Nice course layout.
Great use of little pond for water hazards.
Came back to parking lot at 9th.
Very challenging course.
Loved all the distance shots. We played the long pads. Can't wait to try the shorts next time.

If you landed off line and had to look for your disc, on most holes i was in total thorn bushes. Round Up Brush Killer PLEASE!!! My group of three lost 5 disc in one round.
Most other Mnt. courses i have played had a more foregiving rough area.

Over all loved the course and enjoyed the rest of the park. Hats off to the parks and rec...depo they do a wonderfull job.

Picturesque, well thought out, maximum use of land, challenging, rewarding, unforgiving,,,, fair and unfair at the same time!!!!!!
This course beg's you to throw the shot of your life,,,,,because it will....."EAT IT ALIVE"!!!!!!!!!!! BLAH,,,HA,,,HA,,,HA!!!!!!!!

Disappointed that there were no "golf cart refreshment babes".....???????

Bye Bye Blizzard discs!!!!!!!!

The two-page map/scorecard is excellent, giving you a really good idea of the shape/tightness challenges you'll encounter before you ever play the course.

Two tees (most) every hole, 6'x12', either concrete, or rubber mat.

Two nine-hole loops. Practice basket.

The popularity of the fishing pond can make holes 3, 6, and 7 unsafe to play.

No fairway the last ~200' of long-basket #11 - have to go over huge rhododendron and nearby trees, while also trying to obey signs warning to not damage the flora!?

The course plays up, down, and across both the open space, and within a wooded ridge, of a large, scenic, multi-purpose park. The holes combine the various degrees of tightness-options with the elevation changes to create a wide variety of challenges. The first nine holes play in a clockwise direction, away and down from the parking lot, before returning, while the back nine plays in a counterclockwise direction in the trees slightly up from the lot.

Elevation challenges: There are only a few flat holes. Some extremes - both up and down. Steady slopes, both up/down/across, for which to account. Up-n-over rises, across valleys/pits - pretty much every standard type of change.

Tightness: ranges from completely open to quite tight the entire duration, and everything in-between. The front is definitely more open than the back, but uses the scattered trees and pond to increase the challenge. The trees are tall and plentiful on the ridge hosting the bulk of the back nine, but most throwing paths are quite fair.

Distances: From the short tees, nearly all the holes are under 300', the exceptions being numbers 9 and 18, which are fairly similar - from the midpoint of a steep, wooded ridge, throw straight down and out, exiting into the open space for the last half of the hole. The long tees certainly add to the difficulty, increasing the overall distance by nearly 50%, with most holes over 300' in length. Numbers 9 & 18 become that much harder, needing to hold a steady line while dramatically losing elevation, as trees on both sides of the flightpath are more than happy to knock down a disc which strays of the straight and (fairly) narrow.

Shot-shapes: Straight and true, especially from the shorts, will serve you well on most holes, although a variety of right-turners, and a few sharp lefts, will be required at some point

Navigation was fairly simple. Some items of note:
• Both tees for #7 are actually on the pedestrian path - look for a sign on the tree, and stripes painted on the walkway.
• There is an alternate tee-8, with alternate basket-8 in the general area of long tee-3, above the pond.
• There is an alternate tee-9, near the road/before parking lot, which plays to basket-9
• You may think long basket-11 is a myth, until you reach long tee-12.
• There is, indeed, a short tee for #15 - it is a long walk around the rim to the right, look for a small path, on the right, up to a bench, after you've seemingly walked almost all the way to the basket!
• There is, indeed, a long tee for #17 - follow the small path behind/left of basket-16, the tee located just above long-tee #9.

Some holes - 8, 11, 15, 17 - have an alternate, Carolina-blue, long basket. Only one tee location for numbers 11 and 16. Teesigns primarily at short tee only.

Overall, an excellent course. Very nice variety/range in the tightness, and when combined with the omnipresent elevation changes, makes for a broad experience.

lots of elevation and variation of lines, great seperation between open and wooded holes

If your out of shape your toast!

One of the most beautiful courses ive played, I love it and ive played all over this is by far my favorite course ever so far!

