-Concrete Tees
-Multiple tee pads on most holes
-Good use of the area, area mostly just for disc golf
-Good mix of open/wooded, up/down, long/short
-Nice downhill shots on #1, #6, #10, #16
-Practice basket

-Course gets VERY busy
-A lot of up and down, Up on #9, #15, #18 are hikes
-Baskets are a little old, tough to see at times
-Signage needs a re-fresh
-Needs more benches
-Could use the missing bridge replaced (only one across the creek, now)

Carroll Marty DGC plays in Gateway Hills Park, in the southern part of Ames, IA. With a couple of Iowa State dorms close, this is a BUSY course when conditions are even sort of decent. Took me 3 times to try my first round here and not be 4 or five groups deep waiting to tee on #1. A nice practice basket is available near tee #1. The course winds up and down the terrain with some lovely downhill throws (#1, #6, #10 and #16), but you pay for it with some steep up throws (or a steep staircase up to #4). The creek comes into play on #2, #8 (from the long tee), #12 and #14. The course is approachable for most skill levels, just be prepared for the hike. Center area can get quite squishy when it has been wet and the area can get flooded with the creek. The course could use a re-fresh with new signage and baskets, adding a few benches would also bump the rating here. An excellent course design, testing many skills, enjoyed by many, I will probably play again.

- Decently manicured
- A few unique holes
- Two concrete teepads for every hole
- Easy for beginners and casual players
- Good elevation changes
- Two practice baskets next to pads 1 and 10.

- Can get totally swamped with casuals during the school year
- Too many holes are just pitch and putt
- Holes 3-7 can be a mud-fest
- No par 4's with a few "par 2's"

- Play the advanced tees if you want to not fall asleep
- Good for a quick round when you need to be in and out in an hour (provided it's not busy).
- Solid course but is in dire need of some TLC.
- Stable Run is better.
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-Lots of fun downhill elevation shots
-Two teepads on every hole except 9 and 10
-Trash can at just about every tee pad
-Course is dedicated to disc golf, volleyball courts and playground don't come into play unless you have a very errant throw on 18.
-Fairly easy to navigate
-Playing from the long pads you will get to use just about every shot in your bag
-Creek runs through the course creating some fun risk reward situations.

-Mach 3 Baskets are getting pretty dated.
-Tee signs are not always present or accurate.
-Can be an absolute Zoo on sunny days while school (Iowa State University) is in session.
-Compounding the traffic issue, most students play the shorts with one or two discs and 6 or more beers, resulting in quick playing super groups until they have a disc go in the creek and if there is one slow group or a group playing the longs things tend to back up quickly.
-Some of the shots, particularly from the short pads leave little to the imagination (particularly 2,11 and 13).
Bridge that takes you from 2 to 3 and 7 to 8 has been taken out due to erosion, there is another bridge in the middle of 2's fairway and the water is usually low enough to cross the creek.

This course could use a facelift, after 18 years it has become dated. That being said playing from the longs provides a fun and challenging par 3 round (no holes over 400'). The short layout provides a beginner friendly course while still leaving some challenge to advanced players. Recommend trying to get there before noon if the sun is out and the temperature is above 50.

Carroll Marty DGC is set off on a less used part of Gateway Hills Park that is just south of campus. The concrete pads are grippy and generous. The baskets are well used but still catch well. The use of natural obstacles and challenges is fantastic. 1, 16, 9 and 6 are sweet downhill shots while 5 long, 8, 15, 18 and 9 are challenging uphills. The short tees are a blast for ace runs, while the pro tees really crank up the difficulty. I've played few other courses that have such a difference between the short and long tees. Not only are the pro tees longer, but they usually force you to take a much different or more precise line. The long for #5 comes to mind because you walk to the right of the short tee and backwards down the hill. As a result, you have a 280 footer that starts straight uphill through a tight lane of low hanging branches and finishes through a patch of trees than only opens about 20 feet in front of the basket. This variety of shots is the reason CM is so popular. 2 practice baskets with a sign board is a plus. Trash cans are at most holes.

A few solid changes are in order to bring Carroll Marty up to a solid 4 in my opinion.
New signs are needed. Only about half remain, and what are left are not updated with the current distances. As a frequent player it is not a huge deal to me, but new signs would definitely make a difference.
Trash cans should be put at every hole. There is huge amounts of traffic, especially during the beginning and end of the school. There is no better start to the weekend than a few beers and round of discs after class is done on Friday, so having trash cans would definitely help keep the course clean.
The basket on 14 has a few broken rings so some of the chains just hang as opposed to attach at the center. I also think the basket should be moved from its current location to the clearing that is about 70 feet behind and to the left of its current location.
I think the long tee for 2 could be moved back even farther to the prairie area that is behind the basket for one.
Those last two cons are just gravy, the big thing is just to give this course some love because it is definitely starting to show its age.

All in all, Carroll Marty is a blast to play. When at school I play here all the time, easily 3-5 times during the fall and spring weekends. I usually play from the shorts with a mid and putter and have a very good chance at birdies across the board. Traffic can be very high at peak playing times and there is a fair share of chucker groups to potentially slow your ride down. As I mentioned before, there are a few changes that should happen that would really jump CM up to the next level.

Hole 1 and 16 are pretty cool! also there is one u throw over the creek and between some trees, nice! i had fun with some of the technical shots on this course. there was like 80 people there when we played. but the college kids there are pretty nice and helpful if you don't happen to know where the next tee is. the paths are cool, and there is one leading to 16 that is paved with beer bottle caps, wonder how long that took!
Also there was some really Smokin' HOTT women playing this course. I would go back just to watch some of them play!

Really didn't like how the holes crossed each other. also hole 18 is ridiculous, the hill u throw up is just stupid. it would make an awesome bomb shot!

All in all, this course is good for the casual game. also to work on your technique with the first nine holes. Very easy to be distracted by the Frolfing Beauties you see on this course!

A good variety of holes to play, and flows really well from hole to hole. A creek runs through the course as well adding a little more challenge to some of the holes as well. If you don't like water,and getting muddy than it's probably not a plus, but I think it adds to the challenge on some of the holes, and gives the course character.

It can get slow when on nice days when there's a lot of people trafficking through this course. Especially on the nice days. Also the back 9 can be rather slow as well, since they're open/distance holes

Easy to figure out. Easy/relaxing from the Am tees, and Chalanging from the Pro tees. Elevation changes a lot. Well Maintained

Garbage, and lack of garbage cans. Last year there was almost 1 for every hole. They seemed to dissapear in the winter. Rec players in big groups who don't seem to know the words "play thru". High traffic. Pathways so worn/traveled that grass will most likely never grow. Hole 1,17, and 18 are used as sledding hills in the winter. Signs are minimal, and the signs that are there don't provide much info.

I play this course at least 100 times a year. If you play before noon you can for the most part have the course to yourself.