Great course layout

Terrible maintenance.

Unacceptable for a million dollar facility with full time grounds people

(3.195 Rating) A course with big variety and a solid challenge.
- HOLE VARIETY - The thing I enjoyed most about the USA course was the diversified hole portfolio. There are lightly wooded holes thru heavily wooded ones. There is some modest elevation change for the Mobile area and several water features to game plan around. I really like the technical twisting pocket on hole (5), old (8), where the tee shot needs to sweep low and left and stop short of marsh water. The hole distance variation is solid too. From 600-foot par 4s to 200-foot par 3s. This course basically has it all except killer elevation change.
- CHALLENGING - The next thing I enjoyed was the cerebral intensity. Hole (14) is really going to mess with a player's head if the wind is up with water on the left the whole way and OB along the right. Intermediate level players are going to struggle to stay pace with par. Advanced players will be tested on many holes and there are a few longer marked tees for even further added intensity.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored this aspect 70 percentile. First off beautiful campus with lush tropical looking vegetation and numerous water features. A couple holes are tunnel shots through the jungle vegetation. I really enjoyed the water clear tee shot view on (9), which is now hole (6) as of a couple weeks ago. The only substantial beauty drawbacks are the roads in view and play.
- BASICS - Most holes have nice sized concrete tees. The baskets are adequate Mach 5s and were generally in good shape as of my visit. Tee signage was ok for my appearance too, but with the apparent edits that occurred in early May 2021, I'm not sure if the new holes have proper markings yet.

Newer players may find this course too difficult.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - First off, I want to point out that I don't ever subtract points for a course not being beginner friendly. That stated, for those that are newer to the sport, this course is going to thump them around and they might not like that. The first hole out of the gates is a modest water clear of 150 feet and it's the easiest of the three water clears on the course. Hole (14) even had me sweating bullets as it's more of an angled clear requiring more and more distance for shots along the left side. Losing plastic is going to happen to regulars regardless of skill level. The overgrowth is extremely thick along the sun-bleached fairway edges. One-disc beginners will be going home empty handed before the end of the round.
- AMENITIES AND EXTRAS - The course is missing the big ticket extras and it feels a little rundown on a variety of aspects. For example, a couple tee signs were pulled out of the ground and numerous signs were fading. The course map on the community board is not accurate. There are no extra basket placements. I only saw one disintegrating bench near a tee and the few holes that had multi tees are just natural surfaces. I assume the new holes have natural pads right now as well.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - Roads come into play eleven times! I had to personally stop my play several times to wait for both cars and walkers to pass. Hole (16) is probably the worst of the bunch as it throws up along a blind curb. I could see some other reviewers shaving off significant score for this.
- LAYOUT FLOW - There are some weird transitions due to the evolution of this course and it doesn't help that the posted course map is wrong. I would normally describe this in more detail, but I had just gotten word that holes (3), (4), and (8) got axed and there are three new holes added later in the layout. There are a lot of long walks between holes.

There are 4 college courses in Mobile as of this review posting; Spring Hill, University of Mobile, Coastal Alabama and this one. IMO, this is far and away the best example of the four. When I first tallied my scores for this course a month ago, I got a rating just above the 3.25 threshold for a 3.5. Due to the axing of holes (3), (4) and (8), I decided to drop my score a tenth of a point. I really liked hole (3s) 250-foot straight tunnel fairway with the sharp downward decline along the entire right side, and that hole is unfortunately gone now. Two of the three replacement holes have substantial safety hazards on them as well. I wish they would have carved new holes within the woods somewhere rather than take the easy route and use already cleared out edges of road areas. Oh well. Overall still a well above average Mobile area course. IMO, a top 5 course for the metro area.
- TIME PLAY - 79 minutes for this quick solo player.

*Nice mixture of shots... Some short, wooded shots thrown in with some long, open shots. Add in the water hazards and it can be intimidating for the first time visitor.
*Great landscaping and setting
*Nice tee boxes with diagrams of the holes.

*I can see where traffic could be an issue, especially on the last few holes that play parallel with the road. It wasnt too bad today (think school is over for the spring semester), but stll had to wait on several cars to pass before attempting a throw.
*No restrooms and very few, if any, benches to rest on
*No signage on the campus (if there is I didnt see it) of where to go or park

Course starts off with, what could be considered an intimidating tee shot over a small pond. The next few holes are slightly wooded with a little elevation in play. Water comes into play again on #9 and #14 (lost a Wraith to #14). Several of the last holes play parallel to the road, and traffic can slow play on these holes. I'm sure traffic can be fairly bad during school, but it wasn't too bad today. 18 wraps the course up with a straight drive through pine trees.

