We decided to add Richmond Hill into our last day in Asheville and we were very happy we did. Even after two full days of hiking, this hilly course was exactly the right amount of challenge for my wife and I. Although, there were a couple holes my wife didn't want to throw because she was nervous about the reports of poison ivy/oak (#7 especially, but #13 short as well), she didn't really have any problems throwing the rest. For a quick take-home message, I have to say that Richmond Hill was a highlight of the city of Asheville itself, one that I would consider a must for any visiting disc golfer no matter their skill level.
In terms of scoring, you'll enjoy the round most if you plan accordingly. As an intermediate level thrower, I threw two over par on my first round here with the pins in their current locations. I think perhaps the short position of the pins reduced the challenge a lot. I brought my full bag, but only threw three discs the entire round. My advice for other first time visitors (like we were) is to bring stable to understable discs and throw straight and safe. The holes aren't very long even with the pins in the long positions and even on the two(?) that hit 400' you'll benefit greatly from just keeping your throws as straight as can be. You'll also benefit from not having to navigate around what might or might not be poison ivy/oak.
I have to agree with the reviews saying the tee pads are a bummer. I would rather throw from natural tees than the turf tees, which were slippery even though they were dry. The tee boxes themselves are very nice, so if there is one way this course could be greatly improved, it would be by pouring concrete tees. I'm also a big stickler for directional signage. If it's not obvious which direction to walk, put up a small arrow please
#7 is straight behind #6's basket in line with the fairway, and #14 backtracks to the right a little. I do see arrows in pictures here on DGCR, but didn't see them in person. Anyway, there are two types of tee signs here, maybe half were full color and kind of cluttered, and the other half were minimalistic. Just a cut log with the hole #, distances, and intended lines/pins painted in white. I liked the minimal tee signs better.
There's an awesome valley running through here and the slight elevation change it gives the terrain is the biggest hero for Richmond Hill. As a whole, the course plays slightly downhill at the beginning, then slightly uphill at the end, with back and forth valley shots sprinkled in the middle (the hikes down, up, and back down again were a nice little workout). I did miss throwing dramatically uphill and downhill, though. The throws over the valley are basically straight across. I suppose if you hit a tree in the middle of the valley you'll get that kind of throw, though. I didn't pay much attention to the distances on the tee signs, but the valley holes are a lot shorter than they look. Also, it's good to note how much we liked that the holes in the middle play back up towards the parking lot (and portapotties). Considering the overall flow, Richmond Hill is a breeze to play. We were surprised how quickly we got to #18.
All that said, labeling Richmond Hill a "mountain course" hypes its size and difficulty unnecessarily. And you can't see the surrounding mountains from anywhere on the course. The course does shine with a charming taste of the hills of the Appalachian Mountains, but it's not huge or extreme the way "mountain" implies. Especially after you go out for some of the hiking that Pisgah National Forest has to offer. Anyway, even though you can throw straight and score low, the diverse use of the terrain and valley was awesome and memorable and would prompt me to play this course again on a return visit instead of hitting any of the other much lower rated 6, 9, or 18 hole courses around Asheville.
Thanks for reading!