In the wake of the news that Wildwood Park, where the IDGC resides, was going to have acres upon acres of pine trees cut down due to the invasive species of Pine Beetles ravaging the trees, I finally made the trek to the IDGC to play the courses there before it was potentially too late. Especially since the futures of the WR Jackson Memorial DGC and Jim Warner Memorial DGC are not looking too bright. The complex had already removed all of the tee signs from the course, and was in the process of removing the benches from both of those courses. So I will not be holding that against either course.

WR Jackson uses DISCatcher baskets, has great concrete tees, and two layouts. Nine of the holes play from the same tee, while the other nine holes the layouts have separate tees. The Gold course plays over 10,500 feet, the Blue course plays right around 1,000 feet less. So clearly both layouts are long.

From start to finish the course is nothing short of phenomenally designed disc golf holes. Each hole managed to force shot shapes from the tees, and require both accuracy and power to find the best landing zones. It is truly a championship caliber course. The fairways are well defined, and the rough was honestly not bad at all. I didn't see a single place on the course where I felt like there was a high risk of disc loss potential.

The course is incredibly beautiful. While you never get to have some of the gorgeous views of the lake while playing WR Jackson, like you see on the other two IDGC courses, multiple times I still found myself stopping to look around at just how pretty and well maintained the fairways are. It's not often we get to play a course that has grassy fairways weaving through a forest. While they may not all be grassy all the time, there were enough of them for it to stick out in my mind.

The course is a wooded course, and as I said before landing zones are definitely important on the multi-shot holes, but they never felt overly constricting. Which is nice because WR Jackson is long. However it is comfortably long with fairways wide enough to get full flight out of your discs. The fairways are not boring, there are plenty of obstacles/trees to navigate. I lost count of how many times my shot looked perfect out of my hand, only for me to realize there was one tree just out of my vision, that I failed to get around. Even still, it was never demoralizing because of the width of the fairways.

The terrain is utilized incredibly well throughout the layout, with multiple uphill, downhill, and valley shots. Hole 8 was one of the funnest tee shots on the hole course, with a steep downhill right off the tee.

While the course is not two separate nine hole loops that meet at the parking lot, the course does loop back to the starting point between Holes 13 & 14.

Like the rest of the IDGC, the navigational signage around the course is impeccable.

On top of all of that, the course shares the property with two other amazing courses and the IDGC center. There is a pro shop, plaques for the inductees of the Hall of Fame, and the Ed Headrick Memorial Museum with memorabilia throughout the evolution of the sport. The Tournament Pavilion has a vending machine, and fans. It is a nice place to eat lunch between rounds.

Unfortunately due to the need to eradicate the invasive Pine Beetles, WR Jackson Memorial DGC seems to be running on borrowed time. No matter what happens, the current layout will certainly be lost/unrecognizable to future players. And the extent that the Pine Beetles were affecting the course was extremely noticeable. Almost every pine tree on the course was bleeding sap. It was depressing seeing some of the mammoth sized pines in the fairways creaking under their own weight, while sap oozed down their 100+ foot tall trunks.

Out of all of the courses at the IDGC complex, WR Jackson has the highest barrier of entry. In the sense that anyone who struggles to consistently throw at least 250 feet is going to have a sore arm by the time their round is over. Anyone who is unable to accurately throw 300' to 350' is going to likely be playing bogey golf, even from the short tees. While I understand that not every course needs to be accessible for every player, there were definitely places where even shorter tee pads could have been placed to create a fun White level layout.

There are a couple of courses that I have played that I believed were on the threshold of being a 5.0 rated course, and WR Jackson I believe edges into that conversation. It seems like in the past the rough was much worse than it is now, but clearly a lot of work went into making the course pristine for the Champions Cup that has been held here the past couple of years. It would take an ungodly kick of a terrible colored disc, thrown around one of the blind corners with a bad roll-away to really need start needing to worry about a lost disc. I am sure it happens, but most courses this length, you have to play with that danger throughout, lingering in the back of your mind. Not here.

There honestly probably isn't much more to say about this course that hasn't already been said. Other than, it is truly a shame that it won't be around much longer. If you are like me, and have put off making the trip to IDGC because there were other great courses more convenient to you, see if you can't get out there in the extremely limited time left before the courses are closed down so the pine trees can all be cut down. (Next Wednesday, September 27th, is the last day they will be open before the cutting begins.)

