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Mount Airy, NC

Mount Airy High School

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1.25(based on 5 reviews)
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10 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 21 years 482 played 245 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Mt Airy - my Temporary Home Course

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2022 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice DISCatchers on this mostly wide open course. It is laid out on the practice fields near the athletic fields, not only are there only a few places to lose a disc, but the course is open for play just about any time, the grounds are not locked.
Yes, nearly all the baskets are located in the open, very few guarded baskets, but that is what you need for introducing new players to the game, PE class has a new game to play.
There are basic tee signs, most are leaning against the fence surrounding the property, but at least they show you the area to tee from. There are a few tee marker discs nailed into the ground, but not too many.
The first four holes are on the open playing fields, no obstacles to worry about, just OB fences close behind #2 and #3. Then the holes get progressively tougher as you move through the round, #5 and #6 require a left to right turn to avoid trees and small buildings.
#7 brings in the only elevation into play, listed at just 210' but it plays longer then that, to the back of the softball field.
#8 is probably the best of the course, it plays left to right, outside the baseball field, all the way around, from Pole to Pole. The tee shot and second shot (at least for me) are both in the open, you have the choice to decide how much you want to shorten the length near the outfield fence. Then the approach shot is protected on the left by several huge bushy trees that don't give up a disc and on the right by a fence perpendicular to the fairway, leaving about 20' to approach the basket. Probably a soft Par 5 at 595' but a fun hole to play.
Then #9 finishes along the tennis courts fence with the basket tucked around the corner at the end, oh yea, a picnic shelter has been added just past that corner, that could knock down several drives or create an obstructed putt.

Cons:

No tee pads at all, and only a few markers for the actual tee area. There are tee signs on every hole, but most are leaning against the perimeter fence, probably to appease the mowing crew. So you could make this course as short or as long as you would like.
The few places to lose discs are not the usual shule or thick woods, over the fence behind #3 and there is long grass leading down to a pretty swift creek, the buildings along #6 could probably hold a disc, as well as the shelter on #9. Oh yea, can't forget the one disc stuck on the back of the baseball scoreboard on #8, its not mine, but could someone let me know if its still there? :)
Really no right to left turning holes, 5 straight, open holes that could be played any way, then 4 holes that play left to right. But since the majority of the holes play counter-clockwise around the property, with the edge (obstacle) on the right, that's the way they are played. Isn't it good to teach new players to not rely on a hyzer on nearly every hole, for righties that is?
If you get tired of the wide open holes here, you can drive about 1 mile to Westwood Park and play that course, heavily wooded with only 1 open hole.

Other Thoughts:

Full Disclosure here, Jan-21 through Mid Mar-21, we had our RV parked across the creek in the nearby Veterans Memorial Park. I was setup to be able to watch this course all day long, if fact I could see 7 of the 9 baskets. With that proximity, I was able to play it several times, often early morning rounds before school and before I started work. I never did any work on the course, but it felt like a "home" course.
Mt Airy HS gets a decent amount of rounds played (besides me), mostly from students in PE class, usually in the afternoon. It was entertaining watching them throw their one disc, then take off walking, or running after it, while the next one teed.
I also saw some serious players as well, often creating their own tees, to add some distance on the shorter holes. Shortly before we left Mayberry (Mt Airy), I saw a flyer for a Sunday tournament here, but we were out of town.
The home of the Granite Bears (since Mt Airy has one of the largest granite quarries in the country and supplied the Granite for most of the Washington DC buildings), is not going to challenge most players, but it is a fun, quick round, especially if you need to work on your left to right game. There are several other courses in this corner of NC, among them the challenging Armfield, the private courses Black Widow and well reviewed Neatman Creek.
I like the idea of Disc Golf being introduced to new young players, there is also a course at nearby South Stokes HS. It would be neat to see our game played as a club sport, then maybe eventually as a Varsity sport.
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8 0
BrotherDave
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.8 years 192 played 189 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Better Than Going to School I Guess 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 10, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

If I were a HS student I would be tearing this course up non-stop. There are perfectly functional Discatchers. There's a big creek that isn't really in play but hey, nature and stuff. It's probably well-mowed.

Some of the holes are funky but fun. The hole around the baseball field is a nice dogleg par 4 (minus the whole, playing around the ballfield part). Hole 9 plays around a tennis court and through a picnic table area (awesome!). I think there's one hole that has trees and doesn't play around some other equipment or building AND is over 200' long!

If you get bored playing disc golf (possible I guess) you could hit the punching bag thing that is right next to hole 3 or 4's basket. Also plenty of tennis balls to harvest for Fido.

