The darling of Etowah Disc Golf, Sam Barfield, has designed yet another course and continues his lore and legacy in the local disc golf community. Not to be outdone by his nearby signature course, known simply as "Etowah," Gatewood packs a punch and might even make his sophomore effort, Deerfield, seem puny by comparison. I understand the course itself was installed and funded by Bartow County and will be overseen by park superintendent Chris Patterson who himself is now a disc golf enthusiast. Thanks for all your efforts now and in the future, Chris.

Shadowed below Redtop Mountain and hugged by the shorelines of Allatoona lake, Gatewood Park and the subsequent disc golf course's scenery really allows you to get away and enjoy nature for a while. The park is in a sprawling area, nearly forty-four acres, with a bouquet of mature trees, rock features, and an all-around gorgeous backdrop. Panoramic vistas and overlooks aren't the only thing you'll find on the course either. The two-mile hike it takes to complete the course will have you walking and playing a virtual roller coaster as you climb up and down over gentle and rolling hills and valleys. You can also expect to play along or over some steeper inclines or natural bluffs. The trees that crowd the shoreline yield a time or two, bringing the lake into play while even asking for a couple of modest water carries. Other times the holes just tip-toe close enough that errant or aggressive shots can send your disc strait to Davy Jones' Locker. Meanwhile, friendlier views of the lake are caught where the water's surly bounds are well out of play.

Wildlife abounds in this park. You're likely to see a nervous deer, a watchful hawk, or perhaps just some random scampering critters disappearing into the camouflage of their woodsy home. An observant eye will all but insure you mingle with a creature of some sort along the rocky outcrops and leaf-carpeted paths from hole to hole. This whole area will give you the feeling you've left the city and entered a nature preserve perfect for a relaxing stroll in the woods. This course is quite fitting of the disc golf description, "hiking with a purpose."

When it comes to golf though, I gotta warn you. This apparent Eden is crawling with serpents as far as challenge, and I mean that in a good way. While these woods do have a calm and relaxing feel, the course can be quite sinister. For the careless, it's easy to bite off more than you can chew. For starters, the 20-hole design boasts a purported par 66. While it only rings up at 6212' (averaging about 310' per hole), you'll find that the course's keyhole fairways and varied elevations makes it play much longer. You may be used to the softer par 4's at the other Barfield designs, but they are a little more realistic here. Hole 15 is currently considered a par 5 which is debatable.

It's a fool's errand to try and blow through with guns blazing and think you are going to throw a bunch of halfhearted shots. You'll end up leaving with your head hung low or worse, because of the water in play, find yourself heading home with a lighter bag. Even if you do happen to bring all your soldiers' home, there is sure to be a time or two where, depending on your marksmanship that day, you may experience a tightening of the sphincter or worse, a complete loosening of the bowels. Those with a bit of restraint may find that a subtle approach with a slingshot will yield much more than a cannon in the long run. This course has the potential to humble you quickly. Here you may be tempted to take a small gap or a "local route" but keep in mind, the shortest distance doesn't always have to be short. Smart golf will be rewarded.

The before mentioned hills are well used with a medley of up/down elevations. The fairways are jointed with meandering or dogleg finishes to typically heavily guarded greens. There's lots of challenging holes with varied longer distance shots, including those that ask for strategic placement. Many times, you'll find yourself fighting just to get par. All in all, this is one of the most challenging and exhaustive courses on the north side of Atlanta and is a welcome addition to a growing disc golf community in the area.

What's more, the course also delivers on all the vital accoutrements. There is a roomy field for warm up throws and two practice baskets for you to brush up on some pre-round putting (look for the red banded baskets). There is a rustic pavilion (with a water spigot) and nearby bathrooms just off the parking area. From there you will find a trail leading you to the course that ends with a wooden "gantry" of sorts with a hanging "Gatewood Disc Golf Park" sign at hole one. Alongside the area sits a small kiosk with a brightly colored map of the course displayed. Small farm style rails on both sides of the trail narrow as they corral you to the threshold of the first fairway rounding out the farm style motif and setting. It's quite an inviting area that's well done and it's a welcoming way to start your round.

The tee areas greet you at each of the other holes with the traditional bells and whistles including benches. Turf tee pads are used here and are in great shape and mostly sufficiently sized. The tee signs are spangled with all the pertinent information you'll need, including distance, par, and map to guide you while even highlighting out-of-bounds areas.

