Holston Creek Park reviews
11
0
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
15.8 years
584 played
178 reviews
Massive mailbox and magnificent scenery deliver 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:May 16, 2020
Played the course:once
Pros:
The Holston Creek DGC features 27 holes of grassy fairways, top-class maintenance, picturesque views, a few water carries and … OH MY WORD … a huge mailbox!
Let's address the latter first. My first sight of the iconic Hole #9 basket was during my walk up the hill to the teepad for Hole #7. Suddenly, as I looked across the field, I spotted the largest mailbox I have seen in my life! And underneath it was a pink-banded disc golf basket dangling from its crossbeam. The pole on which the mailbox is perched is about 10 feet high - above it, an enormous mailbox with the words "AIR MAIL" on its door. The hole itself is a bit challenging; it's 360 feet and gradually uphill most of the way. But even if you miss your putt and bogey the hole like I did, you'll likely continue with a smile on your face after playing one of the coolest baskets you will encounter. Snag your photo op here.
Holston Creek is the whole disc golf experience and then some. At nearly 10,000 feet from the reds and just over from the blues, this hilly 27-hole bonanza provides plenty of excellent holes to test your distance, accuracy and endurance.
When I played Holston Creek in May, it was in one of the best conditions I have ever seen a course. The grassy fairways were cut short and featured distinguishing boundaries from the rough. Whoever mows this course does an amazing job. The prairie-like scenery on the open holes is fantastic, complete with wildflowers, tall wavy grasses and clearly-edged fairways.
Plenty of enjoyable elevation exists out here. Lots of uphill, downhill and even a couple of cool valley shots. However, nearly every hole is grassy, giving the course high marks for its "traversability."
The last nine include several of the most open holes, but Holston Creek still delivers some variety, including an elevated basket, a couple sand/net traps and a twisting, uphill-then-downhill fairway on the 870-foot, par-5 Hole #26, the longest hole of the course.
The practice area right before Hole #1 is fantastic. There are two baskets close to 100 feet apart.
Let's address the latter first. My first sight of the iconic Hole #9 basket was during my walk up the hill to the teepad for Hole #7. Suddenly, as I looked across the field, I spotted the largest mailbox I have seen in my life! And underneath it was a pink-banded disc golf basket dangling from its crossbeam. The pole on which the mailbox is perched is about 10 feet high - above it, an enormous mailbox with the words "AIR MAIL" on its door. The hole itself is a bit challenging; it's 360 feet and gradually uphill most of the way. But even if you miss your putt and bogey the hole like I did, you'll likely continue with a smile on your face after playing one of the coolest baskets you will encounter. Snag your photo op here.
Holston Creek is the whole disc golf experience and then some. At nearly 10,000 feet from the reds and just over from the blues, this hilly 27-hole bonanza provides plenty of excellent holes to test your distance, accuracy and endurance.
When I played Holston Creek in May, it was in one of the best conditions I have ever seen a course. The grassy fairways were cut short and featured distinguishing boundaries from the rough. Whoever mows this course does an amazing job. The prairie-like scenery on the open holes is fantastic, complete with wildflowers, tall wavy grasses and clearly-edged fairways.
Plenty of enjoyable elevation exists out here. Lots of uphill, downhill and even a couple of cool valley shots. However, nearly every hole is grassy, giving the course high marks for its "traversability."
The last nine include several of the most open holes, but Holston Creek still delivers some variety, including an elevated basket, a couple sand/net traps and a twisting, uphill-then-downhill fairway on the 870-foot, par-5 Hole #26, the longest hole of the course.
The practice area right before Hole #1 is fantastic. There are two baskets close to 100 feet apart.
Cons:
The last hole is a monstrous water carry that looks impressive but is a bit discouraging. The red and blue teepads are high on a hill and involved throwing over the huge pond below with a considerable drop in elevation. The biggest issue is the risk of losing a disc on the final drive. The blue teepad is 335 feet; the red teepad is 440 feet. Both requiring clearing the trees on the near bank's edge and then finding the other side safely, where the basket is about 20 feet from the deep pond, which drops off instantly. If your drive is a few feet short, your disc is gone.
Another hole that was a little frustrating is Hole #18, which includes nearly a 90-degree turn halfway up the fairway. If you do not park your drive in the ideal landing area, making par will be tougher.