Favorite Holes: 1, 7, 8, 11, 12, 18

- IDGC facility and all that entails - practice area, pavilion, pro shop, museum, hospitality. Simply unique to disc golf.
- This course is an icon. Play the holes that you've watched your favorite pros on Jomez, GK Pro, etc.
- Course is well marked and easy to navigate for a wooded course.
- Nice tee pads, lots of benches.
- Even though this is likely one of the most difficult courses that you'll play, it isn't punishing like some of the other toughies. There is lots of air space to advance your disc and the rough isn't relatively clear.
- I managed to be on this course by myself and it was incredibly peaceful.

- Limited trash cans
- The course isn't for everyone. It is very long and requires a certain mindset to play and enjoy if you aren't a bomber. If you are a MA3/MA4 player, bogeys are okay, and often even good.
- Not as scenic as the courses on the lake side of IDGC.

I'm an 808 rated MA4 player that is thrilled to push a disc 300 feet. I absolutely loved this course. It took every bit of skill, focus, mental fortitude, stamina, and creativity that I could muster. To play bogey golf. This is hands down the best course that I've played.

I look forward to coming back and playing this course every year.

I loved everything about facility and the trip and cannot recommend it enough. Playing WR Jackson was my highlight.

A monster pro-level course that is both beautiful and a thrilling challenge of throwing. I have updated this review in April 2022 after a return visit, and I feel just as strongly as ever that this is one of the best courses anywhere.

-Amenities: Appropriate for the IDGC. Spacious concrete teepads. Signs at each pad with detailed map and info. DISCatchers, often with flags. Navigation cues are good. Course map at the start. Benches available. Of course, a bazillion practice baskets and a pro shop are available in the main area of the Center, and the Hall of Fame and Headrick Museum.

-Terrain: There may not be the jaw-dropping lake views of the other courses at the IDGC, but Jackson is a beauty in its own right. Pine forest is semi-open and grassy but still affords the pleasure of looming trees. It's a great combination of comfortable grass and shape-demanding woods that few other places can offer. Elevation is not extreme on any hole, but it's substantial on most holes. Parts of the course are extremely secluded, with no end to the quiet woods in sight.

-Navigation: No major issues after the 2019 redesign. I guess you could have a problem on (13)-(14), but there's a course map right there if you can't figure it out.

-Multi-Tees: Blue tees for advanced players and gold tees for professionals. (Sorry, no white or red.)

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Incredible. The combination of length and smooth, defined shaping is possibly unmatched from anything I've played, as of 260 courses. This is where Jackson gets its 5.0. Each hole is a different challenge requiring accuracy and full power, but all of them are fair and natural (not gimmicky at all). There are no repeat holes, and there are no weak links: all 18 are worthy of the finest courses.

Jackson is really long, with nine par 4's and two par 5's. All of these multi-shot holes require at least very good if not stellar throws to get par or birdie--even from the short tees. The variety is flooring. Left, right, twisty, straight; tight, moderate, loose woods; pocket and open greens; uphill, downhill, valley, ridge; creek and natural OB. I threw a lot of forehand and a lot of backhand, with all the discs in the bag.

All of these holes are great, but here are some of the most notable ones. Hole (1) is an iconic starter with a split fairway leading to a long approach with several options to get around scattered trees and have a look at the birdie 3. Hole (5) is a daunting, extraordinarily tight par-3 more than 300' through a straight tunnel. (12) is incredible, a linkage of two split fairways that combine for about 1000' from the long tees. (15) is a mesmerizing par-4 winding downhill through several groves of trees with a dropoff to a ditch close to the basket. (17)-(18) are the closers, both uphill doglegs through tight woods.

To the student of disc flight patterns, Jackson is incredibly satisfying. It matches the natural physics of flying discs incredibly well - yet for that, it's still a challenge to rise to.

-Additional Courses: Both Headrick and Warner on site are great courses as well. I have them rated 4.5 and 4.0, respectively. I definitely recommend making a day of it, if you have the stamina to play over 20,000' of courses at once.

Some things go with the territory of a championship-level course.

-Difficulty: This will probably beat down everybody, except the finest pros. Forgiveness is not a part of the course. I played at the beginning of my bagging career and two years later, and the best stretch of nine holes I managed was a +1. Please, please, please don't bring any beginners, and don't bring any rec or intermediate players unless they're happy to shoot for bogey on many holes. The length precludes birdies for anyone throwing less than 300' confidently.

-Stamina: The course is really long, so you'll make more throws than average and they'll often be full energy. Expect to be worn out, and expect to take a long time to get through.

-Rough/Disc Loss: Some of the rough was pretty thick in 2020, but cleaned up a lot for a Major in 2022. My partner and I didn't search more than 3 minutes for any disc in 2020, and I had zero struggles playing solo recently. I'd say that the only holes to really watch out for are (3), (8), and (11).

