Gatlinburg, TN

Mills Park DGC

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2.755(based on 64 reviews)
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11 0
BubbaFlies
Experience: 10.2 years 15 played 10 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Could be a Great 9 hole course but put the cart b4 the horse 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

a short fun course to play around a ball field, track with alot of wooded areas and elevation. #9 - very steep -very funny! Fun to play.

Cons:

The signage on the holes is very well done, BUT the signage where to go is very poor. If you are from out-of-town you have no idea where to go next.
#1 basket is way off to the right- you cannot see it (Really!). I gave up and played to #2 basket. I could not find the #2 tee.

Other Thoughts:

I walked all over this park looking for the 1st tee. I first saw the #7 tee that is on the far side of the baseball field and the track. Then I walked backwards and still could not find #6. Then I found a sign that said the 1st tee has been moved to the Community Center. I had no idea where the Community Center was from where I was standing. Do NOT drive to Mills Park! So, here is the easy way to get to tee #1 - On 321 heading out of town, go to the Rocky Top entrance. Turn left into Rocky Top. Go all the way to the back. You will see the Community Center. The 1st tee is to the left of the parking lot. I started with a rating of 1.5 but I see this course having lots of potential if a little common sense was put into it. There is a tee pad to the right of the parking lot when you go into the park beyond the track area, but no basket in sight to throw towards.
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12 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.8 years 256 played 240 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Gatlinburg Could Produce Better 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 4, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- practice basket
- concrete tees (decent except for hole 9)
- relatively basic baskets but all in good repair
- decent full color tee signs
- excellent elevation change on most holes, especially 1,2, 6, 7, 8, 9
- course map and scorecards are a nice touch, although the scorecards show the basket locations and not the fairways, making them less useful than they could be
- some good technical challenge on fairly wooded holes
- wooded holes still generally have good lines
- could be viewed as a pro or con, but a good place to get in a quick round
- virtually no rough and well maintained course

Cons:

- hole 2 permanent tee sign missing
- multi use park with track, playground, horseshoes, etc. in the vicinity, though generally not major safety issues
- hole 9 doesn't end very close to hole 1
- hole 9 tee pad is very tiny
- really long walk around track from hole 2 to hole 3, and navigation is not made clear at all
- hole 9 is very steep to hike down, could benefit from stairs
- remarkably short with only one hole over 300'
- no benches or garbage cans on course

Other Thoughts:

I will start out by saying I did enjoy this course. Mills Park is a fun, albeit very short course. Ultimately, I feel like it's currently a bit overrated. The best thing I can say about it is the elevation change is very indicative of being in the mountains. However, with the incredible mountain terrain and views of the Gatlinburg area, I have to feel like there could be a much better course in this area. Unfortunately, I have a feeling Gatlinburg's main focus is not disc golf - probably focused on the tourism!

I think this course was pretty well designed for the space available in the park, and despite being multi-use avoids major safety issues. With that said, the navigation and flow could be a lot better. I recommend parking by the track and starting with hole 3, then playing holes 1 and 2 at the end. This kind of splits the really long walk between 2 and 3, which wasn't well designed. At a minimum, some navigation aids should be put in place.

Most of the course tees, signs, and baskets are in good repair, but there's no wow factor here like I get from most of the Gatlinburg area scenery. The elevation change definitely adds some intrigue, and being from the Chicago area I did enjoy that.

Hole 9 really has a very small tee, but as the hole is about 170' downhill, it doesn't exactly need a run up either. While this course was fun, I feel like it was too short for anything but a fun, really casual round, with 3 holes under 200' and only 1 over 300'.

Previous reviews mentioned gnats, which I saw no sign of. Perhaps since it was early April they weren't an issue yet. Several reviewers also mentioned hole 2 having absolutely no line, which I didn't find to be the case. I'm an intermediate player and in 2 rounds I easily cut through to near the basket. It's possible the trees have been thinned out in the last few years making this one a bit more realistic.

