St. Joseph, TN

St Joseph DGC

35(based on 7 reviews)
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11 0
TRoss886
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.4 years 283 played 32 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Home of a very signature hole 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 9, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- The Big 3: The baskets, tee signs, and tee pads are all well above average. The baskets are still double chain DISCatchers in good shape. The shorter concrete pads mentioned in previous reviews and in course pictures, have been seamlessly lengthened. The simple wooden tee signs that have been mentioned and are pictured, have been replaced with more conventional nice detailed metal signs.
- Hang Out: The parking lot, hole #1 tee, and practice basket are centered with a small covered pavilion specifically for disc golf. It has a metal picnic table, kiosk, and trash can close by. There are also restrooms within a throws distance.
- Hole #9: By far the shining gem of the course. One of my favorite holes of all time. Big downhill shot following a ravine with plenty of trees. The basket is at the bottom with views of a small cave and beautiful creek. Also, a new bridge crossing the ravine and stairs to the basket have been installed. (Also a great new bridge on #4)
- Pro Tees: While there are only two of them (2 and 11), these are nice additions. 2 stretches the arm out and 11 provides more challenge while also providing a fun downhill drive compared to the normal tee.
- Beauty: After the the first 3 holes, you will think this course will be very low on the beauty scale. Then things heat up. Holes 9, 10, 11, 12 are really nice. The ravine, a cave, and a clear flowing creek make for a really nice section. There is also a small waterfall near the tee pad of 13.
- Turn: Makes a turn back at the parking lot at #8 for taking a break. Also convenient if you don't have much time and want to park and just play #9 right out of the parking lot.

Cons:

- Park Users: I have seen this park get very busy at times. This can affect play on 8 out of 18 holes or so. Especially if a big horse event is going for the early holes or birthday parties and such on the later holes. In a worst case scenario of both types of events happening (which I have experienced), it's pretty difficult and uncomfortable to get a round completed.
- Basic Holes: There are about 4 holes out of 18 that are very basic and not memorable. Fortunately 3 of these are 1-3 and good warm up holes. This leaves you with a good impression of the course since those are probably out of your mind by the good finishing hole of 18.
- Trash: There can be a some trash on this course at times. Especially on 15 and 16 from people throwing things from their car. Fortunately this probably doesn't have anything to do with disc golfers, just unfortunate that it can be a problem.

Other Thoughts:

Not pros or cons:
- Benches: There are a few benches (1, 6, 10) which is very nice, but a few more would add a lot to the amenity factor.
- Drainage: Parts of this course can hold on to water for a while after a rain. About average in this regard though compared to many courses.
- Navigation: While navigation here is 90% intuitive and easy, there are a couple spots where a next tee sign would help a very first time player of the course. Overall, no really confusing transitions.
- Alternate Pin Locations: I have noticed a couple on the times I've played this course. In my personal experience, I've only noticed one pin (16) move a couple times. A few more alternate locations might spice things up.
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9 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
2.50 star(s)

One Awesome Hole 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.548 Rating) A lightly wooded city park course that's fun to play and walk.
- SIGNATURE HOLE - Without question its hole (9). As of this review, I have it on my list of all-time favorite holes at right around 100th place. A thirty foot down shot along a gorging headwater spring. The play is also a tunnel shot requiring a well-executed shaped shot. Anyone who rings up the chains on this hole has likely had their all-time favorite ace.
- ACEABILITY - Lots of obstacle free 250 foot gets out here. Also a few light technical shots that are under 200 feet on holes (4), (12) and (15). Players are probably twice as likely ring-em up twice as often compared to the typical 18 hole course.
- CHAINS - All 18 DISCatchers were in great condition on my round.
- NAVIGATION - I decided not to download the map before coming and then upon arriving there was none posted at the new community board. There are no navigational cues. I completely relied upon the numbered baskets, simple hole signage, intuitive paths and seeing the next tee post. My intuitive guessing was apparently just on this day or I got lucky. Either way, I personally had no problem following the layout blind despite all the navigational omissions. The map on DGCR appears accurate upon my inspection after the round.
- RECREATIONAL FRIENDLY - This is a total feel good course. The lines are wide and forgiving. Water is only in play twice, but it's a shallow clean water creek that I'd have no problem jumping in to grab a disc. I personally threw up 11 birdies with two turkey runs. This course would also be great for beginners and families.
- QUICK PLAY - For an 18 hole course, this should play fairly quick. Figure 45 minutes to an hour for a solo and 90 to 120 minutes for a foursome.
- MAINTENANCE - The grounds were in great shape on my play.

