Long Creek, SC

Chattooga Belle Farm

Permanent course
2.865(based on 18 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Chattooga Belle Farm reviews

Filter
13 0
dndelli
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.7 years 134 played 131 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Chattooga Belle Farm

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Chattooga Belle Farms is an 18 hole course with DISCatcher baskets, natural tees, rolling plains, and it's all set with the backdrop of the mountain range on the horizon line. It is an absolutely gorgeous course.

Players with big arms, or players who simply want to open up and throw far will find plenty of chances to do so here. While we were playing there was a single engine prop plane flying around the property which really added a unique ambience to the day.

I thought the use of rolling hills to create dynamic elevation was a huge highlight for me. Watching some people throw really far, but not land with the correct angle and roll way back down a hill created some actual thought to which angle to throw.

The store/restaurant was fantastic! After we finished playing, we made our way to have a nice meal, and it was delicious.

Cons:

The tees being natural and not really having permanent indicators as to their locations, made the course feel like an afterthought for the property. It made finding the tees incredibly challenging, even with uDisc, and felt more like field work. Part of that was because the amount of missed opportunities. Honestly it was pretty staggering how many missed opportunities there were. Outside of the wind and elevation change, there weren't really many, if any obstacles I felt I had to really focus on missing.

Some of the holes were borderline unplayable due to a lack of maintenance. Hole 9 for instance, only had a small strip of grass cut towards the green, with the rest of the fairway having grass up to my shoulders, and I am over 6' tall. It was so unruly, we initially walked past it because "there was no way that was the tee." While it was the first hole in such a rough state, it was not the last.

We played in May, and already the heat, the amount of sun/lack of shade, the distance of the course, and elevation of the course made it a bit taxing to play. I can't imagine how harsh the course would feel in the dead heat of summer. Make sure you bring a water bottle to play here.

Other Thoughts:

Hopefully I will get to come back here to play some time when the course is in a better state, maintenance wise. I would probably come back mostly for the scenery and the farm store to be honest. For now I don't think I could bring myself to give the course higher than a 2.5 rating, and that is with a small bump for the scenery/store combination. If the course had a slightly more interesting design, was better maintained, and had better infrastructure (signage/tees/etc) I could see this being a destination course

Favorite Holes: 3 & 5
Was this review helpful? Yes No
14 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Wow! What A View. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.637 Rating) A medium length and open 18 hole course with stunning backdrop views.
- THE HORIZON LINE - Undoubtedly the first thing one will notice here is the killer landscape. Wonderful views of the southern Blue Ridge Mountains fill the west and north backdrops. The most prominent feature on the horizon is Rabun Bald. Rabun Bald is the second tallest peak in Georgia and it's the focal point from the bistro's viewing deck. While out on the course. There are 3 or 4 times the tee shot is nice just because of the backdrop view. There's a tranquil small pond and lots of wine making grape vines and apple tree orchards flowing along the undulating terrain. The facilities are gorgeous too. The overall beauty of the property (not the disc golf portion) would make my personal top 5. Despite my praise, I only just scored the course beauty into my top 25. This is because the layout doesn't use the land anywhere close to the insanity that was possible. The water clear on (12), was my personal favorite looking hole.
- BOMB PLAYS - After the views, the remaining pros listed are quite a step back in grandeur. So anyways, second I'll note the exhilaration factor of adding 100 feet in distance to a players average drive because of the grade change and open nature of the course. I personally paced off some of my longest backhand drives I've ever had. Hole (3) I thought was the best opportunity to really launch one.
- CHAINS - DISCatcher baskets, woot. A couple have taken some bad hits from farm equipment and need to be repaired.
- FARM STORE - I've never used this header as I rarely go shopping, but for whatever reason I really enjoyed going into the farm store here. Lots of wines, cheeses, sauces, fruits, chocolates, etc for sale. Just about all of it is from small businesses just like this farm. The wife and I spent over $100.

