Etowah, NC

Tom Mantsch Memorial DGC

1.465(based on 12 reviews)
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10 0
dino2disc
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.6 years 72 played 39 reviews
1.00 star(s)

A field practice spot for course baggers 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 24, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Location: it's one of very few courses in the mountains southwest of Asheville.

- The baskets are in decent condition and the fields are mowed short since they're in a nice, small city park. The park includes plenty of parking, and a picnic pavilion, grill, playground, softball fields, basketball and tennis courts, and a walking track.

- #6 is the only true hole; it's a gentle left curve around the outfield fence of a softball field with low hanging tree branches to the right and in front of the hole that you have to fly under. If you throw from the tee box (which I wouldn't recommend, see below), it's actually a blind shot because the low view angle along the curving fence makes it so you can't see through it.

- Every hole is short, so it makes for a really quick round.

Cons:

- All "holes" except #6 are short, open field shots without a single tree or other obstacle in your way. #4 is long enough to not be a definitive birdie for many players, but 8 under par is totally a possibility here for advanced players.

- No tee signs or tee pads, and only two tee boxes are still there (for #3 and #6). Don't kid yourself though, those tee boxes are just overgrown landscaping timbers sinking into the ground with a short, uneven, bowled floor. Otherwise, you have to use the course map to estimate where you're supposed to throw from.

- Even though it's surrounded by great hills and mountains, this particular land is just plain BORING: No topography to work with (every hole's flat except for #3 which is slightly downhill), and no trees or other hazards to contend with either (except on #6).

- The walking track around the course is busy, but it's spaced far enough away from the baskets to not be a problem as long as you have decent control. I could envision pedestrians being a hazard for new players or on windy days though.

Other Thoughts:

- Since there's no hazards, you could make up your own holes to play. They'd still just be flat, open field holes though...

- It's a place where you could introduce someone to the sport and practice wide open approach shots for easy birdies, but that's about it.

- Don't go out of your way to play here unless you're a devout course bagger or you want to get in your Fitbit steps!
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2 1
topflight
Experience: 32.7 years 174 played 13 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Soggy Day 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 10, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Its a disc golf course. Hole 4 and 5 are actually fun/challenging holes. It plays around a group of ball fields with a a walking trail, so you can exercise and play disc golf! When you get to 9, you can turn around and play the holes backwards!

Cons:

1. No signs
2. No numbers on baskets
3. No discernible tee area on most holes
4. Many baskets leaning
5. Difficult to figure out where to go, but then - who cares - see a basket - throw at a basket.
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6 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 584 played 536 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Catfished 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 3, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Don't let the course pictures fool you. If this were an online dating site; you just got catfished. Tom Mantsch is a worn-down and neglected course, making it bad by even pitch-n-putt standards.
- There are nine baskets. These baskets (and fields) can be used for many purposes: practice; several safari holes; cubby aces; black aces; 15-minute, 1-disc rounds.
- Good course to introduce kids to the game. I wouldn't subject anyone older than 10 to this course as their first venture into disc golf.
- Holes #4 - 6 were, at best, decent. Nine holes the quality of #4 would give you a nice, neighborhood park 9-holer. Instead, you get one slight blip, and then two other twitches in this otherwise lifeless layout.

Cons:

I can't really be too hard on the course designers and/or parks department. They had nothing to work with - not enough land, no real obstacles and no elevation. It's like being forced to make a dinner for a family of four with only $20. You're only getting fillers and nothing of substance.
- This space isn't even big enough for a poor nine-hole layout. The baskets for holes 1 - 2 and the tee for #3 are all within 50 feet of each other. I guess this would only be an issue if more than a couple people were playing the course.
- Holes # 1 - 3 and 7 - 9 aren't just poorly designed, they're boring too. To make it even more of a waste of time, hole #9 is the other side of the park from #1, meaning you'll have to walk a long way back to your car, only dragging out your time here.
- Baskets are in bad shape. On some holes, the tee pad markers are pretty much gone. I spent a solid minute or two looking for the tee for #8 before realizing none of it mattered, and instead just parked my tee shot.

