Cullowhee, NC

Jackson Rec. DGC

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1.885(based on 8 reviews)
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4 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 480 played 245 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Birdie Fest 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good DISCatchers, correctly numbered.
Posts marking each tee. Don't really need tee signs on this course.
Beginner/Family course in this multi-use park and Elem school course.
Variety of throws, all are short, but a variety.
One of the prettiest sub-100 foot holes you will find.

Cons:

The main Con here is the walking path through the park, 9 of the first 12 holes cross or follow this path.
Really short holes, not much of a challenge for Inter to Advanced players, unless you're on a birdie hunt.
Use is restricted on last 6 holes, due to using Elementary school grounds.

Other Thoughts:

A great course for Beginners learning the game or families looking for an activity after a picnic or ball game. The course is flat, mostly open, and only a few places to possibly lose a disc.
The main issue of concern with this course is the gravel walking path that circles the park. I can see this path being busy a lot of times, that could create safety issues, and waiting on openings to throw.
Funny thing, after you cross over the bridge from 12 to 13, there is a sign about entering Elem School grounds and the restricted use. But, it also has a notice that you should only be using Mids or Putters on these 6 holes. The sign even has a profile of the 3 types of discs, with a DO NOT USE beside the Drivers. FIRST TIME I'VE EVER SEEN A SIGN LIKE THIS. So, the funny thing? I felt the Park holes had more safety issues than the Elem school holes. Since the Elem holes were away from the building and even across the entrance road, I doubt any kids are going to be in those areas. I'm thinking people on the walking path would be in more danger.
There are some fun holes here:
#4 - across the path with a line of trees to either go up and over, or through.
#5 - basket is in a line of trees near the walking path, I threw one decent drive and almost skipped the next one in!
#8 - short little downhiller to a basket under a tree and near park fences. Could not get a shot close to that one!
#9 - a little longer, uphill, left to right. Nice to throw a little longer.
#12 - one of the prettiest short holes you will find. Tee is under a shade tree, birdhouse on your right, small pond with grasses and cattails to cross to a basket near a treeline. Real fun to play.
#13-18 were on the schools grounds and pretty much the same hole, the first 3 near 125', then the last 3 near 190'. Various trees made you think about your approach route.
Fun little course, I hope it exposes new players to game and everyone plays smart and safe!!
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4 1
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Nice starter 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-This is a pretty good starter course at a Recreational Facility, and it's just a mile away from campus. I go to WCU so whenever I want to work on my upshots, this would be my "go to" course. I don't think it's necessarily pleasing, but it has a couple of decent holes.

-I shot fifteen under. Sixteen if you don't count the under ten footer I missed on hole 8. My upshots were okay, but my putting was somewhat decent aside from one badly missed putt. So the baskets catch quite well.

-Hole 12 is the kind of hole that gets starters more interested. I wish it was a little bit longer, but it is a cool upshot over the pond and with the drop off past the basket. Holes 14 and 15 both offer interesting wooded upshots as well.

-Family friendly, sometimes a crowded park but not too crowded. I'm not a fan of huge crowds like there are at Waynesville, but I also don't like it too secluded.

-Great ace potential. Average hole length here is like less than 165'. Any ace here would feel pretty good to be honest though. Just about every hole here has something to it. While the course is rather open, none of the holes are just straight in a field.

-One hole I needed to throw a mid on. Hole 4 can be played as a keyhole shot between two trees out of maybe five or six. I wanted a birdie so I threw a massive hyzer over them. Not a recommended shot for starter because those trees are definitely over 40' tall. I liked this hole!

Cons:

-I think they could've lengthened a few holes here. Every starter should have fun when they play, but at the same time they should know what to expect. I'm not saying there should be a 600 foot par four here, but I thought at least one of them could've been over 300 feet. I typically throw a putter over 250' so I didn't need to throw anything but my wardens and my mercy putter. I did bomb a max weight truth (mid-range) on hole 4.

-Tee markers don't say the hole distance or anything, I think they just say the hole # and that's it.

-Pedestrians walking throughout the front nine. The road is literally just a few feet from plenty of the holes here. And holes 13-18 are on school property, so you can only play holes 1-12 during school hours.

Other Thoughts:

-I first thought that the baskets on this course would be better off somewhere else. Sad thing is that I can't decide whether they should or shouldn't be. I had a great round here just a day or two before the 19th Annual Hickory Classic at Glenn Hilton. It was great practice because I played pretty well in the tournament at Glenn Hilton (6th out of 19 in MA1.)