Cons:

The layout and investment doesn't do the land quality justice.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - It's too bad someone like Houck didn't get tapped to design the layout here. This is the type of land that can actually deliver a 4.5 caliber course. Several holes don't have a tree in play. The tee shot variety is pretty bland considering land and space available to use. I often found myself just checking an app for the distance and then quickly grabbing a disc and throwing. The walk between (8) and (9) was extremely disappointing as it's a 500-foot walk through heavy woods to get between two open holes.
- LOST DISC POTENTIAL AND MAINTENANCE - The odds of losing a disc is way higher than normal. Luckily I came out here in very late fall and the grass was no higher than 10 inches on all but one hole. I've read stories that players will get out here during the summer and there's only a single mower pass for a fairway threw waist high grass. I wouldn't even consider playing the course in a condition like that. I'd probably lose a couple within a few holes or spend an hour searching. Be sure and check course conditions before coming here. My score for the course doesn't really factor in seasonal unkempt conditions. Plus the conditions for me weren't too bad.
- NAVIGATION AND SIGNAGE - No course map or tee signs and it's near impossible to follow without a navigational app. I found one simple marked tee, hole (1). After that I played according to the approximate location marked on my app. The only navigational cues I recall seeing were between (8) and (9).
- TEES - Natural tees and only tee (1) had a tee line. Kind-of sad that they couldn't even put up a couple cheap flags to mark the tee-off location.
- NOT BEGINNER FRIENDLY - If the grounds are mowed, perhaps a novice player might have an ok time. I think the ideal player for here is the kid who wants to chuck 500-foot bombs. The challenges presented was not satisfying to me as an Intermediate level player.
- TERRAIN - Not appropriate walking conditions for those with knee and ankle pain. I am in decent shape and the course wore me out. Although I did do a 5-mile waterfall hike earlier and I played two other courses earlier in the morning.
- TIME PLAY - 82 minutes for this quick solo. This includes the time it took me to climb the tree fort next to tee (16). Thus the answer to Craig's tree fort question on climbabilty is a yes.
- WIND - "Come sail away, come sail away, come sail away with me." Poorly throw discs have the potential to sail hundreds of feet off-line on a couple holes.

Other Thoughts:

The drive into this place was awesome. The walk through the front door of the bistro left me awe-struck. The walk over to tee (1) was sensational. But unfortunately, the stare down to basket (1) was rather... meh. This is a really tough course to rate and I'm not surprised that the trusted reviewers have scored it from 1.5s to 3.0s. One of the bigger rating factors here is going to be the wildly different course conditions that are possible. Had I been presented with a one pass mowing strip fairway through knee high grass, I doubt I would have scored it has high as I have. The course reminds me of a newer south Nashville metro stop called Hop Springs Beer Park. That course is also a place with great terrain and off-the-course amenities, and it also lacks thoughtful design and has maintenance issues. All-in-all, I'm going with a high 2.5. I could be lured into a low 3.0 if the tees and navigation were addressed, and also obviously a much higher rating if the course were to be professionally re-designed.
- PAY TO PLAY - It says pay to play on dgcr and other sites, but I did not pay. I even asked an employee about the play cost, and they said "free." Perhaps it was the time of year or the course conditions or they were a new employee? I don't know.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
15 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 585 played 539 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Chattooga Belle 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 23, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Chattooga Belle Farm is a great location with some amazing views. With a course laid out over rolling hills, this seems like it has all the makings of something special. But, is it?
- I can see how Chattooga is a hit or miss course. The fields clearly aren't mowed as often or as short as small, local park. When the grass is tall, this would be a frustrating play.
- A fun, stroll through rolling fields. You seemingly are walking the entire farm to play the course. It feels like you're in the back of the property on holes #5 & 8, then you take a long walk through the woods, and you discover there's even more land.
- Course incorporates all elements of the land - elevation, water holes, trees/orchard, etc. The only thing the course lacks are true wooded layouts.
- The first five holes let you know this is rolling hills farm golf. #1 & 3 are downhill layouts; #2 & 4 are uphill, and #5 is a rolling down & up, layout.
- After #8, you take a long walk through the woods on a path that's clearly the one less travelled. #9 is a dogleg left to a basket backed up to the lake. From here through #15, you get more of a prairie, lakeside vibe. The final three holes then wrap up in an orchard.
- The course allows big arms to air it out. The open holes are wide open. There are only a couple of semi-tight lines. More often than not, the punishment is if you go left on holes bordering the water or thick rough - hello holes # 12 - 15. On #17 and 18, if you sail off line, you're walking down the rows of apple trees searching for a disc.
- Scenery is top of the line. Great views throughout the course. Your round may be frustrating, but there should be a calmness to the 'back to nature' vibe of the locale.
- Not the most challenging of courses. It does allow players to be aggressive. The hike up and down hills will wear you down more than course's difficulty.

