- Nice park. The bulk of the course is away from other park activities.
- Challenging tournament level course.
- Lots of variety of shots and several very unique holes.
- Fantastic use of elevation.

- No shorter layouts. The course isn't very beginner friendly and is arguably not MA2/3/4 friendly.
- Navigation is a touch tricky. Finish the first hole and you see an arrow that takes you to a tee pad. But that is hole 11. There are also arrows that take you to a path to left and would have you walking a very long time to around hole 7. Hole 2 is to the right of hole 11. Things get a little simpler once you get past hole 2.
- There are a few misleading tee signs. Hole 2 looks like a big hyzer on the sign and it is a straight shot. Hole 10 looks like a big forehand or turnover and it is a just a gentle bleed right at the end of the shot.
- Grueling walk with all the uphill shots and mostly blind shots.

This is a tough course for me to rate. I objectively know that it is a very good course. But i did not enjoy it. I played this course early in my disc golf career and I wasn't ready for it. So this revisit several years later was effectively like a first round there for me. First rounds can be frustrating, but this one was one of the most frustrating rounds of my life.

The wooded portion of the course was absolutely covered with leaves, several inches deep. I slipped and slid all day trying to go up and down hills. Also, the terrain is very rocky and uneven and would be a massive trip hazard even if you could see where you were walking. To add to that, the combination of leaves and blind shots meant that a round with a buddy was close to 4 hours, with probably half of that looking for not particularly poorly thrown discs. Add in the lack of fairways and the massive elevation changes and there were a few holes where I was throwing 4+ before I even had an idea where the basket was located. I threw a handful of shots exactly as I planned and ended up in jail because I simply didn't know where I was throwing. I generally love wooded golf, but it was a great relief to get out of the woods and to the open holes.

I think this is a course that you have to play a few times to truly enjoy. It is obviously a very challenging course and for the most part, I enjoyed the shots where I knew what I wanted to accomplish. As a semi-local, I'm sure I'll be back and update my review.

Update: I played here again. Without total leaf coverage, the fairways were discernable and navigation was significantly easier. I still ran into a few holes (most notably 3) where I executed a shot well and put myself in a significantly worse position because I guessed wrong on pin location. Even though some parts are wonderful (the 3 holes where you throw out of the woods into the open are some of my favorite holes anywhere), I found the round frustrating. I'm holding my 4 star rating because I feel like it is a 3.5 star course if you don't know it well and it is a 4.5 star course if it is part of your regular rotation.

This course is beautiful! There are a couple of tees where you have this beautiful view of the mountain range and you really just want to sit down and gaze at the beauty. The layout and condition of the course was spectacular where you need to use a variety of shots and discs. My favorite was the corkscrew holes that are mirrors of one another playing down the mountain. I played this course 3 times over about a week and a half and I honestly should have tried to play a 4th. One of those courses you will never forget and want to visit again.

There really are no cons to this course to me. Sure this course is a beast technically, physically, and mentally (especially if it is hot). That 72 par is no joke and you feel like a champion finishing this course. There are 2 holes where it took me 3-4 shots before I saw the basket because you are throwing up the side of a mountain. This course is not for the faint of heart but if you got a couple of hours to kill and can take the challenge this course is so rewarding.

I decided to vacation just across the lake specifically because I read about how great this course was and it was so worth it. I can't recommend enough this being a great place to plan a trip around with the lake next door and just being in the mountains.

The Panther Creek disc golf course is a gold level design. The course winds through a predominantly wooded section of the park. Though it does open up on a few holes or parts of a few holes. The course generally stays away from any other park activities, with the main entrance road being your only real concern on a couple holes.

The baskets here are Innova Discatchers with the yellow top bands. The bands are starting to fade a bit but still stood out nicely in the shade of the woods. Definitely a plus on a course of this length and topography. They were all mounted nice and level and caught great. All had the hole # in black on the band, facing the intended angle of approach. One pin position per hole.

The signage is nicely done here. There's a large sign at each tee showing a basic hole layout, next tee arrow, hole #, par and distance. All the info you need. There were also many next tee signs, though many were missing. There's a kiosk by the first hole with a nice large course map with pars and distances listed as well.

The concrete tee pads are all adequately sized and have excellent grip. One tee pad per hole.

The design of this course is top notch for the most part. You'll be required to execute left and right bending shot shapes as well as threading the needle down some tight lines in the woods. The elevation usage here is done tremendously. You play up, down and across the slopes pretty much the whole round, but it gives you a chance to catch your breath unlike a lot of courses having this much up and down play.

The course is permanent and free to play. Shocking to see for a course of this caliber. I also like the fact that the course can be played as either 1 through 9 or 10 through 18, with the 2 sections ending near the parking area. This would be a much better option for newer players or if you're short on time.

The tee pads, while still level and intact, are starting to erode away around quite a few of the ones in the woods. It seemed more pronounced on the front 9, but I suppose there's more wooded holes on that section.

The design for hole 10 wasn't my favorite. It plays pretty massively uphill for 2/3 of the hole before turning probably 70 degrees to the right, into the woods and back down the hill. It's been mentioned in a previous review already, but it's just kind of a weird hole. I liked the rest of the course design, just didn't care for this one much.

The hole map for hole 10 is also a bit deceiving looking. It seems to bend much more to the right than it indicates on the map.

Though the course is not by any other park activitiies per se, there are trails through the woods so people will end up walking the fairways or crossing fairways from time to time. Not really a con, just something to be aware of.

There were a few too many open holes for my liking, especially to finish the round. 4 of the last 5 are pretty much wide open shots. Just kind of a lackluster ending to an otherwise technical round.

I'd be nice if they eventually added some shorter tees to accomodate the vast majority of players who can't throw 500'. At least on some of the holes.

I'd definitely recommend this course to any above average players coming to the area. This is definitely not a beginner or really even intermedite level course. But that's not what it was designed for. There's other courses in the area geared more toward players of that skill level. Hell, this course is above my skill level, but it was still very fun and I knew what I was getting myself into.

