Victor Ashe Park reviews
1
2
RichMeade
Experience:
13.1 years
34 played
5 reviews
Mediocre at best 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 26, 2011
Played the course:once
Pros:
Concrete pads..
Cons:
No real navigation aids...
No course map at the start...
no "next tee" signs..which can really ruin your day after hole 5 if you don't know where you are going.
No innovation as far as the layout.
It's got some long hole, over rolling hills, that really take no skill to hit.
The wooded holes are run of the mill
and the "moderately wooded" holes (fields with trees) are tough, but not because they require skill so much as luck...
Longs of overhanging branches that cover shooting lanes, and if the hole isn't mowed, it's fairly easy lose a disc.
No course map at the start...
no "next tee" signs..which can really ruin your day after hole 5 if you don't know where you are going.
No innovation as far as the layout.
It's got some long hole, over rolling hills, that really take no skill to hit.
The wooded holes are run of the mill
and the "moderately wooded" holes (fields with trees) are tough, but not because they require skill so much as luck...
Longs of overhanging branches that cover shooting lanes, and if the hole isn't mowed, it's fairly easy lose a disc.
Other Thoughts:
For a "well since we are here" kind of day...it served it's purpose...
We got lost after hole 5 because there was nothing that said..."hey, you have to walk a half-mile around the trees to get to #6...which admittedly tainted the rest of the round.
Play it if you are in town...but this is not a destination course.
We got lost after hole 5 because there was nothing that said..."hey, you have to walk a half-mile around the trees to get to #6...which admittedly tainted the rest of the round.
Play it if you are in town...but this is not a destination course.
8
2
2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 20, 2009
Played the course:once
Pros:
18 hole course very spread out over some spacious land in a city park. This course is in a nice area of town that makes you feel safer about being here, playing, and leaving your car unattended for a couple of hours (unlike nearby Morningside). Each hole has a concrete tee and serviceable basket. The tee signs are not the newest, but are still decent and, most importantly, informative.
General hole design is pretty good. There is variety here as some holes are wide open, many play through an orchard-like area of several isolated trees, hole #1 plays over water, and #18 plays through more dense woods. There is some minor elevation that comes into play on some of the holes as well. This course is longer and spread out so it takes a lot longer than normal to play 18 holes which tests both your physical and mental toughness along with your shot making skills.
Hole #1 is one of the better disc golf holes around, and maybe the best opening hole your will find anywhere. The slightly elevated tee plays across the large pond to a basket located on a peninsula that is well protected by trees and other plants. This is a tough opening hole (no warm-up holes before trouble here!) with a chance to lose a disc on your first throw. And then if you do it will be a mental challenge to forget about it over the next 17 holes.
For those who have the ability to throw it really far, this course provides some opportunity as there are several really long holes that are wide open. These holes are also good for newer players trying to improve length or learn shot shapes without having to worry about losing a disc .
General hole design is pretty good. There is variety here as some holes are wide open, many play through an orchard-like area of several isolated trees, hole #1 plays over water, and #18 plays through more dense woods. There is some minor elevation that comes into play on some of the holes as well. This course is longer and spread out so it takes a lot longer than normal to play 18 holes which tests both your physical and mental toughness along with your shot making skills.
Hole #1 is one of the better disc golf holes around, and maybe the best opening hole your will find anywhere. The slightly elevated tee plays across the large pond to a basket located on a peninsula that is well protected by trees and other plants. This is a tough opening hole (no warm-up holes before trouble here!) with a chance to lose a disc on your first throw. And then if you do it will be a mental challenge to forget about it over the next 17 holes.
For those who have the ability to throw it really far, this course provides some opportunity as there are several really long holes that are wide open. These holes are also good for newer players trying to improve length or learn shot shapes without having to worry about losing a disc .
Cons:
The layout is pretty bad. The flow does not seem logical and is very unnatural in many spots. There are a couple of places where there are long walks to the next hole, and then there is the walk from 15-16 that has to be the longest walk between holes in the world. What makes these walks worse is there is absolutely no signage telling you which way to go or that you still have a mile to go before you will see the path to the next tee. Thankfully the course was crowded and there were locals to assist us. It was obvious by the comments that they know navigation is a problem, but nobody seems to see the need to fix it.
Speaking of crowds, this course is very popular by players of all ages and skill levels, as it viewed by many to be the best in the area, so you probably encounter lots of other people playing here, and many may be in larger than normal groups. Also a factor is the walking trail that runs along and through the same area of the park. You will possibly have to wait on walkers, runners, dog walkers, etc. as this park is very popular for these activities as well.
I am not a huge fan of really long holes that are completely wide open, and this course has several of them, often back to back. Most of the other holes in the middle are just ok, nothing that really stands out, and they do start to get repetitive. As listed as a pro, hole #1 is awesome and you hope the whole course is up to that standard, but unfortunately it goes downhill quickly after that. (We joked that if we ever came back, we would just play #1 a few times and then leave!)
This course is a long walk and takes extra time to play because of its length, long walks, and popularity. It does not loop back to the car in the middle of the round, and there is little shade. During the summer months, add in the TN heat and humidity, and this course can take a lot out of you- almost to where it might not be fun if you are not prepared.
Speaking of crowds, this course is very popular by players of all ages and skill levels, as it viewed by many to be the best in the area, so you probably encounter lots of other people playing here, and many may be in larger than normal groups. Also a factor is the walking trail that runs along and through the same area of the park. You will possibly have to wait on walkers, runners, dog walkers, etc. as this park is very popular for these activities as well.
I am not a huge fan of really long holes that are completely wide open, and this course has several of them, often back to back. Most of the other holes in the middle are just ok, nothing that really stands out, and they do start to get repetitive. As listed as a pro, hole #1 is awesome and you hope the whole course is up to that standard, but unfortunately it goes downhill quickly after that. (We joked that if we ever came back, we would just play #1 a few times and then leave!)
This course is a long walk and takes extra time to play because of its length, long walks, and popularity. It does not loop back to the car in the middle of the round, and there is little shade. During the summer months, add in the TN heat and humidity, and this course can take a lot out of you- almost to where it might not be fun if you are not prepared.
Other Thoughts:
This course is very popular locally and many seem to really enjoy this course, but I personally found it to be average and generally uninteresting. There are a few good holes here, and I can see some positives, but there are really just too many cons for this to be a top level course and major disc golf destination. Knoxville as a whole for disc golf would rank in TN below the Nashville, Memphis, and Bristol areas in my opinion. OK if you are passing through, but don't make it a priority destination.
I was debating between a 2.5 and a 3.0, but I give it a strong 2.5, which is the rating for a decent/typical course. It does not place in the upper half of all the courses I have played, it is just on the outside.
I was debating between a 2.5 and a 3.0, but I give it a strong 2.5, which is the rating for a decent/typical course. It does not place in the upper half of all the courses I have played, it is just on the outside.
