Knoxville, TN

Victor Ashe Park

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3.565(based on 57 reviews)
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23 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Holey Sycamorely

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

(3.503 Rating) A lightly wooded bombers course with a thrilling start.
- CHALLENGE - As of this review, I have finally played all the supposed top courses in the Knoxville area. I think this one is going to appease the top area players the most. The short layout here is already a healthy +5600 feet, and players throwing to the longest baskets will be in at well over 8000 feet. Players that can bomb are going to enjoy the ample opportunities to launch-em. I even enjoyed a hole like (5) where my 300-foot arm was able to card a deuce on a 380-foot hole. Much of the challenge here is length off the tee, but there are also a couple of wooded holes as well.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - Hole (1) out of the gates is awesome. A downhill water clear that will pump the hearts of every Rec and Intermediate level player. The green pops really well from the tee too as there are trees flanking the center portion of the landing area.
- THE SYCAMORE TREE - To the right of the long basket on hole (9), is the most awesome sycamore tree I've ever seen. It's got to be almost 5 feet wide at chest height. Probably 250 years old, or at least that's the number the online tree age calculator estimates. Normally the early settlers would have cut this one down long ago, but it's hollow on the inside. Thus the disease or termite damage it started suffering from over a hundred years ago likely saved it from a certain logging death. Seeing this tree was my favorite part of the whole course. At lot of course baggers are probably going to miss it though unfortunately if they play to the short basket on this hole.
- AMENITIES - I want to say there are at least 40 baskets on this course, and all of them are DISCatchers. There are at least two baskets on every hole. The first two make-up the short basket and long basket layouts. There are also some extra long baskets on a handful of holes. Like hole (3s) extra long basket for instance which is over 1000 feet from the tee. In addition to the baskets. The tees are concrete and of respectable size. There is seating at about half of the tee areas, there is a practice basket, shelters and restroom facilities.
- SIGNAGE - The tee signage is fantastic. Sheik looking 3 sided signs with all the info that's needed. Whomever is doing the signage in town is doing a fantastic job. Two thumbs up.
- HOLE VARIETY - Above average hove variety from my point of view. Sure the common element is bomb it long over open fields, but there are several other design elements. Slight ups, slight downs and modest valley shots. There are a few moderately wooded holes and also one heavily wooded line to end the round that was unfortunately too pinball. Only one water play, but there are several multi-play holes depending on the basket position chosen.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I read some positives and negatives on this in the prior reviews. My two cents is that this is an above average looking course. As noted, hole (1) is a signature looking beaut that most courses wish they could emulate. I thought (9) long looked mystical with the sycamore tree. The course was groomed, mowed and free of large branches when I played it too. Several times I felt a bit de-attached from the built environment. On the flipside, garbage was flowing out of every garbage can during my visit. I would assume that this was a temporary issue. I ended up scoring Victor Ashe 70 percentile overall for this category.

Cons:

Noodle arms need not apply
- NOT IDEAL FOR SHORT ARMS - I throw about 300 to 325 and I thought the shortest layout was infringing a touch on my ability to enjoy several holes. There is a lot on length on this course and several of the short layout holes are plus 350 foot par 3s. I just don't see how Novices and even some Recs can enjoy this unless they are hanging out with their buddies. Not a good beginners course in my opinion. The length is obviously one issue, but they'd likely lose all their discs on the first hole in the water.
- LAYOUT FLOW AND NAVIGATION - The gaps in the layout on this course are a bit much. At least four transitions are over 300 feet long. I got lost briefly after (5) as I headed to (15). The walk between (14) and (15) seemed like 1000 foot gap and I was already exhausted on this longer than normal layout. Due to the long transitions, the navigation suffers a bit as there are no extra aids to get players heading and staying in the correct direction. I pulled out my map several times.
- TIME PLAY - I was the first one out on the course at the break of dawn and it took me an hour and 24 minutes. That's well longer than the average course from my experience.

Other Thoughts:

Victor Ashe is a very respectable older course closing in on 20 years of service. It'll work best for those that can go long, but also can work for the casual local that's wanting stay away from responsibilities for as long as possible. I liked it and didn't like it. I liked using my driver on just about every hole, but I didn't like having zero birdie possibilities seven times prior to throwing my first shot from the tee. Victor Ashe needs better balance in my opinion to score higher in my heart. A course with this much money should be able to cater to a wider set of skill levels than just Intermediates and higher. A hole like (7) should not have both basket options at plus 400 feet. That's a waste of resources that will only appeal to Advanced level players and higher. Anyways, I'm scoring Victor a 3.5. Depending on tastes i could see many TRs rate it both a 3.0 and 4.0 as well. It sort-of reminds me of courses like Woodland south of Nashville and Indian Creek in Huntsville AL. I'm glad I played it, but it's not one I would play often if I lived in town. For those coming into Knoxville from out town, I would only recommend Victor Ashe highly to those that have a plus 300 foot arm and also enjoys lightly wooded courses. Everyone else should have Tommy Schumpert and The Claytons number one and two on their to-hit list.
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7 1
keltik
Experience: 16.9 years 47 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

a great day in Tennessee 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

BEAUTIFUL park
Really friendly scene/locals (more later)
Smoky Mountain Discs RV in the parking lot on a weekday

Every hole has options.