With that being said, I was expecting more teeth out of this cat after reading all the reviews. Don't get me wrong, it's hilly and tiring for sure. It's just not as brutal as I was expecting. I suppose in the heat of the summer or it not being the first course played on this road trip might change my opinion. But that's just how it felt to me. Loved the design for the most part and would gladly play it again though.

Beautiful area with a surprising amount of options, and seemingly really solid ones at that. But this is clearly the biggest, baddest course of the bunch in Morristown.

Championship level course, lots of distance, huge elevation changes, if this is what you are looking for, Panther Creek has it.
Good, large, concrete tee pads.
Good tee signs, all the necessary information and a hole layout.
Disc Golf exclusive part of the park, should be no other interactions. (You do have to cross the park road once, then again when you are done.)
All the DISCatchers are all in good shape.
5 Par 5s, 7 Par 4s and 6 Par 3s. Total Par 71, much like a golf course.
Restrooms and plenty of parking at the start, you even have a 4-500' field to cross to the practice basket and First tee, if you want to warm up.
#1 and #10 start very near the Practice basket, so you can play either 9. Or, there are layouts for a "flat" nine and a "hilly" nine.

Only one set of tees and baskets. So if you go to Panther Creek, you are playing the Championship layout. I debated whether I wanted to play a 9600' layout, through the woods and with large elevation, but decided I had to see what it was like.
Very few benches on the course (if I missed some, my bad), I do remember the picnic table at the top of the hill after #5 and #11, but don't recall too many others.
Several of the holes did have some strange lines to hit:
#6 - top of the hill tee, downhill, then sharp turn to the left, straighten it out, then further left to the basket, all in thick woods.
#13 - open tee shot to begin, then you have to pick a tight line through scattered trees, before the fairway drops down and crosses an open field, 590' Par 4.
#16 - a gradual downhill Par 3 at 365', open off the tee, then low ceiling trees most of the way, turning right to the basket protected behind more trees. It seems like one set of the tree obstacles would be enough, but both sets?
Pretty steep drop off from the tee pad on #9. Be careful on your follow-thru.

No doubt about it, I am not a Championship level player. I struggled at PC, came away with no birdies, and just tried to survive the uphill holes. But I'm glad to say I've played it, and all the other courses in Morristown, on the same day. I started at Kiwanis as a "warmup", then played PC before it warmed up too much.
So why am I reviewing a C-level course, a layout well above my game? I read some of the other recent reviews for PC and realized that some of the Cons others saw were not just faults with my game, others felt they were Cons also. Primarily the design of some of the holes, not too many, but enough to affect the rating.
There definitely are some memorable holes, a lot more interesting than playing a 9000' + course laid out on a golf course:
The large, rock covered green for #3, was pretty cool.
#4 is an awesome hole, after clearing the trees and reaching the top of the hill, the downhill approach shot of 350' was a blast on this 660' Par 4.
After playing #8 at Fox Chase, I thought I had found possibly the Steepest Uphill Hole in Disc Golf, then I played #5 here, 520' with the last 400' or so straight up and in the woods, this is my nominee for that title.
#10 is one of those, tunnel tee shot, uphill through a clearing, then turning right and downhill through the woods to the basket, 750' Par 5 hole. Every course has one of those, don't they? An awesome layout!
I thought I would never reach the green on #11, through the woods, sidehill lies, for the first half, then up the main hill to the basket behind ferns, also large rocks most of the way up. It plays much longer than its 620' length.
After coming off the hill on #13, and crossing the entrance road, #14 let's you catch your breath with a mostly open, gradual uphill Par 4.
#15 gives you an awesome hilltop tee, across a wide open valley, then tightens down through a wooded tunnel to the basket.
I normally like to see a challenging, tough finishing hole, #17 fits that bill here. #18 is a rather soft, mostly open, 365' Par 3. It shouldn't produce much score variance, but the Championship level players will need to birdie that to keep pace.
If you want to see how your game stacks up versus a very high level, don't bring your cart, but give Panther Creek a try, you'll be glad you accepted the challenge.
With this being the last of my Morristown, TN reviews, I have to agree with this town being named one of the Best Disc Golf Small Towns in the world. Four 3.0 and above courses, all with #1 and #10 starting from the same area (in case you only have time for 9), in this small town. Plus, with the Tri-Cities and Knoxville courses only 30-45 minutes away, Morristown should be in strong consideration as a Disc Golf Mecca!!

Long, tough with a good mixed of woods and open shots as well as uphill and downhill. Provided some fun epic bomber shots.

Navigation was easy with directional markers on most holes.

Park facilities were very good. Good practice/warmup area.

Several field holes would require regular mowing. Holes 7 and 10 share the same field which was Unmanageably long today.

Very tough to play blind since most baskets were not visible from the tee and a couple not visible after 2 throws.

Tee pads had a lot of drop offs around them. Mostly the back of the pads.

1 or 2 broken signs but still there.

Probably more like a 4.25, save for the couple of unmown holes. I really liked it. It is a very tough walk though. Par is Probably slightly elevated maybe 69 or 68 would be more accurate . Pretty Much all of the par 5s are basically hard par 4s. Par 4s are generally gettable except hole 5 which plays straight uphill. Par 3s are all a tough 2 except maybe hole 2.

Long wooded holes and long open holes and some that are a mix of both.

Drastic elevation change. There were multiple holes where the elevation made the course impossible to play for an average person. I understand that there needs to be more to a course than flat shots but some of the holes are too up hill for it to be even slightly fun. There are multiple trees in the middle of the fairway that should be cut down to make the hole more fair. I am not suggesting that every course be a wide open flat grip and rip style course but this course is something else. If you like 700 ft holes with 10 ft fairways that are up hill at a 45 degree angle this is the course for you.

I was very disappointed in the course, I usually HB's courses especially the courses in Morristown. This course seems unfinished and honestly I will not be back because of the elevation change. I did not enjoy the round I played there. I was also picking ticks off me for days after playing panther.

Course design that really makes the most of this wonderful piece of property. Seems to be pretty well isolated from other park activities. Didn't get the feeling you'll run into much non-DG traffic on this course.