Cons:

Natural and arbitrary tee pads. The gal I spoke to in the gift shop walked me out to the first tee. The first tee has a marker. After that, she told me to follow the map and look for worn spots in the ground. So, there's a lot of interpretation about where to tee off from.
- Without having true tees, you're more often than not throwing from unlevel ground. Check your footing before a run-up tee shot.
- Lack of signage. I would not have found the transition 'path' from #8 to 9 without the UDisc app. Even with its GPS tracking, it felt like I was just walking through the woods instead of on an actual path. The only signage I remember seeing was pointing players from #9 to 10.
- Lack of tee signs/markers. This course can't be played without a map. Even if the tee areas are very loose in terms of precision, you wouldn't have a clue where they're located without the map.
- This can be a physically grueling course. You're climbing up and down hills. You have no shade. If you play in the Summer, it's going to a draining round. Make sure you pack plenty of drinks and sunscreen. In the Fall or Spring, this is a perfect way to spend an hour or two outdoors.
- The course is pretty secluded from the rest of the farm's activities until you get to the orchard holes. If people are picking apples, I don't know if #17 & 18 would be playable.
- Consistent course maintenance. By farm standards, the grass is mowed consistently. Looking across the fields, the course looks as if it was recently mowed. Walking the same fields, and searching for discs, you can see that the grass is taller than what most people would expect for a course. Whereas a normal course is mowed at around 3 inches (tangent: keep your tall fescue at 4 inches or taller), the field grass was around six inches when I played. And that's probably on the low side.

Other Thoughts:

I liked the Chattooga Field course as a nice, relaxing outing. I wouldn't like playing here all the time as the issues would really get frustrating.
- I can see how the grass height impacts someone's impression of this course. If the fields haven't been mowed for 4 weeks when you play, you're searching for many discs that land in the middle of the fairway. That's going to get old real fast and lead to frustration. When I played in October '20, I was thinking 'this is nice. I don't see what the problem is.' So, it's a crapshoot.
- There are some nice holes. It's not a simple idea of placing 18 baskets throughout the fields and calling it a course. I liked the downhill throw on #3. That's the one hole a disc can sail for the longest time.
- There are also plenty of basic holes with no challenge other than the elevation factor. You have to try hard to find an obstacle on the first four holes. #2 for example is an uphill, 350ish-foot uphill shot. Big arms will get tee shots all the way up the hill. For us mortals, it's as simple of a par 3 as you'll see. Three good shots lead to a par. Three average shots lead to a par. Two mediocre shots and you can still salvage par with a long putt. See the problem?
- I ran across somebody living in on of the cabins near hole #10. He gave me a disc he found in the field. It was unmarked. I proceed to lose it three holes later being overly aggressive. So, if you lost a neon green disc somewhere near holes #10 - 13, it's still there. It's just in a different spot in that area now.
- In terms of views, standing on top of the hills on #3 & 5, standing at the basket for #12, and the tee & basket for #16 are tremendous places to stop and soak in the locale.
- What's with the tree house structure behind the tee on #16? There are two ladders to get to the top - first one gets you to the big branch. Second one gets you from the big branch to the overlook. Is that where the tee is located? Is this thing even climbable? If you fell, would anyone even see you? And most important, how are you getting down?
- I say this is a good, not great course. Throw in all the amenities the farm has to offer, you can spend a half day here playing disc golf, eating, and drinking. Just make sure the grass isn't outrageously tall to have the full experience.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
roadiejim1
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

disc golf and whiskey, what could be better... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 24, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful long course, about 2.5 miles logged during round. Nice cut trail through the fields made it a fun walk.

Cons:

Wish they had tee boxes or markings, but we made do and used the course map to estimate.

Other Thoughts:

Visit the whiskey distillery after your round, it's separate from the store and restaurant where you start hole #1.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
11 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Holy Cow. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 13, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Update. I came in November 2019 and it wasn't quite as bad as it was two years ago. This time, the grass wasn't taller than me. It was just thick and rough in most places. The holes are considerably playable if you can estimate where the pads are.

