Athens, TN

Athens Regional Park DGC

3.735(based on 24 reviews)
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15 0
mjo56300
Experience: 57 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Superb Mix of Holes!

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

Pretty much every hole had two tees and two baskets. If you can't find a challenging layout that's perfectly suited to you, it's not the course's fault. There were open shots, shots with and without water in play. There were some tough, wooded holes on the hillside. The course opened up on the back with awesome views. Hole 15 was huge fun. Hole 16 was diabolical - getting around that right-turning corner with the huge rollaway potential! Just a really fun course.

Cons:

In the woods, I had a little trouble imagining the right line on a couple holes, but it was my first time there. I think if I got to play it a bunch, the challenge would be awesome.

Other Thoughts:

I was passing through from Huntsville to Knoxville and am super glad I stopped in. I have no problem giving it a 4. We have higher-rated courses here in town that weren't nearly as good as this one. This is a course that I really wished I lived closer to and could get to know.
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13 0
autocrosscrx
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.3 years 27 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Variety 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 19, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

- easy to get to. Close to the interstate. Near restaurants and gas stations.
- beautiful park.
- 2 tees, 2 baskets. There is a layout for everyone here.
- Lots of variety, open shots, heavily wooded shots, water shots.
- Great use of elevation. There are some beautiful views from the tee pads.
- Good tee signs. Very straight forward showing teepads and pin locations.
- For a course that will punish errant shots, most bad shots are findable. The water on 6 is an obvious except.
- Disc golf isolated from other park activities.

Cons:

- There is ample parking, but it isn't close to the start of the course.
- There is a beautiful kiosk, but it is between hole 2 and 3.
- Navigation is tricky. Make sure you have map access.
- There are a few places where you are walking across these rock filled ditches. A few smaller walking bridges would be nice.
- Baskets are perfectly fine functionally, but showing some wear. The cage on hole 4 is damaged.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course. I found it well worth the hour drive from Knoxville. My buddy, who has played the east TN courses that I've reviewed along with a few other said this is probably his favorite area course. It is really close for me.

The course is a little rough in some areas where I'm spoiled in Knoxville (aging tee pads, baskets, etc), but honestly, it adds to the character and charm.

I highly recommend a stop if you are traveling up I-75 or spending a few days checking out east Tennesse golf.
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21 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Blah, Wow! SMH, Wow! 2+ years

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

Pros:

(3.763 Rating) A champion worthy landscape with a weak chin.
- THE LAND - This is the type of land that every course designer wishes they had access to. A little over a 100 feet of elevation changes on the course layout. 100-year-old heavy woods available to use and also a big pond and some headwater creeks. I loved the monster 200 year old oak on hole (3).
- FINISH - The course from (14) on is clearly the best stretch on the layout. Awesome big rolling elevation, horizon wide views of the countryside and gun slinging gameplay.
- HOLE 15 - WOW, what a hole. All four options looked amazing, but the back to short option was Incredible. The back pad to short basket play is a 40 foot downhill bomb to split some big trees 400 feet down fairway. Then the hole doglegs 90 degrees to the left where aggressive approaches can find the backslope of the green and eliminate most chances at a birdie. I did just this, but I made my 45 foot up hill come backer.
- EQUIPMENT - Like just about all HB courses I've played, the equipment here is well above average. 5 foot by 12 foot concrete tees. Two DISCatcher baskets per hole. Seating at every back tee and I think they may have been at most, in not all, the front tees as well. There's also a practice basket, big course map, restrooms and shelter facilities available within the park.
- DUEL PINS AND TEES - The two basket and two tee set up is a big pro here. There are four easy to follow layouts that range from upper Intermediate level difficulty to lower recreational difficulty. I'm pretty sure if I lived in town, I'd play a mixed layout as some of the back tee combinations are horrible in their design.
- SKILL LEVEL FRIENDLY - Because of the four layouts, this course should appeal to a wide swath of the disc golf community. Other than beginners and pros, most players should enjoy the course and be able to find a challenge that fits them.
- CHALLENGING - Although I didn't throw it, the back to back layout looks like a tweener between Advanced level and Intermediate level. Players are going to need 350 foot power and possess the intelligence to play some lay-up golf on a few holes to break par.
- NAVIGATION - Very well built tee signage with next tee direction on them. Most baskets had a clip-on directional arrow on a basket spoke.
- HOLE VARIETY - Outstanding. Ponds, creeks, big elevation changes, long holes, short holes, benders, tunnels, bombs and head scratchers.
- RAW BEAUTY - In my top ten for beauty in Tennessee out of 55 state courses played as of this review.
- LOCATION - The course is less than 5 minutes from I75.