• Variety: Phenomenal - wonderful range of fairway shapes, and distances. Mostly wooded, but enough open shots to keep you from feeling claustrophobic. Several holes start in the woods, and finish in the open, or start in the open to finish in the woods. Several holes allow for a few different lines/strategies off the tee. Many holes are long enough that you're playing to a landing spot to set up your next shot, rather than trying to eat the whole meal in one bite. Kudos for creating holes where the farther you can throw, the more important your shot shaping becomes. Legit Par 4's & 5's.

• Elevationhenominal - Plenty of it, and nicely utilized in a variety of ways. A key factor in some way on most holes, but there are few where it's not a big deal. Players that aren't fond of all sorts of elevation change should avoid this place.

• Challenge: Phenomenal - Championship caliber disc golf that doesn't necessarily leave intermediate players completely overmatched. Wonderfully challenging without feeling absurd. Some of the wooded holes are tight, but they all have quite executable lines... FROM THE TEE! Miss the line on your tee shot and you may want to call an attorney to get you out of jail, but that seems fair to me. The rough can be punishing in a few spots, but each time it happened, I honestly felt like my shot deserved it. Perhaps I lucked out playing in April, but I didn't find the rough to be as punishing as Moraine, Dear Lakes, or Leviathan, for example. But like any championship caliber course, you can easily lose a disc here.

• Equipment: Excellent - Concrete tees are level and grippy. Signage is excellent, providing all the basics, with a nice rendering of the hole, so you know how the hole finishes, and where to look if you choose to scout ahead (particularly nice given the distance and elevation some of these holes feature. Nothing screams "Hey! Over here!" like yellow DisCatchers. Entire course was very nicely maintained.

• Aesthetics: Excellent - I was quite taken with this course's natural beauty. Except for mountain courses, or those featuring spectacular lake views or winding creeks, this was one of the prettier courses I've had the pleasure to play. It's a scenic hike through wooded hills and some lush fields... with baskets. Wonderful setting to get away from it all.

• Navigation/Flow: Excellent - As a 1st timer, getting from hole to hole felt pretty intuitive, and was able to navigate with very few issues. Flows nicely from basket to next tee for the most part. Tee markers are easy to spot from a distance, so if you're not sure where to go next, just look around for a tee marker.

• Memorable Holes: Excellent - I really like holes that start out open and play to a basket in the wood, so I think #1's a great starting hole. Love the way #'s 4 & 13 take you through the woods, and finish with a nice downhill shot to an open basket. #11's a long R to L sweeping uphill that can be demoralizing, or exhilarating. Panther Creek is laden with quality fairways - I guarantee some will stick with you.

• Located a nice State Park with camping on site.

Give a professional designer a parcel of land like this, and you end up having a tough time finding cons. Only one of my cons is really a ding on the course. The others are more informational for specific categories of players.

• Tees aren't what I'd call small, but not quite as spacious as they could be... especially for a gold level course.

• A few of the pars seem a bit soft.

• Newbs beware - this panther will eat you alive. The discs you leave behind will be the only evidence you were ever here.

• That chuckle you hear is the course laughing at your cart. The terrain here isn't for everyone. It's very hilly and rocky many spots, and can be tough on older joints.

• Plan on some lengthy forays up fairways to determine where you want to land to set up your next shot. This can be a drag on hilly courses, but they're worth it.

• A course this size takes time to play. Make sure you bring plenty of water and maybe some snacks to keep you energized.

Make no mistake about it: not only is Panther Creek a course worth visiting, it's worthy of anchoring a DG Road trip. It's simply a wonderful course that any serious player will enjoy and remember.

Just minutes from a variety of restaurants and Wal-Mart (should you need to resupply on a road trip), yet does a great job of feeling away from it all.

Come see if you have what it takes to tame this cat.

- Great course maintenance
- Bomb drives from the tee pads
- Requires various types of throws and discs
- Professional size and quality course
- Incredible views
- Dog friendly

- Isolated area
- Wish it had a pro shop
- Can be muddy

Excellent course. One of the top courses I've played. Comparable to some of the great courses out West. Beginners will struggle, but moderate and better can use this course to finely tune their skills. Keep up the good work! Hope to see you guys on the tour someday!

There's something I've noticed a difference in some of the newer high-caliber courses that I absolutely love: fairways that follow the real flight patterns of a disc. Like, perfectly. Flex and everything. It's one thing to have a dogleg, or an obstacle to get around, but those fairways that you can just pure the whole way down with the right throw. It's truly the best part of the game short of an ace. This is what Panther Creek can deliver. IF you can execute!

This course is challenging, but soooooo rewarding. The best part of a championship course is when you nail a drive, maybe a couple on a long hole, and see the birdie in front of you- just 50-60ft away.

The elevation on this course is pretty wonderfully used. There are some long downhills (#4 might be in my top 10 holes just because of the huge anny I landed right on the green from the top of the hill). The uphills can be incredibly steep (#5 was probably one of my least favorite holes of the course).

The rough. Is. ROUGH. I lost three discs in the waist-to-chest high grass. After looking for over 45 minutes. I don't mind being punished for throwing off the fairway, but I don't like losing my disc for it (unless it's water, then I understand and chose to take that risk)

Thee pads are little small, but that's already been addressed in other reviews.

But here's the real hold back of this course: The luck factor. On many of the holes, there's just a few too many trees to complete the clean line to the basket. You can throw a pure drive 300ft only to dink off a tree on the line the rest of the fairway ushered you towards. It would be different if it was a small gap, or a cluster that forces you to choose right or left, but a full army of guardian trees on a course like this adds strokes to an already high-par round.

Panther Creek could be one of the country's top courses with a tad more maintenance and a few trees cut. There was so much land cleared for this course, that an obvious investment has been made. I can't wait to see it on the National Tour, or whatever that's turned into nowadays. It's just a matter of time until we see this course on Jomez or CCDG. I can't wait for that!

Panther Creek doesn't let up! Come prepared to sock it out in a tough, grueling, hit for hit round. I would love to play it again in winter when there's less greenery, and the grass is shorter. Until then, totally worth a trip!

