I can imagine it's just as difficult to create a destination disc golf course as it is to define one. I think that's because it must happen organically, if not serendipitously. It just can't be forced or contrived. Kudzu Cove is one of the better examples of what it takes to create that special destination and, in my view, it sets the bar high. The course is situated on private property and is in a perfect setting for golf. Its design appeals to a broad range of players from newer folks ready to take a bite off a bigger course to the seasoned advanced throwers who appreciate a thoughtful design.

The scenery here is stunning, if not more so than the golf. The sprawling property where the course calls home is on the north side of Buck Island, just outside of Guntersville, Alabama. Panoramic views of Lake Guntersville present themselves in the distance shadowed below the gently rolling ends of the Appalachian Mountains. Grassy fields, wooded areas skirted by wetlands, ponds, rocky outcrops, and rolling hills define the landscape that has shaped an area one might figure was perfectly suited for disc golf. It's no wonder that folks have been delighted at the opportunity to play in this little slice of heaven.

I tend to think there's a certain logistical beauty to a well-designed, well-balanced course. There's more variety of hole types here than almost any example I can recall. You can just about name 18-hole types along the 18-hole course. When it's windy, which is often in my experience, it plays like a different course than when you're treated to an occasional calm day and therefore a more relaxing round. And for those who simply enjoy a course with a huge fun factor, this place is for you. You will be tempted to unload your bag on more than a few holes.

When hole 16 is in its newer par 5 position, you'll be facing a nearly 6400' par 58 course. Depending on other possible configurations, due to a few holes boasting multiple pin placements, you'll find a slightly shorter and somewhat more forgiving par 57 at roughly 6100', or somewhere between. Either way, you'll hike nearly two miles to play the track over a virtual roller coaster of ups and downs giving your discs plenty of airtime.

Turf tee pads are becoming increasingly more popular and that's what you will find here. Often, they have spared no resources or labor to have them expertly installed on raised areas to create a roomy run up and level area. They have a carefully packed foundation and gravel to insure proper drainage. Only a couple show minor unevenness or lumpiness causing just the most stringent of tee pad purists to talk out of the side of their mouth. What's most remarkable are the wooden decks that have been installed for the tee pads. Seven of the eighteen pads have you throwing from these extraordinary structures around the course. These really are one-of-a-kind pads and they're a treat to throw from.

The course has a few other bells and whistles. Mach 5 baskets are in great shape, and they're equipped with flags to help you spot them or gauge the wind. There are decent tee signs, but it should be cautioned that some are outdated as the course continues to be tweaked and improved. I would expect to see new signs in the future as the last of the wrinkles are ironed out on the layout. Trashcans, benches, and other amenities dot the course. There is a bathroom on-site behind hole 2's tee pad if needed. There is plenty of convenient parking around the property.

Given its varied design and hole types, you can't help but notice the course has somewhat of a split personality, namely the front and back nine. The front is the more wooded side of the course and asks for surgical precision at times while avoiding water and other out-of-bounds areas as you move along. Completing the first loop back to where you started, hole 9 brings you out of the woods with its 675' downhill bomber's delight. No one will complain about this teeing area and nearly 200 square foot covered deck with built-in benches.

Meanwhile, the carefully laid out back nine loop is the predominantly open side of the course and may allow you to tinker with your shot selection a little more. You still must be careful though, while there may be less water on this side, there's no shortage of out-of-bounds. This is also where you are treated to the most pronounced elevation with many steeper hills and, depending on how in-shape you are, probably some heavy breathing. But the workout on the hills does pay off. Hole 12, for example, is one of the more gorgeous views from the tee on the course. It's a challenging downhill shot with a peninsula island green of sorts with plenty of out-of-bounds. This is a hole that I love, even though I hold an inveterate grudge against it. On the other hand, looking at my scores in the past on this hole, it would seem it holds one against me.

And as if it were intentional, hole 18 is probably the crowd favorite for the signature hole on the course with its downhill run to an island green. From my experience here, and depending on your score up to this point, it's a hole that will make you struggle to know when to bet and when to fold. As such, many find themselves running the island while others lay up and are happy to finish out with a par (which isn't always as easy as it sounds).

If you enjoyed the course, you could thank first and foremost Frank, the owner of the property and his willingness to install the course. He has spent time and resources on the course, something that is self-evident once you see it for yourself. Frank is a welcoming man who is often accompanied by his wife, Kim. Both seem to be equally delighted to have visitors on the course. From what I can tell, both seem to find a real joy watching others enjoying their amazing property. This goes for those non-golfing visitors who may be just enjoying a weekend at the Kudzu Cove Cabins, the island, and all that Guntersville has to offer. It should be noticed that Frank and Kim's generosity is such that they don't even charge for the disc golf. Thank you, guys!

