I really enjoyed this course. Didn't know anything about it prior to playing it. After leaving, it's definitly a course I'll come back to if I have a chance.

Holes were nice and varied. Some long, some short, some left and right. A few true par 4's. And a good mix of wooded and open shorts. Although in general the course wasn't too tight.

Good use of the limited elevation, and very good use of the winding stream through the Park.

The long holes (that I played) were quite good. In some cases the shorts looked to be quite different lines. A couple of the longs had pretty long carries (although it was dry when I played) so no water to carry.

I played the long tees, but I noticed that quite a few of the short tees didn't have signs.

A couple navigation questions, but nothing too severe.

Hole 14 had a different basket (hanging) so the distance on the sign was off.

Course categories (1-5 rating)
Hole design: 4.5
Condition: 4
Navigation: 3.5
Signage: 4
Amenities: 4
"Fun factor": 4.5

Play it if you have a chance. I think it's slightly underrated at 3.87 (when I played it). Definitely a good complement to other very good courses in Spartanburg area (holston and pileline).

Great, great course. Truly has a bit of everything with elevation, water carries, multi-throw par 4's, landing zones, risk/reward, open holes to air it out, wooded tunnels to thread and two good tee layouts to appeal to a wide spectrum of skill levels. This is a player's course, with design teeming with quality and enjoyment that beckons you to stay for another round. I was a little worried about this course with Russell Schwarz' name attached to it (aka he who builds lackluster to downright awful courses in the NC Piedmont) but there was definitely enough Harold Duvall at work to remind me of another Duvall classic, Castle Hayne.

There isn't any gonzo or extreme elevation, terrain, or water at play here but a terrific use of it all. A lovely little, shallow creek meanders lazily throughout much of the course and provides a great element of OB without worrying you over losing a disc when, not if, you end up wet. It's hilly in parts but every throw downhill is very satisfying and every throw uphill is tough but fair. Retention ponds with significantly marshy rough within provide daunting carries to baskets precariously placed on ridges, dams, and near the creek. Best of all, the holes largely invite you to attack off the tee in any way you see fit instead of forcing a FH or a weird layup for example; like hole 1 that dares you to go up the middle as the crow flies or test your arm by anhyzering around the trees to the left. Choose your own adventure golf at some of its finest.

I played mostly the long tees but the short tees looked to be their own unique layout rather than a miniaturized version of the longs. Navigation is pretty easy although I wish the map available on the website was made by someone with a bit more graphic design experience. The baskets move around and a friendly local gave me a head's up as to which holes had alternate pins that differed from the map but I think I would've done fine without him. Arrow signs are plentiful on the course to aid in transitions and tees are easy to spot. They're a bit old but the tees are your solid, concrete standards that I love. Innova baskets complete your check-off list for necessities.

Though there is some elevation and water in play, this isn't a physically taxing course and a bench isn't uncommon so fear not, aged and corpulent disc golfers. I almost selfishly wish it was more of a butt-kicker like Pipeline just to discourage dog-walkers and the like from enjoying this nice park as much as the disc golfers.

There are straight holes, doglegs, ace runs, etc. This is a moderately wooded course mostly, with fairways exceedingly fair and spacious but still challenging, The longer the hole, the more you can safely air it out with the fairway width ratios being consistent and logical. Hole 11 as an example is terrific with being a hole you can be wildly ambitious with distance drivers etc but you might be better off playing set-up with a midrange. Like I said, choose your own adventure.

Not a whole lot. Like I said, the epic, "turn it up to eleven" factor isn't really in play except for versatile hole 11 and the pretty scary holes of 14 and 17 with their retention ponds of OB and narrow landing zones.

The tee signs are a bit outdated and a little confusing. For example, the long tees are labeled White and the short tees are Gold which should be the other way around. For their faults they are still pretty informative.

It's a nice park to walk around so be ready to hold fire occasionally for dog walkers, joggers and children playing in the creek.

Hole 16 tees over a bridge. I'm guessing this was Russell's contribution. : |

There is spray painted OB lines and transition lines in a lot of places. Functionally this is great. Aesthetically, it looks kind of trashy.

