This is a very challenging course with tons of natural beauty. The course is quite long from the Blue tees with many challenging carries over the two lakes used for water skiing and wakeboarding.

While the $5 fee is pretty insignificant, the value of the discs you could easily lose would add up very quickly.

If you are a disc golfer, beginner or advanced, this is a course you should check out as it will challenge you and make you a better player.

The lakes, of course. A couple of waterski lakes---this property is a competition waterski facility---come into play on 13 of the 18 holes.

The designers use the lakes more creatively than the standard, water-along-one-side-of-fairway, or tee-over-water-to-basket-on-other-side, that you frequently see. On a couple of holes water runs from 200' to 350' from the tee, so you must decide whether to wimp out and lay up, or risk your disc in attempt to carry the water---and they're not wide open, so you've got trees to factor into your decision. One is relatively short over water, except there's an island with dense, tall trees right in the line-of-play, so you must get around it and pray you don't hit it. Others approach water at interesting angles or have trees on the far side, meaning you must do more than clear the water, you must land in a favorable spot on the other side. A couple of holes have baskets very close to O.B. water, forcing a gut-check before driving or approaching or putting.

Beyond the water---it's a long and challenging course from the blue tees. Completely level, with tall trees and limited underbrush, and lots of difficult angles to hit. You don't spend much time searching for discs, either; they're either in the lake and lost, or easily found.

Even with the length (7500' from the blues), a duffer like me (900 rated, 280' arm) can have a terrific time.

As a private course, your $5 buys you a day of uncrowded fairways and no hassles sharing the course with the general public.

Most of the teepads are dirt, and subject to holding water, or at least mud, after a rain. A couple of fairways too tight for my taste---otherwise this is 4 1/2 stars.

Anyone driving less than about 260' should avoid a couple of the blue tees, due to mandatory water carries.

This course is constantly evolving, and improving, such that some of the earlier reviews are out of date. The track-hoe and tall mound are gone, as is the below-grade tee on hole 8.

One basket is buried to its rim. Definitely unique, I find it a "pro" but some may think it a "con". You wouldn't want to see a lot of this kind of thing, but as a one-time challenge, it's fun.

good variety of shots (including a basket on a hill and another buried to the rim), challenging at any level of skill, great lay-out, super fun. red tees offer a challenge to beginners without being overly difficult while the blue tees will give any player a test.

LOTS of water makes it tough for beginners (bring a dragon/hydra and prepare to swim), 5 bucks to play can be a serious bummer when things are tight. can be pretty swampy after a heavy rain, making a few run-ups unusable.

A definite pleasure to play, Trophy lakes offers a great course with a nice pro-shop with a friendly staff. Be prepared to maybe lose a disc or two or at least have to swim after one, The pro shop periodically calls about found discs, so keep your cell # updated on the back of all your plastic.

The best course in the Charleston area, and it's not even close. It's a fun &, challenging course.
-The course has a good mix of difficult holes and easier holes. Plenty of birdie chances, but all risk for higher scores, or worse - lost discs.
- Front nine is easier. Most holes are shorter, there's less water in play, and more birdie chances. Back nine is really going to challenge you.
- I love the variety of ways the water comes into play. On some holes (#6, #10 short, #11 short, etc) you're teeing off from the edge, so the water shouldn't come into play too much here. Other holes, the basket is near water, so you can control how close you want to get. And others involve longer distances to clear the water (#11 & 12 long.)
- Great risk/reward factor. You can be aggressive throwing over/near water. Or you can play it safe, lay-up, throw around water.
- Dual tee pads. Every holes except #13 (the hole w/ the basket in the ground) has a long & short tee. Many of the dual tee pads present different looks.
- Course is easy to navigate, especially w/ maps. Just about every hole has a next tee sign. Each hole has colored tee signs w/ hole numbers. Tee pads are long, plenty of room for a run-up.
- Great pro shop. Guys in there are disc golfers, so they can give good advice about the course. Great selection of discs, both new and used.

