Easy communication with owner to gain access,every shot was memorable with number 2 and 7 standing out for me. A lot of risk reward shots. Easy navigation.

Humidity lol. I couldn't hold on to my disc. Honestly this course has very few negatives.

Thanks for the hospitality. Much love from Colorado.

Amazing and Beautiful setting. Great mix of open holes and more technical holes in the woods. Course is maintained very well. Trees have been maintained so that wooded holes are very playable with multiple tight lines. Each hole seems to have a unique feel. As you play the course it is apparent how much thought went in to each individual hole design. Flow of the course is fantastic. Garbage cans at every hole....Property also has a very short techy 18 hole course called "the ridge" that was very fun as well.

Mosquitos...hard to find anything else that is a "con" on this course.

What an awesome fun day at Bud Hill. We played both courses and left with big smiles on our faces. Played on a week day and there was only a couple of other people out there. Quiet and serene...weather was unseasonably cool. We play a lot of courses around the USA on business and play a variety of courses. This may be one of the best Disc Golf experiences I have ever had.

This is a fantastic spot just north of Memphis with about 80 acres devoted to Disc Golf lovers. The course consists of 38 holes (a short, tight wooded 18 and a championship-quality 18 with 2 alternates). The course has a full-time ambassador/maintenance-guy/caretaker/concierge, DooRagg. You'll definitely want to meet him there (will be hard not to) and hopefully get a round in with him. I was in Memphis for work all last week and ended up playing Libertyland Monday night and Bud Hill every other night for he rest of the week. I couldn't stop coming here! If you're anywhere near southwest Tennessee, contact the gracious owner Danny and get yourself a teetime. Here're my thoughts on the Original (long) course

-Easy navigation. The course flows back to the clubhouse (yes, there's a clubhouse) between 8 and 9
-Don't miss the 2 alternate holes between 2 and 3. Hop into the woods by the 2nd basket and you'll go up the tight hill for the first alternate and back down for an absolutely beautiful 350 ft tunnel shot.
-teepads are excellent and vary in length depending on the hole
-water comes smartly into play on 5 holes. on 14, you'll squeamishly throw downhill 320 ft with water to the right of the basket and trees to the left.
-18 ends with an ace run over water right down from a tent-covered gathering area to relax after a round.
-Great locals who clearly play there weekly and are very hospitable to the out-of-towners
-EXCELLENT MAINTENANCE. grass was short, probably cut weekly. woods were cleared, clever placement of shrubs, great tee signs
-Porto-pot onsite by the clubhouse because Danny and DooRagg love you
-Clubhouse is rustic but looks well equipped to BBQ, get out of the weather, and relax after rounds

-not an extremely difficult course, for those who were looking to get beat up. It's a strong par 3 course with 2 or 3 par 4 holes
-I almost stepped on about 50 toads hopping across the wooded fairways. watch out, they're everywhere
-that's all I got, this place is wonderful

This is a DGCR top 10 destination course for a reason. The land is perfectly suited and the people who run it are fully committed! With Danny's blessing of course, camping here for a few days would be well worth your time. Donation box next to the first tee (be sure to show them your love in return). Thanks!

-Very well maintained
-Friendly and inviting atmosphere
-Good course variation between open and wooded. Offers tee shots that have what I would describe as "fairways" with woods lining the sides.
-Challenging, but rewards good shots

-Difficult to find
-Located out of the way

I originally read about this course on this website and decided to visit it with a couple of friends. The first time we played it we nearly gave up looking for the course because we could not find the entrance. Right before we gave up, we realized how to get in. I am glad that we found the course that time, because it may be my favorite course that I have ever played. It is very well maintained and such a great experience. If it was located in a better area and was easier to find, I would probably make the trip to play it more. It is definitely worth coming and playing if you aren't local. If I lived in the area, I would probably play this all the time.

Great course! Excellent hole variation with some left to right, some right to left and some dead straight tunnel shots. Also an excellent variety of wooded holes and more open fairways. This course has it all, and presents an awesome day of disc golf to any who decide to come and play it. Not only is the variety a great plus for this course but the difficulty is perfect as well. There are a few holes that are very birdie friendly, and some that are more difficult. Great for beginners and more experienced players as well.