Cons:

Line flaws on a few holes, but not much else.
- DESIGN - For the record, I threw the back pad to front basket layout, with one exception. I threw the front pad on (10), by accident. The first two holes on the course are just plain blah compared to the rest of the course. The back basket placement on (5) looks wonky or perhaps I'm not good enough. Regardless, I'm glad I played to the front basket here which needs to be re-labeled as a par 3 from the back tee. Some of the lines in the woods beginning on (7), were utter ridiculous by the June time conditions. I didn't like any of the back tee line options for holes (7) and (9). Perhaps the summer overgrowth closed off some options. The lines on (8) and (11) were mediocre at best, but I sort-of gave them a pass as they were par 4s. Finally, I'll mention (13), which had a small gap on the left that was blocked off due to the overgrowth, but it also had numerous trees way down fairway closing off or greatly constricting every plausible lane. How in the world is hole (13) a par 3, especially to the back basket? I also recommend reading Benny's con's of the design too, as he played a different layout than me. He threw the long to long layout. The only line I have a different opinion on is (12). I love throwing forehand 'S' lines and I had no problem throwing a right to left to right forehand with an over stable driver from the long pad out +300 feet. I feel confident that I'd hit (12s) line 85 percent of the time. I should have had an easy birdie too, but I shanked a putter into the woods on the right. Doh!
- PAR STRUCTURE - I don't take points off for this, but from the long to short layout, I averaged 3.57 throws on the par 4s, and 3.75 throws on the par 3s.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - Several holes bring low use park roads into play. I only waited one time for a car to pass. A walking path also comes into play on (3). Overall, a very minor issue.
- LOST DISC POTENTIAL - It's slightly higher than normal here, but not epic bad. The best chance to lose one is on (5) from the long pad, but I could also see some lost discs in the woods too. I found a disc on (12) looking for my shank job.
- MAINTENANCE - The course was not in great shape by late June. The woods needed a lot of work and the grass from hole (12) on, was ankle to shin high. The best time to play this course is likely from October through April or within a couple a weeks of a tournament date.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - I wouldn't bring a beginner here. Even from the short to shorts, the course will be too complex for new throwers. Doing a continuous loop using (1) and (2), is beginner friendly though.
- TIME PLAY - 90 minutes for this quick solo player. Figure 2 hours for a twosome and 3 hours for a foursome.
- WIND - This course will be a different animal on windy days.

Other Thoughts:

A tweener 3.75 rated course to me that should be a +4.0 considering the money dropped and the land. Had it just been a one layout option through-out, I'd score it a good ½ point lower. There are just too many bad holes from the back tees, and the fronts are too short and simplistic for me to score high. The best layout at Athens Regional is going to be a mix and it's the main reason I'm scoring this course above the 3.75 threshold. Like Benny's review, if I were a TD using this course, there is no way I'd put the higher skilled divisions entirely on the back tee and back basket layout. Tourney players would curse me out. Regardless, this is a great stop and it's probably the best course currently between Knoxville and Chattanooga. This is also the 16th HB Clark course I've hit and I have it ranked 3rd in that grouping, being both well behind Panther Creek and Mahr Park. Completely worth checking it out for those passing along I75. Not destination level worthy like other east Tennessee gems such as the before mentioned Panther Creek and also Harmon Hills. Plus I'm sure there are some other Knoxville and Morristown courses in the same league, or better that I haven't played. Regardless, veteran players living in both the Chattanooga and Knoxville areas should really come check out this very high quality regional course.
- UPDATES - Nearly two thirds of the reviews for this course are from when this course was only 9 holes. According to the past review data, this course has a rating average of 3.47 on the first 15 reviews when the course was just 9 holes. The rating average jumps to a 4.07 for the last seven reviews that incorporates all 18 holes.
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1 5
icezero82
Experience: 10.4 years 63 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

challenging course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 25, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good practice for big distance throwers. Big course with 2 tees and 2 pins. A lot of ways to play this course!

