Mt. Berry, GA

WinShape DGC

Permanent course
2.75(based on 15 reviews)
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11 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Circle Gets A Square 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.322 Rating) A lightly wooded Recreational course.
- BASICS - All the ingredients to deliver the basic disc golf experience, is here. The layout is fairly easy to follow. Hole transitions are short and have simple tee paver engraved hole signage. Despite the notion of pavered tees, these are nicest looking ones I've ever thrown from. Extremely flat and pure, although they were likely brand new during my September 2019 visit. As for the baskets, DISCatchers that are in great condition.
- MAINTENANCE - The grounds were incredibly well maintained for my visit.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I don't think I've ever scored the beauty on a lightly wooded course without a lake in play, this high. The course is on the grounds of a retreat center and yes it felt like a retreat playing here. Again, the maintenance was incredible and the course area was well-manicured.
- QUICK PLAY - It took my quick twosome 60 minutes to tackle the entire layout. I figure a quick solo should bag it in 45 minutes.
- EASY GOING - The course difficulty from the long tees is most closely aligned to middle Recreational. Birdies can be had by Novice level players from most of the short pads. Absolutely no overgrowth areas on the layout. Disc loss potential will be limited to forgetting to pick-up.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Great for newer players as long as the headwater creek is dry.
- ACCESS - There is a manned gate to get into Berry College. Players will need an ID to get onto the grounds, but they will let you in even if you are just playing the course. Please be respectful to the College for this nice gesture.

Cons:

Only very minor issues. Most of what's noted below are descriptions of why I find this to be an average course.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - There are two sets of marked tees here. The back tees require mid level Recreational skills and the front ones are Novice level.
- UNIQUENESS - The back tee distances average 290 feet and only vary from this number by 50 feet twice. A lot of the holes have the same feel and many have blended together in my memory as of this review post. The tee shot views typically have light to moderate tree coverage consisting of mostly pines and a sprinkling of hardwoods. Perhaps 20 feet of elevation play on any one hole. The lone water element in play is going to be a dry headwater creek on most days.
- PARKING - There is no parking near the start or end of the course. It's 450 feet from the end and 500 feet the from the start.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - Heavy woods, elevation, aggressive slopes and a pond are all within 500 feet of the layout. None of these are used.
- LOCATION - The course is located way back into Berry College. Something like ten minutes from the gate access point.
- SPACING - The fairway spacing is not the greatest and players will throw into other fairways on occasion. Tees (7) and (10) are almost on top of each other

Other Thoughts:

This course is a really relaxing play. Sure it's simple, but the format will work good for a big chunk of the playing population that just wants to play a quick care free round. For difficulty and variety in Rome? I think the best option in town still the Shorter University course, unless the new Shannon Park course has something hidden that I can't see from the aerial. As compared to the other course on campus, Log Cabin, I think that one will appeal to those that want to throw on a longer and even more open landscape.
- NAVIGATION - Adequate. As noted above in the "Basics" pros, the tee signs are one of the tee pavers. Thus spotting them will take a few seconds on first play and strolling to the wrong one may occur on the first play.
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3 0
lazrman778
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 264 played 100 reviews
2.50 star(s)

WinShape DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 3, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Short par 54 course that's nice for the junior or rec player

Good mix of open and wooded fairways with some having doglegs and slight elevation changes

Some holes have multiple tees (+ symbol on the cinder block markers indicates the long tee)

Well-maintained

Some holes play near water but the stream here is shallow and narrow enough to not be a threat in losing a disc

Had whole course to myself on a Saturday afternoon

Water fountain between holes #12&13

Free parking

Cons:

No tee signs - tee markers only provide hole number

No next tee signs - course navigation can be confusing for a first-timer

Some natural tee pads were not flat and have exposed tree roots (hole #15 was the worst to drive from)

Some of the holes play near the road (one can expect some delays if there is some traffic)

Some holes in the middle of the course hold water and don't drain well after it rains

