Great wooded course, with variety.
Plays to all types of throwers.
Shady enough so you don't get too hot.
Good signage, and not to difficult to navagate.
Well kept, it is obvious that the people who groom this course care very much.
Very pretty course (although all the courses in this area can say that)

A bit of a tough walk.
Make sure you bring water.
A bit out of the way, not much around
Really not much negative about this course

A must if you are in this area, it took time out of a weekend trip to Tahoe, it was 100% worth the drive.

- Jaw dropping beauty, you must not forget to stop and look around while playing this course.
- You can get the course to yourself: fairly uncrowded, even in Summer.
- Plenty of elevation shots.
- Every kind of shot in the bag is required: huge turnovers, long-distance hyzer-flips, forehand, backhand, etc.
- Benches at every hole!!
- Trashcans fairly present: At holes 1, 4, 10, 13, and in the campground.
- Bathrooms at the campground, port-o-potty at hole 1.
- Teepads are more than sufficient: rubber and large, minimally lumpy, sit in a wooden frame.
- At least one legitimate par 5
- A few "must get" birdie-able holes (shorter par 3s)
- A creek runs through the course: flows most of the year, and perhaps year around depending on snow pack the winter prior.)
- There are freaking hot springs near by, but you must pay $10 to enter.
- Just an absurdly fun course.

- Fairly isolated, unless you live in one of the 3 nearby towns, you're gonna have to go on a trip to get here.
- The sagebrush: you're gonna have to look around for your disc on some of the holes, though this problem isn't nearly as bad as some other high desert courses.
- There is no shopping near by: pack all your drinks and snacks ahead.
- It is somewhat rocky, but again, no where near as rocky as some other courses out there. I personally don't find the rocks an issue.
- There could be some more tightly wooded fairways, but there is still more than enough challenge to hit your line.
- The scenery can be somewhat repetitive, but there is still plenty of variety (small meadows, elevation, creek can come into play, etc.)

I personally think this is in the TOP TWO of Sierra courses. There is one other out there that I'll let you do the searching for, it's relatively new, and nothing short of mind blowing.

But anyway, the reason I love this course so much is two-fold: it is so beautiful and so much fun. If you aren't playing up to your desired level, stop and take a look around with a nice deep breath: now that's living! The surrounding mountains and ridge-lines are some of the most serene the Sierras have to offer. The environment is also rather uncommon. It is a mix of high desert brush and mature pine trees, a combination which isn't rare per se, but the amount of pine trees here is higher than what you'd normally see in that ecosystem.

I will have to admit, a lot of the lines you have to hit are fairly generous in their spacing. There aren't really any super-tight wooded shots like you would see in other areas and I'm OK with that. Why? Because many of the shots still require PLENTY of power to land the birdie-two. Take hole 6 for instance: it requires lacing between two main guardian trees about 150' from the teepad, but you still have another 250' or so to get to the basket after that, so it requires about 400' power to get there (in the long position.) If you're one to just play for par, you may find this somewhat boring, but smashing one, having it slowly flip up, hitting that line, and having a look at two on that hole is one of the funnest things about disc golf to me. There are at least four holes that are "must get" birdie-twos if you're that kind of player (Holes 2, 3, 8, 10, 15 or 16 come to mind.) They are mostly open, minor shot-shaping holes with the basket in plain site less than 300' away (depending on pin position.) On the other hand there are several holes that are well over 400'. Some are fairly open, some are not: particularly hole 11, a 700'+ hole that has a fairway that seems to bottleneck the further you go down a dogleg left. This hole will majorly punish you if drill a tree and kick in the wrong direction, as it is one of the most densely wooded parts of the course. Be prepared for a big number on this hole.

To be clear, if you have someway, somehow mastered the slow, gentle turnover shot that lands flat, the single hardest shot to master in disc golf (regardless of throwing style) this course will do what it can to pay off. At times, depending on the pin position, the course basically flips you the bird and sees what you can do to land a 3, let alone 2. High caliber flex shots can be rewarded.

Reading the signs and seeing what they call a 3 on some of the holes borders on absurd (to me.)