Cons:

A fun average course with a few of the typical city park problems.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - I think the listing of moderately wooded for this course is a bit generous and it inflates the difficulty factor. At a recent tourney in June 2018, a 54 was netting an 856 rating. Thus this course is kind of tweener between Recreational and Novice level. Way too many short obstacle free shots for my preference.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - A few obvious hazards. Hole (2) plays blind around a building. Hole (11s) best route is down a park road and next to a playground area. Hole (12) and (13) plays along and across a park road. Hole (17) plays adjacent to a baseball field fence.
- MISSED OPPORTUNITIES - This park has enough exotic terrain to deliver a higher rated course. Only hole (9) and pro (11) use the 30 foot ridge. Only two holes are fully cut into the woods, (4) and (9). There's a frigg'n unused cave feature! Seriously, how did they miss that?
- TEES - Too small but at least they are concrete. They are 4 feet by 8 feet.
- CHARACTER - Other than nice baskets and sub-par tees, the disc golf related amenities are lacking. No seating other than at hole (1). The hole signage is simple being just a number, par and distance. A few do have a diagrammatic line for fairway direction. Five holes, according to the scorecard, are supposed to have multi-tees, but I only observed hole (3). I know I missed pro (11) due the picture on this site. No alternate basket locations are listed but I stumbled upon one on (10). There's a practice basket near tee (1) and there are free scorecards. Also, lots of shelters in the park with picnic tables and a restroom facility.
- UNIQUENESS - There's an ok variety in hole types here, but there are far too many featureless and light obstacle shots. I only felt challenged to hit the lines on (5), (9), (11) and (12). The last two because of the water. Hole (1) thru (3) have zero trees. The remainder were generally wide or with undefined lanes requiring simple movement.
- PARKING - Gravel and fairly small. I could see a busy day causing issues.

Other Thoughts:

A recreational delight for sure and I'm sure the locals love playing here. If I lived in town I'd happily play here every day. However, for traveling skilled intermediate players and above, St Joseph doesn't really have much over any other city park course. I'm glad I played St. Joseph's however. Hole (9) by itself is a reason to stray here once.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - Although there are a bunch of featureless holes, the course as a whole I'd grade about average with the before mentioned hole (9) picking up the slack.
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7 1
Urmomsbf
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.6 years 800 played 119 reviews
2.50 star(s)

May have been better as a 9-hole 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 Discatcher baskets
Concrete teepads
Signage
Hole 9 signature hole!
Beautiful scenery.
Good beginner course if a beginner skips hole 9.
Great addition by the local park dept. in such a small town (similar to the size of town where I grew up).

Cons:

Teepads are too small.
Course design is pretty poor. Wide open holes have no obstacles. Safety issues throwing over walking trails and park roads often.

Other Thoughts:

I was bored with this course until I got to Hole 9. Awesome hole! It may be a little rough for a beginner (which I figured this course was designed for). 9, long 10, 11, and 12 felt like a real disc golf course. A lot of fun.

This course may have been way better as a 9-hole course for the amount of available space the park had available.
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6 0
bjreagh
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.2 years 353 played 321 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 15, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Interesting design, balanced variety, makes really good use of all the features of the land available. Flow and navigation were normal and logical, holes close in proximity (no long walks), but still did not feel cramped. Lot of different and unique holes/avoids monotony. Basket 8 ends up back by the parking lot if you need something from your vehicle mid-round.

There were excellent concrete tees (and a couple holes had 2 tees- #3 and #11). Baskets were Discatchers in great shape.

Mostly flat, but some elevation. In fact, hole 9 and pro tee 11 are memorable signature type downhill holes. Holes 9-12 play over and around a small cave-like rock structure and a small scenic stream- very nice. The creek is clear and shallow, so little to no danger of losing a disc.

Amenities at the parking area: practice basket, small covered pavilion with a picnic table, course map, and scorecards (many courses have boxes for scorecards, but very few ever have them, but this course did). And the map on it was useful for navigating the first time around.

Cons:

Not a whole lot, and nothing that affects play, just some minor things.

Tee signs are smaller wooden plaques on posts, they were fine but already starting to look aged, some were broken, and many were almost unreadable being covered in bird poo. I know some effort went in to making this handmade signs, but maybe eventually a more standard and durable set of signs could be installed. *UPDATE*- the last time I played there were decent laminated paper signs attached to the posts that looked much better. They appeared to be for a tournament but were an improvement.

