Steady Ed Headrick Memorial is a course with very nice amenities, along with challenging and picturesque design. Scorecards and maps are available in the IDGC pro shop, and each hole has a tee sign mapping the hole. All of the holes have a long tee with a concrete pad, and newer red short tees, which are rubber pads that are level and quite nice. The red tees are a nice addition if you want an easier round, but there are still some holes with teeth. The handsome, blue powder coated Mach 3 targets with flagsticks are sweet! Many holes have multiple basket positions. A few baskets are on cool outcroppings of rocks. There are some holes with considerable elevation changes, some holes with water in play, some with both, and wooded fairways throughout. I love hole 5, an elevated tee with two lines over a cove in the lake. There is a RHBH window you can really crush over the water if you feel up to it. 17 is another hole I particularly like, even though it is often cruel to me. The basket is close enough to drive, but is on a hill near a creek so bad rolls or tough comebacks on missed putts can cost you.

Not a lot to complain about here. If you don't know the layout, and don't have a map, navigation might be a little tricky in one or two spots between holes. This course could be hard if you have trouble with steep, hilly terrain. Length and heavy woods make this course difficult even for experienced players. A great round will require many more great throws than most average disc golf courses.

Steady Ed would have been proud to have his name on this course, I'm sure. I only wish he lived long enough to see it completed. This course is close to perfect. If only my house was nearer by. I highly recommend playing here to any serious disc golfer with an opportunity to do so.

The course is well marked and the signage is great. The scorecard and map from the Pro Shop are good additions. The course will test all of your shots as well as expose you to some great Georgia foothill scenery. As a old senior I did play the short tees. This helped keep me out of the lakes. I did find the water in the gorge on 17. Every hole is good but if you are tree prone you might want to use an older disc.

As to the course none. I am from Georgia and I have spent many hours in the woods and around the water. While retrieving my disc out of the gorge, which wasn't easy, I did note two "Cottonmouths" in about 8 inches of water within 30 foot. When one uncoiled and moved my way I found I could climb out much faster than I climbed in.

It as a 100 degree plus day. I still would take nothing for the experience and look forward to someday playing the other two. This is the home of PDGA and we should all be proud. If you are anywhere near that part of Georgia don't miss it. Also the two employees there were as nice as one could ever hope for. So was the dog.

I love that there are 3 IDGC courses right besides each other with a many holes that are on lake.. There are good variety of short and long holes. All holes have signs that point you to the next tee box but some holes can be confusing without a map. Steady Ed will test you with some holes that can be punishing

There are a good bit of holes that have trees taken and sawed down that havent been picked up. Had the hardest time trying to retrieve some discs in these areas. Holes 6, 13, & 14 baskets were a little confusing at first bc they are bundled so close you kind of dont know which basket to throw for. The baskets that are close to the water can be punishing and needs to be manicured. There were a few times when i had to go digging through thick shrubbery not knowing if there were any moccasins nearby. This is i am a first time player at Steady Ed

Overall, Steady Ed has a couple of cons but with it being a competitive IDGC course that has something for everyone,this is one of the best courses i have ever played.

I love this course, so please allow me to rave about it because it's one of my "Top Favorites"!
My Rating = 9.5 (out of 10)

<span class="italic">Design</span>
*Water holes! To me hole 12 is a World Class hole that is among the prettiest I've ever played. With the lake on the left for most of the fairway and then a green with water around it's a classic!
*Terrain beauty- I loved the woods, the grass in many fairways, the lake, the streams, the ravines, the cool rock formations...
*Elevation changes galore! 10 Up/ 7 Down/ 1 Flat. Many are really big changes (-42, +36, -27, +20, -20 ft...) Some are down-up shots over gullies, some are up-down shots.
*Fairway variety- very well balanced, and many holes have multiple fairway routes. 6 Straight/ 5 Left/ 7 Right
*Length variety is awesome! The baskets were mixed between the A and B positions and had 4 of 225-299/ 4 of 300-399/ 4 of 400-499/ 3 of 510-590/ 3>600. This may be the best variety of lengths I've ever seen.
*Multiple basket layouts- 2 on every tee
*Greens. All are good, with some that are spectacular
*Clear fairways- this course is a model of how to create fair and wide fairways while leaving strategically placed trees as obstacles.
*Rough- perfect. Even though most of the holes are in the woods the rough isn't too thick so it's reasonable to get back to the fairway.
*Nature- the drive there takes you out in the country and the course is set way back in the park, so you're really away from everything

<span class="italic">Basics</span>
*Baskets- blue dipped Mach IIIs
*Tees- long raked concrete
*Signs- beautiful, with color maps, sturdy.