Cons:

Fairways could be overgrown BUT that is part of the challenge.

Other Thoughts:

Has a nice hiking trail for family/friends.
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11 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 321 played 303 reviews
3.50 star(s)

On Top of the Town 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 15, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Two pads and two baskets. The short pads to short pins are pretty simple. The long pads to long pins start off really simple for pros. All are short (or open) and easy par fours that give the chance to warm up the arm. Course is a beast after those four (if you play the longest layout). Greatest part of this course is the fact that you have four options. S to S, S to L, L to S, or L to L. That being said, anyone can play here.

-Something special would be the fact that you can see a great part of the city of Athens on holes fifteen through eighteen. They play on top of the hill at the park and the view is really awesome. It's almost like a tourist attraction for the town of Athens. Really awesome!

-The pond on holes five and six is very wide. Was a great challenge for me. I wouldn't have attempted to tee off on either of those holes around the time when I started reviewing courses. Especially on hole #5. It takes at least a 320' shot to clear the pond. To add to it, there are trees at the bank with large limbspans. Not easy to make it across. But the pond is very shallow so discs are very retrievable. The short pad isn't as difficult. #6 is back across the pond and forced me (a 99% rhbh thrower) to throw a huge hyzer just to stay left of the pond. It's only 405' long and is a par 4. Good challenge for a shorter par 4. The pin positions are both really cool. The short pin (the red) is on the hill under some trees. Maybe 330' from the long and about 270' from the short. The long is past that treeline and back in the open.

-Nice elevation changes. Good mix of challenging uphill holes and a few downhill bombs. #15 is pretty sick! All around a great hole no matter how you play it. The last five holes are all great in my opinion. This one is probably the signature hole. Down a big hill, bombs away! Many people will enjoy the first hole too from the long pad. It says 600' to the long pin (might be a just a bit longer than that) and about 420' to the short (maybe 450'). You'll want to throw multiple drivers on this hole! #9's short pad to the short pin is a fun steep downhill ace run.

-I was pessimistic about hole seven at first while walking to the long pad. It's actually a very cool hole, especially to the short pin. Nice corridor shot. It initially looked like a goofy sidearm par three. There's actually a gap right in front of the long pad. It's a little odd to the long pin but there's a line that can get you down there. I liked #8 as well. Another cool wooded hole.

-If you play the best of your four options (S to S, S to L, L to S, L to L), you'll have a great time here. If you have time for only one round, make sure you play the best option. That's for you to decide!

-Ends well with #18. The long pad has you staring miles ahead at the city of Athens. Gives you the message that you are standing high above the city. The teeshot is very different, some people might not like it. But I loved it. It's a dogleg right starting in the open and into the woods past the landing zone. The baskets are both out of the woods. I attempted to throw a huge anhyzer and thought I could PARK this 580' par four in the long pin since it's downhill the entire way. I didn't park it; I turned too quickly and was in the woods. Didn't go well, but I think I'll eagle this hole sometime. It can be done with a ton of power. The short pad is a really sweet finisher as well. 280' to the short pin and 370' to the long. Has maybe a twenty five to thirty foot elevation loss. Very pretty hole as well. Probably a tie for the signature hole along with #15.

-Course is well kept. Maybe a bit thorny, but overall looking great. Didn't lose any discs here. The tee signs are very accurate in regards to the diagram.

-A lot of food variety nearby. There's a Dunkin Donuts.

