-Don Shannon is the best of the three main courses in Griffin. It's hilly, it has a wide variety of holes in terms of length, it has distinctiveness with holes playing across a dam, and a wide variety of fairways. This one is the most interesting with what I would consider the most to offer.

-There are four alternate holes, better yet four extra holes making it 22 holes. 2A-5A are great alternate holes. 2A and 5A really take the most advantage of the available elevation. 2A is a steep downhill ace run that's only 220' or so. 5A is a huge uphill par three that's under 250' from all three pins that require different lines depending on which pin you aim for.

-The holes over the dam connected to the lake are real standouts that will convince you to play here. #2 the original is a sweet elevated par three over the rocky dam with the basket perched on a ledge beneath a tree! #4 was another sweet shot back over the dam through what appeared to be more of a corridor like hole! #16, the lake hole was a joy to play as well. It's slightly downhill and the basket is on the other side of the lake that you throw over.

-Short pads. There are short pads on the harder holes so that this course can appeal to everyone. The longs aren't entirely that hard with the exception of a few holes. Even par was right around 925 on the longs in the Hotlanta tournament. The short pads are on holes #2, 4, 5, 6, 12, 14, and 16. #12 long has my vote in being the hardest hole at Don Shannon with it playing about 400' and mostly open while facing some seriously dense trees a good ways ahead straight in front of you while requiring a right flex that goes back left in the end. The short pad is still pretty tricky but a lot less difficult. And #16's short pad is very beneficial for players with less distance. #16 is an epic water hole from the long, it's 330' and the distance to clear the water is a good 260-270'. The short pad is a ways ahead and only about 185'. Greatly reduces the chances of a lost disc on this hole.

-Nice tee signs with good diagrams. Great disc catchers that catch well and are in good shape.

-The par fours are different than the ones at Tyus. They are all over 500', like most of them at Tyus but the ones here are pretty open with some sort of danger. The rough is dense and closer than it appears on holes #8 and #14. My drive on #8 was on the edge of the woods to the right because I turned over a backhand a little more than I anticipated. #14 is more open, but the first gap is a little more scary since the rough on the right side is extremely close to you, if you throw just slightly late, you'll be in trouble. #9 is a fun downhill rip with the OB road left. They offer room for long drives but you have to do a lot of things right to have that great drive. They don't expect too much of you, but expect something to the point where you feel very accomplished if you birdie them.

-Elevation is better here than it is at Tyus and Green Valley. #2 and #4 are excellent valley holes over the dam. #2 and #5 alternate both contribute to making Don Shannon more of a workout since they are steep and exceed 25' in elevation. #5A may exceed 35' in elevation gain to the back pin that is about 250'. #6 is a nice downhill hyzer bomb past two clusters of trees. Elevation is more present on the front nine than the back nine, but if you play all 22 holes, you won't get to the actual back nine (10-18) until you play thirteen holes total.

-The variety of fairways and the reasonable lines this course gives help all players find moments to shine. Some are simple open holes. Some are long where distance is a necessity. Some good flick holes and some good backhand holes. Even the flick holes are reachable on a backhand and the backhand holes could maybe be reached on a sidearm. I parked #7, a 330' sidearm hole on a backhand because I threw a bit late down the right gap. This hole was a wide gap left and a tight gap created by a couple middle trees and the woods on the right side.

-The final round here was for many different divisions. Advanced, Open, Master, and maybe a couple others. Many people were here practicing right before the final round and parking was no issue. Some of us parked in the grass, but hey space is space. There's room to park there and it's allowed.

-There were several holes in the ground that were harder to spot on #6. I twisted my foot after stepping in one and it hurt a lot. The grass in and over the holes makes them tougher to see in the open.

-The bathroom was an issue. You'll have to hold it or find a gas station. The bathroom here was open, but the toilet was stopped up and flooded. Very gross.

-The ending was a bit anticlimactic. #17 and #18 were pretty bland. #17 is open with a couple of trees and #18 is wide open with the lake to the right side. Okay holes, but could probably have a little bit more to them. I thought #18 could be longer and closer to the water but to be fair, they give you a good chance to end on a high note with birdies.

-Nothing to do with the course but a heads up, not entirely a family park. Not a whole lot of options for recreation. Fishing and that's really the only other thing that comes to my mind.

-Don Shannon to me is underrated. I think that some of my opinions on Georgia courses seem to be different than some Georgia locals. Tyus is more of a championship tournament course, but Don Shannon is more flavorful and much more diverse. Several holes here brought a smile to my face because they either had great elevation, an interesting line, or gave a great birdie opportunity to help my score. There isn't a hole here that I don't like. I mean, #10 is a simple open par three. #5A is a fun tight major uphill challenge, and #11 is a cool par three up a hill into an open pocket surrounded by the woods. There's redemption, there's appeal, and there's uniqueness.