<span class="italic">Amenities</span>
*Warm up area- there are half a dozen baskets spread out in the largest warm up area I've ever seen!
*Map of the course- colorful, detailed, accurate. Couldn't be better.
*PDGA headquarters and Hall of Fame Museum. You're not going to find that anywhere else! Lots of discs and equipment for sale too.
*Restrooms in the IDGC building
*Next tee markers- yellow markers at the base of each basket (even though a few weren't pointing in the right direction)
*Wind strength flags on the top of the baskets are a really nice extra touch.

-Markers for the current basket position! There are several simple ways to mark the layout on each hole, and this would really help to make the course more "First Time Friendly" (FTF). Since I couldn't see 7 baskets from the tee (4B, 7A, 11B, 13B, 15B, 16A, 18B), and since many of these holes are quite long and the fairways can vary dramatically from A to B baskets, it was frustrating and irritating to spend time scouting them out. This was just irritating enough to keep me from giving this course a 5 disc rating.

-A few of the ingenious "Next tee" pointers weren't pointing in the right direction, but this is a very minor quibble.

Course Level = Blue (most suited for Advanced players rated 925-975)

This course is most definitely a "must play", and the IDGC is worth a 5 or 6 hour drive to get to. An ideal day would be to camp at the park and play all 3 courses. Make every effort to play this course!

<span class="underline">A note about my rating:</span> My rating is a subjective measure of my <span class="italic">enjoyment</span> of the course, on the day I played it, and it is NOT intended to be a measure of the <span class="italic">quality</span> of the course. My Enjoyment Ratings are given "on the curve" in relation to all other courses I've played.

Look in the "Links/Files" section for my files with Hole-by-hole ratings and a more detailed Overall review. You can also read more of my review philosophy and rating notes at Disc Golf Course Reviews
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I'm always trying to improve my reviews, so if you mark this review unhelpful or you find a mistake, please send me a personal message here on DGCR to tell me what is wrong with it. I'll be grateful for the feedback.

A well designed course, that plays next to a beautiful lake, with about half the holes actually bordering the lake. Of the holes that border the lake, half have the lake on the right hand side of the fairway, while the other half is on the left hand side, making it equally fair to both lefties and righties. There are a few holes where you throw over the water as well.

Though not a long as the other courses on site, in the long pin position, it is still plenty long. Combine that with the great variety in elevation changes, the steep uphill holes play longer.

Each hole has an informative tee sign, nice sized concrete tee pad, flag at top of the basket for easier viewing from a distance, and two pins placements per hole. Plenty of next tee signs to aid in navigation, but a course map is recommended for first timers.

The course is well maintained and very clean. Nice touches, like water coolers spread through out, that add to the overall course enjoyment. The course is part of the IDGC complex, so there are two other courses available, a pro shop, bathrooms and snack bar, along with plenty of parking.

As nice as the tee signs were, there wasn't any indication of what pin was in play.

Some of the hole distances on the tee signs and course map didn't match.

Though the shortest of the three courses, it is still very challenging, especially when the long pin placement is used. I felt like this was a prototypical course, it has everything, length, water, elevation, multiple pins, and challenges every skill level. It's not overwhelming for a beginner, or too easy for a pro.

Like the other two courses on site, it was well designed and had a professional look and feel about it. Definitely worth the beating it will give you while playing it.

The Steady Ed course is an excellent example of what you can do if you have the proper land, money, designer(s) and desire to put in a fantastic course! I'm really torn between this and the WR Jackson as my favorite of the three courses but why worry about that now, I can just say that this is what disc golf should be and that this course has been done right.

The biggest differences between this and the other two courses here is that this course has more of the nearby lake coming into play as either danger off the fairway or just straight throwing over the water to your landing zone. The other thing that really stuck out to me about this course was the use of double fairways, landing zones and approach lines. It looks like the designer(s) went and walked this property over and over and test played holes over and over to find the optimal distances, lines, landing zones and rough areas.

One of my favorites was hole #5. While I was playing here this basket was in the long position and played as par 4. I really enjoyed the double fairway; the right route out and over the lake for those more daring and trying to get a three and the left route for less confident golfers who want to play more conservatively. Neither of these fairways are easy to get through and even a nasty kick on the safe route could have your disc heading for the drink.

The biggest issue I have with this course is that the long positions aren't always playable and these are moved around at random during the year.I know this isn't exactly a con but everyone's experience here is a bit different and I think that if I hadn't had 6 long positions in while playing my rating might be a bit lower but don't get me wrong the short positions aren't bad they just aren't as challenging and not as fun as some of the long positions. A friend of mine said that it would be nice if they both positions in all of the time and just have two basket for each hole, long and short and I actually agree with this. Going along with all of that I think that some of the short positions on the par four holes aren't long enough and create a tweener hole where the long basket would really help out.