I loved this course. There were so many holes to throw your bag on my arm is still sore 3 days later. Ashe County Park is littered with unique style holes. 9 and 18 are amazingly frustrating and awesome. High up on a mountain top you have to throw out through an opening 150' away, then you watch your disc sail and sail or saddly die hard to the left or right. Mtn laurel on holes like 16 (a tunnel shot) make for a beautiful green fairway all winter long. Thumber netting is a neat touch. Water holes 3,6,and 7 are a really nice change. Signs around the lake say swim at your own risk...which means (to me) that you can go in and get your disc. The water is clean and clear. 3 is a pucker shot over the pond but you can easily Hyzer out to safety into a hill. 6 is challenging if you go for the ace run. The mando on 7 helps you stay out of the water. 10, the par 5 is really cool. It is only 471 feet but the fairway is blocked twice by bushes. This is a unique style hole and actually pretty cool. I HAVE to get back in the summer. The course was beautiful even in the winter. Ashe Cty Park has a little bit for everyone L, R , Straight holes. If you have every shot, you will be rewarded. The course is so hilly, if you don't hit your line, you might be standing there in awe as your disc flies 300' opposite the direction of the basket. Amazing. Bring your hiking shoes.

There are very little to discuss. Some holes had low hanging branches that could go... Tee signage and next tee signs on every hole would be good (didnt have much trouble... just on a few holes, we had a map though). I read the sign on hole 10. Dont break the Mt Laurel! Its a cool idea, but the growth is like 6' from the basket. You have to throw 50' and hit a narrow clowns mouth Mando. Personally I would like to see making the mando and getting to 12' from the basket rewarded. I think the bushes should be cut back at least 20' but I understand the thought and am fine with them being there. I'm trying to remember trashcans, I pack in and pack out but if they were there they dont make a memory. I did feel that on a few of the Pro holes, the first throw was just a placement shot ... 8 & 11... were like this. A few of the tee pads have fly pads and I would like to see all concrete. I'm really struggling here. There is a reason this course is in the top 50. Its amazing.

You have to visit this course. It's what a mountain course should be. So many MTN courses are short throws up and down hills because it is so much work to built with the elevation changes. The time was put in here and it shows. Amazing course, awesome... If you are on the Blue Ridge, take the time to visit this course on your way by.
I like also the alt 8 and 9 before you play the true 8 and 9. Kodus for adding in the additional 2 holes for us true DG addicts. Keep up the good work!

With so many great courses in the North Carolina Mecca it's hard to pick a favorite but Ashe Co Park is definitely a course to add to your wishlist if you havent doneso already. I pencilled this into my top 10 after playing it for the first time; the scenery alone is worth the drive.

From a difficulty standpoint: there are duel sets of tee offs making this a fun one for all players, however the pro tees are a true challenge! Holes #1 and 2 give you a nice warmup for hole #3 where players must throw across a 150+ stretch of water to a pin situated 15ft behind the edge of the water and a hill directly behind that will easily add 50ft to your put if you over drive (this is assuming you throw from the pro tee).

Course continues to meander through the valley until you get to hole #7 at which point your assent upwards begins. Strokes add up quickly if you arent careful with your upward plan of attack; make sure to walk up to the holes beforehand as many of the uphill shots are blind at times.

Hole #9 and/or 18 are arguable the signature holes. This is where your hiking and hard work pay off and you can finally unload a bomb downhill. You shoot through a 30 or so foot gap lined with towering trees that stretch down the hillside. If you can make it through the couple hundred foot tunel, the rest of the hole opens wide up if your disc happens to cut right or fade left. Easy layup to the pin if you can make it through the gauntlet of trees.

The middle chunk of this course plays through the woods with a huge variety of turns and elevation changes. A variety of OS, stable and US discs are needed to effectively navigate the twists and turns. Be sure to watch your drives as the elevation and dense foliage can really skew your perception on where you thought you went. Very likely you are rolling downward if you didnt see it land!