(4.155 Rating) Championship style course with intense elevation changes. Beginners thru novice level players are advised to stay clear.
- UNIQUENESS - I'm a big fan of monster courses that require course management and test all aspects of my game. Panther creeks delivers these aspects better than just about every course I've ever played to date (289 courses played as of this review.) A par 71 with numerous shot planning par 4s and par 5s. Sign me up. Hole (9) is an awesome downhill bomb-it without worry par 4 that looks out over a section of the park. There is only a few things more exhilarating than bombing 400 foot drives for a player that typically throws in the 325 foot range. Hole (4s) high left twisting lane threw the trees is as clear a day, but can you hit it. A standard FH or BH throw just won't cut it on this hole. Several holes dogleg in both directions. Insane up and down plays, see the pro for elevation below. The only missing element on this course is water. Also, the last five holes and especially Hole (18) are an uninspiring way to finish a layout.
- ELEVATION - Epic, the most elevation I've ever played in a course. From analyzing the topography map, it appears that holes (5) and (11) both just eclipse the 100 foot mark. Both are uphill and throwing from this fairway slope will play much different than flat terrain. Several downhill plays between 40 and 80 feet down but unfortunately no true top of the world plays. Hole (9) is close to this notice, but the grade change on this hole isn't enough to qualify in my book.
- CHALLENGING - A very demanding course that will have advanced players coming back for more. Currently I'd place this course in my top ten most difficult but a ways back from courses like Roy G in Austin or Jack McLean in Tallahassee. I see intermediates averaging 5 or 6 over here and 960 advanced players average par. Players that are balanced between power and accuracy will win the battles against players that are one trick ponies.
- RAW BEAUTY - Words like awe-inspiring, breathtaking and majestically terrifying seem appropriate. currently in my personal Top Ten, along with courses I've played named, Lake Claiborne, Rollin Ridge, New World, Inverness, Mahr Park and Harmon Hills. Hole (1) starts off pretty bland, but once I entered the woods it was golden for like a dozen straight holes. Hole (11) is has herculean beauty to it. Rock face after rock face on a 30 degree slope (that's the incline of typical stairs).
- CHARACTER - Above average but one of the weaker links on this course. Concrete tees, but probably too small for the intended audience, see cons Tees. There is a nice pregame area complete with benches, course map, community board and practice basket. The baskets are DISCatches are can be seen very well in these thick woods compared to other baskets choices. There are restrooms and shelters in the park, although unfortunately not very close to tee (1). I saw discs at the main park office building but it was closed.....on a Saturday?!? Missing items include multi tees and alternate basket locations. The course also needs a lot more seating, see cons, Seating.
- PICNIC TABLE ON TOP - There is only one pit stop area on the entire course. There's a picnic table located at the course's highpoint between tees (6) and (12). No doubt the best location if they only had one picnic table to use.
- NAVIGATION - Pretty good for a younger course and I only looked at my picture of the map once which was after hole (13). A bunch of laminated letter sized navigational cues between holes and also intuitive paths as well. Hole signage show next tee direction and the course map is just detailed enough to get a general sense of where a player is.

I love epic courses, but Panther Creek will have to deliver more than just that aspect to go higher in my personal favoritism and in my rankings.
- TERRAIN - Players that have bad knees or ankles need to stay clear of this course. There are tons of rocks and roots to stub a toe or twist an ankle on. It is not logical to bring a disc golf cart here. A player that does will regret it. The course is also very energy draining. I don't advise playing Harmon Hills and Sugar Hollow the same day like I did before coming here.
- SEATING - One picnic table on the entire layout, a combo use for tee (6) and (12). Considering that the Zuca will need to stay in the car for this one, players will constantly find themselves looking for rocks to take a break at. It's not acceptable for this course to have been in the ground this long and be this elevated and not have more seating.
- SIGNAGE - Better than average, but for a newer championship style course, the course map and hole signage are disappointing. The signs at first glance look detailed, but it's just textured shapes. They are ineffective in aiding to plan a line. First time players will often have to choose between running up fairways to check for baskets or throwing blind and saving energy on what is likely a very elevated walk. I do realize that's it's difficult to produce signage for moderate and heavily wooded courses but I've seen it done much better before.
- TEES - 5 foot by 12 foot concrete pads would be more than adequate for 90 percent of the courses out there. However, for this to be a championship style course they need to be larger. In addition, the tees need some serious reinforcement along the sides. Several holes have the base of the slab exposed due to erosion. Tee (11) has already cracked in two. Without re-shoring the sides, I could see 3 or 4 more tees cracked by the end of the year.
- FORGIVENESS - A couple lines appear bordering on the line of unfairness, namely (6) see cons below. Regardless, of the line to the basket, missing the chosen line and resulting ricochet can have disastrous consequences. On my drive on (10) I sliced into an impenetrable overgrowth area on the right. Not a good place to be and I lost my disc. This is just one example of numerous places not to throw a disc. In addition, due to the rocky slope terrain, death rolls and damage to plastic is very likely going to occur.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Way too difficult for beginners and perhaps some recreational players as well. If you haven't played over a hundred rounds of disc golf, this course will eat you alive. A saw a family playing out here and I felt impelled to tell them that this is not the course to bring a 5 year old to play. I held off. There is only one set of tees and they seem about upper middle advanced skill aligned.
- HOLE 6 - As I was climbing the 100 foot uphill hole (5), I kept thinking to myself that I was now going to get a signature downhill play where I could observe a 400 to 500 run to the basket 100 feet below. Standing on tee (6) was a major disappointment. A 400 foot poke and hope blind 90 degree bending par 3. The lane in the beginning of the tee shot is well defined, it just narrows and narrows and then dissolves into no lane about 250 feet down fairway.
- NO EPIC DOWNHILL PAR 3 - There are six par 3s. Three of them are downhill. None of these 3 baskets can be seen from the tee. This was a surprising omission as every other extreme course I've played always gave me one of these signature looks. I did like the RHFH 'S' line on (12), I just wish that I could been seen my park job from up top.
- TIME PLAY - Panther Creek is going to take a chunk out of your day. This one took me over 90 minutes solo. I could see a group of four seasoned players playing at around 3 1/2 hours.

