Pros:
I pull into this park at 9 in the morning after driving through the Smoky Mountain fog, getting ready to warm up my arm for what will be a marathon day of 81 holes of disc golf. After practicing my putting for a few minutes I walk to the first hole, and I realize that this place is special.
The rocky terrain, the clay soil, the dense woods, all combine to make a beautiful scene, and it feels like you exited the park you pulled into and switched into the seclusion of the forest.
The tee signs were all nice and colorful, with a map, distance and par included. The baskets were slightly older Discatchers, but they caught well and were visible from all angles. Tee pads were long and grippy cement, allowing for complete control from the waist down.
Navigation was easy, and there were no long walks between holes. The course loops back to the parking lot after nine and eighteen. This course would make a great quick stop before or after work, or in between playing the other courses in the area.
There was a good combination of left turning holes, right turning holes, straight shots, uphill, downhill, over a ravine, and everything in between.
Some holes tat stick out to me include, but not limited to:
Hole 2- One of the longest holes on the course at 327 feet, but plays downhill. Twisting down a tight corridor, the drive requires a good bit of accuracy and line shaping. However, if you do make it all the way down the fairway, there is a OB walking path only 5 feet behind the basket, adding strokes if you go long on a drive, or a longer upshot.
Hole 18 is a great finishing hole for a course like this, a nice "bomb" at 323 feet, with a good amount of trees to navigate around, including a well guarded basket that can provide a tough approach if you were to get knocked down early.
I can't help but mention, again, the beauty of the terrain of this course. There were many great rock/boulder features, and combined with the reddish brown soil and the foliage, there were a lot of great photo opportunities, and some of it was quite breathtaking.
Cons:
While the course is designed incredibly well, and the park is beautiful, it is still a par 3 course. While there are some holes marked as par fours, the longest hole is 333 feet. To play well at this course you need to have great accuracy with your fairway drivers, midranges and putters, plus a good putt when you get inside the circle, as every hole has the potential to be two-ed with a great shot.
The course does a nice job of staying secluded from other park activities, but plays near a walking trail on a few holes. The course is also tucked into an area that isn't the largest, and some of the holes play close together, or even cross fairways. Safety is paramount, so please check your surroundings before you throw!
A few shots are repetitive, with a hard hyzer being the most common shot, whether it be of the backhand or forehand variety. I get that it makes the course more challenging, and with the short distance it definitely does, but there were a few greens I felt were a bit too extreme.
Other Thoughts:
The course is definitely well loved by local players and travelers alike. There is a lot to love, and I would certainly recommend this course to everybody.
The course is definitely falling into the older course category, with the short distances and tight lines, but the course is very enjoyable to play, and next time I am in the area I will plan to play it again!