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice course at Winshape that I enjoyed playing. Like Log Cabin Course, the course is hard to navigate without a map. Even with very well-maintained grass, the tee markers are hard to spot after finishing a hole but there's not much walking between holes so they are usually close to the previous hole's basket. Once you become familiar with the layout, the course does flow well. Some holes do play near the road but the traffic is less than what you would see at Log Cabin. The course is more technical and less windy than Log Cabin so playing both courses gives you more variety in playing style. Playing around the basketball court at hole #2 and around the pavilion at hole #13 does provide added challenge to this short course. The course is not a destination course but playing this and the course at Log Cabin does make it more worthwhile.
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8 0
jaredbrumbelow
Experience: 7.9 years 16 played 12 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Berry Student's Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 18, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Of the two 18 hole Berry course, I prefer this one. Although there is currently not a map (I will attempt to draw one of interest is shown), once you find the first tee box, almost all of the other tee boxes are logically close to the previous basket (with exception to 9). The course is manicured year round and offers technical holes with some holes that have trees near the tee box and basket and others a more open field. The par 3's definitely seem appropriate on this course as the holes are the proper length just with many obstacles. The many trees offer shade on most holes which make the course easy to play even in the heat of the summer. A water fountain is also available for use on hole 12.

Cons:

There aren't tee boxes per se, but rather white painted cinder blocks that are buried in the ground and marked with the correct number. I'm not picky about a course lacking tee pads or anything of that sort. But, the buried blocks make it very difficult to find forcing someone new to the course to simply look around near the previous basket (if you do so be careful to look carefully as some holes have 2 tee boxes one longer than the other marked with a + and some tees for different holes are close together such as 7 and 10). There is no signage to assist with this and it took multiple rounds for me to find the first tee box and am still unsuccessful in finding the tee for 9. There is a slight concern in playing after it rains, but if you wear shoes you don't mind getting a little dirty, it isn't too bad except for teeing off on 11.

Other Thoughts:

Just as I have offered for Berry's other course, the Log Cabin course, I want to do my part to make it a better experience for my fellow DG'ers. As I play this course weekly right now, it would not take me long to create an accurate map. Although I can't help the shoddy markers themselves, I can help lead you to them. If anyone shows interest, I will note and map this course and post it either on the review or my page that can be either screenshoted or downloadable if I can figure out the formatting.. Feel free to dm me or post on my page about this.
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3 0
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 203 played 201 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Complete re-review

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 8, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I played this course several times when I was starting out and wrote a review like 9 years ago, but it was one of my worst. So I'm going to fully rewrite it.

This course is now 18 holes and is deep within the Berry College campus at the Winshape camp/retreat area.

You can either park at the main building and walk across the soccer field to hole 1 or what I prefer is to park by the basketball pavilion and start on hole 13. The course plays on a loop from any point so it makes basically no difference.

Most of the holes are 220-350 with a couple of longer ones mixed in but all par 3s. The course winds through old growth trees with the terrain going gently uphill to a sharp uphill on 7 and then winding downhill back to the bottom of the hill to 18. There is a good general variety of shots and you probably need 4 distinct shot shapes to score well here.

Decent amount of OB with the road on some holes and I imagine the creek if there ever were events would be OB as well.

Teepads were natural years ago but have been upgraded to pavers on concrete bases and they have the tee signs built into them and they are fairly pretty and mostly accurate. Though I think they pad the distance on a few holes.

It's a fun little 18 and if you have have time to play it and the log cabin course it makes for a pretty decent BT day of disc golf.

Cons:

The main con to me is this course is stuck into a fairly small area on the largest college campus in the US. It's decent, but you could make an epic pro quality course on another part of the property. Good on them for making this a full 18 and it is probably good for the retreat guests and students that's are newer to playing.

Navigation isn't flawless and could be easily solved if the signs weren't built into the pads, since there is nothing vertical you can't see where to go next many times.

This course would be a 3 if not for an intersection of holes 6/7/10. Within circle two of the 6 pin the 7 and 10 pads are on each side FACING EACH OTHER. If you had multiple cards out there it's literally impossible for them to play the holes at the same time. We ran into another card and got into a standoff as to who would throw first.

The paver pads aren't my absolute favorite but aren't a minus really.