Hole 13 deep right is a par 3 and man, you better flip up dead straight for a while, have it *slowly* continue to hold the turn, and then hit the upshot from there.

I'm not as good as I thought after playing this course when it's in a bad mood (trust me, if she's windy and in long pins, even the elite would get frustrated.) It can whip your ego into shape real quick if it wants.

Championship level stuff out there depending on layout.

Anyways, the course wraps up with the final holes giving you some more room to absolutely smash your furthest flying discs, as the fairways open up, but sit in that 450'-600'+ range. 18 is uphill with plenty of room but clear road OB.

If this course had a little more variety in scenery, and one or two more holes that were in that "super-tight" fairway class, I would seriously consider this a 5-star course. It's that good. The designers and locals could not have done a better job. Thank you guys.

So, if you are a hyzer-flip wizard with both 400'+ power and a big forehand, you will do great here. But with that skill set you should play pro! As for me, I get more than my fill of wooded line-hitting shots on this course. I get to smash drives with 100% power, and potentially get rewarded for doing so. I get to hit big lines through woods. I get to breathe in the fresh Sierra air, and hear that Sierra breeze which creates that distinct hum among the pines.

This course is an island unto itself. It is my get away, a home away from home. Immensely recommended.

Good tees and signs. It was easy to navigate the first time I played it. All the baskets have flags, and with the exception of the par 5 777 foot hole, you can see the baskets from the tee pads. Great combination of shots. Good use of terrain. There's some relatively wide open shots and some tight tunnel shots. Long and short holes. Course maps with scorecards were available.

The ground is covered with rocks. If you get off of the trails it is easy to turn an ankle. The baskets are older DG baskets Mach 3, I think. It is not a good afternoon summer course as there is not much relief from the heat.

If you can hit your lines you will score well here. I was able to finish at 3 down with a bogey on the par 5 hole. I like the fact that you can rent a camping site in the middle of this course and from your site you can go into the woods and start playing. With the new freeway extension in Carson City this course got a little closer about 45-60 minuted drive from Reno.

I played two rounds today after being told by a friend that it was worth a visit...and it was.

Kudos to the designer and locals who maintain the course; it's a little gem that shines from the obvious TLC put into it.

-Every tee had benches, poles to hang bags on, clear signage, and cool metal turtle sculpture.

-Well groomed paths along the fairways and between holes.

-Helpful directional signs to direct newbies to the next hole.

-Good balance of long/short shots, uphill/downhill shots, open/technical shots.

-The ground cover of volcanic rock bangs up your drivers.

-Very quiet the day I played. Like just me during 4 hours of play on a Thurs. afternoon. Would have been great to run into some locals to play with and learn their lines.

Definitely worth a visit, and definitely going to return with my own friends to play some rounds. Nice course, and nicely maintained!

-- Idyllic mountain setting
-- Well laid out
-- Holes easy to find
-- Camping nearby, some free

-- Um, 600 miles from my house?

This is a wonderful course that you can tell is lovingly tended. Each tee box has a metal turtle from which to hang your bag, each turtle has a different cute little hat.Tee pads are uniform. Each has a broom. A mix of types of holes offers multiple challenges -- elevation change, ample trees, rocks, shrubs. Holes of various lengths. Short holes put a premium on accuracy, Long holes, including a 792' par 5 that winds through the forest, force both accuracy and distance.

beautiful setting, when its not blazing out! good mix of shots around volcanic rock and nice sized trees. right now, feb, the creek is flowing which gives it a nice touch of tranquility unless youre o.b. - plus it's only 20 easy minutes from my house, saw one person today, thats it!

there's not more holes! just playin, but you do have to watch your footing and make a note of where you threw your disc as the rocks are uneven, but not really a con to me.

if playing in summer, go early, or later in the evening, in the winter its perfect! enjoy

Nice course design, excellent tees, good benches, free to play, delicous water to drink, all the emenities you could ask for, no crowds.Campground next door. There are trees to hide under for shade. Good mix of heizer and anheizers. Awesome bag hanging posts. This place rocks! Could easily be rated a 5.