When it comes to the nuts and bolts of the course, it could be said that it wouldn't be what it is with without Jeff and Jessica Cowen. They are essentially the creators, designers, and current stewards and shepherds of the course. If you cross paths with them here, you will definitely want to chat it up and hear the oft told tales of the course's history and future. The Cowen's have a wonderful family complete with two daughters. It was immediately evident to me that both these girls love the great outdoors and one of them is particularly interested in disc golf and is already an incredibly competitive player! Be sure not to miss saying hello to the crew if you have the chance! Another thanks to the Cowen's for their dedication to the course and all their hard work!

The Kudzu Cove Cabins, each with their own theme and complete with viewing decks and porches, are scattered around and offer lodging for extended disc golf weekends and tourneys. But don't overlook them for excellent accommodations even if disc golf is not in your plans. Keep in mind, if you're bringing friends and family who don't care to disc golf, there is plenty to do here on the island (including but not limited to hillbilly golf), nearby downtown, and no shortage of nature to discover. Enjoy!

-This is a special part of Alabama. A few miles away, there's a restaurant and shopping center overlooking the harbor at Lake Guntersville. The setting is top notch at Kudzu Cove. It feels like disc golf on a private island. There's a good amount of water, rock work (cliffs visible on the back nine), elevation change, a view of an airport on #15, and some special spots to tee off from. The island green on #18 is the icing on the cake!

-It's the prettiest course that I have played in Alabama. I didn't think anything could top Clay, but I was wrong! The property is gorgeous. The front nine is on the back side of the property. A little more wooded. There are a couple of ponds in play, one that you tee off directly over on a deck. #8 is the first par four. It's a short but intimidating 438'. There's a mando pointing left. You have to throw up the trail instead of throwing a hyzer over the pond where there are less trees to avoid. #9 has some of the greatest elevation. Elevation loss of probably about 50' off of a deck beside a couple of cabins. The view of the cliffs on the other side of the property make it difficult to even step off of this tee pad. The view that guests receive from their cabins is a view to remember!

-The scenery on the back nine changes. #10 has you throwing up a hill toward the cliffs further up. #11 and #12 play further up on the hill in the open. The higher you climb, the better view of the lake harbor! #13 through #15 was personally, my favorite part of the scenery. #13 is across the field further up the hill and down into a wooded pocket. #14 is a massive uphill ace run back out of the woods on top of the hill back in the open. 161' and feels like 301'. I enjoyed this one. It's simple, but deceptively longer. #15 was an epic drive off yet another deck! You have a view of the lake straight ahead behind the airport across the road. The pin was in the left pin when I played it. This is a par three that I thoroughly enjoyed! Big downhill drive down a path through a gap and turns left for the last bit. Pros will have to really control their distance with a midrange, but a putter may fly too straight and not turn left enough for a look at birdie. Think outside the box a little.

-Is there a better finisher in Alabama than #18 at Inverness? Yep! I think so! #18 at Kudzu Cove! There is a lot more water in play than #18 at Inverness. However, the green on #18 at Inverness is very tough to cross from the tee due to the sharp left angle right from the get go. You have to turn left and glide straight the rest of the way on #18 at Inverness, otherwise you are in the OB creek. Well, #18 at Kudzu Cove has a lot of water. The green is not guarded by bushes and retention trees. The hole is more than 222', it's actually maybe 300'. The elevation drop is pretty serious. About 30' or so. I threw a stable putter and parked this hole. If you can confidently throw putters 210' on flat ground accurately, then you are able to birdie this hole for sure. Just don't let it intimidate you! If you don't release exactly when you plan to, then you might be wet. Wonderfully designed hole. It's a legit island. Not some man made island!

-Lots of elevation here. Many holes have elevation that is at least subtle. Several exceed the 25' mark. Few exceed 35'.

-So many unique tee areas. #3 being at a fire pit, the deck directly above the pond on #4, the shot off the hill by the cabins #9. The downhill drive from the woods on #16 with yet another view of the water.

-Nice tee signs with hole information and hole diagrams that give information for each pin position. I'm a bit skeptical of a couple of the hole lengths though. #18 is definitely more than 222'. #3 seemed to be a little longer than 271' in the short pin.