All tees are now marked with 4x4 posts with a diagram of the hole layout, par, and length. Baskets are all in great condition. There are a few signs throughout the course directing you to the next tee.

Good Variety. Tough Shots on some holes.

Not very well marked. Needs an updated Course Map and signs to next Tee on the course itself.

Overall, this is a great course. We could only play nine holes as it was getting dark. The only thing that I didn't like was the lack of signage.

University of South Alabama's course opens on a high note - a fun big hyzer out over a lake, with a water carry just short enough to make it more doable than not and give you the option to blow by the basket if you want to play it safe - and keeps this sense of fun going pretty consistently throughout. There are a few duds - 3's forced layup not 75' off the tee before making a 60 degree right turn momentarily took a bit of wind out of my sails - but these get quickly forgotten in the midst of the course's technicality, inventiveness, and playfulness. From tight hyzer flips (13) to multi-stage holes (11), elevated pins (8, 16) to well-guarded baskets (9, 11), open bombs (10) to tight lines through trees (12), and well-used water (1, 14) and OB (15-17), this course explores a range of shot making and forces you to weigh risk versus reward on a regular basis. You'll need your whole bag for this one, which is a real plus in my eyes. I appreciated how the course designers maximized the setting's inherent possibilities.

Course seems well-groomed. It's easy to find and parking is plentiful; just follow the instructions given here on DGCR.

Some highlights:

The aforementioned 1 struck me as a perfect opener: the water gives an otherwise-easy shot enough edge to make it a worthwhile hole, but you can still play it safe if you'd like to. A great hole to warm up on as long as you err on the side of throwing long.

8 has a nice combination of factors in play: a pretty drastic RHBH anny/RHFH hyzer that plays down a gentle slope, the placement of the elevated pin up against the lake really makes you think twice about attempting any kind of shot that could net a rollaway.

9 is a nice hyzer shot over the road to approach a basket tucked down and into the woods. The overhanging trees force you to put some touch on that hyzer; you can't put a lot of height on it and expect to end up in birdie position.

11 is a great multistage hole that, at 696 ft, requires two solid drives to score well: after a long hyzer off the tee, you have to hit a solid fairway drive to approach the well-guarded basket. I always appreciate how thoughtfully placed pins keep you dialed in throughout longer holes, and this one didn't disappoint.

14 is a nice turnover shot over the corner of a lake, with just enough landing space between the water and road OB to make you feel as though you have a chance. Be wary! (And let me know if you find my Stingray. )

There's not a lot I can take away from the course design itself. This is a solid, fun course that maximizes the land it sits on. That said, I did feel as though the back 9 tapered off a bit when compared to the front 9. The shot variety and creativity just seemed fuller on 1-9, although I think in part these holes just play on better land: 10-18 seemed a bit constrained by the terrain they were on and the need to play back towards the parking lot. The latter half still provides some solid golf, and has some nice high points (11, 13, 14); it's just an overall slight drop off in my eyes when compared to the front half.

Tee signs and navigation could be improved upon. The former are currently laminated paper with hole number and distance stapled to a post; about a third of them were missing when I played here. Be mindful of the post when you drive: I connected with one on a follow through (15, I believe), and while it wasn't anything serious, it had the potential to be. I had two navigation snafus here, after 4 and 9. At the former point, hang a right after 4's basket and cross the road. 5 and 6 play in a small wooded section, after which you then cross back over the street, walk past 3's basket, and head to 7's tee. After 9, continue up the road 9 plays along, past the right side of a hedge at the center of a Y-ing road and up into a large field.

The tees are a mixed bag: the concrete ones are very nice, but there's also a lot of natural tees out here. Short tees are few and far between, and often seem like an afterthought, compromising the essential qualities of a hole.

Although this is a school campus, bathrooms didn't seem readily available.

We were fine here on a Saturday afternoon, but I can see this course getting crowded, both with players and with foot traffic. It does play through a college campus after all, and while some areas of the course are tucked away, others are decidedly not. This is doubly a concern for the numerous holes that play alongside the roads; I wouldn't feel safe throwing 15-16, for instance, when traffic was busy.

I really enjoyed playing this course. Without pictures and with only a few reviews, I didn't know what to expect, but I'm glad I made it a priority during my day trip to Mobile. It reminded me of some courses I've played in the western PA area, playing in and out of variously wooded terrain, with a feel I haven't encountered too much in my course hopping in the south. This course is super solid, really fun, and will engage a variety of aspects of your game. There are some inherent limitations of the land that keep it from being truly special, but I'd recommend USA DGC to anyone passing through the area.

