You like hills? Think you can keep your discs under control, in the woods, with steep drop-offs everywhere you look? This might really be your cup of tea. The practice basket, and holes 1, 2, & 16 through 18 are situated 'on campus' amongst the buildings and parking areas by the Student Center. They're OK fun, with blind shots, a short lane-of-trees ace run, and even a pond-crosser, but they're nothing like what you'll encounter across the drive.

By the time you climb up the third fairway to that basket, you'll already be about 100 feet in elevation above the last fairway. And you'll be spending the next glorious hour or so in billy goat country. Don't be teased with the 'meadow' feel of hole 4, or the easy backstop behind the ace run 5th. You'll realize what's in store when you stand atop the world on 7, glance down the huge drop to your left, and realize you're expected to park your next shot on the knoll ahead. Got any stick-um? Anything but kicking down that ravine!

You'll be playing shots downhill, uphill, and to dangerous greens all the way to 15. The incredible number of rustic steps that these folks have installed is amazing. They probably saved my life as I played here on a sunny January day hovering just above freezing, with its icy mud all around. In addition to stairs and bridges, they've added split log benches that were much appreciated, and there are trash barrels aplenty, which seem to get good usage (props to folks for keeping this beauty of nature relatively clean!)

The old map I brought was more of a schematic, so I added an approximate aerial version here, which reflects the fact that they dropped old hole 2, and I think added the new hole three hill climber. Don't be alarmed when you hole out on 2, and the basket says 3. The signage needs refreshing: there's nothing at the first tee, and I know there were alternate tees galore which I missed, because I was focused on finding my way around and enjoying trying to keep my discs safely in fairways and greens from the short tees. It would be cool, now that the debris seems to have been cleared, for new pictures here, even though they may not give you an appreciation for the actual elevation changes on this course.

Only the first tee has a solid paver stone surface (well, 17 throws from a sidewalk). Otherwise, all tees are toe-board natural, which can get extremely muddy when damp. And there won't often be 'throw from the side' opportunities up in the hills. Not sure if there is any realistic way to upgrade these tees. I personally wouldn't want to haul materials up in there, or try to keep them maintained through a few harsh winters. The baskets are aging discatchers. They still do pretty well, but they've weathered a little out there.

If you come out here solo when the leaves are up, you will probably not go home with all your discs. Spotters are almost a must to document when that last shot skipped off a tree limb and careened 200' down the slope and into the pond. Finally, expect a bit of a hike after hole 15! I was glad to have printed out the hole tips (h/t: Brall!) to keep me confident that I was getting there.

This is probably the most challenging course in the region, but there are a handful of others to enjoy if you're camping or cabining here. It becomes something of a 'destination' area as the leaves change in the fall. I think I might even be able to convince the Mussus to come out here if I rent a cabin with a hot tub near the state park. Hmmmm.

-A great variety of terrain that will force you to you to use every shot type you are capable of.
-Every hole was different from the last, so you never got that feeling of repetition.
-Next tee signs were helpful in keeping you on track.
-Large cliffs and drop-offs behind a few of the baskets that can turn an easy 2 into a 4 or 5 if you choose to go for it.
-The nature path that went through the woods was just plain fantastic. Lots of work went into the wooden logs built into the hillside producing steps. Without them, this walk could be pretty dangerous in wet weather.

-Signage could use some work. This was our first time playing and we had a hard time finding hole 1. Finding hole 16 after you left the woods was also challenging. We just kept walking and happened to stumble upon it near the basket for hole 2.
-Tee pads could use some work as well. A lot of them were quite slippery, and had standing water. A few holes on them as well from peoples plant foot.
-Lots and lots of thorns. It is to expected in the middle of the woods, just be careful. A slight jerk from pain could cause you to lose your footing.