-No 9 & 9: If you want beg for mercy from Jackson and opt out early, the first real chance to get back to the parking lot is after (13). But who's going to play only half of an IDGC course anyway?

-Pay to Play: Depending on your PDGA status, $8-$10 for all day access to the courses. Totally worth it just for Jackson.

Jackson was far and away the best course I'd ever played until I went to Harmony Bends and Idlewild. Even after those iconic courses, Jackson stands as Best of Best. These holes require the epitome of disc throwing, and it's exhilarating to see yourself succeed. The design and environment make this the sport side of disc golf in pure form. Don't pass it up!

Great design
very well maintained

N/A

The whole IDGC experience is extremely unique, and the course design is fantastic. Id definitely recommend taking the trip just for the experience.

That being said, this was my favorite course out of the three. It was extremely challenging, but never felt repetitive or too punishing.

Has concrete tee pads with notches carved across

Has benches throughout the course

Has excellent tee signs (signs look better than the ones posted on this site)

Some holes have multiple lines to the basket

Has next tee signs posted throughout

More wooded than open fairways with doglegs and elevations

Challenging, long course with variety of pars (6 par 3s, 9 par 4s, 3 par 5s)

Nice scenery

Water comes into play on almost half of the holes where there's little risk in losing a disc due to the shallow creek

Has two loops of the front and back nines

Had whole course to myself on a Thursday afternoon

Has a storm shelter

Well-maintained

Has practice baskets from different manufacturers

Long course can be demanding and intimidating to those not ready for a challenge

Aside from the course already being long, some may find the long walks between holes as a con but I feel that there's good separation between them as the layout makes most of the hilly terrain and creek

Pay to play but worth it

This is the last of the three challenging scenic courses at IDGC that I enjoyed playing. This course is the one that I will compare other courses to as I have ranked this as my first 5.0 - Best of the Best. This course is the site of the Hall of Fame Classic held here every two years. After watching the world's top pros play here, this course was a test to compare on how well I can perform when playing this gold level tournament quality course. I can say that I have more appreciation more than ever in watching them play now! It truly is challenging and will require almost every kind of shot to shoot a low score here. This course will emphasize on control and shot placement on most holes since there's only six par 3s here. The course takes advantage of its hilly terrain and creek to make a challenging layout. I haven't recall ever playing on a hole with a figure 8 pattern before I played hole #8. Playing on holes #12 and #13 were probably the most difficult par 3s that I ever played due to the tight window and the slope towards the creek. The long course and the additional walking between holes can take a toll on the body and therefore be a con for some players. The pay to play can dissuade some from playing but I have paid more to play a less enjoyable course before. $3 to enter the park and $3 for a PDGA member to play all day is a bargain! In the clubhouse, the pro shop sells discs from many manufacturers as well as issue out course maps and scorecards with the highlighted current pin positions. Along with the pro shop, there is a snack machine, breakroom, restrooms, and the Hall of Fame all inside the clubhouse operating from 9am-5pm. A soda machine is located outside the clubhouse underneath the pavilion nearby. Playing this course and one of the other two on the same day makes a nice day trip.

WR Jackson Memorial is the longest of the 3 amazing courses at the IDGC, and is just another John Houck masterpiece. It may cause distress to the average disc golfer, but there are 18 great holes that have extremely challenging but not entirely impossible fairways. You will find trouble if you fail to execute sound throws consistently. While it can be frustrating, the constant pressure to make good throws is one of the aspects that makes me respect the course so much. Well worth the price of admission, $5 for all day access to the 3 wonderful courses on site.

As you would expect, all of the tees, signage, and baskets are top quality, as they are in all of the disc golf facilities here. A little bit of water will be in play here and there, as well as some moderate elevation change through very woodsy fairways. I won't give the hole by hole summary, but each stop along the way requires precise, accurate shots of all types. There are 6 par 4's in a row to lead off, and the longest hole on the course is 8, just to make sure the front 9 isn't taken lightly. Holes 11-13 give you a chance to make up some ground with 3 consecutive short par 3's. No pushovers, but a well placed putter throw can get you there. On the way out you will encounter 2 more par 4's, and the last hole is a great par 5. 18 is the kind of finishing hole that demands respect. Visible from the tee, but so far away you know you still have your work cut out for you. Even after taking several beatings here, I still enjoy this monster.

Scenic, but demanding. The new player will probably not make it through a round here without some serious struggles. It is pay to play, cheapskates beware.