-Come on out here! This is the course that would be the crowd pleaser in more occasions. The design is brilliant. It isn't a pro level course but it's proof that courses don't have to be "gold-level" in order to be excellent. It was better than I expected it to be.

Also known as Dundee Lake, the Don Shannon Memorial Course is a diverse, beautiful intermediate-level challenge.

-Layout: Listed as 18 holes on DGCR, there are actually 22 holes on site. There are 18 original holes, and then a four-hole loop (2A)-(5A) to be used in case of flooded (2)-(4). However, it's easy to go 1-4, 2A-5A, then 6-18 for a great 21-hole course.

-Amenities: Back tees are concrete with turf on top, quite grippy when dry. Adequate signage. DISCatchers. Bathrooms. Practice basket.

-Beauty: Really an exquisite park. The large creek flowing from the dam comes into play from 2-4 and 2A-3A, and the massive lake figures prominently on the final 4 holes. Even neglecting those water holes, the foliage and rolling hills make for a nice place to play.

-Shot-Shaping/Gameplay: Other than a par-5, Dundee Lake has all the basics of a great intermediate-level challenge. Elevation comes into play from the very first hole, which throws 300' along a left-to-right slope, and continues to appear sporadically, making for some awesome sloped greens. Even the most open tee shots require avoiding carefully-placed obstacles. Several par-4's are very attackable. Water is a factor to consider, mainly on (15)-(16), and the smart player will also adjust to the moderate wind blowing off the lake. Although (7)-(18) are generally open (not to say there aren't trees, but there are a generous diversity of possible lanes), the addition of (2A)-(5A) brings a loop of shorter, technical holes that add a deep woods variety to give the course a perfect spread.

-Multi-Tees: Several holes have alternate tees, including the one water carry on (16). These tees are just rubber mats and not in good shape, but nonetheless a good addition.

-9 & 9: Easy to play just a few holes and skip back to the parking lot.

Mainly a few picky issues, but as others have noted, some blandness as well.

-Disc Loss: Definitely a potential issue. There are holes playing straight towards the lake, a couple more where a shot could stand up and roll into the water, and a few where a tree kick could mean lost plastic.

-Blind Shots: Several holes required me to walk a ways up the fairway before I could figure out how to throw. Not really sure what to do about that.

-Steep: (2)-(4) and (2A)-(5A) are quite steep, a bit of a workout especially in Georgia summer.

-Sign Distance: Several of the posted distances seemed highly improbable to me and my playing partners.

-Short Tees: Though the positions are good, the materials are an afterthought. I think the caretakers would do well to replace disintegrating and slidey rubber pads.

-Hole (4A): The only hole without a believable line to the basket. A good tee shot still leaves a tricky putt working around trees for the bird.

-Openness: I think there are too many holes with only a weakly-defined par-3 challenge to make this a truly excellent course. I considered dropping my rating to Good because of this, but decided that the lines are interesting enough, and the front half exotic enough, to keep it Very Good.

It's a pleasure to play this course around the lake and through the woods. The variety is good, presenting a pleasing succession of open-ish par-3's, punctuated by the occasional short par-4. I don't know how Griffin, a town of 25,000, has this many good courses, but since it does, I highly recommend visiting to play at least Dundee Lake and Tyus, and secondarily Green Valley and the Compound if you're up for a long day.

+Lots of elevation, no flat holes
+Innova Pro 28 baskets including a practice basket
+Nice views of Lake Dundee on a few holes, and a spillway on 2&4 that has a small waterfall
+A few fun downhill holes where it's enjoyable watching your disc soar longer than on flat ground
+Has tee signs, turf tee pads, and less rough than previous reviewers have noted
+Benches on almost every hole
+Grass maintained much better than Grass Valley course across town

-Short (amateur) tee pads in a bit of disrepair

This course has seen improvement since its early days and has rounded into a fun hilly course. It's probably more of a 3.75 course than a 4.0 but since this website still doesn't have options for those 1/4 point differences in this age of grand technology, 4 stars it is. Worth going out of the way for? Probably not but if you're in town to play Tyus and have the time, this one is pretty good and has a lot more birdie opportunities.

At the end of Dundee Lake Road is ... surprise, Dundee Lake. But the roadway's end is also home for a respectable 18-hole disc golf course that fits in well with the other Griffin offerings.

The front nine makes excellent use of the elevation and combines tight, wooded holes with wider but well-defined fairways. Plus there are four alternative holes that can add to your total.

Hole #1 is fairly open, which is an appreciated aspect for a first hole. But this opener is no gimme - the entire fairway slopes down from left-to-right with evergreens loosely guarding the lake. The area near the basket is a small plateau with rollaway potential all around.