Cons:

-It's very crucial that you play the best out of the four, because some holes here are not well designed. Sorry, some of the holes are ridiculous. It's either the look of the tee shot and what you're forced to "attempt" rather than actually do. There were some pin positions I wasn't fond of either at all. #5's long pin is really weird. You're throwing through a really small gap in the woods. It's like a really small tunnel that's isn't entirely clear and the basket is barely past it. You could maybe try to go around the trees and hope to skip to the pin but it's just not as fun as the short pin. There's better spots for the long pin than past a tiny portion of the woods. It's hard to explain; you just have to see it for yourself.

-#10. This hole sucks. Sorry but it really sucks unless you play the short pad to long pin (that's a good hole). The long pad is really bad. The line is just impossible to hit and have you anywhere near either pin. The short pin is slightly to the right side and has you throwing through a narrow turning fairway that gives you maybe two feet to pure the woods. If you do, you'll still have a long upshot. You could see the short pin (red) in a straight line but there's no real fairway past the gap. The long pin is a dogleg right, steep uphill from the long pad. You could try to throw a big anhyzer, but you'll hit the branches cause they are maybe 25' off the ground. The uphill elevation change on this hole is over 25', meaning it's pretty much impossible to reach with that given line and the overhead branch. Take my advice. Play the short pad to the long pin. That's your only good option. #12's long pad was ridiculous too. Has you throwing a short pitch or a right to left forehand in the woods. You're maybe 140' from the short pad and just making it there is progress. You basically are best off tossing a putter and are hoping you can bomb a 450' shot uphill in the open to have a chance at birdie. Just push the basket back and make a new tee pad. This hole is the opposite of what a par four typically is. The short pad is a better hole. Wasn't a fan of #9's long pad either. You have to go very low, pretty much nose down and through a very narrow gap that curls left. Not "challenging", just corny.

A couple of these long pads and fairways made me feel like Billie Joe Armstrong at the iHeartRadio Music Festival 2012 during the very end of the Green Day set (no disrespect because I love Green Day). Look it up on youtube. Green Day iHeartRadio 2012. You'll know exactly what I mean if you watch the ending.

-Some of the pars here don't really make sense and need to be adjusted. #13 is 500' (long to long) and is a par 3? How? It's wooded with some spaced out trees. A four isn't a bad score at all on this hole. So many of the shorts are par 4s and they are all par 3s in my opinion. I understand that the shorts are aimed more toward beginners but they need to know the norm. A 250' in the open is not a par 4. Not to mention, hole three long to long is 470' and is a much easier three than #13. It's reachable for big arms too. I don't understand HB's par logic sometimes. If you've played Panther Creek or Rotary in Morristown then you know what I mean.

Other Thoughts:

-I know that on every hole, there is a good option for each. For instance #12 is a great hole from the short pad to long pin but is really horrible from the long pad. I know that if you pick your favorite out of your four options for eighteen holes you'll have a great experience. However, this is a tournament course. That means you'll be playing each layout most likely as it is in a tournament here. You probably won't be playing a mixed layout. This is probably all hypothetical, but I were to ever run a tournament here, we'd be playing a mixed layout. The bad holes here could be much better than they are now. They are just too "far out there" and irritating. It's like one of the minor objectives was to troll some disc golfers with the designs of a few holes.

-Once you're done with #13, you are going to feel like you were released from prison after being dismissed of a crime that you never committed. That is if you play all long to longs. You'll feel freedom once you get to #14. That's what I felt. Pure freedom. I threw a raider over 500' on this hole and another 500'+ on #15. I really enjoyed both of those par fours. They are more open, but they have their merits to them. #16 through #18 were all great from the long pads as well.

-My main disappointment was the longs from #9-13. I don't understand the rationale behind those holes. In all fairness, #13 itself is a good hole but it was frustrating just because it was a par three. Aside from that, this course is really good. I do think it could use a few major adjustments though in regards to the designs of a few holes though. It could VEEEEERRRRYYY easily be one of the greatest in Tennessee if there were some changes. The course looks great. It has nice elevation. A good mix of open and wooded holes. The pond is a great addition. The opportunities to unleash big drives are really nice. I want to favorite this course, but some of the crazy wooded holes and the couple of pin placements that I consider to be unfavorable keep me from doing so. Some of you may not agree with me, but I'm not the only one who thinks this. I've played about 170 courses and I know what makes them awesome. A lot of the potential is well used here, just has its errors.
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7 1
Baysinger
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.4 years 98 played 55 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Athens Regional Park DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 17, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Two tee pads and two baskets per hole which allow you to play several different layouts at your choice.