-Grass gets high in the summer. Wasn't high at all when I played. Didn't lose any discs. Didn't have trouble finding my discs or anything. Grass was cut.

-There's a tire swing on #3. Nice area for fishing on #4 and #18.

-The decks are very slick in the mornings. It's tough to run up on those decks without slipping when there is morning dew on the ground. I slipped on #9's deck.

-I'm not the biggest fan of Mach 5 pins. They are in good shape, but they don't catch as well as most other baskets.

-I never found the donation box. Next time I come, I'll leave a donation and another for the first time I played.

-This is my kind of course! Lots of open holes with elevation and some wooded holes to change up the challenge! It's not a pro level course. It's an easy course for higher rated players but then again, it's a blast to play regardless of skill level. It's a true gem! If you read WellsBranch250's review, it says that the designer has plans for new long pads, so Kudzu Cove will be even better than it is already if that ever happens!

-I drove 88 miles from my hotel and back before the final round in the Magic City Mega Bowl to play Kudzu Cove. I'm very glad I made the hour and a half drive! It's an awesome course. If the long pads are ever put in place, I think there's a good chance it'll be in the top 50 on this site.

-Every hole is pretty accommodating. Nothing is out of reach. Few holes were quite difficult (#5, #13, #15) but there are still several ways to reach them. There were three par fours. Hole #8, #9, and #16. All three of them are high quality! #8 is shorter but has sharp sloping fairway. There's a dead tree that could play as an obstacle, and the rough on the left side is quite nasty. This is the wooded par four. #9 is the grip and rip par four. Has everything you could want really. Huge downhill off of a deck. Basket is near the pond. #16 is the toughest of the three. It's an elevated pad from the woods. You throw out looking over the horizon. Sightseeing really is a thing at Kudzu Cove. The fairway takes you out into the open further downhill and breaks off a bit to the right side. The basket is tucked behind a few bushes and small trees.

-Many signature holes here. At least three. Probably more than that to be honest. #9, #15, and #18 are all signature holes for sure. #16 is probably another one. #13 in my opinion doesn't get enough credit. There are two pin placements. It should always be the one in the woods. That's an awesome strategic pro par three! #18 is my favorite hole, but that might change. The hole quality here is fantastic! I hope #18 ends up with a long pad on top of the cliffs! Or that #12 or #13 ends up with the long pad on top of them. That would be insane!

-I'm giving it a 4.5. This is my kind of course. Lots of elevation, water, horizon views, a nice balance of open and wooded. If it becomes more challenging, it may end up in my top five!

1. The land! Water, elevation, woods, and scenery.
2. The money spent on this course is impressive. There are several wood platform tee pads with benches that are so large they could be framed up into a small cabin. These include turf tees on top of the wood platform, making the ideal tee pad.
3. Multiple different shots throughout the course. This course will not bore you. You might even empty your bag on a few holes. I suggest holes 9 and 15 when it's in the original basket position.
4. Options. There's something for everyone out here. Front 9 has woods while the back 9 is longer and more open. If you don't want to play in the insane heat, stay in the woods!
5. Fair water hazards. While the water does present a hazard, it's not impossible to avoid.

1. Not extremely challenging. I'm rec rated and shot even a couple of times. Just stay out of the water, hit the fairway on the front nine, and rip drives on the back nine.
2. I don't care for the gravel OB on hole 12. You can be parked in the circle and OB. Just over throw the basket to stay safe.

It's difficult to think of more cons. A lot of players love hole 18, but I don't. It's an easy 3. Lay up, easy jump putt across the water, and drop in putt. Why anyone would run it, I'll never know. There's not much room to land on that island.

Start on hole 10. I think it plays better that way. Plus, you have the longer, open, lack of shade part of the course done early. Hole 9 is a fun hole to finish.

Speaking of hole 9, the basket you can see from the teepad is hole 10. This looks like it could be an awesome hole also. I'm sure a lot of players make this mistake the first time they play it and throw towards hole 10 like I did.

-Perfect property for disc golf! Hills, ponds, open meadows, woods along the Tennessee River/Lake Guntersville. Gorgeous views of the valley, a variety of wildlife on and over the property, including bald eagles

-Design that takes advantage of every feature of the land. A wide variety of holes... flat, open, wooded, left-turning, right-turning, uphill, downhill, and various combinations of those.

