Pageant Hill overlooking the town of Custer, SD is a beautiful park and a majestic place to throw your frisbees. Elevation to contend with, I wouldn't say mountain golf but nearest thing from between here in MN to CO. Course plays up, along and down a beautiful rock hill with great views. The trail up to the lookout between holes 11 and 12 is well worth the 15 minute detour...Great hole shapes and variety of shots make for fantastic replay value... Can't remember quality of tee pads or baskets, didn't matter to me on a course this great. Couple spectacular greens, 15 I think was on top of a sweet rock face...

Navigation was a struggle the first time through. I was pretty frustrated my first round as I was trying to make a dumb self imposed schedule to get through it to continue to check off WY. But the next time through a few days later I got the hang of it... Even better I threw the 27 hole layout the day after and found this the most intuitive... There is a hiking trail that intersects with the course (to get to the view I mentioned earlier) that comes into play on a couple holes... Hole 18 plays down this path but fortunately you have visibility down the trail from the teepad.

This is the only course I've played multiple times on different days during a roadtrip. Mostly says about how great I found the course played but also how I staged the trip to see the Buffalo Roundup (which was fantastic, highly recommend). I've said this multiple times but man I wish this was my home course... Also it appears that hole 1 has been reversed. There is a new pavilion that seems to be in the way of the old tee shot.

What an Awesome course! It is a must play if you are in South Dakota, definitely one of the top 2 courses in the state! Course is layed out over the side of a hill with a great view of Custer. Navigation of the course is really easy with next tee markers on the baskets. Good amenities; benches, garbage cans, bathroom and concrete pads. A good mix of tight and long holes.

Nit picking here but the signage could use an update.

My favorite course of the 4 I played in South Dakota and one I hope to play again some day!

Pageant Hill is a very fun course on great land. During the round there are some side trails that lead to some cool scenic lookouts. It plays par 54, which is not an easy mark to hit, but isn't totally impossible. I loved the elevation changes and the runs through the trees.

Each hole is outfitted with a concrete tee. There are tee signs, the standard quality white sign, and they are in decent condition. The baskets are Mach III models that are also in nice working order. Some if not all of the holes had more than one pin position.

I liked the layout of the course, and appreciated the balance it used. All par 3, but a great mix of easy and more difficult from hole to hole. Also nice job mixing up the looks with fairways, usually wooded but having at least one viable line.

The back nine was maybe a little better than the front in my opinion. The woods and elevation changes are a bit more prominent around the second half. 10 is a good lead in to this. There are some interesting pin positions, with hills or rocky outcroppings.

Hole 18 is a pretty crazy finisher. It is long, downhill and has a large population of mature trees. The basket isn't visible from the tee, but it is to the left of the path and there is room to fly if you put the driver in the right spot. I didn't want to walk down the hill and spot the pin so I was throwing blind on the drive. Went conservative and came up way short. Two putted and took a double bogey, but still thought it's a pretty cool hole.

There are places where you can lose a disc, and the trees will probably knock your discs out of the air once or twice at least.

I liked all of the holes but a few are average. 1, 2, 3, and 9 are ok, but don't stand out as being great. There are not any that qualified as the "signature" sort of hole you love to find when playing a new course. Fun and challenging, while still a bit nondescript.

There are walking trails through the park, and waiting for pedestrians could cause slight delays. I think I saw signs indicating a leash law for dogs, but Charley might of slipped away from me for a hole or fifteen. He was fine.

What an amazing place to start out a road trip. Custer was the first town on an 11 day, 5000 mile road trip that included 19 courses in 6 states. The first day included the drive North through the Black Hills from Custer to Spearfish. I am inclined to rate a course better if the drive there is through a naturally beautiful area, and Pageant Hill benefits in that respect for sure.

Custer also looks like it might be fun to spend some time goofing off, though I hit the road after only staying long enough to play the one round at Pageant Hill.

The disc golf course does have plenty of merit on its own. I would put it in my favorites, just for being a fun and fairly quick layout if you don't lose discs or take any detours to check out the other park features.

Score was 62 (+8) with four bogies and two double bogies. No birdies, but there are a couple of chances to make them. 10 and 18 were my favorite holes, but they were the double bogies. I will be very pleased if I ever get the chance to return and try it over again.

"Now somewhere in the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota there was a disc golf course . . . named Pageant Hills . . ." Apologies to the Beatles, but I couldn't resist. Whatever brings you to this neck of the woods, Mount Rushmore, Sturgis bike rally, Ellsworth AFB, or the beautiful Black Hills, pack some discs and make the trek to the tiny town of Custer. I rate courses on the overall experience and this one is a hidden gem! Played along a hill side from the expansive meadow below and weaving your way up the ridge, you are rewarded with spectacular views, wildlife, and challenging, but fun, golf holes.
- Beautiful scenery
- Concrete pads throughout
- Tee signs
- Two pin placements
- Even the short holes are a bit more challenging with the elevation and trees
- Plenty of parking
- Course maps available at kiosk (a must for navigation the first time)
- Great use of completely natural setting
- Wildlife (we were greeted by a doe and milking fawn on tee 4)
- Benches and trash cans throughout.
- Some length, but mostly technical. You'll need to shape shots, control distance, and know your plastic with variable winds.
- Fun use of terrain
- Trash free (let's help keep it that way!)

