Great layout with nice mix of open and wooded holes. Good positioning of OB that rewards a good shot, but can also punish you if you roll down a hill or into the creek. Two great water holes that are beautifully positioned. Owners are very friendly and made us feel welcomed on the course. All shots are challenging, but fair if you can keep it in the fairway.

We played in the morning, so some of the carpeted tee pads were slippery.

-Challenging layouts with no "gimme" holes
-Labor of love keeping up with a private course like this.

-Challenging layouts with no "gimme" holes
-Tee sign detail
-Navigation
-Carpet tee pads

Played Stoney Hill for the first time this weekend. I would like to thank David Sauls for allowing me to come out and play it. I was thankful that he was able to join me and show me around.

At the time of this review, I had played and reviewed almost 60 courses including Selah Ranch, Langley Pond, Tyger River, Grand Central Station, Pipeline, and Holston Creek. This was by far the most challenging course I have ever played.

What is challenging about it? There are no breaks. There are no gimme holes. And despite what David said were a few "birdie-able" holes, there are no easy chances for birdies. If you shoot par out here, consider going pro. If you consistently shoot par out here, you are a pro.

As I reviewed this course in my head over the weekend, I came to the decision that I would never host a tourney on this course and allow a MA3 division. If you are not a 900 rated player, I strongly encourage you to get better before taking on the Stoney Challenge.

I can see this being a destination course that you tell yourself to play once in your life, and it is probably a great doubles venue, but I seriously doubt a ton of people would play here regularly if they wanted a casual and fun round. The challenge is too great.

That all being said, that is what the "Saulsies" were looking to create and they were successful. David told me they did not want people walking away remembering 2-3 holes, they wanted them all to be memorable. Well technically they are, but with all being incredible holes, none of them end up standing out from the pack. Except maybe that darned down hill #12 on the Diamond course. Yeesh.

What do they need to do to improve the rating? Find a way to improve detail on tee signs. Include recommended landing zone distances for par 4s and 5s. Improve signage on the course to lead people from basket to tee. The overlapping of three courses on one property with multiple shared holes was confusing without someone to guide even having a map in hand. Also, upgrade those tee pads to at least football field turf instead of carpet. I know these can be costly, so I understand if a private course cannot afford such things. Just wanted you to know the gap between where you are and perfection in my mind. Oh, and some sort of net or disc catching grate in that darn pond would be nice, but then you are talking major cash.

Once again, I thank David for hosting me. They have one heck of a course out there in Newberry. With some good tee pads, better signage and navigation, this could push for a 5 star status.

3/15/21 Update:
Out of the 66 courses I have reviewed, this is where this course ranks along with similarly rated courses:
Rank-Course, Location
7-Shaver Recreation Center Championship, Seneca, SC
8-Tyger River DGC, Reidville, SC
9-N.E. Lions Park, Norman, OK
10-Grand Central Station, Central, SC
11-Stoney Hill DGC, Newberry, SC
12-Mekusukey DGC, Seminole, OK
13-Regional DGC, Ardmore, OK
14-Dolly Cooper Park DGC, Powdersville, SC
15-Woodruff Leisure Center DGC, Woodruff, SC
16-Shaver Recreation Center Original, Seneca, SC

Remote location, but very cool layout. I finally got to play this one, happened to be a tournament and this is not really one you want to play blind!

To start, this course has at least three layouts that I know of and probably more than that. I played diamond and garnet, and both were really fun plays.

The signs for diamond are really detailed and accurate, and the ones for Garnet are decent though not as plentiful.

The terrain here is a real star. I've not played many courses that have as much of a mix of woods/elevation and water all mixed in. The hilly, rocky terrain has several very heavily wooded holes and some great elevation shots.

There are also a good amount of island OB holes, some crazy par 4/5 holes and shots over the pond.

I actually skipped my shot on the edge of the pond and it skidded under a John boat that was out there.

The mix overall makes you want to bring every shot. On my card a lot of thumbers were thrown as well as bendy midrange shots and forehands. You need to have some tricks and execute them well.

They have carpet teepads, which are pretty slick in the sort of weather we have had this winter, I slipped several times and it made me a little cautious at times. Only busted it once luckily.

The underbrush in the woods is so thick that you almost have to add +2 every time you go in. My score would have been quite good if not for two holes were an iron leaf claimed several more strokes.

Nicely maintained port a John, as well as a ton of benches for amenities. Well marked OB on most holes too. Very few judgement calls.

I am very happy to have gotten to play here. It's a well put together course with some great holes. It's rough in spots, but I think that adds to the charm in some ways.