There were a few times navigation was tricky (finding hole 17 in particular), and I've lost a couple of discs here, which is always unfortunate. Several tees are short which on the longer holes can be annoying. Usually though, the tee length is adequate for the hole in question.

All things considered a great disc golf location. A big thanks to Danny and Barbara for making Bud Hill disc golf all that it is. This course is one of the best in Memphis, and one of the most well known in the South for good reason. I highly recommend it to anyone visiting looking to play a round or two.

Just a beautiful place to play. Not just challenging, but INTERESTING, which is a much higher standard.

Not much. Maybe some par fours but this is a labor of love and I really don't want to start nit-picking.

As with my 'Ridge' review, I'm keepin it short because 'Mr. Mirth' gets it right. See his review. A BIG thank you though to Teddy, Danny, and all the guys for a real down welcome at this most excellent destination Disc Golf Heaven. Bring Danny some money to pay for all this. It takes a lot of love and lucre to make things this good and it shows.

- Beautiful course
- Great use of the terrain
- Benches or seats pretty much at every hole
- Nice flow from hole to hole, didn't have to search much, if at all

- I don't live in TN

- Bring a couple bucks with ya! They accept donations for the upkeep of the course.

Set on secluded private property devoted to disc golf, Bud Hill is a most enjoyable and challenging experience. The land is not only magnificent in its natural beauty, being adjacent to a river basin, but is well suited for quality course design, which is achieved here through years of attention and keen use of elevations slight to extreme, multiple bodies of water, mature forest, open rolling fields and more. The rustic clubhouse sits central to the Original course (as well its little bro The Ridge) and provides the perfect spot for putting and hanging about between rounds, taking in the peaceful vistas all the while. I can only imagine the camping good times during tournaments ...
The course is adorned with bright blue DGA Mach Vs you'd think were just installed; they're easily visible and great catchers. Signs are uniform, clear and accurate with "next tee" arrows lending to easy flow. Tees are concrete, save one, with various alts too; all in good shape. Large sturdy benches on nearly every hole easily accommodate groups of four, inviting one to have a sit. And rightly so, since four or five of them, if not more, are exquisite spots for taking in this secluded natural splendor! The heavily wooded fairways are extremely clean well beyond their tightly defined lines, which makes the errant throw and or subsequent kick a less daunting recovery.
Whether long or short, a straight line punch-out, a punch-in with drop down, a technical tunnel, an uphill finesse... whether an open downhill, a flat monster S, a tight touch across a pond or open carry on another... whether a fast green to the water or a guardian orchard, a basket and a tee too enveloped by bamboo... from start to finish this course couples challenging variety with persistent fun. Favorites are the 6, 7, left to right, right to left sequence: tight lines across the heavily wooded pond with steep elevations. 6 is especially tricky given how fast the green runs back to the water (~60deg!), never mind the sheer drop off just beyond to the left. 11 too is a favorite with its open to tight, right to left line with 20' drop then elevated pin.

Considering this is private property devoted to disc golf I find it most difficult to say anything negative. I will say there were a few shot-length dependent tees which wouldn't be a problem if they were surrounded by level terrain, but many of them were at least the thickness of the concrete above the ground. You either stepped to accommodate the trip hazard or compacted your x-step. The slopes on a few of the holes could be problematic after a rain. There's a chance of throwing into 17s fairway or onto 18s tee from 16 if one flies too right, while there's a chance of releasing too early on 17 and flying into 18s tee. I don't really see these as much problem unless the place is packed. I'm nitpicking...

Although Bud Hill is more open than wooded, with mostly straight or right to left lines, The Ridge gives balance with its extremely tight, short, left to right holes. I'm thoroughly impressed by what Danny and his crew have done with Bud Hill. You will be too. The terrain and beauty are here. They had the vision and put in the hard work, which has resulted in a quality course for players of all levels. A "best in class" as it were.

This course is one of the best courses I have ever played. It has every type of shot imaginable, including several beautiful water hazard holes. Every hole has a great tee pad (concrete), many with multiple tees, well built benches (even some under a shaded roof), trash cans and bag racks. The "original" 18 hole course is easily one of the best, beautifully manicured and enjoyable course I have ever played. The "ridge" course is an additional 9-holer that requires precise technical shots to master and makes a great warm-up course. The site is devoted entirely to disc golf and has a clubhouse and tented area for relaxation or cookouts. The private nature of the course, along with the secluded location, achieves the goal of keeping out the riff raff. The course was easy to navigate without a map and each hole was easy to see the shot required (not many blind shots). There are some unique holes that introduce power lines, poles and other interesting obstacles/decoration.

