Johnson City, TN

ETSU DGC

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2.325(based on 11 reviews)
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8 0
dino2disc
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.6 years 72 played 39 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great hilly field course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 31, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Really well maintained by the university groundskeepers, with frequent mowing clearly evident.

- EXCELLENT variety in the uses of the cool topography for fun hill climbs (#4 and 5), valley crosses (#2 and 3), a hill cross (#7), and downhill shots (#6 and 8). Even hole #1, which looks pretty plain at first glance, is actually deceptively uphill and positioned on a cross slope.

- The rarity of trees really allows you to air it out with any flight path you want and to practice precision approaches. It's pretty easy to make numerous birdies if you can account for the slopes in your distance control, which is of course fun.

- Really low disc loss potential as it's almost all open field.

- Quick to play and close to I-26 if you want a short break while on a road trip.

- Really easy to find the first tee thanks to the display board, and plenty of parking right there where you start and end your round.

Cons:

- Most holes are somewhat short. All but #4 should be reachable from the tee for most intermediate players. Many holes (#4, 6, and 7 especially come to mind) could have easily been made longer to turn them into par 4s or more challenging par 3s.

- No tee signs, which makes navigation a bit tricky if you don't know the layout already. There's tee pads all over in a couple spots, and you have to walk up to them to find out which is which: each pad has the hole number and par painted on the corner of it. Would be nice to print the course map and stick it on the display board by #1.

- Wind - It was calm when I played, but it could be a complicating factor on many days.

Other Thoughts:

- Played while traveling through eastern TN and it was well worth it. A really fun round navigating the hills. You won't find a ton of difficulty or tight, forced lines, but you will find an intriguing variety of hole types and the opportunity to use a number of different discs.

- The distances make it an approachable place for beginning players to hone their skills while more advanced players go birdie hunting.

- Favorite hole would probably be #3 because it's so scenic (and a fun challenge to try to birdie): a downhill valley cross that's blind from the tee and still long enough that it requires driver distance to reach the basket. Wish I could have stayed longer to play it multiple times, to try to find that one perfect throw that lands you close to the basket.
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4 0
blake833
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.9 years 160 played 140 reviews
2.50 star(s)

a fun quickie 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 21, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

I'm surprised I'm the first new review in three years! ETSU has a pretty fun course.

If you know your way around campus, this course is easy to find. Luckily my step-sister and her husband went to ETSU, and knew exactly where to go once I'd read them the directions from this site.

Baskets are pretty good discatchers. They're visible from the road so you should be able to find the park pretty easily. I guess I'm talking about finding it too much. The tees are concrete slabs with the number and distances on the pads. I like that feature, but it is hard to see the tee's until you're close.

I think I appreciated this course a bit more since I played it right after Milligan. This course is definitely the better of the two. Can't really put my finger on it, bc it's short, open, no tee posts but better pads. There's a little more elvation k All assets seems equal, but this one is more fun.

The design of each hole is more natural, the course layout loops around, so you could start anywhere and play a full circle. There's some good uphill and downhill shots, but mostly it's pretty level.

Cons:

It's your generic 9 holes. There aren't a whole lot of obstacles, There's no real length to speak of. As mentioned above, the lack of tee signs make it more difficult to find the pads, but the navigation is pretty straightforward so after some initial confusion, I realized the course just flowed clockwise in the field area and then it was easy.

There's no spectacular holes, but I would say that there may be a signature hole (expectations managed though) in hole...5? The downhill one.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great park to take a beginner. There's some challenge, if you're intermediate it'll really help you work on placement, and it's just so much better than Milligan. If you're looking for a 9 holer in the area to introduce someone to the sport, this one is the place to go. If you want a warm up before hitting up one of the great 18 holers in the area, or before going to the awesome Harmon Hills, ETSU is right for you!
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5 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 585 played 539 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Pirate Disc Golf

