Pros:
Pendleton King is a decent disc golf course in a great neighborhood park. As the Augusta DGA's own website states, this is a course that's aimed at a "beginner - novice" crowd.
- This is not going to be a PK- bashing review. Sorry to disappoint some. It's just a straightforward review of this course, letting others decide whether this is a course they'll want to play.
- Per the Augusta DGA's website, here's their description of the course: "Overview: Slightly Wooded Course, Slight Range of Elevation"...that sums up this course perfectly. This is a mostly open course, with plenty of wide fairways, and often only minimal tree coverage to maneuver your disc around.
- The course has some enjoyable holes. #2 is a nice, lightly tree-protected, longer hole on the course. Listed at 467 feet (more on that later), it's the course's longest hole. #6 is a fun, slight downhill, dogleg right hole, at 261 feet. A more aggressive shot should result in a birdie putt, or ending up in the thick rough. #9 is a downhill, semi-tight layout at 290 feet. Anything from a tap-in 2 to a scramble out of the woods 5 all seem feasible on this layout.
- The most 'Augusta' hole to me was #18, one of the better holes on the course. By that, I mean it's the most Augusta National, lily-white, scenic layout on the course. There aren't any azaleas here, or at least none that I saw, but throwing over and around shrubs, flowers and trees, and next to a gazebo, giving players a picturesque ending to your round.
- The course winds through the park. At times you're isolated from other activities, other times you have to be careful. From the road, this just looked like your typical, small neighborhood park. I was pleasantly surprised how big the park actually is. Most neighborhood park-level courses are of the nine-hole, pitch-n-putt variety. Here you get a full 18-hole layout. This would be a great park to have if you live in this neighborhood.
- The 'next hole' signs on this course are great. They're cut-outs of an index finger pointing out to the next hole, or pointing out a mando when appropriate. It's a greater touch than the standard arrow, or something lesser.
- I enjoyed my drive to the park. I got to drive past one of the real, members' entrances to Augusta National rather than the made-for-TV entrance off Eisenhower Drive. Let's just say the neighborhood across the street from Augusta National is exactly what you would expect. Well, expect for Dave Loggins' "Augusta" theme song playing.
Cons:
The cons aren't anything egregious, at least anything that directly impacts the course.
- As the hometown DGC stated, this course doesn't have much variety to it - nothing really long; nothing really short; no completely wide open holes and no super narrow, wooded fairways. With some slight differences, you feel like you're playing the same couple of holes throughout the entire round.
- What are the exact distances for these holes? The tee signs, online scorecard, online map (both produced by locals) and the info on this site are all different. On some holes, the various listings are virtually the same. For example, the distances for #1 range from 250 - 255 feet. For #2, the listed layouts are as follows: 340, 367, 395 and 467 feet. Oh, and the online aerial drone video lists it at 320 feet. When I played, I'd lean to the 375 foot range. This isn't just a problem here, but something I dealt with at many of the Augusta-area courses.
- Course is lacking a great, signature hole or two. It may be due to being a beginner-friendly course, which contributes to the general blase feel of the course. Still, the best way to add flavor to a bland soup is to kick in some pepper or Tabasco sauce. #7 seems to have the most potential for being a challenging, long par 4. In fact, on the course map, the hole is listed at 405 feet (480 to the long tee), not that it's actually that long. The fact it has that potential, means you could have at least one challenging par 4.
- The course is very sandy. I know that's part of the makeup of the land in this area (we have red clay in Charlotte). But of all the courses in this area, I looked, and felt, most like I had just come from the beach at this course.
Other Thoughts:
Pendleton King's disc golf course does have potential. I'm referring to realistic potential of this being a nice course, and not the fantastical beliefs of some.
- This is a great course for beginners. Of all the courses in the Augusta area, this is the best one to bring new or casual players. They won't be overwhelmed, but should still enjoy the challenges. Let them hone their skills heir before moving on to the IDGC and other area courses.
- There are some very nice parts of the park. The walk from #8 to 9 feels like you suddenly appeared in a private garden or arboretum. There's also a really nice pond to the right of #5. If you ignore the unsightly and decrepit basketball and tennis courts next to holes #3 & 4, you can see the nice parts of the rest of the park.
- I gets it's an Augusta staple to name holes on a course. All holes are named after birds. I enjoyed that two of the holes had Carolina names (#1 - Carolina Chickadee & 9 - Carolina Wren), meaning I could get a taste of home while being here.
- This is a solidly decent course throughout. There isn't a poor, throwaway hole on the entire course. The problem is that there isn't anything great either, at least in its current layout. It would be nice to have one signature, must play hole. I guess #18 fits the criteria of the course's signature hole, based on how it most closely portrays the park's identity.
- If you want a change of pace, this is a nice, easier speed compared to the other local courses. For a neighborhood park, most people, myself included, would enjoy having this within walking distance.
- Here is the best testament I can give to Pendleton King's disc golf course. I played eight 18-hole disc golf courses in the Augusta area during my two-day trip, including the IDGC and Hippodrome. This was the eighth best of those courses. That speaks to the tremendous, overall quality of disc golf courses in this area. For other cities in the region - Asheville, Columbia, Charleston - this course would easily be the third or fourth best in those locales. The fact Augusta has so much depth, quality and variety in its courses cannot be overlooked.