Pros:
Pellissippi State Community College is yet another newer ( Est. 2017 ) disc golf course sitting west off of I-40 and up TN 162 in the general Knoxville area , This course is mostly a flat play , other than maybe parts of 4 & 5 . If you like water carries , #'s 7 thru 9 will be right in your wheelhouse . Wind will be a factor here .When you enter the college , go to the back of it , in the parking lot across From a big white J L Goins administration building ( maybe bathrooms in there ? ) . You will can park lengthwise in the shade just a little further on if you want you car to be cooler on sunny days . There is a kiosk near the parking lot , and an online map the looks like someone from the graphic arts dept. made up ( nicely done ) . The course boasts 2 tees per hole , a red shorter placement with mostly tees , and the longer blue tees that are cement . The baskets are the nice white Veterans .The tee signs are on short wooden posts that wrap around it and show the hole # , distance and picture the hole . These are the nice kind that show up on all the good courses in Knoxville . The course kind of follows a clockwise path around ( and behind ) the lake . #1 will start off near the parking lot and bend you a little left to some woods , where the basket is tucked into . The #2 tee pads are set in the woods to the right of the basket . If you want the longer cement tee pad , you will have to walk past and behind the red tee pad a good 100' or so . You throw through a doorway in the woods to where it opens up to the right and the fairway flows a little downward to the basket ( 311' ) . #3 is a long open hole that ends down by the lake . #4 is a long level drive towards the front of the college and away from the lake , that drop off straight down hill to an enclosed green surrounded by rough on 3 sides .pretty nice finish for a hole . the tee pads for #5 are accessed by different ways , For the longs , you walk up the driveway on your right and turn left after the brush ends . The short tee is a U on your left . on the other side of the brush ( maybe someone can cut out a path through the brush directly to the tee on the other side : ) . Anyway , from the longs on 5 , it is a window shot across the hill you are throwing from to the next hill where the tee is located on 338' away . The window is starting to close because of the foliage surrounding it not being cut . If you throw through it , try to control your drive . The short tee is an uphill throw about 250' but feeling like it is maybe a little more.#6 is a shorter hole ( 259' or 319' , but is through an edge of trees that have canopies that will affect your drive . #7 is the first of the water holes . It can be windy on this course , so make sure you can bend your drive a bit . The hole on the longs is 359' and across the edge of the lake , but you might feel it is longer because of the wind affecting your drive . The short tee pad sits to the slight left of the lake and gives you a more direct route and spare your driver . The hole finishes to a basket that sits behind a small rock formation , looking picturesque from the tee . #8 is likely the most dangerous hole . it sits 408' or 578' and puts the lake in play all the way down the immediate right side of the fairway , will you will finish up throwing across an edge of that lake to a basket sitting on the hill . If you are going to play this hole , use extreme caution with your better drivers . I used a Destroyer , the wind picked up right after I let it go and it went out and tried to fight it's way back , losing the battle about 6' from land . If the drive goes any further than 3' in the water , consider it gone . My disc is presently being used as an underwater boogie board for the fish . #9 is a nice finishing hole with a downhill throw across a little channel of the lake to the basket placed on the level with enough land , as long as you don't throw way short or throw to the right . that you can set your disc down safely with a good chance for a birdie . This is a surprisingly strong course , with its length , wind and design . There was actually a pretty long thrower emptying his bag with drives on the course while I was playing . As far a campus courses go , this can be a keeper . I don't know if Pellissippi College wants to extend the course to 18 , or even has the land , but the could carve out a few from the neighboring woods or the land to the left to maybe making it 12 holes or so . Just an idea . This a a great play for the students after a day of studies , or even the locals that want to sharpen up their drives . This is NOT for newbies or families looking to get in a quick round . Whatever the course loses on elevation , it makes up for in water .Even though I drowned a disc , I thought that this course deserved some praise . Signature hole : #5 window shot from hill to hill .
Cons:
#1 The water . You can easily lose a disc in the lake on 7 , especially 8 and possibly 9 . Don't ruin your round . #2 wind . The chance for a windy round is pretty good since the course plays out in the open . #3 the rough shouldn't factor in much , but it is present on #2 from the blue tee , and in the general putting area of the hidden tee on #4 . There aren't any amenities to speak off for this course like Trash cans , benches or noticeable bathrooms or water , but it is only 9 holes and you won't be here all that long , anyway .
Other Thoughts:
As far as 9 hole college courses go , this one is a keeper . 2 tee pads per hole . a picturesque setting in front of the college , with the lake or woods playing a part and an adequate course design .This course is a smart idea to introduce the college to the area population . I might not play this often if I lived locally , but I would play it every year . The students should gather and have a fun league during the week for something to do . This would make for meeting new friends and classmates every semester while school is in session. My recommendation : Maybe try the course , but don't go too far out of your way . Maybe couple it with the Mounds , Secret City or Plumb Creek , only 15 minutes away .