There's a portajohn.

Cons:

Tees are nebulous places on the ground next to the tee sign. Maybe the tee sign is actually in the ground, maybe it's leaning next to a building. You could move the tee sign where ever you want and nobody would probably be the wiser, really.

This course is essentially 9 holes crammed around an athletic complex. Ball fields, soccer goals, etc. Is it weird to throw discs around a high school's practice fields? Yes. Will you do it because it's disc golf and you have no shame? Also yes.

Other Thoughts:

Like the rest of the 9 holers in this area, just about every hole is a deuce or die. One unique aspect of Mt. Airy High is that it is really flat despite being in a fairly hilly area.

This is not a good course by any means. But, it's so goofy that it's kind of fun. At the very least, it's a good place to practice ace runs.
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10 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20 years 603 played 545 reviews
1.00 star(s)

For Leon 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 22, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

There are elements of your typical school course here: short, easy, filler holes; some interesting layouts due to playing around the school property; and several decent layouts.
- Holes #1 & 2 are bad. The quintessential throwing out and back simply to get to 9 holes. The basket for #2 is close to #3 so there's a reason to this madness.
- The course really starts at hole #3. It's 292 feet across an open field. The basket plays in front of a fence, with Lovills Creek 30 feet past that. #4 then is only 104 feet. The basket plays in front of a fence, so be aggressive, making a run for the basket. If you go long and hit the fence, you've still got a near gimmie birdie putt.
- #5 is the most scenic hole. Teeing off alongside the creek, the basket is protected by several tall, mature trees. This is the best hole on the course and the only one that doesn't have a 'school course' vibe.
- #6, 8, & 9 all have school structures serving as the obstacles. #6, at 318 feet, is the easiest of these three. Wide open to the left, you're throwing around an equipment shed to the basket. Your only obstacles are if you cut it close to the building, or if you go to the right.
- #9 is a fun, unique layout. You tee off underneath a wooden stage, throw around the fenced-in tennis courts, have a small structure to throw over, all to get to the short, dogleg right basket. At only 243 feet, a high sweeping shot takes care of all your obstacles.
- #8 may be the course's signature hole. It plays around the perimeter of the baseball field's outfield fence. Teeing off in the corner of the left field foul line, you're around the entire outfield, to the basket behind right field. Along the way on this 597 foot par 4, you've got a series of mature evergreens beyond the outfield fence, to the left of the approach and basket, and the scoreboard to the basket's right to contend with. It's also a taller fence to scale. So if the gates to the field are locked, have fun climbing and jumping over.
- With the exception of #9, most tees/tee signs are close to the previous hole's basket, making this a relatively easy navigation for first time players. The hardest part, if you're not using an online map/directions, is finding the first tee.

Cons:

Natural tee pads. An overall simple layout. Some construction/install work was going on by holes #1 & 2 when I played, leaving the tee sign for #1 on the ground away from where it should be.
- As stated above, it's hard for a course to recover from the notion that holes #1 & 2 are filler holes. 144 feet out on #1; 177 feet back in on #2. There's plenty of space in the area to the right of holes #5 & 6 to make another nice layout. Find a spot to throw in another filler 144 elsewhere and you can have a better layout without any effort.
- Course isn't difficult. It's an option for students to play while on campus. That doesn't mean a little more challenge or appeal should be overlooked.
- The fence and creek that run behind #3 and to the right of #5 could cause problems for discs that sail off line.
- Not many obstacles throughout the course. #1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 have no obstacles between you and the basket. You've got to throw an exceptionally bad shot on #1, 2, or 6 to not be having some form of a birdie putt. #4, despite being the shortest hole, actually presents a slight challenge if you go more than 15 feet left of the basket as the fence ends up blocking your line.

