Hoover, AL

Inverness Disc Golf Park

4.225(based on 37 reviews)
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5 3
BenX33
Experience: 15 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Simply a great course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Played by myself without a map or knowledge of the area and never got lost. Great trail markings and signs.

Other Thoughts:

Some locals parked and started on #6 so they were warmed up before hitting 1-5, which was the hardest stretch. Might try that if I'm here again.
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5 3
flashpver6
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun but difficult 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 23, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Very good use of terrain.
*Discatcher baskets are great.
*The best tee pads I have played from with considerable difference between Red and Blue pads.
*Beautiful setting in a great location.
*Will force you to throw every shot you are capable of throwing.

Cons:

*VERY rough terrain. IF you have bad knees or hips do not attempt this course.
*Could use better signage to help find next tee pad and pin locations.
*The steep terrain will discourage those new to the sport.
*The course needs a little sprucing up, I know it is fairly new, but it still has a ways to go.

Other Thoughts:

I would not recommend this course for first timers or recent beginners due to the difficulty added by the steep terrain. I would not show up at this course in flip flops. If you have knee or hip issues this course could be difficult to navigate. With a little sprucing up and improved signage this course will easily rate a 4+. This course will force you to improve on your lines and your distance. Over all this was a fun course for my son and I to play but we carried 2 newbies with us and they quickly became discouraged. If you have moderate abilities you will enjoy the challenge of this course. I will definitely play this course next time I am in town.
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18 0
RussMB
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.5 years 131 played 110 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A Disc Golf Hike in the Magic City 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 9, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Beautiful park! Steep, rugged and varying elevation through the woods to hike through! Stunning scenery!
• There is a map available on this course page. Do not show up without it, or lose it like I did!
• Signs with detailed fairway maps, with distance, concrete tee's, Dual Tee's, Alternating Pin locations
• Not beginner friendly, but I'm not listing it as a con since there are other beginner friendly courses in the Birmingham area. This is a course for the seasoned player that knows how to work their lines.
• I'm using the terms long and short tee's, but in reality, they could put a third set of tee's in for a "True Short tee". If they decided to make it more "beginner friendly". The red tee's could actually be considered "Regular tee's".
• Long and short Tee's The difference between the long and the shorts is drastic! Almost 7K from the longs, vs. just under 4K from the shorts.
• Full of Risk/Reward shots.
• Physically demanding course. Prepare to hike up and down a plethora of steep hills. It's also long, so bring plenty of liquids and maybe a power bar. It took me over 2 hours to play a solo round here. (from the longs)
• Course was well designed. This isn't a rec course, this is a very challenging course that has a high level of difficulty from the longs. In my opinion, I think that this course will start gaining recognition as a pro caliber course. By difficult, I mean challenging.
• Although there are short tee's here, they still come with a degree of difficulty. They are the "Less demanding" of the two sets of tee's. Do not underestimate the shorts. (Next time I'm in town, I'll play the shorts)
• This course comes with a degree of difficulty. Most of the course plays in the woods, and the fairways can have deep ravines in the middle.
• Fairways have legit Par 4's and 5's on the long tee's. (I didn't play the shorts, so I can't really comment) You'll definitely want to give yourself a second shot placement on some fairways. On occasion a third shot placement. Overshooting on some fairways can be a risky move resulting in taking two steps back. (Sharp doglegs and extreme drops in elevation are very common here)
• You'll want to be accurate at long ranges, as well as using delayed turnover shots, Hyzer flips, or anything else that keeps you on the straight and narrow fairways.

