Pros:
(2.183 Rating) A spread-out small city park course.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - Hole (9) is killer. A chip shot ace run with a 6 foot wide needle line that's downhill 60 feet and across a creek. Normally I would unload my bag on a hole like this, but considering I smashed the chains on my first throw, I saw no need to continue. Obviously, my disc slammed into the base of the basket after hitting the chains squarely, and so it decided to politely wave to me while jumping out of the basket.
- TEES - Average 4 foot by 10 foot concrete tees on seven holes. Hole (9) is a 4 foot by foot pavered standing room only tee on the hill side. I'd say these measurements were adequate for the length of the course.
- SIGNAGE - Adequate HB tee signage. They have all the necessary info for this short course. The signage on (2) was missing on my play.
- COURSE MAP - Great course map at the beginning of the layout as well as a box with scorecards with map picture. Man I wish every course did this.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Not ideal, but still user friendly enough to have a vacation counterpart tag along in most circumstances. Completing a 12 mile hike up a mountain earlier in the day is apparently a disqualifier. The course difficulty is a tweener between Novice and Recreational level.
- QUICK PLAY - My wife was happy I bagged this one solo in only 30 minutes. Figure 45 minutes for a two-some and an hour for a four-some.
Cons:
A couple of design complaints and 9 holer inadequacies.
- DESIGN - Hole (2) is ridicules. Sure it's a 304 foot par 4, but my gosh, absolutely no line. I ran up the fairway on (2) a good 100 feet as I could not define a line from tee. Then I shook my head all the way back to the tee and then blindly rolled the dice down a small lane in hopes to run it at least 150 feet. My resultant approach had views of the basket peaking threw the trees but with no line to realistically get it within 30 feet without some luck. Hole (8) is another quasi-poke and hope line for the last 75 feet. This one is just a right-hand hzyer chucked 200 feet and then praying is makes one of the many 2 foot gaps for the remaining distance. Other than hole (9), the rest of the holes aren't anything to write home about, design speaking.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - Advanced players will be extremely underwhelmed by this course. 6 holes are under 250 feet in length and three of these are under 200 feet. Hole (2) and (8) offer a little challenge to par as there is no logical line to the basket, but even with these two holes, the course only offers lower recreational challenges at best.
- MULTI USE HAZARDS - I've seen much worse, but other park amenities are in fringe play on several holes. Hole (7) was probably the worst offender which tees off a park sidewalk and then runs along another path. Holes (3) and (4) also have a walking paths in play.
- DISCONTINUITY - I've never jumped around so much on a short course. Really not much the designer could have done here. The usable spaces to put in holes are pretty spread out in this small park.
- CHARACTER - A touch below average. As noted in the pros, average tees and nice signage. There is also a shelter and practice basket nearby tee (1). The baskets are average MachVs. As for things gravely needed, seating. I think there was perhaps one or two picnic tables commandeered and placed near a tee box. Other missing items include alternate pin placements and multiple tee pads.
- TERRAIN - Hole (9) is borderline terrifying to traverse. I started down with to much pace and was forced into a run to keep my balance and nearly wiped it at the base of the hill. This course is not cart friendly just because of this hole.
Other Thoughts:
A reasonable 9 holer in a small town. This course is far from being a destination location, but the town of Gatlinburg definitely is. Every dedicated bagger with a family needs to plan a trip here as it will keep the family happy and the addiction filled.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - There are some amazingly beautiful throws on this course that are mixed in with some duds. Holes (2), (8) and (9) are all aesthetically well above average. However holes (3), (4) and (7) bring my score well back with all the manmade structures in view. Hole (7) has a burned out building on the left side. This I would assume is from the raging fires that sweep threw in November of 2016.
- UNIQUENESS - Not to bad for a niner, but overall average. There are no doubt some good elevation changes on a couple shots, but I was expecting this considering the area. Basically all par 3s except for the poke and hope 305 foot par 4 on (2). Water makes a fringe appearance on (9) and shots break both ways. What's missing here most is an opportunity to rip it. I was throwing mids or less on almost every tee and I'm not a big arm.
- NAVIGATION - Don't be an idiot like me and forget to grab a scorecard. I only took a picture of the posted course map and I was constantly looking at it. Even with the this, I still lost my bearings once. Navigation on this course is not easy without them. The tee signage on (2) is missing. There's a huge course flow gap between (2) and (3) and also (6) and (7). There is no dedicated tee pad on (7) and I personally had a tough time discerning where to throw to, even with the tee signage. The course also doesn't loop back to the parking area, so once finished, it's a 1,000 foot walk back.