Asheville, NC

Richmond Hill

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4.025(based on 104 reviews)
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16 0
Luckj
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.2 years 65 played 50 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Still has plenty to offer

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 1, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

On a recently family vacation we were searching for a course to play in Asheville, not being familiar with the area. At first we were hesitant to play Richmond Hill as our group included several children and the description implied the course would be quite challenging, but I'm glad we ultimately settled on playing it. We found it to be a great place for us all to play and I'd love to revisit it.
-Great use of elevation. The most obvious feature of Richmond Hill is the hill part. You're constantly playing up, down, and over a hillside which makes for some pretty fun shots
-Plenty of woods, but defined fairways. My dad commented that no shot ever felt unfair, but accuracy was still at a premium.
-Rough wasn't overly punishing. We played in the winter which was certainly a big factor, but even with a bad kick par always seemed in play
-Tough birdies, easy pars. As mentioned above, fairways required accuracy but a bad shot could still be recovered from.
-A few open holes to open up a bit on, including par 4s
-A few nice ace runs, including a redesigned hole 14.
-Restrooms on site
-Practice basket
-Lots of parking, but it was mostly filled
-Some good signage, especially directing you around the new course flow on holes 14-18
-A few staircases to help with climbing hillside

Cons:

-Teepads are holding this one back. The first tee is wonderful, large and concrete. After that is a mix of gravel and turf, often with uneven turf that was slippery and covered in mud. This was especially problematic when the front of the teepad was on a hillside and had a drop off. We had at least one slip and fall.
-At times the course felt a bit repetitive. The constant up one side of the hill and across to the other started to blend together. Thankfully there were holes to break up this.
-Hikers around the course. On several holes we saw walkers near the fairways, both hikers and other players. Some holes played near each other while there must have been hiking trails near other holes.
-If the course is muddy be careful walking on the hillside.
-Lots of thorns on some holes
-Course appears to be crowded

Other Thoughts:

This was a great course and a lot of fun. We never felt overly frustrated playing in the woods. Our group of <900 players had birdie looks on several holes and all played close to par. The teepads are the only major glaring mistake I saw. As is I'd score this course in the 3.8 range but I think a 4 is plenty fair. Clearly this course is well loved and I'd come back to play it again.
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13 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.6 years 232 played 223 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Could Be Rechristened 'Woodpecker Hill' 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 7, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

- on site restrooms and water fountain
- practice basket (notably marked white for clarity)
- phenomenal natural beauty and mountain terrain
- technical, wooded challenge without being unfair
- some of the best elevation change you'll ever see outside of Colorado or similar
- 2 pin locations per hole (only 1 populated at a time)
- nice alternating of yellow and blue discatcher baskets helps with navigation
- navigation generally straightforward
- benches at every hole
- well maintained course with limited rough on most holes
- very clean with no garbage issues
- very cool large woodpeckers were enjoying dead wood all over the forest
- area is mostly reserved for disc golf, although bike path in some areas needs to be noted
- numerous holes with excellent ravine shots, detailed below
- most steep holes have built in stairs as necessary and bridges over typically wet areas
- holes are generally well spread out to avoid interference, with one exception

Cons:

- turf tees were so-so and some in varying states of disrepair
- at least 2 sets of tee signs in varying states of disrepair, neither with hole maps
- no next tee signs at all
- no garbage cans throughout course, but clean anyway
- despite overall good layout, you have to cross 13's fairway to get to 14, which is a safety issue
- several holes (13, 17, maybe 18) state there's a mando but has zero explanation about what it is - on 18 I'm guessing as the hole signs were missing and deteriorated

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course and had a great experience with nature - as noted, the woodpeckers here, black and white with red heads, are pretty cool. This course honestly almost felt like a 4.5 to me, but a few things hold it back. I know it's hard to cart concrete into the middle of a mountainous forest, but there are plenty of courses that have done it. The turf tees don't really bother me, but when things are wet they leave a lot to be desired. However, a bigger issue is the abysmal state of tee signs on this course. Some are missing, some holes have 2 signs (but neither have maps of the hole), and some are just in bad shape. This is the #1 thing that could be improved, with next tee signs probably being #2. There was some rough with brambles on a few holes but usually this wasn't too bad. I did see one disc in the brambles and judged it not worth trying to retrieve - so there are some bad spots.

Now for the good: this course is breathtaking in it's natural beauty, and generally has open (though wooded and technically challenging) fairways. The elevation change is the biggest draw here, as you're really playing in the mountains and almost every hole has elevation come into play. Early on I started making notes about how a few holes could use the elevation better... and then noticed the entire rest of the course did just that. The course is definitely challenging, but is super fun and not unfair. I only noted one fairway pushing it, which was hole 3's fairway which expected you to hit a 5 ft gap between trees.