Someone I read compared it to an early days Flip City, and I can see that. There is similar care and attention, but it's not as polished yet. Since it's play by arrangement most of the time it may never be that polished, but that doesn't mean it's not a gem(bad pun sorry).

Bring your OS discs it gets windy. And though I didn't lose any, a ton of people lost discs in the pond so bring a water disc or two.

First, a big thanks to both David and Chris! These guys are the epitome of Southern Hospitality. Each one walked/played/guided our group through 18 holes of amazing disc golf. They went above and beyond any expectations I had. Chris even went back and found a disc I lost in the water for me while we played with David. This course has pretty much everything you could ask for; it truly is fit for pro tournaments. These guys have put in a lot of work and it shows. There are so many memorable holes and none are unenjoyable. This course blends accuracy, length, and technical shots. You will need every shot from your arsenal to get through this course. The land and area are beautiful and fun just to hike. The final hole alone is one unlike I've encountered before and is the perfect ending to a course.

I sure there are some cons to the course but they would just be nit picky.

Everything great about a course can be found here, so make a reservation to play. FYI, don't play this course unless you can accurately throw over 300 feet as you will have a very difficult and long round.

1) Another property bringing an easement into play. There seems to be a lot of good disc golf land around these easements and you can use the open area as some of the more forgiving fairways. This is something I am going to keep my eye on in the world of disc golf course design.

2) Signs with Hole # and distance on them.

3) The carpet they use for the tees is actually the best carpet I have ever played on and makes me think twice about being such a proponent of concrete. If done right, an all weather carpet would be the best option if it can play consistently. Not once did I feel like I was going to slip so my confidence was high with my plant foot (which is something I need in order to play well).

4) Benches are available in a few places around the course and appreciated because it is not the easiest walk in the world.

5) Private course that doesn't even "require" a fee. I gave David $5 because I believe that is the least I could do to thank him for opening up his private land to me and other people. I hope no one abuses this course by just coming out without permission.

6) Excellent variety in hole distances out here. There is a huge differential between the shorter holes and the longer holes, but there are many different distance holes in between. This allows you he opportunity to throw all sorts of different shots and discs.

7) The final basket location and green area is by far one of the coolest things I have ever seen. It rivals Renny Gold in how extreme it is, and is well done.

8) Excellent course design taking full advantage of all the key spots on this awesome property. They have excellent variety of shots needed which makes this course that much better. You need to be able to throw all sorts of shots

9) Water is in play on a few holes and a they are not simple shots, there is true risk reward. There is also a creek that plays as OB also and comes into play on a handful of holes.

10) Elevation is used very well here to alter some shots and make the holes tougher to judge. They go up and down and a few lie on sidehills making a standstill throw necessary on occasion. Some might consider that a negative, but it truly helps to test all your skills (like balance and being able to adjust to no runup).

11) David is a good guy and fun to play a round with. He was very complimentary to me and is a better disc golfer than he would have you believe. What more can you ask of a private course host?

12) Some artificial OB on roads and a couple of fenced areas to help create a tougher hole. (see also cons).

13) This course is appropriately named, because the hills here do have a lot of stones and rocks. It just adds to the character because they realize it is there. It is also a con because of conditioning but it is "part of the course' in this instance.

1) #1 and #18 fairways cross. The only time this would really be an issue is during a tourney as I doubt there are ever that many people out here at one time. This could have been avoided by tucking the #1 tee against the woodline just below the fairway without losing a whole lot of distance and actually creating a slightly tougher hole because of the risk of losing the disc left into the woods more quickly.

2) This course is on an awesome property but it lacks the polish I see on a lot of the top courses. I understand this is a private course and it is only a couple people doing any maintenance so I am not sure it will ever get that polish. It isn't like David is trying to make this a top caliber pay to play so it shouldn't be of any concern of his. He wants the course for himself and can only dedicate so much time to it and that is understood. With this said, I do respect David for the design, the hard work and installation, and I appreciate the fact that it was available for me to play. This is only a negative because the course is that good as a design, it might not even be worth mentioning if it was just another public course. I doubt this comment would offense David, and I hope it isn't taken that way, but if I am comparing my top courses to each other I need to mention it.

3) Obviously this place has a lot of shule because the course was carved out of these areas in a lot of places. There isn't much that can be done to thin the areas out because it is all invasive stuff that will just fill right back in. This is a negative in my book, but it also should force you to just play smart and keep it on the fairway.

4) I would say this is not a beginner friendly course. I don't think it was really designed to be friendly but I do like to see all courses accessible to people of all skill levels. With that said if I had my own private course, I probably wouldn't worry about it being accessible to beginners either unless it was a pay to play course where I wanted as much traffic as possible, so I do not blame David.