Holes 2, 5, 7, 13, 15 and 16 were all in the long position while I played and I really enjoyed the contrast of the back and forth short and long positions. I believe that if both pins were in all of the time I would probably play a mixture of the best short and long pins.

This is an excellent course and combined with the other courses on site you really get an awesome disc golf destination here. You have to check out the IDGC building and the Steady Ed Museum which was some cool disc golf artifacts and pictures and discs from long ago. One of my favorite things in the Museum is the hand written PDGA member book of the first 3000 members that Steady Ed wrote down himself! Things have changed a little since then but nothing will change the way we feel about this great man.

The course plays through a nice forested area with underbrush thick enough to punish errant shots, but not so thick it'll eat discs. Nearly all the holes have defined lines through the woods, there's not a single tee that lets you just throw hard without thinking through your approach to the hole. Elevation comes into play on several holes, with some steep uphill and downhill holes to add fun and challenge. A few pin placements have roll away potential to add some interest to the short game.

The lake is in play on several shots, and it's used excellently. None of the holes forces you to throw over water, but several have a birdie line that risks getting wet and a safe shot that almost guarantees an extra stroke. There are two pin placements on each hole, and they change the difficulty of the course quite a bit. They were mixed between shorts and longs when I played, all shorts seemed like it would offer a ton of birdie chances, and the long layout would be a tough blue level challenge. Both offer a great mix of hole shapes that make you shape various lines or risk tough recovery shots. There are good concrete long tees, and good signage that shows the hole distance and layout for both pins.

Many of the holes are blind, which wouldn't be a big deal with good signs, but you never know which pin placement is in use. That means that on a lot of holes you have to walk up the fairway to figure out where to throw, which gets a little frustrating. The beginning of the course gets a little repetitive with several holes in a row that just go up or down the hill, a little more variety in this part of the course would go a long way.

This is a very cool facility with three great courses. This one was my favorite, it had the highest fun factor and the most variety, but all three are definitely worth playing while you're here. Beginners will have the most fun on this course, it's the most scenic, and the shortest, though it can still be pretty punishing to errant shots. More experienced players will find lots of tests of their line shaping skills here, there's not as much distance as the other two courses but the long pin positions still call for a few long drives.

While you're here, take a few minutes to check out the museum inside, there's lots of really cool disc golf history!

[The Steady Ed Course]- This course has 1 tee per hole, but has 2 pin positions that can be used. There is a wide variety of the degree of steepness, both up and down, but also many flat holes, and often times a combination. It requires you to throw both long and short shots that go left, right, and straight, all with decent accuracy. Distance is not super long, but is varied using a good mix of both par 3's and par 4's. The terrain changes often from steep woods to grassy and rocky areas to flat beach-like areas along the lake. The water does come into play on several of the holes, sometimes as a creek, but most often the lake. There are also many holes that offer multiple options to the hole requiring you to plan and then execute each shot. Example- two holes along the lake shore give you the option of hitting a narrow gap through the trees or playing the very open shot (RHBH hyzer on #5 and anhyzer on #14)...out over the lake and back!

There are several signature and memorable holes on Steady Ed. It plays along the shores of the lake for several holes and offers some of the most scenic holes I have ever seen. Once you cross the water during hole #5 to the peninsula where the majority of the course is played, you feel so far removed from civilization. You and out in the wilderness with nothing but trees, rocks, and the lake surrounding you. What a great setting for disc golf. And it stays this way until your approach on #18 across the putting green by the clubhouse.

[The IDGC Complex]- The IDGC is just a short 30 minute drive north of Augusta. You know you are about to have a special experience upon entrance of the large and beautiful park and you see big signs pointing the way to the disc golf area. The courses are in an area of the park that is dedicated solely to disc golf- no other activities come close to interfering. The clubhouse here includes scorecards, maps, merchandise, restrooms, and of course the Museum and Hall of Fame (so plan some time to spend inside as you take a break between the courses). Inside there are places to sit and relax and watch disc golf DVD's if you want, and during certain times there appears to be a snack bar. I recommend bringing a lunch in case the snack bar is closed and relaxing at one of the picnic tables at the tournament pavilion. There are several restaurant options just a few miles back south on the highway to the IDGC as well.