The course has some good amenities with the practice basket, restrooms, benches, etc. The only thing notably missing is garbage cans on the course. As a side note, hole 15 tees off right by the parking lot - a little late to grab something you forgot from the car, but it's an opportunity before the end to grab something.

There were several holes I really enjoyed as follows:
Hole 4 - great uphill shot that makes full use of the elevation
Hole 5 - cool down and up shot over a ravine, but be careful not to lose disc in rough off to the left
Hole 9 - another great shot over a ravine, with excellent built in stairs
Hole 11 - driving on a hillside with notable elevation change
Hole 15 - awesome downhill bomb into ravine between 2 of the hills
Hole 17 - forces a throw at the end up a huge hill the basket sits on which is high risk/high reward

All in all, I REALLY enjoyed this course and felt like it was indicative of what North Carolina has to offer the sport of disc golf. Being from Chicago, it was a really cool experience for me. With a few improvements, I really feel like this course would be pushing a 4.5. If you're in the Asheville area, I strongly recommend making an effort to come play here. I had no issues with bugs as some reviewers stated, but it was early April and still relatively cool, so I expect this could be a bigger issue in the summer.
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9 0
condor
Experience: 47.7 years 11 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great course, but..... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 8, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

I travel and was advised to throw this course. Loved this course. Reminds me of the good ol' days when the fairways zig zagged through the trees and did not pander to young long arms. I found it easy to score well, as long as I didn't hit a tree. I used to have a 20 hole object course on our farm and the main feature was a ravine that was used in the design. Reminded me and friends of my 'Basecamp' course. Fun, though strenuous, and I will look forward to playing it again some day

Cons:

Some of the same complaints that have been observed over and over and over for years: pretty bad tees in multiple stages of decay, stairs in bad repair, and no 'next tee' signs. The UDisc map helped me pick which of the several paths that radiated from the baskets to take to find the next sad-state tee. I deduct a full letter grade if there are any wild rose bushes, green briar and blackberry bushes on a course and there were enough on this course to get downgraded. Yes, poison ivy is inconvenient but it won't rip, gouge and tear.

Other Thoughts:

If you can't have next tee signs you can wrap bright electric tape on the rung of the previous basket that points to the next tee. Paint works as well. Why can't courses have these? How hard is it? How expensive? Is there a tampering issue? I don't carry my phone in my pocket when I throw so I had to stop, unzip my bag and pull out my phone to find the next tee. Kind of interfered with the flow. Tee #1 fooled me into thinking all the tees were this wonderful. I suspect it was an ADA tee. How many years have people been complaining and using the same Cons comments? I have no idea of the politics of the club and parks department. I have no idea of the state of the club but it is apparent someone doesn't care about this course. Does anyone read the reviews? For too short of a time (had to move) I was custodian of a course and we had a group that reviewed a list of upkeep needs. We prioritized what needed to be done and then addressed it. Also, those who might read my other reviews will know I cannot believe any course pro or club would allow wild rose bushes, green briar or any other thorny plants to be on a course. That is a pure and simple safety hazard that is the easiest problem to correct. Doesn't cost any $ to trim and drag away. I won't and can't do it because it isn't 'my' course. I think someone, in a review, asked why there are no major tourneys here (?) and I think the answer is obvious. It is shameful that such a great course suffers from so much neglect.
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13 0
The Drake
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.8 years 126 played 60 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid Woods Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 12, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

-As woods courses go there are very few if any holes I felt relied more on luck than a players skill to score well
-Nice turf tee pads
-Multiple pins (no idea how often they get moved but always a nice option when you have limited space
-Benches on every tee
-Beautifully constructed stair cases on some of the more difficult to traverse fairways
-ELEVATION! Living in Florida the last 5 years I've missed this SO much.
-Bathrooms at the start of the park. Easy parking.

Cons:

-A few very redundant holes
-Not much distance (plus minus on a relatively tightly wooded course
-VERY poor tee signs and navigational signs
-A mountain bike trail goes through part of the course though at least signage is robust. ( I had zero problems with the mtn bikers and the trails don't go through the actual course, just the walks between holes. Just be aware)
-Bugs (I mean, it's a wooded course. You're gonna get mosquitos...)

