(3.275 Rating) (REVISED - visited April 2021) Huntsville's Pro Style Course.
- UPGRADES - Up until November 2019, I had observed this course being on a slow and steady decline over a two year period. Lavone Wolfe, course designer, has single handedly put this course back on the map. Brand new hole signage and thirty Pro 28 DISCatchers are now installed as of this revision. In addition, the 3 bonus holes from Rocket City Blast have been permanently added to the layout and the overall layout has been tweaked in a positive direction.
- UNIQUENESS - An 11,455 foot par 80 beast. The Gold layout has thirteen par 4s and two par 5s. Any player that enjoys lightly wooded to open multi-play holes will love this course. There's a very long 340-foot water clear on (17) and several holes have parallel water features. Nine holes have multiple baskets in place offering different looks and challenge. There are a few woodsy holes on (3), (4) and (5) too. The course is generally set-up as a links style course, being very long and open, over being short and technical.
- CHALLENGING - With the lengthening edits in late 2019, this is now a solid Advanced challenge worthy of a championship billing. Although 950 rated Advanced players who throw 400 feet can shoot 6 or 7 down here, they will also shoot over par. The course layout requires tremendous shot placement and risk reward analysis. A great training grounds for tourney players. Eagle McMahon has been spotted out here several times when he comes to town. Players who can't throw over 350 and have a mediocre mid-game will struggle here. Unfortunately, very little technical shot shaping requirements.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - No doubt (17), but it's not played often by casual players due to the water risk. I suggest getting a floater or a Kwik-Stik.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored the course a 3.625 out of 5. Well maintained and some professional landscaping on a few holes. Holes (3-5) is a solid wooded stretch. There are several pleasing water holes like hole (17) noted above, and also on the new 3-hole loop. The walk to hole (B) has a tranquil 30-foot wide waterfall element in view. The drawbacks are minor with well-maintained and well-constructed roads and buildings in play and in view.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - As noted in the Upgrades Pro, the signage is new and looks really good. It has all the appropriate info except next tee direction. I had heard that a community board with map was planned, but I did not see one installed yet as of April 2021. The map link on DGCR is updated for the new layout. Most transitions to the next tee can be seen from the prior basket, but first-time players will need a map after basket (2, 11, 12 and A)
- MAINTENANCE - The grounds have been either all or mostly mowed for all 6 of my rounds here. Like most University courses, this one appears to be constantly trimmed and manicured. There has been a little trash here and there at times, but it's not epic bad. Pack in and pack out, there are no garbage cans along the layout.

Noodle arm hell.
- NOT FUN FOR MORTALS - This is a Championship style course. It's intentionally built for Advanced and Pro type players looking for gameplay to match their skill level. For the sub 900 rated players, this course is going to be frustrating and perhaps even boring. As somewhat noted above, there is a lot of long open bomb-it shots that just won't appeal to many players. Players that can't throw over 300 feet will rarely birdie here, even from the shorter red layout. In addition, the odds of losing a disc here is very high with water in play on 10 or so holes. The water in play is generally clear and a Kwik-Stik will get a lot of them back. Last I'll note Hole (17), which is an iconic hole for the Huntsville area, but it's a terrible hole for those without Advanced level skills. Hole (17) is 390 feet and it parallels and clears water for the entire length. The green is unreasonably small too with OB roads along the left the entire way. Hole (17) is simply a disc give-a-way hole. I know of numerous people that absolutely hate it and skip it or won't even play here altogether just because of this hole. As has been told to Lavone numerous times, the drop zone should be the Red tee.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - Wow do the roads come in play here and they parallel several fairways; (2) (9), (10), (12), (15), (B), (C), (17) and (18). In my rounds here, I find myself constantly stopping for cars to pass. In addition, several of these roads also have paralleling sidewalks. So joggers and walkers can sometimes hold up the flow of play as well.
- NO BENCHES - The longest course in town and yet not one bench. Being on university property, the school has decided not to allow their installation. As of 489 courses played, this is the longest course I've ever played without a single bench.
- ELEVATION - Not all that much. Perhaps hole (4) changes by 20 feet and a couple others vary by 10 feet or so. Hole (18) has a raised basket that's been built to resemble a rocket. It's a photo worthy finishing touch.
- NOT BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Any two disc beginner coming here will lose all their discs. I recommend these two area 18 hole courses instead; Southside and Brahan Springs. Calhoun, Stavemill and Dublin are also nice nearby beginner 6 and 9 hole courses.
- TIME PLAY - I'm not able to play this one in under an hour solo and I consider myself a quick player. Figure a group of four could be here 2 1/2 hours or more just to play the original 18. Add another twenty minutes for the 3-hole loop, which I completely recommend playing on first go around.
- WIND - With most of the holes having an openish feel to them, expect wind to play a big factor here.

