Hico, WV

Songer Whitewater New River Gorge

2.255(based on 10 reviews)
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4 0
jkdisc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.5 years 117 played 108 reviews
1.00 star(s)

needs work 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course needs a lot of work but it has the potential to be really, really good. They have the land to work with and some cool ideas (tall basket, hanging basket, water hazards.)
Other pros:
-open and wooded holes
-scenic

Cons:

The first 2 holes weren't playable due to tents being in the way (they were in the tent section so it's not their fault.) There was actually caution tape behind the basket but it was seriously 5 feet from the basket and there were cars/tents right up to the tape.
Other cons:
-litter (there were signs saying not to litter but not many garbage cans)
-most holes were too similar
- the red, possibly homemade baskets had gaps in the bottom that you disc could fall through
-very long walk from #10-11 on a very narrow path
- there is a mailbox at tee #1, I pulled out a map and it was to a course in St. Louis, the rest of the maps were to St. Louis too.

Other Thoughts:

This is a Whitewater Rafting company and they have disc golf available for their clients, disc golf is just an extra activity not a destination. So if you want to go rafting and want to camp on site bring your discs or pick some up in their pro shop, otherwise pass this one by.
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3 0
Tone
Experience: 15.8 years 33 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Songer Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 20, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Hanging baskets, elevated baskets, ponds to throw over, camping on sight, you can even eat the black berries that are all over the place! The staff is very friendly & you might even play with a guide or two.

Cons:

THORNS! Don't forget your jeans if your going to play here, and a can of bug spray won't hurt either. One hole does play through a camp area, but we would just move a bit over from the tee & still get most of the 589 foot hole.

Other Thoughts:

Can't wait to go back, there was nothing like stepping out of the tent walking 200 feet & being at a tee. Thanks for a great time Songer!
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2 1
eileenontrees
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 8, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

interesting hazards
nice loop layout
dog friendly

Cons:

lots of briers, thick brush surrounding fairways; some path areas generally muddy; some holes very short

Other Thoughts:

agree this course has potential to be much better, but it is fun if you are driving through the area. A few of the holes are truly awesome, across a pond, down a pine tunnel, across hay field...
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3 0
newsguru
Experience: 15.8 years 6 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Hike, throw and have fun 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Fun basket placement like strung up between two trees or on top of a 8-foot pole - Well kept area through the woods and open space - Short distances for beginners and difficult lines for advanced players - Pro shop, bathrooms and practice basket at the start of the course - Free - Great to play with a few friends - Some holes have signs that indicate length and desired flight pattern - Very friendly staff and other disc golfers

Cons:

Baskets don't seem to be regulation - Poor signage - No tee pads - No all baskets are easily seen or identified - No course maps - Glass by some holes - Can't play all of the holes at all times with campers nearby - Have to watch for campers and drivers while throwing near camp sites or roads

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed playing this course. Yes it has poor signage and is difficult to find every hole without someone else's help BUT it's a awesome course to play.

I picked Songer for a rafting trip specifically because it has a disc golf course. I'd love to give it a higher rating but it needs improvements.

The course needs some minor changes to be better. Mainly signage. Some holes don't have signs, others don't have tee pad indicators and most have nothing to show people where the next hole is.

No matter what. It would be a fun course to play if you're in the area rafting, camping or just passing through. I would honestly recommend this to all levels of players. It's a self-esteem builder when pars aren't hard to come by and there's chances for aces.

The management needs to take the disc golf course attraction seriosly and invest $500 in it. PUT UP SIGNS AND CLEAR SOME TEE PADS!

Songer is a leader in rafting the Gauley and New Rivers. Hopefully, they can make some changes and become a leader in disc golf. Lets hope because this course has a TON of potential!
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1 0
Dunksmooth
Experience: 15.9 years 12 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

So Much Potential! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

The property on which the course is laid out is perfect for disc golf. This will never be a professional level course due to the limited distance on most holes; however, there are many positive points.
The baskets are in good shape and several have been creatively placed (suspended between trees, elevated, etc). The general design is good. It has a decent flow and fairly well defined fairways. The maintenance of the course (brush, weeds, grass) would be considered fair to good. There are several elevation changes with no major uphill drives. Played on a Sunday afternoon but we were the only people on the course. The staff members at the clubhouse were very polite and helpful.

Cons:

Signage was very poor to non-existant which made for a tough time finding holes (we actually missed a hole somewhere and only played 17). Tee pads were also non-existant - every drive was made from dirt. There were no benches or trash cans along the course once you left the crossover at hole 4. Campgrounds came into play on two holes which could cause problems during busier times. Most holes seemed to be between 150 and 175 feet long and would not be considered challenging buy a more experienced / talented player.

