Inman, SC

Holston Creek Park

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3.925(based on 18 reviews)
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8 0
SirBrucifer
Experience: 14 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Been wanting to for a while! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Difficult but fair...you really feel the punishment for slipping up but get a nice sense of gratification when you hit the lines just right.

Interesting layouts, alot of variety. Some super difficult shots, some a bit tamer. Wouldn't recommend for beginners but fun is still to be had for all.

Mailbox basket was bigger in person! The whole course had a nice open feeling to it, even in the woods, that's hard to capture on camera.

Amazing course that I had been wanting to play for a while, finally made the ride down from Asheville and was pleased...course was relatively empty which is something I am NOT used to anymore...was able to take our time and learn the course a bit better...still got our butts kicked but still enjoyed, will return.

Cons:

Some of the rough is a bit too rough, I do understand I played in June but sometimes a foot off the fairway is up to my belly button. Didn't cause an issue for us, but definitely makes the punishment much harder which could turn some folk away.

Trash. Obvious disc golfer trash. I don't really understand why people still litter when there are provided trash cans every 6 or so holes, it's kinda depressing to see..and it's not recent trash...it's trash that has been there for a bit...so definitely seen by the locals to apparantly no avail..sad makes me thankful for my clean (although much more crowded) courses.

But the biggest issue...

What's the deal with the broken glass on every single basket circle. Every one except 2, out of 27 had shattered beer bottles everywhere surrounding the baskets. Not sure the local issues going on here...is it angry park goers mad at disc golf? Homeless that sleep in the park every night and just choose to break glass on baskets? Some of these baskets are tucked away good enough where I wouldn't think some random group of kids would just go for every basket systematically...and again like the trash, it has clearly been there a while and ignored for whatver reason. Glass is a major health risk and should be addressed.

Other Thoughts:

Amazing course, just needs some attention with the trash/glass. People obviously care about the park but it's hard to see it when you're dodging chunks of a broken Heineken just picking up your disc.
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10 0
BrotherDave
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.3 years 192 played 189 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Holes-a-ton Creek Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nice, polished looking course with 27 holes and all of them are quite enjoyable. Holston brings a lot of variety in the way of terrain, hole shape, length, elevation, etc. None of the holes are extremely epic per se but it's a lot of quantity with above-average quality so it's just a fun, long track to tackle.

I absolutely love the bright pink baskets. Crazy easy to spot and the novelty makes them interesting. Thankfully, the baskets point the way to the next hole because with so many holes out there it's easy to go to the wrong tee. The tees were all in good shape, a mix of concrete and rubber tees if I remember correctly.

Most of the holes are basically park-style golf. Not so much forest holes typical of Charlotte or the Carolinas in general, nor are they super open save for a few. You mostly play open fairways through young woods with not much tree canopy so bring your cold water with you because it can be a scorcher. Fairways are well-defined and the lines you need to take and the trees you need to avoid are obvious. The fairways are generally ho-hum but the elevation change and water carries really spice up the design.

This is a very picturesque course thanks to the ponds, the exclusion from the rest of the park, and the grass covered fairways. Hole 3 popped as one of the most fun uphill par 4s I've ever played and hole 27 is a great finishing hole. Not a lot of serious dog legs but what there is are pretty good. I thought the tee placements were very well-put except for maybe hole 5's long tee. (FYI I didn't play the shorts though).

There are definitely some unconventional features here that I enjoyed as a nice change of pace. Obviously the mailbox hole on #9 is weird in a good way. The sand traps and fences on hole 24 were an interesting obstacle on an otherwise boring field hole. The field holes having tall grass as OB also made them more challenging and thankfully the rough wasn't too nasty in terms of briers or seedy weeds like at Tyger River. I would need to play here a couple times to decide if these features are cool or gimmicky but I applaud the outside the box thinking.

Another nice feature is that although this is a 27 hole course, you can cut out the middle 9 easily if you're crunched for time by skipping over to hole 19 after hole 9. Practice baskets and some carport looking things here and there gave some nice amenities.