Cons:

Unforgiving fairways. Course can be hard to follow in some areas.

Other Thoughts:

The disc golf course at Athens Regional Park is a very challenging course with lots of long tight fairways. The course has two tee pads and two baskets per hole which are all playable at any given time. It has a great mix of wooded/open and left/right holes with some water hazards along the course as well. Overall a pretty fun course but I wouldn't exactly consider it a must play. It's not a bad course but I wouldn't travel too far to play it when there are many other courses near by that just simply out class this course. Some of the wooded fairways are a little too unforgiving in my opinion but like I said, I do enjoy the choice of being able to play several different layouts at your choice. Pro's aren't going to enjoy the Short to Short layout and newer player's aren't going to enjoy the Long to Long layout but there are happy mediums for both. Overall, if you are in the area, this would be a great course to play but definitely not a must play. If you want to see this course on video, check out my crew playing this course in the videos below...
https://www.youtube.com/playl...6-5LXAKE3SKx7
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5 0
Slow_Disc
Experience: 11.4 years 47 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Review from Illinois Player 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

I enjoyed the course 2 tee pads and 2 baskets each hole is great. Great variety of wooded, hilly, water, and open throws. Would recommend visiting. Top level players would enjoy various configurations.

Cons:

Grass was mowed when I played. I thought some of the tree's and branches along the tee's could use some trimming. Some of the lines seemed likely less fair than what the original designer might have intended, especially on hole #3 and #5.

There is allot of distance to cover.

Other Thoughts:

I played short baskets to long tee's, and was extremely challenged, I think a more casual round I would go short tee and short basket.

Nice course sign, but a long hall from the parking lot, course sign, to the first tee. Lot's of walking in the course, but worth it.
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7 5
CornerPocket
Experience: 8 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Best Course within 50 miles? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 26, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is wonderful. I've played all of the courses in Chattanooga many times, and I've played a few courses in other states while on trips. Personally, this is probably the most interesting/fun/challenging course of all of them.

There are two tees and two baskets for every hole, so you can play a variety every time you go. We played the short tees to the short baskets unless the short baskets were too boring.

The first two holes may seem a bit boring when you start. Both are wide open shots from tee to green with a bit of elevation change, but from there, you go along creeks, through tunnels, around trees, around a lake, through the woods, through more woods, back out in the open and down a huge hill... all I can say is that the holes at this course were very interesting and very different.

If this were closer to chattanooga, it would 100% be my go to course in the area.

Also, it seemed very well maintained. Definitely saw some wildlife while there (Ducks, baby and adult as well as a beaver).

Cons:

This course is 45 miles from me, so it's a bit of a drive.

It takes a while to play because it's really long and there's a lot of exercise involved... tough to call this a con, but it might be for some people.

Definitely some thorn bushes in some of the rough... as most would expect.

Other Thoughts:

Be prepared for a hike starting from hole 7. 7-11 go UP through the woods... lots of climbing (more like walking up steep slopes) between tees. Then you get a bit of a break from 12-15, but 16&17 involve a bit more uphill walking which is a bit tiring after a long round.
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6 2
CGChase
Experience: 12.4 years 23 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Very fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Multiple baskets and multiple tees for each hole allowing for each hole to be played 4 different ways.
Exceedingly well groomed.
Excellent variety.
Very well marked (best I've seen)

Cons:

There is water to navigate.
Tees were hard to find on the 3rd and 7th-9th.
The Pars made no sense to me.

Other Thoughts:

starts of with 2 wide open long shots then follows a creek for two shots, two shots around a lake (over if you choose the longer tee) and 3 shots deep in the woods.