This is definitely on the very shortlist of courses I have to return to when I'm down this way. It's a blast to play, it's well-designed so when you have a bad round you just have yourself to blame and it doesn't wear you out much. It's a very polished, well-defined course that is a great example of disc golf. This is a great course to initiate into disc golf not b/c it's easy but b/c it's legit. No amateur hour here, just high quality golf so dispel your notions of beach frisbees and hippies reeking of patchouli.

Traveling for the holidays - we are two distinctly different players - course sets up very nicely for both. Long tees provide solid pro test and short tees provide good play for shorter thrower.

For visiting player, signage / tees /maintenance/ course amenities are solid. Excellent facility - clean restroom. Weekday morning in November mostly empty, no problems with other park users.

Some beautiful throws - enjoyed the course - well worth the trip from the highway for a round when traveling.

Great use of elevation. 2 sets of tee pads.
2020: Parks added extra baskets so now you have a yellow basket and red basket option on some of the holes. Challenging layout.
From longs, this is the toughest layout to par in the upstate. Even par is a solid round and anything under par is a bonus. From all shorts its a birdie fest easily 8 throws easier if not more. Mix up the tee pads and you have a layout that works for any skill level. Recently parks installed red baskets so some of the holes have two baskets installed which adds to the enjoyment.
Having multiple soccer fields makes fieldwork an option and gives you a good place to warm up.

People use this course a lot for not playing disc golf. Dogs, kids on bikes, strollers, and many other obstacles can be aggravating during a nice weekend afternoon.

The tree gods can be very unforgiving. I would say it's impossible to not hit a tree. Even keeping your ego in check and playing a safe route is somehow still challenging. This area has 4 must play courses: Shoally Creek, Holston, Pipeline, and Tyger River. How did I get so lucky to pick up disc golf here?

Great layout with LOTS of variation in shots required. Great use of trees and elevation. A true design with the disc golfer and the flight of the disc in mind! Excellent tees, signage, and baskets. Good risk/reward opportunities. Easy to navigate.

Needs benches badly. Did not see facilities but only played passing through so I might have missed them. #7 descent is a nightmare when dry. Can't imagine the fun if wet!

Nice park. Well maintained. Definitely recommend making the trip to play this course. Kudos to the designers.

- Great mix of open and woods shots
- Balanced Risk / Reward options
- Elevation used well to add dynamics to shot selection
- Lots of benches , Tee box signs are nice and professional

- Would have liked to have small next tee signs under the basket on every hole, rather then the large yellow ones on some
- odd transition to 10 long
- basket for 12 very close to fairway for 11
- unclear on the intended play for hole 2 from back tee

I was traveling through town on Friday and I though I would give this course a try. I was not disappointed!

From the back tees, holes that stood out to me:
5: Nice uphill long dog leg left,very fun.
7: Back down the hill, very straight. Good chance to throw a thumber.
11: another down hill, but with more room to work and longer. Will come back to play this one.
14: Wicked pin placement on the edge of a retention pond with the creek on the downslope after the pin.

Even solo I had a great time here, and would really love to come back and play with some of the locals. The love of their course is evident in how well maintained and clean it is.

Great course with lots of elevation change. Nice play through trees. Some holes you can rip it off the tee while others require a little more finesse.

The two holes with nearby water hazards ate my disc.

Close to so will play often.

So, I have played this course 2 times since its redesign and I must say that the second was far superior to the first. I initially was quite upset about the changes to the back but after playing the 90% finished product that has changed completely.

The first item I want to point out is that I only played from the longs and prob wont play shorts again because the long layout was just that much fun.

Hole 2- the new long tee has a well manicured path to it, and a defined fairway(mowed,with tall grass on left and right.) this is a bomb and a really fun shot. Par was taken by me.

Hole 6- FINALLY!!!! the long tee is finally enjoyable. there is enough room to try and float one down the fairway with enough height to go for the birdie 3. Thank you for this! (Par)

Hole 10- The other original par 4 hole is slightly better. the tee shot is still very tight, but the new pin position is a little more forgiving. (Par)

Hole 11- What an awesome par 5. The only true par 5 anywhere in the upstate. ( I took a 7) this hole will challenge anyone. you have to place each of your shots precisely to get a 5 or maybe even a 4.