Other Thoughts:

Despite the obvious problem areas I thoroughly enjoyed playing this course. With a little time and money this course could be one of the best in West Virginia. Tee boxes, signage and a few changes in hole length / difficulty would do wonders.
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2 0
SomeChump
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 33 played 32 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Nothing special 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some fun holes

Cons:

Long walks between holes, notably #1-#2 and #15-16. Throwing through tent sites on at least one hole. Tees suck.

Other Thoughts:

I only played the "front nine" (1-3 and 13-18) due to some time limitations. 8 of those 9 holes were a straight shot, some quite short. Tricky to figure out the first hole. Find the mailbox. Then throw across the left side of the lake. Signs are decent after that.
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1 0
bryan
Experience: 16.6 years 61 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Incredibly fun yet rough course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 14, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Beautiful scenery, pond hazard, looong downhill shots, good variety of wooded/open, different types of shots needed, 18 holes, friendly people, disc shop

Cons:

A couple very short holes, dirt tees, half the pins were made by a shop class(but work fine), campers during September/early Oct., some thick bushes

Other Thoughts:

This course may be rough around the edges, but I enjoy it more than 90% of the 25+ courses I've played. This is what dg is all about; it's super laid-back and is all about having tons of fun at quite a few challenging holes. Cool shot across a ravine, another one down a pine tree gauntlet, and a 700' downhill(#2)
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4 2
dobbins66
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.9 years 157 played 21 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Untapped Potential 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2006 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful area for a course with lots of potential.
There is a ton of room and a very nice course could be put in this area.

Cons:

Layout needs work - As with the other reviewer I encountered tents in the fairways & near baskets and other obstacles that should not be near a fairway. I had to skip holes for fear of hurting someone.
Signs are needed - I wasn't sure which way to go to the next hole on occasions. Near the end I got frustrated and did not finish the course.
Many places to lose discs.
It appears that no real thought was put into this course but there is a great area to work with.

Other Thoughts:

Most holes are shorter and through the woods, Heavy brush off the fairways on holes that can slow play looking for discs.
I realize the Disc Golf course is not Songer Whitewater's #1 priority but a nice course could be put in here. They have the land and terrain that would be great for a course with a little design help and some better signage.
If you happen to be in the area try it but don't drive out of your way or you will be disappointed.
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4 1
Andy Hlavac
Experience: 35 played 20 reviews
2.50 star(s)

So-so course...world-class rafting 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 4, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is located on the site of Songer Whitewater, a company that gives whitewater rafting expeditions down the New River and Gauley River in West Virginia. The course itself is more like a complimentary feature to the Songer's expedition business and campsite. One "pro" for this course is the scenery. West Virginia is wild and wonderful and you really get to experience that walking from hole to hole. #16 is a straight shot through a forest of tall, upright pines. When I played the setting sun shined through and the path to the basket was glowing bright orange.

Cons:

This course is not challenging. Many of the holes are (very!) short and straight. I ended up with a -4 and my friend shot -7 (playing everything as par 3).

Other Thoughts:

While this is not a championship course, I would not rate it a 1 like the other reviewer did. I did not have major problems with tee boxes or bugs. As I said before, this is just one more activity built into Songer Whitewater's outdoor recreation campground. If you are planning to go rafting down some of the world's most exciting whitewater, choose Songer over the other expedition companies because they also offer free disc golf!
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3 2
PhattD
Experience: 32.8 years 54 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 29, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

About the best thing I can say for this course is it has potential. The terrain is well suited for a course and the people are very nice and helpful. I switched the descripton to moderately hilly because it seemed more accurate, It could only be considered mostly flat by a mountaineer.

Cons:

The number one con to this course is that it doesn't appear to get played very often. As a result the fairways are very overgrown and if you have an errant throw bring a machete. The bugs were so bad I was wiping gnats out of my eyes to throw. I'm guessing fall would be more pleasant. Hole 1 had a tent pitched within 20' of the basket, their car wasn't much further. Hole 2 was a long open field with plenty of picnic table obstacles. Tee pads ranged from poor to downright dangerous, #3 slopes down hill, is short, and has a line of half buried cinder blocks to denote the front edge. One of the baskets was 5' off the ground.

Other Thoughts:

If you're in the area sto by otherwise skip it. I decided to up my rating due to some of the other reviews. I initially reviewed it because no one else had. When I played it last it looked like it had lots of potential so I am working on the assumption that it has improved. I wil likely never be in the area to play it again so I thought it unfair to leave my poor rating up there.
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