I did get 2 birdies on my most recent round at Jackson. 10 and 12 gave me redemption deuces, and I missed a very makable putt on 11 for the turkey. Still wound up at +11 on the round, but enjoyed it none the less. Wish I would have visited more often when I lived in the area. Very much a destination for any disc golfer who loves to visit the very best courses. Sort of reminds me of Chester State Park in SC, but much longer, and a little more elevation change. The pro shop, and disc golf museum and wall of fame give you something interesting to look at in between rounds, and snacks and refreshments are available inside during business hours. Also there is a vending machine with water and soft drinks outside under the pavilion. A must play for any serious player who enters the vicinity.

Challenging with many long S shots. Lots of elevation to bomb a sky roller, thumber or any trick shot you have. Tee signs are descriptive enough and fairways are well defined on the very long holes making long recon walks not necessary. The holes are often too long to see the basket but you get the idea where to place your first shot for success. Also the score cards given out indicate pin position so you don't have to hope there is something on the sign to indicate pin position.

I had my best round ever on my most recent trip. However, WR Jackson is just so huge, long and steep it can wear you down. The fairways on some of the long holes seem plenty wide and I had some great long throws & hit intended landing spots but by the time I would climb up the steep hills to my next shot I found myself missing putts that I should make. The courses at IDGC are just known for zapping the strength & concentration right out of you. Even the short holes 12 & 13 that traverse a large valley/gulch place the baskets on steep fast greens forcing the perfect tight shot through trees that must match the angle of the hill to stick. Manage that and you still have to find the perfect putting stance on a knife edge and stick a putt. Any roll away is falling into the O.B. creek. You better have all the putting stances in your bag. This course will run a sword through any chink in the armor of your game.

It seems like aspects of these "pros" could and should be cons for some. This is very much a Gold level course. A new player will most likely kick their bag or give up after 9 holes here. I did when I was a newer player. It is the challenge that is the attraction here. Now that my player rating is over 900 I had a much better time playing this one than in years past.

I played in early October and the course just looked lovely, a touch of fall color on the leaves, the long open fairways are just picture perfect. Some of the pins seem to frame the most picturesque portions of the hills or trees they are set by.

The course loops back to the parking lot after 9 holes for a very much needed break or to restock on water. The IDGC building has a/c, a small museum, a well stocked pro shop and clean rest rooms.

Very thick tick infested woods in some spots make trips off the fairways not fun. Thin on next tee signs in some areas.

No escalators or free porters. Seriously folks, other that getting worn out on a steep long course I cannot fault anything here. I can say some shorter tees would be nice but that would detract from the course. This is Gold level, take it or leave it.

Often reviews say you have to throw every disc or shot in your bag. I carried about 20 discs and for the first time I actually used every one. Not only that, I used every shot in my skill set.

Make sure your dog's tick meds are up to date if you bring Fido.

Rating: I rated a 5 for my first time ever! For the over 135 courses I have played this is the biggest and best course I have ever played.

$5.00 to play all day on 3 great courses is a nice bang for your buck.

I've played some beastly courses in my 10 years in the game. There very few courses on the planet that can compete with Jackson's length and difficulty, and of that elite crop of courses I'll take Jackson over the field. This is the best monster course I've ever played. The fairways are decently sized, while still punishing poor throws. The rough is a pain and will make you scramble, without wishing you'd have brought a machete. Most of the other championship level courses have at least one hole that made me say "No effing way... this is impossible". Jackson is challenging but fair from 1 to 18. This is the one course I've played that I can't pick out a signature hole, because so many of them are so good. (1! 2! 5! 8! ...I give up)

I can't rave enough about Houck's design of this course. It is virtually perfect. Every tree is there for a reason. Almost every shot has multiple approaches, with a risk/reward factor that will make you question how much fairway you really want to bite off every throw. Blind guardians are frequently lurking around corners to punish guys who want to bomb, but the more you lay up the longer it'll take to get to the bucket.

This courses is heavy on the par 4's and 5's, which is a direction I love that the sport is heading it. Even the 6 par 3's are not easy by any stretch of the imagination.

Speaking of par 3's, I like the 3 in a row aspect of 11,12,13. It makes for a really nice change of pace from all the big holes to have multiple tee shots in a row that you can get to the basket in 1. Especially coming off of the monster #10, throwing midranges from the tee for a bit is welcomed respite.

This would normally be the part of the review where I single out particularly nice holes I haven't mentioned yet, but they're all great.... so.... yeah.

The facilities and amenities at the IDGC are great, as is the fact that you can get a classic golf style pre back nine break back at the club house. Refill your water bottles before teeing off on 10, you're gonna need it!

I only have 2 incredibly minor nitpicks.