Other things to mention: 4 holes have 2 baskets; this may confuse some as the course doesnt start with these options. Make sure to download or bring a course map with in case. Though I really love the deep holes where I can unload from the most challenging tees, the short tees are a blast too and give you a chance to clean up your score a bit. Most of the shorties are still pretty challenging and give you a completely different look. Definitely play both sets if you have time.

The signage is pretty decent. There are a couple places where we went astray in the woods looking for the next tee but for the most part not a problem. Several holes require walking up to basket to truly see where you are throwing to; not a con for most people.

Driving from St. Paul, MN to South Carolina; this was a course that we had to make a stop at looking at the reviews, pictures and percent favorited. The roads and environment in this area are so fun to drive meandering through the mountains, national forests, and some of the best campgrounds in the nation. Worth the drive for anyone!

Many tee pads in the woods are those rubber type. Layout is awesome with some holes having 100 or more feet elavation change. Amatuer has a couple par 4s. In addition to nice signage, the trees have markings to help navigate. Some cool folks right behine me found my lost disc! I could go on and on...it rocks!

N/A

I plan to play this many more times. I would drive a couple hours for it.

Whether you're teeing off from 200+ feet above the pin, or you're facing a tough, low ceiling followed by a daunting lake, the Ashe County Park disc golf course will keep you guessing at every turn.

You spend the first ten holes in the open throwing through, around, and in between patches of trees. There is an alternate route for holes 8 and 9. The route leading to the base of the mountains preludes a tremendous 600+ ft hole 9, a hole which drastically transitions from the woods to openness.

Beginning with a unique mando at hole ten, the back nine of the course is heavily wooded and spotted with a few serious disc-fetching opportunities. Particularly on hole 14, a steep, rolling hill leads to a deep gulley just begging to eat your discs. I like to think of this as a "pro" because there is nothing like testing your concentration when you'd have to walk quite a ways for a badly-thrown disc...

If you can utilize both the backhand as well as the forehand throw in tight situations, there is not much to complain about with the Ashe County Park disc golf course. One over-the-water hole is a serious risk for forehanders who like to lift their discs, but the other two water holes don't involve water as menacingly.

My only true criticism is that some of the pro tees tend to be a bit ridiculous. For instance, on hole 11 there are several clearings separated by shrubbery which eventually leads to a hidden pin. All of which is not even remotely visible or intuitively accessible from the tee pad. From the pro pad on hole 16, the golfer must throw from a completely secluded pad, over a walkway, and then to the pin. Without having played the course several times, a first time player might never find the pro pins, let alone the pro pads. Most holes only feature signage at the AM tees, also, which presents an issue for those who might only play from the pro tees.

Play this course as much as you can. As you can tell by the ratings, it's worth the drive and won't disappoint. The course is well maintained and will truly test your ability to utilize all facets of your disc skills.

NOTE: Recently fallen leaves (and eventually snow) make finding discs particularly challenging. Make sure to pay special attention to where your discs are flying. Numerous blind-corners can make rollers very dangerous.

I don't think I can say anything that has not already been said about this course so this review is simply to confirm that this is a "Phenomenal" course.

Amazing elevation? YES

Breathtaking scenic beauty? YES

Epic holes out the ying yang? YES

Amazing variety of holes? UH HUH

Fun to play? YES SIR

Worth a long drive out of the way to play? CERTAINLY

The signs could use some updating. Many are broken, missing, or just faded to the point you can't read them. On a course like this that has multiple tees and an alternate loop you need good signs.

My favorite hole was 9. I threw a beat TeeBird which made it out the gap and into the open and then turned right and went out of sight. About 5 seconds later it came back into frame and landed perfectly centered past the sidewalk. May be the most memorable shot of my life. We then proceeded to empty our bags on the hole.

All that gushing praise in earlier reviews merely understated it.

This is one incredible disc golf course.

Beginning with the aesthetics, since that's the first thing you notice. The course is partly open, partly wooded The "open" segments aren't wide-open, but are manicured with magnificent views, scattered trees and low ceilings and a beautiful pond. The wooded segments are on steep slopes in a mountain forest, with huge hardwoods and thick groves of rhododendrons and mountain laurels. The views from #9 & #18---hilltop tees with long, straight-down alleys to the open area far below---are amazing.