-#12 is a par 4 that gives the option to throw over the lake. You could also play safe and throw to the right side if you don't want to risk losing a disc.

-They have lodging available now. It's pretty expensive for a night, but not anywhere near as effin' expensive as Wintersun. The prices per night here could definitely contribute to making this course better.

-Honestly, it's worth the hour drive from Cullowhee just to buy food in the shop. They have a meat section, different flavor peanuts, unique assortments of candy (licorice, taffy, chocolates!), Blenheim's ginger ale, beer, wine, and what's probably the greatest jam and jelly you'd ever taste. I spent over $30 on food and jelly. And again, I ate an entire summer sausage on the drive back before I even got back on the highway.

-Wide open course mostly, but hole 9's long tee is pretty nice. You throw down a hill through the woods and back out with the basket far to the left side. Nice hole guys!

-Really good use of elevation here and on a cold and windy day, this course would be great practice in those conditions.

-Didn't get any seeds in my leg hairs this time. Just all over my pants. Drastically better than last time. Last time, in 2017 I had seeds all over me head to toe and my shoes were stacked with seeds and my shoes could barely fit on my feet with all those seeds in them.

Cons:

-Unfortunately, this course is still rough as all get out. If you tee off, you'll be looking hard for what I'd expect to be a minimum of five minutes for your disc. Even if you see about where it lands, you might not find your disc.

-I'm sorry, but hole 10's green is very dreadful. The basket is just a few feet from the lodges that can be rented for vacation. Move the basket, and the pad if this hole plays along the fence by the pasture.

-I couldn't find any of the tee pads after hole 1. Not even with the map. I can estimate, but that's a last resort for disc golfers.

-Some of the baskets are warped, beat, or have weeds growing into them. Hole 2's basket almost looks like a hay bail.

-As of now, you are likely going to feel the uncontrollable urge to leave in the middle of your round. I did, and it was a long walk back. I don't think this would be a con if the course was maintained better. But if you continue to play, the odds of losing discs keeps increasing. I quit after hole 10, walked to 16. Played that hole, and left.

-No idea where #17's pad or basket is at. And I didn't really care. I was hungry, and it was getting dark. I wanted to grab some grub at the shop before it closed.

Other Thoughts:

-I'm over the moon for the shop here, and that won't change for as long as it is here. It's an easy 5 star shop. It's astounding. My recommendation, come get some groceries here and then go play Rose Lane. That's an awesome course in Toccoa that I think is very underrated. Sure it has some tall grass and a few weeds too but you typically won't be looking for a disc that you saw land.

-This course is now playable, but still very rough and impossible to find where to tee off. You could establish your own tee pads if you really want to check this place out, and you could work on your drives. The atmosphere is really nice and you'll have a nice walk through the course, but the walk itself is better. The best hole here is #16 because it has a pretty high rise in elevation (X > 45') and half the fairway is between an orchard. You miss, and you will have a very challenging second shot. That's a hole worth playing here.

-#SAVETHEDISCGOLFCOURSE @chattoogabellefarm
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
EROPPER
Experience: 26 played 7 reviews
1.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 2, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great scenic views of the mountains, A Nice workout, being a long hilly hike around the course. Some interesting Holes, especially the back 9, around the lake, and others with elevation. Nice Baskets(Innova)

Cons:

No teepads, Couldn't even find half the PVC pipe markers for the "teebox", no tee signs or directions to the next hole/tee, exception being a nice hike through the woods to the back 9, Long Grass, easy to lose a disc

Other Thoughts:

For a pay to play course, I was expecting more, like actual TeeBoxes and signage, trash cans would have also been nice, But the Mountain Views and the atmosphere are superb, depending on what time of the year the course is played, the Disc Golf course seems like an afterthought and obviously It's not a high priority at Chatooga Belle Farms, probably won't play again
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 2
Hollywood
Experience: 11.5 years 13 played 5 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Disappointed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 25, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

The view is amazing and the course design is awesome if you play it at the right time.