There aren't a ton of courses in this area, and it's worth playing if you're there, but I definitely wouldn't go out of my way for it. The good news is since it's away from the parkway, you can avoid most of the Gatlinburg traffic by using the bypass. If you can drive a bit, courses out towards Knoxville will be a better use of your time.
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8 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.2 years 306 played 288 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Wow! Nice niner. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-I like Mills Park. It's probably going to shock you in a positive way. It's relatively easy to find because of there being arrows on how to locate it once you are within maybe half a mile.

-Has tee-pads and tee-signs. Which you won't always see on a nine hole course. Well maybe tee-signs. Shows that the county has a good interest in disc golf as the course is well kept too. And the mach pins are nice.

-Course starts well with a fun steep uphill shot. Hole is only 240' but I threw a mid, so it plays longer. It's up about 25' in elevation so that showed me promise. The next hole was a really unique dogleg right in the woods. But the ending is what takes the cake........

-#9 has to be the greatest hole in Tennessee that is under 200'. It really has to be. It's a beautiful drop shot with a small creek in play. I threw all my putters on this hole and had the audacity to do it again once I picked them up. The hole is literally STRAIGHT downhill. So yep. I walked back up it and threw those putters again. The great thing about this hole is that your shot will be unpredictable. You could somehow sail past the OB road, or hit one of the trees short of the basket. A true gem of an ace run.

Cons:

-It gets extremely crowded. If you've played Waynesville before, well expect it to be like Waynesville. There was a high school soccer game going on and the bystanders were watching on hole 3. They were polite enough to allow me to throw beside the tee-pad where I'm not in their way.

-The tee-sign for hole 2 is missing. The tee-pad is still there but this hole is a dogleg so it took me a minute to find the basket.

-Hole 7. Not a good hole here. It's a big uphill anhy shot but directly over the road. Making it kinda silly. However, I did like the tall plant beside the basket. That was neat! I also didn't see a real lane to hole 8. You have to clear one of the two gaps separated by a tree in the woods and somehow get a lucky skip shot uphill around a number of trees. Picturesque hole for sure though.

Other Thoughts:

-I really liked this nine hole course. I'd love to see more courses be designed in Cherokee. I saw some disccatchers on a private property but didn't go there, I don't think it's marked on this site either. But it's just a few miles down the road.

-You see a lot of variety here for a nine holer. More than usual I'd say because there are not two holes similar to each other. You'll see a gem of a dogleg right, and a huge dropshot where about 80% of the distance of the hole is lost because of the drop. I played three course in Morristown and got out of my way a little to come up here and didn't regret it.
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2 3
jj155112
Experience: 8 years 21 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

average course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 25, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

hole 9 is a sweet shot straight down. Baskets are in good shape.

Cons:

holes 1 and 2 I could not figure out how to throw. I think there were some signs missing and I never figured it out. Some steep hikes on a couple holes and would around the ball fields and track.

Other Thoughts:

Short course, okay for a quick round.
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2 2
bilborph
Experience: 26 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun little course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 21, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Some fun reachable holes for a rec player. Most tee pads are concrete, in good condition.

Cons:

Some rough, steep slopes on a few holes. Layout is a little disjointed around the track and ball fields.

Other Thoughts:

Glad to have a course to play in the area while on vacation.
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5 0
whitefedora
Silver level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.6 years 906 played 36 reviews
2.50 star(s)

What the What? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Some real gem holes mixed in with some very doable holes.
-Great course for a quick round or for people that live here and need to satisfy the itch of playing.
-Nice use of elevation
-Good concrete teepads
-Decent signage
-map/kiosk at the parking lot

Cons:

The flow of the course is pretty bad. Long walks with basically walking 9 out and then having to walk all the way back to the parking lot.
-it's a multiuse park where I could definitely see not being able to play holes due to other people using the park on some holes.
- hole 9 could be pretty gnarly after rain. Already a tricky slope when dry.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 2, 8, and 9 were quite nice holes and while 9 is quite short it's definitely unique in how much it drops down quick.

