-Let me first say, the owners here are so welcoming and humble. The married couple that work at the front office were such gracious hosts to me and the WNC disc golf club. I cannot thank them enough for such a wonderful experience. They actually just moved up here I think in February. They allowed us to stay up here for just $20 and when my tent got wet because of the fog, they allowed me and everyone else to stay in the lodges.

-Moving on to the course, it's a true disc golf experience. It's a very unique 18 holer that seems innocent, but the elevation here is something else. While none of the holes here have like EXTREME uphills or downhills, quite a few of them could become that way for upshots that ricochet down the mountain. Every hole on the back nine is short, but has high roller potential.

-Course is well known for how it starts. You go up and up and up, and after hole 10, you gently go back down. Only one hole on the front nine is downhill, the rest are all uphill. It starts off with a pro par 3 that's 335' long around the duck pond. The basket is up on a hill guarded by pine trees. There is a lot of danger to the right side and the green is more dangerous than it looks. Hole 2 is a steep uphill hole only 230' but requires me (a guy that's best with distance) to throw a mid-range. It continues to go up and get even harder on the next one.

#3 is one of the toughest holes under 200' that I have played. It's another steep uphill shot that forces a righty to throw an anhyzer flick because of the mando being straight in front of the pad. The basket is all the way up the hill and slightly left of the mando. Making it very tough for a backhander to birdie. The next hole is a break from all the uphills, just as long as you avoid the right side.

Holes 5 thru 9 are all uphill, with #5 being one of the great par 4's I have played. A scary 493' uphill hole that begs you to rip a driver dead straight up the hill. But it's harder to reach than it looks, over the weekend I played this course many times and only made it all the way up to the landing zone once. The approach shot is uphill a little more and it's almost impossible to birdie this hole if you don't find a line. I parred this one every time. The rock green on this hole is quite outstanding!

-Once you are done with hole 9, the course gets shorter (Unless you play in the tournament.) Every hole on the back is rather short, and by the time you get to hole 13 or 14, you'll see it. But it still contains its flavor. #10 is a slightly uphill ace run maybe 165' with the green sloping to the left. #11 is the kind of ace run you see on the greatest courses in the world. It's a very fun downhill putter/mid-range shot with a mando tree pointing right. You have to go around a cluster of trees past the mando to get to this one, but it's also easy to outdrive it.

-Holes 12 and 14 are steep downhill shots with danger all around them. #12 is a steep downhill shot that plays to a hanging basket (We made an alt. pin for the tournament that played simply as a dropshot.) #14 is REALLY short and steep downhill, but it's scary because of the instant decrease. The leftside is down the mountain so you want to keep it really low on this one. I felt like I needed to 2 this hole, but I parred it both rounds. And there were bogeys and a few doubles because of the steep extreme downhill slope left.

-I love hole 18's peninsula green. It's a short par 3 around 230' but the creek is extremely hard to avoid, the basket and landing zone is well guarded with trees. You can also play #17's tee pad and play to 18's basket because that's the way it was originally. A long downhill anhzyer around 500-550' with the creek in play the whole way. That's how we played it in the casual tournament (even though there were only eleven of us.) There is another rubber tee pad around the volleyball court that we played on as #18 and we played to the practice basket. We placed it beside the telephone pole about 400' away.

-The Brewery is a great place to go to. They have really good cheeseburgers and coffee that I could enjoy. As for the rest of the players, they really seemed to enjoy the beer there. Don't ask me about the beer because I don't know. The second course Blind Squirrel Valley is a very pleasing course as well. I only played it as a nine holer though.

The original layout is just over 4100 ft and the layout we played is right around 4670. The effective length is slightly higher. It's about 2850 just on the front nine and is only like 1500' on the back nine if you play the original. It plays maybe 2150' on the back nine but that's because of the brutal hole 17 we made playing from 17 original's tee pad to 18 original's basket.

-There is a bath house for people for those of you that plan to stay up here. I have really long hair, so I had to shower a few times in there.

-I think the front nine is just awesome. I love the uphill shots! But the back nine could be better. We literally just proved that by changing it up a little by combining 17 and 18 original as #17 and making a brutal 400' finisher over the pine tree farm that could be played as a hyzer over the pond. #17 is a very weak hole. It's a straight nose downhill shot with no challenge to it. #18 is one of those holes that is better off long just because of the difficult peninsula green. The creek is just a few feet past the basket. With the amazing start to the course, it just leaves you wishing it ends amazing. So I think the changes we made in the tournament were a marked improvement.

-It gets quite foggy up here, so if you want to camp here, don't do it in the grass like I did, it will get really wet on the outside because of the moisture. Do it on the decks available in the woods.

-Quite a bit of underbrush on a few holes. And the leaves on hole 18 are extremely painful to walk through. Not only do they cut, but they left me itching until I showered.

-Short pads don't bother me as long as they are not raised, a couple of them are raised.