Cons:

Surprisingly few cons. If you're a long time reader of my reviews, you're probably aware that I have a, let's say complicated, experience with Russel Schwarz designed courses. This is probably one of the best Russel courses I've played so far and thankfully doesn't have many of his usual warts. Hole 5's long tee is at a bit of a weird angle but wouldn't be terrible if the fairway was trimmed up. Which brings me to really the only con:

Course is noticeably under-maintained. The grass is mowed nice and everything, it's just that with the corridor fairways that encompass most of these holes, the trees defining the rough continuously branch out into the fairway to get more of that sweet, sweet sunshine that plants crave (along with electrolytes, of course). So the fairways are not as wide as they probably ought to be. This is crucial because this course has a lot of long par 3s between 350-400' where you need to really hug the edges of the fairway to get the full flight for any chance of a deuce. I got iron leafed about eleventy gazillion times.

The maintenance was needed on holes like 14 too. Saplings growing along the pond really made that gap tight and it was very hard to discern what line you needed. Also not much of a safe play-for-three, bail-out option. I actually couldn't throw from hole 17's blue tee because there was a tree fallen on top of it but this hole had a longer black tee that is very doable for most blue level players. Some other holes had some tree debris around the baskets as well but I can't recall which ones.

The rough is extremely dense. There is very little to no transitional rough between virgin, uncut jungle and well-mowed fairway. No scrambling here, amigos.

Hole 27 is great but there's not really a way to play it safe if you're a noodle arm and don't want to risk baptizing a disc. Even if you layup to the water's edge, you still need to carry roughly 200' or so of pond. That doesn't sound like much but for the distance challenged, that can be quite daunting after you've played 26 hilly, sun-baked holes. RIP my bro's Shryke.

Other Thoughts:

Very cool course. I played here after Shoally and that was a great day of frolf. It's a little isolated from other courses but I'm glad I hit it up and I might go a little out of the way to play it next time en route to Greenville. If it was just an 18 hole course, it wouldn't be that appealing but the 9 additional holes of similar good quality is a deal-maker. I'd rate this course higher if someone went through with a limb lopper and cut those fairways back.
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11 0
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.3 years 660 played 186 reviews
4.00 star(s)

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.

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.

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.
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2 2
jhargett71
Experience: 19 years 101 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

average joe 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 2, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

I'm by no means a pro player. My rating is around 915. I play a few times a week in Charlotte and love a challenge. This course is a challenge. A perfect blend of long, short, wooded, water and elevation. It is a must play. The course is in perfect shape. Each hole is gets better and better. Some of the tee signs actually have pictures of the baskets. It is in my top 5 courses played.

Cons:

a lot of fire ants in some fairways.

Other Thoughts:

Do yourself a favor and go play this gem. If you want detailed hole by hole read other reviews.
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6 0
MadGame32
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.8 years 69 played 69 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Fantastic! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 8, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

-The best tee signs I have ever seen.
-Great welcome/layout signs (Two of them!)
-Tee boxes are on point.
-Great layout variety.
-Fantastic imagination on basket placement and hazards.

Cons:

-The out of play areas are quite thick. Discs thrown there are hard to find.
-The long blind holes are sometimes a pain to find where your shot settled.
-It is long and takes a lot of time to play. Can't really fit a round in after working a 8-4 day.

Other Thoughts:

I recently moved to the area, and I have been making the tour of all the local courses. I had been putting off visiting Holston Creek because it is a bit of a drive from where I live, and I have heard that it is a beast of a course which was a little intimidating.

But, since I plan to play in The Hub City Halloween Open in a couple weeks, I needed to play the course at least once to be a little familiar with it before I hit it in tournament play. A buddy and I went and played the course Sunday, and I was very pleasantly surprised.

This course has many features I have never seen before. There is a lot of creativity that went into the layout, and each and every hole was an adventure. Sure, it was tough. But, I thought it was fair to the player. You have to know yourself and your limitations when you play a course like this.

I loved the hanging goals (especially the one on the cable). Bringing water into play on 3 of the holes was very well done. It incorporated a lot of pucker factor! I loved finally getting to some open holes and finding OB stakes in place, then bringing in sand hazards with those fences! Wow. We had an incredible time and enjoyed every hole.

Yes it is big. Yes it takes a while to play. Yes some of the blind holes make finding discs interesting at times. But this is an incredibly diverse course that you can use every shot in your arsenal on. I have played several of the top 10 rated courses in the world. Holston Creek deserves to be one of them.