Cons:

I hate giving this course such a poor rating but the time I played it I was completely let down. I was looking forward to playing this course but when we arrived we saw they were rolling recently dried hay which made for a completely miserable experience. Lost a disc on the very first basket. After that my group was unable to find any of the "tees" (if you want to call a piece of pvc in the ground a tee). We got around to basket 5 and spent a good 10 minutes or more looking for the tee before giving it up. We had to dodge the hay bailers in between throws. When we finally got out of the open and into the woods part of the course, it was so overgrown we just couldn't play it. The grass was hip high and insanely buggy so we just skipped out on the rest of the course.

Other Thoughts:

I really hope my bad experience with this course was just a fluke happening. I'd really like to give it another try and see if the outcome is any better in the future. Beautiful place to play if the course was better maintained.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
Marge
Experience: 23.9 years 18 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Beautiful views! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-great mountain views
-long distance through hilly terrain makes for a solid workout- bring water
-good use of water hazards
-awesome incorporation of the course into the working farm, orchards and cows galore
-new touches to the farm each time we play, including increasingly impressive tree house platform with hammocks
-all around beautiful, secluded place to play a round

Cons:

-tall grass at times
-no shade for the most part
-the fields have claimed 4 of our discs thus far
-tees are not really established, no tee pads or clear markings. grab a map.

Other Thoughts:

lost 2 discs on hole 12- one champion leopard in transparent yellow and one opaque yellow with a lazy frog dye bought on our honeymoon in marthas vineyard....if anyone finds them, would be very very thankful if returned
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 0
Dsplayname
Experience: 20.8 years 51 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Worth it for the view alone 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 28, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Everyone says it: THE VIEWS. I've played at dawn both times I've been here, and there's no better way to play it. The beauty of the Sun rising over the crest of the Blue Ridge Mtns is amazing.
The apples. It's awesome playing around an apple orchard. If you visit during the proper season, the apples are huge and delicious.
Not many people. Both times I've played, there was nobody else there, and I would assume that even during the peak times, this is not a crowded course.
Lots of elevation changes add a bit of challenge to walking through the course and gives it a nice "day-hike" feel.
It's clean, quiet, and tranquil. All the things we love about mountain courses.
Open fairways and mountain-top tees make this a great course to bomb some long shots. It makes you feel pretty good about your game while still requiring a fair amount of skill. Unforgiving roughs and sloping terrain will make you think about placement and shot selection rather than just ripping a power drive out in a general direction.

Cons:

Not really anything in the way of benches or trash cans. I usually like to see at least 1 trash can per 9 holes on pay-to-play courses.
It's a pretty open course, with little opportunity to shape shots around trees or other obstacles.
I've played at dawn both times I've been here, and the morning mountain dew can really soak through shoes and pants quickly. Especially when the grass is long. Not really anything to do about this, but it does come into play.
The grass can be longer than I'd like, but it is a mountain top farm, not a country club.
Tees are just plastic strips on the ground, so it can be hard to find them, especially with the tall grass.
No signs to indicate fairway lines on a couple of blind holes.
It can be hard to find your disc, even in the middle of the fairway. This isn't all bad though, as it forces you to pay attention to placement more so than many other courses.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course. It offers panorama views of the surrounding mountains, clean air, and long drives. It's not tight or technical, but it is a fun course to play. I've rode up from Atlanta both times I've played it, and it is well worth the 2 hour drive and the $3 to play. I understand the owners don't want to cut into the woods to make wooded fairways, and that's fine. This course is about having fun and getting out to throw some discs on long drives. It's family-friendly, so bring the wife and ankle-biters out for a day in the Blue Ridge Mountains of apples and disc golf.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
4 0
S.Cann
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 156 played 82 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Spectacular Views; Decent DG 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-The first thing that must be said about this course are the spectacular views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You really have to pause to take it all in.

-Along with great views come amazing "Top-of-the-World" Shots. Amazingly fun throws downhill.

-Nice new Innova x2 chain DISCatchers.

-Great use of present elevation. Variety of uphill/downhill, etc.

-Great risk-reward shot with lake.

-This course places a premium on Drive & Approach shots. Good place to practice.

-I love the look of fairways with knee-high rough.

-Amenities at the cabin are awesome. Bathroom is very nice with new tile and no-flush urinal.

-Apples, Peaches, jam, and muscadine wine available at the shop on site.

Cons:

-Somewhat lacking in variety of shots. You throw long open hole after long open hole...