Cons:

• Navigation, isn't necessarily difficult, but could use a few more arrows from basket to the proper tee. Sometimes each tee is obvious to find, but other times you'd find the red tee and not the blue. ...and vice versa. It's a physically demanding course, and it gets frustrating when you climb a steep hill, only to find that your tee is on an adjacent hill. This happened a few times.
• I did run into quite a bit of park traffic, including a group playing Catch frisbee on the fields of 5 and 6. It's a beautiful park, and you may find yourself sharing with Non-DG'rs. However, it did appear that non-dg'rs were aware of the sport.
• I think there is a need for benches. You'll find yourself wanting a breather and a place to sit down. They may be in the works, but I know I needed to sit down more than a few times.
• Rain could make it hard and sloppy to play here.
• You may have to walk the fairway to figure out which position the pin is in. This gets irritating when you have to traverse yet another down & up fairway to see where the pin is. Hopefully they'll add a location indicator to the signs in the future.

Other Thoughts:

What can I say, but this course is fantastic! A "Must Play". Over the next few years, I think that this course will start to become a highlight among the south-eastern courses. It's still fairly new, but it is a very challenging, well put together course! Playing from the Longs reminded me a lot of playing at the PDGA headquarters. It's not as polished or refined, but as I said, it is still a new course. Inverness also has a good fun factor, as well as fantastic scenic beauty. I've only played the long tees, so my short tee notes are only observations. I'll be back one day, and I'll take in the red tees then. The reason I say that, is because there is a drastic difference between the two. The regular tees weren't easier; it's that the long tees were just that much more challenging.
Inverness challenged me to be accurate and strategic, as well as holding a long lines through a narrow passage. If you play here, you'll have to play smarter. For instance: There may be a 75ft gap, with a 100ft ravine between you and the basket. It may be better for you to layup and approach from the ravine, than to chance it and have to throw out of the ravine. ...but then again, what's life without some risks? There are a plethora combinations of ravines, trees, amongst other scenarios and risk/rewards to keep you on your toes. So don't leave your "A" Game at home.
You'll definitely want to be physically prepared for playing here. There will be some hiking and hill climbing. Bring your liquids and energy bars, because it's a long treacherous walk. Definitely wear shoes that are made for hiking. I made the mistake of wearing worn out Chuck Taylor's, and found myself struggling to climb hills. ...and sliding down a few as well.
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2 3
B37470
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 29, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Excellent layout, My kids and I really enjoyed the course,

Cons:

The first time we played got lost a few times so pay attention to the markers on the pads they show you which way to go

Other Thoughts:

I live in Mobile so most of the courses I play are pretty flat this was a real change but enjoyed it can't wait to play it again
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2 2
BirmingDan
Experience: 14.9 years 6 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My Home Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

As you see from the title, this is my home course, so I'm biased. It's great. I played from the tips only once. That was the first time I played it, and I hooked up with the two guys who designed and built it. Ever since, I've played from the Am tees, because I'm an amateur. I would love walking this course, even if I weren't chunking discs. It's beautiful in all seasons. Pretty easy from the Am tees, but challenging enough for my skills. It's teaching me to throw straight. No. Correction. It SHOULD be teaching me to throw straight.

Cons:

If you've never played it before, you could get lost a couple of times. Just look for the pads and signage. You'll find your way.
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13 0
jobwilson
Experience: 14.9 years 73 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beauty and/or Beast? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Inverness Disc Golf Park is a beautiful championship level wooded course located in a pristine nature preserve. Upon arrival, my initial reaction was that I certainly didn't feel like I was in Birmingham (which technically I wasn't, but close enough).
When I walked up to the first hole, I knew I was in for a challenge. I read the tee sign (which was very descriptive and informative) and realized I was looking at a 573 or 518 feet to the pin. The initial shot was going to be 250' to get to the top of a hill and then I had the rest of the hole to play.

Well, after playing two holes from the blue tees, I realized that I didn't have the time, patience or skill to have an enjoyable round from the blue pads. So, I switched to the reds. Even from the reds, I found a nice variety of sweet ace run holes and holes that required distance and placement. Also, the greens were definitely treacherous from either pad. I had many hot shots that stood up and rolled on me.

