This is actually a solid 9-hole layout. Compared to the regular layout, it's lacking.
- First two holes are lacking. They're on the wrong side of the tracks, or in this case parking lot, compared to the rest of the course. They clearly were squeezed in to get a full nine holes installed.
- From #4 through the end, it's a fun stretch of holes. #4 is a tougher than appears par 4. Links golf-type fairway with zero trees in play. Rather you have narrow fairways surrounded by waist-high rough. Had my first two shots land in rough. Had good visuals on where they landed and it still took some time to locate and/or get to my disc. Throw in the opportunity for wildlife to be hiding, not where you want to land in the middle of summer.
- #5 is a tough par 4 for first time players. The dogleg is much more severe than I imagined on the tee. Tee sign doesn't fully encompass the severity. I thought I played a decent first shot, just short of the gap. Throw my second shot into the gap, only to find the basket is way down the slope. Then, just past the basket, there's another big drop-off. Got a five on this the first time playing. That's a surefire 3 or 4 every time after.
- #7 is a fun, high quality hole. Downhiller playing to an island green (in the middle of the walking trail), with a pond to the right. Of the 81 holes I played this day, this was one of my best four or five tee shots, having a gimmie, drop-in birdie. A must throw a second, or third, disc for fun type of hole. Easily the best hole on the course, and it's not even close.
- #8 and 9 are two solid closing holes. Both have a challenging risk/reward factor that means the difference between birdie and bogey can easily come down to a couple of feet.
- I forgot it had been so long since I played the regular layout. There's an entire park here now. Back in my day, this was a disc golf course in the middle of nowhere.

Holes 1 & 2 are lacking. They stick out like a sore thumb. Somehow, anyway possible, I wish there was a way to fit in two different holes than these.
- Several holes play over/along the walking trail. I think you should be able to spot walkers/runners clearly before throwing, but don't quote me on that.
- The disc golf parking lot is pretty small for a quality course. If it's crowded, you're having to walk from the main lots.
- Inconsistent tees. Several are on the walking trail. Several are dirt. None are poured tee pads.
- Between interacting with the walking trail, playing alongside the park road, and generally being more open, the course has a very congested feel. I didn't see another player on the course; however, I still had levels of interference on more than half the holes.

If Holston Red was located somewhere else, this course would be highly thought of. In this spot, it just seems too busy and seems like an afterthought.
- I think layouts like #4 are such an overlooked, easy way to make a tough hole. Sometimes the penalty doesn't have to necessarily be a bad angle. Sometimes, simply having to spend excessive time searching for a disc that you think should be easy to find plus getting all scratched up can have a negative mental impact. Dry Creek in Monroe, NC (just outside Charlotte) does an exceptional job of making this a feature of its layout.
- Without the tight landing zone on #8, this is an easy par 3. I cut the corner with my teeshot before thinking that seemed a little too easy and that there probably was OB. Sure enough. Three is still a realistic score, but the margin for error is much smaller.
- Considering the original course formally was an 18-hole layout (which also features some tall rough), it's weird saying play this plus the now 18-hole layout for a 27-hole outing. I suspect this new 27-hole layout won't compare to that 27-hole layout.
- Unless you're me, you're not coming here just to play the 9. Plan accordingly to allow enough time for a fun 9.