This course is fun. It's great for people visiting the Smokey mountains/Gatlinburg and great for the people that live close by. I wouldn't go out of my way to play it, but definitely worth the stop if near by.
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2 0
Gradperk
Experience: 8.9 years 11 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Nice short course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 4, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice short course with a few interesting shots. I found myself throwing a lot of anhyzers. Hole nine is neat but the trek down the hill is a little touch and go. Hole eight was my favorite one. An elevated tee pad across a valley to an basket that was tucked behind some trees.

Cons:

Missing sign on number two. Long walk between two and three and then again after nine
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4 0
KNIGHT
Experience: 11.8 years 23 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great usage of land available 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Good tee pads, like said in another review I don't see where they could squeeze in another 9 holes but A second set of tees on each hole would make it a lot more fun to play.
-The flow was OK, it didn't just lead you around but was fairly easy to get from one tee to the other except from the 2 basket to the 3 tee was all the way around a football field.
-Good baskets, most holes could get another pin placement and give some alternate shots
-Elevation change

Cons:

-Only 9 holes with no secondary tees is an obvious one.
-Somewhat noisy and in a fairly busy park, the day I played their was several parties going on where I played a few shots I normally would not have taken to stay very clear of non players.
- Also previously said, 2 seems a little unrealistic to have a shot at birdie consistently. It has no real "lines" to play its just flick or anny and see which tree puts you where.
-Walk from 9 back to the parking lot is a pretty good trek.

Other Thoughts:

-Gnats were AWFUL the day I played, swarming my parties bags and us too. Im not sure of the reason but bring your bug spray.
-Only concrete tees in the area
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8 0
JBryant
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.1 years 107 played 46 reviews
2.50 star(s)

I see a bright future here. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great tees. Quality baskets. Amenities of a great park facility. Elevation change was nice. Good flow. Quick play if you're in Gatlinburg for vacation.

Cons:

Long walk back from 9 to 1. I can see them squeezing in 9 more. If you get the funds and land, holla and I'll help design lol.

Hole 2 seemed unnecessarily long with no great lines. The basket could of been tucked back up the hill to the right and it would still play difficult but reachable. As it stands now its spray and pray. I had a good anny line going and hit one skinny tree and I was down the hill left behind 1's tee. You could also groom the fairway a little more making the shot more fun. The original opening I'd keep but maybe take out some trees further down the fairway. I see the point there: you have the length so use it. Just seemed unnecessary.

Hole 3 was really fun but the sign said OB path and left for advanced players. I am an advanced player and that seems really punishing considering how far the path curves in on that fairway. At the very least make only the path OB and even that's luck to fall on it. My shot was left of the path pin high about 70 ft. Already I'm looking at a downhill putt w the steep hill behind my shot. My point is that I shouldn't be unfairly penalized by making a good throw. If I had to take a penalty it would be waaaaaaay back where the path curves right and where my disc first crossed it. This concern also applies to hole 4 where the path and supposed left of path OB also come into play. Not as much here but a crazy bad skip left on a hyzer would already penalize you enough. Hole 7 has this same issue with regards to OB and its a waaaay more difficult shot than 3 or 4.

Hole 8 was really fun but reminded me of the unnecessary length you saw with hole 2. Those woods are not utilized properly. I would of put the basket up on the hill so that players could have some runs at it. As it plays now, it's a layup and pitch for three. You either need to remove some trees or rethink the basket location. If you get more baskets, I could see that patch of woods being two holes.

Hole 9 needs one tree taken out to make it really ace run worthy. The tee was also awkwardly aligned to the type of throw most would take. Not a complaint because I emptied my bag here lol.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed my round there and if I had all day I would of played all day.

Definitely worth the trip. Don't take my cons as complaints as much as ways this course could be a solid 3.5 nine holer.

I'd also look to put in dual tees if another 9 baskets isn't in the future.
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3 1
HarrMarc
Experience: 13.7 years 47 played 18 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Family Trip! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

It was close to town and clean.
Baskets were in good shape.
tees were nice and longer than normal
a great course for children or begginers.

Cons:

Very short, no real opportunities to rip a drive (unless you play down the practice football field beside #9 to #6's basket)
No cell service....

