The Mounds at Groves Park is definitely a hidden gem in Tennessee. This course definitely doesn't get the credit it deserves. This could absolutely be a championship level course, and I feel that one day, it will be. There are multiple tees on every hole for all types of skill levels. This is one of those courses where you can go play the shortest layout and have ace runs on nearly every hole, and then you can loop it again and play the longest layout which is an absolute beast and a challenge for any skill level. Beautiful rolling hills, high mounds, water in play on several holes and a great mix of everything you need in a course. From short wooded putter holes to long open bomber holes. This would be an outstanding course to get a hotel near and just play multiple layouts in a two day stretch without ever getting tired of the course. And if the 18 hole layout isn't enough for you, move on to the heavily wooded 9 hole sister course in the same park called The Woods. This course is an absolute must play if you are anywhere near East Tennessee. And if you are the type to drive for DG road trips, this is one you are going to want to stop by! One of my favorite courses in East Tennessee! If you want to see this course on video, check out my crew playing it in the video below...
https://www.youtube.com/watch...ex=2&t=0s

-Biiig open course on an old golf course
-Secluded, beautiful setting
-forgiving, easy to save par, but so long it's not easy to get under all the time.
-nice elevated spots to throw from, nice greens to putt on
-great course for beginners
-this course feels special, it's hard to put a finger on it but the mounds (or the groves, as some locals still call it) is a unique course for several reasons, you need to play it to understand.
-it's just disc golf, no sports fields or parking lots or anything. Just a big ass disc golf park to go throw in.

-natural tee pads, I don't mind it but most people dock points for it
-the city dumped a bunch of huge ass dirt piles right at the entrance, totally sucks and ruined the experience of walking into such a beautiful park. Once you start the round they don't matter though.
-it's kind of a hangout spot for high school asshats that litter and steal shit. Local disc golfers pick up litter and keep trash bins around but we can only do so much.

When this course is finally complete and the city does something with the big heaps of dirt (or if they just grow into grassy mounds) then it will be much closer to perfection than it already is. As is, it's a hoot to play and one of my personal favorites that I have ever thrown.

Endless possibilities from the multiple tee pads and former hole locations - play with a local out here and you will never get bored.
Beautiful property on an old ball golf course and dump site, hence the nickname Mounds.
This course is well cared for by the locals.
Very active club with regular league nights, glow rounds, and meet ups (search IVDGA on Facebook)
The wooded nine are a perfect compliment to the open holes - rough, rugged, steep and challenging.
Brick pavers teepads, new in 2018.

Swampy at times, limited shade during the summer heat, the pond is rather disgusting (don't go in it!). You shouldn't have a problem finding one of the many tee pads. There are vandals that hang out at this course but they stick close to the fire pit. Broken glass bottles are often found near the gathering area at hole one. It's a long walk if you forget something at your car.

The local club is very active at The Mounds, donating their time and equipment to keeping up with mother nature. Hard work, money, blood, and sweat go into maintaining this course.

In the spring, look out for one of the most insane unsanctioned disc golf tourneys you will ever play, the annual Chuck Norris Roundhouse Kick to the Face-Off. Four or more hours of massive bombs, miniature disc golf, mando tomahawks, hanging baskets, sunken baskets, and very creative holes that uses the entire course property.

Don't go into the water at the pond or you will regret it. Don't retrieve discs thrown over the ORNL fence at hole 13, they will throw it back over. See Knoxville Disc Golf Lost and Found or IVDGA site on Facebook if you have lost a disc.

18 Front holes. 9 Back. Skill can help you choose your tee off color, and move up in the future. Signage is pretty good. Open course with many good Tee offs.

Can be Muddy in many spots. Dirt Tee Pads. Water Hazard on 10 is the entire hole.