There are things I like about UAH, and there are things I very much don't like. Although I've given this course roughly a 3.25 rating, it's definitely not among my local favorites or anywhere close. My Course rating system structure is set up for course exploring. For example, if I didn't live in Huntsville, this is the kind of course I'd want to play over a 4,500 foot standard issue par 54 course. However, as for a local day to day course, it's simply too brutal and treeless to play over and over again from my point of view. There was no attempt here to try and appeal to Recreational players. The appeal here is for Advanced players with 400-foot cannon arms, and it's an outstanding course example for these players. With new signs, new baskets and a new permanent three-hole loop expansion, I decided to bump this course up to the low 3.5 level. Players with big arms will likely rate this course higher. While players that prefer woods courses may rate it lower. I know several Rec level locals that avoid playing here, except for tournaments. As of this review, I have this as the 4th highest rated course in town after Indian, Monte Sano and Redstone. Many of my Advanced level friends have UAH in their Huntsville top 2 or 3.

- Beautiful college campus setting
- Well maintained grounds and course
- Lots of OB increases difficulty and adds interest
- Great signage on every hole
- Big concrete tee pads on every hole
- DisCatcher baskets are like new and have big, bright yellow flags for easy spotting
- Nice layout and course flow, with a few blips (see cons below)
- Decent variety: many long and open, some through trees, a few wooded, plenty of water to avoid by going around or over
- Many of the open holes are great throws: super long fairways with rolling hills and just enough trees and/or water to make you have to think
- Great water hazards on holes #13 and #17

- Hole #3 is impossible to find without a map
- Must cross busy street between holes 11-12, 13-14, 14-15, 16-17 and 17-18
- The holes along the creek get a lot of standing water for days after heavy rain
- Holes #1 and #2 are located on intramural fields and can be unplayable when games are in progress

This is a fun course located on the University of Alabama Huntsville campus. While some players may find the open holes a bit repetitive, what the course lacks in variety it more than makes up for in beauty. The campus is pristine, the course is well maintained, and I really love the green grass fairways on rolling hills built along the wandering creek. Be sure to check out the numerous photos on this site that better illustrate what I am talking about. It was a bummer that the first two holes were relocated to an open field because this seems to be a downgrade from the previous layout. It also appears that some of the long holes have been further lengthened. For example, hole #10 is shown as 453' but is clearly longer than the adjacent hole #11 which is 609'. Finally, I absolutely loved the two over water holes (#13 "The Leech" and #17 "The Dragon"). Both offer challenge to the advanced player (a tight tree-lined opening on "The Leech" and a 350' shore-to-shore throw on "The Dragon") while offering less daunting yet enjoyable options for the less talented player such as myself. I look forward to playing UAH on my next visit to the Huntsville area.

The course is nice to play if you can throw 250 to 350 ft. It is a good course to practice on getting more distance. I trained on it almost 3 times a week and it was definitely a good challenge. I enjoy playing 1-8 the most. Most of the holes require basically the same throw.

Some holes are near roads, which one road is quite busy. And some are by the creek/lake, which can be really annoying especially on a windy day. People lose discs in there quite frequently. That's why I like 1-8. Only problem is 3-7 are back in a slightly wooded area and they don't always cut the grass frequently.

UAH is a challenging 18 hole course set around the perimeter (not buildings) of campus. There is an excellent mix of hole style here as it plays across both manicured campus lawns mainly around the lake and then in an area that looks like park land and not part of a college campus. Most of the holes would be considered more open, but there are several tight wooded holes too. Though relatively open there are usually some trees to avoid, lots of O.B. usually in the form of paved surfaces, of course wind, 2 creeks are in play on 3-4 holes, and the lake is a major factor on another 4-5 holes. Solid mix of hole distances, but most holes are at a length (400'-500') that most people will be playing for a 3 as there is no chance for a birdie as most people will have long approaches. This to me is a strength of the course testing your ability to approach accurately with your fairway drivers and mids, unlike so many courses where it is all about getting it under the basket off the tee on every hole.

The course is equipped with your standard concrete tees (except for new 1 and 2), great signs with map and distance, and 2-tone DisCatchers with sponsors on the band. In the grass island where #1 used to be the disc golf kiosk and a practice basket.