Hole 12- LOVE THIS. I was so glad they kept the two trees in play on this course. the old 13 long was a good hole, this is a great hole. I was undecided as to which gap to aim for (the lefty hyzer around or the tunnel) I ended up in between. but a great second shot can give the opportunity for a birdie. (my first of the day)

Hole 13- This hole is deceptively challenging. I thought it would be a nice easy lefty hyzer around the gap but i left it short. and flubbed my upshot,(BOGEY)

Hole 18- Another challenging par 4. this can be pretty forgiving but a 5 looms if you dont hit the first or second shots right. (Par)

The only reason I did not give this course a 4.5 is because there was limited signage and no Tee pads on 14. Signs would really help on some of the longer holes and will improve my rating once installed. also, not having a clearly marked tee or teepad for 14 was a small let down. Again, once this is done my rating will go up.

All I can say is this course is my new favorite in the Upstate, and #2 in the State. (Stoney Hill is #1) If you have not played this course since the redesign, or have only played it before they finished the fairways and lines, GO PLAY VA DU MAR! You will not be disappointed.

-Lots of shot variety. You will need your full arsenal of shots here.
-Pro and Amateur tees make it play like 2 different courses. Pro tees aren't just longer they make you play a completely different shot on most holes.
-Family friendly
-Good for any skill level

-No signage or benches for the most part. There is a bench by hole 11 and 15(kind of in-between them) and a picnic table you can chill out on number 8.
-Local schools sometime use this park for cross country practice, so you may have to wait to throw at times. Not a big deal to me but others may not be as patient
-Easy to lose discs on a couple holes. I personally haven't but I have found at least 5 discs there in the retention pond by 17 and 18.
-Construction on some parts of the course

Overall this is my favorite course that I have played in the 6 months or so since I've started. The pro tees definitely bring a challenge where the amateur tees aren't easy by any means but a lot more forgiving on several holes. 12,13,14 are "closed" but like many have said you can still play 12 from the am tees and 14 you just need to make your own tee box. Luckily this is my home course so I get to play it a lot. At least 1-3 times a week.
Once you play it once or twice the lack of signage isn't really an issue either. This wouldn't be the first course I would play if it were my first time out but it really is fun for any skill level. If there were signage and a couple benches here and there it would be just about perfect in my opinion.

*Review is from the longs, although I'll give my two cents on the am tees*

First and most important pro in my book is two sets of concrete tees. Right of the bat, I had an option to play the course two different ways. Fantastic.
-The park wasn't very busy as it appears there still working on making it active in other areas
-Intelligent design, with a variety of shots needed here
-Wooded holes are tight, fair, and some surprisingly forgiving
-Transitions are pretty good here, no next tee signs but with footpaths its fairly obvious
-Variety! You'll get some wooded holes, some open holes, a mix of the two, some holes that will feel woodsy off the tee then open up (I'm pointing the finger at you Hole 13!)
-Water and OB: I absolutely love water and OB, Va du Mar delivers with aplomb due to the creek, mini marsh, and "drainage pond"
-Risk vs reward, if you want that birdie you're going to have to go for it

-Signage is inadequate, but even by myself I didn't struggle to find the nice yellow bands of DISCatchers..pro signage is pretty much nonexistant but this stuff doesn't bother me too much
-Transitions could be a bit tricky/annoying for some, not a problem for me though
-I don't remember any benches next to the tees but I saw some away from the tees

7-8 minutes off of I-85, this course is a must play. I was going into this one expecting something big and it delivered. You get everything here, woods, long bombs, water/ob, ace runs, tunnel shots, etc. Like I said before, if you want that birdie you HAVE to go for it, shining example is 17 from the longs. You'll have the draining pond muck mud crap all along your left and creek to the right, theres really no option for a layup. I won't beat a dead horse by going into a hole by hole analysis but this course is extremely well rounded and an excellent example of a well designed, and most importantly fun, disc golf course.