Other Thoughts:

This summed up my round at Tom Mantsch Memorial: I met a guy at the park who was shocked that someone was playing the course. He says he plays the course occasionally, and in that time, I was only the second person he'd ever seen playing there.
- Really, the course needs to, A: be redesigned and try to find the best way to make a passable nine-holer, B: pull some baskets and make this a semi-decent six-holer, or C: be pulled completely. If nobody is playing here, the local disc golf scene should find somewhere else where the baskets can be used, such as a local school.
- This was a total stat-padder to my 'courses played' counter and I feel like I cheated myself by adding this to my list. Thankfully, I played four solid courses the same day to help get rid of the stench.
- There's not a reason to play this course if you're not within walking distance of the park. There's a great 18-holer 10 minutes down the road - Jackson Park - that should be getting all the disc golf traffic in the area. At least you can treat this as a passable practice area.
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3 0
DylanJustus
Experience: 8.9 years 7 played 3 reviews
0.00 star(s)

Never Again 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nobody was there

Cons:

Nobody had played in ages
No signage
No tee boxes
Rusted/old looking pins
No variety

Other Thoughts:

This may be a good place to play if someone has NEVER picked up a disc before, but after that it's just downright horrid. In all honesty, it is probably doing more damage to the park than it is helping it.
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3 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
1.00 star(s)

We should take the baskets and PUSH them somewhere else 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 14, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Etowah Park is a nice park, if you live in Etowah and want to work on your approach shots, or get an ace, or can't find anything to watch on TV or to find, this place is adequate.
-I like #4. It's the longest hole at 276', it's a good midrange shot from the tee. The walking track is to the right and the fence is to the left. #6 is also interesting, it's around the fence and there is a cluster of trees to the right.
-Baskets are in good condition and the fairways are well groomed. This is a decent practice area.

Cons:

-There is a trailer park just across the walking track. If you lose a disc, it probably won't be worth going across and getting it back because I'd be scared of Joy Turner jumping out at me and shooting an arrow at me. I also wouldn't want to disturb Darnell and Mr. Turtle or get in their way. But seriously, there are people that live in the trailer park that have no idea what you are doing, there is a young couple that live across #4 that looked at me like "What are you doing?"
-The tee pads are not well marked. #1 is very hard to find, the first hole I found was #3, the only hole with actual elevation. #1's tee is literally to the left, by the time you face the pavilion with the red rooftop, you will see the basket straight ahead.
-It's a very crowded park, there are many pedestrians on the walking track and that is what this course plays around.
-If you like variety, you will be pissed off, the last three holes all suck. They are just baskets in the field. There is barely any variety.
-Baskets are not numbered and there are no tee signs, except for #9 and it's knocked down on the ground.

Other Thoughts:

-This is a good place for practice but if you are visiting, go to Richmond Hill or Lake Julian. Richmond is nearly 30 miles from the place but it's worth it for sure. Lake Julian is a little closer! It's a great nine holer with a few long basket positions. If you live in Etowah, this is good for a warm up round but go somewhere else if you want to have fun.
-I don't recommend this course if you visit unless you want to add it to the courses you've played or if you want to practice your up shots on a windy day.
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1 0
Patton82
Experience: 10.8 years 11 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Great approach and putt 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great course to touch up on your approach and putt game....th s ts about it.

Cons:

The tee-boxes range from a small gravel filled dip in the ground, to just a worn out spot in the grass. There are NO signs for ANY of the baskets indicating your pin placement, footage, or par!

Other Thoughts:

With that being said...if you are in the area and want to touch up on your putting game, great course!
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1 0
LeeLK
Experience: 15.8 years 68 played 52 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Repetitive but fun. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Can play through it quickly. Fun to ace run. Baskets are decent.

Cons:

Not much as far as variety here. A touch of elevation on 1-3...that's about it. Tee pads are gravel pits and aren't exactly confidence inspiring.

Other Thoughts:

Mostly short, straight, open shots. Might be fun to run through if you're in the area, at least to see if you can hit some metal.
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3 0
S.Cann
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 156 played 82 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Quick Play, Wide Open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 20, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Course is set up in a valley with mountains as your back drop.
-Baskets are in great shape
-Excellent use of available land.
-Fairly low probability of losing a disc (See cons for more info).
-Grass cut low
-Easy to navigate once you find hole 1 (Hole 1's tee pad is off to the side of the very last parking lot (opposite side of the parking lot from the tennis courts).