Overall, this course was an extremely fun course to play. It rained a little while we were there, so the tee boxes got a bit messy. The sharp, wet terrain also made an errant shot a bit more challenging to retrieve. The course also did seem a bit short. I am not calling this a con, because it was a par 54, and I had all the footage going in so I knew I wasn't going to really test my strength. But after playing through and seeing some of the long walks between holes, I feel that the land could be better utilized to make some REALLY interesting holes.

-all holes have a map of the hole so you know where the basket is
-there are signs that show you the way to the next hole which is helpful because some holes would be hard to find without them
-wide variety of elevations
-trash cans at almost every hole
-once you get into the woods most of the holes have a wooden bench to sit on if you want to rest
-blue and white tees
-challenging holes in the woods

-not a course for people outta shape
-discs can be really tough to find in the thick brush on some holes if you don't make a good throw

-the course gets pretty muddy if it rains so definately bring boots and even if it hasn't rained hiking boots would be a good idea
-bug spray would be nice to bring mosquitoes have been bad up in the woods
-love this course I play it all the time because I live right on campus

-Nested in the hills of Hocking College, this is a really interesting short course. If this was my college course, I'd be super happy.
-Nice tee signs on all, and almost every tee had a long and short.
-Most all holes could be played as 3's, but they are all different, interesting, and challenging.
-Some fantastic cliff shots, uphills, over ravine shots, and an over water shot for 18. The layout provides a unique feel for each hole that keeps you guessing and finishes strong with a couple of nice short holes, with 17 being a treelined tunnel shot, and 18 a short, tight toss over a pond.
-Great exercise. Expect to get a workout, its a lot of uphill hiking, but worth it.
-Excellent opportunity to work on your accuracy/approach game. This is a very technical course.
-Many of the holes have built in steps in the hills which was a big help.
-Natural tees were in generally good shape.
-They are obviously still improving this course and it has signs of good upkeep.

-There were several areas of standing water, which led to a really bad mosquito problem. Tracks from 4 wheelers also didn't help. Bring the bug juice!
-Don't wear shorts if you don't have to...plenty of poison oak and thorny bushes...which you WILL end up in. At least go with some Nikko-high socks!
-If you aren't ready to get a good hiking workout, then you might want to pass it up. You will work off some calories! Bring plenty of H2O.
-A couple of the areas that did not have built in steps really needed them. The walk up to 13s pin, which is also the walk down from 14s tee, was steep and slippery, as were a few other spots.
-If you miss a shot, you will pay. Some of the areas where your disc will end up are treacherous and very difficult to get to, so I'd suggest playing with a friend. One shot I thought was going to hole out barely clipped a tree and ended up 100ft down a ravine.
-I don't think I'd attempt to play the holes in the woods when wet. It was pretty slippery when I played and it hadn't rained in a day or so.
-The distance between finishing 15 and the tee for 16 is silly and confusing.

Beware hole 15. You have to walk back down its fairway to meander back out of the woods to 16.
Make sure to pay attention where 16 is when you finish 2 to help you get back.
The student center is available for bathroom use, and all the students I talked to were very friendly.

Scorecards are located in the mailbox at #1 tee.
The long and short tees provide a different level of challenge on most holes. Laminated tee signs on post at all tees.
The risk reward factor has been elevated a notch or two on this course. Players have to take note of the terrain on holes 3 through 15 and minimize the errant shots to avoid retrieving disc from treacherous rough, casual water, or deep ravines.
The fairways are clearly defined and course navigation is well marked not considering the transition from #15 to #16.
The elevation changes, wooded terrain, and hole shapes require stamina, accuracy and a varied shot arsenal to do well.
The course architecture adds a rustic character to this natural beauty. Sturdy split log steps provide safe passage in certain areas. Split log benches placed through out the course. Interesting rock formations makes this an enjoyable yet strenuous course. Plays longer than the listed 4500 ft due to elevated terrain and distance between some of the tees.
Ace and birdie opportunities for most skill levels on a majority of holes if tee shots are accurate.