-Tee boxes are large, flat, well make AstroTurf pads, many built on custom wooden structures. Hole four teebox is on a footbridge over the pond. Holes nine, eleven, and fifteen are elaborate platforms with build in benches and even shade roofs. All provide great footing, with plenty of room for run-up and follow-through.

-Baskets are DGA Mach V, catch very well and stand out well. Many holes have two positions and seem to be rotated often. When I played, a portable basket was in play on hole 10 since the permanent basket was in a special tournament position. All greens are fair, many are guarded with strategic trees and ornamental grasses, even a mozzarella stick on the alt-15 basket position.

-Great use of elevation. Hole 8 goes down, over water, then to the left and up a hill. Hole nine is a joyous downhill bomb off a wonderful built-up tee structure. Several other holes have subtle or not-so-subtle elevation changes. The course is listed at 5,806', par 57. It plays well for a strong rec or advanced player who can throw 300' to 350'. Rag-arm old guys like me have no chance for par on a couple of the longer holes and will only generate a couple of birdie opportunities. Big arm pros will find a few holes to challenge their skill, but otherwise will get well under par.

-A couple of ponds force some risk/reward decisions. For rec level players there is generally a "safe" line to avoid the water.

-Restrooms, trash cans, adequate parking, and a practice basket provide nice amenities... But this course can rise to "spectacular" when needed. There are several cabins on property. For reasonable rates, a group can stay right on the course and have a disc golf green right out your bedroom window. A well-stocked van is at league and tournaments and has a huge inventory of discs at competitive prices. (Thanks, they had the glow disc I had been trying to find for months).

-Clean, not an empty energy drink bottle anywhere. This course is well-loved. The course pro/designer and the owner take pride in the course and are constantly looking to make improvements.

-Hole signs are mostly accurate and are OK, though I understand new and better signs are coming soon. Course navigation is pretty easy, though I glanced at UDisc a couple of times. In a few cases there are two tees about equal distance from the basket you've just finished.

-Other than the ponds, lost discs are about an "average" risk. The wooded areas could swallow errant shots, but the fairways are clean and generally well manicured.

-The finishing island hole is a great risk/reward shot, downhill. If you are brave enough to run it you've got a good chance to birdie the downhill shot, but you also might splashdown. You can also choose to layup and take your par and not risk a lost disk. NOTE: Good chance you're lost disc will show up in lost and found within a week or so.

-Some interesting aircraft taking off and landing at the Guntersville Airport. The 15h green is probably only a long Destroyer drive away from the north end of the runway.

-The biggest issue I had with the course is with only one tee and one basket, the course doesn't often play to the appropriate skill level of the player. The alternate baskets can create a different look, but that doesn't replace having different layouts for different skill levels. In the midst of my rounds at Kudzu, I drove over to Hobbs Farm in Carrolton, Georgia for a round. In many ways Kudzu Cove has advantages over Hobbs Farm, but I gave Hobbs Farm the higher rare "Five" rating because it has three layouts (PDGA RED was perfect for me), plus some holes with second basket in a "GOLD" position. Adding a short or long layout to Kudzu might be a challenge, given the costs and labor that went it to some of those great tee platforms. An alternative might be to make some short (or long) tees, plus tweak the pars for a Red or Green layout.

-Gravel roads cut across many fairways and play as "out of bounds rivers". Without OB lines I could see this could led to some issues in a competitive situation... is the disc touching a bit of grass? Is it surrounded by gravel? The hole it affected me most on was hole 12. I always seem to have my drive flirting with the edge of the gravel. (OK, maybe it was in the middle of the road). If I was playing a solo round I just played the road as casual, took a meter relief and moved on.

-Northern Alabama can have heat, humidity, wind, tornadoes, snakes, bugs, man-eating vines(?) for most of the year. For Kudzu Cove, bring water, pay attention to the weather forecast, wear solid shoes and use some common sense.

-Not a con, but there's no "quick rounds" out here. You better be in at least fair physical condition, it's a hike up to that 9th tee. In hot weather you might want to consider an early morning round or at least avoid the worst heat of the day.