An instant favorite of mine. I could argue with myself that Panther Creek is most extreme course I've ever played. No doubt it's in my top 4 most extreme courses I've ever played along with Inverness, Mahr Park and Austin Ridge Bible Church. There are five main reasons I have two of those three courses rated slightly higher than Panther Creek and it's tees, seating, design, multi tees and water plays, but also a few other minor things as well. Panther does however offer a touch more length and uniqueness with the amount of par 4s and 5s, which was awesome. Despite the epicness of the layout, there will be some that hate this course due to the punishment it can deliver. So be warned beginning players, this course will continue to kick you, even while you are still down.

It is a magnificent beast of a course rife with well-designed holes. The use of terrain and elevation is seemingly flawless. The course's property is beautiful and it pales in comparison to the rest of the park. Nice baskets, nice concrete tees, good signs and quite easy to navigate.

If you like variety in all disc golf senses of the word you'll love it here. Open, wooded, mixed, long, short, up, down and lots of legitimate multi-rip par 4/5 holes. It's all woven together to create a fun, challenging course.

I really liked all the holes and would love to play it again and again to try and figure some of them out. I loved the greens on holes like 3 and 11 with its huge boulders. I loved the big downhill rips on holes like 9 and 15. I loved the lack of secret Par 2 nature of the par 3 holes. I liked that you could scramble a bit if you didn't stay on the fairway (unless you lost it in the weedy meadows).

If you aren't a Blue level player or better it's likely going to kick your rear end but you'll still enjoy it b/c the challenge is fair.

Not much. No water in play so it doesn't technically have everything. A lot of the tees drop off steeply at the back so it's really limiting of big run-ups. It doesn't bother a player of my caliber but I can see the elites being disappointed b/c if they really wanted to attack some of these holes they'd be a bit handicapped.

Some of the holes had some poke and pray element to them. Hole 2 a bit, hole 6 a lot (I threw a FH roller to great success though), and the second part of hole 10. Some of the holes I'm not sure about the par on. Like hole 1 I played good, not great, and comfortably got a birdie 4. On the opposite end of the spectrum hole 8 is extremely difficult to birdie if you don't absolute crush the disc.

The only thing I'd for sure change is reducing the amount of weedy rough on the open holes. For experienced players, that know the course well, it's not a big deal and it looks nice to have landing zones cut out of tall grass/weeds. But for everybody else (beginners, less skilled, first-timers to the course, etc) it seriously deflates the fun balloon. My card mates lost a disc each and we found two discs so it's clearly a disc eating rough of nastiness. I don't think the aesthetics outweigh the punishment for most players. Plus, with really epic terrain and hole design I don't like to have anything discourage players from really going for it. You can't mow a pond but you can definitely bush hog this stuff. We borrow a lot from ball golf but US Open style rough is not something we should.

A few more benches wouldn't hurt. Thank God for that picnic table after hole 5 though.

The rough really spoils an otherwise amazing course. I'd like to give this course something between a 4 and 4.5 b/c of it. But since everything else is just so good I gave it a 4.5 anyway. Just bring some non-sentimental discs.

As good a course anywhere, especially if you like rugged, natural courses with thoughtful design. Reminds a lot of a bigger, badder Fox Chase in Albemarle.

Panther Creek is an absolute beast of a course. It will challenge you physically and mentally. And it's a fantastic feeling.
- Blown away by the sheer magnitude of the course. Everything is bigger here: elevation, length, and wow factor. Your downhill approach shot on #4 is a fantastic view. Your walk right back up the same hill on #5 is cruel
- Yes. The course nails the use of terrain. On #9 - a downhill, 710-foot hole, I was past the hole after 2 shots. #5 is a straight uphill, 520-foot hole. It's not quite 45-degrees uphill, it just feels that way. Between the elevation and the poor footing, I was just getting to the basket with my fourth shot, and every shot was in the fairway.
- Course weaves between heavily wooded and wide-open layouts. Views and ambiance are outstanding. You want to get a sense of this park? Drive down the main park road another five minutes as you go uphill and see the view of the lake from there. Breathtaking.
- Tee signs are excellent. You're relying completely on the tee signs on many holes to be accurate and descriptive. They don't steer you wrong.
- Course is long, and its consistently long. Average hole length is 553 feet. That said none is longer than 750 feet, so don't expect any gimmick distance. That length is well-earned. Four of the first five holes have lengths, in order: 735, 625, 660 and 520 feet. Where are you going to catch a break?
- The fairways are fair. The wooded holes have wide fairways, allowing players to throw drivers. The most daunting fairways were all in a row - #6 - 9 . #6, with its steep drop-off, dogleg left design; #7 being a dogleg right, with a left leaning slope & thick grass on that side. #8 has thick tree coverage on both sides, about the only hole that won't allow you a chance to salvage par if you miss the fairway; #9 has thick rough right and long. I didn't spot my disc until I was right on top of it.
- The course has its own private section of the park. Other than seeing hikers on a walking trail crossing #5 & 4, didn't see any other non-disc golfers. There is a hunting stand, (or worse) behind #6's basket. I had a slight thought of Wrong Turn when checking it out. Deep in the woods, an enclosed stand, nobody around to hear one scream.
- Patience is the biggest virtue here, follow closely by stamina. You're going to have a wicked bounce or unfortunate roll down a hill. You're going to have a bad hole. The key is how well do you block out the bad thoughts; how well do you put a bad hole in the rear-view mirror. Low scores must be earned. Don't get greedy. Be happy with par. I don't think I nailed a putt longer than 15 feet. That's mainly because I never was in position to make a long putt. I nailed my approach shots to salvage many pars.