Park by the house at the entrance to the park. It is meant for that and though further away from the first hole, it is closer to the 9th hole.
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8 1
FlyingSouthDG
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.5 years 52 played 29 reviews
4.00 star(s)

9 Holes You'll Play Over and Over Again! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 27, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Easy course to navigate. There are small signs throughout the entirety of the course which clearly display the current hole, and the hole next to come is never far away.
- Multiple tees and baskets for every hole; 5 different options of play!
- Tees and baskets are in perfect condition.
- Know your bag well, you will need every disc in it. Prepare to drive both forehand and backhand.
- Players of every skill level will find this course both challenging and fun.
- Beautiful aesthetics and free of litter.
- Grass and foliage have been well maintained.
- Lightly wooded holes shift to heavily wooded for Holes #7-9. Great variety!

Cons:

- As it is a small course in a small city, I can assume this course is rather crowded on a sunny Friday or Saturday afternoon.
- The pond on Hole #6 is big and deep. It can be a doozy, and potentially a lost disc, if you don't play your drive safe.
- The center hub of the park is a large baseball complex. For most holes, be aware of cars driving by.

Other Thoughts:

I have played many courses in the greater Chattanooga area, especially 9-hole courses, and I must say this is one of (if not THE) best one of them all. It may be a bit of a drive out to Athens, but playing all 9 holes two times through is well worth it. With multiple tee and basket options, you are free to play to the challenge degree of your choice. I certainly recommend this course to players of all skill levels, and personally look forward to returning myself.
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2 7
retleftolc
Experience: 92 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Underrated 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Variety

Cons:

9 holes

Other Thoughts:

The amount of shots that must be used here to throw a low round is great. Too many course allow a big arm to take advantage of routes no available to all. I normally get to take advantage of those lines, but here you are made to eliminate that line on several holes.
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12 0
thrembo
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 49.5 years 245 played 198 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Southern Comfort 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 3, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

A nice modern style, middle Tenn. course with a good mix of elevation change, woods, and water hazards.

Two sets of nice concrete tees and two sets of nice baskets make for several different ways to play this course. The more that I play these types of courses, the more that I like them.

Decent tee signs.

Very clean, and well maintained.

Restrooms, and a nice playground for the little ones.

Nice length, with some holes for the big guns. Overall, I would rate this as a longer course.

Cons:

Not too many cons for this course. There are a couple of tricky walks between holes. Use the map and you should be fine.

With its length and water-hazards, I wouldn't recommend this course to beginners.

Other Thoughts:

A very nice, larger park style course, with a good mix of longer distances, and scenic Tenn. style countryside.

I would wear sturdy shoes.

Although the course is pretty much set in its own area of the park, it is a multi-use park with hiking/biking trails nearby, and a father/son were chucking a football around the big open area at the start of the course. The locals seemed friendly though.

It's very close to I-75. Stopping in for a leg stretching round is highly recommended.
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4 2
ShaDalton
Experience: 16.4 years 12 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Has great potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 19, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Variety of distance, woods, a bit of elevation, and some tight woods. Nice pads and signage, Bathrooms on site are plus!

On the hole info:
red = short to short
white=long to short
blue=short to long
yellow=long to long

Cons:

I cant think of anything really negative about the course, only nine holes but so many options it can be played 36.

Other Thoughts:

I can't believe #8 is a par3! I had to walk all the way back to look at the sign just to make sure.. Tough hole!
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6 1
chrishank
Experience: 15.5 years 34 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

good course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 16, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I love the various shots needed for this course. You have long straight shots, short straight shots, long curve to the left and right as well as some smaller distance ones as well. Very diverse in shots.

Cons:

The only cons in my opinion is the steep hills. Building some sort of steps for hole 3 and 4, and 7 and 9 would help. I am always taking kids with me and some I have to carry up and down these hills.

Other Thoughts:

I lived in mcminn county for years so I have family and friends there. So I make regular visits to this course when I go up there. I love the course and can not wait on the other 9 holes to get there. It would be a 4.5 or 5 star course when it happens.
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13 0
3OrangeWhips
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 96 played 40 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Athens Regional Park DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Two permanent tee pads and two permanent baskets on every hole.
• Concrete tee pads are very long and level to accommodate long run-ups.
• Great signage at both tee pads on every hole.
• Water significantly in play on three of the completed nine holes.
• Good variety of wide open boomer holes, shorter technical holes, and tighter holes in the woods.
• Mild elevation changes on the open holes, more significant elevation changes on the wooded holes.
• Very large, pristine multi-use park built on rolling hills surrounded by scenic Tennessee farmland and mountains.
• Plenty of parking near the #1 tee pad and plenty of clean restroom facilities.
• Easy access offers a tempting quick round to passers by on I-75.