-If you come by the area, I'd say this place is worth your 30-45 minutes. It's not worth more than a twenty minute drive, but at least there is another course I can play that is very close to campus. Not to mention that there is a disc golf class available at WCU and the people in there seem to love it. I would call this a gateway course. It's a good starter but it will likely give a starter the "disc flu."
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5 0
projectpat
Experience: 16.2 years 142 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Jackson 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 28, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-18 hole Pitch and Putt that wraps around Jackson Rec Centers buildings and athletic fields then finishes on school grounds.
-Fun factor is surprisingly high. Every hole is basically an ace run. Even though they are short every hole seems to be unique.
-Nice baskets. Nice concrete tees. A good course map with hole lengths is located near hole 1.
-Well maintained park. Regularly mowed. Good facilities and nice playgrounds for discers with kids.
-Good for beginners. But also good for improving upshots, standstill, and putting.

Cons:

-No tee signs. Tees are marked by numbered post.
-Multi use park. Can get crowded at times. Be careful for other park goers.
-Holes 13 through 18 are closed during school hours.

Other Thoughts:

Jackson Rec Center is always fun. Bring the kids or bring new players and they can enjoy an easy round while improving their skill. More seasoned players will be in for a birdie fest. Also a good place to get an ace! Pair this course with Catamount Links down the road for a fun day of golf.

UPDATE(1 year)- Very cool to see the Rec Center showing support for disc golf by holding monthly tournaments this summer.
UPDATE(2 years)- Not much has changed other than a large tree was removed from hole 1 making it more open than before.
UPDATE(5 years)- Over the past few years the course has seen a couple changes. The most significant change is there are now concrete tees on all 18 holes. This is great as the natural pads were often worn and muddy. It also makes the course feel more permanent and less likely to be pulled. The other major change was the removal of trees on holes 1 and 2, and the clearing of the area between the park and the school.
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1 0
Sersan43
Experience: 15 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beginner course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 4, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great for a beginner with very short holes.
Good warm up course if you want to play the WCU course 5 mins away afterward.
Good place to practice putting and approaches.

Cons:

Too short for experienced players to have much fun beyond the first time. The last 6 holes are unplayable during school hours (on elementary school grounds)

Other Thoughts:

For a beginner, this is perfect for you to get aquainted with the game. Intermediate to advanced players will leave this course itching to go bomb one solid drive, as none of the holes really require any power.
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1 0
das1330
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A Putt and Approach Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Flat, easy to walk, simple course
- Great for starting out
- Quick to play
- If you don't have an ace, sooner or later, you will get one here.

Cons:

I-Nothing ultra challenging.
- Park can be crowded during soccer season, making a few holes unplayable.

Other Thoughts:

The entire course is short and many of the holes are short or wide open (and still short), it's a great course to introduce people to the game, and to hone your approach and putting basics.

I've seen several first times players par or get a few over par the first time out, great confidence builder and a place to try new throws and work on bad parts of your game.
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6 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 585 played 539 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Short course with decent fun factor

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 18, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Jackson Rec. has one thing going for it: a good fun factor. If you throw in the scenery of the mountains all around you, then you have two.
- The beginner of all beginner courses. Pick two of the following three options - short, open & straight - and you can describe pretty much every hole here. This is the course you want to bring your kids or anyone who has never thrown a disc before.
- For anyone above the recreational level, most holes are going to be mid-range shots. If you need to work on throwing your Roc, Buzz, putter, etc, you'll get plenty of practice here. There aren't any hole distances listed, but most are in the 150 - foot range. The only holes that seemed to have some distance were #4, 5 & 15.
- Because of short distances, this is a great course to play a fast round. The only semi-long walks you have are going to #1, the transition from #12 to #13 (going from rec center to school) and #18 back to parking lot.
- Course does have a big fun factor, especially if you get creative. This is a great course for an ace race, skins match, birdie-fest, etc. You should be seeing lots of red numbers here.
- This is a very nice, have everything rec center - ball fields, playground, walking trail, nice river plus everything inside the building. Who knew rec centers had workout rooms inside of them?
- There are some nice holes, both in layout and scenery.
#4 is a shot around several trees (or you can try to squeeze a shot between or over them).
#9 is a nice, slight uphill shot to a basket. You tee off near the water to a basket partially protected by baseball fence.
#11 is a tee shot around a tree to a basket right in front of a small pond.
#12 is a short hole, throwing over the same pond to a basket in front of thick rough. These last two holes, with the pond in play, present the best visuals on the course.
#14 is a shot around several trees that protect the basket. This is a tricky, short shot.
#15 is the 'toughest' hole on the course, the only one I had to work for a par. This is the most wooded hole, forcing you to either have some skill (or luck) or through a major hook around them to the basket.