The 4 Tee pads make playing scale-able and easier to hit par. Check out maps before going. Great park for Oak Ridgers. Worth trying for other areas.

http://www.ci.oak-ridge.tn.us..._brochure.pdf

http://www.knoxdiscgolf.org/i...moundsmap.jpg

~4 sets of tees to appeal to every type of player
~Great flow in a wide open natural setting
~Baskets are in good shape
~Quiet, serene atmosphere that is very peaceful
~Beautiful views of surrounding hills
~A monster of a course requiring power and accuracy

~Natural tee pads provide loose footing
~Minimal signage, but tees have colored indicators
~No official indicator that you found the course
~Very primitive and basic amenities (which can be a pro)

I found myself at peace with the surroundings and completely satisfied during a long pleasant round at this exceptionally beautiful course. Played with a friend while visiting Oak Ridge on a warm, cloudless Saturday Autumn morning. We drove up and down the road a couple times as there really is not official indicator letting you know that you've arrived. Hopped out, geared up and played from the Blue Tees which proved to be a fairly long and utterly enjoyable experience. The natural tee pads were mostly muddy and slick so we threw from the grass beside each tee box. Footing was solid, but concrete tees would help with confidence on the long drives this set demands. A medley of holes ranging from long open bombs to wooded areas with a heavy dose of mature trees mixed throughout that traverses gradually sloping terrain. Water comes into play here and there. Don't let the openness fool you as skilled lines and a handful of throwing styles are needed throughout. A spectacular setting with ample room for many groups to roam. Highly recommended...epic experience.

As fans of country music will know, or anyone who has ever been unfortunate enough to be bombarded with this dreck while attending a state fair, Oak Ridge, Tennessee is most famously know for them there "Oak Ridge Boys'. The group that brought you Elvira. Indeed, that's all I know this fine lil' town tucked into the hollers of the Eastern Tennessee Mountains. However, Oak Ridge should be known for their disc golf.

- Tee Pads. Each hole on this course has FOUR, count 'em up kids, FOUR tee pads. Red for short, white for intermediate, blue for long and gold for "where is the hole!"? Each tee pad location changes each hole dramatically and makes the course different every time you walk on to the course.

- Baskets - Brand new Innova baskets that catch like the soft hands of a guardian angel. And if I could learn how to putt, I am sure that I would take advantage of them.

Shot variance - the holes range from long and wide open to super tight, wooded holes that challenge the most experienced golfer.

hazards - bad ass water hazards that come into play, along with a creek that can bother any shot.

scenery - yes, I add this in here. the hills and the use of the terrain is amazing on this course. this is such a beautiful course that it's hard to put into words. coming from someone who plays in city parks, it sure is nice to play where there is ZERO car traffic and no aimless boobs wandering into your fairways. Disc golf belongs in the country.

buhhhh..I am going to have to nitpick here.

I am not a huge fan of the gravel tee pads...but these were really not that bad. all of them were marked well. but honestly, I find it tough to give a perfect score to a course with gravel and grass tee pads. totally personal preference here.

the signs could be improved. now, there are signs at every single hole that shows the distance from each tee pad, but some of the pads have been moved since the signs were put in I guess.

it's a long walk. and that's only a con for me because I am totally out of shape and need to stop smoking. plus, it was muggier than an alligator's rear when we got into the trees.

built on an old ball golf course and repurposed into a great DG course, this place is a must play IMHO. great community and very welcoming people playing this course as well. I can't recommend this enough!

The overall playing experience on this course was very enjoyable. Since this property is primarily a disc golf course, there are no other park users, such as walkers/riders to be concerned about. The layout has a variety of shot types and hazards, and with 4 different teepads usually per hole, you can dictate the level of difficulty you prefer. Grass height was not an issue, and roughs were not so overgrown that you could not locate discs. Discgolfers with dogs will love this course too, for its privacy/seclusion from other users.

Natural teepad traction when wet is my only significant con. The teepads need to be improved to a crushed stone surface at least, to cut down on the slick muddiness in some areas when wet. The course design does make for some longer walks between holes, depending on the pad preference. But not enough to warrant any redesign IMO. Signage was adequate, though there was room for improvement.