Other Thoughts:

Good for Family or learning. Or just a nice realxing day out to practise
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6 0
DSCJNKY
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.7 years 690 played 132 reviews
2.50 star(s)

a few LONG walks 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 30, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Great use of Natural and Man-Made Features. There were several holes that utilized steep hillsides with thick vegetation as punishment for errant shots. Elevation was used quite effectively, with: uphill, downhill, and sidehill danger. Several holes had a walking path that created island/peninsula type fairways and greens. The combination of the steep hillsides, use of elevation, thick rough, fairway shaping via the cement walking paths and pin placements in relation to the potential for punishment made for a few really fun golf holes that required you to throw shots - or else... get a bogey or two and struggle to recover in time to finish better than even Par.
- That it's There. My girlfriend and I were going on a "non-disc golf date" (whitewater rafting, touristy shit in Gatlinburg: shopping, the micro-brewery, the moonshine distillery, etc.). And, somehow I was able to work this 9-holer into our plans. I love when everything works out. (she sat in the car because there were too many bugs).

Cons:

- Long Walks. There were a few long walks out there that were somewhat unavoidable (park layout and land availability wise) and unforgiveable (are you freaking kidding me?) at the same time. There is a near ¼ mile walk between holes 2 and 3, and an even further walk from Hole 9 back to the car/Hole 1.
- Hole 2. Hole 2 is a 300'+ severe anhyzer without any particular fairway to speak of. They call it a Par 4, but it's still a crappy hole.
Note: Holes 1 and 2 might not even be worth playing because Hole 2 is so bad. Besides, not playing them would prevent you from having to take the long walk from 2 to 3 and the extremely long walk back to the car from 9. If I lived in Gatlinburg, or if I played this course again, I would park in the street parking area between Hole 3 and 9 and opt not to play Holes 1 and 2.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall. I'm glad this little course in Gatlinburg is here... it's a great thing for the local community and a great little course for tourists to check out while visiting the region. The course is as fun as a city park style 9-hole course can be, but has one really quirky hole and a few long walks. It should be pointed out that I never did find Hole 6?? I somehow found myself on Hole 7's tee-pad without having played Hole 6 and didn't really spend too much time looking for it as beer drinking, moonshine drinking (albeit the legal stuff) and rafting were the priorities for the day. If you're on a vacation here, Mills Park would be a fun little course to bag... but, probably not a good course to bag if you had no other reason to be in the area.
- Gatlinburg... was like a little miniature Las Vegas strip combined with Hollywood Blvd and a little bit of Disneyland. There were TONS of things to do: Great Smoky Mountain National Park, Dollywood, shopping on the main drag, the Smoky Mountain micro-brewery, the Ole Smoky Moonshine distillery, and more...
- Rafting. We went down the Pigeon River with NOC's (Nantahala Outdoor Center) Pigeon River crew. We went on the evening run (4-6:30pm) which saved us $20 each and gave us plenty of time to golf and visit Gatlinburg. The rapids were awesome... somewhat simple class 3, maybe-baby class 4 rapids. Lots of fun, warm-ish water, great outfitter... I wouldn't go rafting with any of the other companies!
- My Score: even (unfortunately)
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1 0
maynes35
Experience: 14.4 years 25 played 18 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun Little Course, Up and Down 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a fun little course to play. Once you know your way around its really enjoyable to play.
- Concrete tee pads, even though a little on the short side, are better than not concrete tee pads
- Baskets are in good condition
- Big course map at the start and it always has scorecards available
#6 has a really wonderful view of the mountains as you throw a nice high hyzer down to the basket.

Cons:

- Only 9 holes so not much variation over 18 holes
- Tee pads could be longer but at least they are concrete
- #9 is flat out dangerous to go down, especially when its somewhat wet
- the really nice signs they show in the media section are mostly not there anymore, which sucks because they look nice

Other Thoughts:

After finishing #2 walk around the track by the road and up past the softball field to find #3. After that, navigation is really easy. If you are in Gatlinburg and looking to play some disc golf, it is a worth while course to play. I think my friends and I played 63 holes on a birthday weekend.
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6 0
3OrangeWhips
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 96 played 40 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Mills Park DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 10, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Long, level concrete tee pads on every hole.
• Terrific, accurate signage on every hole.
• Very clean, well maintained, safe local neighborhood park.
• Good use of limited space available.
• Mostly open holes with lots of trees for obstacles, plus a few tighter wooded holes.
• Decent variety of shots and great use of elevation.
• Beginner/family/kid friendly.

