+ It's a course, of course

+ 9 baskets, 9 tee signs - navigation isn't a problem and the course plays a loop

+ Lightning-quick bag, beginner friendly, ace runs abound

+ Mix of open shots & wooded shots

- Painfully short

- With the school right next to the course I imagine there are times of the day/week where playing could be affected by activities

Mars Bluff. Back in '58 this was the site of one of our country's biggest "OH GOD NO!" moments. Just look the place up and have fun with that wild bit of history. Anyway, today it has the closest niner to 95 in the area and as such, it ended up in my sights while heading up the eastern seaboard in September.

From reading prior reviews I knew I probably shouldn't expect anything particularly memorable, but I was wrong, I will always remember Mars Bluff for being what has to be the shortest course I've ever played. I'm not here to pick it apart, and I've certainly played worse, it's just definitely an acquired taste. A taste for short. Wow-Short. It took me longer to get to the course from the interstate than it took to play it, that's how short we're talking. I can't remember if I've ever played a hole less than 100' but here there are 2, and 7 out of 9 are less than 200'.

That said, what we've got here is a great little course for beginners and kids that can certainly be challenging for anyone working on distance control. I imagine any locals here are acing several holes on the regular. This drive-thru bagger was underwhelmed though.

A hodgepodge of a course with good and bad elements.

Mars Hill is on an unassuming piece of park near a school. It utilizes a 50/50 mix of open and wooded land, starting and ending near the same parking lot. The park is small enough to know right where you are throughout, so getting seriously lost isn't an issue.

The equipment is meh, as noted below, but the infrastructure on the whole is respectable. The flow is mostly clear and intelligent, there's no doubt what the lines and teeing places are, and each hole has an obvious basket. The park is maintained. This should also be a quick play.

When it comes to the actual disc golf portion, Mars Hill is okay. The open holes (1)-(2) and (8)-(9) are pretty straightforward drives with only basic shaping considerations (treelines, an early gap). (3)-(5) are very tight and wooded for a nice change of space, and are all good ace opportunities if you weave through the trees. The standout holes are (6) and (7). The former is an atrocious low ceiling dogleg right, while the latter is the hardest hole on the course as a dead-straight, downhill 300' drive with a gap 100' from the tee and a treeline all the way on the left.

Personally, I found this a pretty fun layout. Don't get me wrong, it's not notable, but for a quick course it offers a decent variety and plenty of birdie chances.

The first con to come to mind is the equipment/amenities. Tees are natural (though well-marked), signs only include hole info with no map, and seven of the baskets are single-chain DISCatchers that spit your putt right back at you. Two baskets also lean. This combination gave me at least two spitouts, which is way too high a ratio.

The limited scope of the course is certainly a talking point. The open holes aren't that interesting, and the wooded holes are so short as to prevent full throws. This is a very basic course from a design perspective.

Hole (6) deserves a special mention. I parked the 160' hole only using my fastest, most overstable driver and a humongous skip under the low-hanging tree. I did not like it (Sam I am). This hole would be much better if it was thrown to basket (7), but then that would eliminate the all-star hole following it. On the other hand, (7) is so clearly out of step with the rest of the course difficulty that such a change might not be terrible.

Mars Hill is a very basic course, but one that I enjoyed. The equipment is a bit lacking, but other than the baskets it's entirely harmless to be built up so little. A mix of hole designs and solid flow make it a solid Reasonable in my book. A perfect bagging stop.

~Similar Courses: Jack Mattox Recreation Complex (Ringgold, GA); Blair Mill/Crooked Creek Crossing (Stallings, NC); a flat version of VHCC Wolves (Abingdon, VA).

Course is short, which is great for kids and beginners. Signage was adequate. Course appeared well taken care of. All baskets were in place and serviceable. Course can be played in 20 minutes which would make it a good lunch break option.

Course lacks long distance holes, but this course wasn't designed for that. When I played, there were no outdoor school activities taking place. If there were, they may restrict play.

I rated this course a 3.0 because I think it is good for what it is intended for. That is, beginners and kids. When starting out, you are told to throw mid-ranges and putters. Well this is the course for that. The holes are short, but accuracy is rewarded on holes 1, 3, 4, 5 and 7. It is a great place to learn and sharpen your short game.

Short, fun course with tight woods & open grass holes. Perfect for elementary school, beginners, families & a fun short, practice course for all others.Less than 10 minutes off I-95. Perfect quick stop break with food options on the way.