Overall, this course rocks. Big Arms to noobs can be accomodated. The scenery is beautiful and the design is solid. As a former ball golf course with rolling hills, random mounds of vegetated earth, and pond, the terrain is varied and challenging. Tree coverage is a good mix, with many somewhat open bombs along with some tight wooded lines. Assuming that eventually there will be hard surface tees such as concrete here, this course will be 4.5-5 stars in my book.

Long Holes with marsh areas, creeks, turns, extra rough roughs and nice brand new tee boxes. Course maintained by the local disc golf club. I have enjoyed this course every time I have played it, and it seems to have the most variety out of every course. One of the biggest Pros that puts this course over VA for me is the lack of traffic, the quality of the people, and the cleanliness of the course. I have never worried about losing a disc to a punk kid here. The locals who play this course frequently have been adding another 9 holes in the woods off of 6, which will tie in the rest of the course making it a 27 hole course. IMHO, this is one of the best courses I have played in a long time, and is perfect for practicing or for tournaments, and is much more remote and peaceful than the big courses in Knoxville.

Although there has been quite a bit of work, there are things that still need addressing on the course. Tee Pads are coming along nicely, as are repairs to parts of the course that needed some work.

This is an amazing course to go out to. I am sure if you give it a shot, and stop at Pluto's sports of knoxdiscgolf.org you can pick up a map of this course and save yourself some trouble walking from baskets to pads. This course was a ball golf course, so the layout of the holes is going to be different than a course built on a blank slate. I believe this to be one of the most fun courses I have ever played, including hole 6. (Which is an easy ace for an experienced player). I think 6 gets a bad rap because it is unforgiving. If you overshoot or tail off to the left you are going over the hill. I will agree it does not flow with the front 9, but it does tie the soon to be added extra holes in. Overall, this course is a blast to play, is less crowded than VA, and is beautiful - which makes it worth the extra travel time, and the walking.

Wow this course has everything to offer. Each hole has good signs, showing distance from every tee and hole placement. Every hole has red, white, blue, and gold tees. Offering up and down hill shots, with great elevation changes. Every hole has short to long distance short depending on tee you chose to play from. If playing from red (beginner) tees the course may seem very easy but if playing from gold tees even more advanced to pro players will have some challenge so every level of skill will have some difficulty. Course is very well maintained, it used to be an old golf course so most of it is pretty open with some holes on the back 9 are moderately wooded, with the exception of hole 6 which is heavily wooded. Has awesome water playing in on holes 8 and 10 so watch out. I thought that the flow of the course was fairly well. Pretty hard to get lost, but some holes are slightly off the general direction but has great signs posted. Great scenery with rolling hills and pond with geese, but watch out for the doo doo. Locals were pretty cool as well.

A little trash here and there but there were trash cans on some holes so i guess some people just got lazy or drunk cause most were beer cans. Parking is limited and pretty muddy, almost got stuck but luckily had 4 wheel drive got us out. No bathrooms. Hole 6 kinda sucked and i thought it was pointless. Natural tees can get kinda muddy after rain and the course can get kinda flooded especially on hole 18.

Over all this course is pretty awesome. When in Knoxville this is definitely the course to play. They have maps/score cards at tee 1 so that helps and is very convenient. They also hold some random tournaments occasionally.

Four different tee locations per hole - yellows average 500 ft, blues 400 feet, whites 300 feet, reds 225 feet.

Signs at each hole will help you easily locate the alternate tee locations for that hole.

Beautiful setting, but only a five-minute drive to the main shopping area of Oak Ridge.

Hole #10 - a large pond is between you and the basket. Do you go for it, or play safely along the left side?

Minimal Parking and Trash Bins.
No Bathrooms.

No Tee pads.