The Hardware:
+Descriptive tee signs showing distances for two tee pads and two pin locations. Also, every pad had its own tee sign.
+Very large, flat, grippy, trapezoidal tee pads. I didn't bust out my tape measure, but I would estimate they were 12' long by 5' in the front and 7' in the back. I'm a big fan of trapezoidal pads because they a)look neat and b)give players ample room/angles to run up.
+Discatcher baskets. Can't say enough about Discatchers. They are visible and they catch. What else can you ask for?
+There were signs that lead me to my next hole as well as marks on the trees that kept me on the path.

The Terrain:
+Rolling wooded hills with a creek running through the course. To be honest, this is may be the most naturally beautiful, serene course I've played (Holler in the Hills is battling for the top spot as well). I think it really helps that I played the course at 7:00 AM on a Sunday morning after approximately 38 feet of rain. I don't know how active the creek usually is, but that morning it was rushing. It really added to the serene ambiance.

The Layout:
+The layout really utilized the land. There was a lot of variety of uphills, downhills, left-turns, right turns, dog legs, ace runs, placement shots.
+I loved the risk/reward scenarios as well as the runaway greens. Again, I played the shorts after hole 2, but my favorite throw by far was hole 5. It is a 310' downhill shot with creek behind the basket. Perfect placement for an ace run. I threw an Elite-X Comet which sailed just right of the basket directly into the creek. (I was able to retrieve it). That's the perfect kind of hole that tempts you to go for it while your head is telling you not to.
+Often times when I play a wooded course (or an open course), midway through a round I start to get that repetitive feeling where holes kind of blend together. This was not the case at Inverness.

Cons:

The Hardware:
-I didn't see a main information sign near hole 1. After reading some other reviews, I get the feeling that it's coming, just hasn't been installed yet.
-There was nothing on the signs that showed which pin location the baskets were in. Mostly this wasn't a big issue, but a few holes it would have been nice on.

The Terrain:
-I guess this could be a con for some people, but the terrain is treacherous. It will wear you out going up and down the hills. Also, on the Sunday morning I was there, it was more humid than a swamp tater stir fry. Personally, these are not true cons that impact how I rate the course, but some people will want to know it.
-Definitely not a stroller friendly course. So Moms and Dads, leave the Graco in the car.

The Layout:
-There isn't really an opportunity to just air it out without consequence of hitting a tree. My arm is weak though, so I don't really care about that.
-Definitely not a beginner friendly course.

Other Thoughts:

I really thought Inverness was a great course. I had such a blast playing it. It really is a brutal course, but it also affords plenty of opportunities to reward.
And to say I was going to play George Ward that morning. Luckily, a friend texted me saying me to be wary of bums and hypodermic needles there, so I made the longer drive.

If you are passing through Birmingham, you must play this course.
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3 0
DGLobo999
Experience: 11.9 years 13 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent technical layout. Dual tees and multiple basket placements change the complexion of every hole and shot required. Tough, long, and risk/reward in abundance. Errant shots are definitely punishable. Lots of strategic elevation changes. Good signage and marking of basket locations. Benches located throughout course. Good design.

Cons:

Still a bit rough and will need some TLC in the years to come. It was fairly dry the day I played but it looked like it could get messy if played in the rain.

Other Thoughts:

A great stop and a fun, challenging layout. Highly recommend. This should evolve into a championship course if the locals contnue to take care of it and tweak it.
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4 0
Terry 44
Experience: 30.9 years 53 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Elevation and tunnels! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 8, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very challenging! Hole placements are almost always next to a cliff or a water hazard. Overthrow and your doomed! trees and elevation play a major part in the challenge. Great course. Pro tees are VERY tough. This course is humbling when played from the pro tees, but rewarding.