Locating #1 tee is done by parking in front of the Student Center and walking around the left corner of building
The natural tee pads are well done but slippery when wet.
Informative tee signs consist of laminated paper attached to a post.
Noticed poison oak growing around the trees. Be careful where you place your hands.
Due to the terrain, should not play this course alone considering a bad step could mean a serious injury. Suspect the rough gets ridiculous in the summer.
Imagine the mosquitos will rule this summer considering the amount of rain the area has received. Bumblebees seem to like this place and they tend to be huge.
Navigation between hole 15 and 16 is confusing. After holing out on what is now hole #2, take notice of the building located behind the basket to see the #16 tee. Try to remember this after holing out 15.
Played this course alone and in the rain, an action I would recommend only to other foolhardy types.

There are places in this area of the world that could pass for Tolkien's Middle Earth and Hocking College DGC made me feel a bit like a Hobbit born with small feet traipsing and skipping through the Shire with emotions alternating between glee and doom.
Based on the pictures listed on DCGR, I believe a few of the later wood holes have been redesigned.
Holes 1, 2, and 3 have been redesigned.
#1 is a short to mid right to left shot to hidden basket.
#2 is a straight shot through a grove trees with road OB right and a building on the left. After holing out take a right across the road to #3, an uphill right to left shot.
#7 was an interesting hole over a ravine to a basket located on top of 15 ft mound.
#12 a right to left mid range hyzer to a blind pin.
#13 is a 200 ft 30 degree uphill shot. Don't miss left.
#14 is now the tee shot off the cliff rock. Be sure to checkout the mailbox the to the tee. Don't stumble here, you'll be sorry.
#15 after holing out here go back to the dirt road heading down the hill. It comes out in the emergency services training area. At the road, turn right to get to next tee located on the other side.
#16 is a little left to right turn over shot around the corner of the building to a hidden basket.
#17 is a tight little tunnel shot through flowering trees, very pretty at the moment.
#18 is a straight shot over the pond to a basket located behind/between two tall stones. Trees also protect the basket side of the pond. Of course, I lost my second DX Whippet of the season when my shot smacked the tree located 15 ft to the left of the left stone and rolled into the pond.
Had a blast playing this course even though it was raining.

A phenomenal amount of work has been done with the course layout here at Hocking (especially between the wooded holes consisting of #3 - #15). Unintrusive use of hillsides, shale banks, and natural obstructions was paramount at Hocking, which I would only expect from a college that is based largely in outdoor related curriculum. The elevation changes on many of the wooded holes force the player to really think about how he/she will have to release the disc in order to make par. Trail work on said wooded holes is also extensive, with borders lining most trail beds, and stairs built out of split logs and rocks...You'll burn some calories playing this course! It's also obvious that whatever parties responsible for the course are taking a proactive approach to managing it, with a mailbox at #15 tee(?) that has a voluntary tracking sign in sheet, and a new hole that will soon replace the non-existent #2 in which said parties ask players to stop in and let staff know what you think of the new hole.

Outside of the wooded holes, the course layout for Hocking falls right through the middle of campus. I couldn't find the tee for the first, and either way, it would've played over mounds of dirt from some sort of construction project, so I made my own tee. The 18th plays over a pond, then through a rock sculpture on the far side, which could be cool, but also houses a bench that seems to be a popular spot for students to hang out, so I had to play long around the pond. The signage is a bit underpar. Some of it seems to just be laminated paper tacked onto a backboard. Whereas I like how the parties responsible for the production of the course seemed to have used materials they had at hand, which like I said, I would only expect from a school like Hocking, eventually they'll have to replace this system with permanent signage. There's just too much wooded land to navigate to NOT have permanent, well placed signage.

Like I said, it's obvious that Hocking has taken a proactive approach to the management of their course, and I'm sure that if I play it again next summer, some of the things I put in the cons category will have to come down and the rating will have to come up! Very nice course!

*Defined Fairways
*Obvious signs telling you where the next hole was
*Scenic Course that gives you very unique holes
*Well maintained log stairways. Makes the inner child come out.
*Doable technical course
*Requires the use of strategy as most holes require a true two-shot approach rather than a cannon arm.