Flow in some places:
Tee locations for #9 and #10 are near one another, but holes are in OPPOSITE directions
Drives from #4 may take you near basket for #3.
Drives for #5 may take you near tee location for #7
Drives for #7 may take you near tee location for #8

Hole #6 - I'm not a big fan of 8-ft wide, 200-ft long shots, especially when random saplings are left in the middle at the midpoint.

Map/scorecard available at www.orrecparks.org is very useful.

Most baskets are somewhat guarded, either by being cut into the woods, near water, near large trees, behind a bunker.

While many opening drives are indeed "grip it and rip it", large trees, water, and OB areas do come into play, and some holes do require more finesse on the opening shot

Favourite hole: #12. Go straight 225 or so feet, and fade left 50 or so feet, and you'll be near the basket cut into the woods. Since this is a fairly natural throw for me and my Valk, I birdied it twice from the blues!

Update 4/22/11: A few benches have been added. Most of the white and blue tee areas have been framed, but remain dirt. Some tee locations have been moved, so signs not always correct.

Update 4/7/12:
DGphanatic's review does a good job of describing the nine new wooded holes, located on the hill above #6/the pond/#12. Crossing over to/from them was a bit treacherous, and the runaway slope to the right of #7/#9 is quite steep - I found out the hard way! :-( Basket-9 was moved to the path to tee-1, making it even harder.

Good variety of distance, tightness, shape, and elevation changes is found on these holes, and greatly differs from the openness of the original 18.

What a beautiful setting for a course, wide open gently rolling hills with enough distance and mature trees to provide challenge. There are four sets of tees which are fairly clearly marked. We played the medium length "Blues" which still provided plently of big arm throws off some elevated pads. We thought the course was well designed as to make most every hole more than just a 600' open throw across a wide open field. There are 3-4 baskets set in the woods providing a little technical skills to the course. The signs are very clear and informative. For the most part, the course flowed. We were lucky and just followed some locals. The course was litter free although I did notice some of the smaller signs had been broken up a little.

# 6 was gone the day we played. I hope that's part of a re-design. Right now, there are no concrete tee-pads, no benches, no restrooms facilities but I would think all those are coming in the future. I think mowing this large course would be a maintenance headache for the park's department.

We walked out to the # 1 signs and said, "This is just going to be one of those big open course where you throw as far as you can, walk to your disc, pick it up and throw it again as far you can type courses." But after # 1, that's not the case at all, every throw and approach has a purpose. With the upcoming improvements, this course's rating will be going up.

Wide variety of obsticals on this course. Trees that force strategy on drives, approaches and putts. Elevation changes with every shot on basically every hole. Water that can come into play on the 4th, 8th and 10th hole. None of the holes really give you anything without earning it.

Wide variety of distance in holes via the multiple tees. The shortest was 175' and the longest over 700'.

Has been very well manicured in terms of grass. Been to this course several times already. I saw no litter what so ever when I was out on this course.

The flow is some what off in a couple of places. The 3rd and 5th tee off from the same general area. I found it a little confusing with the current tee signs to know what was what for a minute. The 9th hole takes you one way only to find out the 10th is the exact opposite way. From the 11th it is kind of hard to know where to go next. You end up having to walk back a bit. Little confusing here. Nothing to bad.

No parking lot, Yet.

No bathrooms, Yet.

No trash cans, Yet. As said above I did not see one piece of any kind of garbage on this course. I guess with what seems like an older crowd frequenting the course does not have an issue, Yet.

The 6th hole in my opinion should not exist on this course. It seems kind of weak in design when you compare to the rest of the course. Seems to me they had a nice option for a 6th hole in the same area it just was not utilized?

I sounds to me as though they do have future plans for this course/park further down the line. I was told by a local the above Yets would be addressed.

I guess as far as rating this course I should have went with a lower number due to some of the things it is currently lacking. The fun factor and challenge in the course just demanded me to give it the high rating.