Mars Bluff is a short, simple 9-hole layout. If you overlook the flaws, you will see the makings of a decent, beginner-friendly layout.
- Short and fast. That's your round here. Average hole length is 164 feet with only two longer than 175. I carried three discs and that was one too many.
- Course offered some decent layouts. #1 starts out throwing between two trees, but that's only to disguise a wide-open layout. Holes #3 & 4 play in the woods. #7 is the best hole by far, a 272-foot, slight downhill shot throwing through a generous gap to an open field. Course needs several more holes of this caliber to be taken seriously.
- Holes #3 & 4 are nothing more than glorified long/lag putts. I nailed my long putt on #3 - can't call a 95-foot shot an ace - and skimmed my putt on #4 to within 3 feet of the basket.
- There's plenty of room to grow and/or modify layouts here. You could easily remove one of the lesser holes - #4 or #8, for example, and create a better layout with minimal effort.
- Aimed at kids/beginners. Course is behind an elementary school. Enough said.

Course is in a state of disrepair and neglect. The basket for #5 is gone. Several other baskets are bent and/or leaning. Also, I couldn't find a tee marker for #6.
- The course is lacking challenge and enjoyment. Except for #7 or 9, I felt like I was practicing approach shots, trying to get up and down in 2. I guess that's what happens with a course that features 4 holes at 111 feet or shorter.
- No amenities here: benches, bathrooms, water fountains, or trash cans. That's only going to be an issue if you're trying to play a 24-hour marathon. Everyone else will be gone in 20 minutes or less for their round. It was 13 minutes from the time I turned off my truck to when I was back in it.

This wasn't what I expected. Had wanted to bag the course for a long time because it wasn't 'that far' out of the way. I pictured it in a neighborhood park; didn't realize this was a school course.
- This course is best served as a practice spot. With open fields and baskets, you can be practicing all types of shots, angles, and goals.
- That said, even if I were going to college across the street, I don't know how often I'd stop by here. It's clear the course isn't a priority for anyone.
- Florence needs a better course than this. There's got to be a park with enough room to make a more enjoyable layout than this one.
- With a little attention, course gets a ratings bump from me. As it is, it's a one-and-done for me. At least I carded a 1, which is the rating this course deserves.

It's a disc golf course at an elementary school, and right next to a university, so it is terrific exposure for the sport to people who could well become life long disc golfers.

There are a couple of interesting holes, mainly 4, 5, and 7, but 5 is in need of major maintenance, and 7 needs a little love too.

Hole 5 is a nice right turning shot through the woods with a finish out in the open, but was only barely playable on my visit (more on this in the cons section). Hole 7 is a slightly downhill shot through an early gap between two rows of trees, but if you've got the arm for it there's a monster hyzer line out to the right over the trees, but a bit of trimming is needed to make either of these lines play well. I also enjoyed the first hole, teeing off between two trees to a fairly close by basket for a good ace run. Speaking of ace runs, this course is full of them, and that's not a bad thing.

This course needs some love. It needs somebody to love it. It needs maintenance. When I visited, hole 5 was only barely playable due to two downed trees. Hole 7 needed some good trimming to make it play better. While I personally like the potential challenge hole 7 could provide, I don't think it's a very appropriate hole for elementary school kids. There was a damp swampy ditch not too far off the tee, right at the gap in the trees that would likely come into play heavily for an elementary schooler, especially if they missed the gap a little and caught a tree.

Several of the holes are kind of filler-ish, if you know what I mean. After two holes, I thought this was going to just be 9 baskets in a field. In reality, it's more like 4 or 5 baskets in a field, and 4 or 5 holes that require at least a little shot making.

Hole 3's basket is only 15 or so feet from the middle of 4's fairway. Speaking of hole 3, it's basket is not the one right in front of you as you walk up to the tee from the previous basket. That's the basket for hole 6. 3's basket is off to the left, into the woods, a little confusing on the navigation front. And speaking of hole 6, I kind of thought this was a weird-ish hole. It seemed to me that the turn to get around the trees to the basket within the given length of the hole was a bit too severe, although in retrospect, I think a cut roller may work well there.

The tee sign posts were easy to spot, but many of the actual tee markers were nowhere to be seen, and some of the baskets were in rough shape, bent from what seemed like close encounters of the lawnmower kind, but still quite functional.

I ran into a group of what appeared to be Francis Marion students playing the course, and queried them about the maintenance issues. They indicated that hole 5 had been blocked since December 2012, 10 months earlier, which leads me to ask, "Where Is the Love?" It seems that this is a course with potential, in an area that has few disc golf options. It needs somebody to care for it. I would probably give this course a solid 2 disc score if it were well kept, as it is, it's a one for me.

There is a convenience store within quick walking distance of the course for any snack/refreshment/restroom needs. I don't recall seeing any benches on the course, or any restrooms or water fountains at the park.

Hopefully, someone will start to care for this course and it won't fall into a state of unusable disrepair. While I wouldn't go too far out of my way to play, I think Mars Bluff could be a great success with a little love.

A great course to learn on.

The design is boring--lots of flat, open fields with no obstacles. Access is limited to hours when the neighboring school is out.

Holes 3 and 4 cross over each other. If playing on a day with heavy traffic (which is unlikely), it could create a problem.

Very little going for it. It maximizes the small amount of land that it's on. It weaves in and out of some wooded areas, but is mostly played in the open. Since it's located adjacent to an elementary school, makes a great course for kids in that age group.

With short holes, and easy navigation, school age kids can get exposed to the game, without it being overly difficult. Losing a disc here is extremely hard.

There are several ace runs and the course is extremely convenient to I-95.

Very short and very open holes makes it too easy and boring for the average disc golfer. You can play a round of 9 holes in about 15 minutes.

Access is limited during school hours since the closest available parking is on school grounds.

Hole #6 basket is missing.

This course is tailor made for use by elementary school age kids. The mostly short and open holes, are a great way to introduce disc golf to children at a young age.

Since this course is just of I-95 and towards the SC coast, it may make a slight diversion for your trip, but you will be second guessing your decision on why you bothered to stop.