Cons:

Played with some locals luckily, or would have been wandering a little to find next tee pad, even though the tee signs are mostly done. Still a little rough around the edges as its pretty new, but will mature into a 4.5 rated course IMO. Example:river/creek crossings can be better. Bright pin flags would be helpful. Some picturesque holes, but mostly this course is to test your skills. I would cut down some trees on the hole (16?) where the lake is to your right, so you can see it from the tee. I didn't know how bad a hazard it was till I walked up to the pin. It would be a great hole for a mind game to see what you can get into if you go right. (sorry forgot the hole, I think its 16)

Other Thoughts:

First course where most of the tee pads are really AM to PRO. Not just located 15' away and called a PRO tee. Very challenging, even when I played at the easy AM tees you had to place the shot and the elevation changes are used very well. GREAT new course!
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5 0
TomHawk
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 4, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I've been playing this course 5 times a week since well before the pads were even poured and the baskets were just property marking sticks. I think this is the best course in Birmingham BY FAR. What a beautiful course and area this is compared to the murder parking lot of George Ward. INDIGO has 2 pads long/short and 2 pins for each of the 18 holes. Over the last year, the fairways have worked themselves out very well, with the exception of a few holes. This is a very wooded course, you must have control. I hope you can throw tunnel shots. The potential I see in this course is absurd. This course can be super fun for beginners and pros alike. It can also be very frustrating for beginners and pros alike. Really, really beautiful benches have been made by a scout for about 4 or 5 pads, hopefully these will be copied at all the other pads. It will only be getting better!

Cons:

Edited 3-1-14: pretty much all of my previous cons are gone or have been fixed. Most pads have benches. Maps are up, and very nice. Paths are working themselves out nicely. Could use some direction signs around. They (dgb, I assume?) spray painted a bunch of trees to try to give direction, but it only kinda works... What I mean is there was probably way too many of these trees sprayed (like multiples beside each other that are with 20ish feet of the pad you can clearly see), it just looks like crap, and the difficult to find pads aren't really any easier to find w the trees painted. Just looks like a dumdum did it, and some little signs would probably be way more effective. The course rocks. There's a ton more people out there, and different folks than GW. It's getting its own scene of locals, which is pretty cool. Come see us! Still patrolled by police - still zero police trouble, they're awesome. This one cop brings his dog out to train him, which is pretty cool to watch. Need 1 more concrete base poured for the practice basket, which is currently just stuck in the extra position on 6. It's not a terrible spot, but there are atleast 2 much better practice basket locations to use, IMO. Done.

Other Thoughts:

Best course in Birmingham BY FAR.
Absurd Potential
Very homie, family-friendly atmosphere.
Patrolled by police often (not in a bothersome way at all, but their presence is known)
Locals know the way, so just ask!
As soon as you figure out the layout, this course is the bomb!

FYI: there's water on more than 3 holes. #'s 5,6,9,10, 16, and 18. No clue how they cherry picked 3 of those to tell you about.
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6 0
bpartrid
Experience: 12.7 years 81 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Pro Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 20, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is so much fun. Signs, baskets, and hole to hole signage are good and continually getting better. Every tee pad is large and luxurious!!! The course begins with a tough (especially from the long tee) but very iconic first hole. The next few holes play through up and down hills/valleys that are picturesque. Then you play downhill on a S curve hole and then from an elevated tee coming out of the woodline and into open field to a basket guarded by a stream right behind the basket. Soon after you return to the woods for more enjoyment with continued short and long fun and challenging holes with many different shots styles to take. There are more signature holes, including a downhill, elevated shot over a small stream with a small bridge. The last few holes are mostly shorter and technical shots. Finally, you finish on a signature hole downhill from an elevated tee to an elevated basket that is just past a great stream (very ace-able and fun to watch). The last hole ends back to the parking lot (as every course should). Overall, the course is a lot of fun in a beautifully wooded area that usually isn't crowded.

Cons:

The course begins on a tough first hole, so it can be a rough start for first-timers. The tee signs are still in the beginnings (but still provide all information needed for every hole and will be upgraded). Summers in birmingham are hot and this place can have quite a few chiggers and other insects (however, the shade on this course helpful).