And that's before you throw a disc. The open holes aren't terribly long, but have enough obstacles and rolling ground to really test you. The signature hole, from high above the pond to the basket on the far side, with a low-ceiling in between, is quite exciting. Meanwhile, the wooded holes include some very tight shots, some grueling par-4s, and some very unique holes. The wooded section is quite a workout but virtually every hole is amazing.

It includes Hole 11, the likes of which I've never seen. Drive down the fairway to a placement landing, then over an inpenatrable hedge of rhodos to an opening in the woods, then over another hedge to the opening where the basket is.

The course has two sets of tees, and 4 holes with 2 baskets. Though my praise is for the longest, most challenging tees, the short tees are quite fun, still pretty challenging, and, in many cases, aren't just shorter but present entirely different layouts, very refreshing. Which is also true for the holes with dual baskets.

The park is tucked back in the moutains, giving it a secluded and peaceful feel.

The course also displays a phenomenal amount of work by the local disc golfers, in the form of steps, tees, barriers near baskets, erosion controls, and mulching. Not to mention building the course in the first place.

Nitpicks, really. The signage is pretty good, but there are places in the woods where there is a lacework of trails, and it's not always easy to pick the right one to get to the next tee.

Some of the short tees are 10' long, with no room behind them. If you're like me with an established 12' footwork, they're tough, especially when a bad throw is severely punished.

I'd go on for pages and pages---I really really loved this course---but I'll just say that it would be a tough break if this was your home course, because anywhere else you went would be a letdown.

One of the most beautiful and challenging courses I have ever played.
The holes are all unique and not in least bit monotonous. Great balance of open spaces to wooded areas, up hills to down hills, and hooking left or right holes.
The Pro tees offer a whole other perspective on the course (rarely is the Pro tee just further back). The course is kept up very well. Great signage and tee pads.

Honestly, there are not really any cons. If I stretch for one it would be there really is nothing around other than this awesome course. Be prepared to drive 45 minutes to the closest metropolitan community.

Keep up the kick-a work Ashe Co Parks and Rec.!

Absolutely gorgeous

Very diverse

Top notch elevation

Balanced length

Multiple signature holes

Concrete pads, plenty of benches and amenities

Personally, I wish a few of the down hill shots had wider fairways. I missed seeing my disc really sail on a couple holes...and yes, I am reaching here

This course just didn't have any considerable cons

Truly breathtaking.

This course is a prime example of why I play disc golf. Its not just a sport. Its an opportunity to get out and experience nature. Natural beauty abounds here.

This course has excellent diversity. I used pretty much every disc in my bag. The distances vary nicely from ace runs to challenging par 4's. There are multiple huge down hill shots. There is alot to like here for novices and pros alike. This course wont beat down newbies but there is still plenty of challenge for the advanced golfer.

The front nine is relatively open. Open, but each hole has style. You shoot directly over a pond on 3. Nice. Pin 6 is perched on the pond bank making for a nice risk/reward shot off the tee. Then you climb into the woods for the back nine. These holes are very technical. A few of them are quite long for the tightness of the fairways. Hole 12 was very memorable. Its a huge downhill shot to a guarded pin. There is no early trouble so you could really let it fly. Alot of up and down. It is a hike as much as it is disc golf. There are planty of placed logs to help keep you upright while hiking the often steep slopes.

I played this course on my way down to the Charlotte disc golf meca. It was a last minute decision. So very glad I did. This course doesn't get the hype of many other less intriguing courses. This course deserves to be at the top of your wish list. I guarantee, you will not be dissapointed.

First of all this course offers a wide variety of holes with the two sets of teepads, and a good variety of open and wooded holes. This is my adopted home course during college and I cant get enough of it. While I enjoy all the holes a few stick out to me as ones that really make this course stand out. Alot of the previous reviews identify 9 and 18 as the best which i agree with but I think holes 3 and 12 are really great challenging holes. The white pads are easier but they arent par guarantees. The blues are hard for anyone but they are not impossible for good golfers. One of my favorite things about this course is the abundance of multiple lines. On alot of the holes there are multiple lines to get to the basket, one of my peeves is holes that have no defined line to go through. All around this course is phenomenal and everyone who loves disc golf in the Carolinas should at least play this course to understand why us mountain golfers love it so much.