-Plumtree Mountain is definitely an epic disc golf experience. It's the kind you don't really expect because it's not balanced. But that's the fun of it! You don't typically play five uphills and then five downhills. The baskets are old and are marked with orange flags, so you can tell that this is a special course. They catch differently than disc catchers so playing this course can really help with your putting. I typically putt kind of hard, but these baskets catch better when you don't putt as hard.

#4 is a great sudden change after three steep uphill holes. It's a slightly downhill that's reachable with a putter. There are two lanes available, the left lane is much more safer.

-Hole 5 is definitely one of the funnest par 4's that I have played. It's a long uphill hole that plays over 600'. The signage says it's a par 5, and in a way I can see why it would be a 5. But to me it was a 4. It's one of those holes that you just want to get as far up the fairway as you can.

-#16 (which was the old #17) is a great steep downhill ace run over the bridge and on a platform. The zipline is right past the basket. Just a cool asset to the hole.

-I recommend staying up here for vacation. The owners are extremely nice, and the course designer's wife works at the brewery. She was very nice to me, my parents, and my eleven year old sister. It was family weekend at Western Carolina University, but I decided to stay up here, so they stayed in Spruce Pine so we could hang out. It was well worth the two hour drive for me and for my parents because I got the best of it all. I could see my family, and I won the tournament.

This is one of the most interesting courses I have played. It isn't particularly difficult in terms of the shots required; however, the hike is just brutal. The first 11-12 holes play almost straight up the mountain, making you work for even short par three's. The last 8 play more or less down the hill with some very interesting blind shots (we had a guy throw a putter on a 200 ft par three and go 200 ft past the basket!). They claim 20 holes but there are quite a few that are "off the map" - we found at least 5 additional holes (including pads, benches, baskets) on the back side of the mountain, including one basket suspended between two trees by a steel cable. The campgrounds and facilities are quite nice and the course, given it's remote and not-well-trodden nature, is pretty well maintained. The first hole might be my favorite in all of DG.

As previously mentioned, the hike here will absolutely exhaust you. 6 of us played a morning round; only 3 could muster the energy for an afternoon round and we struggled to get through it. It's difficult to overstate the importance of a good pair of hiking shoes and extra water- you'll definitely need them. WEAR PANTS, regardless of the temperature! There is stinging nettle all over the course and it will light your legs up. Baskets are of relatively poor quality but they are at least consistent. You can get confused/ lost easily since there are numerous holes that are technically not in play but still very much in existence. The extreme elevation of this track also means that a bad kick off a tree can send your shot hundreds of feet down the mountain. Once or twice, no big deal, but when you are chasing your 15th shot down a 60 degree incline with no path back to the fairway it gets a little frustrating. The tee pads are generally quite small which was challenging for some players with longer run-ups.

With the right expectations this is one heck of a fun track. The distance on the tee markers is almost irrelevant given the extreme changes in altitude- you definitely have to think about how throwing a shot 45 degrees up/down will affect the flight path. There are logging trails that wind around the mountain so I'd personally love to see ATVs added for transport.

The new layout is extremly long and challenging! I love getting out there for a good workout and this course fits the bill having holes 1-11 going uphill with number 8 being like a 50 degree angle up the hill to a hanging basket. A tomahawk is the way to go on this one, was playing two weeks ago and a buddy of mine tommyed off the tee and was still about 100-125ft out. decided to tommy again and flew it right in the hole! One amazing birdie I will not soon forget!! Good sinage on the new design and the length has to be a total walk of like 3 miles. Even though the fairway on most holes is an old logging road, it is still ultra challenging. I have yet to break par on this course, and im always trying to do so but it is really tough.
A great course always makes you use all of the shots you have, and I guarantee you will play many left-to-rights, right-to-lefts, over the top shots, shots from your knees, everything...

Number 11 is quite ridiculous. A 770 ft uphill par 5 with a mando in play about 200' away from the basket, be ready for the best bogey of your life and thats even if you can make a 6.
-Some of the brick tee-pads can get slick so watch your step, especially if it has been raining within the past couple of days. Was playing with a buddy that turned his ankle on hole #4 and tore several tendons and was out of DG for nearly a year. We all want to keep playing so anytime you are playing mountain golf (Simple Pleasures, Elk Mountain, Sugaree, Ashe County) always be aware of your rocky/steep/slick footings.
-In spring and summer wear pants cause their is stinging nettles everywhere.
#16's green is insane, most likely you will get a rollaway with no roller barrier to stop it..
#14 will make you or break you, a short downhill ace run really but if you drift right 5 ft of the pin your literally off the side off a STEEP mountain with no chance at salvaging par, bogey, or maybe even double

Favorite holes-- 5 is a great uphill legitamate par 5, if you dont hit a tree at some point you will proabably have a look at bird at a pin nestled in front of a HUGE boulder, one of the most epic holes in WNC in my opinion
8- Although I cant say the elevation is my favorite, this is still a very picteresque hole.
12- Basket perched atop a stump provides a difficult, but super fun putt
17-There is just something about this hole that I love, I cant quite figure it out. Its your basic hyzer off the tee hoping you clear a tiny collection of water that Will said is a hazard. Left is dead, and right is no good and there is a couple of boulders mid-fairway all the way to the green. Its just a downright good for real par 3, you wont see to many two's on this one.
Overall Elk Mtn is a great disc golf course if your in the mood for a challenging workout and course. Im not so sure the course itself is as tough as the neighborly mountain course Sugaree, but the terrain is most defiantly

This course is definitely a true mountain course. Love the par 5 and all the unique pins. Accuracy is a must. Hoping to go back when there are leaves on the trees. I'm sure it will play tougher.

