Pros:
Hanna Hills DGC is an 18-hole gem on private land in south-central Missouri. The course is located in the Ozark Mountains, and presents some very unique and memorable challenges for disc golfers who take the time to visit.
Hanna Hills has only a single layout, but the variety is amazing. Hole 1 has players teeing off from the top of a literal cliff, over a pond (dried up when I played) and down to a basket 410' away. Hole 3 is only 234', but has a water carry over a small creek then another cliff to throw UP to reach the basket. #4 is a tough 420' dogleg right with the fairway sloping to the left the entire way. #10 has a legit water carry of maybe 225'-250', then a slight uphill moderately wooded area covering another 100' to the basket. #15 was my favorite on the course. It is signed as a 440' par 4. That's assuming you navigate along the moderately wooded but only slightly slanted "C" shaped fairway on top of the ridge. The alternative is to throw straight at the basket which probably saves you 100' or so - BUT you have to hit a much tighter gap and navigate down and back up a steep, steep valley. The bottom of the valley keeps sloping downward to the left so RHBH throws in particular have a real chance of going far, far off course here (I was also running short on daylight by this point, so I played it safe on the upper fairway). #18 is a great ending hole, playing 713' gently downhill along a wooded but moderately wide fairway.
Overall, there is a great range of distances here from a handful of holes in the 200'-250' range up to the aforementioned 713'. It's signed as par 65, including two par 5's and seven par 4's. The elevation changes throughout the course range from mild to extreme. It's not just the elevation change on the fairways, but also what lurks on either side and behind some of the baskets. Normally when I say there are "precarious" basket placements I mean something like "there is enough of a slope behind/next to the basket that there is a good chance of a rollaway on a missed putt." Here, when I say "precarious" I mean more like "there are cliff warning signs posted 15' behind the basket". Walking up to #7's tee, you'll see an opening off to your left where all of a sudden there is an amazing view of the farmland spread out below and the hilly countryside beyond. You won't be throwing off this cliff intentionally, but if you have an early unfortunate tree kick on #9 your disc could probably fly over the edge. It's gone if that happens.
Rarely in my 225 courses played have I seen such uneven and varied terrain in one layout. "Beautiful and craggy" is the way I described it in my notes. For what it's worth - I was reminded of a mix of the well-known Flip City, and the off-the-radar Tailings in Michgan's Upper Peninsula. Overall, this course plays on the technical side other than the first couple of holes. Many fairways basically consist of lightly covered exposed rock in the woods.
The baskets are Monkey Trap models. I was unfamiliar with these, and initially thought they were Chainstars. They are great. They have little red and green pennant flags on top for visibility. One is raised on a stump and another is hanging.
The tee signs are great, including the total elevation change and a hole nickname in addition to all the usual info. Navigational signs are conspicuously nailed to trees wherever needed.
Some might call the turf tee pads a Con, but I didn't mind them at all here because I doubt the course gets much traffic. Also, it was clear that the owner(s) carefully mounted each one to be perfectly level. Sure I'd still prefer concrete, but I can't really complain much. Benches complete many of the tee areas.
The parking lot is accessible after hole 5, and again after hole 9. There is a kiosk next to the first tee, complete with a large course map. Scorecards are available in a little bin at the kiosk. A porta potty is nearby as well, and a couple of trash cans are scattered around the course. EDIT FEBRUARY 2024: I previously mentioned that I didn't see a practice basket, but per a DM from the owners "There is also a practice basket next to the goat pin that you'll see on the right hand side as you pull in to the parking lot." Thanks for this!
Cons:
Only some very small gripes here.
I think one could argue that much of the back nine is only "good" and not as unique as the front nine. Much of it plays up along a ridge, then after #15 the layout turns around to work back to the lot. A gravel trail comes into play on several of these holes, which didn't seem like it would ever be a safety hazard but definitely has the potential to scuff up your discs.
Holes 1 and 9 both play over the driveway, presenting an unlikely but possible safety hazard. In general, don't play here if you aren't sure-footed and wearing hiking boots - as the uneven terrain has plenty of trip hazards. The owners also have a couple of dogs that barked aggressively at me while I was playing hole 10. They did not approach nearer than 20'-30' or so, but they were not on leashes and I did not see the owners around so I did get a little bit unnerved by this (I like dogs but have never owned one myself).
The walk back to your car after #18 is a bit long. Probably 1000' or so. It also isn't as well signed as some of the other transitions. You exit the woods near a barn and then follow the drive back around to the lot.
Other Thoughts:
This course is free to play, but if you stop here you should plan on leaving a small donation in the box at the first tee. You can just show up and play, but you do have to fill out a waiver form to do so - including name/email and where you are from. The latter piece of information is translated into a fun pin map on the kiosk showing the origin of players across the USA.
There is spotty to no cell service here. Plan accordingly.
Besides the dogs, you might encounter wild (? - or at least free to roam) goats. I was startled by several small ones grazing in the first fairway, as I did not see them until I was about 20'-30' away.
Despite feeling very remote, this course is actually very easy to get to IF you're travelling along the I-44 corridor. If you're anywhere else (i.e. visiting Missouri to play better-known courses like Harmony Bends or Eagle's Crossing), it will take you some extra time to reach Hanna Hills - but you should make the time to come play here. I had the course to myself late in the day on a Monday, and would have played a second round if I wasn't out of daylight. This one doesn't seem to get nearly as much attention as those others I named - but it is not to be missed!