-Excellent tee pads. Each hole had a pro and am tee.

-Great Innova DISCatcher Baskets set up very well.

-Variety of shots required here. Many tight wooded lines, right-to-left shots, left-to-right shots, and overhand.

-This course forces you to concentrate and hit your lines

-There are a few long, open holes which are a welcome break from navigating the tight wooded holes.

-The course has a great flow. It's very easy to navigate your first time there.

-There are a few Ace opportunities, but no gimmes.

-There are a couple of poor transitions. Some baskets you had to walk up to know where it was.

-Poor signage. Most holes had a laminated sheet of paper with the hole # and distance. Some tees had a wooden pole only with no sign or number. Permanent signs would help this course tremendously.

-Still lots of areas with thick thorns and ivy.

-Course located on a fairly busy park with some activities on the course (dog walkers, track runners, etc.)

This course has the most variety of almost any course I have played. No matter what level player you are, you will not be disappointed. Extremely fun and easily accessible from I-85.

Beautiful course. I played and am Reviewing from the longs. Also, there are 2 new hole additions/changes. 2 and 3.
There is a mixture of everything here. Up, down, water carry, precarious pin placements, tight shots and open shots. A thumber came in handy here. Holes 1 and 2 are great open holes. On hole 1 you have the option of going straight for the basket or way around the trees. 2 is a nice open bomb and then down a fence line to a protected basket. 3 is changing and is new. The new hole is a gauntlet with a creek on your left. i really enjoyed the new hole. 4-10 are great classic holes that fairly wind up and down a hard wooded hill sloping down to a creek. 11 is a beautiful LONG bomb down a gas line and over a creek. 11-12 are open shots. 12 is cool, you have to hit a gap right off the tee to a wide open field. 13 is a rear end clinching 340' swamp carry to a pin on a retention ridge. 14-17 play along a creek or retention swamps and put a premium on long distance accuracy. 18 finishes and then you have HOLE 19! An extra hole, who can ask for more. Course is maintained well and I saw almost no trash. The bathrooms are AMAZING, but far away from any part of the course except hole 12-13 Concrete pads are level and dug in.

I can't say much bad about the design of the course. A few places are eroding and need some attention. Hole 6 long tee needs a better route cut and the corner softened. If you ignore the course beauty, you will notice that there are no trash cans or benches for the DG course. There are a few benches for park users near some of the fairways but none at tees. There is no signage for the long pads. The information is on the short pad but it is temporary laminated paper and many are missing. None of these effect DG, just enjoyment level. Pads are 10'. I saw most people having to start behind them for some of the longer throws. They are all mostly sunk in so its not a big problem but 12'er would be better! It started as a cliche joke about each hole being lefty friendly because I was playing with a lefty. It seems like lefty or side arm is the best shot for either fairway curve or because safety is on the right for a majority of the holes; not a big majority, but maybe 10 of the holes depending on how you look at them.

Great course, a must play if you are on your way down Rt85 South. I will drive the 90 miles again to visit. I have 30+ courses closer, but this is in my top 10 that I have played country wide.

Baskets - Double chained Innova DISCatchers!
Concrete Tees - I straight up love me some concrete tee-pads and so do you.
Multiple tees - I played the am tees on the first round. After my first round I gave a shot on the pro pads. The pro pads give this course a whole new variety of shots and shot placements on several of the holes.
Isolation - It was amazing that on a beautiful Saturday morning that there were almost NO other DGers or trail-walkers to be seen (for the most part). It was a great feeling to basically have the whole course to ourselves.
The Variety - There was almost every type of golf shot imaginable on this course from tight tunnels to longer dog-legs to wide open hyzer bombs. Several open holes and several wooded ones and even a little bit of "over the swamp" danger as well as a few OB creek shots came into play.
The Elevation - Most of this course sits on a ridge at the back of the park and they made good use of the elevation in the layout design of this one.
The NEW restrooms - I had to drop off a hot stinky before the round and found the new bathrooms that had just been built. Man, talk about CLEAN. I was impressed. No stinky outhouse like down at Squirrel Lake or Ocala Greenway on this course. You could practically EAT off those floors.... not that you would want to though.
Hole #19 - To make it a great ending to a great course they have this last extra hole that is a "Cubby Ace" for you just waiting to happen. Go ahead and empty the bag on this one; You deserve it.