The navigation and signage is a bit lacking. There are no "Next Tee" signs that I recall; while most of the navigation is intuitive, there were a couple times where we meandered around in search of the next teepad. The signs were in so-so shape, and plenty of the baskets were blind from the teepad. First-timers will likely have to send a scout down the fairway on several holes.
A few holes on the back half seem a bit redundant in the mold of straight, a bit narrower and gradually uphill.
The rough is rough. Even a few feet off the well-manicured fairways can be trouble.
There's a few-minute walk back to the parking lot after playing Hole #27. In addition, you will not be close to the parking lot again after you start your round.
Holston Creek is out in the sticks. There are not any courses next door, as the nearest course is at least a 20-minute drive.
Another hole that was a little frustrating is Hole #18, which includes nearly a 90-degree turn halfway up the fairway. If you do not park your drive in the ideal landing area, making par will be tougher.
The navigation and signage is a bit lacking. There are no "Next Tee" signs that I recall; while most of the navigation is intuitive, there were a couple times where we meandered around in search of the next teepad. The signs were in so-so shape, and plenty of the baskets were blind from the teepad. First-timers will likely have to send a scout down the fairway on several holes.
A few holes on the back half seem a bit redundant in the mold of straight, a bit narrower and gradually uphill.
The rough is rough. Even a few feet off the well-manicured fairways can be trouble.
There's a few-minute walk back to the parking lot after playing Hole #27. In addition, you will not be close to the parking lot again after you start your round.
Holston Creek is out in the sticks. There are not any courses next door, as the nearest course is at least a 20-minute drive.
Other Thoughts:
Holston Creek is a tough but enjoyable disc golf experience. Even though the course's greatness trails off on the last nine, having open holes coming down the stretch might be welcomed if you were beat up by the first two-thirds of the course.
I agree with DiscGolfCraig; if Holston Creek DGC was only its best 18 holes, it would be rated even higher. Even though not every hole is top-class, the quality maintenance and splendid designs support Holston Creek receiving a 4.0 rating.
I agree with DiscGolfCraig; if Holston Creek DGC was only its best 18 holes, it would be rated even higher. Even though not every hole is top-class, the quality maintenance and splendid designs support Holston Creek receiving a 4.0 rating.
13
0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
19.9 years
596 played
543 reviews
A great 18, but....it's 27 holes. 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 3, 2016
Played the course:once
Pros:
Holston Creek is a tough course. It tries to be tough. It's frustratingly long. And if edges of the layout were smoothed down, this would be a fantastic course.
- I loved this course after the first third. I still really liked it after 18 holes. Then after a needless extra nine, I was sick of this place. After #18, you're unfortunately a third of a mile away from the parking lot (as the crow flies, or about a half mile following the paths), so you're stuck having to play the final 9. The worst part is that the final 9 is easily the worst and most boring third of the course.
- There are some fantastic, elite-level holes here. The ceiling for this course is championship level. #3 is an awesome, test-your-nerves layout. It's 575 feet from the long tees, with a split fairway that forces players to pick the easier, wider, longer-layout fairway, or take the road less travelled, narrow, next-to-the-water, route. Whether you survive this test, or already find yourself in a pinch with 24 holes remaining, you'll get to be aggressive on the next hole, with a simple-yet-fun layout.
- Course does a great job of using all aspects of this terrain. After the first two holes, I thought this was going to be a relatively flat layout (a la Tyger River), then you notice the elevation and the weaving of the course from open to wooded holes. The open holes offer a nearly constant cross breeze as well as tall grass serving as rough. The wooded holes range from not-too-bad to rough and tree-lined fairways that are disc eaters.
- One of the best all-in-one holes I've ever seen is #7. It's a 560-foot downhill layout starting in an open field. Hitting the gap into the woods is no sure thing by itself. Throw in the cross breeze makes it feel like you're playing Duck Hunt and you don't want that dog (who's long dead 30 years later) laughing at you. The breeze hooked my disc 50 feet right. Once you get to the gap, the hole continues downhill through a semi-wooded approach shot to a heavily wooded area around the basket. A challenging hole that offers three different dynamics makes this hole special.
- There also a fabulous, under the radar back-to-back hole duo that needs proper attention. #13 is a decently tough, 340-foot downhiller that starts open, gets narrow mid-fairway then leads to a basket that's just close enough to the water to penalize over-aggressive shots. A smart mid-range tee shot leads to a reasonable approach and (hopefully) a par putt. Take your 3 here and be happy.