Cons:

• Course layout is hard to follow; course is in three different sections of the park.
• Course plays adjacent to walking trails so beware other park users.
• Walking down the steep #9 fairway can be dangerous--be careful, we slipped numerous times!
• Some areas were very squishy even a few days after the latest rainfall.
• We were swarmed by gnats and mosquitoes when we played; so many that I had to shake them off of my sunglasses.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun little course right in the middle of Gatlinburg. While I would not travel out of the wy just to play here, it is definitely a good place for an enjoyable round of DG while visiting the area or passing through. Most holes are carefully laid out although not too challenging. I really liked #2 (long, gently right turn through tight woods) and #9 is a sharp downhill ace run even with your putter. The designers of this course did a great job with the available real estate. That said, the layout of the course is hard to follow without the map; with the map you will have no problems at all.
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1 2
InTheGroove
Experience: 14.9 years 7 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 27, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course is close to the beautiful town of Gatlinburg. I am from Michigan and was vacationing there with my family. The course offers a good variety of play with some great scenery.

Cons:

Watch #9. The hill is very steep.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely glad I took the time to play a round at this course.
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1 1
dwellman
Experience: 26.8 years 28 played 11 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Same designer for Raone Co and Athens? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 16, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

In Gatlinburg.
Real baskets (i.e. not Innova)

Cons:

Navigation is a bit tricky.
Descent from tee to pin on 9. . . I don't know about you but I don't like the fear for injury risk on this hole. Is there another way down I should know about?

Other Thoughts:

I really didn't intend to review this course. Just wanted to mention my take on #2 and #8:

#2 - I've managed to consistently make 3 on #2 by ignoring any semblance of OB or mando by (accidentally) driving out of the woods to between the horseshoe pits and the tree line. I haven't tried driving over the cemetery, though.

#8-- There's some railroad ties you can see straight in off the tee. try to lay up right in front of those and it's an easy up to the pin.
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2 1
jarnson
Experience: 13.9 years 27 played 27 reviews
2.50 star(s)

In Hiking Distance 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- A unique design on every hole
- The holes can be completed without the need of a driver; great for mid-beginners to pros
- Forces you to utilize skills like the Tommy and better control (average to heavy foliage)
- Bathrooms! (Bring lots of water!)
- Great concrete tees
- Very detailed signs of each hole (very helpful, and also needed for holes 2, 3, and 6.

Cons:

- A bit of a walk between holes two and three
- Complicated holes, can get lost if it's your first time or unfamiliar
- Even though holes offer up a challenge to players, the heavy foliage plus weird angles of the terrain can be a let down for players

Other Thoughts:

Not from around the area, but from other players it's a great course for being the only one near the city excluding the ones 30 miles away. Beautiful landscaping, a perfect park for you to bring your family and an unforgettable ending at the ninth hole, a 45 degree drop from the tee!
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7 0
skinner21
Experience: 22.9 years 22 played 15 reviews
2.50 star(s)

cramped but fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 23, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A good 9er when you need to get away from the family for a few hours while you're visiting the area. There are a few holes that really make this course worth playing, holes 2,8, and 9. They have great elevation, design and pin placement. The ninth hole alone is a blast. Maybe 150' straight downhill. the walk down to the pin can get a little hairy.

The parking lot has a very large sign that maps out the course for you and there are scorecards there that also have a map on them. Make sure you grab one because you will need it.

The course has cement teepads and nice tee signs.

