+ 18 Holes of Challenging Golf: This is a private course with a wide array of challenges. There is a nice mix of distance, woods, and elevation. All these elements come into play so be prepared to throw every shot in your bag.

+ Multiple Tee Pads: These are natural tees but they are well-kept and color coordinated. I've played this course in the rain and had no problems with the tee pads. They are all flat, mulched, and provide ample room for a run-up and follow through. Players may choose their own adventure and play the tees that best match their skill level.

+ Layout: This course has a nice flow to it. Transitions are mellow for the most part and there is a good mix of par 3's and 4's (and even a challenging par 5). You will start and end at the caretaker's house near the parking area.

+ Hippopotamuses: Who knew Hippos were native to Ohio? This course has many sculptures of these creatures throughout the course. These wooden hippos are all painted differently and are an absolute joy to find as you're playing. You'll likely want to stop play a few times to view them and get pictures.

+ Signature Holes: There are a few "signature" holes that I will discuss in the final portion of my review. The unique landscape features rolling hills and allows for shots you are unlikely to find on other courses.

+ Proximity to Other Courses: While this course is off the beaten path you can play here and visit another fantastic course in one day if you are ambitious. My favorites close to Hippo Ridge include Forked Run, Burr Oak, Veterans Memorial, and The Sasquatch.

+ Caretaker: Ken is very friendly and welcoming. The care he gives the course is immaculate considering the size of the layout. He has an engineering background and his creative mindset shows as you progress through the layout. Hippo Ridge is very well designed and maintained.

- Location: This is a bit of a destination course unless you are a local to the Athens, Ohio area. It is off the beaten path and you are a decent drive from food, gas, and lodging. There is a convenience store about 15 minutes away so plan accordingly and come prepared with everything you'll need for your round.

- Signage / Navigation: This course is not easy to navigate and there are no tee signs or indications on direction. The flow works well but you're bound to skip holes and miss large sections of the course without a guide. Ken may be free to walk with you or ask a local to guide you around on your first time out. Once you know the layout you are welcome to play on your own.

- Rough Rough: Getting off the fairway on a few holes can mean losing a disc. Sometimes it means taking your medicine and pitching out into the fairway instead of trying a low-percentage hero shot. I would recommend using a spotter when throwing the blind holes. I saw lots of poison ivy off the fairways so be cautious if you are allergic. Wearing long pants or long socks is advised. Be sure to do a tick check after your round.

This is a private course. Please be courteous and make arrangements to play with the caretaker. There are no greens fees but in order to keep the doors open at this course be respectful and take care of the property while you are visiting.

Some of the signature holes at Hippo Ridge include...

#4 - This par four is only 500' but you'll need two well-placed shots in order to have a look at birdie. Go as big as you dare from the tee but be sure to pick a gap that leaves you an open second shot. The green is sloped and guarded in the front by a small ravine. This is one of the more wooded holes on the course.

#10 - You will want to throw multiple shots here. This par three lets you air out some drives on a big downhill slope to a guarded green. Two's are rare here so you'll need to pick a gap and stick a putt to get the elusive birdie.

#11 - A beautiful par five that starts you off with a partially wooded tee shot then opens up to an open grassy section of the property. Play smart off the tee and give yourself a chance to advance past the guardian trees on your second shot. Par is a good score here.

#16 - This is another fun one to throw. The design is a blind par three that sweeps downhill and to the left. Most players will let loose with a big backhand and try to find the fairway below. Getting a putt for two is a challenge.

Final Thoughts: I have played 60+ courses in Ohio and this is one of the best. Looking at the distances you may think that players with a long arm will score well here but that isn't necessarily the case. Hippo Ridge rewards position plays, accurate shot shaping, distance control, and a strong approach game. You will need to be a well-rounded player to score well here. Do yourself a favor and make an appointment to wrangle some hippos as soon as you can!

-very long/challanging course
-4 sets of tee pads
-a little of everything (left, right, downhill, uphill, narrow, open)
-extremely nicely maintained
-free
-while the course is challanging it is fair (there is a shot for every hole)
-ken the owner is super nice and went out of his way to talk to us and share info about the course

-no marking of any kind so make sure you play with someone who has already played there
-out in the middle of nowhere

nicest course I have ever played (although i am fairly new 2/yrs...i have played about 20 courses in Ohio and Florida)