Cons:

Tee signs and tee areas aren't on the same page. The tees areas are marked by green tee signs, so you at least know which direction to head. The natural tees are marked by red mini discs in the ground. The problem is the tee signs and mini-discs aren't consistent in their relationship to each other. Some are right next to each other; some are 30 feet away; some (mini disc tee pads) are either missing or hidden. This shouldn't be a major issue, because if you can't find the mini-discs, just throw from the sign.
- The last six holes are on school property and aren't accessible during school hours. The school property is just on the other side of the creek, behind #12. Playing 18 holes versus 12 holes does have an impact on the quality of the course.
- The short, open repetition of holes will be a major deterrence for some. More experienced players are going to get bored playing this course real fast. Even though I mentioned the shortness as a fun factor, I do think if this was my local course, it'd lose some of its luster playing it week after week. The lack of obstacles/challenge is a definite deterrent here.

Other Thoughts:

You know what you're getting into when you play at Jackson Rec. It's not great, but it's solidly decent. It's weird, but if the course were longer (holes averaging 250 - 300 feet instead of 200 feet), I'd hate this course. 18 straight holes of throwing driver, then putt is much less appealing to me then throwing Roc then putt.
- For having so many hills around the course, one has to wonder how the course ended up so flat.
- I don't see any room for the course to improve unless you move more holes to the school property. And, if you do that, that will result in more holes being unplayable during school hours. It's better to remain a family friendly, beginner friendly, short course.
- As mentioned, #11 & 12 is the nicest two-hole stretch, if only for the view. The water is clear and shallow, so any disc in there should easily be retrievable. You have a higher lost disc chance if you end up in the thick brush to the left of #11 and behind #12.
- Based on the course layout alone, this would only be a 1.0. Throw in the fun factor I had playing, I'll give the course a bump. It's not worth driving out of your way to play here; however, if you're in the area, stop by for a quick round.
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2 0
McFer
Experience: 12.8 years 23 played 4 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Short and Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 31, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very quick course to play. Great place to take the kids - play a round, stop at the playgrounds to take a break and let the kids romp. Great way to work on your short game, as the holes are mostly approach distance, though the last 6 holes at the elementary school are a little longer. Nice, new baskets. For the space they were working with and the goal of the course (get kids into the game), the staff of the Rec Park did a nice job keeping things as interesting as possible given the multi-use nature of the park. One of the things that I like is that there are often walkers or kids who come up and ask about disc golf, they're legitimately intrigued by the game. That's a great way to grow the sport, and it's multi-use facilities like this that give the sport some extra exposure. Looking for your first ace? This is your place.

Cons:

The course is short - I use my putter to drive on all of the holes. Distances are unmarked. Tee pads are grass, and can be wet. The course is very flat, and there's often standing water on the flat areas after a rain. High levels of pedestrian traffic at peak usage times (weekends during the day), but if you go during a weekday you're not supposed to play the last 6 holes at the elementary school because it's in session.

Other Thoughts:

In a county with a population of 40,000 people, we're lucky to have two options in terms of disc golf courses. While I much prefer the course at Western Carolina University, the Jackson County Rec Park course has become a nice mix-up, and it's where I go if I go out with just my kids, as they can be entertained while I get a quick round in. Don't travel for miles to play this course, but if you're in the area, it's worth playing a quick pitch & putt round here after you've already played WCU's course.
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4 1
JoeDubb
Experience: 20.9 years 228 played 3 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Great for Beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 13, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a very short course, appropriate for anyone new to disc golf. The course has a fun little layout that goes around the Jackson Rec department and a little corner of a middle school that is right next door. Each hole has a wooden post to mark each tee-pad. And some of the major pro's about this course is it can be played in a very short amount of time. The facilities are very nice; there are soda machines, bathrooms, and friendly Rec. Department people inside the main building to point you in the right direction. And there is plenty of room to create a larger course layout.

Cons:

The course runs along a walking path, playgrounds, baseball and soccer fields so you have to be careful not to hit anyone. It is a really short course, there are no tee pads, or any indication of the length of the holes.

Other Thoughts:

I have been playing the course from the original tee-pads and then I play a round from the long tee-pads that I created. From the shorts I average around 10 under par, but from the longs my scores change dramatically, barely shooting even. So maybe this course just needs two sets of tee-pads fore each hole to improve it for the more seasoned player.
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