Several baskets & poles are leaning and need repair. (still very playable). #5 basket IS back in place. Tee pad 6 is lined-up toward basket 7. (6 basket is a tight left/right shot.)

Played 9 holes in 15 min with 3 disc.

Easy 9 holes that play really fast.

Some technicality in the wooded area.

Good for practicing mid-range discs.

Not much here to complain about other than it's small and not very difficult. But it wasn't designed for amateur or pro level players.

While traveling, I decided to stop by. Glad elementary schools are giving their kids the opportunity to learn the game and play at school. It's a huge positive for the game overall. Wouldn't travel here to play this course; but it's good for the community and kids locally to learn.

Mars Bluff is a short, simple 9-hole layout. If you overlook the flaws, you will see the makings of a decent, beginner-friendly layout.
- Short and fast. That's your round here. Average hole length is 164 feet with only two longer than 175. I carried three discs and that was one too many.
- Course offered some decent layouts. #1 starts out throwing between two trees, but that's only to disguise a wide-open layout. Holes #3 & 4 play in the woods. #7 is the best hole by far, a 272-foot, slight downhill shot throwing through a generous gap to an open field. Course needs several more holes of this caliber to be taken seriously.
- Holes #3 & 4 are nothing more than glorified long/lag putts. I nailed my long putt on #3 - can't call a 95-foot shot an ace - and skimmed my putt on #4 to within 3 feet of the basket.
- There's plenty of room to grow and/or modify layouts here. You could easily remove one of the lesser holes - #4 or #8, for example, and create a better layout with minimal effort.
- Aimed at kids/beginners. Course is behind an elementary school. Enough said.

Course is in a state of disrepair and neglect. The basket for #5 is gone. Several other baskets are bent and/or leaning. Also, I couldn't find a tee marker for #6.
- The course is lacking challenge and enjoyment. Except for #7 or 9, I felt like I was practicing approach shots, trying to get up and down in 2. I guess that's what happens with a course that features 4 holes at 111 feet or shorter.
- No amenities here: benches, bathrooms, water fountains, or trash cans. That's only going to be an issue if you're trying to play a 24-hour marathon. Everyone else will be gone in 20 minutes or less for their round. It was 13 minutes from the time I turned off my truck to when I was back in it.

This wasn't what I expected. Had wanted to bag the course for a long time because it wasn't 'that far' out of the way. I pictured it in a neighborhood park; didn't realize this was a school course.
- This course is best served as a practice spot. With open fields and baskets, you can be practicing all types of shots, angles, and goals.
- That said, even if I were going to college across the street, I don't know how often I'd stop by here. It's clear the course isn't a priority for anyone.
- Florence needs a better course than this. There's got to be a park with enough room to make a more enjoyable layout than this one.
- With a little attention, course gets a ratings bump from me. As it is, it's a one-and-done for me. At least I carded a 1, which is the rating this course deserves.

-Great ace race chances with short holes and a great beginner course to teach on.
-Easy to navigate layout with good signage.
-Greens are kept very well.
-Baskets are in decent shape (except hole #5 is missing)
-Very quiet and relaxing location.

-Too easy for more advanced players. (this course is designed for kids)
-Wildlife on holes #4 trough #6 can become a problem during the summer months.
-Only open on the weekends or when School is closed.

I had a blast at this course with my 6 and 7 yr olds. They really got into this course with it being easier. I loved that the smaller layout engaged them into the sport of disc golf. A great place to hold Ace Races and family gatherings with the course also having a huge picnic area with tables.

This is probably the most fun of any of the elementary school courses that I've played. I wouldn't have said that after the first two holes. A wide-open shot 90-foot shot across a field. A 200-foot similar shot. But then the course actually veers into the woods. Yes, the shots are short. Very short. But there are some tight channels to throw down. Though little more than upshots, at least these are interesting upshots.
There are some more open shots at the end but the open shots here are well-maintained and look much nice than those at similar courses. I think it has the potential to provide a great introduction to the game for kids, mostly because of how interesting the holes are. They won't be making throw after throw across open space, especially since most holes are under 100 feet. (If this were close to the highway, it'd be worth a stop for those that want ace runs.)
I also appreciated how much the course stayed away from parts of school property that could be damaged or would often feature other student activities.

The major issue is the tree down across the middle of the fairway that at this point, I would assume is never going to be removed. On the one hand, it's not a big deal, no one is here for an elite experience. On the other, kids are going to trying to cross this hazard.
A third of the tee shots are approaches. The course is an elementary course.