Other Thoughts:

As the most highly rated course in this area I was very excited to get a chance to play this course and have heard a thing or too about it for years. OVERALL, I would say it's a very solid wooded course worth the play if you're in town. Anyone who reads my reviews knows I am VERY particular when I review wooded courses and for the most part this course avoids a lot of the automatic fails many woods courses have. With the exception of maybe one hole I didn't step up to a single tee and think "ok, where the f*** is the fairway". Likewise The greens were VERY reasonable within circle 1. There were really only two big issues I had with the course which prevented me from rating the course higher. 1) The tee signs/next tee navigation was frankly abysmal. There were several holes with zero tee signs. Even the ones that did have a tee sign, they were not consistent across the board. Locations of the signs themselves where often strange and inconsistent. I used a range finder and many of the distances for the placements were way off. There wasn't a single next tee/navigation sign and if it weren't for UDisc I would have spent a solid 15-20 minutes just trying to figure out were to walk next between a few holes (some were absolutely obvious, but not all. 2) There were multiple holes that were just plain repetitive. MOST of the holes had the pin sitting straight in front of the tee pad. Yes, you occasionally had to throw a shaped shot but honestly I threw driver on only 2 holes and basically threw midrange/putter for the other 16. That said many of the holes were beautiful. My wife, a professional photographer who has shot many disc golf courses was a fan of many of the fairways . But she did agree with my take on the repetitiveness specifically on the multiple holes where you tee from an elevated tee across a "valley" to an elevated tee that's straight ahead. DO NOT GET ME WRONG. This is a solid woods course that will test your game. Just with the observations I had today I can't rate it higher than 3.5. But if you're in the area you should absolutely check it out.
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9 0
gtg888h
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.8 years 40 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Mountain golf on the cusp of greatness 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+Incredible use of the terrain. While this obviously starts with the elevation - no fewer than four shots of 250+ feet across a ravine to reach the same elevation or higher on the other side (holes 5, 9, 10, and 14, plus a shot from way up top to the bottom of the ravine on 15) - it doesn't end there.
+Every hole is framed so well with the trees. There really aren't any poke-and-pray holes here, despite being heavily wooded. However, you have to pick a line and commit on a few tee shots (especially hole 9) or else you're scrambling for bogey at best.
+Holes are not only up-and-down but have used side-to-side sloping so well to make the player think about the approach. You'll use a fair number of flex approach shots to try and avoid a roll-away.
+While having a lot of famous ravine-crossing shots, the holes aren't that repetitive. I didn't really step up to the tee (or what passed for a tee...see cons) and think "I've already thrown this". Even on 9 and 14, which seem similar at first - 9 is much tighter and therefore shorter, while 14 has a wide gap and requires a much bigger throw.
+Pin locations were terrific. Hole 17 (long) is atop a big hill right at the end with a very tricky upshot. Many others had some real death putts depending on where you landed.
+The course itself is just gorgeous. Enormous variety of gigantic trees, up-and-down nature of the course.
+Course loops back to the parking lot (within 150 feet or so) between 9 and 10 so you can reload on water or use the restroom. Always appreciate that.
+All holes appeared to have benches - some in better shape than others - but very useful for keeping packs off the ground or just getting a breather on a hilly course.
+Free to play.

Cons:

-We have to talk about the tees. I've played in some state parks and other hilly locations where concrete tee pads weren't an option, but these were the worst tees I've played yet. Finding a level tee that wasn't inundated with mud was a rarity. Many had a gigantic hump in the middle or huge mud slick up front that made any kind of a run-up impossible. I nearly tore my ACL slipping on hole 6's tee pad (somehow landed in the fairway...). You might often prefer to either throw from the side of the tee pad (if possible, could be tough after a rain) or just throw a stand-still putter. But something has to be done about the tees.
-Only one tee per hole. Combined with only one basket per hole at a time, I could see this course getting a bit repetitive for locals.
-Directional signs would be helpful. My friend and I - both from out of town - made a ton of wrong turns. Getting from 8 to 9, 10 to 11, (especially) 13 to 14...all not intuitive.
-Tee signs were rudimentary, which is fine, but it would help in some cases to indicate which position the basket was in (especially on those holes that are par 3 vs 4 depending on location). I see that there's a photo showing a white screw on the marker logs at the tee pads to show the basket position, but that was either not intuitive at the course or not in use when I played.
-When we played in August, the rough was ROUGH. We miraculously lost zero discs between two rec-level players across 45 holes of play, but we sure came close on a few times when we weren't that far off the fairway. Poison ivy and poison oak abound.

Other Thoughts:

Well worth the visit from out of town. Probably a 3.8 overall (I rounded up to 4), but with properly-maintained tee pads and maybe a second tee pad option or two baskets in play per hole, this could easily reach 4.5.

Noted elsewhere, and bears repeating - this course is NOT beginner-friendly. The ravine holes and uphill-playing holes will demoralize newer players or really anyone who can't consistently throw at least 225' in an open field. I don't view it as a con - I usually give bonus points for having multiple options, but I won't penalize a course for being difficult but fair, which this one is.

