Murfreesboro, TN

Hop Springs Beer Park

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2.85(based on 5 reviews)
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11 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.2 years 353 played 321 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Update- might be something brewin'... 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 15, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Course is on a HUGE piece of property that just begs for disc golf to be here, so I am glad there is (or at least it is a work in progress). Terrain is primarily grassy fields lined with tall grass rough, with plenty of large trees to add to the scenery and challenge, plus a small creek, and a good amount of elevation. There is lots of room here allowing for the longer holes with different fairway shapes.

Hole design is pretty good with a variety of length and shape and mostly non-repetitive. I felt the course got better as it went, especially on the back 9 (better than the alternative of having your best right away and the rest of the round being a let down, which happens more than it should with course designers.)

Most of the long holes played like good par 4's with some strategy involved on where to land your drive (rather than just chucking as far as you can in a big field).

Play was free. Ample parking. Seems likely to not be crowded.
There is a welcoming sign at the brewery/restaurant stating disc golfers must sign in- worker was knowledgeable and friendly and could answer all my questions about playing there. Most importantly win there were several copies of the course map- which is a must in its current state- so I was thankful they had those (especially since some of the course had been redesigned.)

Cons:

UPDATE- I had some major cons here, but now there are 18 baskets again and 18 holes that are not interrupted by other structures and activities. Whew! Glad they made the effort to redo some of it, and I actually think it is better now. However...

Tees are a work in progress. But the intended tee area is evident (on all but #10 the day I played). There is evidence of plans of concrete tees, but we shall see. Most tees were natural with just a sign post or a 4x4 in a keg.

Signs are sometimes missing, distances are incorrect on some. Again, the course is a bit different now than it was a year ago, as some holes have been changed, others have been eliminated and new ones created, etc. Hopefully the course will settle in to a more permanent state and a set of signs with hole # and accurate distance will be made.

Baskets are NOT permanent (with concrete and metal sleeves and all), which in some ways is good because placement can still be tested are refined. And variety on future rounds is good too . But that means they can potentially be moved to an area you may not be looking for them.

Others have mentioned tall thick grass and narrow fairways in the summer. Well, I finally played in the summer, and yes several holes are like this, but I thought the fairways (which were nicely mowed) were fair and wide enough- makes you play smart and focused more on landing the disc in the short grass. But, yes, off the fairways will result in some disc searching.

I have no clue as to the actual hours and availability. Their website says opens at 1pm Wed-Sun. If this is for the whole facility, than that eliminates a good chunk of playing hours if it applies to disc golf.

Add to that, this is an events center, so probably best to avoid during major concerts and the like.

Other Thoughts:

This is now the closest course to my house, and I would very much like to play here multiple times...IF... I could know all 18 baskets would be there, the course would be mowed, the place would be open, and there wasn't an event interfering with some of the holes- a big bunch of Ifs however.

For now, navigating the course on your first play could be tricky in spots, but the new 18 hole map on DGCR is accurate and helped me tremendously.

I hate to say it, and this is just a guess, but I could see this course getting pushed aside and eventually abandoned in favor of other more profitable projects. The situation reminds me too much of another of Will's courses that used to be at Fontanel. (Follow up- it appears that is not the case, due to the fact someone made an effort to redesign the front 9, after the giant stage was built, to keep this course going! Hooray!!! So far, so good.)

This has the potential to be a 3.5 course for, but with all the cons and being incomplete, I can't give it a higher rating than an average 2.5 at the present. I really like the course layout and the length variety and the way it makes you play smart and accurate despite being long. Rounds may be infrequent, but I WILL play here again now.
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17 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beer Goggles 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 1, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.448 Rating) A 9,000 foot course with a 90 foot bar.
- ATMOSPHERE - To me, the best thing about this place is not disc golf related. There is a giant well-designed brew-pub building here, and it has a monster sized bar, spacious interior and extra chillin patio area. There are like two dozen microbrews available on tap, from pilsners, to IPAs, to stouts, to fruit flavored ruined imposter beers. I had myself a couple while out on the course and it made stomaching this layout possible. I added almost ¼ of a point to the rating for the vibe and bar feature.
- CHALLENGING - The course difficultly was not what I was expecting. It's long and grueling, but could definitely be satisfying as well, if it was maintained to a better level than what I experienced. Breaking par routinely out here means you're a really good player with a rating probably plus 930. Possessing 375-foot power is going to be needed to rack up a few birdies. Being smart and somewhat accurate is going to be needed to limit bogeys. The course definitely favors bombers over technical players to score well.
- HOLE VARIETY - I love the fact that this course has a bunch of par 4s and 5s. It really adds to the gameplay strategy on a hole when multiple throws are required. Doglegs occur in both directions, there is a small creek element in play on a couple holes and there is some modest 20 to 25-foot elevation change on several holes. I do wish there were some better technical wooded holes though.
- RAW BEAUTY - Ignoring the unkempt conditions, the back nine has some really nice looking lines. My favorites were (11,12 and 18) on the back, and all of them on the back would score above average to me in the beauty category with a mow and a little elbow grease. The front nine is not as good, but could qualify as average for beauty or perhaps a touch above with some work. Several holes on the front have two or less trees in play.
- CHAINS - Not as good as DISCatchers, but this Prodigy version is a fine second tier basket.