Behind the clubhouse is the largest putting practice area I have ever seen. It had about half a dozen baskets of all types spread out (reminded me of a putting green for ball golf). The 3 amazing courses here all begin and end at the same parking lot, so once you park your car it is literally just a few steps to everything. The start of each course is clearly marked with a decorated entrance way and a large color commemorative sign inviting you to play it. Concrete tees and detailed color tee signs are on every hole. I love that each course here is extremely well-designed and well-maintained, yet each has its own personality. Each course uses a different style/color of basket to differentiate it from the others (and to give some representation to multiple companies.) Every hole was completely fair as the fairways were mature and well-defined (which is amazing and shows how much work has been done here since these courses are not that old.)

[The Course]- I like the fact that you get so far from everything during the round, but that means you are not anywhere close to restrooms or food/drinks until you finish, so be prepared. I am not usually a fan of this, but having 2 baskets per hole might actually be a good idea on this course at some point in the future to cater to different skill levels and to avoid the confusion as to which pin position is in use. (which was the point of having a short set-up for women/kids tournaments.)

Navigation was not a problem anywhere at the IDGC until hole 18 on the Ed... First time here in 2011 I accidentally played #18 (700'+) for Jackson again (it was the 54th hole of the day and my brain was tired.) The tee signs are different enough and I should have realized it, but be aware that the closest 18th tee is not the right one. I came back in 2016 and did not have this problem, one I was aware of it, two I felt maybe their was some navigational adjustments that eliminated the possibility of this mistake.

[The Complex]- You do have to pay to enter park and then pay to play courses, but this is such a nice place and it has so much to offer that it will easily be worth it for most people. As others said, the hole distances did not seem accurate at all, and there was a lot of discrepancy between the scorecard, tee sign, and course map. I think they are currently trying to improve this however, as a place like this doesn't need something simple like hole distance to detract from its greatness.

[The Course]- Steady Ed was probably my personal favorite of the 3, but they are all so good, and any of them could be your favorite. (Holes 5-16 may be the most enjoyable stretch of holes I have played anywhere rivaling the enjoyment of Flip City.) Of the 3 IDGC, it is probably the easiest, mainly because it is the shortest (when baskets are in the shorts like it was when I played both times). Also the lake is not always up to its fullest point giving a larger landing area on those holes. However, I can see where this course could, on certain days, end up being the hardest or most frustrating.

[The Complex]- I was exhausted when I finished all 3 courses, but I thoroughly enjoyed my day here. You can play them all in one day or plan on spending a couple of days here. The courses are open all day, but the clubhouse is only open certain hours (from 9-5 I think). During off-hours there is place to pay on the honor system. I highly recommend the IDGC as a national disc golf destination. (I liked it better than the complexes at Lemon Lake, Mason County, and yes even Highbridge.)

This course continues to get better and better no matter what configuration you play. The course can play short or long depending on what placements the baskets are in and there are some truly spectacular holes on the course including a really great downhill shot through the woods over water towards the start of your round on # 5. The course is a real challenge for shotmakers when the baskets are in the short positions and a great technical placement course when in the longs.Great design in woods with water in play on some holes. Mix of par 3s, 4s and 5's. More water comes into play while on the second 9 as you are playing several holes around and over the lake. #16 and #17 are two of my favorite holes in golf with #16 being very challenging when in the long position as are many of the longer postions on the course. #17 is just fun! The designers created a great course and included a great use of elevation throughout the course whtether the baskets are in the long or short positions

#18 is not the best finishing hole I have ever played but very challenging to get out of the gap with an uphill drive.

If you live within 300 miles you need to plan on spending a weekend to play the courses of the IDGC. It amazes me how some hardcore players nearby never have made it to the IDGC but only play their local courses. If you do plan on visiting, plan to spend a few days in the area (Patriots Park is also nearby and close to the interstate) The campground is great and close by and worth the daily park fee. Shorter than the other courses at the IDGC when the baskets are in the short positions. Also, there is a sign by the #1 tee stating beware of snakes for a reason. I have played this course about 20 times since 2007 and have seen several water snakes near the #4 tee and along #5s fairway that appeared somewhat aggressive but not poisonous. Be careful where you stand in those areas.

Out of the three courses available at IDGC, I feel that the Steady ED long course offers up the best challenge for Gold level players. While the WR Jackson course is a close second, ol' Steady has the best variety and challenge out there.

Similar to his work at the Highbridge facility, Chuck (and Tom) have done a fantastic job of creating holes which incorporate enormous variety and challenge, both physically and intellectually. Several of the holes here allow for players to choose clearly delineated separate routes off the tee - each offers its own rewards and challenges. Most all of these choices come with clear tradeoffs such that the more difficult of the routes (either because of danger or skill needed), when executed properly, also have the highest potential to reward. If you are afraid of the water, be prepared to pay the price by throwing a much tighter fairway for par or the unlikely birdie.