6/10/20 Update:
Out of the 64 courses I have reviewed, this is where this course ranks along with similarly rated courses:
Rank-Course, Location
1-Munson Park, Denison, TX
2-Holston Creek DGC, Inman, SC
3-Shaver Recreation Center Championship, Seneca, SC
4-Noble DGC, Noble, OK
5-Selah Ranch - Creekside, Talco, TX
6-Fritz Park, Irving, TX
7-Shaver Recreation Center Original, Seneca, SC
8-Selah Ranch - Lakeside, Talco, TX
9-Tyger River DGC, Reidville, SC
10-N.E. Lions Park, Norman, OK
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3 1
dbh13
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not to be taken lightly 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 24, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-The ability to play 27 challenging holes in one round is unique in this area.
- The signage and tee pads were excellent.
- Some unique pin placements keep things interesting.
- Elevation everywhere!
- Some good use of water hazards
- Great views of escarpment
- Variety is excellent

Cons:

- Hadn't seen maintenance in months.
- Could not clearly define fairways because of high grass. This also made it very difficult to find discs in the Fairway and nearly impossible to find discs in rough.
- Layout does not allow for convenient exit after 9 or 18 holes.
- Finding the first tee is confusing (it's located up the hill from the practice pins after you walk through the woods).
- Very muddy (last rain was 2 days earlier).
- Briars. are. everywhere.

Other Thoughts:

The variety is amazing on this course. You have a little bit of everything. This could be a championship caliber course if only they took care of it.

Come in the winter when the vegetation is not a factor and the heat isn't oppressive.
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6 1
Upshawt1979
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21.4 years 562 played 429 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Holston Creek has it All 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Holston Creek Park is pretty great in my opinion. 27 holes that take you through a hilly landscape that has good variety of wide open, densely wooded, and shots near water. Distance and accuracy are a must on almost every hole, as the rough is punishing in many places. Luckily I didn't leave any plastic out there, but I did have a long search through really nasty, thorny brush off to the side of one fairway. Legs are still itching a week later. Russell Schwarz and company did a great job on this one. The installation of the tees and baskets was really well done, and the neon pink rims on top of the new Discatchers is easily spotted if you have any sightline at all. Hole 9 is hanging basket on a giant mailbox, which is a new one to me. I would like to know what the story is on that. There are also pin positions with fences, mounds, circular berms, and man made obstacles that add some interest. I am not familiar enough with the course to give the hole by hole account, but I really loved the up and down fairways, and variance of open/wooded holes with lots of different shapes and looks.

Cons:

I hear those who don't like the layout, or the overall difficulty, but do not share the opinion. Short tees would be a nice addition for many of the holes, to make it friendlier for the new players and the guys who don't have a power game. There are plenty of chances to sink one into a pond, or in the middle of briar patches. Really not set up to play an abbreviated round without having a long walk back to the car. Google maps got me close, but not the right place. Apple maps is better for this one if you are navigating with an iPhone.

Other Thoughts:

First time out, I hit the century mark on my scorecard. Even hundred (+9), with 3 birdies, 13 pars, 10 bogies, and a double bogey on hole 20. My putting could have been better, and there were many holes I wanted to throw second shots from the box. With a couple more rounds I am pretty sure I could get close to par. There are so many good courses in the area, and this one is right up there with Pipeline, Tyger River and Shoally Creek. All have high degree of difficulty and distinct personalities, but if 18 holes isn't enough this is the course for you. Highly recommend it, a great place to spend a weekend exploring a disc golf scene that is now among the best in state.
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0 2
skoallong12
Experience: 43 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

BRIARS!!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

It has a few good holes to where you can see the basket but on most of the holes were blind tee shots with no visible fairways.

Cons:

too many blind tee shots with not knowing where the fairway is, a lot of briars in the fairway.

Other Thoughts:

probably won't be back unless its winter time or they the briar situation resolved, this course has potential to be a great course but there is still some maintenance to be improved on
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13 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.4 years 622 played 569 reviews
4.00 star(s)

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.

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.

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.
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1 3
trotline32
Experience: 10.7 years 13 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Long Hard ...... 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Quality Baskets
Concrete Tee Pads
Hole Signs

Cons:

Uneven Ground
Layout

Other Thoughts:

