Pros:
Scorpion is one of the most enjoyable courses I have played in quite a while. Established in 2023, it reminds me of an old-school woods course with the benefit of modern design ideas. If I lived nearby I would play here all the time. Fun, well designed, challenging, fair, and suitable for most disc golfers. Two thumbs up!
Hole lengths average around 250' and range from 140' to 462'. Consequently, the challenge lies in hitting gaps, shaping lines, and occasionally executing creative recovery shots. Most holes are par 3, but there are three short two-shot holes, each with a sharp dogleg and tricky landing zone.
Lots of variety in fairway shapes, including hard right and left turns, tight mandos, and subtle variations on straight. Underbrush was well cleared, I had no difficulty finding errant throws in February. The consistent shade would probably be appreciated during hot Texas summers.
Fabulous amenities. Big, gorgeous turf tee pads, raised but not dangerously so. Red-banded and red-caged Black Hole Portal baskets mounted level and fairly easy to spot in the woods. Tee signs were color coded by course and include a hole map, plus par and distance to each tee position (but see cons). Benches and trash cans throughout the course. Multiple bridges to cross gullies.
Navigation was seriously world class. Course map at the first tee. An amazing abundance of "next tee" signs, color-coded to avoid confusion with signs for the Roadrunner course. I wish more courses put this amount of thought and effort into navigation.
The owner and everyone I met at The Hideaway could not possibly have been nicer or more hospitable.
Cons:
I found myself wishing for more elevation. A few holes have gentle slopes but overall the land is fairly flat. Disclaimer: I live in a hilly part of the world so I am probably spoiled.
I love short woods courses, but I would have loved to see a couple of two-shot holes that did not rely on sharp doglegs.
Course can get muddy in spots after heavy rain. I can hear everyone saying, "Duh", but hear me out. This is that special sticky Texas mud that doesn't even feel like you are walking through mud until you notice that you have grown two inches taller and your shoes weigh 10 pounds each. A minor con, but consider yourselves warned.
I wish the tee signs included an indicator showing the current basket position, since there are two pin positions on each hole. UDisc seemed to have the correct positions when I played.
Other Thoughts:
The Hideaway is an excellent disc golf destination, with two outstanding courses on site, a restaurant serving very good burgers and drinks, discs for sale, a clean indoor bathroom, and extremely welcoming hosts. Highly recommended by me!
I particularly appreciated the efforts to help first-time players navigate two intertwined courses without confusion. For clarity the baskets, tee signs, "next tee" signs, and even the tee pads were either color-coded or constructed from different materials. Very nicely done.
The Scorpion is the shorter and more wooded of the two courses on site. I had a slight preference for Scorpion, but others may prefer the longer and more varied Roadrunner course. Different strokes for different folks.
I debated between a rating of 3.5 or 4.0. Compared to other courses I have rated 4.0, I felt that Scorpion fell just shy. But if you enjoy short, technical courses as I do, you may have a 4.0 level of enjoyment here.
$10 to play both courses for the day, as of February 2025. Well worth it imo.