*Breeding ground for mosquitoes. Bring your bug spray
*Pathways can get very muddy after a rain. You might want to bring a change of socks.
*Some holes seem like a hike with a disc golf course rather than a disc golf course with a hike.
*Basket heights can vary. Some baskets are about 6' tall and are just awkward to shoot on. I suppose this could be part of the challenge.

I loved this course and it's so unique to the Ohio disc golf environment. The first few holes are your normal run of the mill holes. If you need to use the restroom you can get into the student center that's to the right of hole one. It's air conditioned and a bit better than a porta john in 90 degree heat. (It's the smell). I was surprise by the 400'+ hole #3 that offers a bit of a challenge. The hike to hole #4 is a doozy, but loosens you up. They do have a bench about 3/4 the way up. I suppose they know it's a tough hike.

The rest of the holes are gorgeous and so unique. I've never played holes that cut through high rock and has you throwing over valleys, creeks, and through trees. It really brings out the kid in you. Hole 7 has an incredibly steep drop off on the left. I would play it safe and hang on to your favorite approach disc. The only other item of not was that hole 14 had a copperhead spotting, but hey, you're out in nature right? I really felt like I was out in nature rather than walking through a park. The course is a must play in the area and well worth a 1.5 hour drive from northern Columbus. This is not a family friendly course for the little kids. They'll probably want to kill you afterwards.

Must brings:
*Bug Spray
*Water Bottles
*Hiking Shoes
*Shot discipline

Amazingly rustic land

Fantastic elevation shots

A lot of work has gone into building the seemingly endless array of log stairways and benches that support you through this rugged hike

Very high on the Technical Scale

A bit dangerous - leave the little ones at home!

Buggy and wet when I played

First, I must say that this is an incredible layout.

This course is as raw and rugged as any I have ever played. The disc play is challenging and demanding. The elevation is top notch. Rarely will you actually shoot strait or flat. Your lines had better be tight and your distance had also be in order...a long or short shot is often punished as sternly as a shank or slice.

The first few holes are open, then you climb into the woods for the real meat of the course. The distances are good for the density. A typical player will not need more than a fairway driver in here. My group actually threw a lot of mids and putters off the tee. You spill back out into the open for the remaining few holes. 16 is unremarkable, but 17 is sweet and 18 has you shooting over a pond and through some cool carved stones.

It seems like this course may be best suited for summer and autumn play. The spring weather has the course loaded with standing water and a ridiculous host of mosquitoes. Honestly, I usually dismiss the comments that a course is "buggy". After all, disc golf is often played in the woods. But this is worth bringing up. I felt like an intruder. Had I not had a bottle of "OFF" on me, I would not have played a second round.

This course is currently below the radar but is well worth the trip. (its been redesigned and has not been played by many since its recent incarnation...the map and college website photos dont reflect whats hiding here)The first 3 holes play unsafely amongst college buildings and streets and frankly I was ready to leave the course as I had difficulty finding the 4th tee. Then I saw some kids going into the woods across the street with DG bags... after a hike up into the woods....you are gonna be blown away. Holes 4-15 all play up on a steep ridge in the woods and offer undulating terrain, cliff shots, deep gorges, technical gems and some of the most memorable technical disc wizardry you will find anywhere. Highlights were:
-the tight drive out of the woods across an opening to a basket perched atop a mound with steep gorges to the left the entire fairway
-the putter plunge of hole 8 from way above with a fast green and stream behind
-The stairway to heaven hole #12 which had me climb a stairway made of logs to a tee way above and fire down through the forrest to a basket nestled on a ten foot bank with a gorge behind and drop offs in every direction.
-the uphill drive of 13 that sets up
-the signature hole 14 a simple putter drop off a cliff over a gorged valley with the basket in a flat clearing with yet another steep neverending cliff behind the green....Best floater I have ever played...true ace run but you could hit a tree and be in the first gorge in front of the green or throw too far and be in the steep goner gorge behind the green.

