Spring Break 2018 - FL - Western NC

[chainedwraith]

So I've booked our cabin for our family spring break trip up to NC for March 18-23. We'll be staying near the Wolf Ridge Ski Lodge close to the NC/TN border within good range of Asheville and Johnson City / Falls Branch areas.

Looking for suggestions to help prioritize the courses I try to check off the list. I figure Harmon Hills is a given destination. Mars Hill will be the closest course at less than 10 miles from the cabin so I will likely revisit it just due to proximity to the cabin (haven't played it since 2012).

I've played Richmond Hill on previous visits including last year so was considering trying for one of the newer courses such as Sandhill or maybe Jackson Park down in Hendersonville?

Is Plumtree worth checking into, or would I be better off trying to play more on the TN side and maybe hit up Warriors Path or Winged Deer if I have to choose?

Any other private courses off the radar that I should inquire about among the locals via PM?

I'm so ready to get up there and let it fly on some new courses! Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions. :thmbup:

 

[DavidSauls]

Sugaree, if it's open. PM Mando.

Ashe County (public), if it's not too far. (But "far" in the mountains is relative; everything's a long drive, and everything's a scenic drive, so it doesn't matter as much).

 

[curveball4]

You might also look at Sugar Hollow on the VA side of Bristol. I haven't played it but I've heard good things from people that have

 

[danhyzer]

Since you have a week in the mountains, I recommend taking a little drive to Sawmills, N.C. and play Veterans Park. I loved that park/course and all the efforts put into the DG course. Catawba Meadows is a cool course if the grass is cut (i heard that some locals like to play outside of the mowed fairways is OB) low and is on the way to Sawmills from Asheville.

Maybe the Glen Hilton DGC in Hickory and Rolling Pines in Wilksboro will be open again when you plan to visit. I've read that the park was hit hard from a tornadoes

 

[chainedwraith]

Sugaree, if it's open. PM Mando.

I just might. That would be awesome. I got the chance to play Black Jack (outside of Boone) one year and that is still my favorite DG course ever played. I imagine Sugaree to be of similar caliber.

Ashe County (public), if it's not too far. (But "far" in the mountains is relative; everything's a long drive, and everything's a scenic drive, so it doesn't matter as much).

Good suggestion, but I did have that honor on a previous trip. One year we rented a cabin in West Jefferson about 4 miles from the park gates. I was sippin' my coffee waitin' for the park gates to open almost every morning that week. As far as public park courses, its my #1 all-time favorite.

 

[DavidSauls]

I just might. That would be awesome. I got the chance to play Black Jack (outside of Boone) one year and that is still my favorite DG course ever played. I imagine Sugaree to be of similar caliber.
.

I've never played Blackjack, but people I know who've played both, gush praise about both.

It's one of the mental scars of my disc golf life. Years ago we played Sugaree; though I understand is greatly improved since, because Mando never stops working, it was wonderful and the most beautiful place I've ever thrown plastic. When we finished, he offered to get us on another nearby private and unpublished course. We declined, keeping to itinerary of playing Richmond Hill that day, which was a bit of a letdown. Naturally, the private course we didn't play was Blackjack, and I haven't had the chance since.

 

[sjberry2017]

I've played Richmond Hill on previous visits including last year so was considering trying for one of the newer courses such as Sandhill or maybe Jackson Park down in Hendersonville?

Jackson park is fun; overall it's on the shorter, technical side but there are a couple longer holes. There's a good mix of elevation and tricky greens, with some laid back, throw and putt sort of holes as well. Not a road trip course in and of itself, but definitely worth taking the time to drive to

 

[markmanchette]

Heritage Farm is a new private course in Boone. Beautiful, with a creek coming into play, and a lake. Great elevation. Pay to play and very well worth it. The High Country disc golf page on Facebook has more info...

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

Since you have a week in the mountains, I recommend taking a little drive to Sawmills, N.C. and play Veterans Park. I loved that park/course and all the efforts put into the DG course. Catawba Meadows is a cool course if the grass is cut (i heard that some locals like to play outside of the mowed fairways is OB) low and is on the way to Sawmills from Asheville.

Maybe the Glen Hilton DGC in Hickory and Rolling Pines in Wilksboro will be open again when you plan to visit. I've read that the park was hit hard from a tornadoes

Hilton isn't reopening anytime soon, if ever.

If you are going to drive east on I-40, the best course in that area is the Bear. Don't waste your time at Sawmills or Catawba Meadows.

You're much better off playing the courses in the Tri-Cities or Knoxville. Better quality and quantity.

 

[chainedwraith]

Counting down the days until vacation! I'm starting to plan our routes and stops for the weekend drive up and the weekend drive back.

So the first course I will likely play on this trip will most likely be Tyus in Griffin, GA on our way up through Atlanta. We are visiting a couple different friends in Atlanta and not sure if I'll get out, but on our way out of town I'm going to try to hit up Little Mulberry Park in Dacula at the very least.