I was thinking it was going to be woods golf like in NC but it was a really fun open challenge with lots of (expected) elevation changes.

The scenery just blew me away. That hollow tree behind that basket (on the back nine can't remember) was like something out of a movie.

Cons:

Signage - I had to drive the whole parking lot ring to find the start of the course. Then once I got on course I wasn't sure where to throw. There are nice tee signs but the really open layout and multiple targets can be confusing for a visitor.

I got really lucky and a local played the round with me showing me where the tees and baskets were. We played at a decent pace and it still took a solid 2 hours. If I'd had to find my own way I'd probably still be there finding the next tee

Other Thoughts:

I'm giving this a slightly inflated review but because of the locals and the circumstances of the day. Tennesseans are extremely friendly folks. A young man named Adam was an absolute SAINT to spend his round with me, showing me around the course and putting up with an old wierdo like me. And as we were making the round other guys would call down to a fellow golfer and say "hey do you throw a...? You left it up here on the tee!" Just dang friendly.

Adam I am truly grateful to you. You were a friend to a stranger in a strange land when you didn't have to be. May God bless you and your children and your children's children.

The day was just a completely refreshing blast of coolness, humanity, brotherly love, post apocalypses rebuilding of society kind of experience that I think I needed. I think we all need. And the weather was an absolutely perfect sunny calm 65 degrees. It just felt like the absolute right place at the absolute right time.

If you're passing through like I was, stop in and get ready to huck. Like everyone else has said bring the big drivers, a loose arm, and some good shoes. Just have fun!
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12 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 480 played 245 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Bring your distance drivers and your best walking shoes 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 20, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great looking park in the suburbs of Knoxville.
Good concrete tee pads, one tee per hole, and two baskets on each hole.
Great new tee signs, replacing the older ones that are showing their age. The new signs have a hole layout, #, Pars and distance to both baskets. They are a unique style, wrapped around 3 sides of the 4X4 posts. I guess this helps to cut down on vandalism.
Mostly open course, with partial trees on the middle section and only 2 holes with heavy woods.
Practice basket and shelter at the start, away from most park activities, except the paved walking path.

Cons:

Let's start where the course starts, #1. A pond right in front of the tee that you have to carry with your first throw of the round (about 200'), oh and also avoid the trees in front of the tee and hit the gap in the trees on the other side, or else you're going to lose one as it rolls back down the bank on the far side.
There are a lot of long walks between holes here:
#2-#3 - it looks like the layout is trying to avoid crossing the walking path
#3-#4 - you have to walk more than the length of #4 downhill, then turn around, throw and walk uphill. The basket is hidden in a depression, I guess that was important.
#5-#6 - extra long walk here, to cross to the backside of the course, it feels like there was an original nine, then this gets you to the second nine. It seems there could have been a better design to access these other holes. Then #14-#15 is the return trip. Part of the reason I play is the exercise and walking, but most of these just seem like bad ideas.
Several of the holes on the backside just blend together in the large open area, #6,7,10,11 and 14.

Other Thoughts:

I have to agree with several other reviewers, Victor Ashe is the open course alternative to the wooded Tommy Schumpert. By my count, Ashe has 5 open holes, 11 partially open and just 2 wooded holes, a lot of space to throw here. Plenty of space for long walks here also, very cart friendly, in fact this should be the poster course for DG carts.
As I mentioned above, it feels like this started as an 9 hole course, 1-5, then 15-18 of the existing course. When more land, or funds, were acquired the second 9 were added, but not really integrated into the layout. Good thing they were added, because a couple of the best holes on the course are in this area, #9 and #12.
#9 is 299' Par 3 to the short basket, thick trees on the right off the tee, partial trees in the fairway, then a basket carved out of the woods.
#12 plays from an elevated tee, downhill to a clearing, the short basket is protected by a line of trees down the left, then small guardian trees. The long basket is across the field and plays as a Par 4.
#5 is a downhiller that you can throw out of sight. The elevation drop is so steep that you don't even see the basket, 378 feet away. The basket is in a wide open field, but there is a drainage ditch (rock covered) halfway down the right, if you miss that way. This is a hole where you want to throw multiple shots!!
#17 is another fun downhiller, that turns to the left and finishes with another wide open basket. After that, #18 is wooded the whole way, with a very protected basket (along with #13, these are the only tightly wooded holes).
It must be really nice to have these two quality courses just 5 miles apart. I imagine most Tournaments in Knoxville include rounds here and at Tommy Schumpert, what a great test of your skill and endurance. The balance of distance vs. accuracy on these 2 will earn your finish.
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2 4
Frivolous
Experience: 7 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

course that lets you flex your long shots 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

They do a great job of keeping this course maintained and love the multiple basket placements. You can really work on your long shots here love it.

Cons:

Hole 1 is water.....why?! Please let us warm our arms up lol
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13 0
autocrosscrx
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.7 years 27 played 27 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Relatively Open 18 hole course in East Tennessee 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Beautiful park. Holes 3-5 as the sun starts to drop is pretty much the quintessential Tennessee Valley setting.
- Multiple pins every hole.
- Course is relatively long and open, but still encourages a variety of shot shapes. There are some hyzer shots, there are some straight shots, there are some forehand/turnover shots. Those that don't have a ton of distance will have a chance at technical approach and scramble shots.
- Nice tee pads. Nice signage. Benches at several holes.