Quite honestly the only thing that was slightly deterring was the drive to the place. It is quite literally in the middle of nowhere according to a GPS and anyone who is unfamiliar with the area. If the course were moderately ranked, we would have turned around and drove away. The high rating drove us onward and we eventually made some right turns to find our way there. This could also be considered a good thing however, because it keeps out everyone except those dedicated to the sport.(No park traffic or non-golfers).

The course has awesome custom baskets that are painted blue with a high-visibility orange strip on the pole. These are the coolest baskets I have ever seen. Not only should you drive out of your way to play here, you should bring some money to pay the owners, Danny and Barbara, for all of the hard work they have put into this course. They were some of the nicest people we have encountered on a disc golf course and were generous enough to host us last minute as we passed through Memphis.

Wonderful course.
Wooded and stately trees.
A 'ridge' course of short holes that demand precise throws.

It's far from where I live.

I wish they built more courses like this one and that there were more courses dedicated to excellence like this course.

Bud Hill is an enjoyable and challenging course set on a spacious and beautiful piece of land outside of Memphis. The course is very secluded as it is way out of town and you basically take a dirt road until it dead ends at the course! This is a private course, but it is usually no problem at all getting permission to play- just call or e-mail Danny and you will find he will be excited about you coming to play.

The course only had 18 holes the last time I played here, but I see that it now has 27. I loved the course with 18 holes, so I hope the new holes just add to an already great course. Most of the holes had concrete tees and some kind of signage. The course itself has everything you would want in a round of disc- longer, open holes mixed in with well-designed shorter wooded holes. There is plenty of elevation utilized in holes that tastefully play up and down. There are straight shots and doglegs in both directions. There are several holes where water comes into play and these are spread throughout the course, not all in a row. The water shots are not impossibly long, but do require accuracy. You will also find many interesting man made obstacles- power lines, semi-trailers, gazebos, birdhouses, etc. that help add to the charm and the atmosphere of this private course on farm land.

I love that the holes here offer a good variety and little to no repetition- each hole is unique and there are several memorable holes, a characteristic of the best courses. I really appreciate the thoughtful balance of playing in the woods for a couple of holes, then in the open for a couple, then back in the woods, and so on (rather than the front 9 open and the back 9 wooded which you see all the time at other courses.)

As is the case with most private courses it is difficult to upkeep and mainly because it does cost money, so I understand why the signs are not uniform and some of the baskets are not the standard quality you would find in a public park. However, many of the baskets had been upgraded when I came back to play here a 2nd time a year later. It is obvious that improvements are continually being made when funds and time are available. There was also an occasional dirt or carpet tee, but it is possible these will be concrete some day if not already.

I am not sure exactly how many holes we played (possibly 18-20) as the signs were not the best. There were also a couple of temp baskets we saw, but never played to. (including one right in the middle of #3's fairway - we always joked about getting a black ace!) We thought they might just be for practice or for other types of games during tournaments since they were close to the clubhouse, but now it seems likely that these holes are probably a permanent part of the 27 holes. Hopefully the holes are now clearly numbered so people don't miss out on any of holes here.

Note: From reading other reviews of people who have played here more recently, it seems many of the cons are now taken care of.

I could go on and on praising this course. I really appreciate the work that is done here creating and maintaining this wonderful course. Be sure to put in a couple dollars in the box by tee #1, and then when you finish go back and put in a couple more $ after you see that it is very deserving.

I have played nearly all the courses in TN and this is clearly the best. It is a must play if you are in the area, and is possibly worth a longer drive when you factor in the other decent courses in the Memphis area as well.

*Again, the course now has 27 holes, it has been a little over a year since I last played here, and I have not yet played the additional holes, but hope to sometime soon. When I do I will edit my review to include the new 9. (The addition of the new 9 holes, pro baskets, and uniform signs may bump Bud Hill up to a 5.0 rating for me, and I can't wait to find out if I need to...!)

Very good variety of holes between wooded and open shots. Excellent but challenging layout especially at snake hole.