1) Hole 10 is very close to too hard. Having the teebox 100 feet back from the already challenging fairway tunnel makes getting off the tee brutally difficult. Even the professionals struggle mightily with this tee shot. Its already a beast, the tee being set so far back makes it cruel and unusual punishment.

2) the 11-13 cycle is a shooting gallery during tournaments. I love these holes during casual round, but it sucks when there are 12+ people piled in that small area.

If you can't throw at least 300 feet accurately with control (350+ would be better) this is NOT the course for you, and I don't think you'd have much fun.

Pack lots of water, snacks, bug spray, ect. This is a lot of golf and it will wear you out. My buddy and I have a rule: No Jackson on Sundays, because we can barely make it through work on Monday.

WR Jackson is a whole new level of disc golf course than I've played before. Take a great course, make everything bigger, and you have this course.
- From the first shot off the first tee until the final putt, this is as close to 18 great holes as I've played. The first 10 holes is the best stretch of holes I've yet to play. Things only slow down for several holes before picking up for a challenging stretch.
- The best way I can describe this course is that it's a great course that is then expanded by 50%. For example, two very good to great courses I've played are Hornets Nest (in Charlotte), which plays at 6100 feet and Fox Chase (in Albemarle, NC), at 6500 feet. Stretch those out by about 50% and you have WR Jackson at 9300 feet.
- To its credit, Jackson doesn't feel like a killer long course. The fairways are, for the most part, wide enough that you can pull out driver and attack this course. The course lets you be aggressive without penalizing shots that are less than perfect. You see this displayed on hole #8, the longest at the IDGC at 916 feet. The course has a split fairway, while giving you plenty of room to chop it down to size.
- Plenty of chances to make up for mistakes here. One of the benefits of having so many par 4s is that you can still salvage par even with one poor shot. On hole #4, a 642 foot, winding fairway hole, I played a perfect tee shot, my best at the IDGC, uncorking one in the 350 - 375 range. Don't worry. I'm not bragging. That's also the number I bench. That shot was followed by a dud that smacked a tree 125 feet down the fairway. I was still able to salvage par with a good up and down, thanks to this being a par 4.
- Course takes great advantage of the terrain. #5 is an awesome looking, but somewhat intimidating tee shot. It's a downhill, 631 foot, dogleg right. Don't worry, there's an even more intimidating tee shot on the back 9. #15 is a tight fairway to land on this 524 foot, par 4. From there you have an uphill shot to the basket.
- One of the best things I can say about this course is that it's tough but fair. I've played tough courses where it seems the designer was just trying to stroke his ego, making holes and pin placements comically tough. This course almost penalizes shots that are too cautious. In that vein, this is a course clearly aimed at experienced players, not one for the faint of arm. Or noodle-armed. Or one-disc owner. Whereas Warner is a mental and physical grind, I could enjoy this course while playing it.
- I enjoy the station-to-station hole layouts on this course. By that I mean there are holes that you want to hit a certain distance to set up your next hole, often on doglegs. You get a good sense of this on #2, a 499 foot dogleg right, #17, a 512, uphill dogleg right and #18, a 716 foot, par 5, multi-station-to-station layout.
- There are plenty of benches throughout this course. You'll need them quite often throughout the round. Also, these are the best tee signs, and most useful of any of the IDGC courses.

The biggest con, and it's relatively minor, is the three-hole stretch of #11 - 13. They're the three shorts holes on the course, all between 238 - 285 feet. All three have the same basic vibe to them - wooded and tight gaps to hit. Maybe because they were clumped so close together, and were all in a row, they felt a little repetitive. Ideally they would be spread out a little more, and not in such in such a tight awkward loop. They feel like they had to be squeezed in between #10 and 14, so they jump clumped them together.
- There were two long transitions and places where it could get easy to turn around. Going from #2 to 3, you go past #7, and then from #7 to 8, you (naturally) go back past #2. The hardest hole to find was #3, simply because it seemed to need another 'next tee' sign or two.
- This is going to be a copy and paste comment for all three IDGC courses. The overall difficult of the courses, terrain and elements are going to be a negative for some players. Basically, if you're not a good enough player, you should not play here. Know what you're getting into before you tackle this three-headed monster.
- Another copy and paste note. These courses probably present a higher than normal 'lost disc' factor. For errant throws, be prepared to spend considerable time searching or be prepared that you might lose a disc or two while playing.
- Final copy and paste note. Be prepared when playing. Pack plenty of food, water, bug spray and other essentials. You can purchase some items inside the center. Besides that there's one gas station a mile from the park. After that, it's another 15 minutes back towards Augusta and restaurants, gas stations, etc.