Cons:

- Layout. Hole 2 short to 3 and 3 short to 4 isn't intuitive and since holes 1-5 and 15-18 were the original nine, there is a long walk from 5 to 6 and 14 to 15. It isn't terrible, especially since it is usually busy on any nice day, but look at a map and pay attention to course signs.
- Course maintenance is hit or miss. If you catch it in the summer when the course hasn't been mowed in a few weeks, it can be miserable. I bailed on a round after 5 holes this summer because I was spending 5+ minutes every hole trying to find my discs that landed in the middle of the fairway.
- Can get swampy after a rain.
- Hole 1 is not very new/casual player friendly at all. Big water carry, a wall of trees on the other side, and fishermen likely on both sides. Of course, you can always skip this hole.
- Not everyone has the arm for a long course. If you like birdies and can't push a disk 300 feet in multiple shot shapes, you aren't going to have a ton of looks. If you are brand new player, you may get frustrated. I did not enjoy this course at all until I put in some time on some of the shorter courses around town.
- Holes 6-11 are pretty uninspiring. They aren't bad holes at all. They just aren't particularly memorable.

Other Thoughts:

All in all, it is a very good course. The local DG community tends to prefer other courses or find this course boring, but I think that is more of a comment on other courses in the area or their preferences for more wooded courses.

Beautiful park, room to see your discs fly, chances to throw some different shots, likely some chances to work on your approach game.

Hole #1 is the signature hole. Big water carry. Hole #3 gives you the chance to play a 1000 foot hole if you want. Hole #5 is a fun blind downhill shot. Hole #12 is this technical downhill shot. Hole #13 short has a distinct right gap or you can go left and hope you have distance control. Straight shot on hole 16 with woods on each side. Stand at the top of a hill and bomb 17. Hole 18 is your more traditional woods shot. I suppose the line would be a flexy RHFH with a strong finish, but I don't have that shot. Not much else. Very easy to take a 5 and ruin that chance at your PB if you get greedy.
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11 0
Canis Lupis
Experience: 13.9 years 54 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice way to spend a round 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 23, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Easy to find and navigate
-Well maintained
-Slight mix of woods with the open
-Dual pin locations make it easy to "add" difficulty
-Hard to lose a disc as it's pretty well maintained
-Each tee has the next hole direction clearly located
-For a muni course, this does not throw over or toward pedestrian paths.

Cons:

-Not particularly technical
-I'm not sure the distance markers are correct. I could be wrong, but it looked to me like they were vastly overstated.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed playing this course. It's nice to have a slightly more open course in this part of the country as opposed to always playing tight technical hallways surrounded by tick infested bramble
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3 2
Colonel Sanders
Experience: 15.8 years 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Open Bomber 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 12, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Located in a beautiful park with lots of people watching to do.
-two or three baskets on every hole

Cons:

-Very busy park
-Most of the tee pads are slick. I've seen a few people slip
-If the grass gets a little tall then it can get pretty wet in the mornings or after it rains.

Other Thoughts:

-This course is fantastic for bigger arms and for beginners alike because it is fairly open.
-Wind is usually the hallmark challenge of this course
-Make sure you check out the old tree on the long basket for hole 9!
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5 0
Grayson
Experience: 45.9 years 47 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Bit long for my old arm! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Nice tee signs showing multiple basket placements with all desired information.
- mostly well-designed holes, although long!

Cons:

- Next tee navigation markings at baskets would be nice. I spent more time than desired seeking the next tee.
- Somewhere about hole 5-6-7-8, the multi baskets locations offered a view of several baskets (8 or 9) which made it difficult to determine which was which! Being an out-of-towner and without a local guide, navigation was a challenge. I wasn't sure if I consistently played the A, B, or C baskets.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, the park was nice and it seemed few expenses were spared in creating the course. Someone, or many, have put much time, money, and effort into the course. The course seemed to be constructed with more professional players in mind, so it wasn't as enjoyable for my old game. However, I can see it to be a favorite for many!
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7 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31 years 764 played 386 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Open Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Once pulling into the parking area for this large park in Knoxville , stay to the right and drive to a big circle where part of the lot dead ends , then swing around and park in one of the spots . Victor Ashe is a multi use park with a lot of soccer and activities going on at the same time . The non disc golfers using a cement walking trail will not interfere with the course except for maybe playing the short pin on #3 or #5 ( windy ) . I had been here many years before and had wanted to see what it looked like since . Parks and Rec here must have been disc golf enthusiasts or owed on a bet to the local chapter of disc golf , because not only can this course play long ( approx. 8000' ) but it is really spread out .A practice basket sits close to #1's tee pad ! nice long grippy cement tee pad , usually flush with the ground , the kind everyone likes . The signage is much better than in the past . They are the type of signs that are on wood posts and wrapped around at a 90 degree angle . The same as Morningside , The Mounds and Tommy Schumpert , among others . They are informative , giving you the layout of the hole , and distance to each pin . They have 1 tee pad bu boast t 2 newer baskets per hole , sometimes 3 , like #3 ( more on that later ) . Make sure you check the signs at the hole or you may be fooled by throwing at the wrong basket until you get there . Orange baskets are in the long position to differentiate for you ( they look great ) from the other ones . All catch really well . The elevation rolls here . You will get some up and down ( like #3 ) , just down ( like #12 ) or just up ( like #18 ), but nothing extreme . Wind can be a factor here , since many of the holes are in the open or semi open . The park is well kept . Even more trees have been planted to tighten some of the fairways . I never saw the bathrooms , but I am sure they have some close to the soccer fields , which would make it close to holes 1 and 2 . The fairways are much more forgiving that Tommy Schumpert Park . You can rebound from an off course drive much better , as long as you don't go into the brush on some of the holes . It can get deep and will cost you a stroke to get out for sure . This might be a better option for casuals or newer players because of the more openness of the course , and it being harder to lose a disc than some others. Plus , the short pins aren't too long . #1 is a great starter hole . It is the only water carry on the course , but it can be evil . The foliage guarding the far front of the pin and a couple of larger trees and their canopy can cause your first toss to taste water . The one position gives you a window to throw through . after clearing water . Very picturesque . #2 will be a long controlled hyzer that with the exception of a couple of trees and some brush on the right , open up to a big fairway where you will see the short basket .. The orange one will be semi tucked in to some light woods/brush past this basket and to the right . #3 is whatever you want it to be . The short pin is to your left , very close to the cement walking trail . The long is between 2 large trees and sits on a hill that drops off some , giving you a tricky putt when windy , and they left the tournament basket behind it , 1006' total feet away . and down a slowly descending hill . #4 is a hidden tee in what look like an inconspicuous small set of bushes , to the right of #3 basket that make you throw uphill to a set of baskets , the long one being close to the #3 tee . #5 is a fun downhill blind shot where the orange basket ( long ) is tucked into an edge of some foliage . If you were ever going to be held up by any of the local park users , it should end here . #6 is a long walk to your left down a large path that will end on your right . It looks like the old tee was removed where the old sign still stands and a new tee pad added to the left of it . The pins sit up a small grade , guarded by small trees in the fairway . I won't go hole by hole any more , but tell you that whoever the course designer was , , he did a good job with the course and especially the basket placement . If you continue to stay somewhere on the good sized fairways and stay out of the brush that sits off to the side of it , then the only battles you will have are the length of your drives and the wind . #9 has a great design . A slight hyzer hole with brush and a tree line on your right that starts to slope up (433' ) past the short pin at the top of the slope , then descending down to a slight right into a grove cut out of some woods , with a couple of trees and a basket surrounded by a rock formation . Really cool finish for a hole . #11 is an uphill drive that tops off at a summit , then starts slightly downhill to a raised basket on a stump . Many like hole #12 a downhill throw , either left and around a large tree to the short pin , or throw though a window a keep the tree on your left . A small grove of planted trees will be on your left , trying to snatch your drive out of the air . If your disc turns over some after clearing the window , the fairway will open up to a basket at the end of the park over 500' away . #13 is a tight fairway drive 342' through a door and the basket sits to the right of the door . Lots of risk reward on sticking your drive into some brush or face a ricochet .The course leaves this part of the park shortly and you will return to where holes 1-5 were . Tight fairway tosses until you get to #17 . I didn't remember the row of trees that they planted to the right of the fairway , making you control your downhill drive to the level to the pin with sits on a slight grade upwards 484' away . The left of the fairway will keep you honest with a brush and tree line that is very thick . I lost a disc in it years ago. A great hole ( I wish it was the finihing hole ) . The last hole is a 291' uphill drive that is more of a pinball throw . The basket sits slightly left , but there are trees everywhere . There is a slight shot right to left that give you to get your drive up as much of the hill that you can , but ,,,,,,, . for me it was better to take a little length off my drive and put it near the bottom of the hill so I get a look at the uphill basket for a 3 . A well designed bomber course with fairways that are more than fair for a higher rated course . Many of these holes are unique . If you can throw 300' or better and it's not real windy , you can shoot par on most of these . Pretty close to I-75 , The online map which matches the nice kiosk is pretty spot on .This course should drain pretty well since almost all of it is grass ( except places like #18 ) My signature hole would be #9 , mostly because of the downhill approach into the basket guarded by boulders and trees .

Cons:

#1 Some players will argue that the technical aspect of the course is lacking . I would disagree . It can be refreshing to play a course where you aren't constantly digging your drive out of deep growth that attract ticks and bites all of the time .#2. Amenities , okay there aren't trash cans everywhere , but there are benches scattered on the course . Carry out what you carry in .#3. Some danger , especially newbies or casuals throwing holes 1-5 , where a gust of wind can take their drives into some jogger or walkers on the path . #4 the rough can get pretty rough in patches , but you shouldn't be in it very often . #5. Some walks that can confuse . Make sure you print a map for this long course . many of the next tees are obvious , but a few of the times ( hidden #4 tee pad to the right of basket #3 , down the hill ) , you can scratch your head being an out of towner . There are long walks from #5 to #6 , down the road and to the right , and #14 to #15 , the longest walk , where you walk back on the road that you took to go from 5 to 6 , walk past the #5 long basket , keeping it to your left and not your right , and the tee pad will be on your left in another 100' or so . Some will complain about the wind . Not much you can do about that . The course can be crowded at peak times .