Some of the locals are a bit ignorant of disc golf and tend to fish directly where I am throwing but usually they will move when asked. Jefferson is far out there and there are a few restaurants I would rather not eat at again after experiencing them

I started playing disc golf in High Point on Johnson Street with one disc. A little over a year later I moved to the mountains with no clue I would ever play this sport again. I met a few friends who played where I worked and they showed me this course and I have been a disc golf fiend ever since. This course is rated high for a reason because it is well kept up thanks to the Parks and Rec there for an amazing.

long drives/long, scenic drive to get there

scenic views of the appalachians

low crowds

tech shots/great variety

#9 and #18 are the funnest holes i've ever played. if you like to see 'em fly, there are no two better holes i've played. the pro tee on 18 is ridiculous! you better throw it straight!

great exercise- lots of elevation changes and a HUGE layout make for a great workout to go with the amazing golf.

11 is really weird with the walls of rhodies, but it is unique... the short pin is not quite as wierd.

remoteness is a con for some, but a huge pro for me- i don't like crowds.

my second favorite course, after idlewild. this place is worth a road trip, just come prepared with food, water, long pants for poison ivy, and lots of discs for 9 and 18, and you won't be disappointed! by no means have i played them all, but this course must be right up there w/ the best in the country!

one of my favorite courses. the epitome of appalachian disc golf. extreme elevation change. pro tees are very challenging. holes 9 and 18 are the signature holes. i can't wait to go back. good mix.

i'm not very fond of rubber pad tees which are found on the hills. killer walk.

The greatest. From the blues (only forced to play once in a PDGA), it is a very testing course for any skill-set. From the whites, it is a test, but a TON of FUN! My favorite course of all time - at least of those I have played. There are so many testing shots and shots you won't find elsewhere. 9 and 18 are priceless. #6 costed me 8 strokes in the PDGA - even though my second shot was from 12 feet. Love the challenge. Risk vs Reward... all the way through.

Can't think of any. The hill climbs? Not really. Just play the back nine first. Then again in the PDGA I had to start on 15... ugggg...

If you haven't played it... WISH LIST it now. You'll soon be FAVORITING it! It's a 4.5 for a reason.

- Great scenery and the views were awesome. A truly breathtaking course.
- Great variety of holes that really make you think.
- 2 sets of tpads for each hole.
- Course was very well maintained and their were benches at each hole to rest on.
-Hole 9 was awesome.
- Blue Tees make it very challenging for those wanting a challenging day.
- In the same respect the White Tees are challenging for begginers and advanced players alike but not overly challenging to where a beginner could not enjoy themselves.

Not much to say here but here goes
- This cousre is in the middle of nowhere! Very few nice resteraunts other than your normal fast food.
- Their were a few holes that were a little confusing as where to go.
- Would liked to have one really open hole to rip one on. (Maybe a long, open downhill hole.)

Great course. It is the favorite so far for me and wife and I cant wait to go back and take my friends next time.

Elevation. It's darn nifty. This is another solid gem of a course from Harold Duvall. Virtually perfect variety in landscape terms; open, wooded, high to low and vice versa, and even some water in play makes it a lock as a must play. The wooded fairways are perfect examples of tough but fair, many were reminiscent of Castle Hayne style in terms of open enough to execute a variety of different lines but tight enough to punish poor throws, which I consider integral to a good course. Very well maintained park and course as the grass was nice and trim, practically litter free. Tee signs and next tee signage helps you navigate the separate tee layouts (short and long/am and pro) nearly flawlessly, and the tees themselves were excellently installed, smooth, level, and space-ish, which consisted of both cement and rubber mats. The alternate holes for 8 and 9 is a great little loop for a quick 9 to leave you near the parking lot, a great touch.