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

ETSU has a simple, yet surprisingly, enjoyable nine-hole layout. The baskets are all close together, making for quick round on Pirates Cove.
- Simple, straight-ahead layout. With the exception of #9, holes are all in open field, leading to few obstacles. That in turn presents disc golfers with the chance to be overly aggressive with their throws.
- There's good variety for such a simplistic layout. Hole layouts take advantage of elevation (#5 - 7), tightened fairways (#8 - 9), a tight gap for a tee shot (#6) and doglegs that place the basket around/near trees (#2 - 4). Put it together and the course had more of a 'fun factor' that I could have imagined.
- Great course for beginners and casual players. You're less than 30 minutes from Harmon Hills, Warriors Path or Winged Deer if you want a real challenge. Instead, this is a good course for a quick round, a place to introduce new players or simply to practice throwing.
- #6 ended up being a fun little layout. The grass has grown up around the tee box (versus being non-existent in the picture) meaning you can't just make a direct beeline for the basket. Now, you've got to either shoot the narrow gap between, and fade back to the right, or flick/tomahawk over top on a blind shot. The grass element makes you actually have to work (at least a little) for your birdie/birdie putt.
- Good, informative tee signs. The signs show the hole layout along with the direction of the next tee pad. Why is this important? In the main field this course occupies, depending on where you're standing, you can see either five or six baskets at any one time. I counted five baskets (not being able to see #5); but I imagine if I stood somewhere else in the field, I would have been able to spot all the baskets for the stretch of #2 - 7.
- This is a spot for a good quick round. I played this course as a warm up to my round to Harmon Hills. It was nice getting to throw driver on a couple holes and loosen up my arm before the real challenge. And getting done in less than 20 minutes was an added bonus.

Cons:

I think there are only two real drawbacks to this course layout. The first is that with so many holes playing close, you would have to keep an eye out for errant throws on other holes (were the course busy). You also have to pay attention to not skip holes. For example, it would be really easy to go straight from #3 to the tee for #5 if you're not paying attention.
- The other big issue here is the lack of overall challenges/penalties for errant shots. With things being so wide open, you're almost always going to still be in the fairway on most holes. The only two holes with somewhat thick rough is #8 & 9. Other than that, you'd have to really shank a throw to the left (on #2 or 3) or do something else bizarre to real make a bad shot here. Without much risk of being punished for bad throws, even on the worst of days, it would be hard to imagine even an average player seeing anything worse than a bogey on any hole here.
- Some players may just get bored by the lack of obstacles as well. I thought the course was designed as well as you could expect. There's only one truly boring, easy hole - #1, which is a wide open, straight ahead, 180-foot layout. I parked my tee shot. Even if I shanked it, I would have still had some sort of a birdie putt. Maybe if a couple holes were a little longer (say push the tees further back on #2, 3 and/or 7, you add a little more challenge.

Other Thoughts:

ETSU ended up having a decent nine-hole course. It wasn't anything great, but it kept my interest throughout. An 18-hole version of this course would end up being a decent play.
- I liked that the holes offered enough variety that I felt I had to play each hole differently. I still saw birdie putts on most of the holes, but at least that wasn't due to throwing the same shot on each hole.
- I enjoyed the change of pace, and relatively challenging, aspect of hole #8. At 287 feet, and ever so slightly downhill, the fairway starts wide and narrows up towards the basket. Throw it on a rope, and you'll still end up down by the basket. After having plenty of margin for error through the first seven holes, this is a good change of pace.
- This is a fun, scenic 9-hole course. It's not overly challenging. But, throw in the fun factor, along with some decent elevation factors, and you've got a better than average nine-hole layout.
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2 0
FlyingSouthDG
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.9 years 49 played 26 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Passing Through? Short, Fun Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Hole layouts for all holes, excluding #9, are on display beside of tees with a small guide to the next hole.
- All tees are concrete.
- For the beginner or intermediate player, this course can be both fun and challenging.
- Course is well maintained, grass mowed and other foliage cut.
- All holes are a par 3 which makes for easy score-keeping.