When we leave ATL area on Saturday we'll take I-85 up towards Greenville. We're still undecided where to stay Saturday night, but I'm considering staying to the west of Greenville so I can hit up Grand Central Station before we head up towards Asheville on Sunday.

During our cabin stay Monday - Friday, I'm planning a trip to Harmon Hills / Warriors Path on one of those days and then hopefully on a different day I'll look to play something else in the High Country maybe. I will probably play Mars Hill College again too since it will be the closest course to our cabin. It will be nostalgic to play there again because it was the first ever course I played outside of Florida nearly 7 years ago.

The trip home the following weekend, we will leave the cabin on Friday 3/23 and head to Charlotte. I will probably only have time to play 1 course in Charlotte Saturday morning so I'm leaning towards Hornet's Nest.

Saturday we will likely leave Charlotte late afternoon and drive down to Charleston and spend our last night of vacation in Charleston where we will only have less than 6 hr drive home on Sunday. Not sure if I'll get to play Sewee Outpost or not but that will probably be my target course if I can squeeze it in while in Charleston area.

8 new courses played might be ambitious for this trip, but I feel pretty good I'll get to bag at least 5 or 6 new ones. if anyone has any other course suggestions or would like to try to meet up for a round, just let me know!

oh! I forgot to ask! Any good local brewery suggestions? I know there is no shortage of them along my travels so I'll take some brewery suggestions as well.

 

[wellsbranch250]

Have you looked into Panther Creek?
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=9055

 

[discNDav]

Any good local brewery suggestions? I know there is no shortage of them along my travels so I'll take some brewery suggestions as well.

Asheville has plenty of choices, Wicked Weed is the best. Asheville brewery not only has good beer but also great pizza. I didn't care for Green Man brewery.

 

[chainedwraith]

Have you looked into Panther Creek?
https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=9055

That one is making me reconsider our route up to the cabin. When we leave ATL we can either go I85 and go through the Greenville area or drive north up 75 and go through TN and connect to I26 in Kingsport. The TN route would add a little more drive time and I have to make sure my wife and kids will enjoy "something" that we stop and do along the way as well.

If we drive up through TN from ATL I also wouldn't likely play Little Mulberry Park, so that would get swapped out with a course on the NW side of ATL, such as Oregon Park or Etowah maybe?

So already a potential itinerary amendment: Little Mulberry Park Saturday afternoon & Grand Central Station Sunday morning OR Oregon Park/Etowah Saturday afternoon & Panther Creek Sunday morning. Which course combo would you guys choose?

 

[chainedwraith]

I'm also still a little undecided on what other course to play on the same day trip as Harmon Hills.

Warriors Path?
Winged Deer?
Sugar Hollow?

 

[wellsbranch250]

you might want to take a look at rainfall totals in the region. much of the TN river valley has gotten 10 inch of rain in the last month. A farther east route would likely be dryer. http://water.weather.gov/precip/

 

[chainedwraith]

Well, looks like we are little snowed in at the moment, but I did get to play a few new courses on the trip so far:

Tyus Park in Griffin, GA
Tyger River Park in Duncan, SC
Jackson Park in Hendersonville, NC
Mars Hill University DGC, Mars Hill, NC (played before in 2012)

I'm bummed that the weather is most likely ruining my chance of making it to Harmon Hills tomorrow afternoon. :wall:

We head to Charlotte on Friday and hopefully I can play the redesigned Hornet's Nest before we check into our hotel.

 

[DavidSauls]

It's spring. There can't be snow.

 

[sjberry2017]

Dang, I wish I had kept up with this thread; there's several good brewery options, including one with a 9 hole disc golf course (it eventually will be 18 holes and isn't your typical pitch and putt course). If y'all ever head back through, try to be in Greenville on a Friday or Saturday, as Golden Grove Farm and Brew is the brewery with the course and they're usually only open those two days (might be Thursdays now, follow them on Facebook). Anderson, SC, has the Baurnhaus (specialize in sours and native yeast ales, but have guest taps), with four main breweries in Greenville (Thomas Creek, Quest, Brewery 85, and Birds Fly South Ale Project). Spartanburg has RJ Rockers and there are several other outlying breweries (I know there's one in Travelers Rest with Swamp Rabbit in the name, and New Groove Artisan Brewery in Boiling Springs.

While in Asheville, definitely try to hit up Highland Brewing and take the tour. It's free and starts out with free samples of Gaelic Ale while hearing their history spiel, plus the taproom is super cool and their beer is amazing.

Definitely put Little Mulberry on your list for next time. I usually stop there whenever I'm in the ATL since it's right off I85, and it's an incredibly fun course to play. Lots of great woods shots without insanely tight fairways, couple holes where you can really open up and throw, and some serious two shot par 4s.

Also, Grand Central has 5 new holes (and one more "new" hole which combines a tee and basket from two adjacent holes) for two overlapping layouts.

Hope the snow doesn't dappen the fun too much and safe travels!