Bonus - For those blessed enough to meet him, the designer (and the object of the local club's affection) will often make appearances at the course and will usually make his presence known. An "old codger" or "grumps" may not be only two ways to refer to him, but the terms still enjoy at least some colloquial use among polite company. You can't miss him (imagine a Nick Nolte mugshot). He's a bombastic fella with an unrefined yet charming personality with a southern drawl that'll make Foghorn Leghorn sound like a Boston native. Be sure to tell him hello and shower him with compliments and a little bit of kowtowing, he loves that! In return he will regale you with the oft told tales of how he became the founding father of Etowah.

Barfield is certainly not the first person to drop a pebble into the pond of leaving random trees in the middle of the fairway, intended flight path, or on the green beside baskets. But perhaps its overuse as a design feature is more prominent here than on some other well-designed courses. I admit that this is not always a terrible thing. There are just some nice tee shots that end with an approach/upshot where you could fare just as well with a blindfold due to an extremely littered approach. Some find this fun, others don't. Here you may find that luck will sometimes yield better scores than skill on some holes. Given the available land, which could be knock on the overall enjoyment of the round for some of the more competitive players. On the other hand, I'm friends with a few beer-burping chunkers who like to whoop, holler, and giggle after every shot and they'll be delighted!

For folks who need a runway for a tee pad, there are a couple elevated or undersized that will limit your run-up. I expect to hear a few folks talking out of the side of their mouth as they find their footing and re-arrange their routine.

There were some missed opportunities to create a (mostly) gimmick free course that could have been scorable to a broad range of players while still being incredibly challenging. In fairness, I want to make clear that the whole of the course is way better than the sum of its parts. It simply offers a lot more pros than cons. There are just a couple swings and misses on the design aspect (a couple of unremarkable holes and some personal grievances that perhaps some folks won't notice). But there are a couple of offenders worth mentioning while I'm navel-gazing. I think most people would agree that Hole 10 is not a great disc golf hole. Even with all this room, hole 14's tee pad is on the circles edge of hole 13's basket.

In an apparent attempt to separate himself from the common herd, Barfield has once again planted a 20-hole layout, and this is another good one. No one will complain about extra golf with this much space where arguably no shoehorning fairways into constricted spaces was required, save for maybe holes 13/14 where an aggressive tee shot from 13 can easily reach folks lounging around the tee of 14. To a lesser extent, folks throwing hole 2 with wayward drives or errant kicks to the near right may find themselves wandering into hole 1's fairway or green. Overall, there's a lot to be happy about here, especially for wooded course loving golfers. Overused genre classifications and debatable perceptions aside, I think this is an awesome course!

While the brashness and sometimes self-aggrandizing approach of the mercurial designer is unappealing to many, I will give the devil his due. He has done more to push the rock up the hill getting courses installed in the area than anyone. If nothing else, most folks do admire his tenacity (and of course his trinket filled player's packs). Impressive job, Sam. And thank you!

This area that used to be a disc golf black hole 6 years ago has turned into a great disc golf scene with 4 great courses. Gatewood may be the best of them all, at least by traditional standards.

The park has primarily been used as a boat launch/beach park for years, and the disc golf course integrates beautifully into the existing park. The start and finish are in a large parking loop with restrooms and shelters. Hole one has a beautiful wooden gate framing the first teepad and a map besides.

The signs are really accurate and full color, and the teepads are large and dense turf that grips very well.

Baskets are classic yellow banded Innova disc catchers and are well balanced and installed.

There are also pretty large wood and metal benches on every hole.

The holes are largely wooded and play through rolling hills on the edge of the lake. Many large rocks dot the fairways and the lines are often tight, but achievable.

You do interact with the lake on a couple of holes, mainly 3 and 18 where you throw across a cove onto a steep hill that will likely claim many discs before the summer is over. In the winter when the water is low it may be able to be traversed to retrieve them.

The rolling hills, several long holes and lakeside holes harken to another excellent course the Steady Ed course at the IDGC.

Hole 8 is an intimidating par 4 the shoots up and down a large hill and will probably mess up a lot of shots. 15 is another epic uphill long hole with massive rocks on both sides of the fairway.

For my money hole 4 may capture the essence of the course best. You have to hit a tight forehand or turnover line, into a guarded landing area and the lake to your right if you have a bad kick or go way long.

It's a gem of a course and I'm thrilled to have it in our scene.

Very few cons, there are a few fillerish holes, but they are all valid designs. Just not as spectacular as the others, but there are only a couple of these.

Maybe a few trees that could come down to create a more traditional fairway.

The other thing to be aware of is, it's a new course in an old park. It will likely take some time for the fishermen and other park patrons to get used to us being around.

This is a very professional looking and great course. Sam and the Bartow Parks Department did a great job and I am hoping they realized what a good course they have created.

Deerfield is very good, and Etowah is a funky jewel that will always be a personal favorite but this could objectively be the best course in the area.