Other Thoughts:

If you are in the area make the trip to the campus, play the course and take some time to walk around the reservoir and see the old water wheel and explore a bit. It's not a perfect course but could make for a part of a very fun day.
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0 1
wabrown23
Experience: 13.2 years 38 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Home Course Avantage 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good little par 3 course, great scenery, abundant wildlife, good mix of hyzer, anhyzer and straight shots. A few "longer" holes but nothing unreachable.

Cons:

Not on the level of a tournament course by far, could use a few more trees for added difficult.

Other Thoughts:

The course has changes since being put on this site, I would suggest if you have never played it to give it a chance, and if you have but its been awhile come see some of the new holes.
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4 0
Psalman
Experience: 14.7 years 10 played 9 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A Recreational Course Only 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's always nice when a private institution creates a disc golf course. Berry College has built two, which is really nice for it's students.

This course serves it's purpose as a recreational course for students. Amateur players will enjoy the mature wooded field that has no overhanging branches or undergrowth to interfere with shots. All holes are short and manageable. You could play this course with one disc.

Cons:

The course is on a lowland area with no drainage. My feet sunk 2-3 inches into the mud while walking through the course. I noticed a sign on a nearby field stating do not enter when wet. Seriously, do not attempt to play here when it is wet.

The course is almost completely flat with no real defined fairways. Experienced players will find the short length and lack of obstacles very limiting. All holes are basically a straight shot no matter how you look at it.

The layout of the land does not really allow for much development of the course. If you move the tee or pin location, you basically end up with the exact same hole. Since it is a wetland, the course will likely always be here since it is unsuitable for development.

Other Thoughts:

Consider this course if you live nearby and aren't looking for a serious challenge. Otherwise, I strongly recommend Berry College's other course, Log Cabin. Besides both having 18 holes, the courses do not resemble each other in any way, shape or form.
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9 1
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Typical Course On A College Campus! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 4, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Berry College is a lovely campus with character. Win Shape is a branch campus about three miles from the main campus. Once I found the 1st tee marker, the rest of the course was easily navigable. The course plays 8 holes heading away from the first tee and then the last ten head back toward # 1. This is a short, recreational level course with some very slight elevation change which plays through a park like setting. Very pretty! The baskets are all visible from the teepads, usually there are some scattered trees in the way. Look for the white block tee markers in the ground. They're not always easy to find. In some places, the worn areas might help you find them. This campus seems to be a haven for the local deer population. They're everywhere! I counted 17 hanging around one basket. I scattered them with my tee shot. I wonder if any Berry College disc golfers have a mounted head in their dorm room after thumping a deer with a drive? Think Randy Johnson's 100 MPH fastball and that unfortunate bird he wasted.

Cons:

There are no signs, no amenities of all kind. The teepads are often a little difficult to find. When I played the college was doing some construction/drainage work of some kind. So the last six or seven holes were kind of torn up. I think the white tee markers were lost in bulldozer work. I'm sure they'll replace when the work is done.

Other Thoughts:

What you see is what you get here. It's a little enjoyable, recreational set in the middle of a college campus. It's designed for their students to be able to get in a round between classes or after dinner. Berry College is not looking to be hosting the Worlds. A previous reviewer was wondering why they squeezed this course into this space when they have the room is the world just beyond the main campus. Duh? They wanted their students to be able to WALK over and play this course. Plus they use it with their summer campers.
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6 0
Nightcrawlerdcl
Experience: 10 months 45 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Short Course Needs Some Work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Berry's campus is pristine. If you are an enthusiast visiting the Rome area, you ought to play this or the other course on campus, if only for the sights alone.

The short hole distance caters favorably to those with little experience, and allows more experienced players to put away the driver and concentrate on refining your short game.

A few holes present narrow challenges. Not enough to discourage beginners, and a couple to entertain more experienced players.

WinShape hosts a number of getaway church and other group gatherings, so the course is convenient for those folks.

Despite playing the day after a fairly healthy rain, the course drained pretty well in most areas. The areas that were troublesome were easily avoidable.

Cons:

The design seems forced. With so much space on campus, a more careful and logical design would have improved the experience.

I enjoy unnatural obstacles to a point, but there is a little too much for my liking on this course. Too much interaction with roads, open-air gathering spots, a basketball court and soccer field, a private yard, and even construction equipment (which, even if naturally temporary, is still a drag). Again, with so much space on campus, it seemed a little unnecessary.