The main con that I had about this course was that only the short pins were playable on the day that I visited. It seems like the IDGC would want to showcase the course a bit by at least having a mix of pins (or better yet dual pins) in place at any given time.

My second (and very small) con is that the course plays too easy for the pro-level player when in the shorts. I threw mostly pretenting to go to the long pins after a few holes because I felt it provided a more realistic challenge - although the long pins were really a bit above my skill level. Par's came too easily on the short version, even when my tee shot was poorly executed. Birdies were challenging still, but there just wasn't enough penalty for poor throws (remember, short tees only!).

I think many players will probably drop this course a few points because they feel the "luck" factor is too high. I'd challenge them to evaluate whether the fairways are simply demanding (but fair) or if they really are just luck. My feeling after playing the course was that hitting lines off the tee was significantly rewarded by birdie opportunities a high percentage of the time.

Out of the three courses at IDGC, this was my overall favorite (although only in the longs) and that is a huge feat considering the caliber of WR Jackson and Jim Warner!

The first thing you see when you enter the Wildwood complex is the PDGA headquarters/pro shop that serves as the centerpiece for the three courses. This shop has everything you could ask for in disc selection, as well as a great lobby full of comfortable couches and televisions usually playing disc golf videos. Behind the pro shop are multiple warm up baskets.
Each course is equipped with a hand-carved sign commemorating the course. Steady Ed's is admittedly the nicest. Every single hole is equipped with a huge concrete tee and an elaborate sign that describes the hole perfectly. Every hole also has multiple pins as well. The layout of the course plays through woods, so every hole is surrounded by trees. Some holes have clear fairways, but the majority have strategically placed trees to shape your shots. Most of the holes are between 300 to 400 feet long. Out of all of the courses on the property this one seems to have the most changes in elevation. There are also seven holes that play along the lake, adding another challenge to the course.

These were hard to think of. The main thing that got on my nerves here was the fact that there weren't any trash cans on any of the courses. It just seemed odd that courses at one of the nicest facilities in the country lacked trash cans altogether. Another thing that I didn't like was that there was no way of knowing what pin placements were being used. Some holes were in A, while others were in B. I basically had to walk up each fairway until I could see the basket, and then walk back to the tee for my shot.

The thing that really separates this course from others that I've played is the thought that went into each hole's design. There were multiple routes for each hole, so you really had to evaluate each throw. The precision needed for each hole is really a tribute to Ed Headrick's preference for accuracy over power. If you're wondering if traveling to Appling is worth it, then you have nothing to fear. You will not be disappointed or bored.

This course is listed as the blue level course at the IDGC. Yet it is probably the most technical of the 3. While it does not have the distances the other 2 courses have it makes up for that in the challenge it gives you.

Elevation, water hazards, and tricky fairways are what this course is about. One is downhill in a tunnel. Two is back up hill. Three is down. Four is a tough uphill right to left, that has your throw going out over the water in order to get it started uphill. It is like this through most of the course. Six, 12, 13, and 14 are the only relatively flat fairways. They are along the lake and tight.

Throughout this course you will be getting into your bag of tricks to get around trees, over water, and out of trouble. With a good mixture of left to right, straight, and right to left it favors no one. Many of the tees will present you with more than one option for your drive pick wisely or be prepared to take your medicine for a bad choice.

The shule is not bad here. With a little patience most errant discs will be found.

There are plenty of benches and trash cans.

One of the things I always find troubling is when you have to enter an active fairway to get to the next basket. When you cross the bridge to get from the tee on 5 to the basket you are about 100' feet out and 20 feet below the tee for 17. Be observant or you may get hurt. Also the 18th tee for Jackson is below you on 16.

The tee signs, map and scorecard all have different distances to the basket and some of the pars are different.

There is nothing at the tees to tell you which position the basket is stationed. Since most of your throws from the tee are blind and while this is okay a first time player will find their score effected.

This was the first course I played at the IDGC. The place is a great facility and should be on every persons to-do list.

The beauty of the location and the facilities go into making this a 4 course. Without those it would be a 3.5.

After talking to Brian and Jason you will discover that this is still a work in progress. So any issues will be fixed when possible.

One absolutely gorgeous piece of land and a great use of it.
This course showcases the best of the GA environment, large pine and mixed woods forests full of hills and gullies and tops it off with a scenic lake that not only provides views but also lets you test your meddle for a risky approach.
Blue DGA baskets that stand out decently on the landscape.
A tough but not overly tough course, made for players much better than I but one that can be enjoyed by an average tournament player.
Great signs and tees, signs show multiple routes and generally "explain" the hole about as good as possible through the drawn map.