There are courses one plays when you can tell it's something great. I've only played a couple that seemed like they have access to the VIP room. Jackson is part of that club.
- This course seems like it's so effortlessly great. You see Usain Bolt blow past the field in a 100m race, and it seems like he's not running hard. Courses like Renny, Stoney Hill and Sugaree are great (and are also in the VIP room), but those are all grinders. If a course could seem great without appearing to try too hard, this is it.
- There are about five or six holes on this course that would probably be the signature hole on a majority of courses. At Jackson, a couple of those are nearly forgotten.
- This course wasn't the most challenging, and didn't have to be. I really enjoyed that pars were all tough, but fair expectations. For the intermediate-level player that I am, getting par after par was a good thing. It beat the alternative.
- It goes without saying that the IDGC is a must play, must visit for any serious disc golfer. While the museum, shop and other courses are all great, this was the highlight of my visit.
- Jackson did seem to have the best mix of everything on any course I've played to date. I've played courses that were more fun, courses that were more challenging, courses that were more scenic and courses that had other small aspects that were better. Despite all of that, this seemed like the best overall course I've played. It's the new standard bearer in my book.

As most people have said this course along with all the other courses on this land have the basics plus. Great Signs, Lots of benches, huge practice area, pro shop, grills before the course, maps/scorecards for all the courses and a power aid vending machine.

But lets get to WR Jackson

I will start with saying this I played doubles on this course and as a very bad REC player this may be to much of a course for me to play by myself.

Of all the long courses I have played, this one is the most fair, without being easy. There are multiple looks on almost all holes, and a good amount of short to help make things go well.

A good amount of Benches around the hole course.

Disc Catcher baskets with the charity belt, although not my favorite, still great baskets. Also they have next tee pointers on the bottom of all baskets.

A huge Pavilion (I forgot which hole, but I am pretty sure it's half way through the course)

This place is groomed to a tee, all courses here are groomed, and groomed well. They are all truly gold level courses.

Elevation on some of these holes were probably my favorite use of it over all.

Playing solo as a rec player makes this course very hard.

Not very many trash cans.

This course was by far the best over all course on the land to me. It's long, but fair, good short holes and a lot of great stuff. I can understand how others may not like it, but I think all three of the courses on the land are good in there own way, and two people who play the exact same, may think that others are better or worse.

Once again no drinking here, but that isn't a huge deal.

Camping close by in the same park.


The IDGC is worth coming to from anywhere. Great Pro Shop, and all three courses are of the Gold Caliber.
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If you do not like my review, please give me a PM on what I can improve. Thanks!

Distance, accuracy, and versatility were all very much required, yet virtually the entire course was completely fair.

Signage was great.

The only thing keeping me from giving the course a perfect rating was the lack of wowing features aesthetically.

Tee pads were okay.

The course was am extreme yet fair challenge and a pleasure to play.

The entire IDGC experience is first class.

This is the longest of the three courses on site and also the flattest and has more holes with open lines and less rough. Don't expect to be able to grab your high speed disc and throw some huge distance lines because you are going to need to throw in the fairway or pay the price. John Houck knows his double fairway/double landing zone holes and he has utilized this here. Unlike some of my fellow reviewers I actually like the starting six holes all being par fours of varying length and bend. I also like how some of the middle par fives were sandwiched in with the longer par three holes and followed by the shorter par three holes. This creates a strange flow which I actually like as it kind of keeps you off balance and out of rhythm. This is one of those courses where you start to figure it out over time as to where you need to land and which holes to be aggressive at to score well. Fairways are much more defined on this course than some of the holes on the other two, especially the Jim Warner course and punishment here is swift, strong and fair in my opinion. The variety of distances and doglegs with fair landing zones were all well thought out and more closely resembling Golf (ball) course design ideas.

Really the only con, as minor as it might be is the 370 feet or so par four hole three. This is a dogleg left with a tight fairway that doesn't really allow elite players to showcase what they can do off of the tee. This is really the only clunker on the course and it is annoying. You can't really do anything other than layup and then throw another short approach to the basket. It is listed as a par four but any advanced player will recognize what kind of hole it is and be able to get a three on this hole very frequently. Either some trimming for another route needs to be done or the basket should be moved in to create a better hole and be a par three as well which would cut the six par fours in a row to start the course in half to alleviate some of the people complaining who aren't fond of the way the course starts. Really I don't have too many more cons really worth mentioning and I'd rather not get extremely nit-picky.