Hot climate, out of the way, hard to get to, no water after you start, tough on allergies for one player, which was a surprise being that it is high desert/meets the pines. Scenery a little repetitive. Hole 13 should be a par 4 on longest setting. requires driving over high mountain pass to get there.

Wear a white shirt, bring lots of water. If you could walk down to tee 9 with a giant water jug and leave it there that may help. Chamber of commerce should run a pvc pipe down to tee 9 and leave a drinking fountain. that would help. If they built a second course in a creek bottom filled with trees, maybe even a 9 hole, that would make Markleeville a DG destination, if it isn't already. This course we drove 2.5 hours each way to play and it was worth it, once.

As I live here and play this course 3+ times a week I feel I might be a little biased. Pros: clean and not crowded. Great design and use of the natural terrain. Lots of challenging shots to nail and a few spots that will punish aggressive putting.

Can't think of any but if pressed, it would be the rocks which make a tough trek sometimes. Wear sturdy shoes for this one.

Hey, a big shout out to Andy Lovell who is tireless in maintaining the course. He is out there all the time emptying the trash cans, clearing brush and rocks and basically busting a** making this one of the best courses out there. If you see him and dewey the dog make sure you give a thanks for the work!

Clean. Everywhere. The tee pads each have their own broom. Baskets are easily seen with new flags. Map at every tee box with distance. Plenty of seating.

Clearly marked signs to next holes and formal paths to the next tee

Holes are challenging but not stupid. You are rewarded for making a good shot and some tree love comes into play at times.

Some good elevation changes - up and down and even some gradual slopes to make the longer holes even longer.

Course can play long if all baskets are set back but it was a good mix.

Campground adjacent to park/course look nice and clean

These are nitpicky:

Shadows make it tough to find discs at times
The course is out of the way and probably requires some planning.

Looking forward to making a weekend trip and camp overnight. Nearby Markleeville has some restaurants and could probably get down to Tahoe for an afternoon round

Navigation - not once did I need to look at the map, as the well-marked paths from basket to next tee were obvious.

Tee area: 4'x10' flat rubber pads framed by wood framed by stone. Tee signs showing all possible pin positions, current position, direction to next tee, and other nearby tees/baskets.

The homogeneous terrain can make for some time-consuming disc searches.

Not much shot-shaping, and very few tight holes - mostly throw straight, with a twinge of mid/late turn/fade, and avoid the few trees nearest the optimal line.

This attractive course sits in a wonderful setting. Gently sloping land, the sandy soil somewhat covered by pine needles/cones, a multitude of rocks (wear firm/hard-bottomed shoes), a vast amount of short shrubbery, and scattered, tall pines, with mountains in the distant background.

As mentioned earlier, the trees are so scattered that there is typically a straight line to the basket (I didn't throw my first moderately turning shot until halfway through the course), nor are there many tight holes (encountered my first one two-thirds). So, you can miss the primary line and suffer little for it, as the recovery will likely be relatively unimpeded - up to you whether you consider this a positive or a negative .


There is some type of elevation change on most holes, predominantly a simple/minor up/downslope, with an up-n-over, or across valley thrown in. The rocks and/or bushes can make any type of run-up on the approach shot problematic.

Favourite hole: Number-9 - one of the steeper downslopes, requiring a right-turn (B-position the day I played) late, needing to miss some of the larger pines on the course, as it is also set near a (quite dry the day I played) creekbed.

A very scenic, well-appointed course, primarily offering modest challenges - except when trying to remember exactly which clump of bushes your disc was last seen flying towards!

Great use of land and elevation
Tee boxes are in great shape
Shot selection is a must
More technicial and less grip and rip type of course
Uphill and downhill shots
Baskets are in great shape
Locals are friendly
Popular course, but you hardly see any other players on the course
Quiet and peaceful location
Benches for relaxing after a few holes
Trash recepticles at holes to keep this looking nice
Donation box at the front for those that like to donate to keep this looking as good as it is

If you make one of those oops kind of shots, you may have to look around to see where it actually landed. There is the potential for rollers or discs that will hide in the bushes. Campers in the area usually don't come into play, but if they aren't always paying attention.
There are a few par 5 holes that are super long, especially the 777 footer. Most holes are not that far.