What? No benches? - I was surprised that not even the Pro pads had at least one bench every couple of holes.... zilch. After traversing over all that elevation, sometimes you just wanna have a seat. Just a personal pet peeve of mine (Now's the time to get that folding tripod stool!).
No signage - I did remember seeing only one sign and that was on the very first hole. Other than that you pretty much had to go take a walk up to look to where the pin was located.
Trash cans - This isnt a major gripe but I remember only seeing 1 trashcan throughout the course. But then again I didnt remember seeing any litter on the ground either.
No practice basket? - Again, not a major gripe but it's always great to work on your putts before starting a round... I guess I am too pampered living in Charlotte where every course has a practice basket near the first tee.
Watch out for the bikers (and the occasional kid running up one of the fairways!) - Even though I felt miles from civilization through most of the round, there was the occasional brief moment of cyclo-cross bikers playing "Tour-de-France" through some of the fairways. Also: I was about to tee-off full force with my Star Valk on one of the holes when (thankfully) at the last second (through my run-up) I stopped because this little girl came running up the fairway from behind a blind spot. Let's just say from the size of her dad that I am glad that my ninja reflexes kicked in and I did not release that disc. How was I gonna explain the fun sport of DG when his little princess is laying there with busted glasses and a broken nose?

Van-Du-Mar Park is a beautiful "family centered" park with multiple ball fields as well as bike trails and a playground area for the little tykes. It has something for the whole family.... Shoot, bring the dog too, just bring a leash when you do.

I met up with DGCR member BennettUA and played the first round off of the am tees with him and his brother. They had to take off but I didnt get enough of this one yet so I met a group of 3 other guys that got there as Bennett was leaving and they were nice enough to let me join there group on the Pro tees. They were helpful and kind and that was the vibe I got off of a few other locals there.

I really enjoyed playing this one and with the addition of tee-signage and some benches on the pro tees with some additional pin placements, this course could definitely be a 4.5 disc rating. The near serenity and isolation of the course being separated from the rest of the park gave me the feeling of playing on a private course. This course just has such an awesome flow to it as well and that makes for a happy round.

To sum it up, if you are in the area, this course is a definite must play!

All concrete tee pads, plenty of length and in great shape, Innova baskets in very good condition. The course page lists it as being 5 years old, but it sure doesn't look it. Tee signs are mostly there (on the am pads), and navigation is no problem, even lacking a map. Nice newer park with plenty of parking and other facilities. When crossing the creek several times, very nice bridges were in place to help you get across. The course, and the park in general, appears to be very well-kept, all grass was mowed, minimal trash, etc.

I am a fan of tighter, more technical holes, so this course really catered to me. Not too many of the holes are very long, but they definitely make up for it in difficulty and/or uniqueness.

This is also one of the very few courses I've seen where the pro tees play COMPLETELY different and more difficult than the am tees. It is almost like two distinct courses.

My memorable holes:
3 - First hole that is really in the woods. A little downhill, tunnel-type shot, and don't go left very far, as the creek and beyond is OB.
5 - Not terribly long, but uphill, sloping from low right to high left. Pin is up on a ledge about a trail that runs across the fairway. Killer roll-aways! One of those holes where the pro and am tees are almost two totally different holes.
7 - Down a steep drop to a clearing. I've played this type of hole before, but this one seemed so easy, yet after three throws, I still hadn't gotten my disc to stay far enough right. Visually stunning hole.
8 - From the am tee this is almost silly short. But don't let the length fool you. Up a short hill then hard right up a narrow path. Creek downhill on your right, slope on your left. All sort of danger on this hole.
11 - One of the few fairly long holes on the course. Plays through a long straight opening in the forest, about 50 feet wide. Start at the top of the hill and the basket is across the creek and up a hill. Be very careful to keep your drive low, or you will be spending some time searching through the trees on the left.
14 - Now this hole is just plain tough. Not all that long, but not too far off the tee you have OB swampy area. The "green" is just behind that, on a berm that runs left/right, and drops of behind the pin about 6 feet down to a clearing. Do you go for the layup on the berm, and risk swamp or dropoff before and after? Or do you risk ridicule from your buddies about laying up before the swamp for an easier upshot?
15 - Over the creek and through the woods...no I won't go there. But if you can stay dry off the tee, you then have to be careful to not get over-zealous in your putting since the pin sits just next to the creek.
17 - Pro tee has to clear a good amount of swampy lowlands, then you are in danger of a creek on the right. But be careful how much you put on your drive, the pin sits lower than the tee and it is easy to over-throw.