Hole-by-hole
1- Good starting hole, throw across the gravel road. If the basket is in the left position the pond becomes more of a threat.
2- Throw back across the road to a basket protected by a grove of trees. Get a little careless with your drive and your approach putt might need to bend around some trees.
3- Slightly downhill from the tee near the old chimney. Water lurks off to the left if you let one get away.
4- Across the pond from a cool foot bridge tee box. Take the aggressive line and you'll only have about a 200' water carry to attack the basket... or bail out to the right, keep your disc dry, take par and move on.
5-Heading into the woods, but mostly clear and open after hitting an initial gap.
6-Left to right (depending on basket position) and a bit more wooded
7-A tight line, basket not visible from tee, tucked in on the left side of the road. Big drop-off to the right.
8-For my skills, the toughest hole on the course. Drive downhill over the pond (probably a 225'carry? I don't know, I always bailed out short or left), then a long ways up and to the left through the trees toward the cabins. Hard to get a good run-up on the approach shot. This hole is a scoring separator by skill level for sure. Par four seems beyond my reach, but I can see a big arm getting a birdie opportunity
9-Downhill open bomb! Winds can be a little tricky. After the challenge of hole 8, this one is a fun par four.
10-Short uphill, to a basket protected by some of the biggest trees on the property. Plays longer than it looks.
11-Solid tee box to a basket backstopped by a hill. Short and left will end up wet in the silt pond.
12- Downhill, basket tightly guarded by two gravel roads. Basket within 10 meters of the roads.
13-Long, slightly down/cross hill, one of the basket positions is tucked in an opening in the woods. Nearly 400' par 3. For a rec player it will feel like a par 3 1/2.
14-Short up uphill. Plays MUCH longer than it looks
15- Cool, downhill throw off another nice tee platform, across the road. One of the basket positions is guarded by some ornamental grass and a mozzarella stick. At 360' feet this is a tough par for a rec player, though throwing downhill helps.
16-Tight gap downhill towards the road, then a long way to the basket. Listed at 568' par four. I was happy to make a five
17-Slightly uphill with the barns lurking to the left of the fairway. Some trees near the teepad will challenge a righthanded backhand line.
18-Finishing hole... go for the birdie and risk getting wet... or lay up and be safe. Where's the fun in being safe?

There is a donation box by the parking lot. This course deserves support!

-awesome landscapes and terrain
-superb maintenance
-garbage bins, benches on most holes
-superb variety. Uphill, downhill, water, woods. Course had it all
-scenic and pretty

-hole 9's basket location. Only place I got confused on by almost throwing to 10's basket.
-google maps took me the wrong way. Apple Maps was precise.

Downhill island hole to finish out the round. Many oB's in play. Long. Technical. Wind plays a a factor. DGA baskets get the job done. Some of the best tee pads I've ever seen. Really nice and maintained.

Looking forward to playing this course again. Lots of room to change things up and add holes. Someone has put a lot of time and effort into this and it's beautiful. Secluded area and easy to find. Dog friendly my dog had an absolute blast.

The course is technical and long. Not extremely challenging but not easy at the same time. Well worth your time.

Donation box onsite. Recommend donations for the privilege of playing on the beautiful piece of private disc golf paradise.

Really fun course with a little bit of everything. Water carries, wooded tunnel shots, wide-open downhill bombs and standard fair "regular" shots make this course really engaging for the experienced players and novices alike.

Multiple holes have built-up wooden platform decks with ample benches as tee areas.

Cabins are available to rent on site in a beautiful setting.

This is nitpicky, but a good bit of the course needed a heavy mowing, especially hole 16.

Holes 7 and 14 are a little gimmicky.

We rented a cabin and stayed at the resort to play multiple times over a weekend. If you're looking for a destination course with lodging, this is a great option.

This course gives all the challenges a disc golfer could ask for, but also the ease that a novice would want. You get elevation challenges, a few narrow passings, extremely long and opened runs, water hazards. Never got into disc golf until the last few weeks when my daughter, for the first time, showed interest in a sport.This is an amazing course, and I highly recommend it, that said, be prepared with a retrieval tool, because a water trap ate one of my disc's about 30 feet in, totally worth the loss though, because we all had a great time.

You may lose a disc or two in the water, but totally worth it.

Kudzu Cove was recommended to me on a recent trip by Wellsbranch250 and while coming to play a tournament nearby I decided to stop in.

Very glad I did and this unique property has a course that will challenge many players and leave all in awe of it's beautiful surroundings.

It lies near the lake in Guntersville, and though the lake itself never comes into play you can see it from the top of the hill on holes 12/13/15 and that is a beautiful view.

The course winds through and behind a group of cabins that seemed to be mainly used by out of town fishing enthusiasts as there were many boats parked outside, or departing as I was playing.

The gravel lot has course info and some trash cans, and your first tee and last basket are within 200 ft, which is nice.