Tee pads are not very fun to work with on a few holes and are hard to run on to. I also was not expecting the plants to burn your skinif you touched them.

Beautiful land that the course is on and thanks to the Daniels on an exceellent job of keeping up the course.

Original 18 has good mix of shots, distance, and some water to contend with. More wide open than wooded, but still challenging. The new baskets are super sweet, and the tees are all concrete. Great all around course. The Ridge 9 is very short and technical. It is also a good course that is worth playing while you're there. The people are awesome.

Some of the tee boxes on the original 18 were shorter than I like. It is hundreds of miles away from my house.

You will rarely find a course that is this much fun. You will never find nicer people. Play it, enjoy it, and then contribute to their fund.

1) Private course that very likely does not get real crowded. This is a bonus because if it was in a public park the course would be in worse shape, more compaction and more erosion, plus more trampling of the turf.

2) Dual concrete teepads are in good shape. Some holes even have 3 sets of tees, but apparently aren't used often. There was one tee I think that had carpet because of tree roots or just the location.

3) Tee signs are adequate for knowing where you are because they are all numbered.

4) Plenty of benches on the course for the slow tourney rounds and waiting for people to resolve OB situations and finding discs. Course also has garbage cans all around the course. Being a private course I would expect people generally will do a better job picking up their own garbage, but it is always helpful to be consistent with placement and frequency.

5) Maintenance is evident. Danny was unable to be at the course when I played because he fell off a ladder trimming trees. I can even imagine the scene, with a ladder on uneven compact soils just to get that one pesky branch or widow maker. I hope he recovered quickly. I even noticed areas of the wooded holes that had obviously had some leaf blowing done . . . specifically to help prevent people from losing discs in the leaves. Not only had those two valley holes been blown, but they had also received overseeding or a winter ryegrass. The grass wasnt lush or anything but it is enough to help prevent erosion, and it will help to keep people from slipping in some spots.

6) The clubhouse although rustic and run down is an awesome thing for a disc golf course. It has a couple couches, a tv (oddly enough leveled with an extra disc (thanks for pointing that out Stephen), a bar area (although primitive), a grill, a firepit outside, and all sorts of things that would make it a great place to just hang out all day. If this was my local course I would go there every weekend . . . play a couple rounds, eat lunch, play another round or 2, and then hang out by the firepit.

7) Atmosphere is incredible even though I didnt play the course during a tourney or when Danny and his wife are out there. Sdervan even told me they often cook for the people in the tourneys and such, how awesome is that? I mean come on its like they just want people to have a wonderful time. Sounds to me like they should find some more areas on the property and offer camping and call it a bed and breakfast.

8) Design and layout of this course was awesome. It flows very well from basket to next tee. I do not know Danny's history with the game but I have a feeling he was/is a great player. He used the property incredibly, it has uphills downhills sidehills, tight tight fairways, open fairways with spotty trees, it has water, it has left to right shots and right to left shots and combinations of many of these things. Every hole has some challenge and you better not let your guard down.

9) Shepherd hooks are even on some or most of the tee box areas. Those are helpful on wet days to keep your bag from getting all muddy which in turn would get all over your back.

1) I think somewhere along the way someone put a tee sign in the wrong spot and the next few were also off by one because of this. I do not remember however how it resolved itself to end on 18.

2) Course has some tough areas due to compaction. Some of those wooded holes have some bare soil and even more spots of really rooted up ground. These rooty areas are all due to erosion because those roots would normally be under the soil.

3) Signage is lacking, not a huge deal but for a first timer who may not have been as lucky as I to have a local show me, they could get lost from time to time, they would eventually find all the holes, but a simple teesign would be better than just a #.

4) Some of the baskets are not the newest kind, but I know that will be taken care of. I know I put my $5 donation in and if you play it once please chip in $5 or whatever you can. For people that always play it I would think paying $1 per round would be enough, equivalent to what we pay for a tourney or league at any course.

5) Course is not even close to being beginner friendly. There are simply too many shots needed to survive this course. Water to throw over, tight wooded holes to plinko, some OB areas where you can easily throw a disc into that you may not be able to reach. This isnt considered in the rating because it obviously was designed for tourneys and tourney players. Shortening some of the holes up would help in promoting beginners, but it just isn't that type of course.