Wind & water make a dangerous combination. Being on water, and close to the beach, wind is always a factor. On several holes, you're throwing from behind trees where it's calm, or wind is blowing one direction, only to wind blowing stronger or a different direction once the disc is out in the open.
- Be prepared for the chance to lose a disc. As stated above, even a good shot can easily be blown off course.
- On several water holes (#10 & 11), you have to be able to throw tee shot 350+ to clear water from long pins. If you can't throw that far, you have to lay up with a 200 ft shot, which basically leaves you by the short tee pad. My thought is to just throw from the short tee pad. Why take the chance of throwing your lay-up too long into the water when you're just trying to get near the shorter tee?
- No elevation factor here. Umm, it's the coast, so you know that going in.

The course has improved a lot over the past several years. All of the changes are for the better. I really like the added difficulty to the longer layout. 8 holes are more than 500 feet, including #14 at 1000+ feet.
- One of the best touches about the course is their lost & found policy. They post a list of all the discs they retrieve from the water on their website, so anyone can see if their lost disc is found. If the disc isn't claimed after a month they'll sell it. Seems like a lot of work, but it's a great way to please the DGers.
- #13 is a love-it or hate-it hole. The basket is buried in the ground, which allows you to roll or skim the disc into the hole. It's a unique layout, but some people are going to use the "gimmick" tag. Personally, I think it's a fun change of pace, and I like it more than hanging baskets.
- Baskets on several holes are near water. On those holes, not a bad idea to have someone playing defense between the basket and water in case your disc flies or rolls past the hole.
- Two holes stand out to me above the rest - #6 & #16. On #6, you're either throwing over the water, or from the edge of the water, depending on which tee you're playing. After the tee shot, the water should be out of play, as you throw to a hole surrounded by trees. #16 is a solid longer hole (450/660), which doesn't involve water at all. It'd fit in at any course, anywhere. #15 is also a fun hole from both layouts.
- It's worth the $5 a day to play here. You might as well plan for a couple rounds, and really get your money's worth.
- This is a must-play for everyone in the region. They do a great job taking care of the course.

Well laid out! Different strokes for different folks, from the basket on the hill to the buried basket.

Better ground keepers is a must. I have gone out there and played in chest high grass.

Water, I hope you are comfortable losing a couple of discs.

Unique challenges, water, length

Trophy Lakes is definitely one of the most fun and interesting courses I've ever played. Thanks to its length and prevalent water, this course would be challenging enough. But the designers here have really spiced things up with holes requiring driving through the arched arm of a large backhoe, a half-buried basket, depressed tee areas, and pins on the top of large, steep piles of dirt and rubble. It all adds up to a unique and truly entertaining disc golf experience.

Even with all those interesting challenges, the dominating feature at Trophy Lakes is water. And unlike my other favorite water course, Cliff Stephens in Florida, Trophy Lakes is exceptionally long - so you really have to consider your layup possibilities on some of the holes, when it's 600 feet and the water takes up 180 feet 240 feet into the hole. Even the shorter water hole was 281 feet, but with an inaccessible island right in the middle of the drive, requiring a 240-foot hook shot to clear the water and island from the tee. And that hole with the drive that must shoot the arch of the backhoe and then be putted to the top of a steep rubble and dirt pile that is maybe 15 feet high, well you just have to play it to believe it.

And as I've written, Trophy Lakes is long. Maybe not the longest course I've played (playing the pro tees to the far placements at Patapsco and Loriella would be comparable if not longer), but one of the longest. And with the length and many diverse challenges, I'd say if 54 is the usual par on courses, then 72 is comparable for this course - I can't imagine even the best pro could break 60 from the blue tees out here. So bring $5.00, your walking shoes, and a few spare drivers to sacrifice to the lakes, and try out Trophy Lakes, because it's well worth the effort.

Favorite Hole - #14 - Makeable but tough shot over water and around an inaccessible island in the middle.