-This course can be absolutely grueling in the Summer. Very little shade, long walk, and long throws.

-Grass was tall even on the fairways (about 3-4 inches for a tournament).

-Natural tees.

-I know this has been said, but the woods really need to be utilized. This would be a stunning 27 hole course if the added 9 included tight shots through the woods.

Other Thoughts:

This course is worth the trip if just for the views and throwing those "Top-of-the-World" shots. I would go in the Fall when it's cooler.

This course is akin to Lake Russell, but did not pull off the look and feel of LR due to the lack of trees and lack of variety of shot.

I wanted to give this course a 3.25, but went with a 3 and this is a Solid 3.0 disc course. If the above issues were fixed this could easily be a 4.0-4.5 disc course.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 1
Bakenstine
Experience: 17.8 years 106 played 18 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Dear God, the Scenery 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-THE VIEW
-Great use of elevation
-Distance variation that makes up for any repetative play
-At least 2 holes with 2 paths around trees (no heavily wooded, but by no means completely devoid of obstacles)
-Apple orchards provide natural corridors
-2 holes with lake hazards (luckily neither is necessarily dangerous if played conservatively)
-Mountains in the distance, best view is near dawn when the Smokeys are really foggy
-Deer, cattle, and even a quaint beaver dam between 9 and 10
-The back nine has well placed picnic tables

Cons:

Nothing huge, compared to some of the places I've had the misfortune of playing, but to keep down bias, I'll force myself to think of a few:
-No trash cans to speak of (Pack in, pack out!)
-Front 9 was lacking places to pop a squat, and that is where the elevation makes a bench desirable
-ALOT of poison oak literally everywhere
-No signage for holes, mostly not a problem, but 2 or 3 baskets are hidden from pad.
-Would like to see Pro pad and Womens separated, perhaps one on each side of fairway
-Shop is not open on Mondays, so I couldn't take advantage of the Apples that are in season, as there was no way to pay for what I would pick.
-Fairways could have been cut shorter and wider, but it wasn't awful. The rough on the sides of the fairway is what I would call awful to walk/search in. (Comparable to the front 9 at Hurricane Shoals in Maysville, GA)

Other Thoughts:

-Would like to see more trees in play, but apparently the farmer does not want to cut down the woods to make wooded holes. My suggestion is to bring the course closer to some of the treelines and orchards in a couple of places. All in all, there was enough trees in play to be more than content with the challenge.
-If you have the gas and a car to get here, DRIVE ASAP. Pay the 3 bucks, its worth it. I drove just over 100 miles, and did not regret a second of it. Appalachia at it's finest. I suggest dawn and I am sure when the leaves change it will be breath-taking. I literally had to stop multiple times to take it all in!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 2
mwierda
Experience: 15.6 years 62 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Course design clarifications 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Big open course, beautiful views.

Cons:

Big open course.

Other Thoughts:

I am posting this to clarify a few things on the design of this course. I was one of the designers and I have seen lots of comments about how the woods are not used. The woods were not used and are not likely to get used b/c the owner of the farm did not want to cut any trees. So, don't expect that to change. This course was specifically designed to be a long bomber course. If you don't have a big arm and don't like long holes I would suggest playing somewheres else. We (the designers) are discussing a few tweaks to the course but no major changes.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
5 2
Jaysauls
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 129 played 71 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beautiful scenery, course Ho-Hum 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 21, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Absolutely breath taking scenery! Catch it as the sun sets and it is stunning. The course was wide open with hardly a tree to hit.

Cons:

Except for being really, really long, it wasn't all that challenging. Basically you had Long throw up hill, long throw down hill. You could summarize the course this way: Thow down hill, throw up hill, repeat as necessary.

Other Thoughts:

If you're heading to Toccoa, or have time to kill (this place is waaaay off the beaten path), stop by, drop a few bucks in the offering plate and enjoy the scenery as you throw a few discs
Was this review helpful? Yes No
8 1
Hamilton
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16 years 55 played 48 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice multi-purpose farm 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Brand new course with new Innova Discatcher baskets, and a practice basket next to the shop. Very, very scenic land with some woods, fields, rolling hills, vineyards, orchards, etc. Also a VERY nice pavilion/shop at the beginning with orchard/vineyard type products, which I'm assuming will soon house a nice pro shop. Very nice bathrooms also in the pavilion, which is open air and very modern.