I feel that the 18 hole course is virtually seperated from the other 9, therefore I have also written the review seperately. I also feel like they still may be a little bit work in progress. I am not sure how long the new 9 have been there, but they just seemed to still be undergoing some projects and maintenance.

Review of The Ridge 9
Pros
1) Every hole is tightly wooded and plays very differently than the other course. it give the entire 27 holes better balance.

2) This 9 is very short in comparison to the other 18 holes and that also helps to balance the overall length of the whole course.

3) Executing some of these shots is difficult, especially if you miss a mando. You can layup to make an easy par on the mando holes and sharp doglegs.

4) Tees are in good shape and the signs are helpful in direction and # of hole, but none have distances listed or the distances listed are written by some punks, or maybe they are just trying to be funny. No hole is over about 225 I think on this 9.


Cons:
1) Not sure a few of these holes are birdieable, I like holes that challenge but I also think that there should be risk/reward on choosing to layup for par, or try and make the entire curve of the hole on one shot to layup for birdie.

2) There isn't much risk/reward with some of these holes because even if you overthrow or hit a tree and underthrow, the holes are short enough for an easy layup and 1 putt for par. The only thing keeping you from getting a par would be missing a mando or missing a putt.

3) A couple of these 9 holes are too gimmicky for me, they may involve some luck as an equal portion to making a par or birdie. I like shots that just require a well executed shot to get your birdie, not luck also.


ALL IN ALL:

I loved this course . . . I got to play with a local that helped. He gave me information I would never have gotten and it certainly raised my image of this course. It is an awesome design, it is an even better property and the atmosphere the owners and locals would bring to this place I could see why it would be the hotbed of Westerm Tennessee. It was a ton of fun to play and am so happy I was able to go there. I will be back sometime and look forward to the opportunity. it was a great way to start out my 3 week trip to Florida. I do have to say I know the course is well maintained but the only thing keeping it from being a top course is probably some of the areas that could use improvements and/or maintenance. So what I am saying is this course is a 4 in my eyes in terms of maintenance and current conditions, it is a 4.5 overall for design, layout, and facilities, and it is a 5 for atmosphere. With all of that said I have to give it an overall 4.5 because I would play it just as frequently as I would want to play Winter Park, Silver Creek, Bryant Lake and all the other 4.5's I have given. It is way more likely to draw my time if compared straight up against my other 4 rated courses. If some of the maintenance issues like erosion and compaction I would very well give this course a 5 rating. It simply does not compare to the overall experience I had with my only 5 given at Blue Ribbon Pines. It could be there down the road however in my humble opinion. I loved it . . . thanks Danny.

Very will maintained. Loved the lay out of the course. Great mixture water, elevation, long, and short, open, and through the trees. The most maintained course I have ever played.

No signs or distance markers make first time playing rough.

I like 2 hours aways, and it was worth the drive to play this course.

Wow! Where to start?
- First of all... I emailed for reservations a week in advance and got a prompt reply. I called the day before and recieved nothing but kindness from Danny over the phone. He told the locals I was coming and had several players waiting for my arrival to guide me around the course, including his grandson Trae - the coolest disc golfing kid I ever met... an absoulte gentlemen... and, a good golfer too (he'll be kicking all our asses in a year, if he doesn't kick your ass already). I really felt like they rolled out the red carpet for me - Thanks Bud Hill.
- This course is manucured like no other private, mountainy, championship style course I have ever played. It looks like a ball golf course with woods tossed in.
- Awesome holes! Long, short, left, right, s turns, rollers, tight, open, water, elevation - can't say enough.
- The clubhouse, the parking, the privacy, the Bud Hill community of golfers I met.
- There is a state park nearby with two more courses in it.

- The new back 9 is unbecoming of Bud Hill... to put it nicely. The shots are weird, with crazy mandies. It just doesn't fit... However, it is new and I expect that over time they will manacure it more completely and redesign some of the holes so they are of Bud Hill quality.
- Signage was lacking... there may have been maps and scorecards in the clubhouse, but I didn't check.
- That's it... it is hard to find any cons when you play a course as epic as this.