Bonus disc golf: After the first hole, you have some options. Playing Holes #2 through #4 involve throwing over and then crossing a slightly hazardous stream and slippery rock area twice. There's also some fun alternative holes, labeled #2A through #5A and marked with red-banded Discatchers. Hole #2A is a tight, downhill ace run. The next two holes are decently wooded but flat, and then Hole #5A is short but straight up a hill. Players can choose a set of four (either Holes #2 through #5 or Holes #2A to #5A) as part of their 18-hole round, or they can opt for a 21-hole option that includes skipping Hole #5 and playing the four alternative holes after Hole #4.

The signage for each hole is excellent and is complete with distance, par and a good depiction of the hole. Several of the holes offer a "short" teepad, though they're made of rubber instead of the attractive turf tees.

Hole #9 returns to the parking lot. I greatly appreciate courses with this design feature, which allows for a refreshment break and the option to start the round on Hole #10 if there's a crowd near the first tee.

Hole #16 is the fantastic water hole. The teepad starts on higher elevation and crosses a lovely inlet. The hole is 335 feet, though it's not over water the entire way. However, the land closest to the water on the other side can be swampy, so depending on conditions, you might need to throw 275 feet to ensure staying out of the mud. There's also an alternative teepad on the left that is only 185 feet and doesn't cross the water.

When I played this course in March, it was in excellent condition. Kudos to the dedicated souls who maintain a well-kept area for throwing discs.

As you approach the halfway point of the course, you'll probably notice that the area near the parking lot is fairly open. This results in several plain holes that don't add much to the aesthetic design or challenge of the course.

Some of the areas off the fairway are thick and challenging. There are a few rough spots, especially on the back nine, which you will want to avoid. On Hole #12, a patch of trees and brush on the left is just begging to gobble any discs that fade early.

I played with a couple locals, so navigation wasn't an issue for me. However, the use of the alternative holes can be confusing, and several times, the next teepad isn't visible from the previous basket. Short walks in between holes are frequently required. Plus, a number of the baskets are out of sight from the teepad.

Upon arrival, you are greeted by the widespread view of Dundee Lake. However, barring some griplocks or tragic rollaways, the lake is only a factor on Hole #16.

The distances on the tee signs for Holes #3A (306 feet) and #4A (213 feet) appeared to have been accidentally switched. The latter is definitely the longer hole and this has been corrected in the Hole Info tab.

After I completed my round at Don Shannon Memorial, one of the locals asked if this course was better than nearby Tyus DGC, which is currently rated 4.14. I was diplomatic in my response, but c'mon, it's not even close.

The front nine at Don Shannon Memorial is well-designed with some openness mixed with several technical holes. The elevation is a plus, too. However, the back nine seems to run out of ideas, and only one or two of the holes would be considered moderately wooded. Hole #16 offers a cool over-the-water throw but then the final two holes are open and a disappointing conclusion. The front half hints at a 3.5 rating, and while there aren't design flaws on the back half, it's a bit barren and provides less elevation, which drops the overall rating half a point.

Walker40 provides a detailed walk-through video of this course: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIsr_jlwF2o

The scenery is great and so is the disc golf course. Views of the lake and surrounding area were beautiful. It was a fun mix of longer holes where you can go full power and shorter reachable holes. Also, a good mix of open and wooded holes that require a variety of shots. Good use use of elevation. Average tee signs show a general layout that gives basic direction of the basket. Signs also show distance from long turf tees as well as shorter tees that are rubber mats. The turf tee are in great shape and are long enough for a long run up. They are much longer than what I am used to for tee pads. The shorter tee pads didn't look like they were in as good of shape but, I didn't look closely since I played from the longs. My favorite holes were 2 and 4. They both play over a valley that is a spill way for the lake. The day I was there it was a small stream of water passing over the large area of exposed rock. The basket is across the rock area and on the opposite hillside. The elevation and exposed rock make for very unique holes.

There were a few area that the brush was think and thorny if you got off the fairway. I had a bit of trouble navigating to the next hole in a few places. Several basket are not visible from the tee pad, so I found myself walking up the fairway to try to find the basket (this won't be a problem once I play the course a few more times).

I was not planning to review this course but it was so much better than anything I could find about it on the internet. No one has reviewed this course in the last two years. Since the last review tee signs have been added.and all the baskets now have numbers. Someone must be putting some work in on this course because I didn't see any areas that were in need of maintenance. It still felt like a new course when you get off the fairway in a few spots but will get "beat in" with a bit more time. The fairways however were in great shape. Overall it felt like a well designed course that I would play regularly if it was closer to home.