The redesign/move of #1 and #2, which used to be some unique and difficult holes have been deleted and moved to an adjacent open field. They are now nothing more than a good warm up, are pretty boring, and currently have natural tees. I would guess the holes were changed because of safety as the main campus road bordered both 1 and 2, however, the road easily comes into play on another 4 holes at least, so I am not sure why these had to be changed only. Navigation is a little confusing because #1's tee is still there by the kiosk, but it is now unused. #3 is always hard to find (and even harder with the redesign). Check out the course map as it is accurate from holes 3-18. Cross the street and cross the bridge towards some buildings and the tee is up what looks like a maintenance path in the woods.

UAH lacks any major elevation changes (not the course's fault, the land is just mostly flat) with #4 slightly downhill, #10 on a small sidehill and #11 slightly uphill, but that is really all there is. Every time I have played here, holes 5-6 were marshy because it is lower ground and is close to the creek, and, as a result, the fairways were not mowed. As the course plays around the lake use caution when throwing around the roads and sidewalks.

Con for some- there is good chance of losing discs. They are usually retrievable in the creeks, but the lake will swallow discs up.

UAH has hosted the PDGA Worlds twice (in 1983 and 1993), but it is a good indicator of how the game has changed so much since then. Just keep this in historical perspective as it is probably not the caliber of course that would be used for Worlds presently.

Park in the lot by the practice area island (what used to be hole #1). Huntsville may not have any top 50 national courses, but it does have several solid courses each with their own personality and style and they are all pretty close together. (For a good variety play more than one when you are here.) UAH used to be my clear cut favorite in Huntsville, but without the old #1 and #2 UAH loses 0.5 points in my rating for getting rid of what was possibly the most intimidating first tee shot on the planet and replacing them with junk filler.

Beautiful coarse on UAH's campus. Long vast holes with great pin placement.

roads are right next to coarse, wasnt a big fan of it.

Bring ur waiters for hole 2 and 9!!! Oh and dont choke on the water holes

The course plays through the woods, across the fields and then around a pond on the University of Alabama-Huntsville campus. This is most definitely a challenging course. The worlds were played here in 1983 and then again in 1993. You need to have the big arm to score well on this course. Most holes are long and out in the open fields. Between the length and the wind, it'll bring you to your knees. The signature holes are probably the two which play across the water. I like the fact that on both of these they have shorter alternate tees for us weak armed players or those who don't want to go fishing for their discs.
But I think the signature hole is the 698 foot # 4, I think, which follows a fairly narrow fairway until it opens up at the end.
The course has excellent teepads and the baskets are fine. There are tee signs at each hole. It's easy to navigate. Easy to read (from a distance) numbers on the baskets helped with first time navigation.

Really, I don't see anything glaringly wrong with course. It's kinda comes packaged this way. 500 foot holes across open fields are not my favorite but with a creek, OB's, trees, the wind and the ponds, there are more than enough hazards to challenge most any player.

I wouldn't particularly want this as my home course only because my current playing level/style/tastes doesn't mesh well with this course. If you are a player capable of throwing 400-450', then you'll probably like this course a lot. This is just one of those excellent courses that doesn't neccesarily appeal to everyone. But that doesn't make it a bad course!

*Challenging - has long holes, water & wind that will test all levels of players
*Some awesome holes -- over water that make you think about what disc you're gonna throw -- and a long, multi-shot hole down a narrow path and into an open area
*OB comes into play on ~50% of holes....shot selection is important, as well as playing the wind
*Good signage with distances
*Fun combination of long & short holes
*All holes have valid fairways.

*Plays around a busy road
*More than a few 'tweener distance par 3.5 holes that are 450-500+ feet....you aren't going to get a 2, you shouldn't get a 4....these were probably legit par 4's when the course went in, but aren't now
*Much of the course plays along a road, on campus, or in sight of both -- not secluded at all
*Only one set of teepads; would be a really tough course for beginners

This is an excellent course that i will always look forward to playing when visiting huntsville. I've played casually and in a tournament; for tournaments the course is setup with roped OB & poles to retrieve discs from cedars & water & is very groomed....playing it today casually, these elements were not there and the course seemed kinda overgrown, especially with privet in the wooded areas. Fun either way. All holes have valid fairways & most are visible from the tee, which is a huge perk. This is an open course with high exposure to the elements -- if it's sunny, you'll get plenty, and the same goes for wind.