Other Thoughts:

I live in birmingham and this course is quickly becoming my favorite in this area. If you are moderately good or a first timer you should probably play the short tees unless you are very advanced or professional as the short tees provide more than enough fun and challenge on its own. This course pretty much has all you can ask for from a wooded course!!!! Bring all your discs, your gonna use them!!! After the Tee Signs are upgraded I may upgrade my rating to 4.5
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4 0
aussieinva
Experience: 12.1 years 18 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Challenging Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1: The course was easy to find and had plenty of parking for players. It was not crowded even though I was there on a holiday weekend.
2: It was well sign posted and I had no trouble finding the next tee. The signs were temporary but were quite visible and had all of the information I needed.
3: The designers made excellent use of the hills and valleys in the area to make some challenging and interesting holes. It seems they tried to make the course challenging and something different to the other courses in the area and they succeeded. I enjoyed that they put the basket for hole 2 on top of a steep hill, that on two holes the baskets were next to the creek among others things.
4: The fairways were well defined and it was easy enough to figure out where the basket was on the dogleg holes. They were wide enough to so you weren't hitting every tree on the side of the fairway unless you did something wrong.
5: The two tee positions for each hole was well planned and gives players two separate experiences when playing on the course. On most holes it was a separate tee area all together, not just having the blue tee back 50 feet. This gives less experienced players a chance to play well at the course on the red tees and more advanced players will enjoy the challenge of the blue tees.
6: The course layout rewarded players for well placed shots and punished those who throw poorly. This is definitely a course that will refine your accuracy after a few rounds.

Cons:

1: This is not a course I would recommend taking first timers as it is more suited to experienced players. First timers may get discouraged due to it being a little more difficult than other courses in the area.
2: Not a lot of trash cans that I remember but I also tend to cart out what I cart in.

Other Thoughts:

* I enjoyed the course and although I struggled on a few holes I learned quite a few lessons about how to throw more accurately. The longer I played the more it grew on me and I would definitely come back for another round if I was in the area again.
* As noted the course is still new and improvements are still to come so I am certain this course will only get better as time goes on. It is already a great course and has the potential to be even better.
* There is a bit of elevation change so closed toed shoes are recommended. I would not recommend playing in sandals or flip flops. You will get a decent walk/hike workout so be sure to pack an extra bottle of water.
* Be careful of poison ivy and poison oak in the area. It got me pretty good but I spent a decent amount of time in the brush.

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5 0
rhynoman
Experience: 25.9 years 27 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful Wooded Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 22, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course has excellent design from both the short and long tees. I played all 18 of the red tees (short) with my 13-year-old a couple of days ago, and they're well designed in themselves, often having their own fairways or at least partial dedicated portions of fairways for those tees. You're not simply playing a few feet up from the advanced tee, nor are the advanced tees simply "pulled back a bit". The course design obviously has both in mind from the start. I played the first 9 last week with all three of my younger kids aged 12-15 and they made for a good beginner round.

I went back and played the blue tees (much longer) today, by myself, and really enjoyed the course. The course really flows well from the longer tees with little walking in between. The blue tees are an awesome challenge. There's plenty of yardage on many of these holes, and several will require multiple shots regardless of your level of skill.

This is a wooded course with some serious elevation, but it's definitely not "tightly wooded". These are decent, wooded fairways, especially in relation to their lengths, that will force you to make the difficult risk/reward decisions that a real course demands. Not staying on the fairway can cost you with rolls down the hills or into woods costing you strokes. There's also not a lot of really tight brush if you do get off the fairway.

