Pros:
Dickson is a large park with a lot of activity . There was a girls softball tournament taking up a lot of the parking when I was here . The parking area is large , and you can park down at the bottom and start at #15 if crowded . Places to go to the bathroom throughout .
-- THE EQUIPMENT -- HB Clark designed courses normally have top of the line necessities for making a course look great . There is a kiosk with map near hole #1 . If you have not printed an online map , I suggest you take a picture of this , as the course subdivides after #9 . There is also a nice putting area on the hill , just above hole #1 . There are 2 cement tee pads per hole , at least 4' X 8' . The tee signs are excellent . The are informative with flight paths , pars and distance , and are color coded and numbered at the top , Gold for long tees and blue for shorter . The baskets are numbered Mach 3 , catching well . Benches are at most of the short and long pads . Trash cans can be found at some of the pro tees .
-- THE LANDSCAPE -- Admittedly , this course gives you a dose of most every landscape . Woods holes , park style holes water carries or at least trouble . some elevation . Most holes are long , so you will have to deal with tree lines and fairway trees , and very high punishing grass if you stray from the fairways . The fairways were tight but mowed when I was here . While still in okay shape , some branches could stand to be cut back some .
-- THE HIGHLIGHTS -- You could go on and on with the highlights here .
#1 is a nice starter hole , dropping down over a hill to a blind basket ( 325', 455' ) This fairways guide you close to the hole . #2 ( 310', 510' is an uphill drive to a basket eventually tucked into some woods .
#9 Is an uphill drive ( 390', 470' ) starting off in a narrow fairway , just opening up some to the basket along a tree line to the left .
#10 ( 330', 440' ) is a downhill drrive with some large fairway trees , and the basket tucked to the right, in large bushed and trees
#14 is a water carry or water down the left of the fairway if playing short ( 465', 610' ) where the basket is placed on a short inlet .
#18 is a long finishing hole ( 335' , 585' ) just out of the woods from the shorts , and in the woods for the longs . It is uphill and slowly breaking right to left .
-- SIGNATURE HOLE -- #3 ( 380' , 505' ) going up and over a hill with defending fairway trees here and there , to a basket inside a grove of rough and trees , and a dry creek behind it .
-- THE TIME -- you can play a front or back 9 because all start and end in the same place , but don't come here to play 18 holes if you are pressed for time . It took me 95 minutes to play the course . A group of 4 from the pro tees will take up to 3 hours .
Dickson gives you a lot . 9455' from the longs and even 6755' from the rec tees . Shelters are at some strategic spots for you to rest for your rounds . Bring water , and some repellent during the summer .
Cons:
#1 Safety -- Throwing across roads , the water holes being occupied by some park goers fishing , Having to throw almost all of these holes with some oomph can cause your drives to go astray . Use judgement .
#2 Navigation -- The front 9 could be found without a map and you would only be tripped up a couple of times . The back 9 would cause you to roam like a mindless zombie in Dawn Of The Dead . The course fragments into parts on the back 9 , grouping holes , 10 & 11 , Holes 12-14 , holes 15&16 , and holes 17 , then 18 . PRINT THE MAP
#3 Very long walks -- The walk from 9-10 , 11-12 ( across the road and directly right of #11 basket , 14-15 , 16 to 17 and 17 to 18 . bring water .
#4 OFF FAIRWAY FURY -- The mowed paths for fairways , especially on the front 9 are ridiculously narrow . Add the fact that the rough is anywhere from 2' to 3' + high and you are searching long times for your discs . I used my brightest drivers and never let it out of my sight after releasing it . It will be a real turnoff for most players that are afraid of uncorking a long drive for fear of losing a favorite disc .
#5 DISC RISK -- add the high fairway grass to thee thick rough in the woods and the chance of a long ricochet , and also tough water holes 12-14 , and you have HIGH RISK . Bring a couple of discs that won't break your heart if you lose them .
#6 WHAT REC HOLES ? -- Who ever heard of rec length being 6755 ' , and on a technical course . Dickson almost needs a shorter and more manageable set of tees maybe playing closer to 5000' . Woods hole #11 is a good example . I looked down at the pro tee fairway ( NO WAY ) , trying to even figure out how you could doorway-shoot your drive and make it into another section of woods . with yet another set of woods , this one with fairway trees . I played from the rec tee and blew my drive out to the right and out of the woods . It gave me an open look at the basket , but there is a cement drainage ditch over there , too .
Other Thoughts:
I think that the gave the keys to the park to veteran course designer H B Clark and told him to do what he wanted with it . This is as challenging a course that I have played in a long time. He did a great job . . A little rough around the edges ,it still needs to have overgrowth trimmed back if the course wants to entertain multitudes of players .8' wide fairways have to be amended . It has plenty of the amenities you might want . . Variety is in abundance here . If this course doesn't have you empty your bag by the end of your round , then you are carrying too many discs . You may want to check the course homepage to make sure there are no leagues or tournaments going on when you want to go out and play . Thanks to the Dickson Recreation Department for overseeing one of the most challenging courses in Tennessee .
MY RECOMMENDATION -- This is not a course for the weak or the new . Newbies , intros , families and 1 disc players should maybe play Burns Park or Broken Still instead of being demoralized here . Locals will have a tough time even from the rec tees . Intermediates will have a fight on their hands trying to make par from the rec tees . Tournament tested AMS and Pros will have their hands full from the Gold ( pro ) tees . The course will take a long time for travelers , unless staying overnight close to Dickson , and course baggers will have to cut a chunk of time out for a round here , even if it is just off of I-40 . It is still a course well worth playing . PLAY IT !!!!