No way to tell which pin position is in use.
No garbage cans anywhere on any of the courses (must be by design).
Scorecard, signs, and map all have different distances listed.

This is a fun course even though it is a decent challenge. We played when the lake was low so the water hazards were minimal but if the lake was up some of the holes would get very interesting and much more intimidating but there is always a "safe" route that you can take which makes the course very fair.
The fairways are tight but defined and you will need a full bag of shots and some serious precision to score well.
Great use of elevation with ups and downs, baskets on hills, gully lines etc.
Some holes have multiple routes that are clearly defined on the tee signs. It seems that some signs were measured with the contour of the land and others with flight path, I don't know if this is true but some holes you could drive 390' sign distances and take 2 drives to reach a 280' hole.
This is a great course with a huge variety of holes and throw types thrown in. It uses the lake in a fair and consistent manner that will reward risk if done properly. We also found that even when they go in the water you can wade out there if need be. (Witnessed, no OB on our part!).
If you are looking for a good time then Steady Ed should be your first choice at the IDGC. Come for the awesome facilities, come back to take on the challenge of these tough but fair courses.

-First and foremost this is one of the IDGC courses, So all of the elements are available: Multiple Pins, Signs with maps, Concrete tee pads, well maintained. As well as scorecards and maps are available in the pro shop. Also Vending machines, Discs, place to rest and cool off in the proshop.
-It's exclusive, it's a challenge, and it can be a lot of fun. (or it can be really frustrating)
-In the woods, so that can offer some relief from the heat. ...some relief.
-Solid Disc Golf course only. No other activities to interfere with a persons round
-Caters to both Forehand & Backhand players equally (As well as Right and left handed)
-Not for beginners or casual players*. You can try, but you could get frustrated REAL fast!
-Challenging, strategy and precision is the key here. As well as having an accurate straight drive.
-Great use of the terrain, and challenging pin placement.
-A course that traverses up and down hills, with narrow shots cut through the woods, and a few water shots.
-Fairways are tight, but not overly tight. There is still enough room in the fairways to work a finesse shot, and have a little more room to move. But the rough is still there, and an errant throw could cost you, and have you tomahawking back into the fairway.
-Course requires accuracy over power. There are long distance shots on this course, but here it's about setting yourself up for a second shot. In some cases a third shot.
-There are a couple of shots that throw from the side of a hill. Namely #5. Very cool scenic hole!
-Some holes let you choose your line, Go back to #5; Here you can either hyzer out over the water, or throw in through the trees. Or #11 which has two routes, offering lines to both right and left handed throwers.
-Even though this statement is subject to being my opinion. This course was a challenge, and it had a good fun factor for me! I'll play here again in a heartbeat! I am aware that others may disagree with me on that statement.
-It is the shorter of the three, but it still requires strategy and thought in the execution of these holes. You will still be required to play smarter. (Forget the "Par 3 only", it's not happening here. So you might as well enjoy yourself.)

*I like the fact that this place is a challenge to play, and requires some skill to play here. Augusta has many a course that is beginner friendly and even more accessible. So beginners are taken care of.

-Didn't really have an area to stop and take a break. Jackson and Warner are split so that after 9 holes, you can stop for bathroom breaks, lunch, or just to cool off. Headrick is straight through 18.
-This is just an FYI for those with allergies to the Pollen in the spring, this place was covered in pollen last april. My boots and pant legs were solid florescent green.
-Maybe this isn't the case for everyone, but I had a little trouble locating the 18 basket when I played there. It was just inside the tree line.
-When I played here, they told me what position the pins were in. If you show up after hours, it could be hard to tell.
-Bring a lunch, no restaurants nearby
-Watch out for Snakes!

The key to playing here is to play smarter. Use discs that you know you can control. It's tight with varying terrain! Many a blind hole to throw down. So, unless you can keep your destroyer in an absolute straight line, it's not going to work well for you here. In my opinion, I think that people should disc down and use discs that are more easily controlled. Even if that means throwing mids and putters. Now, I was guilty of breaking out my wraith when I probably shouldn't have, needless to say I was hacking my way out of the woods back on to the fairway. I used my putter for some of my drives, and I was able to make par.

I realize though, that some people may not like the Woodsy courses that are tight and narrow. There is always a chance you are going to kiss, nick or even taco into a tree on the Headrick course. If you are a person that doesn't like playing in the woods, then you might want to reconsider playing here altogether. It's ALL woods, with a couple of water shots!