The course is apparently much updated since earlier reviews. The laminated tee signs are still temporary, but have yardages and a mini-map for all pin placements and tee pads on each hole. Most of the first 5 or 6 holes have very nice benches. With bench placement, they must be starting with the front holes and working forward. I didn't really notice plants growing in fairways, and all of the baskets were marked with large hole numbers on the top rim of the basket and had large, yellow flags above with numbers on them as well. The course was pretty well marked, and we didn't have too much trouble finding our way as newbies to it all by ourselves.

All 36 tee pads have excellent, level, huge, concrete tee pads. As this is probably the most important and labor intensive part of laying out the course, (especially with these slopes!), I think it's safe to say that this course is well underway to being a serious draw to real players.

I played this course in October and it was beautiful with a mountainous feel. Much of the course plays by streams with running water. If you're a hiker, you'll love this one.

Cons:

The back 12 or so holes have no benches. This can really be an issue if you're not in pretty good shape and is much more pronounced when hiking from the previous basket to the next short tee. Some of the short tees are a good 200-300 feet up steep hills from the previous basket. If you're playing with kids or beginners these hikes can take away some of the appeal of playing from these very reasonable amateur tees.

The temporary signs are small and low to the ground for nearly 40-year-olds such as myself. Most were well laid out and clearly marked, but I felt that a few suffered from too much detail, especially regarding surrounding fairways and such (maybe mark the adjacent tees, pins, etc. in a lighter color?).

Also, a couple could stand to show more directional perspective from the actual tee being played. (They probably used the same image for both tees.) I found myself having to turn my head to the side and orient myself with other markers to figure out what I was looking at. Honestly, I think these will improve with permanent signs as will play to "blind" pin placements.

Other Thoughts:

I was surprised at how much more easily the course played in terms of "hiking" from the *long* tees. My son and I lamented the lack of benches on later holes when playing the shorter tees. Honestly, I was expecting it to be worse playing the long tees, but it didn't bother me much at all, today. I think playing uphill is experienced much differently than just hiking up with long distances from basket to tee. The course flows really well from most of the long tees. The next time I play with my kids, I'll definitely play long and allow them to play short. It'll break up the hikes for everyone.

As an alternative to simply hiking up to the am tee, a player of a little experience could probably "lay up" the first shot to a point even with the amateur tee on most holes within 1 or 2 shots. So, just call it a par 4 or 5, throw from the longer tee, and have fun with it, especially if the long tee's fairway plays right past the am tee anyway. (On some holes, the two tees are located in different directions.)

How many disc golf courses do you play where you have to lay up on a blind dog leg with a remaining *drive* for your next shot? That's fun stuff and more like what you might find in *ball* golf.

For me, this course answers the main question that a course should: Will playing it regularly improve my game? That's a definite "yes" on this one. I've spent several years playing local courses in another area that *hurt* my game.

With other Birmingham area courses temporarily closed, this course is much needed and appreciated.
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13 2
jdawg24
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.9 years 103 played 58 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Mountain Golf. Brutally good challenge. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 31, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

First off, as all other reviewers have noted, this is a new course that's still in development so it can only get better as kinks are worked out. The course has two sets of awesomely large and level concrete teepads that are some of the best I've seen -- which is saying a lot given the extreme elevation some of the pads were poured on.

The course is set in a beautiful, disc golf only forest with extreme elevation changes ... it really feels like you are in the mountains in spots (especially the first few holes). It's a very challenging course, has multi-shot holes, plenty of character, requires many different shots and the ability to throw accurately, not just far. Bad shots will be punished with OB or potentially dramatic loss of elevation resulting in plenty of extra strokes.

Some very good holes which coincidentally, are the ones on which you can see the basket from the teepad, or at least tell where you need to throw. #4-#6 are fun/solid holes, and 18 is a great finishing hole.

Cons:

It's a new course and is still very ROUGH around the edges -- think plants growing in fairways that haven't been cut yet or need to be trimmed, lack of stairs in steep areas, minimal signage, etc -- all temporary things.