No maps or signs to assist your round, either.
I also had trouble getting to the much-discussed difficult-to-find 1st tee box, but even before that, had trouble locating it when driving around, trying to determine the most appropriate place to park. This presents a bad way to start off the course, and continues to be a problem throughout.

Even when you find the teeing areas, there are no boxes to be found! While there is at least in theory a common area for each hole, the course badly needs concrete tees. On several holes, the common area made it more troublesome to tee off than the areas surrounding it.

Other Thoughts:

For virtually the entire round, I was getting eaten alive by gnats. I hesitate to put this in the cons, as it had more to do with the time of year and day than the course itself. Still wasn't much fun, though.

I very much appreciate what this course was intended to do, in theory. In practice, it falls well short. Renovated tee areas, benches, trash cans, and simple "next tee" signs would help what is there.

Being a little greedy, I have to believe a third, top-notch course exists somewhere in the mind of somebody willing and able to unlock what Berry has to offer. Three courses on a relatively small school's campus seems like a lot to ask for, but I think the results could be very rewarding.
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16 0
craigd
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 179 played 118 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Surprise 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 21, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Wow, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this course. The scenery is incredible and as others have mentioned, deer are all around. A small creek runs through the course and several holes play along its banks. It is filled with mature trees, mostly pines with a hardwood here and there.

This is my 16th course to date and by far its the shortest I've played. In other words it is really easy. I am guessing that there are no holes over 250' and some are in the 180' range. This gives nice birdie opportunities for most and probably your best chance for that illusive ace. It is also nice for new players to build confidence or if you want to bring along some younger folks for a fun round. I have played here twice and only saw a few other players so big crowds don't seem to be an issue.

Being a recreational course I think they did a good job finding a variety of risks. There are a few slight uphill and down hill shots. Trees block the basket on a few holes. You really won't feel like you are playing the same hole over and over. It's a nice job with the placement of the tees and baskets in relation to the trees and it really takes good advantage of the landscape. I do think the few fairways that are not strait favor right hand, back hand throwers though. I would like to see more fairways that turn right. It is really a jam up course for its size.

The holes are marked well with cement blocks buried in the ground, painted white and numbers painted in black. Once you find the first tee it is smooth sailing from there. The flow makes perfect sense. Not having signs really is a non issue.

Cons:

There are none of the bells and whistles that you like to have at an established course. For example, there are no benches, signs, maps, visitor kiosk, trash cans, etc. They would really add to the attractiveness of this course.

I found some of the tees pads with exposed tree roots and rocks that were distracting. One of them is on a slight slope too.

Even with basic directions it is a little tough to find the tee pad for hole number one. Now that I know where it is, it's no big deal.

I am afraid that if you like to throw for distance or if you consider yourself a "pro" you might want to pass on this one.

Other Thoughts:

As long as you are not expecting a long or overly challenging course I highly recommend WinShape. I was very pleasantly surprised.

Just to add some more basic directions to the first tee. Let's say you are facing the front of the Inez Henry Hall/WinShape Centre Office in the gravel lot. The first tee is at the other side of the large field to the right. Once you are on the field walk to the far right corner of the field (opposite of the basketball courts) and follow it down the slight hill and look for the white block with the black "1" painted on it. Good luck and have fun.
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8 1
Sea Bass
Experience: 23.7 years 84 played 13 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Good for what it is 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 17, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Great setting.I could not belive how tame the deer are here, I'm pretty sure you could pet them if you tried.
-Easy to follow.Hole 1 was tricky to find, but after that its smooth sailing. From hole 1's teepad hole 16's basket is directly to your right about 100' across the creek, and there is a climbing wall about 200' straight behind you across the road.
-Great use of trees on the land used.Lots of old large pines and oaks, with no undergrowth at all.Looks like in the summer low ceiling shots will be in play much more often.

Cons:

-This course is very short. I am not a huge distance guy, and I teed off with a putter on 14 of the 18 holes.The other ones I used a roc.
-Some of the course area seemed to hold water.It had not rained in a few days when I played and there were a few muddy spots and some standing water.Not really a big issue.
-The course does not start or end near the 2 parking areas that are closest.I parked near the b-ball courts by hole 2's basket.It turned out much closer to 18's basket than hole 1's teepad.
-Little to no shot variety.For a RHBH player every hole except 1 is straight or a slight hyzer.However there are plenty of lanes through the trees to shape shots however you please.

