A blast after and epic hike
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: I'm going to start by saying that I love short courses with tricky fairways. This course was incredibly fun to me.
Going to say -- my review is biased. I played this course on my birthday and it was my girlfriend's first ever time playing disc golf and now she loves it.
I felt that this course had a solid risk versus reward aspect. Depending on the route you take a shot can be rewarded with a drop-in birdie or you could get an errant tree kick.
The elevation was used very well in my opinion. There were uphill, downhill and side-hill shots. Opportunities to throw tree lines or down narrow fairways.
Cons: Course Design:
It was a bit confusing finding hole #1, but after getting your bearings its not that difficult to follow.
Not Super Challenging:
Hey, not every course has to be a huge challenge. I enjoyed the opportunity to get lots of birdies and a few ace runs.
No Benches:
Would be nice to have some opportunities to sit down.
Other Thoughts: If you are a disc golfer it is 100% worth a trip to play this course and hike cloudland canyon park.
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
Vanilla
12 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: A nice little rec-level course with a touch of elevations and appropriate smatterings of trees.
-Amenities: Concrete tees. DISCatchers. Signage with slightly helpful maps.
-Navigation: Pretty straightforward to play. Most tees are visible from the previous basket, with minimal meandering transitions.
-Rec-Friendly: Generally open spaces with sparse trees and woods lines to create some interest without making it difficult at all. The shorter distance makes this new-player friendly, which I guess is what the designer was going for in a state park.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: An acceptable mid-level course. As noted above, mostly open, but there are quite a few low ceilings, pocket greens, and shrubbery clusters blocking baskets. (15)-(17) also provide a wooded trio needing slightly more precise fairway hits. Some mild elevation change comes into play on a few holes. Other than a couple of left-turning holes, I don't think the course favors BH or FH, being pretty flexible. All in all, it's a basic course with a little bit of interest, but nothing particularly good.
Cons: Some issues of design that has gotten out of control, but otherwise it's just very underachieving.
-Course Growth: A couple of holes would originally have been good, but have since become weird due to the continued growth of trees. Hole (4)'s basket is too defended and requires a silly spike hyzer. Hole (6) has grown in and made it a very difficult low-ceiling bullet of a shot. Hole (8) is also much more challenging than it once was. The major culprit is hole (9). Once this might have been a nice hole, but now leftward motion forced by grown-up trees is far too great for its length, and it's truly ridiculous. These aren't "design" issues as in bad ideas from the designer, but I'm sure he would never in a million years plan out these holes the same way given the current foliage situation.
-Bleh Factor: Not much exciting going on here. No stunning beauty or fun lines that will make an experienced golfer have an aha moment. Maybe a couple of the last ones will be fun putter runs with rock formations, but that's about it.
-Cloudland Canyon: When I first saw that this park had a disc golf course, I was thrilled. Crazy elevation perhaps? Great views? Nope. None. Perhaps the air feels slightly crisper being on top of a ridge, but otherwise there is zero appeal to being in this state park for disc golf.
-Pay to Play: In fact, being in a state park is a con, as you'll have to pay to park. Perhaps there's also a fee for disc golf? I can't remember. Shows you how memorable a course this is.
Other Thoughts: This is a squarely typical course with a touch of foliage and variety. No, it's not a bad course, but it's thoroughly unspectacular. Not worth getting behind the paywall for me, but GA state park aficionados could get some use out of it.
12 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Fun little mountaintop course
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This mountaintop course is a bit on the older side, but well maintained and for the space pretty well laid out.
The pay works out to about $5 per person, so pretty typical for a parks department course. The baskets are Innova ones that while not new have decent balance and no breakage.
Good large concrete pads in good repair.
The mix of wooded and open and elevation along with some of the holes that can go off the side of mountain add to a beautiful and moderate course.
Cons: It's pretty short and only intermediate and lower players will shoot over par.
No trash cans after that parking lot, and only two benches the whole time, so not ideal in that case.
Some of the holes are not represented will on the mainly good signs.