Also, cheesy plug that I'm happy to be review #100 for Richmond Hill!
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13 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 480 played 245 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Tough, fun, challenging, then bring on the Fat Tire! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 7, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very challenging mountain course located above Asheville, NC. I haven't played a lot of mountain courses, so I think this is a little unusual for mountain courses. The main elevation change on this course is due to a large ravine that runs through the property. This creates several ""edge-to-edge"" tee shots as well as up and down the ravine.
Course is laid out very well, its starts with a few mostly flat holes then mixes ravine holes with flat holes and ends with a couple of uphill holes and finally a mostly open hole.
Turf tees (although some were pretty rough), multiple basket positions and good baskets.
Great use of the terrain that is the signature of this course. A few Par 4s, with most of those being uphill.
Close enough to downtown Asheville and the Highways to make it very accessible to anyone visiting.
Benches on most tees, which are very helpful.
Pretty much exclusive DG property, I believe hikers or bikers may use some of the trails, but I didn't see any.

Cons:

The turf tees are nice, but as I mentioned above, several were muddy and slick. A little work on these would be a great improvement.
Very little signage, I used the map on here and had to refer to it several times. After #5 (and you catch your breathe) go behind it for #6, #9 is the closest tee.
No signage to indicate which basket position was in play.
As many others have said, the erosion here is extensive. Lots of exposed roots and rocks, especially on the ravine holes. Wouldn't want to play this course after much rain, the ravine would be treacherous.
No water or drinks available at the course or within 10 minutes, bring plenty. No restrooms on site either, just a Port-a-John.

Other Thoughts:

This really is a tough, challenging mountain course. While on the ravine holes, its pretty tough to lose a disc, several of the flat holes have heavy underbrush.
The ravine is used on 7 of the holes:
#5 - Par 4 across the valley, then finishes uphill to the far side.
#9 - goes rim to rim, near the parking lot, then turn around and
#10 - goes back rim to rim the opposite direction.
#14 - goes rim to rim again, then
#15 - goes from that rim down to the bottom.
#16 - plays in the ravine, go up, with the basket on the side of the hill, and
#17 - continues up in the ravine to a plateau green near the source of the ravine.
So, the course uses its main geographic feature, while only repeating the same throw a couple of times. The break of mostly flat wooded holes keeps this course interesting and lets you get a breather.
A couple of my favorites were: #5 - the steep uphill finish really gets your attention, #11 - partially wooded hole that is fun to play and #17 - to finally move up the ravine, to its source, and have a tough finish uphill to the green.
I figured I wouldn't play this course without at least one rollaway in the ravine - #10-decent enough drive, short and left of the basket, threw an upshot that caught an edge and started rolling back down, it only got a few feet past me before hitting a tree and laying down!
This is the must play course in this part of the NC Mountains. Coupled with the fact there are numerous breweries in the Asheville area, its a great destination. RH is only a few miles from the east coast brewery of New Belgium, for you Fat Tire fans. Sierra Nevada has also planted a flag in the Asheville area.
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7 0
GMcAtee
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15 years 749 played 89 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Rugged Workout 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Plenty of shot shaping, elevation, and challenging holes incorporated into a good design.
2. Multiple basket locations. The course appeared to be laid out in the short basket locations during my visit.
3. Turf tee pads that were very level.
4. Nice parking lot with port-a-potties available.
5. Two 9 hole loops that end at the parking lot.

Cons:

1. Hardly any signage left on this course. No markers showing current pin placement location and no next tee signs. The Udisc map saved me from walking down the wrong paths.
2. Very overgrown. Maintenance seems to have lacked here for a couple of years. Several paths I could not even stand straight up they were so overgrown.
3. Out of control erosion everywhere. This course could use a break to let the land heal.

Other Thoughts:

I chose to play this course due to it's high rating and proximity to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I felt like with a year's worth of maintenance and signage upgrades, it could live up to it's championship course reputation with baskets placed in long positions. I loved the design, but damn I had to search for my disc a lot after great shots. Even lost a disc on a hole I nearly aced.

This course appears to remain very popular with about 20 players showing up after I was finished.
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3 0
adambenson87
Experience: 23.7 years 12 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

DG in the Appalachian Mts at its finest 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beautiful woods course, well-kept, with fair fairways of a variety of lengths. Challenging and yet fair. Birdies are earned. Suitable for PDGA tournaments, and distances are suitable from Adv. level to Pro.Clear trails on holes and between holes, and a variety of different pin placements.I love the par 4's-love them. Challenging bc of foliage and trees, but the length makes them accessible to average to long throwers.I like how you begin and end in the open, but the rest of the holes are in the woods.