This has the potential to be a good course but there are several things that kept me from rating it any higher than I did. First off, when you pull up you have to pull off to the gravel lot on the right but there's nothing telling you that that is the lot for the course. A sign indicating this would be a nice start. Second, Once you exit the car you have to assume that the beginning of the course is to the left of the lot since that's where the practice baskets are located. The course itself has a lot of potential. The Tee pads and hole signs are some of the nicest I've seen. On the down side, if you don't know this course there are a lot of blind holes where you're throwing 400+ft without being able to see the basket. Also, the ground is very uneven and rough. This will smooth out over time but for the time being it is very rough. The course is long; 10,000+ft long and if you don't have the arm you will be sore by the time you reach 27. The layout doesn't feel very well thought out. It's like someone took a bush hog and a chainsaw, cut a path, and said here you go! About the time you reach hole 25 it feels like someone said "How do we get them back towards the beginning?" That's when you hit hole 26. 800+ft straight back towards hole 1. It just doesn't feel like anyone really said down and thought about the layout. It's not my favorite course but I'll eventually make it back out there.
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1 3
Bwett
Experience: 9.4 years 34 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

NOT A RECREATIONAL PLAYER COURSE! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 1, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I have never left feeling like there was a hole missing from this course. The layout is extremely easy to follow and tee pad signs are immaculate. Not only do the signs show a clear overview of each hole, they also give elevation gain, or drop!

Cons:

Only one bad thing.......
Biting fly's.
But thats nature, and this is disc golf, which is played in nature.

Other Thoughts:

The extreme challenges of the course will weed out the little arms, forcing players to throw long distances with extreme accuracy.
The course is designed to be a professional level course, so if throwing over 300' is a struggle, players should not expect to be anywhere close to par.
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6 0
mierze
Experience: 54 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Up Down and All Around 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 15, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

As my title states this course truly goes 'up down and all around'. There is while not the steepest, some great elevation changes throughout the course, with great diversity. Many up hill tee shots are followed by down hill shots on the following hole.

Same thing with length and terrain. Very rarely will you play 2 holes in a row that remotely resemble each other. One hole you may need to crank out a 500 ft drive while the next may be a light putter or midrange drive. In addition to the lengths of holes having a nice variation, some holes are quite wooded, some quite open and some include water hazards and bunkers. This will keep you on your toes.

In it's entirety, it's a monster, spanning what I've heard to be over 6 miles. Be sure to bring water and take breaks along the way. Trash cans are starting to be put in and benches exist at several holes for rest breaks.

This course sports pink innova discatcher pro baskets. Not only do these support a great cause in breast cancer awareness, from my understanding, but they truly pop when out there on the course. I like a good diversity in basket colors, I personally get tired of the same old yellow heads round in and round out.

Spartanburg Parks and Recreation do a fantastic job upkeeping their courses, and this one is no different. Look forward to this course improving in time as more players play it and the parks department cleans it up.

On top of all said, Holston has several elevated baskets to mix up the green game, one basket hangs on a zip line, which enables it to be moved to a multitude of different locations when fitting. Another basket hangs under an enlarged mailbox over 360' away, very uphill, entitled 'Air Mail'. It truly is an air mail delivery for any player to get a shot up there. Not only the raised baskets were constructed, but many mini bridges were put in to make navigating the course safe, more aesthetic and enjoyable, plus a raised dock tee pad on one of the over water shots, reminiscent of the tee pad of the long par 5 at Winthrop Gold.

To boot there are several alternate tee pads to make this course a little more playable for entry level players. It is not going to be a walk in the park for anyone, don't come expecting to shoot a hot round, but it is certainly playable. One can get creative, especially by parking in the parks normal lot and partition the course into a shorter loop. I know more work will come regarding an 18 hole circuit and 9, but it's truly not that bad to take a good look at the course map and make a plan if you don't want to play the full 27 which can take a good chunk of the day.

All in all I love this course and am excited to see where the future takes it.

Cons:

Course is still young and very thick off many of the fairways. I've lost 6 discs there in 3 rounds.

9, 18 hole loops aren't perfectly intuitive but doable if you take a look at the maps. The generic 1-18 doesn't quite wrap back to the disc golf lot.

Other Thoughts:

Didn't quite add this in my original review, but the course tee signs are top notch. Not only show distance, lines, but they show the elevation changes for each hole, every tee.
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8 0
sprintermatt
Experience: 15 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A gem! But be prepared! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 24, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course really does feature a wide variety of the best of disc golf.