Other Thoughts: I wouldn't drive the two hours just to play it. But as an amenity by the campground and hiking trails it's a great addiction.
You can buy Cloudland stamped discs in the ranger station as well.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
The Ultimate Recreational Course.
14 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: (2.587 Rating) A Flat Mountain Top Course
- RECREATIONAL FRIENDLY - At 4,685 feet, and with simple obstacles, newer thru recreation players will love this course. There are a couple longer holes, to test and encourage the development of a bigger arm. There are a few short technical plays to test and encourage the development of greater accuracy. The hazards are minimal with just a few areas with moderate overgrowth.
- TEES - 18 large concrete tees that are 6 feet wide by 12 feet long. It was great not having to stand from off the tee for a change.
- CHARACTER - In addition to nice tees the overall amenities were about average or a touch above. A great shelter with picnic table next to tee (1). Seating is at a few holes spaced along the layout. The baskets were in great condition. Nice hole signage and a community board. As for things to add? An additional set of back tees are most warranted.
- QUICK PLAY - Plays really quick for an 18 hole course. I completed my round solo in 50 minutes. Figure a group of 4 should be in and out in an hour and a half.
- NAVIGATION - Adequate. I forgot to download and print a map before arriving. Normally not an issue for most courses but I lost cell phone service. Even with this conundrum, figuring out the layout isn't terribly difficult and I spent no more than 5 minutes doing recon. The course is mostly open and the next tees are often in view from the prior basket. Regardless, I would still advise printing or download the map before arriving.
- MAINTENANCE - The course grounds were in marvelous shape during my round.
- RAW BEAUTY - I gave Cloudland an above average score (3.0/5.0). Unfortunately however, the course is located in one of the blandest portions of this stunningly beautiful park. The State Park is 3,500 square acres (4.5 sq miles), and it's 98% wooded. Yet on this course layout, there's only one fully wooded tunnel shot, hole (16). The vista views are very much subdued or non-existent in this portion of the park as well. No water features in play or to look at. There are a few minor rock elements that the course plays through but I came in here expecting to see a whole lot more it.
- THE REST OF THE PARK - If you enjoy hiking in addition to disc golf, this is the place to go. There are two highly photogenic 50 foot water fall hikes in the park. There are amazing vistas of the canyon. There are hiking trails all over the place. There are cabins and camping locations as well. Cloudland Canyon State Park is one of the few places I've been where my enjoyment of the rest of the park exceeded my disc golf experience.
Cons: No major flaws with Cloudland, but it could have been so much more.
- UNIQUENESS - Cloudland has way too many open shots and it very much impacted my experience of the course. The course is an all par 3 layout with holes ranging from roughly 350 to 200 feet in length. 16 of the 18 holes are straight or veer by less than 10 degrees. The only exceptions are holes (7) and (8) which are back to back 90 degree left benders. In addition, no water is in play and as for elevation... see below.
- SURPRISING LACK OF ELEVATION - For being on top of a mountain, I had assumed there would have been some 50 plus down shots or perhaps even a "top of the world" shot. Nope, not one hole on this layout varies by more than 30 feet. A few holes in the beginning (2) (3) and (4), shoot over a shallow valley but they all pretty much start and end at the same elevation which lessons the elevation's impact . Hole (7) and (8) were the only decent down shots but they are both 90 degree benders where you can't admire your glorious run at the basket. My favorite elevation shot was on (17) where the 25 to 30 foot up shot starts in a framed tunnel and opens up at the very end.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - The difficulty here is underwhelming to say the least. I'm an intermediate level player and I threw 6 down on first attempt. Advanced players should be able to flirt with 10 down or more from time to time. The challenge from the one set of tees is aligned closest to the recreation level. Very few shot shaping opportunities and only three holes that exceed 300 feet in length. The course could really benefit from a second set of longer tees.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITY - I'm going to assume that the location of the disc golf course was not chosen by the course designer. That said, it still seemed like the design could have gone a lot farther to engage the surrounding fringe elements. Perhaps the direction was to deliver a family friendly layout, if so, design success. However, if there was ever a desire to bring in tournament level play, lots of changes would need to occur. I think the site has the potential to deliver, but I have no clue whether the park leadership even wants that aspect for this course.