Other Thoughts:

What a beautiful park . Sitting 10 minutes off of I-75 , access to this course is easy . There is little reason to not play this course . Dual pins , good equipment and manageable holes for the casuals along with competitive longer holes for the pros and ams . If I lived in Tennessee , especially Knoxville , I would make playing this course a habit . The fun factor in disc golf is here for sure . The upkeep is great , the design is very good . and since it is close to the interstate , you can play a couple of the other quality courses in Knoxville . My recommendation : this course is a can't miss . PLAY IT !!!!
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4 3
Baysinger
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 93 played 55 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Victor Ashe Park DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 26, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Other Thoughts:

Victor Ashe Park DGC is an outstanding course in Knoxville, TN. This course has everything you need from open holes to wooded holes, long holes to short holes, uphill holes to downhill holes, water holes, and a great mix of left/right holes. You start of on the intimidating Hole 1 which is over water. Hole 1 is very short, but there are a ton of trees just after you cross over the water and a bad tree kick could land you in the water. If you are playing the long basket on Hole 1, it is much less wooded on the other side, but you have to put some power in your throw to stay dry. After finishing Hole 1 (hopefully with the same amount of discs you started with) it just gets better from there on. I'm not going to go into detail on every hole like I did for the first hole, but trust me, you are going to leave this course with a lasting impression and you will definitely want to go back many more times! An outstanding layout, multiple baskets on every hole, concrete tee pads and tee signs all play a factor in making this one of East Tennessee's best courses. If you are in the area, this is a must play! And even if you are well outside the area and like DG road trips, definitely hit this one! If you want to see this course on video, check out my crew playing this course in the video below...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ej-iiIobq_k
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7 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Came from really good to awesome! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 5, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-I played Victor Ashe in the Knoxville Ice Bowl (very terribly!). The TD said that with these fundraisers set up, they were available to add dual pin positions on every hole, and three on a few! It's somewhat challenging on the short pins because most holes either have some odd shaped fairway, a few bad trees, and the others (most of them) are medium length par 3s.

-Starts off interesting with a water carry. You can't throw straight; you have to throw some sort of hyzer to get down there. Hole 1 is very difficult for a 270' footer; the 355' position may seem more forgiving because it is to the right where you won't have to face as many trees. And holes 5 and 17 are both holes you have to love! Hole 5 is a huge downhill bomb in the long pin and it's still pretty long in the short, but the elevation takes a lot of the length away. #17 is a huge hyzer bomb. The short pin is a 439' par 3 and the long is back a little but it is a par 4.

-If you only have time for one round, I would play #1's short pin, #2's short pin (the prodigy basket), #3's medium or long (1000') pin, #4-#10 in the regular or long, #11 short, #12 long, #13 short, #14 medium, #15 long, #16-#18 in either pin. That would be the funnest way to play this course. Those long pins may be more difficult to score low on; but they are more forgiving than the short pins.

-My favorite hole in #12. Especially in the medium pin. It's 520' and downhill (at least 35'). The medium pin and long pin are both par 4's. The medium pin give me an eagle opportunity since it plays like 415'. The long pin is a true par 4 that is like 660' and on the land across the road. Still a straightforward 4, and good chance for 3, but it's tougher.

-Since most of it is open, it's good practice for your long distance. The longest pin on #3 is nearly an outlier on the hole length avg. here of around 450' on the long pins, but since it's wide open and downhill, it's a good practice hole.

-Course has new and improved tee signs. For instance, they look cooler and they give the actual par description. I've heard that the old ones said that every position was a par 3, when there are par 4's and 5's here.

-Some of the new pins have awesome placements! Hole 9 in the medium pin is tucked into the woods surrounded by small rocks. #14 is an awesome "low ceiling" shot that still allows a big drive. #15 is a fun open bomb where the basket is tucked into the woods. I already mentioned a few others and they are awesome as well.

Cons:

-Lots of tweener holes in the short pins. For instance, #7. It's dead straight and like 420' but the risk in going for the 2 is so high to the point where you could potentially look at a 6 or 7. The woods are extremely dense to where you are going to lose a stroke just pitching out. Especially if it is windy. The long pin is very close to the short and it's a par 4. I usually think holes around 400' are par 3's, but not if there is high risk. I took a 6 on it first round, and a 3 the second round. Nobody else on my Advanced took a 3. Same with #17. The long is just 45' past the short and a little bit more left. The long pin is a par 4. Not saying #17 can't be 2'd, but it would require a ridiculous hyzer crush.

-#18 is a bummer of a finish. I think. You might love it if you prefer wooded holes. But chances are you won't. It's 256' in the short and the split fairways are extremely tight to where it feels like a par 4. The distance doesn't match up with the fairway. Just an annoying hole. The long pin is still a 3 but the difference is that it is straighter and doesn't require a very impressive flick just to par it.

-It's very tough to navigate before you get to hole 7. The walk to 4 is confusing if you don't play the monster hole; and if you do, the first basket you'll see is the long pin for hole 5. Walk toward that pin and up the hill to the right and you find #4's teepad. The walk from 5 to 6 is also confusing. Follow the trail to the left of #5's basket and take a right. Nothing too bad but could use next tee signs.

