Pros:
Before I begin the bullet-list, I want to say that I played this course twice in one day for the Upstate Foothills Open, the weekend the course opened. It's still very raw and filled with unpredictable forms of nature, but it's a very professionally designed course. It tests every shot in your arsenal, and will highlight all flaws in your game. It's not a beginner-friendly course, and will be most enjoyed by intermediate-advanced players. There are some holes that are densely wooded, some sparsely wooded, some open, and some that combine a mix of all three. The pace of play is nice - long distance holes are evenly spaced between shorter, technical holes. Bryan Schaupp did a fantastic job in designing this course, and it fills a big need for a high-quality course in the Clemson/Seneca/Central area.
- Teepads were unlike anything I've ever seen before. It was a honeycomb mat with very fine gravel poured into all of the little holes. I never thought a teepad surface could be superior to concrete, but this stuff passes the test. It's just as grippy when dry, but much less slippery when wet.
- Tee signs were far and away best I've seen - very professional and informative. They are behind glass enclosures on wooden house-shaped posts. It sounds cheesy to go out of my way to mention the tee signs, but they were very pleasing to the eye.
- Baskets were Innova Discatchers
- The fairways on the open holes are very unique because of the way the grass is cut. It's similar to ball golf fairways in that the rough is very tall grass. It's very neat-looking because you can see clearly defined fairways for most of the open holes.
- The 'rough' on the wooded holes can be treacherous - but the added difficulty really adds to the character of the course. It's not too dense to find errant discs, but it's dense enough that most of the time the best shot is a short pitch back into the fairway. You'll want to be able to competently sidearm or overhead discs as space is usually limited in the rough.
- Creek runs through the course - several holes run through/near it.
- The course is fairly long, but it does loop back near the parking lot. Parking lot is big enough that it should never be an issue.
- Park is exclusively for disc golf. There is virtually no worries about other non disc golfers in the park.
Hole 1: This is a warm-up hole with light woods on the right. Fairly easy duece with a straight shot, but both times I played I was spooked by the woods and ended up outside the putting circle to the left.
Hole 2: This hole is the first indication of what is to come. The Tee shot leads to a narrow clearing at the road (entrance of the park) at about 275 feet. From this spot, the basket is across the road hard to the right shielded by trees. The basket is invisible until you are across the road 100 feet from the basket.
Hole 3: Short, right turning hole that bends 90 degrees quick. The hole can't be more than 200 feet long , but it requires a clean line as the fairway is only about 20 feet wide.
Hole 4: Wide open hole that features both downhill and uphill shots. The first 250 feet is downhill. The last 200 feet is uphill and to the right. A good tee-shot is a shot that turns right late in the flight (after it clears the trees around 250 feet from the tee) and holds that line until touchdown on the hill going back up.
Hole 5: Deceptively difficult hole. The first 200 feet are open leading to a narrow gap into the woods (around 20 feet wide). If you miss the gap (which is easy to do), the woods are so dense that you're forced to pitch back into the fairway and take a 4. If you hit the gap, it's a pretty simple 2.
Hole 6: The longest hole on the course - I think the tee sign said 700+ feet. The fun of this hole is the gigantic power line tower that you have the option to throw through from the tee. It almost seems as if there should be a mando to throw through them...The basket is under the 2nd tower. Whatever you do, don't get into the woods on the left side of the fairway.You've been warned.
Hole 7: The "Signature hole" of the course. It's a slightly downhill open bomb - however, there is a creek about 350 feet making a natural divider between laying up or going for the deuce.
Hole 8: A very difficult hole - but quite pretty. The tee shot is into a lush grass fairway with some trees blocking easy lines. It's better to stay on the left side of the fairway (creek on the right side and easier angle for approach shot) off the tee, then test your accuracy on your approach uphill across a creek.
Hole 9: Open hole, slightly uphill - A nice break after hole 8.
Hole 10: Another wide-open hole, but the terrain hides the basket from view. A nice, straight 300 foot drive will get you into the circle, but you won't know until you walk over to it.
Hole 11: This hole is very memorable for it's difficulty - the tee shot is wide open, but the fairway heads into the woods at around 300 feet and immediately turns hard right. However, the entrance is narrow. If you aren't lined up just right after your tee shot, the next right-turning shot is impossible because of the trees. Once in the woods, the basket is way down a narrow right-turning path with unforgiving woods lining it and a drop-off immediately behind the basket. I got a 5 on this hole and celebrated it like a birdie.
Hole 12: This hole is a much-needed break after hole 11. It's only around 250 feet, but it's uphill so plays a little longer. For RHBH, a nice-easy hyzer drive will get you close without much trouble. It's better to miss right than left, however because of a huge mutant tree.
Hole 13: This hole makes an S-curve in the woods, making accuracy king.
Hole 14: Easiest hole on the course - A short downhill pitch-and-putt. It's conveniently placed after a difficult hole - worth noting because the pace of the course is great in this regard.
Hole 15: This hole is picturesque - by far the prettiest hole. It's actually almost surreal, like an oasis admist the harsh woods. Basket and tree placement allows for two lines - Hyzer line and Anhyzer line. Straight shots won't work.
Hole 16: Short, easier hole - but requires some decision-making. There are 2 lines because of a tree right in front of the tee. You can throw a straight shot and flirt with the creek to the left where the basket is placed, or you can play it safer by swinging out to the right and hoping it fades back close to the basket.
Hole 17: Sharp uphill hole that bends 90 degrees to the left. Good shots get deuces with a good putt. A bad putt can roll all the way down the hill. Bad tee shots end up causing me to whip out the floppy putter so they it doesn't get a wicked rollaway on the approach.
Hole 18: Super fun hole, but difficult. The 25' wide fairway in the woods intitially turns hard right, but then turns back left before opening up into the main field at around the 250' mark. If your tee shot ends up too far to the right, you will have no angle to throw out of the woods at the basket to try for a 3.
Cons:
- Because the course is brand new, there is a lot of nature hazards such as poison ivy, thick thorns/briar patches, and insects. If you're prone to errant shots, wear tall socks.
- As of this review, there are no benches or trash bins on the course, and there aren't bathroom/water fountain facilities on the premises either.
Other Thoughts:
This course has set the new bar for disc golf courses in the area. I look forward to this course helping to grow the sport's popularity in the region.