This is always going to be on my favorite list. It is fun to play and if you can get a camping spot, you will be able to get several rounds in. I will always come back to play this course when in the area.

The course plays through a sprawling park and around a campground. There are no interferences with other park uses as far as I could tell. Mature pines are the main obstacle on the course, they're dense enough to make you really shape some lines but open enough that there are very fair shots. Though there are lots of straight shots, there are plenty of interesting left and right turning shots of various shapes mixed in.

There is some nice elevation here, it's not huge ski hill stuff but it's used really well. There are some tough uphills and a couple fun downhills along with shots that play across the slope with rollaway potential. The alternate pin placements looked like they'd add some nice variety. The course is really well taken care of, with great rubber tees and baskets in good shape. The signage is excellent, with hole layout and distance including a pin position marker, and directional signage where appropriate to find the next tee.

There is some scrubby underbrush, but none of it is tall enough to affect your shot so bad drives aren't really punished here. There's almost always a recovery shot through the pines available. The end of the course is a bit open for my tastes, though for some the chance to throw some shots without worrying about the trees is probably a plus.

Beginners will probably find this course pretty tough, the underbrush isn't terribly punishing but it can hide errant shots, and there is some length. More experienced players will find some nice challenges, and will enjoy the chance to throw some longer driver shots through the trees. I definitely recommend a trip down this way if you're in Tahoe. Make sure to bring sturdy shoes, the ground is rough and rocky throughout.

-Good signage at each hole
-Very serene
-Nice elevation changes
-Excellent scenery
-Uncrowded

-Very rocky (although that could be a pro for some people) which will chew up your discs
-Some spots are really brushy which can make it hard to find discs

A little bit out of the way to get to but well worth the trip.

-Big technical course
-Type of shot changed between holes; the variety was spread out
-Obvious care by local crowd
-Excellent rubber tee pads with signs and brooms
-Easy to navigate
-Will challenge any player (and beat up a beginner!)
-Secluded and serene, quiet
-Informative information board at hole 1
-Practice basket
-Good elevation use (it's very hard to tell what elevation exists in the photos)

-DGA baskets are hard to see from a distance
-Ground terrain not ideal for DG

Turtle Rock is a large scale 18 hole course in the Sierra Nevada in a unique region where the desert meets the forest. With alpine features like tall pine trees and desert fauna like scrub brush and unforgiving rocky terrain, this course was reminiscent of a foothill or So Cal course.

The course itself provides a challenge on every hole, but is not so challenging that it will scare anybody off in your group. Most all of the baskets were relatively easy to find due to accurate current pin locations noted on the tee signs. Without them, the DGA baskets would have been more difficult to make out against the varied landscapes. The golf itself in general required distance with precision on nearly every hole. While in the pictures, some holes just look like a bunch of trees, they all have obvious lines, risk/reward routes, and placement routes to get you there for par. Really, truly excellent golf.

I particularly enjoyed the 'adventure' this course takes you on, as is the case with quite a few of the Tahoe courses. While covering a bit of distance, the foliage does not really change at all throughout the trip, so if you are a 'trees, dust, and rocks' kind of guy, then this is your course. This one essentially works its way clockwise around a (nearly deserted) campground. Bathrooms and water are available at the start and via a short walk at a couple of points on the course. Please note that they are not ON the course so you will have to go out of your way to access them. Bring more than enough water, it is going to be hotter here than you might think. Signs note everything, there are even 'pre-hole' signs verifying that you are on the right path. I liked them and they made me feel special.

We lost a disc on hole 3; a perfectly thrown hyzer shot that should have been right at the pin disappeared forever. We searched for around a half hour and it just wasn't happening. We later discovered that the summer dust up there has an ability to completely disguise a disc that is otherwise in plain sight, so when searching, make sure you search beyond the brush...the disc may just be on the trail covered in a fine layer of dust.