Other Thoughts:

-Now that I live in Cullowhee, I don't get to play courses like this one very often. The golf up there just isn't great. Wish courses like Victor Ashe were closer to me. The elevation and multiple pins are what really made me enjoy this course. I've seen a few negative reviews; if you didn't like this course in the past, I would encourage you to play it again to the long pins because you're far more likely to like the long layout better. I only played the shorts and they had some great holes. But I really wish we played a round from the longs. I would've played much better if we did.

-Favorite Hole: #12. Long downhill open bomb that plays over a tree at the bottom of a hill.

-Least favorite: #18. It's no bueno. Very frustrating finisher that nearly plays as pinball.
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2 2
Spike Hyzer 23
Experience: 30.7 years 92 played 87 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good Old Rocky Top 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The first hole is a masterpiece over water downhill that requires some luck to get through to the green and I parked it. The course is also a masterpiece of design and great beauty from hole 7 through the finish, featuring a lot of well placed mature trees on the more long and open holes, and ragged and tightly packed woods on some of the slightly shorter holes.

Cons:

The second through sixth holes are fairly open and far too long. The older or advanced player will simply have two long throws to the basket and hope the second one is parked for par. Otherwise it will be a lot of bogies. Much of the course for the next few holes is also simply far too long for the average player, but the design is great.

There is too much crossover with other park users on holes 1-6, though it is fairly secluded after that.

It's very difficult to follow for the first six holes. There are a couple of long walks between holes and direction is uncertain. There is almost no way to know where to go after hole 6, as the tee for something like #15 is in direct view and you end up wondering where the hell the next 8 holes went. After you find #7 it is fairly easy to follow.

This signage wasn't bad but wasn't great.

Other Thoughts:

It's truly a beautiful park.
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2 0
johngarcia79
Experience: 9.8 years 35 played 11 reviews
3.00 star(s)

V.A. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 17, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

V.A. is a nice big course. It has plenty of room to stretch out the long throws. There are a few precision placements that are needed. The rough is managed well and it's pretty hard to loose a disc in this stuff. Most shots are apparent and course layout is smooth. The course lends itself to a Pro format well with the long positions and has plenty of advantages for higher skill level players with different shot types. If you've got a roller, thumber, tomahawk, flick, and distance, you'll crush it.

Cons:

It has a bunch of people in the way. The park itself is just busy with non-golfers. The hole layout can be kinda boring as far as intermediate play goes. The average player will throw a lot of the same shots over and over again and probably shoot around par with maybe a few birdie opportunities. I feel that by moving some of the distances either way would make for more varied scores. There were just a lot of 3.5 holes that made for a bunch of pars.

Other Thoughts:

I'll be playing this course plenty more times. It is a good course. It should make me have a bigger arm and strive for some of the longer par 3's. It's probably wise to play during the week when less people are at the park.
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1 4
TaylorBCross
Experience: 12 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Set on the rolling hills of TN 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 7, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Long open fairways.
Challenges you to become a greater player
Great Baskets

Cons:

Muddy certain times a year
Pedestrians walking through course
Needs more regular maintenance

Other Thoughts:

Love this course, makes me want to play it every day
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2 5
akooler
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2014 disc adventure 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well maintained so it's easy to find your disc. Great beginner course. I shot a 47 my first and only outing.

Cons:

A lot of wide open shots with minimal difficulty. Finding hole 4 and hole 15 was kinda difficult.

Other Thoughts:

Over flowing trash cans. And a few missing tee signs.
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13 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 479 played 183 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Just 5 min off I-75 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 2, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice course in a pleasant, well maintained park in a nice neighborhood... others have mentioned overflowing trash cans, but it was spotless when I visited.
•Variety: Fairways are predominantly open and sparsely treed. Except for the moderately wooded final hole, the first 17 play lightly wooded, and don't require that much accuracy off the tee. Most pins are out in the open, but positioned so you'll have to work around a tree (or island of trees) on your approach to set up a putt, with a few pins nicely tucked away or well-guarded by stands of trees. Moderately rolling terrain comes into play on about half the holes, but not quite as often on putts and approaches. This combination of attributes allows for several lines to the pin off most tees, but seldom actually requires any specific routes. Nice mix of distances especially playing to the long pins. I wouldn't describe it as a bomber course, but it favors distance more than placement on all but a few holes.
• Equipment: Everything was generally in good condition. Spacious concrete tees were fairly grippy when wet. Yellow Innovas were easy to spot - long PVC poles enhance visibility on blind placements. Tee signs let you know when you've arrived. Map doesn't quite seem to scale, but getting around without it would be a bear.
• Aesthetics: Rolling hills dotted with trees are pleasing to the eye - still fairly green even in the winter. Several tees are bordered with landscaping stones at the back - provides a nice touch and helps keep sand from washing down onto the tees.
• Memorable holes: Starts with a nice water carry playing to a green ensconced by trees ready slap you down, denying your "would-be" park job...with a possible roll into the drink for a circle 4. Big arms will especially like holes 3 and 15 to the long pins, and 5 and 17 seemed particularly fun.
•Well suited to beginners (except for hole 1) and intermediate players, but probably not good for creating scoring separation among advanced players - although I think many will enjoy playing this course.
• Easy to play abbreviated rounds: play 1-5 + 15-18 = 9 holes... just don't walk to the far side of the park and skip holes 6-14.