There is not much to complain about at this course, other than just a couple minor things.

Several holes seemed kind of similar, just a tunnel-type shot through some trees, 200-250 feet (am tees), but there was definitely enough variety to keep them interesting. A couple of the open holes (2 and 13, notably) were just long throws most of the way, then play a little into the trees at the end.

The only other complaint that I had was walking down the hill to 7's pin from the tees. It was very steep and the soil is a bit loose. There are some rocks/roots strategically placed to help, but I believe a set of steps would work wonders in avoiding potential injuries.

My rating of a 4 is based on the fact that this course is high on my list of courses I've greatly enjoyed. It has some open, but more wooded holes. They are technical in nature, but fair, and not completely punishing if you go a little off. I could stand for some holes to be a bit longer, but in now way did they seem TOO short. I have not enjoyed a course this much (despite the 95 degree heat wave) in a long while. With a couple issues fixed, I think I could rate this course a 4.5

If you are in the vicinity of this area, I highly suggest making the trip. It is well worth a little drive, and being a little shorter than a lot of the championship courses, you could play it a couple times in 3 hours throwing solo.

A beautiful course that forces you to throw lots of different shots. Hyzer, anny, uphill, downhill, long, short- this course has it all. The pin placement is VERY good, with only a few approaches that could be called easy, but always fair.

The course itself is quite beautiful, and utilizes many different geographic elements. Some holes are tunnel shots, some are open-ish, and there's both a creek and a wetland area. You never encounter a boring shot because each hole is different than any before it.

Mostly, it's just really fun. It can be quite punishing from the pro tees, and very demanding not only in terms of distance and accuracy, but also in the combination the two. At the same time there's lots of birdie opportunities and even a few aces runs.

The signage is pretty bad but the flow was pretty natural so navigation isn't a big deal. There definitely needs to be a water fountain because this course gets HOT in the summer.

It would be nice to know what par is. It's not listed on anywhere I've looked. I think a 54 isn't enough. Holes 6, 10, 13 and 15 would all be reasonable 4s from the long position.

If these improve I'll update my score to reflect that. With a few more improvements I could give this course a 4.5.

This course reminded me a lot of Idlewild, and my friend came up with the nickname "Idlewild Lite." I think that's a great analogy, and a great compliment to this course. If you live anywhere nearby it's definitely worth the drive.

There is a nice variety of holes, with a good mix of longer looks and shorter ace-run type shots, as well as a few really cool uphill and downhill holes. The mix between open and wooded leans a little more toward the open end of the spectrum, although trees are potentially in play on every hole.

The use of detention ponds and a creek for OB is excellent, and creates great risk/reward opportunities.

Dual concrete tees are the norm throughout, with only hole 7's short tee being natural, and hole 19 having only one tee. The long tees seem to add considerable challenge to the course. I especially enjoyed the longs for holes 14 and 17.

The baskets are all new DISCatcher Pros. There was a little rust on some of the inner chains, but I'm under the impression that Innova had some issues recently with their supply of chain, and will send out replacements for cases like this.

Some of the pin positions are excellent, with the wooded holes being fair and well guarded, and the open holes having OB to deal with, but with greens not so small to make it seem unfair.

The park is new, and still has that "new park" feel to it. It is clean, and I don't recall seeing a single piece of litter. Obviously there is someone who is taking great care of this course.

None of these are a big deal at all, but they are cons none the less.