Hole types:
straight holes
lefty holes
righty holes
bomber downhill
bomber uphill
valley
mound
birdie or die
tough pars
bomber par4s
placement par4s
signature holes (at least a handful)
Over the water (3)
Roped OB (3)
Bunkers and hazards! (not BUNCRs, sorry, Chuck)

Hard to fit all that into 18 holes... so they made 27!
Mailbox hole (9) is one of the coolest ideas for a hanging basket and well crafted.
Zipline hole (10) just invented the multi position placement with no ground installation!
Really, just a beautiful piece of property. Glad they chose Disc Golf.
Hot Pink targets are SUPER easy to see. Not obnoxious, just a really good color to see in the woods/fields/dusk.
The Bunker bullseye thing on 26 is one of the coolest greens in disc golf. can you hit the bullseye? If not, you may want to lay up! Penalty for landing in the sandtrap/bunkers.
There's a driving range!
Separate disc golf parking!
Parks people that REALLY want to see disc golf thrive! They built THE. ENTIRE. COURSE. No volunteer labor that I'm aware of.
This is a must play if you have a half day. It's not a quick round, but it's a really enjoyable one that you'll remember for a long time. One of the most memorable courses I've played.

Cons:

These aren't cons, they're recommendations so you don't get frustrated. This is a long course, and there's no break until you are done.

Wear comfortable shoes. Bring some water to wash your feet after, mine were dark brown from dirt getting through my socks
Eat and use the bathroom before you go. No easy jaunt back to the car. This course doesn't "cloverleaf", so when you leave your car, you probably won't see it again till you finish.
Bring extra water. As it gets hotter, this course will be more demanding. Water is a necessity.
Be prepared. If that means a snack, a phone, a cart, an umbrella. Preparation will make your rounds more enjoyable.

Con: Shows me how out of shape I am... Sometimes I wanted to take a picture, but that was extra effort and focus I didn't have the energy for.
No easy access to a bathroom or water. Hopefully that'll be addressed in the future. this parks department seems to be very disc golf positive. Hopefully they have plans to put some sort of rest/water station at hole 10/21 junction.

Other Thoughts:

Some shorter loops will soon be listed for those looking to play shorter loops. I thought a nice 21 hole loop would we 1-12, 19-27. It skips holes 13-18 and avoids two water holes, but finishes with the really tough holes.

Well worth the drive! Spartanburg is knocking it out of the park! They're already planning their next course!


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1 4
YourFriendCactus
Experience: 10.4 years 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Discney Land 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 4, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Obviously amount of holes
- Driving range
- Diverse layouts
- Creative elements that make this such a unique course

Cons:

-Its the sarlacc of disc golf courses.

Other Thoughts:

Holston Creek DGC, wow you're a beast. I don't think I have played a more balanced course than this so far. It has very tough holes, and holes that give you obvious birdie chances. I don't think this course benefits neither the left or righty thrower either. First time through, I'm extremely impressed and am excited to play it again this thursday.
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10 10
garryj
Experience: 10.3 years 73 played 10 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A Minority Report 2+ years

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

Pros:

-great signs
-separate gravel parking added for disc golfers
-nice big tee pads (even thought they were very muddy after a rain)
-litter cans placed around the course (let's keep it clean)
-several holes with hanging baskets and sand traps(nice touch)
-benches on some of the holes (more would be good, and a few under a shade tree would be even better
-herculean effort by the Spartanburg Parks & Recreation Department in carving the course out of a wilderness and getting it ready for the scheduled opening day (kudos)

Cons:

-very bad layout design (Want to play only 9? You'll have a long walk back to your car. Want to play 18? You'll have an even longer walk back to your car.) The layout almost forces you to play the full 27!
-most of the holes are too long for junior, senior, recreational, or newbies (5 out of 9 of the so called "short" holes are over 300 feet, 2 of those are over 400 feet! Only 1 of the 27 is under 200 feet, and it involves water)
-several long throws over murky ponds, with no alternate routes. (unless you're Ricky Wysocki, you'll be feeding a few of Innova's best to the fishes)
-more uphill throws than downhill (but then, everybody loves a good uphill throw, right?)
-many of the long closing holes have out of bounds stakes for no apparent reason (other than to make the hole more difficult) Come on now, everyone is dead tired by then, the holes are difficult enough without the OB
-biting flies (hopefully, only seasonal), I had to keep a disc in my hand the entire round for swatting (didn't see any mosquitos, I think they were afraid of the flies)

Other Thoughts:

The vast majority of the reviews for Holston Creek will be positive, hence my tagline. For me it was exhausting, with very little fun factor. When the course was first announced it was planned as two separate courses, an easy 9 holes, and a championship18. (http://www.spartanburgcounty.....aspx?AID=17)
Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. Holston Creek follows Spartanburg County's pattern of building only challenging championship courses, designed for upper intermediates and advanced players. Since that covers about 75% of the people playing disc golf, I completely understand the reasoning behind Tyger River, Pipeline, and Holston Creek. If you're in that group (throws 300 to 450 feet) then, by all means, give the course a try, you'll probably love it. On the other hand, if you're a recreational player living in Spartanburg County, and you're looking for a fun, relaxing round of disc golf, you'll probably be better served at Shoally Creek, Century Park, or even USC Upstate. Sadly, we're never going to grow the sport if designers continue to ignore juniors, newbies, and recreation players. I can't even image taking a new player to Holston Creek and telling him/her "this is what playing disc golf is all about". My wife would have lasted only two or three holes before heading back to the car and searching for the nearest QT. And, did they really expect a 9 or 10 year old junior to be able to throw over the lake on #27, even on the "shorter" tee?
So, what could be done to improve the course? First and foremost (not going to happen), change the layout. Designer's should take a hint from the way most ball golf courses are laid out. The 1st and 10th tees, and the 9th and 18th greens are always located reasonably near the clubhouse/parking lot. (Did Innova really come up with the Holston design?) Even if you're an advanced player, you're not always going to have time to play 27 holes. I've tried to come up with a 9 or 18 hole loop that would start and end reasonably near parking, but so far nothing. (maybe some "safari" holes?) When I finally rattled the chains on #27, after spending half a day on the course, I half expected someone to hand me a tee shirt which said, "I survived Holston Creek". Second suggestion (not going to happen), take some of those white ob stakes and delineate a third set of tees for those of us that throw less than 300 feet.
Sorry for the negative review, I'm sure it will result in some "hate" emails. I just wanted to make the point that Holston Creek is definitely not for everyone!
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15 2
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 321 played 303 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Can't believe I initially gave this a 4.5. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Holston Creek Park is a beautiful park on New Cut Rd. The disc golf course has some awesome holes.

There is a practice basket on the way to hole 1. My putting has improved ever since I won MA1 at "The Ballantyne Hotel Open" so I've been taking advantage of that.

-Course has 37 rubber tee pads. They are very nice and grippy. The tee signs are very accurate and descriptive.

-I personally love it when the tee signs have the elevation increase/decrease on every hole and the tee signs have that. There are many excellent elevation changes here. This place is a hike! It's more hilly than Pipeline! There are many awesome downhill bomber holes and some huge uphill holes that play much longer than what the length says!

-The whole course itself is intimidating, it's not just the basket placements. Some of the tee shots and approach shots are nerve racking. Holes one and two start off difficult. Hole 1 is a tricky drive around a bunch of pine trees. Most people that played it threw a hyzer around the pine tree straight ahead of the tee pad. Course ends epic with a downhill water carry on hole 27. One of my favorites if not my actual favorite. It's a 440' par 4 but the elevation loss is huge so it's very reachable for intermediate players. The basket is only about 10' past the pond when it's low so if you go long, you'll probably have a very dangerous putt for eagle. Very easy hole to par though.

-#9, "Mailbox hole" is just something I have never seen! The hole is a huge uphill par 3 that plays maybe 475' along pine trees. The basket is hanging on a mailbox like eleven feet tall! Sure it's unusual, but it's new and so it really stands out. #10 is back downhill and goes into the woods! Basket is hanging on a rope. The swamp behind the basket is OB. Very cool green.

Water Carries: Holes 14, 17, and 27 are all water carry holes. #14's tee shot is off a deck and plays as a hyzer over the lake, or can be played as a dangerous righty flick shot. #17 is an ace run completely over the water. I threw a judge over the water but it wouldn't be a bad idea at all to throw a mid of the tee because of the basket being 15' from the water! And #27 is a huge downhill that can be played safe. If you don't have a big arm, you could simply lay up at the pond and throw your second over the water. But I'll never play that hole safe!

-The hike itself is enjoyable because this course is beautiful.

Cons:

-Sadly, this course has so many cons as well. Last year I gave this course a 4.5 and I played it yesterday and realized that I was way too generous. I said I liked every hole here, and that is not true. Quite a few of the final nine holes drive me crazy.

-#21 is guarded by trees, not a bad thing at all but what is bad is the fact that if you aren't in the woods where the basket is, you can't really go for a putt as short as 25'. You're out in the open and there are so many bad trees guarding the green that will likely steal your par opportunity. Same goes for a few more holes.