- That's followed by #14, a great risk/reward hole that should be an easy-ish birdie putt if it weren't for the edge of the water you have to throw over. It's a 285-foot split fairway that goes over the water if you throw right, or has your disc curving back towards the drink if you go down the left fairway. These two holes are better considerably shorter than holes #24 & 25, but show that length is not what makes a great hole.
- For a course that's so spread out, navigation is great. Tee signs have next tee markers; but, what's even better is that the baskets have arrows as well. The biggest navigational issue I had is that I aimed my tee shot on #12 towards #18's basket because that's the only one visible from the tee. I incorrectly assumed the signage was wrong rather, so I blew a birdie chance.
- I loved this course after the first third. I still really liked it after 18 holes. Then after a needless extra nine, I was sick of this place. After #18, you're unfortunately a third of a mile away from the parking lot (as the crow flies, or about a half mile following the paths), so you're stuck having to play the final 9. The worst part is that the final 9 is easily the worst and most boring third of the course.
- There are some fantastic, elite-level holes here. The ceiling for this course is championship level. #3 is an awesome, test-your-nerves layout. It's 575 feet from the long tees, with a split fairway that forces players to pick the easier, wider, longer-layout fairway, or take the road less travelled, narrow, next-to-the-water, route. Whether you survive this test, or already find yourself in a pinch with 24 holes remaining, you'll get to be aggressive on the next hole, with a simple-yet-fun layout.
- Course does a great job of using all aspects of this terrain. After the first two holes, I thought this was going to be a relatively flat layout (a la Tyger River), then you notice the elevation and the weaving of the course from open to wooded holes. The open holes offer a nearly constant cross breeze as well as tall grass serving as rough. The wooded holes range from not-too-bad to rough and tree-lined fairways that are disc eaters.
- One of the best all-in-one holes I've ever seen is #7. It's a 560-foot downhill layout starting in an open field. Hitting the gap into the woods is no sure thing by itself. Throw in the cross breeze makes it feel like you're playing Duck Hunt and you don't want that dog (who's long dead 30 years later) laughing at you. The breeze hooked my disc 50 feet right. Once you get to the gap, the hole continues downhill through a semi-wooded approach shot to a heavily wooded area around the basket. A challenging hole that offers three different dynamics makes this hole special.
- There also a fabulous, under the radar back-to-back hole duo that needs proper attention. #13 is a decently tough, 340-foot downhiller that starts open, gets narrow mid-fairway then leads to a basket that's just close enough to the water to penalize over-aggressive shots. A smart mid-range tee shot leads to a reasonable approach and (hopefully) a par putt. Take your 3 here and be happy.
- That's followed by #14, a great risk/reward hole that should be an easy-ish birdie putt if it weren't for the edge of the water you have to throw over. It's a 285-foot split fairway that goes over the water if you throw right, or has your disc curving back towards the drink if you go down the left fairway. These two holes are better considerably shorter than holes #24 & 25, but show that length is not what makes a great hole.
- For a course that's so spread out, navigation is great. Tee signs have next tee markers; but, what's even better is that the baskets have arrows as well. The biggest navigational issue I had is that I aimed my tee shot on #12 towards #18's basket because that's the only one visible from the tee. I incorrectly assumed the signage was wrong rather, so I blew a birdie chance.
Cons:
The final 9 add nothing to this course. #26 is memorable only because of the island green - and only if that means anything outside the sand ring is considered OB. Otherwise, it's just for looks, and you've got to walk through sand. #27 could be good, but it's is a tweener position. Too long for average players to clear from the longs, especially after playing 26 holes (par 87 up to that point) and walking 3 - 4 miles. My arm was a total noodle so I laid up...except that the water is too close to lay up. So my 175 - 200-foot downhill layup shot went straight into the water. And, if you have a big arm, it's easy to clear the water, so this ends up being an easy finishing hole.
- Through the first 18, the course had a great flow to it, with lots of variety. The final 9, however, consists of 4 flat holes that all ran together in my mind; an uphill gimmick hole (#23); a downhill gimmick hole (#24); another flat hole; then the two I just mentioned. I think #26 could be a solid closing hole if it were hole #18 on an 18-hole course.
- The back nine is also ridiculously spread out. Just look at the map, and you'll see that the final 9 takes up as much space, and nearly as much walking as the first 18 combined. Another reason this course should have stopped at 18. The designers got greedy and it backfired.
- High lost disc factor here. I lost 2 discs on the course and had to spend about 20-30 minutes searching for two others I nearly lost. The rough is a little too rough and the grass is way too tall for a course that's making people constantly throwing big shots off the tee.