Cons:

This course is kind of crammed into a multi use park and is right next to a high school and the layout is strange because of this. The first 2 holes are completely separated from the rest of the course. Again, make sure you pick up a course map of study the sign before you leave the parking lot because it is very easy to lose track of where the next hole is. Really, the only true con this course has, in my opinion, is the location of it. Everything else stems out from that. There is so much open land in the surrounding area that smashing in a course around the high school seems silly to me. So instead of playing in the beautiful setting of the smokies, you are playing around football fields, roads, and cemeteries. You literally play in the shadow of the high school on hole 7. The area could be so much better than what it has with this course.

The teepads, while cement, are pretty small. This one is a bit nitpicky, but I thought you know about it.

Not a ton of distance on this one. I have what some would call a "noodle arm" and I could drive the pin on 6 out of 9 of the holes.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun little course if you are in the area, though going too far out of the way to play it isn't recommended. It is you basic pitch and putt, with a few memorable holes tossed in the mix.

The locals I met on the course were extremely nice and played one of the rounds with my buddy and I. He acted as a guide and told us about the course and the area in general.
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8 1
LStephens
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17 years 78 played 15 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 25, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

After reading several reviews on here I only played this course because I was in Gatlinburg, TN over the Christmas holidays and it was the only course within reason that didn't take away time from my other activities. HOWEVER, once I got to the course I enjoyed myself. Sure, it is only 9 holes. Sure, it is packed tightly into a mixed use park. But it has a great mix of elevation that makes it an enjoyable quick play.

Hole #1 says 240 on the site and I think 255 on the tee sign. It is an open uphill shot with a little hyzer at the end with OB to the right. I throw a Buzzz about 275. Knowing that it was an uphill shot I laid into with about 90% power...I was still 15 feet short.

Hole #2 reminds me of some of the shots around here in Northern Kentucky. A hilly wooded shot that forces you to hit your lines. I threw a forehand for accuracy but I know the shot is a turn over thrown with a stable disc down the middle with that late fade right under the basket. My shot landed beside a poorly placed pic-nic table that could pose a safety issue but a strategically placed bush/tree made me miss my deuce putt and take a 3.

After I found #3 with the help of some nice ladies walking on the track I liked what I saw. Slightly uphill turnover with some OB to the left. Trees overhanging up the middle can snare your disc and cause you to hyzer out OB so I went with a forehand approach and made for an easy putt.

#4 was a great little hole. You have OB path right, left, and behind the basket. You have two nice trees making a choke point down the middle. I soft tossed a comet down the middle...still hit a few leaves on the right but not enough to slow me down. A few feet short but an easy putt.

I get to #5 and walk up the fairway to see where the basket is. 175 feet but the base of the basket is well above my head. I pull out a predator and go for a wide hyzer looking for a skip finish. I let loose and hear some talking...I accidently buzzed #6 teepad but I was parked on #5 basket...sorry guys on #6 tee...didn't see ya.

#6 is a downhill hyzer to a basket slightly out of view behind some trees. I looked for a point to throw a Drone with touch since this hole is only 195ft downhill. There was a piece of farm equipment and I aimed right for it...it hyzered just before and parked. There is some OB paved walkway behind the basket.

#7 was another uphill turnover shot with OB left starting early and OB right later on with OB behind the basket as well. Another case of if you hit something early to mid you are going to hyzer OB. I went with a forehand Predator to make sure I got to the 265 ft uphill basket and remained inbounds. I missed a 30 footer right into the cage with a BOINK!

#8 is a great hole. The tee sign shows it as being a relatively straight shot with a hyzer finish. At 270 feet...starting in as an open shot then going way downhill then back uphill and ending in the woods...I pulled out a Buzzz and threw a straight shot to the left of the center pine with a slight hyzer finish. When I get to my disc I notice the basket is still another 50 feet to my left and even further uphill. Next time I'll throw an overstable driver on a skip shot to help get it the rest of the way to the basket.

#9 was an insanely fun shot. Here you are standing on a 4x4 wooden platform staring straight down a hill to a basket that is a mere 165 ft away. It probably plays 90 feet away. This forces most players to do a shot they stink at...a putter off the tee shot with a 'firm touch'. If they baby it..it will hyzer way left. If they don't throw down hill...it will be in the road behind the basket. If their accuracy is off...it is smacking a large tree on either side of the fairway. If you come up a few feet short...you are in tiny little creek that is played as OB. I carry 6 putters and threw all six with every one of them being a deuce. I really enjoyed this teeshot.