-The artificial OB on #23, #24, and #26 is not fun at all. I said it initially, but if you are playing in the wind, it's not fun. Also, the basket placement on #23 is on a mound with no real way for your disc to lie close if you miss. You'll probably roll more than 30'. You can lay up and have a shorter upcoming putt, but nobody wants to layup on a 20' birdie opportunity. 26 is more fair because of a wider fairway. It is wide enough at first but tightens up. The green is an interesting "island" but you are only OB if you are on the sand part or outside the stakes. The problem with the final nine holes is that it's any player's game. A pro could shoot worse than 10 over and a rec player could potentially shoot even. It requires some sort of hope for the best that your disc won't skip OB.

-Many of the trees have extremely long limb spans. If you go into the woods, you might be laying down and extending your leg at your lie just to pitch out. Most courses allow you to get out of trouble, but the consequences to hitting the woods are just crazy.

-Holes 7 and 10 are both extreme downhills, pretty much. But the woods are so dense. The trees are so punishing to where you may have to re-tee because you can't find your disc. The shots are both blind and the baskets are tucked into the woods. It's like you'd rather throw a safe shot or even hit a tree so you'll know where your disc landed.

-#14 long. You tee off on a deck with a rail about 2' high or more. You have to throw a hyzer over the water, or an odd flex flick. There are overhead branches you have to throw under and there is a cluster of tall trees close to the bank. The risk in going OB is high.

-It's a hike! There is no gas station very close by, but I would advise you to bring a beverage because there is no water station here at the park. A course being hilly is never a con, but no water station is a con when is course is as hilly as this one.

Other Thoughts:

-When I initially wrote this review. I called this course epic. But I make mistakes, or in this case change my mind. This course could be epic because for the most part. But Russell logic would be "It's not disc golf if it isn't irritating." Holston has some epic holes here. I love the water carries! But just about every hole with overly dense woods, long limb trees, and gimmicky OB's I don't like here. Artificial OB's are better in the woods because there is less wind. I know I seem to update my reviews too much, but I've played here a few more times and my thoughts change a bit sometimes.

-Hole distances range from 180' to 880' long. "Life is a box of chocolates." Course is fun for the most part, but I wish #18 was closer to the parking lot. I think some holes on the final 9 need to be redesigned.

-If this review wasn't helpful, PM me and tell me how I can write better reviews. Hope I summed it up well.
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1 2
Thoward1970
Experience: 9 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Top Notch 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Love the throw pink baskets
- Well marked and easy to navigate
- Great use of land
- Challenging for all skill levels
- Multiple tee pads for different skill level players
- Great gimmick holes such as hanging baskets and sand traps.

Cons:

- No hydration stations on the course during the heat of the summer a couple of places to refill water bottles would be great if not needed for this course.
- Fairways could use some grass but I feel that is coming since this a new course.

Other Thoughts:

I really thought Spartanburg had finally done it with The Pipeline Course but this Course to me outshines them all. Keeping your drives in the fairway is a must and on this course accuracy sometimes is better than distance. If you love the Sport of Disc Golf and want to get in shape or keep in shape this is the course for you. The Course is well marked and easy to navigate and would be a great place to have a family outing and play some serious disc golf. Bring plenty of water though because you will need to stay hydrated on this 27 hole course. I plan on making this my home course and i really feel it will take my game to an new level. Thank you Spartanburg you out did yourselves with this one. Can't wait to see the pros come and play this course.
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8 1
JBryant
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 107 played 46 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Upstate #1 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Pink baskets look sick! Fantastic idea.
-Challenging from start to finish.
-27 holes!
-A workout! 6 mile trek!
-Forces you to get better.
-Secluded feel.
-Tremendous hole layouts.
-Awesome hanging baskets, clever designs, and amazing tee pads.
-Water holes were awesome, but fair. For the most part, the entire course was fair. Keep it in the fairway and you'll score well.

Cons:

-Brush is thick. It is new so this is to be expected.
-Poison ivy is thick. Not sure what you can do about it except stay in the fairway.
-I felt the OB was over used on a couple of holes. Given that I played it in a tournament setting, OB was there for a reason. I also feel that casual play wouldn't need to play as tough OB rules. But I would just to better myself and my accuracy.

Other Thoughts:

-Sad this course is so far way from me. But I would definitely drive to play this course. Spartanburg has done an amazing job with disc golf course development. Charlotte is the Mecca, but Spartanburg is the Mecca Jr.
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