- POISON IVY - I spotted a few small poison ivy plants. From reading a few of the other reviews, it appears that it gets really bad during the summer.
- PAY TO PLAY - As of November 2017, it was $5 for the parking pass and an additional $4.28 per person to play. IMO, $9.28 for the course itself is not a good bargain. However, players coming here for the other park amenities as well, the cost may very well be worth the price of admission.
- WIND - Very few trees on most holes and the course is on top of a mountain. I was very fortunate to get a day were the gusts were under 10 MPH.
Other Thoughts: Upon arrival and driving through the park, my hopes were really high that this was going to be an exotic thrilling gem. After playing a few holes I realized that my initial hopes was really just some wishful thinking. Don't get me wrong, Cloudland is a really nice course and if I lived within ten miles I would play it all the time. But make no mistake, this course is not a destination like the actual state park itself. If the course wants to make a grander appeal, it's going to have to offer more to skilled players. A second set of longer tees would probably be the easiest solution or perhaps adding alternate longer basket locations. An even better, but more costly solution would be to redesign the layout to incorporate the existing terrain features more thoroughly.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Simple, Laid Back Round
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This course was freshly mowed and seems well kept. All of the baskets were in good condition. All holes had concrete tee pads and signage with distances on them. The woods line gives a good idea of OB with it rarely being too thick or thorny to find your disc if it goes in. Short walk in between holes. Overall, a pretty decent course especially for the beginner or amateur.
Cons: The holes were pretty simple and some of the back 9 seemed pretty repetitive; 10-14 seemed like filler holes. Only one teepad/basket layout. For advanced players or pros, this course would likely not offer enough challenge or distance to be entertaining. Lots of woods in the area, but very few holes seemed to actually take advantage of this. Overall, not too many complaints, but advanced players may not enjoy themselves.
Other Thoughts: Being in a state park, there is a 5 dollar parking fee and a 4 or 5 dollar course fee. I camped at the park so parking was included and found out about the course fee when I logged on at home to review the course. I had no issues with not paying and there are no signs on the course that mention a fee. So do with that as your morals allow.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Cloudland Canyon State Park
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros:
Has concrete tee pads
Has tee signs
More open than wooded fairways with most holes having changes in elevations and some having doglegs - which will be fun to the casual player
Course navigation without a map is fairly straightforward
Nice scenery
Well-maintained
Restrooms
Cons:
No variety in pars - par 54
Other Thoughts:
This is a nice course in Dade County that I enjoyed playing. I played here on a Wednesday and only paid $5 to park for a whole day with no signs of having to pay extra for disc golf. I just place the money in an envelope, tore off the validation receipt and place it in my rearview mirror, and then deposit envelope into payment box - no ranger required! The scenery and area of the course are potentials to rate it higher but the par 54 makes it really less challenging overall. With the distances being short, having multiple pins could add replay value in playing the course and increase the rating. Seclusion can also be a con depending on where you're coming from. This course alone is not a destination course in my opinion but playing this and another 18 holes on a course nearby can make the trip worthwhile.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Average course but still fun
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This course has some interesting holes with elevation changes. A good mix of dog leg left, right, and straight holes. The course was well kept and had a flow that made sense. I play as an intermediate player in the PDGA and shot -2 my first time so decent challenge for an average player.
Cons: The field holes 6 through 14 lack creativity and any unique feel. The land is there for a better mix of wooded and open holes, the other side of the field had some woods that could have been used for better course variety. I like the wooded holes at the end but they need one or two 300 ft tunnel shots thatpunish drives that are inaccurate
Other Thoughts: Average course that could have been good or even great if they utilized more of the surrounding woods. Still worth playing
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Mountaintop Wildlife
15 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This state park, 18-hole course rolls up and down hills and along the edge of several woods lines, providing a decent challenge for a Rec to Intermediate arm, with holes ranging from 190 to 347 feet. Extra large, grippy concrete tee pads are joined by good signage and a reasonable course flow. Mostly open fairways and DiscCatcher baskets that started with 16 chains that have had 6 added in an inner ring. The course is clean and pretty, with abundant wildlife (especially deer on the sunny winter day when we visited).
