I seriously, seriously wish I could give this course 4.75 discs (if I get exact, it's more like 4.825 discs). Give it another few years to really get played in, and it'll be just about perfect. However, given that the little issues are mostly part of the course and are things which other players may not mind or find challenging, I feel rounding up to 5 discs is more appropriate than rounding down to 4.5 discs. This championship caliber course was Aiken County Parks and Rec's first disc golf course (Odell Weeks and Perry Park fall under city jurisdiction, while USCA belongs to the university), and paired alongside Boyd Pond, provides a great resource for county residents to be introduced to and progress in the sport. I'm super lucky in that when I'm home from Clemson, Langley Pond and Boyd Pond are both about 15 minutes from my parents' house. Langley Pond itself has two sets of tees, and while the shorter tees are still demanding, they are slightly more accessible for the recreational and advancing player than the longs. The long tees are one of those humbling experiences which remind you just how hard this sport can be. The rough is pretty thick in places and the fairways are still being beaten in, so some shots can be tricky. However, overall this is a must play for the area and combined with the IDGC and all the other courses available in the area make the CSRA a great disc golf destination.
Favorite holes:
Hole 1 & 2 together are a great starting pair. Hole 1 plays down a hill from the long tee to a basket perched along a ridge above the lake, while hole 2 long is a straightforward straight to fade shot. Both are seriously fun shots and you'll want to get a bird on at least one of these, as birdies can be in short supply.
Hole 6 is a demanding but short par 3 after a couple very tough par 4's; it's a simple RHFH flick shot, but the trees are very tight and failing to hit the exact line will result in anything from absolute jail in the rough to a 85ish' upshot.
Hole 7 is another fun shot; a basic backhand hyzer, it's a good ace run hole.
Hole 8 is a monster par 5 that, while on the shorter side, is a true shot-shaping par 5. The tee shot is a placement forehand or turnover shot to a second fairway, which can be an opportunity to either play for placement or try to bite off a big chunk of distance, depending on how the tee shot goes. A short hyzer opens up a long third shot to try for a putt, while a pucker factor longer straight to fade shot will provide an easier third shot, provided you can navigate all the trees precisely. The basket is perched on a very steep slope with thick rough about 7 feet behind it on one side and several trees on the other. Blow by on a birdie bid or fourth upshot and you'll have a genuine death putt, while hitting cage or band usually means another long, if not longer, putt. Definitely my favorite hole on the course.
Hole 14 and 15 are also seriousy fun tee shots.
Good and bad hole: Hole 5's tee shots, from either pad, are somewhat iffy. I don't quite see how you can get into a good spot from the long pad unless you throw literally the perfect shot; just too stable and you're in the woods, just too flippy and you're long, and the same with the power levels. Like, I get it, but come on. And it's a shame, because the second shot from the right landing area is seriously fun. I would have moved the short pad into this LZ and called it a par 3, as you basically just throw a giant spike hyzer from the short to get a look. The green is probably the best on the course, with two giant trees flanking the basket (the course's logo). There's a ditch just in front and a drop off behind, so your upshot or layup needs to be perfect, and any birdie putts won't be like those in your backyard.
WTF hole: Hole 16 is a pretty ludicrous teepad. I mean, discs just don't really fly the type of line you're being asked to throw. If the hill were not as steep as it were, or the basket wasn't as long or as left as it is, it would be fine. But I just can't imagine any shot that will get your within the putting range that I think should be achievable for a par 3. I mean, there's a lay up zone to get a pretty decent 80-90 foot putt, but even that is a seriously precise shot and it should be rewarded as such. I guess I could see someone being able to throw the line to get inside the circle, but for most mortals, it seems pretty much impossible. The short pad, however, is a fair but demanding shot, so I guess that's ok.
Overall, if there had been some ongoing maintenance on the course since it had opened to thin out the first cut of rough from the fairway and the fairways, the actual course would be insanely perfect. This is about the only thing that can really be fixed from the cons, unless more tree thinning to open up hole 5's LZ and a redesign of hole 16. However, these little issues aside, you can really tell someone thought out all the extra little amenities at the course, the fairways are mostly fair, all of the greens are amazing and challenging, and the tee shots are fun at Langley Pond. It's DEFINITELY worth the trip to play.