To begin you throw a shot shaping hole around the pond and shaping shots and contending with OB will be a common theme for a few holes. 2 has an OB road with the basket in the middle of some trees on a hill.

Many of the pads, including 3 have big wooden platform pads with seating attached, 3 is built into the side of a large rock chimney, which was cool to see. 5/6 contend with a different pond and then you play a few short tight wooded holes before hitting two of my favorites.

8 plays back across the pond and is a pretty legit par 4 with chance for OB in the pond and road. 9 I'm has another of the huge platform pads, this one with a roof as well, and plays around 600ft with a substantial downhill.

The course then winds its way up the hill and has the great views I was speaking about. You are mainly trying to stick hyzers into these steep hillsides for a few holes, and then play some fun downhill shots on 15/16 to set you up for the final run down to the island on 18.

Baskets were all newer and in good shape, most holes had seating including the big platform tees, and there were trash cans dotted in high traffic spots as well.

The tees are turf, and mainly in pretty good shape, the ones on the platforms are perfect.

The have a publicly available water pump by hole 18. I'll tell you why i cared about that later.

The cons for most players will be few, there are a coup of holes that feel like filler. 10/11,14 and 17 come to mind as ones that more get you going where you need to be for the next feature hole, rather than their own unique experience. Though the designer/owner did note that 14 would be redesigned in the near future.

A few of the hillside pads that were not on platforms are getting a little uneven, nothing another few bags of gravel couldn't fix, but this will probably be a regular need for those pads.

Could add some longer pads for a few holes to make it more challenging for some. I'm an advanced player and shot -6 first time through with one bogey, I feel like to shoot 950 out there it would need to be -8 in an event.

Overall this is a well thought out, great use of land and I really loved playing there. Wouldn't mind renting a cabin in the future and playing it several more times.

The owners were also very helpful and open that this course is primarily targeted to intermediate players, and I think that that level of player would be most happy to play here, and anyone will have a good time(unless they are very new, then they will probably lose discs on 1,4,5,8,18 in the ponds).

Also note, the edges of the island on 18 can be very slippery. I was getting into my stance at the edge of the island and slipped into the pond knee deep...as well as elbow deep. Hence the need for the water pump.

Definitely a must play in this area!

(Updated June 2020) On the grounds of some getaway cabins, an exciting course using all its natural--and unnatural--elements.

-Scenery: Kudzu Cove is somewhat secluded from anything built up, and it's a fine-looking property. Nice woods, nice hills, nice pond, and stunning lake views. Yeah, there are cabins in the way, but that, to me, adds to the allure of the place: it feels like a resort in the best kind of way.

-Property Elements: i.e. water and paths. It's simply thrilling to throw over the water on (4), (8), and (18), and to face its intimidation on (1), (3), and (11) as well. Further, though I can't put my finger on why, I just love the way you get to throw over the property's small road on several holes. It's an especially nice touch on (2) where the road close to the basket is OB, introducing the possibility of a shot sliding nerve rackingly over the pavement and back in bounds--or not.

-Elevation: A lot of changes, both up and down, and some quite steep. You can bomb a disc down on (9), pump it up on (13), and fear the steady slope to the water on (3), plus a lot more.

-Hole Design: Several of these holes will be very satisfying if you can execute one of a number of options of line. There's flexibility to get creative, but enough structure that you won't be forgiven everything. Also, some holes will present a good risk/reward vs. lay-up dilemma. I especially like the challenges and choices on (2), (4), (8), (16) and of course the island (18).

-Variety: Satisfactory, if not excellent. There are left and right plays, uphill and downhill, and a couple of par 4's. The course does a good job of switching it up every hole so that you don't get the same kind of play back-to-back (notable exception being (12) and (13) being pretty similar).

-Tee Decks: The holes that have these wooden decks are, for lack of a better word, snazzy. I especially enjoy throwing from the middle of the lake on (4).

Many of the original cons have improved dramatically in the last 5 months.

-Amenities: At a basic level now. Signs with distance, positions, and map. Teepads are artificial turf on gravel, which aren't ideal but perfectly okay. With signs and pads, there's little need for navigational cues (exceptions are the transitions (8)-(9), (15)-(16)). Chains are fine. Honestly, amenities is more of a pro than a con at this point.