The course was mostly set up long when we played, so it was quite a challenge. I was looking forward to the 'island' shots that appear to be holes 7-10, but the creek was completely dry. The downhill from the water tower was a pretty fun precision shot. The par 5 toward the end of the course seemed a bit gratuitous, but maybe that is just me.

I guess this is one of those situations where all of the 5 star reviews gave me artificially raised expectations of the course, because to be honest I left a little bit disappointed because of that. By all means, a great golf course that is certainly rough around the edges (in a good way), but not quite deserving of being called 'perfect.' The scrub brush and rocks got a little old in the heat and will do a number on all but champ plastic. It's hard to enjoy playing in 90 degree heat when you know its only 75 up at the Lake a short distance away. On the flipside I'm sure it's great to have a course where the season lasts a bit longer.

Nonetheless, I would love to come back in the springtime when I'm sure the place is at it's prime. The care and dedication by the local club is constantly evident, and everywhere. In the middle of summer though, remember that you will not be experiencing the course in it's prime and don't let the inflated rating of the course make you believe something it just won't be. As a local training course this place will turn you into a real disc golfer in no time. As far as planning a trip to the Tahoe area I would make sure to hit this one; 2 rounds here and 2 at Kirkwood will be an long but fulfilling day. It was for us!

Lots of variety in the holes - from straight, technical tree shots to long downhill slopes and everything in between. Each hole is very well maintained. Each hole has a rubber tee pad, a bench, and an accurate map of pin positions. There are clearly marked paths from EVERY pin position on each hole. Most holes have three pin positions and some have four. A few pin positions are changed around every week or so. The course is very clean - there is hardly any trash on the ground and the fairways are clear of loose rock. This course is also very secluded. Most of the time you will be the only one(s) on the course, and the only other people are campers at the nearby campground.

The brush is cleared away from most of the fairways but make sure to keep track of your throw. Recommend a spotter on hole 3.

Turtle Rock is a challenging yet rewarding course that is a blast to play every time you go. It's worth the longer drive for the secluded location, hole variation, and high quality course features.

Turtle Rock is south of Lake Tahoe in the Eastern Sierra Nevada. It has much to recommend it--it is well-tended, has terrific signage and lots of amenities. The tee pads are adequate (rubber), and each comes with its own broom. There are lots of benches--every hole has one, if I remember correctly. Each hole has its own sponsor, and the whole feel of the course is that it is well cared for. In the long position, the holes are very challenging, technical and rugged. It's good to bear in mind that Turtle Rock is around 5500 feet above sea level, causing my Gazelle to fade out more like my Orc does back home in Lexington, KY.

Notwithstanding its obvious level of TLC, I wasn't as thrilled with the course as I expected to be, given its overall rating. Mostly, it just has too little variety--essentially each hole has the same challenges, the same basic looks, with the only differences being slightly up or downhill and hole length, depending on the pin position (A, B, C or D). The entire course is underneath a canopy of pine trees. Besides all the trees, you have sand, sagebrush, pine needles, and rocks, and rocks, and more rocks--so many rocks that it's really hard to walk. From hole to hole, you just change direction a bit, perhaps go uphill or downhill and face more pine trees, sand, rocks, sagebrush and pine needles--to me, a frustrating and rather uninspiring combination to face for all 18 holes. If a hole is long, you just have a long version of the aforementioned. If you don't have a spotter, you'd better watch as carefully as you can exactly where your disc lands. Memorize it as well as possible, because then in getting to your disc you have to look down to keep from twisting your ankle on a rock. There is a creek bed, but the fact of it being dry when I played on August 9 may have removed one of the variety-adding factors. The need to clean the sand off your disc after every throw is tiresome.

Having said all that, I do like Turtle Rock, and if I lived near it I would play it often. The fact of it being well-maintained is no small thing. Navigation is not an issue, but be sure and bring a print-out of the map. A rating of 3.5 may seem low to some, but to me just the lack of essential variation made this the right score for me. I have no fault with the design of the course, which I think is actually pretty good, but the plot of land itself limits the possibilities, which is why I rated it as such.