Cons:

Need clear "Next Tee"? signage. Pathways and trails are clear, but there are trails that veer off from the dg course and there's little signage to let you know which trail to take sometimes. Poison Ivey is everywhere... EVERYWHEREMaybe one to four more open holes would add some variety, or more water hazzards, but I also realize you go with what the land gives you.

Other Thoughts:

I mean, the pros FAR outweigh the cons. Why aren't there more PDGA tournaments here?
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17 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.1 years 652 played 629 reviews
4.00 star(s)

King Of The Valley Shot 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.857 Rating) A beautiful wooded technical course with lots of elevation change.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - This was a common thread I read from the previous reviews, and my gosh is there some beautiful scenery here. There really aren't any enchanting backdrops like other courses I've played in the Appalachians, but the terrain the course plays through makes up for it. The entire layout plays through an older heavily wooded forest with substantial up and down elevation change. I snapped several tee shot lines and sent them to friends. On (9) I dropped my bag in awe and fear.
- ELEVATION - There are some diabolical valley plays at Richmond Hill. The tees shots on (9), (10) and (14) all play over a 60 foot deep gorge. Hole (15) plays just down the gorge and (17s) approach is up to a protected elevated green. Anyone one who a fan of lots of terrain movement will get giddy here.
- UNIQUENESS - In addition to elevation, the hole type variety is well above average. Lots of subtle moving lines but also some good breakers going each way. There are a couple of par 4s depending on basket placement although no par 5s. I enjoyed the terrifying raised basket placement on (6).... but only after miraculously saving par. I think some could argue that there's a little monotony in all the tunnel shots, but I think the lines are changed up well enough to continuously give fresh looks. Also, no water in play.
- CHALLENGING - The perfect challenge for many Intermediates and Advanced level players. Lots of heavily wooded lines in the 250 to 350 foot range. A few par 4s in the mid 400 foot range depending on basket placement. Richmond Hill requires a steady hand and adequate distance. Advanced players here with technical prowess will bury the Advanced bomber.
- CHARACTER - The vibe here appears to be great. Nothing like showing up before sunrise and not being the first in the parking lot. This course has just about all the bells and whistles one would expect from an established course. Big community board and a course map. Free scorecards and pencils. Practice basket and toilet. There are benches at every tee and 90% are fully shaded. Lots of alternate pin placements and I even saw a shoe scrubber. The only thing I wish they added would be multi-tees and an upgrade of the tee surface to concrete. The turf tees were alright, see cons.
- NAVIGATION - Not flawless, but really good. For one, as noted above, free scorecards with map that works wonders. It's detailed enough that it covers up for the less than adequate items like tee signs. The tee signs were a touch sub-par and could use a complete overhaul. It would also be nice to have some sort of pin placement indicator. I ran up a few fairways, which sucks on heavily moving terrain.
- BILTMORE ESTATE - The main reason my wife and I traveled to Asheville was to go the near-by architectural wonder and also largest house in the United States, The Biltmore. The gatehouse alone is twice the size of my house. The Chateauesque Mansion is 178,000 sq ft and it is owned by one of the most prominent families in American history, The Vanderbilts. Unfortunately, we never made it in. Please buy your tickets in advance online. My wife and I weren't willing to shell out $70 per ticket for "day of" sales.

Cons:

A solid course that will have newer players begging for mercy.
- FORGIVENESS - There are a lot of tight lines out here. Ricochets in the wrong direction could be quite punishing. My disc found a few areas of some substantial thicket areas and losing a disc is a possibility for those that don't want to conduct an half hour long search.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Way too difficult for beginners and perhaps Novice players. Some Rec players might not like this course as well. If you haven't played over a fifty rounds of disc golf, this course will systematically pummel you. There is only one sets of tees and it plays like a tweener between Intermediate and Advanced. As a player with about a 920 rating, I was humbled and shot +4.
- TEES - Turf tee that have seen better days. Several were inundated with mud. I played at the break of dawn and so a couple of the dirtier tees were a little slick. All stated, they are not a total lost cause. Several were in great shape and the surfaces are large. Probably only a handful need a complete fix.
- TERRAIN - The definition of not cart friendly. The fairway slopes on (5), (9), (10), (14) and (15) are equivalent to old home stairs. Most of these fairways had wood stairs worked in but I think it's needed in even more areas. Players that struggle with steep terrain need to stay away from this course.
- TIME PLAY - I can tell this course gets a lot of play based on the erosion of the fairways. As stated, I showed up at the break of dawn on a Sunday and I was not the first one here. I worked the round in 90 minutes solo, but solo players showing up at a prime time might need two hours. Figure close to three hours for a four-some during prime times as well.
- EROSION - I don't take off points for this directly as not all erosion impact is negative, but the exposed roots in several fairways did have an impact on how picturesque a couple fairways looked.
- TICKS/POISON IVY - there's a sign posted at the community board warning of ticks, poison ivy and poison oak. I saw the poison stuff but thankfully post round I found no ticks.