Cons:

- For the experienced player, this course may lose its luster as most holes can be a birdie run.
- There is a small amount of litter found throughout the course, some cups and bottles.
- A couple holes are close to a nearby road, players notorious for slicing drives should be aware of passing cars.

Other Thoughts:

As this is a 9-hole course, I could only judge it against other 9-hole courses. I gave this course a 2.5/5 because I feel it's true rating lies between a 2 & 2.5. Fortunately, if there were another nine holes comparable to the first, this course would become rather boring. All-in-all, I would recommend this course to beginner/intermediate players looking for a quick course with a short walk.
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0 2
jmiller
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

great for practice. good location for the etsu college students. nice concrete tees. most of the holes had signs showing distance. would be good for beginners

Cons:

hadn't been mowed in a while. some signs were missing or vandalized. not a lot of variation. every hole is mostly open with very few trees/shrubs etc.

Other Thoughts:

other than practice and for beginners, I wouldn't recommend traveling a long distance to play here.
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7 1
Baysinger
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 93 played 55 reviews
3.00 star(s)

ETSU DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 3, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great for college students who attend ETSU to get out and enjoy a few holes after class. I think they did a pretty reasonable job with the land that they had. Some open and a few with tree hazards. Definitely not a place you will loose a disc on. To me, concrete tee pads and Discatchers are a huge positive for a 9 hole college course.Could easily play this course a few times in one day to get your disc golf fix. Close to town so no major back road drives to get to it. As far as the holes themselves... they didn't put some money in to the land and throw baskets up... they took the time to work out different elevation changes. Some downhill shots and some uphill shots.

Cons:

There are also a few holes where I could see the potential of hitting a car or a person with a disc. Sometimes people park just along the left side of hole 1's fairway and holes 6/7 follow moderately close to the road. Keep your shots clean and you shouldnt have any problems. Also, most of the tee signs are either missing or vandalised.

Other Thoughts:

East Tennessee State University (ETSU) has a short 9 Hole disc golf course located on it's campus. This course is mostly open but does have some nice elevation changes. You can tell the baskets and tee signs have seen better days, but that doesn't change the fact that this is a decently fun layout to play. There has been a lot of trees/foliage cut out in recent years that used to add to the difficulty of this course, which in my opinion hurt the enjoyability of this cours, but I would still not consider it a bad course. Trust me, I've played worse. It does have concrete tee pads which is not common for courses located on school grounds, so that is definitely a plus. I wouldn't reccomend you drive to this course alone just to play it, but if you are in the area and have some time to spare, this is a decent 9 hole to visit. Another good thing abut this course, is that the loop seems much more natural than most campus courses as you start and finish at a similar location. In short, if you are addicted to disc golf and want to play as many courses as possible, make sure to hit this one, but if not, you will be able to live without it. If you want to see this course on video, check out my crew playing this course in the video below...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2chXAWHZLo
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2 0
New013
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 179 played 120 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Back 2 School 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Layout - It's a predominantly open course set in a small strip of land next to campus buildings. You play up a hill then back down.

There's a few cluster of trees/shrubbery that get in your way kinda.

There are two holes you have to shape a line other than just throwing simple hyzers at the basket and they're 8 & 9. 8 is pretty much a straight mid shot and 9 is a FH or anny (RH).

It flows well and it's pretty obvious where to go.

Equipment - Concrete pads, good baskets, hole signs and a board explaining the game to newbies.

Atmosphere - It's a nice looking little strip of land, I'm glad they chose disc golf to go there and introduce the game to college kids.

Cons:

Layout - It's to open and simple. No real challenge at all except throwing up or down a hill. Even the holes with trees kinda in the way are still very easy.

Equipment - One tee sign is missing.

Other Thoughts:

It might be a good way to introduce the game but nothing that will keep coming back other than target and putting practice; or a quick round when you're bored.

I'd only stop here if you're a student or course racking.
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3 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.6 years 350 played 317 reviews
1.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

ETSU's course is a decent quick play 9-holer on a back corner of campus. Good use of the given land. The course is well designed as far as logical flow, navigation, use of trees and elevation, and mix of hole lengths, including a couple of fun ace runs.

