Pros:
- SPECTACULAR ELEVATION & GREAT LAYOUT. Coming from coastal North Carolina, this was something I enjoyed immensely. (They elevation changes, I mean...we have some great layouts in NC too!) Allow me to elaborate:
* You start #1 with a dead-straight shot (which is relatively straightforward), but it's downhill with trees on either side which, optically, makes it incredibly deceiving. Because of the downhill shot it looks further than it is, so a straight fairway driver like a Seer or a beat-in Teebird seems in order but those will fade too hard. For those with power a putter is your best bet, but those (like me) who are erratic or have less power you might want a mid-range.
* #2 is a blind, pseudo-uphill shot from the tee to the right. Do yourself a favor and check out the distance before you throw. You can see the pin on your trek from the #1 pin, but the elevation may make you reconsider your choice of plastic after you see the line from the tee. I found an easy little turnover shot worked pretty well, but your mileage may vary.
* #3 is another downhill shot through a tight gap in the trees that is a natural throw for RHBH. You'll have to make up your own mind as to your disc selection when viewing the pin from the teebox. There are too many options to name.
* #4 is a sharp, uphill hyzer-flip shot next to the lake around a group of protestor trees with limbs that can smack your tee-shot down like Dikembe Mutombo in those commercials ("No, no, no!") if you're not accurate. There is also an anhyzer line to the right through the trees if you're brave that could lead to a legitimate birdie look, but if you miss your line you'll be in jail. Definitely a risk-reward hole, but if you birdie this one you deserve a raise.
* #5 was my favorite hole on the course. This just-shy-of 400 foot, extremely downhill par 4 offers one of the most exciting disc golf holes I've ever played. Two distinct lines are present. If you hit the left anhyzer/flick line, you could probably birdie this hole. However, if you hit the more obvious line - through the gap in the trees to the right, carry straight over the water for a hot minute and fade hard - you may end up with a drop-in eagle...and you will likely find it one of the prettiest shots you've ever thrown. If the IDGC is a destination for you and not your local course, you owe it to yourself to bomb it out and put "skyrockets in flight," going big over the water. If you hit your line you'll go home with "afternoon delight" and dreaming of that beautiful shot over the lake for weeks to come. (Sorry...couldn't resist.) If you don't hit your line you may end up swimming, but the water's not too deep and actually quite refreshing.
* I won't go through the whole course, but suffice it to say that each hole is very different. I can honestly say that not once did I feel like I played the same hole twice.
- OUTSTANDING TEE-PADS & SIGNS. Navigation is relatively easy even for a first-timer to the course because of the great signage and the teepads are level concrete that makes them grippy even in wet conditions.
- SHORTER (e.g. A NICE BREAK.) After playing Jim Warner and W. R. Jackson, sometimes you just want the fun without the crazy mileage on your Merrell's. This isn't to imply there aren't long holes...there are. It's just that on Steady Ed you get just as much (if not more) enjoyable disc golf without wearing yourself out.
- WATER SHOTS. That's probably enough said and maybe not such a big deal to you, but I couldn't help but get all pumped full of adrenaline every time I had to throw one. I love that.
- GREAT AMENITIES. This will apply to all three courses at the IDGC. At the head of each course lies the International Disc Golf Center, which not only offers shade in its cold-drink-stocked pavilion surrounded by perfectly manicured grass covered with numerous baskets by several manufacturers, it also provides you an outstanding disc golf shop that houses more disc golf history and memorabilia than you could absorb in a day. This is truly a Mecca for any die-hard disc golfer.
Cons:
There aren't many...
- Few trash cans on the course. There are literally two: One at the beginning and one between #7 and #15. If you're planning on snacking or drinking during your round make sure to bring a trash bag or keep the top of your DD Ranger bag empty. This course deserves to be kept immaculate.
- Mach 3 baskets. I know some love these and there's definitely some logic behind putting old school baskets on the course named for the man who invented the game, but these things just don't catch as well as the DisCatchers on W. R. Jackson or the ChainStars on Jim Warner. I definitely need to work on my putting (no question there!) but I can't help but be thankful for the advances in basket technology after playing this course with the Mach 3s.
- Straight through 18. The other two courses start and end the front and back at the IDGC near the parking lot, but because of its shorter length Steady Ed plays straight through with 10 starting about ¾ of mile from the IDGC. Not too awful terrible, but if you go in not knowing this after having had W. R. Jackson chew you up and spit you out earlier during a hot Georgia day, you might find the walk up the hills back to your car a little tedious if you only planned on playing the front.
- No topless Hooters girls frolicking along the #8 fairway.
Other Thoughts:
This is the first course I've rated 5.0 and if you haven't played the IDGC, you need this in your life. Not because *I* say so, but because fundamentally it's a phenomenal course. It has everything you could ever want in a disc golf course, to say nothing of the profound justice it does to the legacy of "Steady" Ed Headrick and his impact on the game. Any hard-core disc golfer with the means and motivation owes it to him or herself to make the trek to Wildwood Park to take on these three outstanding courses. They are SO worth it. Add to that the fact that the campground is within walking distance to the IDGC and the courses (though I wouldn't recommend it), offers a great atmosphere on the lake, and is pretty darn nice in its own right makes the trip a no-brainer.
Of the three courses, Steady Ed DGC is the most forgiving and, in my opinion, the most fun - with Jim Warner DGC a close second on the fun scale. (W. R. Jackson, for all its perks and challenges, is the course that made me realize just how bad my game is and how awesome the pros who shoot under par on this course really are.) Steady Ed was far and away my favorite of the three and definitely pays great homage to the eponymous founder's "Most fun wins!" adage by offering just that.
I can't say it strongly enough: If you have the opportunity to make the trip to Appling, do yourself a favor and visit Wildwood Park. And if (God forbid) you only have time to play one course at the IDGC, it should be Steady Ed. You won't regret it.