The only cons might be the short tee pads on some holes. Oh yeah maybe the rollaways possible on many holes could also be frustrating.

Courses like this one make you a better player so just keep throwing!!!

Really fun up/down mountain course.
Narrow fairways and sloping lies make hole distances longer than posted length

Short tee pads
Difficult to see baskets from tee - required extra walking to overcome blind shots

This is a cross between disc golf and backpacking

You're surrounded by beautiful mountains. The course requires a nice variety of shots including a number of holes with severe elevation change as this is a true mountain course. The course is difficult & long enough to challenge the serious player. There are a number of really fun holes. Nice benches on several holes that come in handy. Primitive camping sites available at the course. The Vance Toe River Lodge & Restaurant is a couple minutes away and provides great food and disc golf supplies. Rob the course pro & Plumber John will show you around & make you feel welcome.

The course is still a work in progress so a couple of the hole designs could be improved i.e. #12 & the fairways that consist of gravel roads. There aren't rubber or concrete tee pads but it wasn't too much of an issue. It should be kept in mind that this course is continually being improved.

Me & some buddies found this course through this website & decided to make the road trip & give it a try. We ended up camping & were very pleasantly surprised by how awesome the course was & by the hospitality shown. Props to Will for his unbelievable cooking skills at the Toe River Lodge Restaurant. If you're considering playing this course, DO IT.

You're in the mountains. The facilities range from trout pond to B & B to campground to Lodge that sleeps 40+. There is a ropes course, a climbing wall, and plans are in the works for zip lines soon...

The course, like many new courses I've played, is rough, very very rough. There is a great mix of up and down and up and down, I can't think of a single hole that's completely level and better yet, some of the elevation changes are severe as they can be for the smokies. Hole 12 has about a 70 foot drop to a basket surrounded on 3 sides by OB (I took a circle 3!)

The first 2 holes go around/over the trout pond, hole 2 in particular took 2 of my discs, it's a 320 footer with a small landing area off to the right of the first pond, but a second, smaller pond follows right behind the first, so when you think you've cleared the hazard, you haven't. After 2 you play up the hill through the apple/pear orchard for a hole then get up into the real challenges. 4-6 are all basically up, with #6 being a 600+ footer up a 10 foot wide "gravel" road, off to the right and you're screwed, it plays as a 5 and you'd be hard pressed to make a 4. 7 & 8 are slight downs, with #9 another up hill hole. The back 9 is mostly down hill, since you have to walk up to get back down, but don't let the ease in walking let you ease up on the round. As stated before hole 12 has about an 70 foot drop and a basket surrounded on 3 sides by OB, hole 14 I think is the hole they call Snapping Back, or something similar, since the rock formation that backstops the basket looks like a turtle somewhat. Then 15-18 play down through the campground and alongside the Yurts that are available for renting.

All in all, this course has some fantastic potential. There are many, many rock outcropping that not only provide scenery but also come into play creating extreme elevation changes and obstacles that, unless negotiated properly, can really hurt a score.

As of Elk Mountain Disc Jam (6/28/09) steps were put in making traversing the mountainside much easier. And extensive weed eating was done making tracking down errant shots much easier. Most every hole now has a bench as well which make for great resting places after rigorous walking, and trash cans at several tees. Oh and all pro tees now have a 4x4 brick landing areas with nice mulch approaches.

The course is rough on account of it's newness. There are a few areas where steps are needed, but those are coming. There are lots of stinging nettles. There are a few crossing fairways at the beginning. And the end of the course plays through the campground kinda so if the campground gets crowded, it could get kinda dangerous (my truck can attest to this as it was hit from point blank range on an up shot...funniest thing I've seen in a while, since it didn't leave any damage that is) but if that campground has occupants at each site, it could get messy.

The owner is an ambitious guy with a staff of guys who are working at making this course compete with Richmond Hill (my words, not theirs) and other mountain style courses, and they have the space to do so. The current configuration has only been open since May of '09 and there were talks of making a "second course" that's more beginner friendly...they've got the space. ...and a big thanks and shout out to Rob Hurley and Plumber John along with owner Will for showing my wife and I such a good time this weekend, Thanks Guys!

Went to the tourney this past weekend and my rating must increase!...these guys are on the right path to having an elite course in the mountains...i'll be there again