demolished, so errant left-fading shots won't go through a car/dorm window

beautiful scenery in the WNC foothills, esp. in the fall

i would say #18 is about 750 ft when the pin is in the far position- 2 good drives to get there.

relaxing pace of play because... no crowds!

great exercise due to the hilly nature of the course and how far spread out most of the holes are.

Cons:

if you've never been here, i would say it's impossible to find your way around the course- go with a local or you will never find all the holes. some signs would be very helpful in that area. bring a map or look at the map at the kiosk, and... you still won't find all the holes unless you're with a local. the navigation is by no means intuitive.

the steep hills will be very slippery when covered in leaves or after a rain- wear slick-soled shoes at your peril!

holes 1,2,3 can be obstructed by students during a class change- usually not a problem.

the course is a big hike for those averse to exercise, but maybe in that case it means those people should exercise more!

#12 is a pretty boring hole, really just a way to get back up to 13. the gradual uphill makes it hard to get a tee shot near the pin, though...

poison ivy in the woods/rough, although it seems a concentrated effort is being made to get rid of it- #9 looks way better than it did last summer as far as PI goes.

Other Thoughts:

the lack of people here and the nice, long, open shots make this course a great contrast to richmond hill, which is asheville's nicest and most crowded course(people and trees!). every hole is unique, and it's a nice place to get away from the disc golf "scene" in asheville. my mom has taught at the school for around 40 yrs. and i never knew about this course till last year- very glad to have another excellent course to play when i'm visiting home. come play a round, and remember to bring someone who's been there before!
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2 2
mx23ang
Experience: 13.2 years 75 played 23 reviews
3.50 star(s)

ghost course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 7, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

perfect mix of wide open bombs and super tight technical holes
elevation change is amazing at this place, 15 is one of my favorite holes because of its major drop off (prob over 50 ft or more)
never have I been and seen more than one other group on this course, and have no clue why because it really requires every shot in your bag
8 open holes, 4 very wooded holes and 6 mixed holes with trees scattered
9 strait away holes, 4 that hook left, 5 that fade right
All tees are concrete except number 15
Hole 10 is one of my favorite holes, Its fairway although being somewhat unfiar, is lined perfectly by some massive pine trees and makes for one scenic shot that you will remember
Even on the "open" sections of the course OB and other obstacles most certainly come into play. Like the basketball court on #8, your aimed right at it off the tee and the tendencey here is to pull it right so be aware
Hole 12 is wide open, although a rather crowded street lines the entire right side, and the basket is only about 20 ft from this street




Cons:

No signage and benches
No measurements anywhere, on the course or even the map so you go a lot by feel-the measurements in the hole section are not correct im pretty sure, 18 is much longer than 400 ft
16 and 17 are the only two terrible holes on this course, 16 is strait uphill and a great drive on 17 rolls into a crowded street everytime

Other Thoughts:

When I last played it looked as if no one had been here all summer.. There were spider webs across every trail in the woods, and there was no sign of people here in a while. This is nice to have such a beautiful course to yourself but at the same time dissappointing this hidden beaut doesnt get played more often
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7 2
Mando
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.3 years 120 played 27 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Extraterrestrial 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 1, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Using my 1-5 rating system for each hole, Mars Hill scores an astronomical 36 on the front nine (every hole excellent), which puts it in elite company. Picturesque small campus in the mountains with constant elevation change. School's out in the summer, making it the prime time to hit Mars Hill. Great connecting course when roadtripping from east TN into western NC.
Minutes from I-26. Right on the way to Elk Mountain or Richmond Hill.

Cons:

The course remains solid thru 15 in hole by hole scoring before imploding on #16 and #17 ( two abysmally poor holes-1 rated). I did not even play 16 because it's against my religion to walk a long way down a steep hill to throw up. Perfect drive on 17 rolls ob...
Poison Ivy is prevalent in the woods. Rollaway greens are way over-used to the point of being a serious con.

Other Thoughts:

14 excellent holes (4-rated) makes this a must play although it doesn't have one 5-rated epic hole (#7 is close).
Where else in the SE US can you find this many quality open holes in the mountains with a mix of supertight wooded holes ? This course broke the mold for me. I actually enjoyed the open holes even more than the wooded ones (xcept 16 &17).
Total score of 64 gives Mars Hill a solid 3.5 rating if you can look past the lack of amenities.
Fix two holes and it's pushing 4.
If you can study the map at the kiosk, navigation is not an issue and you will enjoy this under-rated gem.
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1 2
chainedwraith
Experience: 17.6 years 156 played 19 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Awesome course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 19, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Extremely scenic. Nice mix of open/wooded holes. Course requires a variety of shots and utilizes the sloped terrain well. Good mix of long drives and shorter technical ones.

Cons:

Lack of signage; bring a map and you should be ok.