UAH is a beautiful, well maintained course that will challenge both your distance and accuracy (through long up shots, placement holes and avoiding OB). The majority of the course is very long with half the holes over 400ft. Most of the course is wide open, but there are a couple wooded holes and a few other holes with strategically placed trees. There is OB in play on over half the holes in the form of roads, sidewalks and water.

While big distance can really help you out here, it can also get you in trouble if you aren't accurate. Distance is helpful, but I believe a player who can throw 300-350 ft accurately can do well here.

Course has great signage, long tee pads, the baskets are in good shape and even have flags on top of them.

Very little shade, bring water in the summer! It would be nice to have more trashcans and benches here.

The course has a very nice flow from hole to hole, however there is a bit of a walk from 13 to 14 and 14 to 15. It isn't difficult to find the next hole, but it's not obvious like it is on the rest of the course.

Keep that in mind this is a championship caliber course, not a par 3/ace run course. If this is the kind of course you're looking for, you won't be disappointing.

Championship caliber course that will test most aspects of your game, but none more than your middle approach shots. There is good signage and concrete tee pads on every hole. The course flows naturally, so finding the next hole shouldn't be a problem. There's also a lot distance for those with big arms, but it's not just a grip-it and rip-it course. It was designed to be a pro-level course, so a lot of the trouble is magnified when you start throwing it 400+ (which I don't ). It's right on campus, so it's usually well maintained, and you're close to stores and the like.

Holes 4 (The Beast), 13 (The Leech), & 17 (The Dragon) are demanding, but really good holes.

There are no trash cans or benches on the course, which detracts a bit, because there is no shade other than a few holes, and having a place to sit and rest would be a nice addition. It also borders a few busy campus roads, and one very busy road, so it can be a bit distracting sometimes. However, this isn't a big negative, because the roads allow for some strategic OB lines on a few holes.

Bottom line, this a good course, but isn't necessarily beginner friendly. Most of the holes are very long, and several equally require good accuracy and big D. I enjoy playing the course due to it's challenge, and it's also a special course in the area because it has held USDGC twice, and the USWDGC. If you're looking for an easy pitch and putt course, this isn't it. However, if your looking for a good course that will challenge every facet of your game, then this is the place for you. I definitely recommend this course to anyone in the area, or anyone looking to take a day trip for some disc golf.

Favorite Holes: 2**(the old one), 4, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17, 18

**Update: 2 was a great hole, but now, due to the layout change, it leaves a lot to be desired.

Tee Pads are in great shape. Holes are challenging and require placement off the tee. There is a lot of thinking about how to set yourself up for approaches which I believe adds a lot to the game. Signs are excellent. Groundskeeping was immaculate. Bathrooms are close to a majority of the holes.

Litter...there are few (if any) garbage cans on the course. There is a small pond that some of the holes play around and it was full of trash all along the bank of hole 17. There was also a lot of trash in the woods lining hole 4.

Traffic Distractions...Some holes are close to the interstate. Some play along a strectch of a 4-lane road that is very very busy. Many other holes play along campus roads. There were more than one occasion where I would wait for traffic as flight paths go over the roads.

DiscCatchers...I just don't like them. But these have been decorated very well by the Rocket City Chain Gang.

If you asked me to grade the design of the course, I would give it around a 4.5. But the traffic that is encountered is a nuisance at some point. I know I am not the highest rated pro, but stepping up to a tee pad and thinking "if I don't get on top of this drive, it may hyzer out into 4 lanes of traffic" is not a thought that makes a course enjoyable. Strangely, I found this course to be almost stressful to play and I play for relaxation. The litter was a pretty big problem. If it was cleaned up with some garbage cans placed at every third hole or so, the course would look much better.

As a side note (this did not factor into my evalauation) I found the locals to be very unfriendly. There were two guys that were in front of me, which is what I wanted because I did not have a map and I wanted to see where they would go after holing out. After a few holes they yelled at me to play through. I told them why I was following them but they said I was "pressuring" them by waiting at the tee. So I finally thought "screw it" and I played through. Then about 4 holes later, they yelled ahead at me because I was taking too long and didn't know where to go. There was also another guy who jumped in front of me in the middle of the course. No big deal, I figured I would follow him. There are two holes that play parallel (down and back) and we both teed off at the same time, so our drives landed about the same distance, each in our own fairway. Well he was about 30 feet away, so I politely said "how's it going?" as I passed. He looked right at me, kinda shrugged his shoulders and grunted and walked right past. So I just finished my round and drove to Guntersville for the night.