Pros:
Upward Sports is a massive athletic complex that hosts multiple sports activities. Yet, somehow the disc golf course is cramped around two buildings in the back corner of the campus.
- In and of itself, most holes are perfectly decent. #1 is the most challenging, and best, overall. A 380-footer that plays over a water retention area. From there, the course loses a little luster.
- There are plenty of birdie and ace-run chances throughout. I had birdie putts on #2, 3, 5, 6, and 7, and should have also had a putt on #8 if not for one small branch.
- Along those lines, this is a good beginner-friendly/novice level course. Average hole length is only 265 feet. 5 holes are 215 feet or shorter. If first timers don't throw their first shot of the round (or ever) into the retention pond on #1, they should enjoy the course.
- #4 offers the temptation of ricocheting a shot of the side of the building. If it weren't for the trees hugging the side, skipping a shot of the side would be more inviting.
- #6 is a basic downhill throw: let her sail and watch the disc find its way back towards the basket. The final three holes all offer a decent skill vs luck factor with trees and branches all coming into play. Barring a dumb shot choice, you should be able to salvage a 3 even if you get a bad bounce.
Cons:
There aren't many glaring flaws. One could argue there's more land here to create a better course and/or expand to 18.
- Tee markers should be much better. Even looking at the online map, I had to walk around several times to find the small piece of wood in the ground. The two most difficult were #1 & 9.
- Holes #8 & 9 overlap. If there ever were a crowd and were those players not able to spot other players 100 feet away, then yes, this could be a problem.
- It felt odd playing so close to the corporate office building as you do on #1 & 2. The odds of hitting this building and its glass windows is small. It's weird walking right past tables and exits. This may not be an issue if the course doesn't get much traffic.
- The Upward Star Center website refers to the game as Frisbee Golf. Why???
Other Thoughts:
This is a nice multi-sport facility. It would be impressive seeing how crowded this place gets on weekends when other events/tournaments are occurring. In that case, it's probably a benefit the course is isolated from the rest of the campus.
- The Greenville-Spartanburg area has plenty of excellent 18-hole layouts. This is a nice change of pace for people not yet ready to tackle tougher courses such as Pipeline, Shoally, or Holston Creek. It's also nice to have if you're here for other activities, knowing you could sneak away and play a round in 20 minutes.
- I only pulled out driver on two holes - #1 & 5. The others were short enough for putter/mid-range or required something a little more strategic.
- Respect the course and the facility when playing here. Check in at the desk. There's no excuse not to because multiple tee markers remind players to do so.
- #7 - 9 makes a fun little loop to play time and again. You want to practice accuracy, or get a cubby ace, just keep playing this three-hole stretch for a while.
- Overall, Upward Sports is a nice nine-hole course. You won't be wowed here, but if you're reading this, the course probably isn't aimed at your skill level. It gets a 2.0 rating for being a slightly above average layout.