- This is both a pro and con. While the course could easily play at all levels, it is some serious up and down, not a casual walk in the park. Not a great course if you are unfit physically.
- Although there were "next tee" indicators placed at the bottom of the basket poles, some were inaccurate. A little better signage between holes would aid in the navigation. Even with a course map, it was a bit tricky sometimes
- Several holes are best thrown with a spotter. While there were not very many blind holes, errant shots could be difficult to locate
- My only REAL disappointment was that after winding around, up and down the mountainside, I was not rewarded with a spectacular "top of the world" hole on 18! To make matters worse, it was a perfect set up to do so. The 18th hole is perfectly located to throw from an elevated rocky promontory, straight back out to the meadow below for an incredible finish to an fun course. But, instead, it was a ho hum slightly down hill along the ridge, through the trees shot. Ah nuts!

Clearly a lot of work and thoughtfulness went into the creation of this gem. Making a course in a city park is one thing, but pouring level concrete tee pads, putting in benches, maintaining trash cans all over a rural mountain is another level of effort that I can appreciate. Kudos! A Natural course at its finest - Just enough work to make it playable, but without losing its wilderness feel. Pause for beauty on most every hole and take the short hike at the top (between 12 and 13) for a spectacular 360 view. Custer is lucky to have such a great course . . . thanks for sharing it!

Beautiful scenery, in the heart of the Black Hills. Concrete tee-pads, good signage, next hole indicators on bottom of basket. Nice mix of holes, multiple attack routes, a couple fairly short holes and a couple bombs.

Hard to find, but will never rate a course perfect cause there's always something!

If you like nature, as I do, this course is for you. It is not super well groomed, you need to be in somewhat decent shape, lots of elevation changes, definitely makes you feel like your out taking a hike in the woods. Baskets are well placed, and overall the whole course is super! Like I said, not super well groomed, to me that's how it should be! Definitely worth the time it takes to play!

-Elevation makes for a great challenge and will always make you think about a shot. Too hard and you're way down the hill and not hard enough and you're driving again!
-Great scenery all around both on the course and around it. It is located on a hill above Custer with good views of Harney Peak and the rest of the Southern Black Hills.
-Nice parking lot.
-Nice open field to practice drives
-Course loops around to parking lot
-Trees make for a good challenge without being too difficult
-Full 18 holes which are all different.
-Nice signage on the tees.
-Great baskets
-Wildlife everywhere
-Most of course is shaded, good for the summer
-Very clean and well kept, I don't think this course gets too busy as it is pretty new and Custer isn't a huge town.
-I love the water tower hole!

-The rough is pretty rough.
-Could lose a disc in said rough
-Sometimes it was hard to find a basket or it was hard to find a tee box after finishing a hole. Bring the course map.
-Watch out for people on the trail, you will come across it a few times.

If you are out of shape, be careful. This course is tough and it can get hot quickly in the Black Hills. Bring your hiking shoes and water. If you make a visit to the Black Hills this is one of 4 courses you need to play along with Jackson in Rapid City, and the two in Spearfish.

* Challenging course and terrain. Elevations are not too extreme.
* Get your exercise just walking the course!
* Park is somewhat secluded. Not much in moving targets.
* Multiple pin positions
* Good size concrete tees
* Mach III baskets catch pretty well
* Good Parking / Restroom (Portapottys) / Trash cans
* Not far from downtown Custer. A somewhat touristy area with many shops & restaurants.
* Park/course is clean and well maintained considering the location.
* Great nature setting with opportunity for hiking & wildlife spotting.
* Outstanding views of surrounding area.

* Terrain is rough and primitive. Not for the meek at heart. Be prepared to get your discs beat up.
* Heed clothing warnings!! Once you are on the hill, the rough is consistently knee high.
* Signage is worn and fair at best (better than no signs.)
* Keep your eye on your disc due to the high rough. Turning away from a poor shot may cost you a lot of time looking for your disc.
* Once on the course, you do not get close to the parking lot again. Bring what you will need during the round.
* Not appropriate for all skill levels. Course will be very challenging for players with limited experience.

This course reminds me a bit of the Colorado mountain courses I've played. The elevations you have to drive are not extreme but the terrain is rough and will test both your game and your physical stamina. The design mostly cuts back and forth across the hill with some elevation to get you up and down the hill. The course is wooded but not extreme. What will get you is the variety of sizes to the mountain spruce. They range from about 6 inches to over 60 feet. I'd think I'd rather navigate a heavy, wooded fairway then try to get out of one of the many groves of 4 - 5 feet high spruces grabbing at your arm. The shorter ones will do a number on your legs so take the warning of closed toe shoes and long pants seriously. You'll be glad you did.
Not much opportunity for rollers but a variety of air shots will be helpful. You will need to be focused on what you are doing as not to twist an ankle or loose a disc during your round. Turning away in disgust of a poor shot could cost you a disc and time looking for a disc. You are on a pretty extreme hill and a disc that catches an edge could roll almost anywhere. The flow was a bit tricky the first time around but made sense and was easy to follow the second round. Many pins are hard to see from the tee and basket flags would help this task immensely. The views for the top are great. Take some time to do the rock scramble to the top between 12 & 13. Also give some reflection to the overlook spot between 14 & 15. There is a nice picture that tells you what you are looking at beyond Custer.
This has to be one of the premier courses in the Rushmore area if not this part of the state. It seems to be a very well kept secret. I had a blast playing this joint and highly recommend it to any experience player visiting the area. Every time I visit Rapid City, I will definitely make time to play Pageant Hill.