Cons:

• Too forgiving of grip-lock and early release off the tee. I'm used to ending up in the bushes on shots like that and simply think many of the holes here make a par saving 2nd shot too easy.
• No feasible way for players who throw less than 250'or so to play hole 1. Most good water carries have some sort of bail-out route where short arms can still play if they concede a stroke or 2. The Alt Tee on the map looks like it would suffice, but I couldn't find it when I walked around to putt out. I suppose the designers simply thought this was too good a hole not to incorporate - I liked it but some will simply have to skip it.
• Navigation: JUST PRINT THE MAP!
Like many open layouts, navigation can be an issue and it's not always clear what pin you're throwing to. Course flow is more an oddity than an actual problem: holes 1-5 play through one section, then there's a decent walk to the "back of the park" where you'll find holes 6-14. To get to 15, you come back towards the section you started in. moving towards the parking lot. Really not bad once you get the hang of it, but it's certainly not intuitive.
• Two pins in the ground at the same time is nice for variety, but makes figuring out where to throw that much tougher - swear I saw 3 pins that all looked like they could be in play from certain tees.
• The biggest obstacle on many of the holes near the back of the park (holes 6-14) is the wide spread of long reaching, low-hanging branches which fill shooting lanes. But I only see these as being difficult for relatively inexperienced players: big arms can throw spike hyzers over the trees while placement players can typically hit the gaps (which aren't all that tight). That said, things could be tougher with spring/summer foliage filled in.

Other Thoughts:

One of the better open courses I've played, Victor Ashe is more fun than frustrating - likely why it's so popular. Course pix and overhead maps show plenty of trees, but the reality is the most heavily wooded holes on this course play on the perimeter of the woods (rather than playing through the woods), resulting in more forgiving fairways. You can often go fairly wide to one side to safely avoid trouble on the other.

Combinations of long/short pin placements to accommodate skill levels and make it a course you can play repeatedly and still find interesting. Plays like an entirely different course depending on whether you play to shorts or longs.

Literally a few minutes off I-75: easy to get to and worth a visit for course baggers. Not for those who like tight and technical, but if you enjoy a course that gives you a chance to air it out a bit, Victor Ashe is worth a visit. Even though I favor more technical courses VA's long pin placements, fun factor, and neat water carry bump a course that's "good" on paper to "very good" with discs in hand.

Playing on a Thursday? Then head to Puleo's Grille (about 3 miles from the course) for the weekly special: a quality burger & fries for $5... you'll be happy you did. This is not greasy fast food - it's a decent restaurant your wife would be happy to sit down at.
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2 0
crazypooljunkie
Experience: 15.8 years 44 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Golf, But Needs Improvement 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-Good golf. Challenging holes with good length and a decent mix of wooded and non-wooded holes.
-Completing the course requires a variety of shots. Not just throwing hyzers all day.
-The roughs are generally not too bad. While they can be tough to get into, they are relatively easy to navigate underneath the "canopy".

Cons:

-Navigating the course is terrible. While I'm sure it is easy for locals, if you're playing for the first time it can be pretty frustrating.
-This course needs to be better maintained. The grass was definitely too long when I played.
-Garbage cans were literally overflowing.
-I absolutely hate having two baskets in the ground at the same time at the same hole. If you want to play the longs, you may accidentally play to the shorts thinking that is the position.

Other Thoughts:

There is a gem in this course. A little elbow grease and some better coordination and commitment from the parks department this can be a fantastic course. I did not see any next tee markers. Going from 5 to 6 is completely illogical and needs to be marked. Getting from 3 to 4 isn't immediately obvious either. Next tee markers combined with some signage can fix this. I'd also prefer to see a second set of 'short' tees at all the holes instead of multiple baskets for a few of them.

This course easily has a 4 or 4.5 rating in it, just needs a bit of work.
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4 0
Jmorri67
Experience: 11.2 years 16 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

My personal favorite, home course. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 29, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I might be slightly biased since this is my home course, but this is my personal favorite of the courses I've played.

-Decent mix of long and short holes. shortest being around 250 and longest around 500 (not counting the ultra long tee on three)

-Lots of changes in elevation, but nothing too extreme.

-Good mix of open and technical holes.

-Tough enough to challenge experienced players, but still fun for newbies.

-Tee signs on every hole, benches and trash cans on some.

-Holes 3, 5, 12, and 17 offer some great views.
-Hole one is a tough one. Fairly short hole, but the middle ~150 feet the hole is over the so called "Lake VA." Wouldn't be too bad to get over with the exception of trees on both sides. This hole is a disc eater.

-Hole two has a couple of really nice pin positions, one about 400 dead straight, with a couple trees on either side of the fairway. Second is a hard right hook around some dense, dense brush, about 450ish away from the pad. You can either play it safe and throw a forehand/anny around the brush and have a nice second shot to get into putting position, or try your luck through the brush (there's an opening, but it's tight), and if your drive is good enough you could be in position for a long putt for eagle.

-Three is probably my favorite hole on the course. It has three pin positions, two of them about 350-380 out from the pad, and one ultra super long 1000 footer. The first two can be pretty easily birdied with a nice drive, but the long pin is technically a "par three." If You can get your drive to the top of the hill (~450 feet), you get yourself in position for a 550 foot approach down one long, beautiful hill. Definitely not a pin for a weak arm. Also, within the next week the extra long basket for hole five is being moved into the 1000 foot spot on three for good.

