To begin with an admission, this is my favorite course of all time.

This property held a permanent course until somewhere about 2006 or 2007; then, thanks to Mike Barnett & Co., has been reopened each January as a temporary course for tournaments, beginning in 2013.

Before I first saw it, I never believed the tales of huge elevation in Florida. But this is Florida's hilliest area, and the property was an old limestone quarry, closed almost a century ago and now draped in subtropical vegetation. So it has big hills and even bigger cliffs, and the bottom is flat and snakes around in a confusing maze of canyons. Perfect land for a disc golf course.

So you get to throw off sheer cliffs, and occasionally up them. There are huge live oaks with their sprawling limbs to throw under, dense rough, par-4s, and any number of unique holes.

The landscape is beautiful and, for the most part, completely secluded from outside noises.

Its temp status, of course. You can only play it at tournament time. Although this has the side benefit of making it very special, each time you get the chance.

Your discs can land in some truly terrible places. There are patches of sawgrass, more than head-high with razor-like leaves that are sheer misery. There are the cliffs, with pretty unstable footing. And sawgrass-covered cliffs, the absolute worst.

The teepads are carpet and, understandably, not terribly smooth. They're put down once a year, so the heroic workcrew doesn't have much time to groom them.

The layout changes a bit each year, meaning some old favorite holes are always missing. The various layouts overlap, so that it is impossible to offer all of the best holes, at once.

Some of the walks are steep, with bad footing, and if it gets even slightly wet, unbelievably slick.

The layout has changed somewhat each year, and is much different than the layout of the original extinct permanent course. To my taste, inferior to it, but still full of fun and challenging shots.

In the end, words cannot describe the uniqueness of this land. If you ever get the chance, you must play it and see for yourself.

Beautiful central florida. Excellent mix of challenging/fun holes. Including up hill and dowhill shots. Which is not found anywhere else in florida. Or the southeast for that matter.

Only open for tournaments. somehow we gotta get this course back into the disc golfers hands.

One of my all time favorite places to play a round. Its a must play if you get the chance

Of man's first disc-obedience and the chains of that forbidden basket: we lost Eden, till one TD restored us to the blissful tee. Rose up cliffs which thus delight could once more. And invoke this adventurous song, as the disc attempts to soar towards pins unattempted yet.

The Gran Canyon is truly discing paradise. The terrain on this site is just unmatched in my discing experience. I can't imagine anyone disliking this course. Well, except those individuals who do not like throwing discs off of high places. You might think I am implying that this course has elevation for Florida. I don't mean that at all. I mean that this course has elevation changes. But it's not elevation like I've played on elsewhere. It's sharper. Multiple holes feature tees on cliffs with baskets across a flat valley. Throws that will be made here, could be made nowhere else and it never stops being a thrill.
A slightly downhill slope with a generous fairway that narrows to a small gap between trees before opening into an open field. From there it's wide open until a short but steep climb along a car-width path to the pin.

What can only be seen as a long layup, requiring precision to land on the short tee so that one can have a shot off the cliff towards the basket far below.

A window, on the edge of a cliff. With shrubbery waist high in front of you as well as to the right and left.

A small pond below a cliff face. An open field beyond but the basket is pushed into the woods, up an incline, so placement is still key.

The final hole, a long down-hill tunnel that leads to the same field that borders the pond. But instead of crossing the pond, a well-placed drive or second shot leads to an approach shot that is essentially up a cliff.

So many cliffs. With the perfectly flat valleys, many holes resemble throwing into the land before time. The floors are almost manicured, I'm sure by the cattle that regularly roam here. It's a singularly wonderful aesthetic and pictures will do it more justice than words could. The rough is rough and contrasts nicely with the short grass. Disc swallowing reeds that will force pitchouts if you land in them. Tall trees that reach out for errant shots.

It's a course like no other. But then all the great ones are. But this one really needs to be played to be believed. You just might find paradise.

Gran Canyon is a temporary course and I'm evaluating it as such. But that does imply some drawbacks that should be mentioned. Tees are carpet though well placed in flat sections. Signs give the distance but nothing else. The first time you play these holes there will be confusion occasionally as hole shapes are vague on the map and not present on the sign. At key points spray-painted arrows point the direction between holes, but in my opinion there were several additional places where arrows would have been helpful. But those minor issues are almost implied by the fact that the course is temporary.
Of slightly more import, although barely, since the course is not open to casual play are the conflicting fairways along 11 and 12. Similarly, a few holes run parallel to a country road with a fence on the edge of the property. However, tournament players should have no trouble keeping the disc in the appropriate space.
So why not a five? While every hole was a joy to play and the course is aesthetically incredible, it didn't give me that feeling that holes were designed to throw disc golf shots on. It didn't seem as if it was there to test specific parts of your game. (only in the sense that some of the best courses do it better) And it didn't give the feeling that every hole was unique. Some of the holes are very similar to each other. It's a really fun course with tons of exhilarating moments and glorious places to fling plastic. But it's not head and shoulders above every other course I've played. It's quite possible that previous iterations of the canyon would have been.
It is also a bit dangerous in terms of navigating the course. There are places where a player could fall, and places where a player could be retrieving a disc from that certainly present a possible hazard. And of course, this land is typically home to cattle. And there is ample evidence that they were there quite recently.

One of the singular disc golf experiences that cannot possibly be recommended too often.Instantly one of the top three that I have ever played.

Amazing lines, great views, super challenging, and a wide variety of shots. Hole 18, throw off a cliff down to a wide valley, but don't stray right, or you need crampons, or long left, you need swim fins. Traverse the canyon, and then you have to throw 120 feet almost straight up to a tight green.

Lot's of hiking, only one long walk between holes (9-10), but be prepared for some serious ascents and descents. Some of the rough is very steep and unforgiving.

I want to buy this property. Come on PowerBall!