Short answer is none. Course looked and played close to perfect. Long answer is several things are going to be dissected about this layout.
- Some people will not like this layout. It's physically grueling. First course I ever had to pause for a minute after only the fifth hole. (9 courses in 4 states in the previous day and a half may also been a factor). Less fit players are going to struggle keeping up. It's just part of the game.
- Some may complain about the length. I definitely lost some strokes because I don't have a big arm. #5 for example, big arms are going to be at the hole after two throws. #10 & 11 are other holes where those throwing 400 feet plus are probably playing these holes a combined stroke or more better than us 300 - 325 -foot throwers. Again, it's just part of the game.
- My biggest issue is that the course ends with its weakest stretch of holes. #18, a straight, open 365-foot hole, with a couple trees protecting the basket, is one of the simplest holes on the course. #13 is the last great hole. #14 & 15 are perfectly fine open layouts. #16 - 18 are about as straight forward, non-memorable as you get.
- The best holes are all lumped together in the first 11. I'd be interested to play the back nine first to see if I had a different vibe about the layout.

Panther Creek is a true disc golf course. Other than some water, it has everything you could ask for in a course.
- The ones who are going to have the biggest issues here most likely don't have the game for this course. It's not beginner or casual friendly. It's not cart-friendly. It's even sadder I had to write that last sentence. Play Kiwanis if you want something easier.
- Length is just part of this character's identity. Most of the holes would still be great it they were shorted by 1/3. #4, 7 & 13 would still have great layouts if they were 150 feet shorter. Going uphill on #5 & 11, or up-n-down (or down-n-up) on #10 & 15 still offer challenges if you're throwing a shorter layout.
- #1 is an excellent opening, multi-shot layout. At least you can be a little wild with your tee shot in the open field. Just make sure you hit your target with the second shot as you approach the trees. This is a pleasing par 4 score to start your round.
- Bring water. Bring sunscreen. Bring bug repellent. Bring an energy snack. Bring shoes with good footing. That's all you need.
- An excellent course. The elite holes are some of the best of the best I've played. The other holes were just a little too simple, too straightforward. This is a solid 4.5 rated course in my book. If we gave quarter point ratings, it's probably getting a 4.75. This is a no doubt must-play course. It's worth the slight detour off I-40 & I-81.

Wow. This course is awesome.

A newer course in the disc golf rich Morristown, Tennessee, this town finally got the championship caliber course it deserved.

Carved into the woods and hills of the beautiful Panther Creek State Park, this course will test every part of your game, including distance and accuracy on almost every hole.

Each hole has a long and grippy concrete tee pad, allowing for a safe run-up needed to get maximum hulk smash potential. Every hole also has a beautiful Innova Discatcher, all shiny and new.

There is a very nice full color tee sign on every hole, including par, distan0ce and a map. This was very helpful for someone who played the course blind, as most holes the basket is not visible from the tee pad.

Navigation is mostly intuitive, and if it wasn't intuitive, there was a navigational sign pointing to the next tee pad. There is also a very kiosk with a course map at the beginning, making getting lost almost impossible. The course does loop back after nine holes.

Course wise, the design here can stand with the best of them. Using the magnificent elevation, and the beautiful foliage to his advantage, the designer created a work of art.

Every hole was crafted with meaning, whether that be a placement drive leading to an approach shot, a distance shot leading to a heavily protected basket. The holes all use elevation in someway, whether it be a downhill bomb such as hole 9, or an uphill battle like hole 5. This diversity makes every hole unique, and creates some true signature holes.

Favorite holes? Hard to choose, but I liked hole 4, a placement drive, only needing about a 250 shot to get to an opening into the grassy field, where you will be throwing a glidey shot that will drift towards the pin. Or maybe hole 15, a downhill crush shot that sets up for a cool approach shot to a guarded green. Two great holes.

Cons for this course are few and far between.

There are a few areas of the course that can still use clearing out, some trees can be trimmed or cut down, the rough could be cleared out for easier disc retrieval.

Probably the main issue with this course for the time being is the use of only one tee pad and one pin position. This course will chew you up and spit you out, and if you aren't at the top of your game, you will struggle.

Adding to that, the solo pin position means that you will play the same layout every single time, which can get a little boring, and I know there are many other possible great pin positions out on the course.

This course is truly top of the line. When planning a trip, I try to pick a single course that is a must hit. This was that course for the trip. Sure, there are some solid courses nearby, Rotary, Cherokee, and Kiwanis, but this is the true gem.

I encourage anybody and everybody to play this course, as it is a true winner. You will not be disappointed. Bring water, and bring your A-game, it's a hell of a ride at Panther Creek State Park.

This is course has amazingly long lines through old well worn woods. The lines are tough but fair, with a great landscape to play on. Combines the best of all worlds with distance that goes through lines on many shots. Brand new baskets, tee pads and plenty of parking.

A few of the teepads need reworked. In the summer time the ticks run wild in the tall grass.

This place is honestly the most epic disc golf I have ever played.

-Panther Creek has all the land and topography needed for a 4.5-5 star course. It does have some very excellently thought out holes. The first five are all very good. The first hole is a nice double dogleg left that allows you to bomb a nice drive that leads you to the woods where the basket is maybe 150' in from the gap. #3's rock green is very interesting and the dogleg right on #4 really is epic. Slightly uphill out of a shoot and into the open down a 60-70' hill. It's a very sweet view looking down at #4's basket from the top of the hill. You will want to throw multiple shots down that hill!

-ELEVATION!!! Man it is insane out here. You will be deceived when you play the first three holes. But then........ you see hole 4. But then you see hole 5. It's a 520' par 4. Now, this hole is shorter than #18 at Rotary. But it plays like 820'. About 100' up in elevation change. Hole 11 is another major uphill that rises more than 80' feet. The approach shot is very cool too being immensely uphill over a few rock surfaces. Love this hole!

-Few major downhill shots too. #12 is a long way down and #13 is off the top of another huge hill that leads you into the open. #15 is a nice huge downhill rip.

-There are three drink machines. Don't think that you won't need a drink, or maybe five. Another cool thing about this place is how big it is as a park itself. It's like a course was approved and the county picked the hot spots for where the holes can be! Also a family friendly place. There is a family pool with a deep end of 12 ft.

-Long tee-pads and neat tee-signs. There is a practice basket. There are also ample parking spaces.