Accurate tee-signs and pin indicators.
Arrows and tee sign indicators that direct golfers to next holes.
Outstanding serenity, quiet and clean.
Camping on site

Definitely off the beaten path
Bear Country- Signs at hole 1 warn of them.

Extremely well laid out course in the middle of nowhere. Multiple pin positions with accurate indicators that let you know which position it's in. Considering that the course is extremely long, with multiple par 4 and 5's, the footage helps you navigate the course. Just enough elevation to make you alter your drives and upshots. Possibly the best course in the Lake Tahoe area, and that's saying a lot.

The best course conditions I have ever seen. The tee signs are descriptive and clearly state pin positions, and the orange-white-and-green "next hole" navigators stand out extremely well. The teepads are rubber, but there's a broom at every tee if you need to sweep off the dust.

This course has an interesting feature of being both open and technical. A good example of this is hole 11, a seemingly endless 777-foot chunk in the long pin position. While heavily forested, there is a clearly established fairway, and there's enough room between trees to work out a shot should you find yourself off-fairway.

Finally - Turtle Rock. Legend of Zelda fans will understand what I mean here.

Apparently, loose rocks here are an issue of concern. Given the problems that I've seen on other DG courses, if this is the largest issue they have, that says something.

Being in the middle of nowhere, the terrain is rough and amenities are limited. Dust, rocks, and brush will leave their mark on your discs, and you'll want to bring your own water for the back 9.

No smoking allowed on the course (fire hazard), and there's a sheriff's substation next to the first tee.

On a family vacation to the eastern Sierra, I figured we'd drop by and play a round just to see how it was.

Holy smokes.

I was met with a challenging, immaculate, pristine disc golf course that we pretty much had to ourselves. Two-and-a-half hours of hiking and throwing later, I had completed one of the most satisfying rounds I'd ever played.

While it is a ways from anything, Turtle Rock's rural location gives it tons of advantages. Theft and vandalism are nonexistent. Chuckers etc. are completely out of the picture, as almost everyone who hoofs it out here has a serious intent of playing. This is a seriously good disc golf course with serious players only - a disc golf haven, or heaven if you will.

At the kiosk before hole 1, visitors are encouraged to "feed the turtle" to help with course maintenance. I donated before the round, and again afterwards, because this course deserves it. I give it my highest recommendation, and would love to play it again if the chance comes up.

This course is a large course with several par 4s and a par 5.

Creek wonders through and is in play on several holes.

It has a good mix of tech shots and long drives that will challenge most players.

Located in scenic Alpine County.

Rocky terrain that will chew up discs so use premium plasic.

Rocky terrain is also tough to walk around on so hiking boots would be recommended.

If you get a chance to play this course, do it! You will not be disappointed. There is a great campground there at the course and Grover Hot springs are just down the road. This course is well maintained by locals and there are multiple pins for all holes.

Turtle Rock Park is located in the beautiful Sierra Nevada's and is without a doubt one of my favorite courses. It's a little out of the way but well worth the drive. A must play if in the area, and if needed there is a campground nearby. A kiosk next to the 1st tee provides course info and scorecards. Also there is a practice basket, a bathroom, and drinking water. You tee off from nice rubber pads and there are brooms at each hole to keep em' clean. 3 pin placements for every hole, and the best signage I've seen on a course yet! For 1st timers to the course its damn near impossible to get lost. There are white markers and well groomed paths to the next tee from almost all pin positions. In 5 trips here I've only come across a hand full of other disc golfers, so it's never crowded. There is a great use of elevation and length, and the trees will force you to shape and throw many different types of shots.

I really have nothing negative to say. The only thing I can think of is there always seems to be some local Sheriffs parked at the building next to the 1st tee. It must be a Sheriff sub-station or something. They have never bothered me, but I'd imagine it might put off some of my fellow disc golfers. Also due to the elevation this place is seasonal.

I highly recommend everyone play this course at least once. My hats off to everyone involved in the making and maintaining of the Turtle. I only wish I lived closer so I could play here more often.