Other Thoughts:

Richmond Hill is wonderful place for an experienced player to come to and throw a round. Several memorable shots and memories of ricochets in horrifying trajectories. Richmond Hill I think has a lot going for it and it has aged well over time. This course has to potential to be even better with a few tweaks and infrastructure improvements. A second set of tees would be awesome to make the course more user friendly, but also perhaps to toughen up a couple of the easier lines. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like many tweaks have been made in the past 10 years. The scorecard posted on here from 2008 is still the same layout. Kind of depressing to know that a course this established isn't still evolving. I'd be willing to bet that there are some awesome local holes just begging for some tee pad recognition. Regardless, players traveling to Asheville need to find a way to work in a round here. I personally work up 6:30AM and was back at the hotel before my wife even knew I was gone.
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5 3
Nicholas W
Experience: 8.8 years 15 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Vacation Stop #1 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 29, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

+Well maintained fairway and paths
+Great tee pads of concrete and turf
+Signs at tee pads show yardage, par, and shape of hole
+Benches available for rest
+Scorecards available which provide a great overview of the course.
+Wide variety of basket placements, obstacles, and shape of hole
+Almost solely a disc golf area. A few hiking/walking trails but they are almost completely separate, sharing maybe one walkway with a hole.

Cons:

-If wet, extremely muddy
-Tee pads can be slick with sand/water
-Poison everywhere, but stay on the fairway and you're fine

Other Thoughts:

Great up and down course, with a wide variety of layouts to keep you always thinking. Took my family, who are a mix of avid and novice golfers. One person lost a disc to the brush, but for an avid golfer, that's avoidable.

Most people golfing here know the general layout, but especially know the game. Provided a great atmosphere.
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9 0
blake833
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.9 years 160 played 140 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Perfect 4 stars 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is basically the epitome of excellent. Not blow-you-away phenomenal, not a contender for the best-of-the-best, but definitely great and a step above the rest.

Richmond Hill plays entirely through a very hilly pine forest. It does a great job of creating some mostly open and fair lines through some otherwise dense woods, and occasionally dense rough. If you are a fan of the valley shot, where you start on one side and throw over it to the other side, this course will be your favorite because I've never seen so many various valley shots in one course.

But they also have some great uphill, downhill, left/right finishing holes. The tees are.. honestly I don't remember so they were probably concrete and did just fine. The baskets were light blue discatchers. I've never seen light blue before, but that made this course stand out a little bit for me. They seemed to keep their color well (at least better than yellow), but do get scuffed up pretty easily.

The raw beauty of this course reallly makes it. No matter how frustrated I got not being able to find a hole or basket, it only took a minute of looking around to remind myself I was in my happy place: out in nature. This course is pretty secluded, and very scenic. I loved every view from ever hole

Cons:

Other than not personally liking every other hole be a valley hole, my main gripes with this course are navigation, and too many pins.

There are a lot of small trails through the woods that can easily lead you astray. The map is pretty accurate though, so really this can be totally negated if you are less stubborn than me and just use the map.

What is a little trickier though, and I don't like this on any course, is the three pin placements on almost every hole. They are never far enough apart to make a significant difference, and when they are you don't know where to go because they are all blind. I lost a disc in the underbrush down a steep hill because i thought the basket was left when it was right, up the hill.

The signage in general was just a little unhelpful. It was ok for knowing which hole you were on, and a rough approximation of distance (unless you don't know whether the basket is in A, B, or C placement), but some "next tee" arrows on the trail, and more prominent less tree-brown colored hole number signs would really help out.

Other Thoughts:

This course does a lot of things right, and I would have so much more fun playing this the second and third time around once I know my way around and where the baskets generally are. The unceasing up and down hill wasn't as bad on this course as I've seen in other hilly wooded areas, and most of the time I think the design of the course compensates for how exhausting some of the terrain is. Overall a pretty wonderful round.
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9 0
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 297 played 197 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Riches in the Hill 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course is set in a heavily forested mountain area consisting of 18 DisCatcher baskets with multiple positions and single turf tees with nice tee signs and benches. Mulched practice basket area and some steps going up some hills. Mostly disc golf only area, there are some hiking trails. Two loops of 9 holes back to parking lot. Navigation was fairly intuitive.

