Chester State Park - Advanced reviews
5
4
mtnbob
Experience:
1 played
1 reviews
Great "Unknown" Course!! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Apr 13, 2017
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Beautiful course on dedicated land. No worries about walkers or bikers popping through. Heavily wooded and challenging holes. I won't go into hole descriptions, since others have done a great job on that! Just want to give a review that gives an idea how this course is looking after a good year or so. Signs are in good repair. Blue and red tees on most holes. Benches are now on about every third hole. Rough is easier to get out of as this course gets more traffic, but is still challenging. In the summer it will play tougher. Good beginner course next to the main course, which is great for warm ups and putting practice.
Cons:
Many of the holes require good placement of shots. Grass can get a little long in the summer before it gets cut.
Other Thoughts:
This course will surprise many people who play it for the first time. It gets very little traffic but is is top notch!! First Disc Golf course in a S.C. State Park!!! Give it some more visits and they might try building more!! Park office has discs to rent if you forgot yours!
9
1
filobedo
Experience:
18.8 years
289 played
21 reviews
Isolated but well worth the trip. 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Mar 1, 2014
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Part of the trilogy of great new courses in SC along with Grand Central Station and Socastee Rec Park.
Played the course twice in February and March 2014 and favorite holes include the following as noted by RHBH,
#1 - Short downhill. Easiest hole on course and great chance for birdie but play it smart. This hole can be tricky if you throw more than a midrange or putter.
#3 - Tight long and narrow but good chance at 2 if you stay in the fairway.
#5 - Great hole with tight slow hyzer up tight gap into fairway. Good chance at 3 if you stay in fairway and not flair left. I would think left would be treacherous during summer with foliage but I threw thumber for second shot both and played and three'd it both times but if it was summer I would have had a 4 or 5 due to foliage.
#7 - Fun uphill shot with a great chance at birdie. Green is guarded by a deceiving front.
#8 - Monster hole which is very tight from tee to 2/3rds up the fairway. Plays all of 800' and definitely stay on the fairway. Best to walk hole first time playing to see and due to placement shots for better scoring.
#9 - Fun hyzer where the hill should not really come into play unless you hit an early tree. If so you will have an uphill shot for 3.
#10 - 18 Here come some great holes
#10 - Stay straight in the fairway and make it up the hill for a chance at 3 on this guarded green. I could see this hole being brutal in the summer if left off the tee.
#11 - This and #15 are the only holes on the back that I think are average. The hole is a bit short for a rhbh due to the anhzyer approach green. Sidearm may get there but the green is small.
#12 - One of the best holes I have ever played. This hole is uphill to dogleg left and plays all of 600'. 3 is a great score here but more 4's likely depending on skill.
#13 - Another really fun hole that is straight and uphill but a valley is part of the fairway. Good chance at 2.
#14 - Accuracy is a must on this hole and I like the anhyzer route but that may change in the summer with foliage.
#16 - This hole is like the scene in Swingers. Inspiration may have come from, "I don't want you to be the guy in the PG-13 movie everyone's *really* hoping makes it happen. I want you to be like the guy in the rated R movie, you know, the guy you're not sure whether or not you like yet." This is a fun hole but definitely frustrating if you cannot throw an anyhzer with a midrange accurately for a rhbh. I did not know what to think about this hole initially and not sure if I like it or not but it is challenging if you play it poorly.
#17 and #18 - Best two finishing holes I have ever played.
#17 - This hole reminds me of #10 at Augusta National. There is something about looking down this fairway that reminds me of a great traditional golf course hole and 2 is a great score if you can make a perfect, long drive.
#18 - Best finishing hole I have ever played. Long hole with elevation, trees, creek and a turn at the end. You have got to be accurate off the tee or you could take a 7 or 8. If this course is ever used in a sanctioned tournament, I could see this hole playing into the results of each division positively and negatively.
Played the course twice in February and March 2014 and favorite holes include the following as noted by RHBH,
#1 - Short downhill. Easiest hole on course and great chance for birdie but play it smart. This hole can be tricky if you throw more than a midrange or putter.
#3 - Tight long and narrow but good chance at 2 if you stay in the fairway.
#5 - Great hole with tight slow hyzer up tight gap into fairway. Good chance at 3 if you stay in fairway and not flair left. I would think left would be treacherous during summer with foliage but I threw thumber for second shot both and played and three'd it both times but if it was summer I would have had a 4 or 5 due to foliage.
#7 - Fun uphill shot with a great chance at birdie. Green is guarded by a deceiving front.
#8 - Monster hole which is very tight from tee to 2/3rds up the fairway. Plays all of 800' and definitely stay on the fairway. Best to walk hole first time playing to see and due to placement shots for better scoring.
#9 - Fun hyzer where the hill should not really come into play unless you hit an early tree. If so you will have an uphill shot for 3.
#10 - 18 Here come some great holes
#10 - Stay straight in the fairway and make it up the hill for a chance at 3 on this guarded green. I could see this hole being brutal in the summer if left off the tee.
#11 - This and #15 are the only holes on the back that I think are average. The hole is a bit short for a rhbh due to the anhzyer approach green. Sidearm may get there but the green is small.
#12 - One of the best holes I have ever played. This hole is uphill to dogleg left and plays all of 600'. 3 is a great score here but more 4's likely depending on skill.
#13 - Another really fun hole that is straight and uphill but a valley is part of the fairway. Good chance at 2.
#14 - Accuracy is a must on this hole and I like the anhyzer route but that may change in the summer with foliage.
#16 - This hole is like the scene in Swingers. Inspiration may have come from, "I don't want you to be the guy in the PG-13 movie everyone's *really* hoping makes it happen. I want you to be like the guy in the rated R movie, you know, the guy you're not sure whether or not you like yet." This is a fun hole but definitely frustrating if you cannot throw an anyhzer with a midrange accurately for a rhbh. I did not know what to think about this hole initially and not sure if I like it or not but it is challenging if you play it poorly.
#17 and #18 - Best two finishing holes I have ever played.
#17 - This hole reminds me of #10 at Augusta National. There is something about looking down this fairway that reminds me of a great traditional golf course hole and 2 is a great score if you can make a perfect, long drive.
#18 - Best finishing hole I have ever played. Long hole with elevation, trees, creek and a turn at the end. You have got to be accurate off the tee or you could take a 7 or 8. If this course is ever used in a sanctioned tournament, I could see this hole playing into the results of each division positively and negatively.
Cons:
The only thing that I noticed missing was trash cans and benches on holes but I may have missed them. The rec course is next runs parallel to #18 and is alright but not near as good as this one.
Other Thoughts:
Great use of land and professionally designed by an experienced course designer which is nice to see due to the trend of many newer players designing courses. Feels like a private course because it is isolated from the rest of the park and you can tell the State Park is behind growing the sport with this type of course. I know everyone wants to hit the gems in Charlotte but this is definitely worth drive and each time I played there was only 3 groups on the this huge course. Looking forward to seeing this course during the summer with foliage. This course can get sloppy due to substantial rain SC has had over 2013 and early 2014 so watch your footing. Plan to spend a few hours if you are playing with a group. Hopefully someone steps up and host a sanctioned tournament here. I think the Sunday after the USDGC would be ideal for one day C tier for those not playing Winthrop or Stoney Hill.