-This course is a par 71. That's like a traditional "ball-golf" par. The average hole length is 533'. It consists of six par 3's, seven par 4's, and five par 5's. The two hole stretch of holes 10 and 11 may be the most extreme. Hole 10 is a huge uphill dogleg right. It goes really steep uphill for the first 400' and then the remaining 340' is in the woods and back downhill. #11 may be the scariest par 5 you play. Being only 620', you feel like you should easily birdie this hole. But the tee-shot is frightening because of the trees to the left side.

-Has an ending that isn't too risky. An uphill 365' par 3 that is open and onto a wooded green. Bland? I don't think so at all.

-Initially I gave Panther Creek a 4.5. That could very easily be arranged. I was so excited about the extreme elevation changes to the point where I would upvote this course. Problem is, whenever HB designs a course, he does a least a few ridiculous things and I wish he would stop doing this. #6 is down maybe 70-80' in elevation but it's one of the worst holes that I've ever played. It's 400' and nothing but pinball from pad to pin. There's no real lane to get there. It's an extreme sharp left turn and frankly just downright impossible.

-I think #7's design is a little peculiar. The tee area is nice being maybe 50' in the woods and has you throwing into the open. It plays as a fish hook. The angle at the landing zone is maybe 45 degrees. Now you could throw a short putter shot and be short of the huge pine tree (maybe 300' ahead) and have a nice look at the basket but if you execute a relatively good shot and follow the alleged line that the tee sign shows, you'll probably be faced with the huge pine tree in the way. You can either throw short or very long. Hole is shaped as the letter "P". Not particularly a bad hole, but I think pros would enjoy it more if the basket was further down the hill and tucked into the woods on the other side that you see from the pad. #8 is a steep uphill, at least 30' maybe 40' in elevation. It's 405' and under a canopy tree. Terrible idea. A real tweener. You have no real option except to rip it as hard as you can and hope you don't go into the woods because the woods consist of tons of pines. Hole should be a par four and maybe pushed back another 50-100'. It wouldn't be as hard, but would still have some hazards to it along with more options off of the pad.

-#13 is a huge downhill shot from the woods but has multiple trees not far from the tee pad and they are close in proximity. There's not really an optimal line. It's 590' and is a par four. The hill doesn't descend for the first 100' or so and the rough is dense on both sides. I've lost two discs on this hole because of the weird line I had to take and the bad flight of my disc. You really want to rip it on this hole since it's wide open and majorly downhill after 200' or so but if you do, you'll more than likely hit a tree or land somewhere in the woods. The gaps you are faced with are not well formed. #16 is sharply downhill and forms a left to right fairway. Problem is, there is a low ceiling you have to hit and it's pretty instant. The ceiling is at least 20' below the pad and the trees are maybe 100' from the pad. So you have to throw nose downward and hope you don't go too low but very low to where you are able to hit the fairway without hitting some low tree limbs.

-It's really just extremely flawed design. Course could be amazing but HB really screwed it up on some holes here. Just like he did on the other courses in Morristown. Please dude, just stop trying to do something "unique" or "different". I know this is supposed to be a championship level course, but based on the round ratings in the Tennessee State Disc Golf Tournaments, it's more of an advanced level course that requires a lot of distance. Even par is usually around 950 rated. Which is good too. But no hole here is longer than 750' and there are like six par fives and there were many eagles made in the tournaments here. Real pro level courses don't have that many eagle opportunities. The other holes (like 6 and 8) can't be birdied without some sort of luck. A course with nearly impossible lines to hit and then holes that average an entire stroke below par creates a disjointed layout. Only reason why it's even called a championship course is because it's nearly 10,000 in length.
The holes I mentioned here in the cons really need to be adjusted. So many more people would love this course if they were improved. They could all be much better than they are now.

-I really hope at some point Panther Creek will have second pin locations or second tee pads. This course has everything it needs to be amazing and I do not think what was done did the justice it deserves.

-I know I already got 20 helpful votes on this review before it's update but I gave it a 4.5 in 2017 because I figured that it was raw and needed more time to be worked on. But the holes with weird fairways haven't changed at all. They are still bad holes when they have a ton of elevation change and have the appearances to be some of the greatest holes in the area. Everybody loves downhill shots, but not when they have no line and are sharply to the left side (#6). #8 is a gorgeous hole up a nicely mowed grassy hill edged with pine trees. But it plays over 500' and is extremely punishing if you miss the fairway. #13 is a hole you want to throw a disc over 500' on, but you can't because the gaps off the pad are crapshoots. #13 could be an epic hole if it was maybe pushed 100' ahead. You have a more defined look at the pin and it'd be a long par three still down a huge hill.

-To be fair though, this course does have some excellent holes that you'll find very enjoyable. #9 is a fun downhill bomb that passes through a wooded tunnel where the basket is immediately out of. #10 and #11 are very unique par fives. Along with many others. I think the first five holes are great and several on the back nine are great too and the ones that are bad could be a million times better.

-I try to come up with a rating based on how the fairways are designed, and how much variety the course has, and the creativity used, and the effort spent on signage. The signage here is great and there is a good amount of variety and the rock holes (such as #3 and #11) are very fun to look at. Some of the fairways are hideous, and this property needs to show more options for gameplay rather than just one layout with one set of pads and pins. More ideas need to come to mind here in order for this course to be what it could be because some of the best courses in the world all have dual pads, alt pins, or both and Panther Creek does not. I think a 3.5 is more of an appropriate rating. I upvoted it before, but just because it's a long course with a good amount of variety and elevation doesn't mean it should receive a high rating every time. I don't upvote short courses, but courses I've given 4.5 ratings to such as Inverness, Clay, Glenwood, City Lake, or Ashe County are not as long as Panther. They are all more of an average length for advanced players. They all have a lot of elevation change too, but they also have different layouts for different skills and better fairways that are rewarding if you hit and do not reward luck.

Panther Creek is a par 71 monster that is easily one of the toughest challenges I've ever played. I felt great shooting a 71, including a 7-shot meltdown on 10 and my single deuce on 16. I liken this course to a marriage of Langley Pond and Harmon Hills, where there's a good mix between fun (HH) and super-challenging (LP) laid out in some of the Appalachian's finest terrain. Most of the course plays through woods and/or tight fairways with a few open bombers (9,14,15). There are some great tight to open shots (4, 7, 13) and open to tight shots (1, 10, 15).