Other Thoughts:

This course is clearly designed for students with 1 or 2 discs, playing rec golf.If you are an avid golfer this course is way too easy for you.Every hole is VERY short.
With that being said this is still a wonderful layout for the players that it was intended for.As short and easy as it was for me, I still really enjoyed this course.Its fun to play and a great course to get new players into the game.

Just to put it out there I rated this course from a competitive players standpoint wich is why I rated it so low.If you keep in mind that this course is designed to give students a safe on campus activity, not for avid disc golfers, you will find this to be a fun well designed little course.
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3 1
JBaggett
Experience: 5 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good course for the area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 23, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Set in beautiful setting with wildlife. Good for beginners and intermediate players. Some variety in shots required.

Cons:

Short (usually 300ft or less) A few rocky tee pads.

Other Thoughts:

I play this a few times a week after work. I think it is the best course in the area. It is fun to play and has high quality baskets. Could benefit from dual tee pads. THE FIRST TEE IS BY THE ROAD ON THE EDGE OF THE FIELD IN A SMALL DEPRESSION.
I play this course at least twice a week. So if anyone has questions I would be glad to help. [email protected] or PM on this site
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0 8
jamiemetts
Experience: 6 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

best course i've played so far 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 19, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

every hole is different

Cons:

trees, but they are not really a big deal

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoy this course because it is an 18 hole course you can do some or all and you all ways feel very satisfied
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9 1
blang
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16 years 44 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Best Course if visiting Rome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 9, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-After finding the first tee pad, you will be able to maneuver the rest of the course very easily.
-Nice scenery with the occasional deer.
- Good selection of up hill, short and medium shots.

Cons:

-Watch out for the Deer poop.
-Not your choice if you like heavily wooded course.

Other Thoughts:

I found this course to be a great recreational course. I did not seem to have the typical bad shot frustrations associated with heavily wooded courses. I did enjoy some unconventional challenges like throwing over/around a 20 foot chain link fence behind the basketball courts on the second hole and throwing around/through a pavilion on the back nine. Most holes are not long but I thought the basket placement was good. If you are visiting Rome and only have one course to play, choose Winshape. I visited all three in the city and this was the only one we could play without a map for the tees.
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2 2
dherdt
Experience: 16.4 years 21 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Natural Beauty, low scores 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 27, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

One of the most beautiful courses I've played featuring wildlife (deer, wild turkey, swans, geese). Although a few trees in play on most every hole, it is mostly open and forgiving. Skilled and intermediate players alike can expect below par rounds with ease, and several good ace runs exist.

Cons:

Summer camp runs in June and July possibly making course in use and/or inaccessible.

***UPDATE***
Just re-played this in November of 2009 - thanks to some construction work on the sewer lines, tee pads are missing and there's a plethora of mud and erosion fences especially on the last 4 holes. I had originally rated this course a 3.5/4 because I loved the beauty of the place, but until grass re-grows and the pads are replaced, it has certainly lost its appeal

Other Thoughts:

This is an 18 hole course, not 9 as noted here. First tee found across soccer field from WinShape center by road running along ravine to basket (34.324N, 85.235W)
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2 1
Steve C
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A good start 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 21, 2007 Played the course:never

Pros:

Located on the Winshape campus of Berry College, well marked tees and manicured grounds are the key points for this course. While I've never actually found the first tee, finding the remaining 17 are a snap. This course is designed for intramural play by Berry College students and is excellent for recreational and junior players, or more advanced players that want to work on their approach shots and putting. Intermediate and Advanced players will see ace opportunities especially on #4, 9 and 14. The trees add technical challenges on several holes especially 8 and 16. A deep ravine runs along #1, 2, and 15. An errant shot will test your recovery skills and your climbing abilities.

Cons:

Not the course for you if you want to work on your long game.

Other Thoughts:

I took my 13 year old son to this course and he loved it (his first time playing DG.)
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