-Length: I think Kudzu Cove needs some of its holes to be a bit longer for more of interest to happen on the fairways. Less than a handful of holes over 450 ft. Many of those par 3's are good, but there's just not enough length to see really interesting shot shaping and placement occur. I hardly pulled a driver out at all, using mids off almost every tee. A set of back tees would enhance the course a lot.
UPDATE: After a second play, the course feels a little bit gimmicky. There are neat ideas that you don't get very often (like the water holes, throwing 350 ft downhill with a great view, and awkward straight shots on the side of a hill), but very few shots are actually difficult to execute. The only strong par 4 is (16). In other words, it's novel (and some holes like (6), (8), and (16) are challenging and compelling), but not a particularly satisfying gameplay.

-Safety: If the cabins were busy, players would have to be careful not to clank a person or car.

-Hills: Not good for people with knee issues.

-Disc Loss: There's a lot of water. The benefits of the water outweigh the cost, but the cost is still there. (I personally didn't sink any discs, but I also chickened out on the island hole.)

-Skill Level: I think Kudzu Cove is too short to challenge advanced players, but the water and property obstacles will make at least 6 holes highly unfriendly to beginners and possibly novices.

I really like Kudzu Cove, but I don't believe it's an all-star caliber course. "Very Good"--sure. But the lack of length/shot shaping challenge preclude it from "Excellent," at least until a back set of tees is designed. Nonetheless, the water and elevation plays do make for a thrilling experience.

Surrounded by the Tennessee River and Guntersville Lake on land that's nearly an island, the Kudzu Cove DGC offers incredible picturesque views and some darn good disc golf.

First, if you're worried about lots of kudzu, fear not. Except for maybe a spot or two, it exists in name only.

When I played the course in December 2019, I gave it a 3.5 and slightly based it on potential. I played the course for a second time recently, and Kudzu Cove has implemented several excellent improvements to the course, pushing it past the 3.75 threshold and prompting me to boost its rating and update my review.

These improvements include new customized signs with excellent instructions on where the out-of-bounds areas are. New turf tees have been installed on a number of holes to replace the natural tees. Also, several enormous wooden decks have been added to significantly improve the teepad area; these structures also include seating, shade and space. Check out the photos of this tremendous construction work. The designers are going the extra mile to provide the amenities that make for a top-ranked course.

Even better, the designers have tweaked several of the holes and added some alternative pin placements. All of the design changes they have made so far get a thumbs-up from me.

As for the course, the opening hole offers a foretaste of some of the fantastic designs available. A slightly downhill and fairly open hole is no simple task with a small hill guarding the pond on the left side and a mando tree and cabin on the right side.

Kudzu Cove includes three ponds in its design, leading to some of the cooler holes on the course. Hole #3 features a wooden hearth teepad and a downhill approach with the largest pond on the left, while Hole #4 includes a deck over water that will have you driving from near the middle of the pond. Hole #8 also utilizes the edge of this pond and a tighter fairway, thanks to a mando tree on the right side.

The back nine offers a couple of awesome downhill throws - Holes #13 and #15. Plus, while on Hole #13's teepad, you'll want to pause and gaze at the gorgeous views overlooking the surrounding waterways.

Hole #16 was previously a wide-open, blah hole that felt like a filler. But the designer moved the teepad location to a spot in the woods that requires more shot-shaping precision for the drive.

Finally, Hole #18 is one of the sexiest finishing holes I've played. At only 222 feet, this classic closer features a bona fide island green about 60 feet across, generating the vision of Hole #17 at the TPC Sawgrass golf course in Florida, and prompting you to decide if you feel lucky, punk. Don't worry, there's a wooden bridge to cross the pond, plus the shallow water means a possibility of recovery if your drive goes splash.

If you're approaching the course and see a locked gate with "No Trespassing" signs, keep driving; you're almost to the entrance of the resort area. After you enter the resort, drive past the pond and there's parking on the right side. The first hole is just across the gravel road on the left side.

There are a couple mandos on the course, and while the mando on Hole #1 encourages safety, the mando on Hole #8 isn't as necessary but adds to the difficulty by eliminating a bailout shot over the pond toward the more open area.

Hole #11 has a watery mudhole on the left side of the fairway, and it isn't visible from the teepad, so you may want to check the water level before throwing. Or stay right.

A couple holes on the back nine indicate that the gravel road is out-of-bounds, which seems a bit random and like mediocre design.

With water in play on up to half a dozen holes, your chances of drowning a disc are decent.

Kudzu Cove DGC offers tremendous variety, breathtaking views and lots of smiles. And the dedicated designers are intent on continuing to improve their offering. When I visited recently, a number of green baskets were also set up in a separate, lightly wooded area for some putting and upshot practice.