It's a disc golf course at an elementary school, and right next to a university, so it is terrific exposure for the sport to people who could well become life long disc golfers.

There are a couple of interesting holes, mainly 4, 5, and 7, but 5 is in need of major maintenance, and 7 needs a little love too.

Hole 5 is a nice right turning shot through the woods with a finish out in the open, but was only barely playable on my visit (more on this in the cons section). Hole 7 is a slightly downhill shot through an early gap between two rows of trees, but if you've got the arm for it there's a monster hyzer line out to the right over the trees, but a bit of trimming is needed to make either of these lines play well. I also enjoyed the first hole, teeing off between two trees to a fairly close by basket for a good ace run. Speaking of ace runs, this course is full of them, and that's not a bad thing.

This course needs some love. It needs somebody to love it. It needs maintenance. When I visited, hole 5 was only barely playable due to two downed trees. Hole 7 needed some good trimming to make it play better. While I personally like the potential challenge hole 7 could provide, I don't think it's a very appropriate hole for elementary school kids. There was a damp swampy ditch not too far off the tee, right at the gap in the trees that would likely come into play heavily for an elementary schooler, especially if they missed the gap a little and caught a tree.

Several of the holes are kind of filler-ish, if you know what I mean. After two holes, I thought this was going to just be 9 baskets in a field. In reality, it's more like 4 or 5 baskets in a field, and 4 or 5 holes that require at least a little shot making.

Hole 3's basket is only 15 or so feet from the middle of 4's fairway. Speaking of hole 3, it's basket is not the one right in front of you as you walk up to the tee from the previous basket. That's the basket for hole 6. 3's basket is off to the left, into the woods, a little confusing on the navigation front. And speaking of hole 6, I kind of thought this was a weird-ish hole. It seemed to me that the turn to get around the trees to the basket within the given length of the hole was a bit too severe, although in retrospect, I think a cut roller may work well there.

The tee sign posts were easy to spot, but many of the actual tee markers were nowhere to be seen, and some of the baskets were in rough shape, bent from what seemed like close encounters of the lawnmower kind, but still quite functional.

I ran into a group of what appeared to be Francis Marion students playing the course, and queried them about the maintenance issues. They indicated that hole 5 had been blocked since December 2012, 10 months earlier, which leads me to ask, "Where Is the Love?" It seems that this is a course with potential, in an area that has few disc golf options. It needs somebody to care for it. I would probably give this course a solid 2 disc score if it were well kept, as it is, it's a one for me.

There is a convenience store within quick walking distance of the course for any snack/refreshment/restroom needs. I don't recall seeing any benches on the course, or any restrooms or water fountains at the park.

Hopefully, someone will start to care for this course and it won't fall into a state of unusable disrepair. While I wouldn't go too far out of my way to play, I think Mars Bluff could be a great success with a little love.

*All Innova Discatcher Pros
*All Tee's are marked with numbered post.
*Easy navigation with good signage.
*2 of the Holes had fairly wooded designs.
*A great course for children to learn the sport.

*Very short distances that offer little challenge
*Located on School property, this course is too congested to play on weekdays.
*A Beginner Course or Ace-Race course, there is no-real challenge for better players.
*The goal for #6 is damaged.

Although this course is small, I still found it worthy of at least playing as a warm-up or ace race course. The design for this course was perfect taking in consideration the small amount of land used. If in the neighborhood, I would recommend to at least try once.
*Great course to introduce children or new players.

A great course to learn on.

The design is boring--lots of flat, open fields with no obstacles. Access is limited to hours when the neighboring school is out.

Holes 3 and 4 cross over each other. If playing on a day with heavy traffic (which is unlikely), it could create a problem.

The course had 3 holes that were OK. It was easy to find the course....

Tee boxes were hard to find. Hard to find where the next basket was... Course was very short and way to open...

Not a great course..

It's a small park rec course that is directly behind Wallace Gregg Elementary School.
-Nice little course that is perfect for introducing new players to the sport. As well as offering an activity for non-players, or even an afternoon activity to take a date.
-As it's been said, there are 2 holes that are under 100ft. So if you are looking for that place to empty your bag trying for an ace, this is it. *#3 will make you earn it, since it's 15ft inside the tree line. Good Luck, and have fun!
-If you are coming to Myrtle Beach, by way of Florence, then a stop here can make for a nice break.
-great place to practice your short game.
-If you have children, then there is playground equipment nearby.
-DISCatchers
-Sign posts, with footage.
*I made a course map, and added it to the "links/files" tab.