-Hole four is a medium distance uphill blind shot. Two pin positions, one on the near edge of the hill, the other near the hole three tee. Nothing too remarkable about this hole, challenging but fun.

-Hole five is a semi-long downhill shot with two basket placements. First is a blind shot straight downhill, pretty easy birdie if you can get your drive over the final crest of the hill. Second is slightly farther and to the left of the pad, visible from the pad, backed by some thick brush. Nothing too crazy, just needs a long drive.

-Hole six is deceivingly difficult to birdie. Long open fairway directly in front of the pad, pin to the left under some trees. The trees around and in front of the basket love to knock down good drives, making for some challenging approaches/putts. Second basket is a bit further, and straight ahead of the pad, but still surrounded by trees.

-Hole seven is a pretty long one, about 430 dead ahead for one basket placement, second is about the same distance but hidden to the right behind some bushes. About 250 feet down the fairway are two trees that seem to knock down any and every disc thrown their way, but if you can get your drive past them a birdie isn't out of the question. Birdie on the second basket placement isn't out of the question either, but the placement definitely makes it difficult. One of the more frustrating holes at this course.

-Hole eight is a ~325 foot (ish?) shot, slightly down hill over a fairway dotted with trees. A nice straight drive can get you reasonably close to the basket, but the trees make it tough. Several lines to both basket placements.

-Hole nine come right back up past eight, slightly uphill. First pin is about 270ish, slightly to the right, very easy. Second pin is about 150 feet back and over a hill, surrounded by rocks and trees. Very pretty hole placement, but definitely a difficult hole to birdie, even as a par 4.

-Hole 10 is really straightforward, about 350 feet straight ahead, slightly downhill. One tree just to the right of the pad that can very easily make you bungle a drive, and another smaller tree about 50 feet in front of the basket. Easy hole.

-Hole eleven is fairly short, uphill. Trees on the right side of the fairway take a big hyzer shot out of the equation. Best bet (for me at least) is to hyzer flip a fairway driver up and let it land on the right side of the hole. Not too difficult, but can quickly ruin your score if you throw a bad drive down the hill.

-Hole 12 is a fun one. About 380 feet out and down a big hill, with a thick, thick treeline about 70 feet in front of the short tee. Trees on either side of the fairway at the start give you limited options, but once you get down past those you have numerous options to get to the hole. Par 4, and pretty easy to birdie. Second pin positions is back about 200 feet and to the right, and out in the open. Not a super tough placement, just requires a big arm to get up to it.

-Hole 13 is one of the shorter, more technical holes on the course. The first pin placement is down a tunnel of trees about 250 straight down and slightly to the right of the basket. You have two options on this pin; down the tunnel or around it. Either way is going to make for a fairly easy hole. The second pin is about 50 feet behind the first, across the same line of trees from the previous hole. Only one option on this pin, down to the left of the tunnel and through the break in the tree line. Tough pin.

-Hole 14 is a long, open shot that's pretty much flat. Big line of trees on the left side of the fairway, and a few on the right to keep you honest. First basket placement is up at the end of the tree line on the left, second is under the trees dead ahead. Big arm players shouldn't have much trouble birdie-ing this one, I personally usually take a 3.

-Hole 15 short pin is the shortest hole on the course, 250ish feet dead ahead. Big tree/bush line on the left side of the fairway, 5 evenly spaced small trees separating this and hole 17 on the right. Probably the easiest birdie hole on the course.

-Sixteen is a hair longer than fifteen, sitting right around 260-270. Tight fairway with a lot of bushes/trees on either side, basket is ever so slightly up hill and a tad bit to the right. I like to throw a thumber on this one and have it land near the basket/just behind it on the hill.

-Hole seventeen is a long (440) downhill par 4, with a tree/bush lined left side of the fairway, and those same trees from 15 on the right. A strong armed player wouldn't have too much trouble eagleing this one with an accurate drive, but most players are looking at a drive, an ~100 foot approach, and a putt.

-Hole eighteen is about 300 uphill, through about 15 different trees across the fairway. A birdie on this hole would require a very very accurate drive, since the basket is unapproachable except for one open section thats about 10 feet across.

Cons:

-Grass doesn't get mowed as often as I'd like, so at some times you'll spend some time searching for discs.

-Woods on 2, 7-9, and 12-18 are extremely thick, so if you make a bad shot you're gonna have a rough time searching.

-Some tee signs and benches have been graffiti'd/broken, but signs are still readable.

-The path from 5->6 isn't marked, so your first time you might have trouble, but it's fairly easy to figure out.
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0 8
big298mac
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

victor ash 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 26, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

love this course is the best one I've ever played so far only been playing for a few months but it is really fun the flow could be a little better but overall it was an awesome course

Cons:

my only problem is this course is all the way Knoxville at talking two hour drive so wish I lived closer
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1 3
Gibbsinator
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful Open Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Beautiful and well maintianed course. Open with many good drives. Has some good landscape. Concrete pads. Easier holes and challenging holes. Signage is pretty good.

Cons:

Busier course. Hard to navigate 1st time. 1st hole has a huge water hazard. Maps show 2 pins on all holes, only some have multiple pins.

Other Thoughts:

This is a good course to work on many skills, It's definitely worth playing.
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