This is an amazing course and a must play for any serious golfer looking for challenge. This course is amazing by itself but combined with the other two courses on site it makes for a really fun day or weekend. I think I like this course just slightly better than the Steady Ed course but it is really close for me. Either way you really can't go wrong here unless you can't take the distance or punishment. This course actually makes me want to rate other courses a half a point lower!

[The WR Jackson Course]- It is the closest thing to the feel of a ball golf course (not that disc golf needs to, but here it just made disc golf seem perfect). Like ball golf there are pars of 3, 4, and 5. The fairways are long, but pretty wide for a course cut through the woods, and have many giant trees all lining both sides of the fairway. Several holes play along or over a creek that tends to bring discs down to it. The fairways were neatly mowed, and off the fairways was not disc-losing rough, but stroke-losing pitch out rough. I am a huge fan of the flags on top of the baskets to help you find the target, especially at those distances- again like ball golf. (Look at map II on this site and it looks like a ball golf map!)

The first thing you will notice is the total length, but don't be intimidated, treat the holes as par 4's and 5's. It is not just a contest to see who can throw the farthest, but you must place each shot carefully to set up the next one. This prevents the length from becoming mundane and actually makes it very interesting. Long bombers will have no advantage here if they play careless or miss their lines. And there are some shorter holes mixed in to give you a little break. This is the best variety of length on a single course that I know of with holes ranging literally everywhere from 240' - 920' including some in the 200's, 300's, 400's, 500's, 600's, 700's, 800's and 900's!

Every hole is high quality and there are no throw-aways or fillers. It loops back to the clubhouse after 9 holes, which is nice because you will need a little break! When you finish your round you will have feelings of both accomplishment and satisfaction. You will be a little tired, but you will want to play it again because you know you could have done better or at least have tried some different approaches.

[The IDGC Complex]- The IDGC is just a short 30 minute drive north of Augusta. You know you 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]- On some of the shorter holes along the creek some of the fairways were a bit steep and it seemed that both luck and skill was needed to avoid the creek. There are a couple of longer than normal walks to the next tee (like 7 to 8), but use the map, and there are more than enough signs pointing you in the right direction.

[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. In my review in 2011, the hole distances did not seem accurate at all, and there was a lot of discrepancy between the scorecard, tee sign, and course map. However, I felt this had been addressed and improved upon. I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to exact distance this time since few baskets are reachable from the tee anyways.

[The Course]- It was not my favorite course at the IDGC (Ed for me was #1), but I objectively think is the best course here. Challenging, demanding but with well-manicured grounds keeping on and off the fairways. I personally do not just hand out ratings of 5.0, but I can see absolutely no reason why this course is not worthy. It is the complete package of excellent design, in a great setting, challenging for the pros but not impossible for us amateurs, plus the amenities and other courses on site push it over the top. As a bonus, it is rare that all this (like Idlewild) comes on a public course, where it seems so many of the better courses emerging now-a-days are privately run.

[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.)

i wish more new courses were designed like this one but I understand the terrain and amount of acreage really makes this course spectacular in addition to the vision from the course designer. My favorite course at the IDGC with a great mix of par 3s, 4s and 5s and continues to improve. #8 can be brutal if you do not play it smart and during my visit in May 2013 a shelter has been built on #8 teepad which is a good place for a rest prior to playing this long and sometimes frustrating hole. Also #18 is a beast if you do not get off the teepad. I have watched some of the top players in the world play this hole and they appear to only try to get through the initial treeline in a safe spot to get to the turn at the top of the hill for a chance at a 4. Regardless 5 is a great score for me on this one. Course appears to be for big arms but I feel it is played better by players who understand placement shots instead of throwing 500' on every hole. #14 is my favorite hole and the transistion of short holes with birdie opportunities between #11 - #13 helps with diversity after some previous long holes.

Note really a con but after rain there are some slick spots which can appear in fairwarys due to the hills so be aware of footing. Also, it appears difficult to get a run up when you are in #18 fairway after the tee shot because the grade of the slope is severe. I am not a course designer but I image there is nothing that can be done to prevent.

This is pay to play. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing people who do not check in to play on pay to play courses so please pay the greens fee to ensure courses like this will be around in the future. Also, plan to spend a few days in the area. The campground is great and close by. Worth the daily park fee.

The quality of the course can pretty much be summed up with the number of times I said to myself: "THIS is what golf should be!". From the start to the finish, almost all of the holes on this course are solid. Solid design, solid distances, and just plain smart design. If you have a slightly easier tee shot on a par 4, be sure that you will need to land in a smaller landing zone or that your approach shot will be a bit more difficult. When you have to hit a super tight window off the tee, rest assured you will reap the rewards when you hit it.