Other Thoughts:

We arrived at the course while it was still drizzling after raining heavily during our drive to the course. Despite how wet it was we still had a great time. This is was my first time playing in the hills coming from Florida and I was not prepared for the awesomeness that was the Mars Hill DGC. A little work on the signage and I would rate this course 4.5/5 discs. I hope I get to play this course again someday.
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9 1
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 584 played 536 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good small-town college course with BIG potential 2+ years

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

Pros:

Mars Hill is a challenging, entertaining course that plays throughout a small college in a quaint mountain town. By playing the course, I felt I saw all of the college and town.
- The best thing about the course is the "nature" feel about it. Your round will involve playing in, around, up & down hills and in the woods, all while surrounded by amazing views of the mountains all around. Even the holes that play near the round and college buildings have some of the same feel, mainly because you still have that quiet, small town/college "charm."
- Some very good elevation holes. They range from downhills: #7 (my personal favorite), 10, 11,15 & 18; uphills: #6, 16 & 17; and holes with major slope factors: #1, 3, 4, 9 &14.
- Good variety of holes and layouts, from tight & wooded to wide open; from doglegs to straight layouts; plus the elevation factor listed above. The course also has a good mix of challenging and easier holes. I'm a fan of throwing in a couple easier, catch-your-breath holes after stretches of tough ones.
- Very nice flow of the course. You wind through a more populated stretch of campus on holes #1 - 5. From then on, you're away from the busy part of campus, and actually have to deal with a rural, two-lane road instead (on #11 & 13). #18 ends right back at the parking lot, but #9/10 is far away, so if you start playing, you're playing the full 18.
- Challenging for a college course. Part of the challenge is the physical aspect - lots of walking, course is spread out, going up and down hills. Throw in the course itself, and this is a true grind.
- Great course map. You can print one of this site. It's very accurate and thorough. With a lack of signage, it's an absolute must for first timers. Playing with a map, I had no problems navigating the course.

Cons:

Lack of signage is the major problem for this course. Tees are marked with small blue markers, and combined with a printed map; you can troll your way from hole-to-hole rather easily. The problem is once you get to actual holes. Not having listed distances is a big problem. The eyeball/feel test is ok for a hole/shot or two, and I (and probably most people) can be relatively accurate with estimating distances. But doing that for 18 holes, plus having some blind tee shots, an no tee signs/hole layout pics, eventually leads to some bad shots.
- Several weird hole layouts. After hole #10, you walk past the tee for #13, and a third of the way up its fairway, to get to the tee for #11. We were smart; we teed off on #13, marked our discs, then played #11 & 12, rather than having to backtrack. The other issue was with holes #1, 3 - 5. I wasn't a fan of the blind tee shots in heavier usage/common areas so close to buildings. Add to that the fact the hills also sloped right to left, and you have a real chance of discs really sailing away towards building/people.
- Untapped land. There were a lot of wooded areas on the course (the area around #8 - 10 & #14 - 15) that seem like great places to add holes. Build a couple more holes here, and you can get rid of some of the potential risk holes listed in the comment above.
- Lack of amenities. Obviously restrooms, drinks are inside buildings, which is standard for a school. But it would have been nice to see a bench or two, and trash cans, throughout the course

Other Thoughts:

Mars Hill has some real good parts to it, which make it a fun course. Not surprisingly, some areas need to be improved if it's to join the elite ranks.
- I didn't quite understand the comments in other reviews about first-timers needing a guide to play. If you have any common sense, can read a map, and see blue markers in the ground, you'll be ok. For me, the only confusing part of the course was the transition from #13 to 14. I didn't realize the arrow pointing towards the next hole (#14) meant walk into the woods right there.
- Course could use some TLC. I could tell the wooded holes didn't get much attention.
- My favorite hole was #7. Long, downhill hole (I'm guessing close to 400 feet - remember no distances listed) that sweeps left to right. For RHBH throwers, you better keep your shot tight, or it's going to sail too far to the left, leaving a long, tricky second shot. The basket is hill, which presents another challenge. My buddy threw an amazing tee shot, about 20 feet from the hole. His birdie putt hit the front of the basket, and rolled 30 feet down the hill. Holes #6 - 8 offer a great three-hole stretch.
- Overall, it's a good course, with the potential to be better. Lots of fun, lots of risk/reward factor, lots of birdie chances.
- Not too far from Asheville, so definitely worth the drive to check it out. With a little bit of work, this course will get a big bump in its ratings. With even a little more work than that, this could be a true DG destination. It could challenge, or dare I say surpass, Richmond Hill as the Asheville area's best course.
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2 3
Zenzubar
Experience: 13.1 years 9 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

With Work Could Be A Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 18, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

First this course is in my home town and it is very close to where I live so big plus. The course it's self is really challenging, and changes up nice. Open shots to close woods shots. It's also a nice looking course going through the Mars Hill Collage. There are also a few really good holes you can pull up to for a few hours of practice shots. The fairways are keep up with very well. There are also a few holes where you can go for the big drives

Cons:

It needs new signs really bad someone could get lost looking for the next tee and it's hard to see where some of the baskets are. also some of the hills are mean when wet if your not wearing good foot wear you could get hurt also when Mars Hill get wet it stays wet.. Lots of trash around some of the holes and there are no benches..

Other Thoughts:

If you haven't played this course then you should. I haven't play to many courses but this one is lots of fun and will make you work for those shots.....
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1 4
Pillsbury Throwboy
Experience: 16.9 years 29 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful Course with tough shots and amazing rewards if made.

Cons:

Navigation was a bit iffy.

Other Thoughts:

All in all I loved it, had a great round and deuced hole 18 long to cap it off on a huge field ace. enjoyed every moment of it
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1 3
coolhand
Experience: 23 played 23 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

i love this course. good mix of open and wooded. some big shots. some finesse shots. very challenging. beautiful scenery. elevation change.

Cons:

loooooong walk. up and down.

Other Thoughts:

nice course through a nice campus.
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1 4
mcannon246
Experience: 13.7 years 65 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

not to shabby but needs some work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 20, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

nice campus. nice assortment of shots needed.

Cons:

dont go with out a map. Very hard to figure out where you are going. i didnt think i could get lost with a map but i did. If they have the long tee's up be prepared with a very long drive.

Other Thoughts:

over all i liked it hard but changing is fun :p
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