A couple of things I didn't like about this course, and let me preface that I played from the long pads both times so I can't comment from the shorts.
1 - WAY too many of the holes are very blind, like walk halfway up the fairway to see the basket that is stuck in the blindest possible spot on a downhill slope (i'm thinking of you #2) or tucked way off to the side in the woods (#1 and #8 in the left positions = why?). There are multiple pins on most holes, and on literally more than half you can't tell from the teepad which position it's in without walking as much as 300' up the fairway, often up or down extreme elevation ... not sure why the designer didn't make them easier to see from the tee.
2 - some of the fairways force awkward shots or lack interesting lines that make for bland holes, which may be a function in spots of lack of current clearing. In my opinion, even if the course becomes pristinely maintained over time, the design (in spots) and the blind holes limit its overall potential ... although it seems highly likely that the people building it are still in the process of tweaking the design.

Overall flow seems like it could be improved by changing #6 to #1 instead of starting the course on the 3 most brutal holes

Can't help this one but location sucks -- it's off Hwy 280 making it difficult to access Mon-Fri without sitting in a traffic jam

Other Thoughts:

As noted, I've only played the long tees so my comments are aimed at those. Most people I've seen playing here are using the short tees, which are MUCH shorter.

I really enjoyed this course and will play here as much as possible to better my game (and my physical strength!). It's got AWESOME land and tons of potential, definitely check this one out if you are in town. This is a great advanced/pro level course that will challenge you.

If you are a beginner or are out of shape, you will probably not enjoy this course. If you enjoy hiking and spending time in a beautiful mountain-like setting and enjoy challenging courses, you will probably enjoy this course. Wear sturdy shoes (don't play this one in sandals).

Big props to the guys who have put in the work to make this course happen.

This course will definitely improve with time and becomes solid 4.0 with permanent signage and continued cleanup. Maybe a 4.5 but needs tweaking in a lot of spots.

Note -- I originally rated this as 3.5 in 2012; updated to 4.0 based on newer reviews that addressed the roughness ... i haven't had a chance to replay it in a while, so look forward to updating it again.
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1 0
BamaSlamaJim
Experience: 15.9 years 65 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Very challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Wow, the back tees are tough on this course! I tend to always gravitate towards the longest tees on most courses, but here I stick with the shorts. It is a great thing that there is a big difference between the two sets.

I love the physical workout of the ups and downs, plus it makes for many interesting shots. This is truly one of the courses that will test "every shot in your bag".

The tee pads are HUGE!

This course is already very nice and will get better with time. It has the potential to become a 5.

Cons:

I was lucky to play with a couple guys that had already played the course. It would be tough to find all the tees without a guide.

It can be pretty tricky to find your discs at certain places. Be sure to keep a close eye on your plastic!

The big ups and downs might be tough for little kids and/or older people to walk. It could make for a tough walk, if rainy.

Other Thoughts:

I'll definitely be back! Playing this course will only make me a better player (I hope).
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3 15
flyingdisc
Experience: 12.9 years 18 played 17 reviews
2.00 star(s)

The Beast 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 27, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Pro course
-Great idea
-Plenty of shade
-Works on your cardio

Cons:

-Paper signs for each hole
-This course is not beginner friendly
-Takes a LONG time to finish this course
-Works on your cardio
-No benches as of yet
-No map of the course
-Extemely HOT in the summer months

Other Thoughts:

You need a straight long throw and good technique to play this course successfully. A lot of up and down elevation will work your legs as each hole will give your arm some excercise. Very tight wooded fairways make this course a challenge for anyone. I have to admit I did not know the course had not officially been opened yet. I do have to say until then, if you are a beginner be prepared to look for your discs. For beginners, if you have never played this course, play with a group. Some baskets are difficult to locate first time playing. I can only speak from my experience and since I have been playing for a year now, this is how I see the course. Looking forward to playing again when things are finalized.
I have now played another course very similar to this course, Jack McLean park in Tallahassee. These must be for more advanced players. This course is challenging to say the least. I hope, and if, I reach a higher level of play such as pro I will enjoy courses like these more. As of right now I have a lot to work on.
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5 0
The Drake
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.9 years 126 played 61 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Finally Birmingham steps up to the rest of the State 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is much needed in the Birmginham area. Complete set of 36 tees (blue and white/red) provide for a great mix of holes suitable for different skill levels. The tees themselves are HUGE so for those of you who require 15 steps for your drives have no fear, you will have excellent footing, at least off the tee. Great use of the terrain of the area with outstanding elevation change adding to the difficulty. There are even a few water holes to give you that extra challange. Nearly every shot in the game is required to actually score well. You can't hide behind big booming hyzers.

Cons:

Still a very very young course at this point. Lots of design alteration still pending more rounds and feedback. Tee signs are extremely rudimentary at this point basically only providing distance with a general gist of the direction of the fairway. I would highly recommend until the permenant signs are installed that you play with someone who's been there before. 1 or 2 very long walks between holes with no benches currently making for some winded shots. Obviously the fairways themselves still need some good foot traffic to beat in walking paths.

Other Thoughts:

As a Birmingham native I remember being there when this course first became a possibility. This is the course the dgb has been waiting for and they've provided the lattice work for an amazing championship level course. A great comparison would be the IDGC courses. You're going to get worked from the first tee shot to your last putt. This is not a sunday stroll kind of course. This one will force you to make good decisions off the tee lest your score can easily be in the 80s. Course par is, as on all courses, the topic of discussion at this point. General consensus is somewhere around the 60-62 mark with several true par 4s and potential par 5s. This course alone has helped Birmingham, in my opinion, rise to the level of Huntsville and Mobile in terms of disc golf quality in the state of Alabama. LIke the previous poster this course has so much potential. It could easily get a 5 rating with the adjustments listed and they are all in the process. This course has only been open for play a couple of months if that.
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12 1
weeman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.1 years 651 played 61 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Real Deal Holyfield! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 21, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

First haha! Finally got back to this course again after two years and a day, and it has only gotten better. Located tucked away from almost all roads and other activities this course provides for some great secluded golf. Starting off the round you better bring your A-game otherwise you're gonna get spanked. Hole 1 sets the tone for the rest of the round with a testing uphill dogleg legit par 4. Elevation changes are on every hole with some hidden slopes throughout the course whether behind the basket or the middle of the fairway. The fairways are nice and wide for as wooded a course this is. Getting off the fairway is not recommended and will cost at least a stroke per errant shot. Each hole has dual tees (Blues for Pros/Advanced & Red for Intermediate/And below) with each tee providing a vastly different look down the fairway and shot shape. The tees are distinguished by a red or blue painted circle on the pad as well as highlighted on the signs. In several instances, it is a full drive from the long pads to the shorts. Most holes out there had dual sleeve placements marked on the tee signs but only one basket in the ground as of now. The different sleeves could affect the scoring, shot selection to reach the greens, and the flow of the course greatly. There are wooden markers on the tee signs showing which sleeve that basket is in. After each green were some directional signs to the next tees. In most cases the trees were painted with either red or blue markings depending on which tee you wanted to head to. Its important to pay attention to these because in several cases the long pad is in a very different spot than the short. Also most holes had benches which come in handy after several of the more elevated walks.

Cons:

Not many that I can think of. There were not many trash cans out there but over all there was not much trash on the ground. Think I picked up only two cans the entire round while playing the blue tees. I may note that the elevation here can be extreme, and if you're not in shape then you're in for a long round. This personally is not a con for me but for others I know it would be.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I thought this course was a lot of fun. I enjoy these types of courses a lot and it reminded me of several others I had played before (thinking North Carolina golf). It has great potential to be one of the top courses in the South but only after it ages more and becomes more polished. This is a course I would constantly feel challenged at and want to come play it different ways to get something different out of every time.
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