Signs, baskets, teepads, and course map were top-notch. I played right after a lot of rain and the tees were still grippy. For as long as the course plays, there aren't any lengthy strolls to the next tee and navigation is extremely intuitive (no map needed!). I was particularly impressed with the labor that went into shaping these fairways. #17 is a great example: the park created a 635ft long, 80-ft wide fairway by obliterating really dense woods, leaving more than a few strategically-placed trees, and then mulching the whole fairway. There was more work done in this hole than you'll see in many entire courses.

Everything about Panther Creek is BIG--length, elevation, trees, boulders, fairways, etc. Many times I felt dwarfed by the surroundings. Elevation is incredible: 76 floors climbed per my FitBit (that's maybe 3 to 4 times the typical course round for me).

You'll have a well-deserved loop back to the parking area between 9 and 10. This feature is always nice but extra nice here so you can keep your bag light with hydration supplies.

Signature holes abound: 1, 4, 9, 11, 15, maybe 17 too.

No panthers
Not even a creek

It's really long and definitely a change of pace from the far majority of courses. The shortest hole is 295--the NEXT shortest hole is 365. That's a debatable con but certainly worth mentioning.

#5 was truly grueling. It's 520ft at what feels like a consistent 45 degree angle uphill the whole way through tight woods.

#6 could be a beautiful super-downhill right to left touch shot but it's hampered by some fairway tree randomness that make this a tweener par 3 hole.

#18, although plays longer than its 365', is a fairly bland finishing hole when you compare it to the epicness that precedes it.

Benches would be a nice touch. You'll want them here more than ever.

This is easily a top-3 for me in TN (Harmon and Bud Hill are my others) and well-worth making the journey here.

Challenging professional layout. Took every shot from my bag to throw. Bring your big distance to score on this course. Good teepad, excellent signs with directions on where to go to the next hole.

Most of the par 5's were pretty easy, playing it blind I birdied every single one.

Hole 6 imo was the only hole that was dumb, it would be a great challenging par 3 but it has 2-3 too many trees making it poke and hope.

Hole 12 needs to have some of the overhang cleared out to make a more fair tee shot

No other cons other than it's a new course and needs some foot traffic and brush cleared off.

In about 5 years, with course maintainence and course wear and use, this will be the 2nd best course in Tennessee.

It's a beast of a course. Bring your big arm and accurate distance placement. It's a nice mix of challenging wood shots with open bombs.

The par is listed at 71 and I think it's more of a 67/68 par course for a professional.

The course resides in a beautiful state park with some amazing views that provide peaceful, awe-inspiring serenity. The course itself is a juxtaposition to it's surroundings; it's brutal, intimidating and exhausting.

We stopped by the Welcome Center to grab a course map and said 'Hello' to the owl before starting play. I recommend this as you'll want to start the round with as much joy and optimism possible before the course beats you up for several hours. For the most part, you'll be playing up, down and around a small mountain. Longer drives will help immensely here as par 4's and 5's abound.

I really liked hole 9 -- a downhill bomber, and hole 17 -- a 635 footer cut through the woods. Hole 9 is certainly the 'signature hole' in my mind.

Holes 14-18 are across the road and away from the ridge/mountain that provides the bulk of the terrain challenges for the rest of the course. These are some of the better holes in my opinion.

Hole 5 and hole 11 they are certain to be etched into your mind long after your finished. They are extremely uphill, often leaving you with a standstill option only. It's easy to get discouraged at Panther Creek, but it's set up to be this way.

At times, Panther Creek feels unnecessarily challenging. It opts for difficulty and placement shots too often instead of providing choices and fun. On many holes, an error on the teepad leads to a trickle down effect leaving you in your own world of frustration.

Hole 4 could shine as one of the best downhill holes, but you'll have a hard time getting uphill to the ideal spot on the landing zone. Perhaps a short pad on this hole? It's just too fun of a shot to miss out on, yet in both rounds I played only one person landed a drive there.

To me a course with frequent and grueling uphill shots would offer some equally rewarding downhill opportunities. But the downhill options are often limited from the teepad by tight fairways and low ceilings (hole 6, 12, 13, 4). Hole 9 and 15 would be the exception here, they will likely tempt you to unload a few more drives.

I think hole 7 is a bad hole. It's shaped like a question mark and has an unintended shortcut that 90 percent of people will opt for (short RH hyzer flick). If the basket were placed straight down the fairway it seems like it would play much more like the designer intended.

This course was certainly built with the other Morristown courses in mind. It's a good compliment to Cherokee and Rotary in a sense that you'll never complain about their difficulty anymore

Final thoughts:
* Scores could get in the 90's and 100's if you are a Rec player or new to the sport.
* The teepads are going to need to be lined with additional support or they will wash away in a few year's time.
* Discs that go in the tall grass are extremely hard to find.
* Pants or high socks are helpful when in the tall grass.

Ultimately, Panther Creek is a beautiful and extreme course. it was clearly created to be challenging but at what costs? I played it twice and I'm not sure if I'll be ready to tackle it again in a year's time.

Beautiful scenery, great use of elevation without being gimmicky. Generous par giving on each hole but believe me the extra strokes are needed! I have played courses in NC, Colorado, VA, and Florida, and this is a top notch Championship course. I believe this course has a lot of potential to get better as it's official opening was just a few days ago on June 1st.

The park has an overlook if you drive past the course that served as a perfect place to eat lunch. Clean restrooms, great amenities. Every hole was memorable, nothing felt like a filler. Flowed nicely.

None, it is a brand new course, and being brand new it was still very clean. Debris was there but off the fairway so if you stayed in the fairway it didn't come into play.

Amazing job by the town and designer. There is a 370 foot hole thay I threw a putter on and was pin high, due to the elevation, this same hole had a huge tree trunk that I hope they utilize in the future, it would be awesome to put a pin location on it, as the only thin the course didn't have was an elevated basket!