The design incorporates the mountain elevation very well providing fun and technical shots playing uphill, downhill and across ravines and tricky basket placements. Hole 1 starts in the open and plays flat which contrasts with the rest of the course until you get to hole 18 which is the other "open" hole and only plays slightly downhill, but you need to hit on of the two fairways off the tee and land on a narrow ridge top with a steep slope to the left and woods to the right, and beside the treachery of this hole you get a beautiful view of the mountains in Asheville.

Cons:

Single tees and mountain hiking and rough make this an intermediate to advanced level course and not a good place for a novice or the weak. For me the course was a little on the short side, and I wish there were some more par 4s, only 1 -hole 5 and was my favorite.

Poison ivy patches throughout the rough of the course. A couple of the turf tees were a little slick.

Other Thoughts:

After reading some of the other reviews about Richmond Hill I was worried that it was going to be packed with players. I was pleasantly surprised that there were only a handful of other players and no mob golf groups when I played. The weather was perfect on this early Saturday evening and I finished just as the sun was setting behind the scenic mountains on hole 18.

IMO the designers did a good job throughout the course and provided different looks on the ravine holes without feeling repetitive. Overall I really enjoyed my round here and managed to stay out of the poison ivy. I wanted a couple of longer, more epic holes given the setting, and so while I don't consider this a true epic destination course like some of the other mountain courses in northern NC, I'd still recommend here as a great course for intermediate-advanced level players in the vicinity that enjoy technical mountainous disc golf.
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2 1
jdborden
Experience: 11.1 years 14 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 26, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of unique holes

Multiple pin locations give a new challenge each one you play

Well maintained

Cons:

Lots of big groups, most of which won't let a smaller group pass

Steep inclines can turn a great shot into a bad one with an unfortunate roll. I've hit the basket more than a few times on a birdie shot only to end up with a bogey or worse

Other Thoughts:

Front 9 is the easier half if you are only playing 9 holes for the day
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5 0
lazrman778
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 264 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Richmond Hill 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has practice basket

Has turf tee pads

Has tee signs

Has many benches throughout course

Has multiple basket placements for most holes

More wooded than open fairways - which will be challenging to the casual player

Most holes have changes in elevations - some have a steep grade with wooded steps serving as a nice touch

Most of the holes are under shade where this can be really appreciated in the hot and humid summers

Nice split of the front and back nines in case you want to start on hole #10 (that comes in handy when there's a large group teeing off on hole#1)

Porta potty

Free Parking

Cons:

Needs next tee signs (had to consult the course map for a few times)

Turf tee pads needed cleaning

Some grassy areas needed mowing at holes #1, #13, & #18

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice challenging course that I enjoyed playing while visiting Asheville. This course is pretty solid and will require a variety of shots to shoot a low score. The course is scenic and well established with no shortage of trees and a good amount of shade. Fairways are tight enough here where you will need some control on your drive to avoid hitting a tree and deflecting across a ravine. As others have posted, this course is a workout so make sure you're in shape and have good shoes. I understood why this course would attract a lot of players so I went early Saturday morning around 8am to get a good head start and therefore didn't have to wait on anyone. I definitely recommend playing if you're in the area.
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2 1
Taylor510ce
Experience: 10.1 years 15 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Challenging lines, elevation, uphill shots, downhill shots, and a really beautiful park. It's a fun place to go play if you are in Asheville, definitely worth the trip.

Cons:

I think the local club could probably do a little bit of chain sawing to make a couple of the fairways a little bit more accessible. And the Lord help us all, please poison the poison ivy! They can also stand to put in some "next hole "signs.

Other Thoughts:

The course was kind of messy, it needed mowing and the tee boxes are in need of new turf. I think they must have had a storm recently because the tea boxes were basically mud and turf mashed together.
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3 4
Rosco
Experience: 12 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good but not great 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

The front Nine were very fun, and had variety. 6th basket is over 10 ft high from the back and has a small step up to the front nicely designed. Each of the front 9 seems to be well thought out and are very enjoyable. 1-9 start and loop back to the lot and 10-18 do the same. bathrooms for players is a nice plus, and the parking is ample. Good elevation changes.

Cons:

I was not impressed with the back 9 much at all. its just weaving back and forth acrosss the very large ravine. Two shots like this would have been plenty, but 4 or 5 of them doing the exact same thing got old quickly. Especially if you have some shots that dont go your way. You can end up in a big struggle to get back on track. We played in late winter conditions so vegetation was down. I can imagine it to be much worse in the other seasons

Other Thoughts:

If you find yourself in Asheville, a wonderful town, definitely give Richmond Hills a go, but I would probably play 10-18 first because it can sap your strength if you aren't ready for it. I wouldn't travel more than an hour to play this course as the primary stop on my Disc Golfing road trip.
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10 0
BigAl724
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.6 years 178 played 144 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Epic Setting and Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some courses just have that unique feel about them that differentiate themselves from any other course out there. Richmond Hill has this feel. You have to drive through a residential area to get there, but once you make the turn into the parking lot the environment changes immediately. This seemed like its own disc golf sub-community set off in the mountains. There's a huge parking lot, practice basket, porta-potty, and bulletin board with a course map and local club info located near the first tee. The course also conveniently winds its way back to the parking lot to make two 9 hole loops.