Cons:

A nice thought with poor execution.
- DESIGN - Considering the land available and brew pub feature, the course design was disappointing. First off, why in the heck would someone layout a championship length course for a Brewpub!?! First and foremost, it needs to at least have a fun loving Recreational aspect to it to help sell their product and to add to the laid back experience. Perhaps Hop Springs requested a championship layout, idk. Anyways, back to the course. The front nine design is just plain terrible. Hole (2) is a featureless bomb that could have used a small creek bed way more effectively. Seeing all the nice big trees on the left side of (2) was a SMH moment. Hole (3), is another featureless bomb. Holes (4 and 5) each have a couple of trees each to game plan around. Hole (6) is actually a neat hole that will be played wrong by almost everyone on first play, because basket (7) is viewable from mid fairway and there's no descriptive tee sign. Holes (7 and 8) are lightly wooded par 3s that don't use the trees effectively. Hole (9) is a boring par 5 without a tree in play. As for the back nine design, it's decent to good, but professional course designers such as Houck, Wolfe, Kennedy and Hosfeld, all would have killed it if asked to do a championship layout design. If Hop Springs paid more than $1 for this, beyond the cost of the baskets, they paid too much. Perhaps the designer walked off for none payment or there's some other odd scenario that I don't know about. This layout just doesn't make sense for this kind of client.
- MAINTENANCE - The course upkeep was pretty bad for my venture here. Lots of un-mowed fairway areas with grasses shin high and higher in spots. Being off-fairway resulted in some long searches during the round. I think it's plausible to conclude that the designed layout is so unfriendly, that the staff already doesn't bother keeping it up due to the un-enjoyable element for the rec and under players that likely work here.
- LOST DISC POTENTIAL - Definitely higher than normal. Our group lost one disc on (6) and could have lost a couple more easily, if we had given up searching early in the head tall grasses and weeds. Bring some throw-aways and keep your ace discs in the car.
- HOURS - It appears the course is only open during business hours. GMcAtee and I tried playing at 930 AM but got stopped at the closed gate. So we turned around, played Cedars of Lebanon, came back at noon and were the first ones here. Online it says the brewpub hours are 1 to 8 Wednesday thru Sunday.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - Unfinished. I want to say tee signs were only at around half the holes and they were very basic and low quality. No course map on site and I don't recall any navigational cues. Having a printed map or a navigational app will be necessary to get through this layout.
- TEES - Unfinished tees ready for concrete for most of the front nine. Natural tees were on the back nine. No leveling has been done for the tees on the back nine. The effort is on par with many of my 1.0 and 0.5 rated courses.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Not beginner friendly in any way. DGCR member srisner joined us as well, but she said no thank you after seeing these holes and just happily sipped on a few beers instead.
- TIME PLAY - Two hours for this quick twosome. Groups of four will be out here 3 hours at least.

Other Thoughts:

A really tough course to rate imo. The land is excellent, the beer is stellar, but the execution of this course leaves a lot to be desired. I took off less than a ½ point for all the maintenance issues, but could see other reviewers taking off way more. An easy 3.0 course if the course gets the proper attention it needs. However, if the lack of upkeep continues, I fear a complete abandonment of the project is possible by summer of 2021. They really needed to bring in a professional designer to do this one and not a popular elite professional player.
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10 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.6 years 764 played 387 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Enormous Potential , Great Idea 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Hop Springs Beer Park is a newer Microbrewery that features an 18 hole disc golf course on it's grounds . A large parking lot is at the end of the driveway and bathrooms are inside when the place is open . The first tee is at the beginning of the parking lot .
The Equipment : The tee pads are wood boxed with gravel in them . They will be cement , but not poured yet . The signs lack , just saying hole# , par and distance on a post on some of the earlier holes . The baskets are new Prodigies . I talked to one of the workers there , and he says that the concrete will be poured very soon , and the course has already entertained tournaments here . There is no kiosk here , yet , but inside , the bartenders will give you separate maps for the front 9 and back 9 holes . You will need these , or the online maps , to navigate the course in its early stages .
The Landscape " Hop Springs Park has a lot of land and it rolls a bit . No huge amount of elevation , but what is here is used . There is a small creek , dry when I played , that runs through the middle of the property and is in play on several holes . The trees are sparse , but are used in basket protection or to line fairways . The grass was mowed and the park was clean when I played .
The Challenge : The length , some good basket placements , and some variety = a par 65 course . You can shoot par here , but you will work for it . I'm sure some trees will be planted and the course will be tinkered with before it is finalized . You will get a workout here .
The Highlights . The length here is fantastic . I had to see it with my own eyes . 9420' , and they have room to add . There are 8 holes over 600' . Hole #2, 730' is an elevated drive to a flat plain that follows the driveway to the basket close to the front of the grounds . #9 is a gully shot 743' to a basket sitting on a flat green . #18 , a good finishing hole is 760' slightly uphill at the end , left to right , and brings you behind the building .
Signature Hole : #6 . at 919' and the longest hole on the course . it plays straight to a large amount of rough about 300' away . You can throw along the creek line to stay in the fairway , or throw over the high rough to cut part of the course . The basket sits 90' uphill on top of a long sustained grade .
I safaried a hole that I made up along the way that I thought would make a nice addition , but forgot to give the idea to the bartender .
The Time : I made a couple of errors playing the course , but it took me about an hour and 20 minutes . A group of 4 will take over 2 1/2 hours .
Disc Risk : The grounds are clean and the creek will never eat your disc , but the rough is a little high in places . I still rate losing your disc on the low end . You should be safe .
How many course in your lifetime not only encourage you to grab a beer and play the course , but to welcome you to stop in and relax outdoors with a couple of more , afterwards . There is also a food truck that is present for a lunch or dinner on Thursday thru Sunday . Bands play here Thursday thru Sunday , too . Optimal time to come here and enjoy everything would be Thursday thru Sunday late afternoons or evenings . Dogs look welcome here , and the Murfreesboro natives seem very nice .

Cons:

#1 The Equipment : Tee pads need to be finished , good signage installed . Some Next Tee signs would help with navigation , along with a kiosk at the building or tee #1 .
#2 Navigation : The course is raw , and therefore , players will make mistakes going from point to point on the course . I started to throw at the 7 basket from the 6 tee , not thinking that I had to go 90 degrees uphill from the basket to hit my target still 300+ feet away .
#3 Safety : A couple of spots where fairways run parallel , players that are cranking a long drive might stray from their fairway and end up in yours ( ie. 6 & 7 ) . Just be aware if the course is crowded . Also , #2 throws from an elevated tee and hugs the driveway . You might have to hold up your drive for a car or 2 . Other than that , the course avoids any other park activities .
Some of the flat areas could become soggy after a rain or 2 . Throw some waterproof boots in your trunk to be safe .
Ticks . I pulled a couple off of me at the end of my round .
This course will need some short tees . The course will be too intimidating to the casual player . Short tees will encourage dates and families to go out and try a round .

Other Thoughts:

Coming here and throwing this course had me brimming with ideas about this course . The owner will get his initial investment back tenfold + if he promotes it . There is always going to be a fun factor here ,not only for the course , but for the atmosphere . It is good disc golf with a happening afterwards . You never have to leave the grounds for a meal or a couple of drinks . You can even toss a game of cornhole if you wish . I didn't score the course very high because I don't like grading on potential . But I do intend on coming back in the fall or spring and anticipate giving this course a rating jump . Not far off of I-24 and not far out of Nashville , come and patronize a local owner and a dream .
My Recommendation . Not a destination course yet , but a potential Must-Play . A little long for newbies dates or families so far . Great for intermediates , Ams and pros . A real chance to dig into your driver arsenal . Fantastic for travelers to step off , play 9 or 18 holes , grab a bite and jump back onto the highway . and Course Collectors , who can grab the 2 other courses in Murfreesboro and end up here for a bite .
Play This Course Now , so next year you can tell others that you saw the early stages of this course in the making .
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8 0
RayRay
Experience: 20.3 years 156 played 35 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Big Distance, Still Raw 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