Don't tell the owners, but this course could benefit from a donation box. The Kudzu Cove DGC course is worth a couple-hour drive to play.

(4.305 Rating) (REVISED - replayed November 2023) A blossoming course on incredible land.
- MAJESTIC BEAUTY - Kudzu Cove is blessed with some breathtaking terrain. Lake views, some dense forested areas, some large rocks and big elevation changes. The best thing here to me is the horizon wide views of the Tennessee Valley and Guntersville Lake. Bald eagles have even been spotted routinely during the winter months. The camera is definitely going to come out on this one. I've thrown 139 Alabama courses as of this review revision and I've personally slotted Kudzu in at 2nd place for beauty in Alabama. Only behind Inverness for beauty on my ledger, as I prefer the look and play of threading heavy woods.
- SIGNATURE HOLES - Kudzu has several stellar plays. Hole (8) is an intimidating left hook valley shot over the corner of a pond. Hole (9) is an awesome big downhill dogleg right par 4. (10) long basket is a meandering 750 foot par 5. (15) is a big down shot with nice horizon views. (16) is a scenic tunnel shot that opens up with vista views of lake Guntersville. Finally (18), which is an island green done right. You know, the kind that has water all the way around it and not some silly ropes or pathways posing as fake OB.
- TEE DECKS - There are seven well crafted +200 square foot teeing decks. Easily top 3 most impressive tee surfaces I've ever thrown from. In addition, these tee decks have built-in seating! They are on holes (3,4,8,9,11 short tee, 12 and 15).
- ELEVATION - Some of the best elevation changes I've seen on a course in North Alabama. Way better than Mastin Lake in Huntsville and Joe Wheeler in Rogersville, and only behind both Cypress and V-Rock in North Alabama in the elevation change factor. Hole (9) looks to be down at least 75 feet and hole (15) looks to be down 50 to 60 feet according to the surveys I've looked at. Several other holes have grade changes over 30 feet. The elevation usage is fantastic.
- UNIQUENESS - Outstanding. I'd personally rank the hole variety as the best in North Alabama. Water clears, islands and parallel water plays. Up shots and down shots and bigger down shots. There are even a couple nice dogleg par 4s and par 5s on the long layout. Hole lengths vary from 175ish on the short layout to beyond 750 feet on the long layout. Tunnel shots and horizon-wide wind killers. Kudzu Cove has it all.
- CHALLENGE -I've played here 6 times now and I think the revised and improved long configuration will test low end Advanced level players to keep pace with par. There are a few heavily wooded holes, some water elements and some power plays. This MA2 was thoroughly tested on his last visit and I was digging it. Many MA3s and MA4s will enjoyed the amped down short tee layout, but even the shorts will provide the pucker factor at times.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - This was a con on my initial review, it became a pro in 2020, but it is now slip'n again. The navigational arrows below the baskets have been fixed and are a great aid throughout. The tee signs, which were installed in 2020, are outdated many times. The designer confirmed that (8s) long placement has the wrong par figure printed on the sign. It's a par 4 not a par 3. Overall, this aspect is about average right now. There are plans to upgrade the signage. Hopefully in the next year.

Catch 22 cons and info that doesn't affect my scoring.
- WATER HAZARDS - I always try and remember to pack a floater when I head here. Bring some throw-aways or be very cautious on holes (3), (4), (8) and (18). I added more rating points for the water elements than took away.
- OVERGROWTH - They are a couple nightmare patches to avoid like the plague. Like on (16) near the short basket, although I somewhat liked the danger factor of it. Perhaps a catch 22 like the water hazards.
- TERRAIN - It's a hike up and down a hillside, and thus this course will wear players out.
- TIME PLAY - Due to the hilly terrain, this one is going to take longer than average. Typically it takes me 70 to 75 minutes solo, and I'm a quick player.
- WIND - There are some open shots along a hill-side face that are going to be fun to watch discs careen way off course as long as it's your card-mates disc.

The consensus favorite course in North Alabama and also personally the highest rating I've given to a course in the region and by a wide margin. This is undeniable awesome land and numerous holes are bag emptying fun to throw. For those that live in the Chattanooga, Birmingham and Rome area, this is a must play course. For those in Atlanta and Nashville, I think the course is worth the 2.5 to 3 hour drive. As always, I plan to update my review if the course develops further, although I think it's starting to max out. The course doesn't closely remind me of any course I've thrown. There are some elements of Lula, Westside, Hobbs and The Claytons here, but this place has its own distinct flavors.