The signage is adequate at best, missing in some cases. There are only distances and hole numbers listed for each tee, and the signs seem only to be located at the short tees. Navigation, while very straightforward, could be a small issue if you only wanted to play the long tees, as they would take a little more time looking around for without a post sticking out of the ground to spot.

There are no trashcans or benches out on the course. Again, I don't recall seeing a single piece of litter, so no big deal here.

The course is a little more open than what I typically prefer, so sunscreen is a must for me, and I found myself looking for shade on many of the holes.

There are Port-a-Johns near the first tee, and they sit out in the open under the beaming sun, so you can imagine what that's like. There is also no drinking water currently at the course, so bring plenty, as you are out in the sun a good bit on this course.

There are plenty of stores and restaurants about two miles from the park that you will go right by if you're coming from I-85. (And I would imagine from I-26, also.)

On the whole, Va-Du-Mar is a terrific course, well worth the trip down from the Charlotte area. It doesn't have a lot in the way of amenities, but it is loaded with great golf shots to be made.

Very well designed, new course with unbelievable potential! I was very pleased to find this gem. My friend and I just picked a random course near us and drove an hour to get there. After playing 10 holes, we noticed a sign about Sunday Doubles on one of the tee 'sticks' (not exactly a tee sign) We joined the guys from the Hub City DGC on hole 1 and they welcomed us with open arms. I want to say that those guys were awesome, very nice and friendly. If you get the chance, join them for Sunday Doubles (only $7 and two dollars goes toward making this course better) This course could be a 4.5 or 5 in a few years

Honestly, this course is new and all of the cons that I will list will be taken care of by the Hub City Disc Golf Club. However, the course needs tee signs, needs directional signs, needs trash cans and benches. It would be nice to have a practice basket to putt on near the first tee pad. (In their defense, they have a 19th hole that ends near the first tee pad that could be used for putting)

Shoally Creek is a solid, enjoyable course. More important, it's the same course it was back when it was the much more memorably named Va-Du-Mar.
- I heard people talk about how a lot of work had gone into redesigning this course. Well, in the several years between playing it the first and second time, nothing really changed here. One hole was different and a couple had slight tweaks. That's a major redesign? In Charlotte, that's a typical year for Renny. Or Kilborne. Or Elon. Or Hornets Nest.
- This has a general simple yet not easy layout. There's not a lot of frills here (a positive); not a lot of gimmicky layouts (a positive); not a lot of overthinking of hole designs (a positive); and a reliance on the terrain to create the challenges (a positive). Many courses could learn from being efficient with the terrain. Sometimes a relatively open hole with a few strategically located trees can be just as difficult as one that's heavily wooded. You see that playing out on #14 (a really good hole) and #18.
- Excellent variety of layouts - open holes (#1 & 2); wooded (#9 & 10); elevation factors (#7 & 11); great risk/reward layouts - #13 & 17 - where the risk means landing in a varying degree of swampy water. Holes #13 & 17 also requires you to hit your landing spot on the approach (if laying up) or your tee shot (if you're a big arm). Ending up short is a big no-no; going long leaves a challenging return shot.
- Course does a nice job turning up level of challenge throughout the round. The first four holes are nice warm-up holes. At some point around hole #6 or 7, I realized I should have been more aggressive and tried for birdies rather than be content with making easy pars. As the challenge slowly built throughout the round, I never had any blow up holes so thought I was playing alright. It wasn't until I added up my score at the end did I realize how much over par I shot. Well played Shoally. Well played indeed.
- Nice tee signs and tee pads. I also like that many holes have the bag hangers. The course as a whole has a nice, easy flow to it. Even without a map, a first timer should be able to navigate pretty well.