Though you will be hiking some hills, it's not too strenuous and none of the holes are brutally long for a weaker arm like mine. There are ace runs on the course, beginning with the bowl-crossing #2, with its hillside backstop for over throws, and finishing with the short but blind #18, where an overthrow could put you scrambling out of the woods. Although there are no "next tee" signs, the course flow is logical, the paths usually obvious (I took along the aerial map, just in case).
In all, I felt that Cloudland Canyon poses a fun challenge for players moving up to the Intermediate level.
Cons: Advanced and Open players won't find enough distance or difficulty here, and critical players will find some of the shots repetitive and not demanding of a varied sillset. Holes #3 and #4 both play over a line of trees, forcing a high style of shot (Tomahawks, Sky hysers, etc.) that an old fogie like me thinks a less than pure "frisbee" shot (because there is no low line through those trees).
Hole #8 is a huge hook shot further left than out, which felt a little unnatural and introduced me to some of the thorns on the course when my shot fell short near a large boulder on the left side of the fairway. I noticed the thorns again along the functional hedgerow between fairways #11 and #12. The next two fairways (#12 and #13), unfortunately, share a hyser line. The only holes that truly play in the woods all finish to the right.
Other Thoughts: The park does require $5 per car and $3 per round (honor box). Hole #1 is on the far side of the Girl Guides building, while #18 finishes by the parking lot.
15 of 15 people found this review helpful.
UnderRated Course
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: *Course is very easy to follow
*Good, fun, enjoyable flow to the course
*Has variety of obstacles and distances
*Can play it quickly (in fact we played it twice)
*Some wooded holes
*Great park
Cons: *Not really any multiple pin locations or tees I can remember
*Mostly a beginner/starter course (but a good one)
*Location is kinda out of the way
Other Thoughts: This is simple yet very enjoyable course. There is some poison ivy on a couple holes, but for the most part is not a true factor at all. If you want to let rip your drivers, then this is the place. For what was given to the creators (in terms of the land), they delivered up to all the potential this area had to offer. Some aceable holes, long drive holes, and a few accuracy holes. The 18th ends it with a sweet drive from openness tee into the woodline for the basket, a nice ending. In conclusion, take beginners here and anyone wanting a relaxing round of DG.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Great Location, Lots of Potential
10 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: * Location, location, location. Top of Lookout Mountain in Cloudland Canyon State Park. It's amazingly beautiful.
* Wonderful elevation changes on many of the holes.
* Variety. Three wooded holes, some open field and most with trees in play. (No water)
* Excellent teepads (wide and textured concrete) and good tee signs on all holes.
* Layout provides several defined fairways well placed to avoid interference with neighboring holes.
* Course is regularly mowed (as of 2011).
* Wind can add an extra dimension.
* Plenty of parking and never crowded.
* Nice Innova disc selection at park gift shop near entrance.
* Other things to do in park after your round.
Cons: * Innova baskets do not have inner chains (a volunteer group at the park is working to fix this).
* No trash cans and very few benches on course.
* Seven of eighteen holes are relatively open and straight.
* Course is short by today's standard. Good players can easily shoot 10 under or better.
* Thorns and poison ivy/oak will punish errant throws on several holes.
* Cost $5 per vehicle to enter park and $3 per round of golf.
Other Thoughts: There is some interest on behalf of the park and volunteers to make this a destination course. The location is the ideal canvas for an awesome course redesign. Discussions have included ideas of adding inner chains, adding an alternate teepad and basket per hole, and creating a championship length course of 7200+ feet while retaining a beginner friendly layout of less than 4500 feet.
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
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1/8/2022 
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