9 and 11 are the signature holes, however be careful on hiking down 9 and up to the pro tee on 11, and 9 could yield some interesting disc retrievals if your disc lands in the ravine. Don't get me wrong, these are fantastic holes, but 9 may need to steps built in the hill at some point. *UPDATE*- some very nice bridges on 5 and 9 have now been built! There are some extra ladders on 9 also. Great to come back to a course and see improvements!

Even though most holes had a unique feature or challenge to them, there were a few holes that were essentially just an open field hole (1, 3, 8 entirely) and a large % of some other holes is wide open. This is fine the first time playing, or for beginners, but these holes could tend to get a little uninteresting after multiple rounds. Also most holes, both open and wooded, required just a straight shot- not many holes forced you to throw a curving shape shot.

Not a wide variety of each hole distance overall, just the pretty standard <300' for all holes except the two pro tees.

It is necessary, but some holes are close to other park features (athletic fields, picnic pavilions, playground). I played on a summer weekday and there were just a couple of other people here using the park.

Other Thoughts:

I think the design is just about as good as you could get here, and is totally appropriate considering where this course is located (isolated) and who will typically be playing it (caters to small population). Overall, I enjoyed it and I would play here again if in the area. I rate it a 3.0 [Good]. Makes for a nice pairing with another course just a few minutes away in Loretto.
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1 1
FLX BUZZZ
Experience: 7 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A GREAT PLACE TO PLAY 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

GREAT LAYOUT OF A BEAUTIFUL CITY PARK. A FEW WIDE OPEN HOLES AS WELL A FEW WOODED ONES. HOLE 9 IS THE SIGNATURE HOLE, YOUR THROWING DOWN HILL OFF A BLUFF. THREE HOLES ARE ALONG A BEAUTIFUL FLOWING CREEK. THIS PARK IS SAFE AND FAMILY FRIENDLY.

Cons:

NOTHING NEGATIVE HERE. BE CAREFUL GOING DOWN THE HOLE 9 FAIRWAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN ITS WET. BE COURTEOUS AND CAREFUL WHEN PLAYING NEAR THE WALKING TRACK AND PLAYGROUND.
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6 1
wericsson
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 11.4 years 54 played 45 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 19, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good mixture of open and wooded holes, with a mixture of distances, from the mid-low 300s all the way down to a 170ish foot tunnel. A fair mix of left turns and right, at least on holes that favor one or other, so not a NASCAR course. A clear creek is in play on two holes. Elevation adds interest to several holes, most notably hole 9, a beautiful, slightly curving downhill shot through trees along a gulley: definitely one of the more memorable holes I've ever played.

Concrete tees, and tee signs identifying hole number and distance (as well as indicating which are pro tees). New Discatchers, including a practice basket.

Beautiful, well-kept city park, and as mentioned above, the water is clear.

Would make a quality beginner course: yeah, they'd be playing pinball on 9, but this course is otherwise very beginner-friendly, and still introduces various challenges common to the game in manageable doses. Given as this was probably a fair chunk of the design goal, I suppose I ought commend Casey and the city.

Cons:

If you're looking for some long holes, you're going to be disappointed, and the medium lengths are almost all relatively open holes - not all fields, but nothing too tight.

Getting down into the ditch (and then climbing back out) on 9 can be hairy - and necessary.

Tee signs do not indicate OB (not all of which is obvious), water (some of which - the outflow from the water facility - is surprisingly casual), obstacles/foliage, etc. Additionally, some have experienced... structural issues.

Cars (well, trucks mostly) occasionally park dead center of the fairway on 14, despite the actual parking lot right up the road.

Other Thoughts:

This has been said elsewhere, but mind the walking track and the playground (and the ball field if in use).

7 was blind, but there is now a big arrow on a tree right before and to the right of the basket. While we're discussing 7, that green was made to roll discs away, more even than the grade would suggest.
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4 1
KC4KAA
Experience: 11.4 years 43 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice new course in Tenn 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 23, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Combines wooded and open holes, No 9 is very demanding downhill wooded shot, bridge at halfway point to cross over.
pro tees recently installed

Cons:

No hole markers yet, pads are a little short

Other Thoughts:

Course uses natural land flow and has uphill down hill holes, water comes into play on several holes
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