My biggest gripe is that I'm having to rewrite a review because the local scene erroneously determined the Va-Du-Mar layout needed to be retired. Changing one hole and redesigning small parts of several others is not a course overhaul. I'm more annoyed I can't take the easy way out and copy and paste that review I had for Va-Du-Mar.
- I like everything in concept about hole #11. On paper (tee sign), it looks like it should be an elite signature hole. For some reason, it doesn't quite have that 'something' when it's actually being played. Part of that is from the redesign, which turned this hole into more of a target-to-target layout that can effectively be played only one way. It reminds me of #12 at Nevin (in Charlotte) in that quasi-negative sense.
- Having paths as fairways on several holes (as well as playing over the on a couple others) on the front 9 could be an issue. I saw people walking on the path/fairway on #6 only after I threw my shot. This also makes the fairways on #6 & 8 very narrow.
- There's something about holes #17 & 18 that seem slightly 'off' for me. They don't seem like the best of closing holes - I think I'd enjoy them more at some other point of the round. Also #17 just seems like it misses that 'something' that keeps it from being a great hole. For me, the short tee (209 feet) takes away too much of the challenge; whereas, the long tee (353 feet) means only bigger arms can actually make a run. For people who throw in the 300-foot range, you're left throwing far right, eliminating the entire risk/reward facet.

Va-Du-Mar is a more exciting course name than Shoally Creek. If the park is Va-Du-Mar, why the name change?
- Course has a lot of fun and challenging aspects to it. I like that this course is fair while (mostly) not being overly difficult. There's lots of room to recover if you don't throw a perfect tee shot.
- That said, the holes that consider paths/roads as fairways isn't something I'd expect for a course of this level. Having the road as a fairway for #5, 6 & 8 is such a negative that it takes until hole #11 to wipe the stank off.
- Holes #14 - 16 present a great and fun, three-hole layout. #14 is that awesome risk/reward hole. #15 is top notch in terms of its layout & flow. #16 is your finally chance to be aggressive.
- The course is solidly good, it's just not great. There's nothing wrong with a solid 3.5 rated course. I can put this course on the level of Pipeline, Grand Central or (the first 18 at) Holston Creek. I can say this is a solid, slightly less demanding and great change of pace if you're looking for an above average course in the Upstate.

- Alternate Tee-Pads. It really creates two unique DG experiences. The distance between the two sets of tee-pads is substantial... as reflected by my scores below.
- Quality Shots. Great use of OB, elevation, FAIRways, open space, alternate tees... all around really well thought out.
- Picturesque Shots. If hole 14 was shooting over water instead of a weedy, swampy area, it would be a "calendar" shot... it practically is now. Several other holes are too.
- Great use of OB. The retention pond shots were awesome... they test your ability, disc selection, strategy, and nerve. They're not for everyone and trying to play safe around them isn't a walk in the park either. The creek that runs along several of the holes is used exceptionally well too. You really have to GOLF!

- No Signage! For shots of Va-Du-Mar's caliber, you need signage. I like to know how far holes are, especially long ones. I also like to know the Par, especially on shots where I know it can not be a 3. I also like to know what is and is not OB.
- No Benches.

- EPIC. Now that I replay Va-Du-Mar in my head... this course is Epic. The finishing holes are championship quality, with 14, 15, 16, 17, & 18 all having water in play. Hole 11 (L) is a 500+' bomb with huge elevation, disaster on both sides, and a creek bisecting the fairway. You just don't get to play holes like these very often!
- Short Course. You can really score well on the short tees. By no means are birdies free - plenty of gaps need to be hit, lots of OB needs to be avoided, and shots need to be made - but they're there for the taking.
My Score: -9
- Long Course. The long course seems longer than most other "treed-up" courses, and with OB only 15' away from the most perfect throw a lot of the time, this course is difficult. It is definitely designed for the advanced+ player. There are several unmarked Par 4's (2, 6, 10, 11, 13... at least I hope they're Par 4's). I only had 3 realistic looks at a deuce.
My Score: +9 (using Par 3's) and +4 (using the "Par 4's").
- GPS Directions. The closest houses address to the park entrance is 792 McMillan Blvd.

Great mixture of long drives, finesse drives, vertical changes, woods and clear play. CHALLENGING from the pro tees. Park is basically a big, new and confined playground, and a disc golf course -- PERFECT!

Almost a bit absurd in the challenge level on some pro tees. Swampland really comes into play on some late holes with briar patches galore.

Well designed, pin placement was good but again some of the pro holes were silly difficult.