Cons:

• Only nine of the planned 18 holes were completed as of May 2011.
• A disc thrown into the pond is lost forever.
• The #4 fairway looks like it can stay fairly muddy after wet weather.
• The course flows nicely, but finding the next hole would be difficult without the course map available on this website.

Other Thoughts:

Whoever designed this course did a great job, and whoever maintains it is doing just as well. Two permanent tees and baskets on every hole allows you to customize the course to accommodate what kind of round you want to play. I really like the way the course opens with a pair of wide open boomer holes that get your arm warmed up. The pond hole was a bit too challenging for my weak arm, but I was able to layup and still hit par. I lost a disc in the creek on hole #3--although I could clearly see it, I was worried about the critters that might be living in the nooks and crannies along the banks so I left it. Although the grass on the open fairways was already cut low, the mowers were in full swing while we were there. In the future, this course will only get better. The area where the back nine will be located is grassy hills with lots of elevation change and old trees. Looking forward to coming back.
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3 2
bama9125
Experience: 16 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

challenge and mental! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

beautiful course overall and nice place to walk. have bathroom at hole 6 and comfortable throw at 1st hole bec of downhill!
good for people on vacation on way on I-75

Cons:

lot of walk and 1st hole is 600 feet on pro tee and yellow basket. walk uphill on 2nd hole. and water in play on 5th and 6th hole. very brutal hole is 8th hole . challenge thru the heavy wooded area. i lost disc there. it required good aim thrower. it deserved a par 5 instead of 3 for amateur. :)

Other Thoughts:

i lived abt hour and 15 min away from this course and i wouldnt go unless i pass this way. the good part about this is that it does not conflict with walkers so dont worry abiut hit people. it remind me of Heritage Point park in Dalton, Georgia DGC.
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5 0
ChronoDisc
Experience: 16.4 years 12 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful day on a beautiful course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

It is a very good course for both beginners and more advanced players. It gives you the option of 2 tees and 2 baskets on most of the holes. The scenery is very nice and I felt like I was in a park not buried in the leftover wooded areas. It was a nice casual play as each hole had its different challenges but none of them were too particularly difficult. This course was very nicely designed.

Cons:

It is only 9 holes. Sometimes I had to step back and really look for the next tee, hole 3 was a very good example of this.

Other Thoughts:

I will definitely be playing here again. Company is always welcome just shoot me a message and we can hit the place up. I also lost a grey eagle in the shrubery on hole 4--finders keepers =)
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10 0
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.3 years 776 played 417 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Top Quality Across The Board 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 19, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Two top quality (5x12, concrete, flat, flush with ground) teepads per hole, each with its own informative teesign.

Two top quality (red band for short, yellow band for long) baskets per hole.

Top quality colour map, making the course a cinch to navigate, and showing plans for nine more holes!

Cons:

Even playing short-to-short, water on #6 will be hard to avoid for those with less experience.

Other Thoughts:

Course plays in the open space and woods at the entrance of a very nice multi-use public park. The blue-banded basket in the open space beyond #2's baskets is a practice basket.

After two initial long and very open (#1 major downhill, #2 minor up-slope) holes to loosen your arm, it is back across the parking lot to find tee-3 near the entrance road and the canal connecting the two ponds. From either tee a long, straight, left-fade-at-end shot is needed. Number-4 is long, flat, and open, with one generous window to hit at the midpoint. Number-5? Well, it is very dependent on which tee and basket you use, can vary from short, flat, fairly straight-n-open to long, down, right-turner with oodles of trees, bushes, and water to avoid - certainly the most varied hole on the course. Number-6 is a long left-turner which will typically require the disc travel over the pond. Numbers 7-9 will challenge your woodworking/technical skills, requiring cross-/up-/down-slope turning shots, with multiple mid-sized hardwoods to avoid.