What a labor of love. Ken has clearly put a lot of thought and effort into the course. I believe he said it's on its second iteration, though it may be more than that. The course is very nicely maintained: grass immaculately mowed, no hangers in the fairway, no trash (pack it in, pack it out), the hippos are painted and cute.
The course offers a pretty good blend of holes in terms of length and looks. It favors those with a RHBH (my lefty brother-in-law had a rough go on some holes), but in terms of factors such as length and overall shape of holes. Ken has done a nice job making every hole have a unique feel. You'd have a hard time referring to holes by their number, but it's easy to talk about holes by their unique shape or by interesting holes that preceded or followed certain holes ("I lost my Eagle after that long par 5 that followed the road.").
In a similar vein, I was delighted by how well-guarded the baskets were. None of the baskets were in a Fort Knox-situation, but every basket had *at least* some kind of sentry that will make you carefully consider your approach.
It's bizarre to list a person under the 'pro' column for a DG course, but Ken (or perhaps somebody Ken trusts) shows you around, gives you tips, and, if you're lucky, throws with you. (Ken threw his first ever hole in one with my group!) He's good company, and he's happy just to walk along or play.
The course has solid elevation change. It's not a ski course or anything, but it's no joke for the Midwest. Ken did a nice job making dips and rises a part of the course, not just scenery. The longer tee boxes (see my next pro) often have a similar throw as the closer/easier teebox but you've got a different look because of a rise or maybe more hill/elevation to battle.
I saved my favorite pro for last. Ken has 3 teeboxes on every hole, and they really are different looks. I don't like it when harder tee boxes are just +50 feet. As I mentioned a moment ago, sometimes a harder teebox has a rise. Sometimes there's a gap to hit. Sometimes there's a whole corner to work around. I ended up playing the whites on the back 9 while the rest of the group stuck with the reds. It was markedly more challenging; I didn't throw a single birdie after I swapped.

Before I start listing cons, it's very, very important to note that most of these cons are built in by Ken's deliberate decision. Objectively, they are absolutely cons, but I 100% respect Ken for choosing to set up HIS COURSE the way that he has.
There is literally no signage. The only painted wood you're going to see around the course are the hippos. You *need* Ken to show you the course. You could probably figure out the layout for most of the course if this were some kind of public course, but I recommend paying very careful attention when Ken shows you around if you plan on coming back. This also means you don't have a sense of where baskets are or how long certain holes are. I stopped throwing any big distance drivers unless I could see the basket.
The teeboxes are all natural. Ken has done an excellent job with them, and none of us slipped. Some are still a work in progress, but those that are complete are manicured: they're shaped and brushed (maybe raked?).
Ken kindly let us know what par was on each hole, but I disagreed with some of his choices. I get that this is NBD since it takes you however many throws that it takes you to finish the course. I'll spare you my theories on par, but there were several par 3.5 holes on the course. More than once I absolutely shanked a drive (couldn't hit a line to save my life that day) and still "saved par" on par 4's and par 5's. I said earlier that I played from the white tees on the back 9, and this still happened once or twice.
This course favors righty's. I mentioned it earlier in the pro section, but it definitely merits mentioning again.

I prefer to rate a course after several plays, but with only 2 reviews I wanted to chime in! I think if this course had 100 reviews, it would end up being rated about a 3.9+. It has some *wonderful* features, and I really liked Ken and his beautiful property. But the aspects that Ken has chosen to keep off of his property would lower ANY disc golf course's rating at least one full point. That being said, anybody who rates this course lower than a 3.5 would be a fool. I'm sure some folks would give me side-eye for rating it a 3.5 instead of a 4 (or higher!).

We drove almost 2 hours from north of Columbus to play this course. I'm not sure anything but a championship-caliber course would get me to regularly drive a couple of hours to play, so Hippo Ridge wasn't quite worth the 4 hour commute. That being said, I'd totally do a 90 minute (total) commute to play this puppy. I have a little "test" I ask myself: How would my game evolve if this were my home course? The answer is that I'd develop a nice range of shots, a good drive, and a solid approach game (thanks to the 3.5 pars). I'd also have a damn good time every time I played.

Random aside: I would *love* to play a tournament at this course.

This is Ken's decision, but he has essentially "hidden" this course from sites like DGCR and Udisc. You *must* reach out to him via Facebook (I think only FB?) to get the proper address. He's retired (I'm assuming based on his age and the time and attention he can pay the course), and he's happy to find some time for you. Once you've played the course once, and Ken doesn't think you're a dumbass, you get to play it just by shooting him a quick message and letting him know when you're coming. Not a bad deal.

An extreme amount of time and labor has gone into this course and continues to do so. There's every type of shot on this course. Great use of the property!

Can't think of any, wouldn't dare!

Ken, the owner/designer is a great host and guide. Very enjoyable to play a round with and an all around nice guy.

- Four tee areas for every hole
- Professional model baskets (Mach 3 or 5 I believe)
- Excellent use of land and elevation
- Varied shot selection
- Well maintained of debris
- Gracious host

- I don't live closer
- can get muddy

Normally I'd say that things like no concrete tees or signage would be a con, but seeing as how this is a private course, that can be overlooked.