I know some mentioned that this course is smaller, but it is no less. It is nice to have 3 courses that have different personalities, and I thoroughly enjoyed playing Headrick. I enjoyed trekking up and down hills, and I love the challenge of throwing in the woods. Sometimes I call it being a glutton for punishment, but I love it anyway. I just like being in the woods!

I would recommend wearing shoes made for hiking, because you will be walking up and down a lot hills. Definitely bring liquids and possibly a granola bar or two for a snack! Once you start, It'll be a while before you get back to the clubhouse! There is a fee to get in to the park itself (2 or 3 dollars), and it costs 5$ to play all three courses all day long. It's all totally worth it! Just remember, there are no restaurants or gas stations nearby. Bring what you need, including liquids and a lunch. The nice thing is, you can sit down in the Headquarters for a break.

Final thought: This is the IDGC, these courses are going to be challenging and quite possibly a little frustrating. I say this, go out there and have fun because you are playing at the PDGA headquarters. Expect to hit some trees, and have a rough round. Just remember, you are at the PDGA headquarters. Not everyone gets that opportunity. If you taco into a tree, don't get frustrated, just throw another one! ...unless you are in a tournament. The point is to enjoy the experience, this is our version of the Masters. Enjoy it!

The IDGC is a disc golf exclusive facility. There is a well stocked on-site pro shop, disc golf museum and an awesome practice area. I would give the entire facility a solid 5. This course makes awesome use of the lake, elevation and woods to create an overall great experience.

There are textured concrete teepads for the long tees. There is evidence of hundreds of hours of work. There are numerous footbridges and well marked trails. All the long tees have well made signs. Although some of the distances were incorrect, the scorecards available in Pro Shop were accurate. There is sufficient signage guiding players to the next tee and even new "next tee" markers at the base of the targets. It really is a great experience.

Again, I give the facility a 5.0, but I have to rate this course a 3.5. I can't quite give it a 4.0, as I think it requires too much luck to score well. I played it with mostly short pin placements as well as all short placements. Like most wooded courses, this course does favor a player with accuracy. With the exception of the guardian trees around the pins and the random fairway trees, most of the holes were well designed and can challenge players of all skill levels. There are plenty of "risk and reward" opportunities for players with more than a traditional backhand throw.

As the course is heavily wooded, players really need an accurate, straight shot to score well. There are not a lot of different types of shots required. Since this course really rewards placement, drivers are not necessary and can really only be used on a couple of holes. I only throw about 275 to 300 feet max and was mostly throwing mid range discs and putters off the tee with good success.

Unfortunately, no matter how accurately one can throw, or how thoughtful one is with shot selection, this design left something to be desired: a chainsaw! I am not a fan of random trees left in the fairway nor of "guardian" trees around targets. On several of the holes, even the safer routes required too much luck for my liking.

The blue targets were extremely difficult to see from the tees. A course in the shade should have bright, highly visible baskets, not ones that blend into the shadows and trees. They should put wider day glow stickers on the baskets like those on the J. Warner course.

This course is one large 18 hole loop so be prepared to carry enough water and supplies to last the entire round. There were no portable restrooms on the course, but since it is heavily wooded, it was not an issue for me. The other two courses have two nine hole loops back to the main parking area and "clubhouse", which I prefer.

I do not care for the trapezoid tee pads (as found on all tees at IDGC). They are six feet wide at the rear and taper down to only four feet wide on the front. It seems counterintuitive to shorten the width of the front of the tee when there is plenty of room to make traditional 6 x 12 tees. I hope players don't leave this facility thinking these tee pads are what they should put on their home courses.

I have played many CK designed courses over the years (as evidenced in my play list). I even rank Chuck's Blueberry Hill course as one of my all time favorite courses. I understand his designs like to reward placement and offer multiple routes to the pin. Hopefully, more trees will be allowed to be taken out of this design and serious players will have a much fairer course to play in the future.

It has two other courses on site, all amenities, multiple pin and tee locations. I got brave and threw over the water and made it each time. I did have to go swimming though on one hole. A brand new disc doesnt always fly the way its supposed to. It is far and away better than all the others i've played. Not too long, not too hard, not too easy. Goldie Locks would love it. There are some challenging shots, but there is usually an alternative route. good course design.

None really

Play on days you don't mind swimming, or take the lay up.

First pro, of course, is that it's at the IDGC, with all the amenities of the IDGC HQ (museum, shop, restrooms, air conditioning), 3 courses at one location, multiple practice baskets. It's on beautiful property, hilly and overlooking a lovely lake, with tall trees for shade, and exclusively Disc Golf.

I'm a little disappointed with the actual course design. Which is not to say it's bad....just it seemed it could be better. Despite my "cons", half the holes are very fine, with a variety of shots and some fairway management required, and a few rather unique shots (#18---uphill through the woods, across a clearing with one troublesome tree, over a mound back into the woods to the basket).