The fairways are well-mown and you will have no trouble discerning them from the surroundings. Tees were marked at the time I played with flags with the hole number written on them. Course is fairly easy to follow, and no problem using the map.

My memorable holes:
3 - Longest hole on the course, but plays downhill, so I had no trouble parking in two shots. Very neat row of apple trees you have to throw through off the tee.
6 - Not too long, but the fairway rises then drops then rises again, basket hidden behind a tree.
9 - The only real "wooded" hole, but still very open. Up and over a rise, then the basket is just shy of the mucky lake, so to don't overthrow!
12 - This is what I would call the signature hole. If you have the cojones, throw over the water and take the shorter route. If you are a scaredy-cat like me, go the safe route to the right around the water.
16 - Not the longest hole on the distance comparison, but it plays WAAAAY longer than any other hole on the course. Uphill almost 500 feet, but the hill is about 30 degrees, and is a BEAST.
17 - After the monster that is hole 16, this is a nice little short downhill shot to let you relax a minute.
18 - Plays between the vineyard and an orchard, in kind of a small valley, ending up a small slope right down the hill from the pavilion.

Cons:

No tee pads or tee signs. I understand the no signs yet and the pad issue should be remedied once the final layout is determined, but it would have been nice for the tee areas to not have dips that are begging to twist an ankle.

The entire course is mostly straight and not terribly complex. The elevation and farm scenery certainly help make up for it, but pretty much most of the difficulty comes solely from pure distance.

The rough, which is everywhere but a fairly narrow strip on each hole between the tee and basket, is very rough. The owner of the farm gave me some great advice, "When you throw, watch exactly where it lands, and walk directly to it without taking your eyes off of it". This could not be more true. Hopefully the fairways can be tamed a bit more in the future.

No next tee signs, and quite a long walk between 8 and 9. Then when you exit the trees to go to 10, you have to make sure you walk past the tee for 14 and not play it instead.

Other Thoughts:

My rating of a 3 could be a little higher once the course if finalized with some concrete tee pads and tee signs. Also useful would be benches and trash cans on the course. I did enjoy this course, although I did not enjoy looking as long for errant throws in tall grass as I did actually playing the course. I did not have to pay a fee but I understand once the course is finalized it will cost $3 to play.

Scenically this course cannot be beat, it is absolutely beautiful. If you are in the area, I suggest stopping on by. Being a multi-purpose farm, it is also cool that there are several other activities on-site (see their website).
Was this review helpful? Yes No
7 1
BennettUA
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.1 years 134 played 23 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Needs work, but potential! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 8, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The views! WOW! You really get to soak up the Appalachian beauty from these rolling hills! The apple trees, the grapevines, the manacured meadows, the lake, the smells and sounds, excellent!
The people here seemed very friendly, we met the designer at #7 as he was placing numbers on the temporary tee markers.
Lots of up and down challenges, BIG up and BIG downhill shots give you chances to test your skills.
Beautiful, brand new Innova holes. Practice basket right when you walk through the gates.
Hole 12 is excellent -- the fearless will go left 500+ feet over the lake, but they will be few and far between.
Hole 5 is my favorite -- a big downhill drive with an uphill approach, hole nestled near a row of apple trees. View from the tee is remarkable!

Cons:

The course itself is very straight. Fun, but not challenging except for the elevation. There are some wooded areas here, and the lake, so hopefully these will be brought into play in the future, but 9 is the only real woods hole, and that's pretty open.
The biggest con -- discs are easily lost in the very thick rough, and often hard to find even in the fairway. The grass is a mix of ivy, nettles, morning glory, etc, and it is very easy to lose the most visible disc on what you might think is an easy-to-spot location. We ended up having to have a spotter near the landing zone on each hole, just keep that in mind and it should minimize the problem.

Other Thoughts:

Please keep in mind, this review is based on my experience RIGHT NOW. 8/8/10. I know this course is green, and will definitely improve, but as of RIGHT NOW, I can't rate it any higher. They mentioned the will be selling drinks here soon.
I look forward to changing my review in the future as this course blossoms and matures!
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 5
htorbit
Experience: 20.8 years 26 played 6 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Wide Open 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful mtn. views and lake. If you like to throw mostly open distance this is the course for you. A couple very good disc golf holes.