5) I like the OB idea on one of the holes that falls away to the left, but I wish there was a way to be able to see the OB. I ended up 1' out of bounds here and if I knew exactly where the line was I could have played much safer. I don't normally mind artificial OB's but I like to be able to see where they are.

This is such a well designed course on a property that had apparently gone to hell. They were able to find and use the best spots on the property and overcome the issues with the really thick underbrush. I love the balance of the course in terms of shots as well as challenge, but I also like the variety of the water, the contrived OB, the elevation, and the unique basket locations. All in all this is a really well done course and it is quiet and private and I love it. I will come back if I ever head back to this part of the country and hope to play another round with David.

Beautiful course and very challenging!
David and Chris are excellent host and guides.
Some of the most challenging holes in any of the area courses.
Water need I say more, very intimidating to throw 250 feet over water.
Some very tight wooded holes and some awesome very open holes to rip on!

I have no cons about this course, I loved it and cant wait to play again

I heard complaints about it not being maintained and if what we played today is what people complain about thats just sad. I did not have any problems with it at all!

Stoney Hill DGC is a terrific course that will test your skills, even playing the shorter quartz layout. Elevation changes are a factor on most holes, which is evident from the first tee box. There are some open fairways, and some with tighter lines. Nice mix of left and right, with most baskets tucked out of sight from the tee pad. All baskets were in decent condition. Pins were often placed on the edge of a ridge, dropping off behind the basket, or in close proximity to O.B., forcing good approaches. "The Quarry" on hole 18 is one unique feature, a large O.B. pit in front of a tall mound where the basket is perched atop. Each tee box had a bench, and a sign noting distances. Tees are not concrete, but are consistently level and firm. David Sauls guided us through the course, giving pointers on each hole and posting the best score out of our trio that day. He claimed to be the worst disc golfer to live on a course, but I'm not convinced that is true.

This course is not perfect, but most of the issues that frustrated me were shortfalls in my game that left me in tough spots. The elevation means wind comes into play on occasion. My drive from the first tee was blown way out of the line I had picked out. That brings me to the rough, that is very dense and full of briars. Keep two eyes on the disc. I spent too much time searching for my disc after an errant throws. There are spots where the layout might cause delays during tournament play, such as fairways crossing, or two holes sharing a tee box. These spots shouldn't be a problem most of the time, I imagine.

The land Stoney Hill occupies is remote, but my GPS accurately lead me there after many twists and turns. The summer growth shrinks some of the fairways and windows, and I'm told the course is better manicured in the fall leading up to a tournament. However it is still very playable in July as well, if you can take the heat. I had a great time on my first trip to Stoney Hill, and would like to play there again soon. David was a friendly host, and the course did not disappoint.

January 2017, In my top 20 courses played and one of the best in SC, (top 5 for me with Langely Pond being #1 for me). Some of my favorite holes in golf including,
#1 - Elevation is great for a short thrower like myself. I have made about 100 feet short of the creek before which is by the far the farthest throw this old guy has ever had.

#3 Really cool challenging short downhill anhyer shot with ob behind

# Prettiest hole on the course and lots of danger on the hole. Pierce the small gap and put for a 2,miss it and hope to make 4 if in the water.

#5 one of the best hole in golf. Teeshot is a placement shot, a perfect shot will five you a chance a birdie, a bad shot will have you hoping for a bogey.

#12 Funnest hole on course, short and straight downhill to an island green,

#14 long - One of the best holes I have played ever and is a par 5 with a tight island basket placement.

#16 long- you cross the water twice, if you have a perfect tee shot you can go for the green in two for birdie. This hole can really change a tournament if you do not play it smart and take not only the water but the wind in play.
The Sauls do a great job on this course and make it more challenging on a consistant basis. Par 3s, 4s and 5s with short and long tees. Spectacular views.

Nothing ,just suggestions which may be out of line. I have been reluctant to say anything about this course negative but I am not a big fan of #11. I will say it is a very good hole but accuracy and some luck on this hole is a must to birdie it and not end up in the creek. I also wish the tee on the hanging basket hole was a little closer to see players have a better chance of trying to go for the green. Not sure if anyone has ever made it but currently that would be a great shot. The majority of teepads are carpet which is fine but I prefer the rubber mats that a few courses are starting to use such as Grand Central Station, Kure Beach and Sewee.

This course is ever changing due to David and Chris's vision for perfection. I have only been on property for sanctioned tournaments and this is a special place during those weekends. Also, This is a must visit destination whether you are local or living out West,in the NE, MidWest, Southwest, etc.. If you have a chance to play in this area when visiting I would plan to visit the IDGC for a couple of days and camp and then contact the Sauls to camp and play but you need a guide for first visit.

