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.

• Elevation: Phenominal - 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.

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.

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.