Cons:

This is a beautiful farm but the course could be so much better. Way too many holes out in the open and not much variety. Some of the woods and other nice features of the farm are not used at all. Too many filler holes. No tee signs or next tee signs. Tee pads need work. The mowed fairways are too narrow on some of the longer holes. The pasture grass can swallow up a disc if you don't precisely mark your drive.

Other Thoughts:

This course has so much potential but now is very vanilla except for several very good disc golf holes. I agree 100% with the previous reviewer about wearing long pants being that the pasture grass has poison ivy and stinging nettles growing throughout. Also ticks are an issue.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 1
TheOtherBill
Experience: 17.9 years 167 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Worth The Drive 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 24, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

For the grand opening 5 players of varying skill (one big arm, some Recs and an Int) drove the 75 minutes from Greenville to check out the hubub and none of us were disappointed at all, what a great facility run by super nice people. We all finished within 5 strokes of each other, so there is not a major advantage for people who can drive an extra 50-80 feet, but it sure comes in handy. There is a lot more up and down than you realize, and with the mountains in the background judging a baskets distance was tricky sometimes. We'd throw what was thought to be a good upshot only to crest a hill and realize it was 25+ feet short of where we thought, or even the reverse on a few drastic downhill angles.
Favorite holes were pretty unanimous- #4, #9 and #12, but no one had any holes that felt 'thrown in' or just filler to make 18.
This course is less than a week old, and there is plenty of space available for any design tweaking that may need to take place, or perhaps just to put a few baskets even closer to water. I fully expect this rating to improve as the course gets seasoned.

Cons:

Only one real 'con' and it's the reason the rating wasn't higher - the lack of teepads. We had to move to the side of the flags to tee off on two occasions due holes that would easily turn an ankle or worse on the run-up.
Some people may have issue with the front 8 being so open on most holes, and then finishing up with 3 open holes but I saw that as a benefit, and should add to the challenge if it ever gets breezy. Players who like the nearby Elberton or Walhalla courses will really like this one, but there are even less wooded holes as there are no real "woods" to shape fairways.

Other Thoughts:

1. The scenery is amazing. Be prepared to take some extra time to just look around and enjoy the place, maybe bring lunch and enjoy the hospitality.
2. Wear high socks or pants if you are not a terribly accurate driver, even when mowed the grass is still tall and there are ticks, etc.
3. Bring friends or headphones as it does take some time to play the whole 18.

UPDATED 2/9/11: Winter has really lowered the grass level over most all of the course and visibility for wayward discs is excellent. Great time to make the trip before it greens up.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
9 2
Sadjo
Experience: 44 years 101 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Views 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 15, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of the most beautiful courses in the Southeast. Several players have commented that its the prettiest course they've played.

The long course from the Golf tees plays over 7,000 and is a challenge with the amount of elevation changes. The short course is 5,200' and easier on the arm and offers more challenges than you might think for a mostly open course.

The course plays over rolling hills with several steep uphill and down hill shots. A small lake comes into play on three holes with one offering a shot over water to a small peninsula green. If you don't want to challenge the water, there is an alternative route over land...it just adds an additional 100' or so to the hole.

The recent changes in the course...addition of multiple tees on most holes and the redesign of five holes has made the course take better advantage of the terrain and made it easier on the arm...if you're throwing the short tees.

Cons:

The tees are earth tees and there are no tee signs. Maps are available at the building and by the cash drop box. In the spring, summer and early fall, just follow the cut grass lines. In the off season, hard to follow due to all the grass being the same length.

Other Thoughts:

Some changes to a couple of the holes will take place over the winter months when the farm isn't so busy. A few holes will have the basket location, the tee location or both moved to give the course a better flow and to allow for multiple tee pads.

The course is closed when there are weddings or other events in the event barn at the beginning of the course so make sure you call or check their website for course closures.

This course is on a working farm with a U-Pick Orchard operation and a large Black Angus Beef operation.

The area offers river rafting, hiking, canopy zip line tours, great fishing and camping.

The farm store sells golf discs, jams, jellies and whatever fruit is in season at the farm at the time.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top