The holes 4-15 are all wooded and technical and provide enough thrills to make you forget about the first 3 duds. Fun factor is off the charts in these woods as there are 3 downcliff ace runs with exciting elevation drops.
Once you leave the woods the courses finishes with a tight bizarre short low tunnel throw that I've never seen before..maybe 6 feet high 7 feet wide and 150 feet long to a raised basket so you have to actually throw ceiling high to ace....weird hole but fun.
18 is a shot across a pretty lake perhaps 150 feet of water carry negotiating some trees and your on a grassy sloped green to finish your day. A truly unique and exhilerating experience and one I definetely was not expecting. Perfect par 3 course as good throws can garner aces or birdies and bad throws instantly are bogeys or worse. The imaginative and creative design could only have been dreamt up by college kids. This course really surprised me.

The first three holes are dangerous and boring. They really diminish what could be one of the best courses I have played. For all the gleeful insanity in the woods I was also sliding and falling down these steep muddy hillsides. I would imagine erosion might quickly destroy this course or perhaps a lawsuit from an injury. I think the locals are doing a great job at building steps and attempting to provide plenty of safe routes. I would suggest overkill in the steps and erosion dam efforts in this place. I hope they can preserve this one. I fell 3 times out there and felt at risk more than a handful of times when I was traversing the gorges. A few times I was wishing for just a bit more green or safer areas to land given the penalty is often a 50 foot descent into the abyss.

If you enjoy unique woods holes than this one should be on your list. A few suggestions:
Redesign or scrap the first 3 holes..too much risk in return for not enough fun IMO...I would rather play a couple nasty uphills in the woods rather than just have that long nasty hike up to hole 4.
I also wish that the long descent down the mountain path after hole 15 was a hole....not many courses could offer a plunging hole like that....Signature hole for sure. Congratulations on your course Hocking College. It's one of the best I have played to date (128 courses)

This course has great potential, only few designers get to use land of this caliber. I played this course on my way back to columbus,oh. and i'm glad I did. If you have a chance to play it, take it. very challenging wooded hilly beautiful course.

the first 3 holes are by the the campus building and it would have been nice to get them in the wooded area as well, hole 16 was very hard to find because it's a long way to 17 and down a main trail and out in the open where there are no way to know where to go.

If someone could hurry up and get some good signage to direct you through the course it would really be good to great in my book....this was course 196 for me and probaly one of the nicest short course i've played.

This course has the land that every DG course designer wishes they have to utilize when designing a course. I love the steep ravines that border some of the baskets. I also loved the deep ravines that are used for fairways. I also loved the circular (disc shaped) scorecards that are available at the student center. Nice descriptive tee signs. Hole # 10 is not on 'top of the world', but your close to the heavens when playing this hole and if you miss the green either to short or to long you will be punished as you will for most every other hole on this course.

the long, long and then some trek up the hill for hole # 3 was a bit extreme as well as the long, long trek down the hill to # 12 ( as there wasn't any signage leading you down the steep hill from basket #11), poor signage and poor inaccurate distances on a few holes. Dirt Tees

Personally I think the walk up the hill wasn't as bad as the one down, as at least you knew where you we're going. I also personally feel that the fairway on hole # 4 was a bit extremely narrow for the type of terrain that is being used. Perhaps the designer could look at moving #4's fairway just to the left a little and up the grassy slope and still have the Hocking feel [the pain] with the basket abutting to a steep ravine. And I'd like to see hole # 5 fairway changed to use the big wide open old truck path [granted it gets sloppy when wet] but those 2 fairways are just to narrow for recreational players [which is probally the skill level for most players in this area]. I hope they put a couple more holes leading down and around the hill from hole # 11 to hole # 12. The holes aren't overly long, but are very fair considering the type of land that is being used. This area is "PRIMO" for more Disc Golf courses in the area and this course will be a good model, with a few minor changes and additions.

If interested please contact me for any help.