Favourite hole: #3, tree-lined stream running along the rightside, and the largest oak tree I've ever seen in my life a couple hundred feet away on the left. Need to throw dead straight (can't swing wide right because of the treeline, can't go wide left due to the oak and other supporting trees) a couple hundred feet, then fade left to find the baskets, and can't be too high, either, as the formidable branches of the oak will easily knock down any disc that hits them.

Good course as is, should be even better if the new back-nine holes have the same qualities as the front-nine.
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5 1
benestro
Experience: 13.8 years 31 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Bring your waders 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 7, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

fun Challenging course, esp. for beginners.
multiple tees and baskets let you change it up if you want to play 18.
Really nice park. clean bathrooms, lots of trash cans.
neat old buildings in the woods.

Cons:

there needs to be some signage or a map provided, hard to figure out where your supposed to go.

Water!
I promptly threw my pro Roc into the creek. had to wade out to get it back...hey, it's 10 bucks! saw some nice discs in the pond, too. I thought about trying to get 'em but it looked like a good place to get flesh-eating bacteria or something.
The steep climbs in the wooded holes aren't fat boy friendly.

Other Thoughts:

Had a good time playing here. I really liked the "woods" holes, actually.It was fun bouncing discs off of all the trees, reminded me of pinball.
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12 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.2 years 353 played 321 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good Variety 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 25, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

10 years ago I played this course as a 9-holer. My review then said "this is one of the better 9-hole courses I have played". Well, I was glad to finally make it back now that it is a full 18. Time to Update:

Athens Regional is a rare 18-hole course that has 2 concrete tees and 2 permanent baskets in the ground for EVERY HOLE. This set up allows for 4 different configurations (pro-red, pro-yellow, am-red, am-yellow) for more variety (you could play 4 rounds/72 holes with no repeats!). For locals who play here often it gives them a chance to change it up from round to round. This set-up also allows for players of different skill levels to enjoy the course.

2 color tee signs per hole. Next tee markers at the basket pointing you in the right direction. There was also a blue practice basket near the baskets for hole #2.

The variety of hole type is excellent, as this course checks all the boxes:
open grass, tighter woods, elevation, lake and creek water hazards, all with great scenery and views. Several holes will test your distance and a few will test your accuracy.

There is parking and a nice restroom between holes 6 (pond) and 7 (hill). Take the first left as soon as you enter the park. This course is also less than a mile from I-75.

Cons:

Holes 1 and 2 have almost no obstacles, mostly wide open with plenty of room for error. (however, I am glad these holes are at the beginning and not at the end- they allow for a little warm-up.) In general, the course does not force shot shapes as most holes have plenty of room for flight and landing.

Navigation would be tricky for 1st timers (finding several of the tees and even locating some of baskets took some scouting), so be sure to have a map. Amazingly the kiosk had a box full of scorecards and maps! More times than not these things are empty when you need it.

Navigation in the woods (7-9) was still not natural as there are lots of paths cutting through in addition to the hiking trail that is present. I found everything, but I never took the paths that led straight to the next tee.

Distances on 4 and 8 from short-to-short seemed way off (70-90') from what was posted. Maybe the red baskets have been moved back at some point, but the signs not updated?

Parking- closest is across the road by hole 6. In addition the kiosk with maps and practice basket is at hole 2, not 1. It makes sense I guess how it all is laid out, but just not normal.

Other Thoughts:

It is definitely worth a round if you are driving I-75 from Chattanooga to Knoxville. For the locals, this is a great place to come and learn disc golf and will allow players to work on all aspects of their game- there are holes to practice driving distance, avoiding water, and woods accuracy. It is also a nice place for long-bombers to air it out if they play from the Pro tees to the long Yellow baskets.

I would love to play 4 rounds here and make an attempt from all the possible combinations. The city of Athens has admirably committed a lot of time and money to making this course a really good one for a city park course. In fact, the whole park is very nice.
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