There's something peaceful about having an entire course to yourself first thing in the morning. It's even special when this course has some amazing views and quality disc golf.
- I REALLY liked Chauga Rapids. There are a lot of great qualities here. That said, I do see some of the potential issues and how the course's biggest strengths could be its biggest weaknesses.
- Outstanding terrain. Lots of elevation in play. There are some crazy steep downhill layouts (hello #3 and 11) and some crazy uphill shots (#5, 7, 16). It's enough elevation that #16 at 445 feet is more grueling than #11 at 677 feet because the former is uphill and the latter is downhill.
- Some great hole layouts. My biggest regret was not knowing how steep and sharp a dogleg #3 was. I played it way too conversative. After walking the hole, I wish I had really let a disc fly here to see how far down the fairway I could have landed.
- Hole #4, 8, 14, and 15 are also all great layouts. Each has an aspect of elevation along with trees in play. Of these, #8 was my favorite.
- High risk/reward factor here. I felt like I was teetering on the edge at times here. With some steep elevation, you run the risk of discs sailing far away with a bad bounce. I already mentioned how cautiously I played #3. #12 is an extremely sharp up-and-down dogleg right. Hit the point of the curve in the fairway, and it turns extremely sharp to the right and down. My disc missed the fairway. I searched for 15 minutes before finding it. In the meantime, I discovered how steep the drop-off is to the right of the fairway. Land a disc down there and you have to evaluate if it's worth your safety for a piece of plastic.
- Tee signs. They are outstanding. With so many blind tee shots, they need to be great. These delivered big time.
- Good course flow. #9 and 18 end right next to the disc golf parking lot. Took me 30 seconds to walk from my truck to the first tee. Took 45 seconds to walk from #18's basket back to my truck.
- Out in nature. The parking lot remained empty my entire round. Granted I finished by 8:30. I didn't hear a car. I didn't hear a plane. I watched the sun rise over the horizon and shine through the trees. I was....happy.

I probably played this course at close to perfection. That said, I see how this course could have major issues at different times of the year.
- I don't know how this course is playable after a heavy rain. Steep walks up and (more importantly) down hills could be major safety risks with poor footing. There are steps on #5. But more holes need them on the steepest portions.
- The disc golf gate was wide open. If it's not open, I could see how a half mile hike, especially if you're hiking over this same elevation wouldn't be fun. It's tiring enough playing this layout. Now add on a mile of hiking to get to and fro the course? Undoubtedly my perception would be different.
- Too isolated? Did I mention how I didn't see a person or car the entire time here? That means nobody is around in case you slip. Internet service also wasn't great. So, some less agile and/or adventurous types may not want to play here solo.
- The course ends on a flat note. #18 is one of the simplest holes on the entire course. #17 was tough but also in the bottom half. The front nine is far better than the back 9, then slowly runs out of steam after #15.
- Be prepared for a physically challenging round. As such, it was noticeable that there was a shortage of benches on the course. There need to be more.
- Lost disc factor is higher than normal hear. Again, steep elevation + lots of trees to hit + potentially poor footing = not every disc will be accessible.
- One of the few courses I wished I didn't play solo. Several long searches for discs that landed just off the fairway that were thrown on blind and/or elevated layouts. Plus, throwing extremely cautious on #3 isn't how that hole should ever be played.

Ratings for the course will probably be all over the course. At its peak, Chauga Rapids is an absolute hidden gem. At its nadir, it's frustrating, unplayable, and a waste of time driving here. I suspect as this course gets more ratings, you'll be able to tell the weather/natural conditions based on ratings.
- This is probably not a course I'd want to play in November when the leaves are falling. I suspect discs could easily get lost even on fairways.
- This course would get a lot more love and attention if it were closer to...anywhere. Place this closer to Greenville, Charlotte, or Atlanta and it's getting lots of attention. Being 30 minutes past Clemson and not convenient for out-of-towners, and not so much. In that regard, it's impressive how good this course is maintained.
- Good grippy shoes are a must. Patience is also crucial here between climbs up and down hills and possible long searches for discs. I'm one whose often inclined to retrace my steps back to the tee if I can't find a disc. I wasn't doing that on #12.
- The fairways are plenty wide. If you hit your lines, you should play really well, or at least have plenty of birdie runs.
- With the talk about elevation variances, the greens are generally fair. Not too many spots where a disc will roll 100 feet away if you're slightly off.
- Overall, I really enjoyed Chauga. Coming from Charlotte, it reminded me of RL Smith with even more elevation. I recommend a visit here **IF** conditions are good.