The hole variety was very good in terms of distance and L-R, encouraging golfers to be able to hit different lines like turnovers, hyzers, flex shots, FH, etc.

Mandos. I like mandos overall but the one on hole # 7 is just plain dumb. It prevents you from hyzering over the pond and forces you to squeeze a difficult TO or the less difficult FH up and over a hill plus a low ceiling provided by a pine tree branch. The result is a window that is really short for TOs to hit and the slope of hole makes it really easy for FHs to skip into the pond. I think the easier but more intimidating hyzer over the pond route would have given the course more character and versatility. I presume the mando is there to protect swimmers and fishermen but there were hardly neither when I played.

Unrealistic/awkward fairway shape on hole #13. It's an L-shaped hole that goes right but the turn is less than 50-60' it seems in front of the tee and it's very difficult to throw an anny and make it go 90 degrees to the right for ~200' for a chance to hit the basket. I don't think it's an impossible hole b/c it seems doable via a very high anny that floats forever or maybe a roller but it's just a strange, unconventional fairway design. It does look much more conventional/manageable from the long position though.

Flow was kind of sporadic, it was confusing where exactly the basket for #12 was at first, I thought it was a huge anhyzer but it was actually tucked away in the gap in the forest straight ahead. Not a big con since the next tee signs helped immensely.

Long walks between holes, especially on the back 9. I usually don't mind these too bad, especially if the walks take me to sweet holes which they do in this case, but most of these were up and down the mountainside so if you fit the stereotypical "Comic book store guy" from the Simpsons profile of discgolfers (hey, I'm almost there myself), you are going to get a workout.

Rollaways: It's a hilly, rolling mountainside type of course, so obviously there's some pins on hillsides, are precariously placed near dropoffs. So be wary of this, you might even want to bring out the Blowfly. This isn't really a con, just a warning really. It's much less brutal than many Charlotte area courses that seem to get off from denying you simple, non-scary putts on every hole (*cough, cough* Renny, Nevin).

Not the most secluded, get-back-to-nature type course, you feel like you're in a park virtually at all times.

I've heard some complaints about some holes being gimmicky but I didn't really see it that way, but I only played the short tees for a full 18 and then the longs from 1-7 and then the alternate loop 8 & 9.

Feels like: The Front 9 feel like a more hilly Cedarock or a more open Glenburnie and the Back 9 feels like a mountainous Castle Hayne or Hornet's Nest.

Score Justification: Phenomenal is a strong word. The course is very good and the views of the mountainsides are splendid but I feel like the cons I listed hold it back ever so slightly from being a 4.5-5.0. It's definitely a must-play and I'd be very proud of this course if it was my home though. I will definitely hit this course up from all the longs eventually and then the rating might scoot up but for now I think it's the best 4.0 course I've ever played, more like a 4.40.

Side Note: I ate at the Hardees in Jefferson and I think every dude in there had the circa 1988 Jose Canseco style bowl-cut. Pure awesomesauce.

If you want to go to a course to play some true mountain golf, this is the place to be. You can't beat the views from many of the tee pads. Number nine is breathtaking. There is a great variety of shots and the whites and blues change the course completely. The course layout is also excellent. Paths are well defined and it's very easy to navigate to every hole.

If you are not used to mountain golf then get ready. It is quite a hike on the back nine, especially up to 15. Don't let it discourage you, it is well worth the hike to play this awesome course.

This is one of my top two favorite courses in Western NC. You can't beat the views anywhere. With scenic Mount Jefferson as the backdrop for this course, I would stack this course against any on the east coast.

-Beautiful park.
-Very demanding from the long tees.
-Requires every shot in your bag and then some.
-Will turn you into a good player.
-Course management REQUIRED.
-A lot of work went into making this course what it is.

-It's in the middle of nowhere.
-No other courses nearby.

This course has an AVERAGE rating of 4.5 for a reason. It is one of the most beautiful, well-designed courses that I have ever had the pleasure of playing. Ashe County has cemented itself in my top 5. Play in the fall for a truly amazing experience, the changing leaves are gorgeous.