Cons:

I played on a 54F day on Christmas day a few days after a pretty large snow storm...followed by a rain storm. This course was very muddy and the steep banks were slippery as hell. This caused a few unsafe condition for most casual players. I saw more than one or two hit the ground...I tried not the laugh...but seeing they were ok...it's hard not to atleast giggle inwards. To be fair...I think the soils handled this much water better than most courses I've played would have.

Eventhough I read the warnings here and looked at the course map on the big board by #1...I still got temporarily lost going from holes #2 to #3 and from #6 to #7. A simple Next Tee sign would help. The walk back from #9 really isn't that long...I've seen worse..but it is long enough not to want to play round 2 when you get back to your car...so it doesn't flow well if you want to get in 18.

I thought the placement of #6 tee was a dangerous location when you got guys like me throwing big hyzer skips not knowing where the next tee is.

Picnic table placement on #2 is scary when you are throwing a 300ft+ wooded hole blind.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed myself and I don't think any of the holes were 'bad holes'. Usually I go to a place and atleast one hole is a 'stupid'. If you are in Gatlinburg and you need some alone time away from family and/or friends...drop by this park and enjoy a quick round. I'd much rather be here than holding the girls purse while she is dragging me around the outlet malls in Pigeon Forge.
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tamahawk
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.7 years 50 played 50 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 8, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Mills Park is a nice little park that offers a fun 9-hole disc golf course, as well as many other recreational activities for both locals and travelers.

Course Essentials:
The course uses MachV baskets that all look brand new and are in great shape, including a practice basket near the first tee. There are concrete tee pads on holes 1-8, and a small, wooden tee pad on hole 9. The concrete pads were a little small, but given the length of the holes, they were adequate. Each hole had a nice tee sign that gave both hole distance and an accurate layout. A large sign with course map was located at the first tee with a box that contained course maps and scorecard (I highly recommend grabbing the course map to take with you during your round).

Course Design and Layout:
The course offers a fun layout and some really nice holes, despite the fact that the park itself is so small, but course design/layout was heavily impacted by the size of the park, and all the other activities and usages of the park. Hole length is a little short, averaging around 230ft, and a couple of holes have a decent hike from the basket to the next tee (2-3, and 6-7), so it interupts the flow a little. No underbrush or excess foliage to deal with, maintenance on the course is good. Lastly, hole 9 finishes a long way from the parking lot near hole 1, there wasn't room in the park to loop back to the start.

Moderate elevations are present throughout the course, and utilized effectively. There is a great mix of uphill/downhill shots, and nice variety in right to left/left to right fairways. The course offers both open holes with little to no obstacles to clear and a couple more technical shots through the woods on 2, 8, & 9. Navigation was easy with the map, but would have been pretty difficult without it due to the spacing between some of the holes.

Some Fun Holes Worth Mentioning:
Hole 2: A very challenging fairway that sweeps continuously left to right along a right to left slope through a 25ft gap the entire length of the hole. The basket sits just outside a clearing in the trees at the end of the fairway. Hole 2 is by far the hardest hole on the course.

Hole 9: A neat little 165ft hole straight down a steep incline with a 20ft wide fairway and a small creek just in front of the basket.

Cons:

Be aware of other people in the park with walking tracks and picnic tables near some of the golf holes, a few areas of the course could be a potential safety hazard to others in the park. The course is pretty short, and will not provide much challenge to the more experienced players. The fairway up to 8's basket and down to 9's basket is pretty steep with little to no grass. These 2 areas in particular were pretty slick, and made for some slippery conditions, a little difficult to walk here when wet.

Other Thoughts:

This is the only course near Gatlinburg, so if you are in the area, this is the one to play. Otherwise, you are going to be driving roughly 45 minutes (with traffic) to the next course. This is a nice little park that has a playground with nearby pavilion, baseball fields, track, basketball courts, tennis courts, skatepark. A fun little course located just outside downtown Gatlinburg, check it out.
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