One design feature not seen often is that the course does a figure-8, so that the lake is on the left for some holes, on the right on others, so it doesn't favor either righties or lefties as water hazards on some courses do.

It's a wooded course and, when you hit trees and kick off the fairways, much of the area is justed wooded enough that you find yourself trying to execute unusual and exciting "escape" shots. But seldom is it so thick that you don't have an option, and there's not much underbrush. It's a great course for great recovery shots.

And thought not a gold course, it's plenty challenging.

It's a wooded course, but more than a few holes have more trees in the fairway, or tighter fairways, than I care for. Not quite "poke-&-pray", but close to it.

The lake levels have varied tremendously when I've been there. At high water, the lakefront holes are fun and exciting and give you the choice of playing it safe, or risking your disc. Other times, the water is far, far away from the fairways.

I seem to be the exception that, despite my weenie arm, I like the much longer Jackson course more than the Headrick.

My "cons" are mostly that I play the course and enjoy it, but have the nagging feeling it's missing its potential.

First of all, I could have sworn I was playing around Lake Tahoe or somewhere in the California mountains. It just didn't feel like Georgia to me. The two previous reviewers have hit a couple of review points right on the head. The pads, signs and baskets are the best I've seen anywhere. A real joy to play on. And I was wondering about this course being a gold level course? I mean it's certainly a challenge but there isn't much length to it. I think pros would enjoy it but tear it up. The holes throwing over the lake were lovely but usually not nervewrackingly scary as some water holes can be. Navigation was a breeze and the course design was wonderful. As it's been said before, there is a great Disc Golf museum and pro shop there with a great selection of discs, bags, shirts, etc. ( everything was a little pricey, I thought). There are some great basket placements nestled in among some large boulders, very picturesque. Quite a few nice downhill throws, one of my favs.

Not much really, probably lack of distance keeps it from getting a 5 from me. I like to see them drill a quarter inch hole in their tee signs next to the A & B basket names. Insert a bolt with a plastic, colored washer through the hole and tighten bolt on back with nut. Change whenever baskets are moved. A great simple way to alert players which positions baskets are in.

Stumbling around on the Ed on a sweltering, hot July, Georgia day, throwing my discs anywhere but where they're susposed to be going and then you hear the sounds of people playing in the lake, being pulled behind their boats. And I just had to wonder? Would I rather be out on the lake? Being pulled behind their boat. Perhaps, I've made the wrong recreational choice here. Enjoy the Ed!

The long tees are designed for Blue level not gold level as some have posted, The Red tee positions were designed and marked from the beginning as Steady Ed would have wanted. However, budget constraints for getting all three courses initially installed took precedent over getting cement on the Red tees. Once these go in, this will be the best course for less experienced players. In addition, the Red tees are the drop zones for players who go OB from the Blue tees into the lake on six holes.

There were only eight sets of pin combinations planned with each layout being named. At some point, the pin location will be marked on each tee sign so players know whether a pin is in the A or B position. White stakes are planned on the lake holes to mark a permanent OB line so each hole plays with the same challenge regardless of the lake level the day you play it.

The Steady Ed Headrick Memorial course is on the grounds of the PDGA International Disc Golf Center with two other 18 -hole gold courses. As you would expect, the course is very well taken care of and the tee pads, signs and baskets are the finest. In fact, it even has special baskets made especially for the course. There are lots of trees (and shade), but, the course is so well maintained that a disc from even a very errant shot can still be located. The course also is located on a lake and the scenery is really nice. Additionally, navigation is smooth as silk, even if you are out for the first time.

For the sake of not leaving the cons section blank, the only con I can conjure up is that is that it is a pay course, but it is so nice that I really don't care.

Steady Ed Headrick Memorial is long course that is fairly heavily wooded. Sixteen of the baskets have alternate locations that vary your look (i.e., one tee pad per hole). On the day I played Steady Ed, the length was around 6,885 (as of July 2, 2009). So, the average hole is 382' and fairly heavily wooded. Steady Ed sets up well for the finesse player that still has a pretty big arm (i.e., 350'+ drives). If you don't stay in the fairways, your score will suffer. The course humbled me, but I still loved it and think it is the best course I have played to date. Holes 8, 9 and 17 also had some really neat catcher placements that were nestled into boulders. Steady Ed Headrick Memorial is a must play course if you are anywhere near it and, even on its own, it is worth traveling and a hotel to play at. Throw in two other eighteen hole courses on the same grounds and you are in a disc golfers dream. It really doesn't get any better.