Great mix of different types of drives and approaches. I love the feel of the land and the way the tee boxes are laid out. No one in your way, like I have found on other courses. Great views, elevation changes, and some intimidating tee box shots. The #16 pond drive had me on my toes, happy I did not get wet though! Hanging basket was something I have never seen. Both Chris and David (owners) guided me on a 95 degree August late afternoon day. Extremely nice guys, I can't wait to get a chance to go back again.

I came back with chiggers, but I was in the country. Briar patches. I have nothing else to say that would be a con.

The course is not maintained the entire year. Recurring annual tournaments and fall weather probably determine how well kept the course is. This is not a con, just FYI. I to also maintain and modify a course in Camden, SC, so I understand how much work it is.

- Private Property. I love private courses. They have a special ambiance you just don't get at public courses. And when the owners put as much thought and effort into the course as David and Chris Sauls have here, it makes for a great DG experience.
- Accuracy or Else. If you're not in the fairway, you're either OB or in ruff so thick you might as well be OB. Fairway accuracy is a must if you want to score well. If you don't play smart, that's dumb!
- Pin Positions in Relation to OB's. Several of the pin positions are in close proximity to OB (1, 4, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 17a, 18)... including "island" greens, peninsula greens, and a hanging basket that practically dangles above a creek. I played two rounds and went OB 9 times (and was OK with it).
- Every Kind of Shot. Huge wide open bombers, short tight alleys, open to tight, tight to open, forced landing zones, uphill, downhill, sidehill, hyzers, anhyzers, sidearms, s-turns, etc... the only shot you really don't need to throw is a roller.
- Concerned about Improving the Course. I could tell from my conversations with David that they were very concerned about making the course as epic as possible. He told me they have gone as far as to interview players and pass out questionnaires at the end of tournaments to get feedback about the course. He knew the average scores for every hole and said they used the stats to redesign holes. While we played, David pointed out many "old" holes that had been removed because they weren't quite up to "Par" (pun intended) and said that the course is constantly evolving. In fact, while we were there, a work crew was clearing a section of forest so they could extend one of the fairways.

- Unhealthy Forest. The only real downside to this course is that the forest it plays through is relatively unhealthy. Before David and his family acquired the property it had been decimated by a massive clear-cut. A few big trees were left on the property, but on the whole the forest was wiped clean. Now, the forest is haphazardly re-growing and the underbrush is THICK, not to mention UGLY. It's going to take years to recover.
- Close to Houses. Three of the holes play past David and Chris's respective houses. This is great for them because they can step out off their porch and just start playing, but aesthetically it's not the best design.

- You Need a Guide. Because this is a Private Property course THEY WANT TO GUIDE YOU your first time. Because of this, they purposely have not installed any next-tee arrows or professional tee-signs. Therefore, USE THE LINKED WEBSITE (in the links section) to contact David or Chris and ask for a reservation to play. They'll be more than HAPPY to guide you.
- Demanding. You need to constantly focus and play smart. The course provides plenty of opportunity to succeed, but offers just as many opportunities (if not more) to fail. As an example, I played two rounds... Round 1: +8 with 5 birdies, 5 bogeys, 1 double, and one hole where I took a +6 (I don't even know what you call that)... Round 2: +7 with 2 birdies, 5 bogeys and 2 doubles... However, if I was to combine these two rounds (by using my best score on each hole) I would have shot -2 with 7 birdies, 3 bogeys and 1 double, (1 OB). So, good scores are available if you can put it all together.
- A big THANK YOU and congratulations go out to the Sauls for creating the one of a kind gem. I'll be back!

Very good use of land...Each hole is different from the rest. Good variety of forehand, and backhand shots. Some technical holes, as well as "grip it and rip it". 1 basket is hanging from a tree nearly over a creek which adds a unique touch.

Is on private land, which is good and bad, but you just can't go on a weeday if you happen to be off work like you could on a public course. LOTS of briars, if you happen to have an errant throw, or you bounce off a tree you will be in them.

This was one course that kind of "grew" on me. I've played it now about 8 or so times, and overall enjoyed it, but I just didn't have the "long arm" to be competitive. However after the last few times playing I found that if you can control your shots and stay on the fairways here, your score will show it. This course is usually windy, so that will also affect your throws and your scores. If you plan on coming and spending a full day here on a weekend, plan on bringing a lunch with you, it is out in the country a good bit, and there are not any "fast food" places close by. Fall/winter is a great time to play here, leaves are off the trees and you have better looks at the baskets.