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice, simple layout. After two bad holes, it seemed the course got progressively better over the next several holes.
- There is absolutely no elevation factor to this course. It really is in the flats down by the creek.
- I wonder if the course would be better if it were installed across the creek at Veterans Memorial Park.
- Any course is better than no course, especially when you only have one other nine hole layout in town. Westwood Park is considerably better than this layout. After that, you're 15-20 minutes to Armfield, the closest public 18-hole course.
- This is a quick play. It took me less than 20 minutes to play all nine holes, and that included time to snap some pictures.
- This course has all the look and feel of Mount Airy. It's a nice small, mountain town. You're only a couple minutes from downtown and some nice restaurants. If you're in town, it's worth bagging. Otherwise, unless you're like me, there's no reason to make a long detour to play.
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5 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.1 years 764 played 387 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Mt. Airy High 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is the town that Andy Griffith was from . You likely drove down the parkway named after him in order to get here . The school at Mt. Airy High looks nice . Their athletic facilities in the back also rate high . The 9 hole disc golf course , unfortunately , does not . First when you go down the long driveway to the athletic facilities , turn right and take it to the very end . You will see a basket next to a metal picnic table . That is not a practice basket . It is basket #2 . The grounds here are well kept . They were mowing when I was playing . There is some type of water reservoir running alongside the school grounds and course , with a cement bike and walking trail on the other side. The baskets are Machs , typical of school courses . The tee pads are natural . The signage is basic, and mark where you tee off , but most of the signs here were either on the ground or laying against a fence . I guess it was done so maintenance wouldn't have to cut around them . The course is set around a consolidated area between the athletic fields and the reservoir . The first tee is close to the building . There is a kiosk , but nothing on it . .The course is very flat and open . This must have been put in to help introduce disc golf to the students and give the gym teacher another option to move the students outdoors . The course kind of criss-crosses the first few holes , then goes way out to an end of the fields , then comes way back with a 595' hole that wraps around the baseball field at the end . Then it returns to where you park . The course is a fast play . I can play it in about 25 minutes . Opie and 3 friends , maybe an hour .

Cons:

#1 Safety : Yikes .5 feet from the #2 basket is the only picnic table where you can sit here . It is so open air and windy here and most of the players are going to be kids . Add the 2 together and you have a hit fest . Also , the last couple of holes wrap around athletic fields and tucked away in right hand corners . You might hit a maintenance man or a kid coming from that corner , especially during ball practice .
#2 Navigation . since there is no online map and nothing in the kiosk , and the signs are all down , you are never certain where the tee box is . The course must be unpopular , because there isn't a single dirt spot for a tee area on any of the 9 holes . I walked to the wrong sign twice while here .
#3 Disc Risk :The first hole has a basket up next to a fence . A little wind and you are already walking around it to look for your disc . I lost a driver when the wind picked up on I think #5 . Once it goes over the 5 or 6' high fence and into heavy rough leading to the water , it's a goner . Also , the fields were locked when I was here , along with the bathrooms . If your drive carries over a ball field fence and maintenance won't open it up for for , forget it . I almost lost another disc in the tall Christmas looking treeline on the finish to #8 . For an open looking course , you may not want to air out your arm here .
#4 Course Character . This course will be a bland as it gets . Just an elongated flat area with water beyond a fence and the sports facilities .
#5 amenities . None . Bathrooms locked . a metal picnic table , just in case you want to rest after your #1 145' putter throw and #2 179' putter throw .
#6 equipment : Signs down , natural tee pads with no starting point , Baskets up next to fences . no next tee signs .

Other Thoughts:

If the idea behind the course was to indoctrinate the school kids to the game of disc golf and to have them outside and enjoying the air , then mission accomplished .I am all for promoting the game . I guess the course remains open to old hacks like me . Maybe they just didn't have any excess area that the school system owns in order to put a 9 hole course in . Maybe they put it in that area to keep an eye on the baskets . For whatever reason , there is just too much risk and too little reward to play here .
My Recommendation : unless you live on this N. South St. , or go to school here and want to hack around with your buddies , or a hard core Course Collector , you might want to take in the museum here instead . DISMISSED !!
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7 0
mshelton
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 140 played 32 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Just a little off the top Floyd 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's a course in Mt Airy
Baskets are in good shape
Grass is kept mowed
Potential to be a good intro course

Cons:

No teepads
No real challenge other than a few baskets being tucked behind things
Some of the tee signs pulled up and laying on the ground

Other Thoughts:

Mt Airy, where Andy Griffith is from. Stayed here on a weekend trip and decided to check out the course which is supposedly designed by George Sappenfield.

Course is located around the athletic fields behind the high school and takes a little searching to find the start which is near some picnic tables near the northern part of the field area. A lot of the tee signs has been pulled when I was there, maybe for ease of mowing but each tee is marked by a blue Innova marked composite plate staked in the ground. It'll take some poking around to find all of them but the course is pretty intuitive to follow.

Most, well all, of the shots are open with a couple finishing right and a couple left. Nothing that's difficult but some of them longer than a pitch and put. Maybe they have some gym classes that use it but the tee areas have no wear so I'm guessing it hardly gets played at all.

Definitely not a destination but if you're in Mt Airy and can't eat another gut-bomb at Snappy Lunch or have already done the police cruiser tour then yeah, give it a round but don't expect to be wowed.
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