- This course immideately jumped into my top 5 - sans the new back 9.
- If you do play Bud Hill and then go to the Shelby course nearby... eat lunch at the diner on the corner approximately 2 miles after the state park entrance. Get the chicken wrap with jalapenoes... Bomb!
- Thanks Trae and Pete for the round... and Danny for setting it all up. Truly Awesome!
- My Score: -3

This course is my favorite to date. As others have said, it offers everything you want from a course without being intimidating while still being challenging. Uphill/downhill, water, precision shots, etc. It's all there. The owners are very cool and do a wonderful job of course maintenance. I'm not a big fan of risky water shots, and the water on this course is just about perfect for me. There's only one on there that kinda scares me, but in the 3 or 4 rounds I have played, I have not gone in yet - it's a downhill shot to a water-side basket on the left of the pond. Another water hole is kinda the reverse - you start level with the pond and the basket is on the side of a hill on the other side. So, even with my water phobia (i've lost 6 discs in the last month, mostly to water), I still enjoy those holes. The layout is well thought out also and the course flows really well.

I don't really have any cons for this course. Some of the baskets only have one row of chains, so I guess that's a negative. But, the last time I played there, some of the club members had added inside rows on a few of the one-chainers, so it seems they are taking care of this too. I really didn't want to put any cons on here, because I love this course so much, but I'm trying to be as subjective as possible.

The icing on the cake is the community. I have not met anyone yet that wasn't really cool. It's just a unique experience in that you feel right away that you're part of some secret DG club. Please make sure to donate when you come here, because they really do put a lot of work in this course and it's worth every penny. If you don't come here to play at some point, you're really missing out on something special.

Thanks, Danny and Barbara! I'll be back for sure.

This course has multiple tees, multiple pin locations and defined fairways to reach them all. The atmosphere is 100% disc golf. Since it is private, there is no need to fear hitting small children or innocent bystanders. There are a variety of holes, requiring shots of all shapes. Good uses of elevation are abundant. This is a course where water is prevelant, but not to an annoying point. Each throw over water is manageable...even by those without huge arms. However, an errant shot is punished, occasionally by water. Hole #18 is a fabulous finishing shot over a small pond and really puts the "icing on the cake" of a splendid round.

There were some scattered random baskets that looked like they were there for no reason. Baskets are not consistent as most are donated. (I don't care about this, but there are some that might)

So far, this is the best course I have played in Tennessee. I only wish I lived closer. There is a donation box, and for the level of course that Danny maintains, it is worth the donation.

This course is not "perfect" and I cannot quite give it a 5 even though I would love to. (I have only given two 5s ever...Idlewild and Winthrop) I enjoy Bud Hill more than either of those courses because it doesn't make the round so difficult that it loses enjoyment. Those other courses challenge the top pros, and that does not include me. But for the beauty of the land, the maintenance and design of the course, the hospitality of the folks, and the enjoyment of the round Bud Hill is my favorite place that I have ever played. Not only would I suggest this course to those in the area, but this is truly a destination course.

This course has every shot you could possibly want. Tunnel shots, long rips, ace runs, wide open fairways and a couple water shots. The locals are extremely friendly. I played this course on a fairly windy (lots of gusting) and there were only a couple holes that the wind actually effected my shots.
This is really just a course that you need to experience.

Because of a lack of tee signs it can be a little bit difficult to find your way from hole to hole, as well as hard to find the pin from the tees on a couple as well. There are sponsors signs on just about every hole, it really wouldn't be that difficult to put up a tee sign as well.
There was also at least one tee that was built into the side of a hill that now has a substantial drop off at the end, making it difficult to do much more then a stand and throw, and personally I just throw better when I can follow through.

My cons are pretty nit picky, but a course is going to have to be something pretty amazing to get a perfect 5, but this is currently my absolute favorite course that I have played. The course is fun, the people are great, and the views aren't that bad either.
This is a private course, and the owner has done a lot to make this course absolutely amazing, but he can't do it all on his own. Make sure to leave your donations in the lock box near the info board and hole 1 tee.
This is for sure a MUST PLAY for any player!

this is one of my top 5 ever. it has everything a course needs length water elevation and good people who support the sport

only one complaint but not big one no tee signs but the course flowed so well it was not a bid deal

if you are within 300 miles play this course........also it is not a pay to play course but they do a lot of work to keep it going so throw them a buck or 2 when you play..thanks Danny you will definitely see me again