Has practice basket

Has turf tee pads

Good mix of open and wooded fairways with varying elevations

Has next tee signs posted throughout - easy to navigate

Water comes into play on some of the holes where there are water carries on holes 2, 4, and 16

Has two loops of the front and back nines

Quiet - had whole course to myself on a Saturday afternoon

Free parking

Restrooms

Has no tee signs

Baskets have no numbers

Some holes such as 3, 8, 11, 12, have rough areas and need more maintenance

Watch out for small, exposed tree stumps as they're easy to trip on

This is a challenging 18 hole course outside of Griffin that I enjoyed playing on a hot Saturday afternoon. From the parking lot, you can see the practice basket that is located near the lake. Also from the parking lot, you can see the hole #1 tee pad that is next to a tree and has a bench. This course has very few benches for its length and elevations. I recalled seeing about four benches at holes 1, 2, 6, 18. After playing a couple of tournaments here in early 2017, this course gives me a feeling of not being finished. No tee signs, no basket numbers, and no course map at the kiosk can be daunting for the first time visitor playing here. Also some holes such as 3, 8, 11, 12, have rough areas and need more maintenance. They have piles of dead trees near the fairways that can swallow your disc whole and make recovery nearly impossible. As with typical young courses, there are small, exposed tree stumps scattered on some fairways so watch your step. I was kind of bummed not seeing much improvement in the course after not playing here for 6 months. I do think that the next tee signs have been added though and they do help navigating the course tremendously. Also of note is that the designers placed many baskets on slopes to add the rollaway dimension from putting. Hopefully, this course will get finished as it has potential to be better than its current state. This course and nearby Tyus makes a great day trip.

When you roll up on this course and see the pond and elevation your pulse quickens. I walked the course a little, checking out the first few holes and thought, 'Man, this could be GOOD! Maybe great!' Sadly after the front 9 it settled down to good. But so much potential.

I thought #1 was good and #2 was GREAT! But one of the problems was the lack of direction around the course. Got completely lost, saw a 'Next Tee' sign behind the 2 basket and went up hill, missing #3 & #4. And with there being NO numbers on the baskets - I mean, really? - I wasn't sure what basket I was throwing on. They cost a buck! Put the freakin' numbers on the baskets! What I thought was #3 was #5 (at least I think it was). IF so, #6 back across the spill was was another great hole! At this point I'm thinking, 'this is going to be fun!'

The next few holes were good (sign said #5 up the hill, but I have really no idea what hole it was now) was okay, but the next, a looong down hill, left turning shot was pretty good. Then the following (#9?) was pretty good as well. Nice, long uphill right turning shot.

Then I cross the road to #10 and I'm totally confused. Not a basket in sight! Then my uDisc app (which has flyover pics) identifies it as #10...almost 700' feet down hill. Fun throw, but not to the caliber of the previous 9. After this the course gets ho-hum. Throw uphill, throw down hill - rinse and repeat. #14 was pretty good.

#17-18 were just bomber shots with one tree to miss.

This could have been so much better.

No tee signs, basket numbers and hard to follow navigation. I've never walked off a course, but considered it. I mean, who makes GREEN tee pads and puts them at grass level? I probably walked twice the course distance just trying to find my way around the course.

Also, except for the first one, not a single bench! By hole 9 just wanted to park my butt somewhere and chill, but nothing but tick/redbug infested thickets.

I really digged the front 9 - or what I could find of it. The Tee pads were great, very grippy and large. I hope they update this course soon because it could be very good, possibly hit 4.00 to 4.25. But as it is...just dang.

- par 57 white level park style course

- new DISCatcher baskets and practice basket

- turf teepads: easy on the knees and shoes, and can be releveled/moved as needed

- very cool terrain on holes 1, 2, and 4 playing near the dam/rocks/water

- several memorable greens using slight to severe elevation (1, 2, 3, 4, 8, 15, 18)

- temp peninsula pin on 18 for tournaments that is an absolute butt puckerer

- 3 par 4's that force execution off the tee

- new course so rough is rough (a con, but doesn't affect my rating) ... I assume there is still a decent amount of clearing as more play discovers some necessary tweaks (just like how Tyus was built, and Tyus turned out AWESOME)

- teepads on 15 and 16 are slightly in the way of the previous hole (14 and 15)

- angle of teepad on 15 seems off as it forces a throw at the right side shule, or a verrry tight RHBH hyzer usually into a tree branch that sticks out (hopefully some more clearing or slight adjustment of teepad)

- as many memorable greens as there are, 9's is rather hohum ... enjoyed playing up the hill more as a temp hole in July 2016 tournament

- 10 feels somewhat like a filler hole, not really that memorable

- 3 par 4's that there's not much danger/challenge on the upshots

- very nitpicky cons, feels like the quality of the holes is down slightly from Tyus overall ... so that means it goes from great to pretty good

- little brother to Tyus, more scoring chances at Dundee and you kick yourself if you miss them

- should beat into an upper tier 3.5/lower tier 4.0

- an enjoyable course to play, whether casual or dubs ... couples well for two rounds in a day with Tyus literally 5min down the road

- will update this review after course has been in the ground for a while (over a year)