Great concrete tees and numbered Discatchers. Tee signs were color and informative (hole #, distance, fairway shape, and next tee).

Not difficult for beginners. Some thicker rough on a couple holes, but mostly easy to find discs, lots of room to work drives and approaches, good for practice and learning discs and shot shapes without being punished. It accomplishes its goal by being great for college students as it is on campus and takes 30-45 minutes to play a round and can be played just fine with only a couple of discs.

Cons:

Other than a couple hills and a couple trees and a small patch of rough, there is not much in the way of challenge here. Not quite, but almost, just throwing at a basket in an open field on many holes.

The parking was unclear, there is a parking lot near the first hole and several spots along the first fairway. Most spots on campus specify who can park there. We played in summer, there were lots of spots, and we did not get a ticket, but who knows what the policy is for non-students. There was also a tent with a "ID check" on the road to the course, but no one was manning that post.

Tee signs were nice, but too bad #7 and #8 were missing tee signs.

The gnats were absolutely horrible getting in your eyes and ears constantly. I talked to somebody on another course who mentioned he avoids this one because of the gnats! There was also an unpleasant stench throughout the course (I would assume from a nearby factory or something, but who knows.)

Other Thoughts:

This is not super challenging to experienced and advanced players. It would probably become pretty boring after a few rounds here. Good for college kids just to get out and play and practice, but not worth driving long distances to play here (Winged Deer, Warriors Path, and Harmon Hills are the destination courses nearby.)
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1 2
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 755 played 414 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Landlocked Pirates? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

4'x10' flat concrete tees. Good signs, which also indicate location of next tee. Easy to navigate.

Cons:

Mostly short, mostly open.

Other Thoughts:

Course plays in a clockwise-fashion within a rectangular-shaped piece of open land, bordered by a road along one of the long sides, and a thick band of trees/brush along the other. Very few obstacles, other than a tree here, a bush there, the exception being the gap between two small copses of trees/brush for short, right-turning number-9. The primary challenge facing the players will be elevation changes, present on most every hole, quite steep on #3 (down), #5 (up), and #6 (down).

Experienced players should have multiple ace runs and birdy opportunities.

Not a bad course, but has a limited target audience.
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1 1
Chirpin' Bird
Experience: 5 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 27, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A very open course. It's very good for practicing or beginners. It makes good use of the space.

Cons:

The course is pretty new, so grass has not grown back in many areas. It can be very muddy. It also shares space with a bike trail, so watch where you throw. I am unclear on if this course is meant to be one open to the public, but THERE IS NO PUBLIC PARKING! I was ticketed for parking in a student lot nearby the course. If you are not a student, plan on walking or not playing at this course.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoy playing this course because of its convenient location. It is a much shorter drive than some of the other courses in the Tri-cities area. It is good when I am short on time or if I want to squeeze in a quick practice round. However, I am unsure if I will play it again after receiving my parking ticket. If ETSU intends this to be a course open to the public, there should be public parking.
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4 0
Prototype
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

ETSU DGC Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 15, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is a beginner friendly course built on a small to medium tract of land. So my review will reflect this. This isn't a pro course which is refreshing when you need to practice your form or work new molds in.

My pros are:
Some holes are open with no obstacles to get in your way. Literally straight in front of you.
The use of the elevation changes as an obstacle.
Nice concrete tee pads with plenty of room.
Good course flow.
Free score cards.
New innova baskets
Signs with basket location and distance.
Roller opportunities.
Convenient location with parking.
Long and short holes.

Cons:

Some holes have the same feel to them.
One hole has a ground wire on a power pole as an obstacle which is neat, but easy to throw around. So its not really an obstacle.
Very few anhyzer lines.

Other Thoughts:

As a beginner friendly course I highly recommend taking new players here. I really like the fact that this gives players a place to play quickly. You could easily get in a lunch round. This is also a break from the wooded courses that are hard and discourage new players. This course also provides serious players with a chance to work new discs into their bag and work on their form.
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