- par65 with mostly true par4 and 5s. Nothing like that in middle TN. Some of these holes (6, 12, 16, 18) are pro level and will take you to the limit
- despite being open there are enough obstacles on the front 9 to force controlled shot shapes. Back 9 has mostly true fairways in the woods. Schustrick did a decent job with the layout. I only threw a full distance flex without worrying about where it landed on one hole (#9)
- unlimited potential being a free to play private course. They can easily put in AM tees, OB lines, or new pin locations. Fun to grab a drink at the bar after the round

Cons:

- tee pads still natural. Some front9 pads are just a pile of rocks, quite dangerous
- ticks
- holes 1 and 3 are bland
- holes 14, 15, 16 are soft par4s. 10 is a little soft as a par 5. I'd play with the distances or put in OB lines to improve these.
- currently no AM tees. Noodle arms beware.

Other Thoughts:

Course is still raw but worth checking out if you're in the Nashville area. Only time will tell if they polish it up and add amenities or keep it as is, but there's tons of potential on the property.
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13 1
Shadrach3
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6.1 years 339 played 322 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A Second Course for Murfreesboro 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 6, 2021 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A course with plenty of length and open driving opportunity. (Updated after additional replay.)

-Length: There aren't very many short holes here at all. Lots of opportunity to drive big, which you don't really get at most of the other nearest courses (Barfield, Common Ground, and Sharp Springs). Further, the course clocks in at par 65, which means a lot of multi-shot holes. To me, that's a more interesting way to play golf.

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: An interesting mix of wide open and slightly constrained. No jaw-dropping lines, but there is some interest peppered throughout the course. Old hardwoods, a creek, and patches of scrubby trees provide minimal guidance, and now that rough is tall, extra control is required for a comfortable second throw. In general, the front nine are very open, but the back nine add more of a tree challenge, even up to the point where hole (12) could be considered a "wooded" hole. Samples of the variety can include the hug, uphill dogleg left par-5 (6), the touchy par-4 approach shots of (12) and (14), and the narrow gap leading to a valley with a section of tall grasses and an uphill approach of (18).

-Scenery: This is a very nice property with a great balance of trees and grass. Nothing stunning, but it makes long drives seem nicer. Middle Tennessee sunsets are beautiful, as well.

-Minimal Amenities: There are tee signs now. They aren't huge, but they do work to mark out tees. Some tee boxes have gravel. The baskets are unproblematic.

-Brewery on Site: I've heard only great things about the food and beverages at the restaurant.

Cons:

-Maintenance and Other Uses: One of the two major cons. This is manifested in a variety of ways. The mowing is sparse, as the back nine have some very tall rough that could claim discs and is definitely uncomfortable. The tee signs are also iffy in a couple of places. Natural tees are wearing down to mud. More noticeable are the other brewery projects that interfere with the course. Major construction work is going on in fairway (9), which has also been interrupted by a concert stage before. Holes (3)-(5) are the home of soccer and football games sometimes. It's also a muddy mess between (9) and (10) from construction. It's clear that this course is not very highly valued by management.

-Monotony of Playing Style: The other major con. A lot of mostly wide-open holes with gentle terrain and often no shot-shaping involved means that many holes are forgettable or blend together. The front nine are especially open--they feel like they're at a 2.0 level. The back nine are more like a 3.0 with slight shaping, but still quite open.

-Open Hours: Originally the gate was open during most daylight hours, but now my understanding is that the course is only open for play during brewery hours, which are quite limited.

-Lost Opportunity: A small quibble. While much of the course does well with the terrain it has, some parts feel like a waste. There's a creek running through the property that doesn't get used very much. They could have added more moderately wooded holes and dropped some of the totally open ones.

-Skill Variety: I don't think this course will appeal to a wide swath of skill levels. Beginners will be frustrated because they won't throw far enough to keep up with the course; advanced players will bomb most holes with ease.

-Drainage: Occasional issues, mainly on (10) and (16).

-Safety: Shouldn't be a big issue, but at times throwers may need to yield to vehicles.

-Halted Construction: Back in February, tees weren't poured, there was no community board or course map, and no practice basket. I expected these cons would soon be replaced, but it looks like the development of the infrastructure has stalled out, and is possibly moving in the opposite direction with other projects on the site.

Other Thoughts:

I admit that I initially rated Hop Springs harshly. Despite the monotony of long, open holes, it does have enough shaping interest to balance out it's boringness and give it a solid Typical. The maintenance has been poor, but two more visits have convinced me that it's not so bad as to drag it's rating down, though do be advised that sometimes certain holes may be inaccessible. If you're a bomber, try checking it out but be ready to go elsewhere.
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