Cons:

-The course was very muddy in several areas (Holes 4,5,7,8, & 9).
-You have to stop frequently for walkers as the walking path acts as part of the fairway on most holes.
-To the right of hole 2's basket there is a fence with a trailer park on the other side. If you happen to throw over there, it's VERY easy to lose a disc. I spent 15 minutes looking for my own (while also fearing for my life) and found 2 discs (neither of which were mine).
-Course is WIDE OPEN. I can count on two hands the number of trees that come into play on a 9 hole course.
-Does not play in a circle. There is a decently long walk from hole 9 back to hole 1.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this course serves as a quick play off Highway 64. It is no destination course, but is worth it if you are looking to pass 20 minutes or so and are in the area.

For what it's worth, a guy stopped me while I was playing and said that either he or his wife walk the path everyday and said that this was the first time either of them had seen anyone playing the "frisbee golf" course.
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0 0
MtnMan1
Experience: 21.8 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

great for what it is 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-clean, friendly park
-excellent course for introducing new players to the sport
-good use of available elevation and features
-short

Cons:

-contained within a small park
-no wooded holes
-short
-tee pad design is not my favorite; for such a short course I think that just throwing from the natural grass would be sufficient

Other Thoughts:

-nine hole pitch-n-putt
-this course is what it is: if you drive an hour expecting some championship 18 hole course you are sure to be disappointed, if you arrive with a putter to work on your short game or introduce a newby to DG you're going to love it
-course is very quick to play, waiting for a moment to make sure that you don't hit a little kid or a walker is not a big deal
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3 0
DiscChainBasket18
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.8 years 98 played 60 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Shorty Ace Run Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Clean park setting with open green grass fairways. Short upshot practice course. You only need your putter & maybe a couple mid-range discs. There are a couple well paced trees on a couple holes that force you to shap your shots but no scary wooded holes. If you figure out where hole #1 is the course direction is apparent even without a map. Double chain DGA baskets in good condition. Very clean & tidy (no trash or junk laying about). A creek comes into play on a couple holes but you probably wont lose any discs here. Very good beginner's course.

Cons:

Leave the long drivers at home. Only 2 holes are over 250' (average 197'). There is a paved walking trail that skirts the outer edge of the course. This brings the potential of hitting a pedestrian or two into play. Expect to wait on a walker or two. Benches are few & far between but its a pretty short, flat course so you wont really need them. Tee signs are missing on most holes. No maps. Small wood lined tee boxes with gravel base makes for loose footing. The design is a little redudant at first but gets a little more interesting as you play through the round. The course could be more interesting with multiple tee & pin locations but there is only one per hole.

Other Thoughts:

This course is pretty close to my house yet I didnt even know it existed. There are people playing organized softball games. There are tennis & basketball courts & walking paths but nobody playing disc golf (?). I wasnt overly impressed when I first pulled into the parking lot but after playing the first couple holes quickly discovered that this is a great place to practice my approach shots & maybe hit an ace or two! One disc rounds & safari golf are real possibilities here. They could easily have an 'Ace race' here & they wouldnt have to change a thing!
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2 1
parTake30
Experience: 12.8 years 103 played 13 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

good pitch and putt course, or great beginner/childrens course. short, wide open holes.

Cons:

short, wide open holes. very windy

Other Thoughts:

i was disappointed to drive 45 minutes to this course. wouldnt play it again, unless i was in the area
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2 1
chainedwraith
Experience: 17.6 years 156 played 19 reviews
1.50 star(s)

a kiddie course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 22, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- quick to play

- decent baskets

- good short game practice

- great entry-level course for kids or beginning adults.

Cons:

- no signage

- hole 9 finishes at opposite end of park from where hole 1 starts.

- a few holes a little too close to other park amenities. Not much space to work with at this little park.

- not much for obstacles. Mostly flat & open pitch 'n putt. A few trees come into play on maybe 1 or 2 holes and the rest are wide open.

Other Thoughts:

- If you live close by this is a great little practice course for your short game. No drivers necessary.

- Looks as though it can be played backwards for 18 but we did not try it.
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