One of the techniques Mr. Houck uses frequently is a moderately narrow, but open fairway with a landing zone between 300 and 350' and then a sporadically treed fairway between 250 and 350' to the pin. This is a really great formula for rewarding those who can A) Keep their drive on the fairway and B) Achieve adequate distance while doing so. I really wish I had multiple rounds on this course so that I could start figuring out where my ideal shots should land and how aggressively I should pursue my tee shots.

This course would easily stand on its own (5.0) but being in the IDGC facility elevates this course amongst the best out there.

My cons almost entirely rest in the stretch of holes 11-13. My two points about this strech is firstly that having 3 of the total of 6 par 3 holes consecutive just throws you for a loop right in the middle of the course. Similarly, you begin the course with 6 par 4's in a row - while the design might not have accomodated it, more temporal variety of holes would have been ideal.

More importantly, while they are fun to throw, several of the shorter holes (mostly 13) in this strech are on slopes which make safe landing a spin of the roulette wheel. While there are methods for sticking to the steep slope, off the tee, I feel like some of these landing areas are a bit unreasonable.

Pretty few cons for an amazing course!

Although I think I prefer the Steady Ed long course, I think a strong case could be made that this course is the best of the bunch. With slightly more forgiving fairways, this may be the least stressful course at the facility.

Every hole on the course is a winner, each uses the beautiful land to great effect. There is not one filler hole. Lots of variety is on offer, with a variation on length, turn, and elevation. More of the holes are multi-shot par 4's and 5's than par 3's, with properly challenging fairway shapes. This course is all about shot placement, and that, in my opinion, is the future of disc golf. The fairways are fair, and aren't very tight, providing multiple throwing lanes on several holes, and a few trees left in the fairways to provide proper challenge. Getting off the fairway will cost you strokes, but not too many, and properly punish bad shots. If you can execute the good shots that the holes were designed for you to throw, you will score well here, if not, your scores will suffer. This is a championship level course, and a fine example of such. Thanks to John Houck for the great design, and to the PDGA for maintaining such a great course.

The tee pads, hole signs, baskets, and benches at every hole are all top notch. These are the kinds of amenities all courses should have. Every basket has a flag on top, making it easier to spot through the trees, and giving you an indication of what the wind is doing. There are next tee signs at every hole, as well as maps and scorecards readily available on site, so navigation is a breeze, even with a couple of long-ish walks between holes.

An awesome club house with well stocked pro shop, selling anything you would need for disc golf is on site, and includes a really cool museum, and the PDGA headquarters.

There is a large area behind the clubhouse with several practice baskets, as well as an adjacent covered picnic area with several picnic tables.

The last time I played it was a chilly overcast day, after a little rain, and there were no issues caused by the wet weather, so the course holds the moisture well. There were also no signs of erosion on the course.

Holes 6, 11, 12, and 13 play fairly close together, and hole 16's tee is a little close to 17's fairway, but it's not so close that it's a real problem.

You can see 13's basket from the tee on 11, but 11's basket is to the left, sitting a little lower, so don't throw to the wrong basket. This is clearly indicated on the tee sign.

There are a couple of long-ish walks between some of the holes, but they're easy walks, with signs pointing the way the whole time.

A very minor point is that there are no trashcans on the course, but I also didn't see any litter, so I guess people are smart enough to pack out what they pack in here.

With all the par 4's and 5's, it's a long course (around 9400 feet) and will take time to play. You will also make a lot of throws at full power, probably twice or three times as many as at a typical par 54 course, so it can be tiring. Trying to play all three IDGC courses in one day can be a bit much. It would be a great place to spend a weekend camping out and taking your time with the courses.

It costs $5 to play at the IDGC per day, if you aren't a PDGA member or resident of Columbia County.

There are restrooms inside the clubhouse, as well as a water fountain outside on the deck behind the pro shop.

The museum is worthy of an article of it's own. If you're interested in the history of disc golf, and Frisbees in general, it's a must see. There is an impressive collection of discs from the last 100 or so years, as well as memorabilia from the last 35+ years of disc golf.

There is a cool campground inside the park just down the road from the clubhouse, so a camping weekend would be great, if you're into that sort of thing.

The nearest store or restaurant is about five miles down the road from the park entrance at Highway 221.

Everything about the IDGC is done right, and is an example of how courses would be in an ideal world, from the amazing piece of land it sits on, to the tees, signs, and baskets.

Bottom line: The W. R. Jackson course is a destination worthy course on it's own, but combined with everything else about the International Disc Golf Center, it's a must play for any disc golfer who enjoys traveling to new courses, and wants to play the best of what's out there.