-Some of the markers are missing, but the tee signs put you nearby.
-#3 doesn't specify where the basket is, so it's very easy to mistake the #6 basket for number 3. Just remember, that 3 is in the trees on the left.
-Because this Course requires you to park on school property, and more specifically where the buses pick up the kids. School hours may not be the best time to play here.
-Did not see any bathrooms or porto's nearby. I think we can safely assume, the elementary school is off limits.

Mars Bluff is what it is: A small playground rec course. You aren't going to come here for a challenge. Maybe a DG fix, to introduce a new player, to add another course to your courses played list, but it's not going to be for the challenge. I played this course with one disc, and shot well under par.

I've updated the "Map Location". It now pinpoints the correct location of the first teebox. The course is behind an elementary school that is about a half mile down Francis Marion road. The school will be on your right. (Provided you are coming from 501/E Palmetto) When you turn into the parking lot, drive along the front of the school until you see a road that goes behind the school. Look for the Bus schedule signs. The park will be on your left. In other words, The park is on the South side of the school, and in back off to the side.

The course is very clean, and in good shape. Except for the bent basket on #6. There are nice wrought-iron park benches located throughout the course. It may not be a challenging course, but a person could have fun here. Especially if you are introducing new players to the game. It's not a bad little course, it's primarily to be enjoyed by locals, elementary students, and the College students down the street. If I was on my way to Myrtle Beach, and I needed a 15 minute breather this place is perfect. I wouldn't drive out of my way to play here, or make a special trip.

Nice place to introduce children to the sport.

The course is addictive like a scratch off lottery ticket, everytime you get so close that you want to keep trying over and over.

Course would be a nice place for a small group to have an ace race.

Don't even bring the drivers out of the car, (unless you want a meat hook for hole 6.)
longest hole is a wide open 272 feet. Only 2 holes are over 200 feet and all 9 holes total just over 1,000 feet.

Course is suited for small groups of small children. A 99 foot wide-open par 3 gives you an idea of the challenge level you should expect.
The fairways cross each other and the holes seem too closely spaced to safely teach disc golf to a large group of kids in physical education class.

Hole 3 is missing the small markers for the tee.
Hole 6's tee sign does not indicate that it is a hard right meat hook shot, the basket for hole 7 is directly infront of the tee for 6.
Hole 7 throws over a slimey swampy area that the kids will not want to throw or walk over.
Hole 8's tee sign is missing, so it takes a little searching for the broken tee markers.

The basket for 6 is back, but it is damaged.

Holes 1, 2, 3, and 8 are simple shots that will tempt you to empty your bag.

The address given takes you to the university, to get to the course, you must turn left just past the university and follow the road to the emelentary school on the right. Course is behind the elementary school, so you may have problems playing during school hours.

Playing this course is like beating Jessica Simpson in Jeopardy, it's fun at first, but eventually you will want a challenge.

Very little going for it. It maximizes the small amount of land that it's on. It weaves in and out of some wooded areas, but is mostly played in the open. Since it's located adjacent to an elementary school, makes a great course for kids in that age group.

With short holes, and easy navigation, school age kids can get exposed to the game, without it being overly difficult. Losing a disc here is extremely hard.

There are several ace runs and the course is extremely convenient to I-95.

Very short and very open holes makes it too easy and boring for the average disc golfer. You can play a round of 9 holes in about 15 minutes.

Access is limited during school hours since the closest available parking is on school grounds.

Hole #6 basket is missing.

This course is tailor made for use by elementary school age kids. The mostly short and open holes, are a great way to introduce disc golf to children at a young age.

Since this course is just of I-95 and towards the SC coast, it may make a slight diversion for your trip, but you will be second guessing your decision on why you bothered to stop.

The course has lots of ace-able holes. One or two are less than 100 ft! The last two holes, (8, 9) are pretty long.

The grass had been cut but didnt look all that great. Nice little course next to an Elementary school.

Unfortunatley Hole number 6 had been hit by a lawn mower, and completely damaged. I was on my way to Myrtle Beach so Florence was a nice place to stretch my legs and play a short game of disc golf.

Great for beginners with a mix of open holes and a few wooded ones.

Since the course is next to an Elementary School, I am not sure if there is access during school hours. Basket 6 was gone when I went so i just played 2 basket for hole 6

Some holes are really short, so I made my own tees to make it more interesting