- The course will wear you down making endurance a key here. For much of the course there is little to no shade. In the summer, that sun beats you down. So does the 3-4 mile walk. I played solo, and this was still close to a two-hour round for me.
- There's no realistic bail-out point if you want to/need to cut your round short. You can cut a couple holes off by going from #13 to 18. Other than that, you'll be doing a long walk between holes if you're trying to play a partial round. If you want a quick round, this is not your course.
- Through the first 18, the course had a great flow to it, with lots of variety. The final 9, however, consists of 4 flat holes that all ran together in my mind; an uphill gimmick hole (#23); a downhill gimmick hole (#24); another flat hole; then the two I just mentioned. I think #26 could be a solid closing hole if it were hole #18 on an 18-hole course.
- The back nine is also ridiculously spread out. Just look at the map, and you'll see that the final 9 takes up as much space, and nearly as much walking as the first 18 combined. Another reason this course should have stopped at 18. The designers got greedy and it backfired.
- High lost disc factor here. I lost 2 discs on the course and had to spend about 20-30 minutes searching for two others I nearly lost. The rough is a little too rough and the grass is way too tall for a course that's making people constantly throwing big shots off the tee.
- The course will wear you down making endurance a key here. For much of the course there is little to no shade. In the summer, that sun beats you down. So does the 3-4 mile walk. I played solo, and this was still close to a two-hour round for me.
- There's no realistic bail-out point if you want to/need to cut your round short. You can cut a couple holes off by going from #13 to 18. Other than that, you'll be doing a long walk between holes if you're trying to play a partial round. If you want a quick round, this is not your course.
Other Thoughts:
Let me be clear: if Holston Creek only existed with the first 18 holes, I would be tempted to give it a 4.5 rating. I think I'd even rank that 18-layout higher than Pipeline and Grand Central as the upstate's best course
- The problem is that Holston Creek was a course that kept going downhill. The first 9 were a 4.5; the second 9 a 4.0; then the final 9 were probably a 2.5 - 3.0 at best. My gripe is that the final 9 was made unnecessarily long. The proof: holes 1 - 18 average 352 feet; a nice 6,340-foot layout. The final nine come in at 3,845 feet or 427 feet per hole.
- There's a sign before the first tee warning players for all sorts of wildlife that can be found throughout the course. I didn't stumble upon any wild pigs, but I was keenly aware of how fraught this course is with places for snakes to be found.
- I think the course designers got so caught up in making so many different layouts, that they got carried away. They had to be like kids on Christmas morning when they saw this property and the potential for all the fun, creative layouts. It's as if they built the first 18 holes, then realized they had a half-mile walk back to the parking lot, so they tried to incorporate nine more holes in that walk. Twain would agree the final 9 are a good walk spoiled.
- My rating for this course is 4.0. The final nine did eliminate any thought I had of giving it a 4.5. This course has some great aspects, and should be appreciated. Come prepared with plenty of patience, water, sunscreen, bug spray and even long pants and/or sleeves. Spend any time in the rough, and you'll be glad you're wearing long pants. Opinions might vary here, but it's a must-play at least once for anyone in the region.
- The problem is that Holston Creek was a course that kept going downhill. The first 9 were a 4.5; the second 9 a 4.0; then the final 9 were probably a 2.5 - 3.0 at best. My gripe is that the final 9 was made unnecessarily long. The proof: holes 1 - 18 average 352 feet; a nice 6,340-foot layout. The final nine come in at 3,845 feet or 427 feet per hole.
- There's a sign before the first tee warning players for all sorts of wildlife that can be found throughout the course. I didn't stumble upon any wild pigs, but I was keenly aware of how fraught this course is with places for snakes to be found.
- I think the course designers got so caught up in making so many different layouts, that they got carried away. They had to be like kids on Christmas morning when they saw this property and the potential for all the fun, creative layouts. It's as if they built the first 18 holes, then realized they had a half-mile walk back to the parking lot, so they tried to incorporate nine more holes in that walk. Twain would agree the final 9 are a good walk spoiled.
- My rating for this course is 4.0. The final nine did eliminate any thought I had of giving it a 4.5. This course has some great aspects, and should be appreciated. Come prepared with plenty of patience, water, sunscreen, bug spray and even long pants and/or sleeves. Spend any time in the rough, and you'll be glad you're wearing long pants. Opinions might vary here, but it's a must-play at least once for anyone in the region.