It plays up, down, and around the mountain through various degrees of woodenness, with bookend holes that play more in the open. Even though you're mostly in the woods, there's a nice variety of really tight shots as well as lines that are more forgiving. There are elevation changes throughout, sometimes subtle and sometimes DRASTIC. The ravine is very cool and offers some truly epic shots, both extreme uphill and extreme downhill throws. Even the more subtle elevation changes cause you to carefully choose your disc, like 13. It doesn't look too scary from the tee, but the green drops off about 15 feet and continues to slope down past the basket. Elevation factors in interesting ways like this throughout the round.

Pin positions are really well thought out, often tucked away in a corner, behind a patch of trees, or located near a scary slope. The baskets are in great shape and the blue rims do a nice job of standing out among the trees. Multiple pin positions do a nice job changing up the shot off the tee and approach.

It's clear that a lot of care has gone into designing and maintaining the course. I couldn't imagine trying to create and carve holes on this type of land - well done. Great efforts have been made to build the tee areas and steps that help you get around, without which it would be very hard to navigate through. There are 'next tee' arrows pointing you in the right direction.

Plenty of mandos and double mandos make things interesting. 18 is a great finishing hole in that while it's more open, you have to hit one of two sharp lines. Both of which can easily fade way down over the hill. What an awesome view from there too.

Cons:

There's not much wrong with the course, as long as you like this type of setting. I really enjoyed my round but must take into consideration that the course offers a pretty specific type of round. Not everyone would enjoy playing here with the combo of some really tight lines and drastic elevation changes.

Even with the steps there are still times where footing is kind of sketchy, particularly if you land on a slope near the ravine. I'm sure it gets very slick after rain. The worn in tee pads also can be a little uncomfortable. They are big enough but the carpet was slippery at times. There are sometimes steep slopes at the end of the tee too, so you don't want to slip off past the end.

The fairways are very well maintained, but the rough gets thick in places.

When we pulled into the parking lot, I said, "There's no way all those cars are here for the course." Sure enough, there were just that many people playing. Definitely one of the more crowded courses that I've ever played. Be prepared to get stuck behind multiple groups. Though, it's very cool to see such a dedicated disc golf community.

Other Thoughts:

I can see why Richmond Hill was ranked so high back in the early years of DGCR, it's definitely a unique course with a faithful following. I would love to have this as my home course and appreciated the balance of difficulty. You're bound to hit a few - or maybe a lot of - trees and fade further down a slope than you intended, but recovery is fair and the holes aren't too brutal. This is a course you have to play if you're in the region.
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1 2
jamesdevin
Experience: 19.8 years 85 played 22 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nicely done 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 3, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

many uphill/downhill shots
mostly wooded
defined fairways
free to play
challenging
very clean

Cons:

navigation



Other Thoughts:

This course was very fun to play and you are rewarded greatly after a good drive. Elevation change on just about every hole, tight fairways so accuracy is very important. I have never played a course like this and I highly recommend this course to everyone.
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2 2
deadheadmon
Experience: 13.5 years 21 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Traveling in Asheville 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 25, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of different lines possible on many holes.
Good but not overkill use of mandos.
Challenging without being punishing for a casual/amateur.

Cons:

Blind tee shots require some scouting for a first timer.
Poison ivy was out in force all around the course.
Course was a bit backed up on a Sunday, a few large groups.

Other Thoughts:

Played this course on a weekend trip to Asheville. It is not to be missed for disc golfers in the area! I met some chill local players on hole 5 or so who helped me navigate the course. A real WNC winner!
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1 13
Jackattack828
Experience: 9.6 years 3 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I like it! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 8, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

It has some nice and long holes. Good mix of downhill, uphill and flat. I think it's good for both beginners and experts. It's a good, hard course that will definitely help anyone and everyone's skills. Always see people there practicing and playing.

Cons:

Not enough mix of wooded to unwooded. Sorta hard to find the tees from the hole sometimes. Going back and forth from one hill to the other on like 13-16 was sorta rough. Some places are very heavily wooded and finding a frisbee in those places can be very difficult.

Other Thoughts:

I like it. I havnt really been to much in the area yet but I like it so far!
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