The modern-day version of Holler in the Hills hints at previous disc golf greatness worthy of bucket lists and destination trips. But while the past plethora of 5.0 reviews tell the story of an incredible layout from years long ago, the current condition of this Brownsville course may prompt visitors to holler and hope that this former masterpiece returns to its glory days.

For the record, a "holler" is a small, sheltered valley that usually includes a body of water. At Holler in the Hills, Holes #2 and #3 border the Beaverdam Creek, while Hole #5 incorporates throwing over a small pond. After that, the holes depart from the water's edge and are hillier in nature.

And if elevation is your cup of tea, the second half of the course is for you. The elevation kicks off by climbing a steep hill on Hole #9 and there's not much flat ground after that. There are several difficult uphill holes followed by the exuberance of throwing downhill lines.

The variety is excellent here. There's a good mix of open holes and tightly wooded holes. The only hole over 400 feet is a par 4 and its lightly wooded. Several of the longest holes are downhill. Accuracy is definitely valued here over distance. The fairways are cleared and fair on nearly every hole.

The sights are fantastic, and none are better than the view from the Hole #14 teepad, where you can see the hilltops all around. Hole #15 is probably the signature hole with the basket located at the shadowed base of several rock outcrops.

The concrete teepads are in good shape, though several of them are rutted. The teepads are long enough and I had no issues with the footing.

Judging by the older DGCR photos, several of the holes appear to have fewer trees now compared to the original version of the course.

The course is playable but is an eyesore in spots as garbage is strewn about and signs of abandonment are everywhere. The stairs in between holes are broken, empty beverage cans and bottles are easily spotted, and the previously-used tee signs are discarded in the mud. Paper plates float on the surface of the murky pond. The course feels like a trashy, neglected ghost town.

The traversability is tough on a few holes. Several of the front nine holes are in a field with unmowed grass. A few of the back nine holes include climbing steep inclines, and Holes #16 to #18 are especially demanding for navigating some precipitous hills. There are a couple holes where retrieving an errant throw will be challenging due to tenuous footing on the slopes. The teepad for Hole #14 is on a raised platform several feet off the ground that will require climbing a couple large rocks. The teepad is short with a steep drop too, which could prompt disc golfers with knee issues to skip throwing from the teepad.

For first-time visitors, a fair number of baskets aren't visible from the teepad, so my group was continually wandering down the fairway before throwing our drives.

The baskets are Prodigy T3 with just a single layer of chains.

Hole #8 includes a mando to keep drives from the parallel Hole #7 fairway, but the removal of the RHFH line makes the hole more challenging.

Follow the instructions in DGCR, not the address, to find the course. The gravel entry road is directly across from the intersection for Oak Grove Church Road. The parking lot and stairs to the first hole are on the right side. The money box is near the teepad of Hole #18 with a suggested donation of $5.

Apparently, there are or were five bonus holes (#A to #E) after Hole #15. I wasn't aware of this and didn't see any indication those holes are still in operation.

Holler in the Hills was a mainstay on the DGCR Top 25 course list for many years. It dropped off several years ago due to its UNPLAYABLE status but reclaimed a spot after its recently reemergence and playability. However, even if the trash was cleaned up and the messiness omitted, the nearly 15-year-old course has been passed by other new courses. Holler in the Hills is still an enjoyable play which merits a visit but isn't worthy of a Top 25 designation anymore.

This course is really laid out well and it is nice to see that the owner is so "into" the creativity of the layout! The last 6 or 7 holes are worth every mile that we drove to go play!! 14 and 15 are two of the most scenic holes that I've played, plus... the guy that owns the land designed it and placed all the tees and baskets so that goes a long way in my book! I really liked it because it was challenging and you were punished for bad shots...

After going to the website AND looking at all the reviews and pictures, I was disappointed that it has become so "rundown!" I was expecting the course to look like the pics, and it doesn't. There are lots of broken steps, teepads, and signs. I know that the land owner takes care of the course and probably gets too busy sometimes, but... maybe it will look better for the tourney!

Several holes are SUPER fun to play and challenging enough to make it worth playing over and over again. I hope it gets cleaned up for some "fall" action this year and I hope I get in better shape for the next time I play!!!

For being on private property the course is very well maintained. Pin placements on top of the rocks are wonderful!!! The guy who owns this course did a great job with the property that he had to work with. Hole 3 provides the most difficult challenge on the course and could easily eat your lunch. Some of the holes are beautiful for sure... Different from anything I've ever played.

Starts good and then has a weird flow. The walk is tough but you are in the hills.... Some tee boxes are a little crazy, but shouldn't be a hill for a stepper.

I think the course is over rated. My cousin and I were driving from the am world championships when we played the course. The day before we played Idlewild which is truly a five star course. We drove here to play because of the ratings people had given and would have to say that it is more than just a half star off of a five star rating sooooooo... 3.5..... Yeah, Peace