Fun course with a lot of variety. A great mix of holes, requiring players to use all kinds of throws to excel. One hanging basket and one elevated basket add to the putting challenges. A lot of OB...which I like, because it requires more skill to score well. A pretty good amount of shade which is great during southern summers. While the course is relatively medium in length, it is tough to shoot under par because of the tricky OB.

A couple of holes throw over ponds, which I always enjoy. I always seem to rate courses with water a little higher.

Doesn't have a water fountain or bathrooms. Lots of OB if you don't like OB.

Another above-average course in Mobile, a city blessed with several fun courses.

good mix of hole types the new layout cuts down on alot of walking if you only want to play the back or just the front

there are water hazards lol there is still some construction going on, on one hole

good mix of turns for left or right handed players some short and longer wholes

Challenges come in many flavours.

I had the misfortune of playing the course in the midst of a re-numbering/redesign effort, so the map, while still somewhat useful, wasn't accurate. See my "other" notes, but please compare the date of this review with the date of the map (2008 was the map available when I played) to see if my navigation comments still apply.

Course is set upon both sides of Aubrey Green Drive, a road in the midst of the sprawling University of South Alabama Campus. Other than the road itself, and a parking lot along a portion of the left side of uber-long #11, no other man-made obstacles come into play.

There are many different types of challenges to be found on this course. There are two water-carrys, with too-far-right being the safe area. Two basket heights are non-standard - one elevated, and the other, quite high, suspended by chains hanging from multiple tree branches! A couple long right-turners have a thick treeline on the right, but the ob-road along the left, requiring a steady turn that is "just so". A couple slightly elevated, left-turning holes have the road on the right but thick shule on the left. Several holes are tunnel shots - not overly tight/or long, but definitely preventing a disc from swinging too wide/high on its way to the basket. A couple very long holes are open early, but have guarded baskets. A few holes have tall, scattered trees to work around - pick out a line that best fits your throwing style. Yet a few others have shorter trees, making a vertical attack an option. The few right-turning shots tend to be longer and more continuous than their subtle left-turning counterparts, but straight off-the-tee will work well most often.

Navigation (1-9): The closest parking for tee-1 is in front of the two, light-coloured brick buildings (grounds warehouse and maintenance garage) on Aubrey Green Drive. (New) hole-1 has you throwing over the pond, NOT to the elevated basket to the left, which is #8, but instead to the basket on the right. New hole-2 is a short, up-slope hole, keeping the road to the right. You then play a few renumbered holes: new-3 is old-4 (with the tee/basket swapping), new-4 is old-17, new-5 is old-18, new-6 is old-2, new-7 is old-3. New hole-8 is a right-turner to the elevated basket with the pond behind, then cross the bridge then road for new-9 (old-5).

Navigation (10-18): From basket-9, walk up the road and cross at the T-junction, as new-10 is old-6. New and quite long hole-11 completely bypasses old 7&8, playing behind the parking lot, eventually connecting with old-9 (new-12). The simple re-numbering continues as new-13 is old-10, new-14 is old-11 (other side of road, not obvious). New 14/15 are both right-turners, keeping the road on the right, corresponding to old 12/13, I think. New-17 is old-14, and new-18 is old-15 to finish the course.

The re-design does improve the flow of the course, with 1-9 forming one loop, beginning/ending near the parking lot, and 10-18 another loop, albeit starting/ending a bit farther away. Another impact of the redesign is that only 2/3rds of the holes had concrete tees/signs.

Longer and more challenging than the several university/college courses I've played. The water carry or looming out-of-bounds makes some holes a bit too challenging for beginners and low intermediates, but provides a good challenge for experienced players.

• Well maintained
• Creative use of the grounds and basket placements
• Great scenery in areas
• A fair few shots require some finesse, always a good thing
• Hole variety - some cramped, some open; some short, some long; some water hazards but they aren't TOO too intimidating.

• Signage is lacking - I only saw wood posts marking the natural tees, no real directions or maps; you can spend some time trying to find your way around.
• So far as I saw there weren't any water fountains to speak of, and just a port-o-john by tee #1...i don't know what the policy is on non-students using the facilities though.
• Roads can be more of a hazard than the water.

Some of the holes are really scenic - 3 has a cool thread-the-needle kind of feel; 8 is a nice hole ending in a big grassy pond-side field with the basket elevated to about 6.5 ft high. Hole 16 is really cool - basket is suspended by chains among a triangle of trees, about 6.5 ft. off the ground - something I had never seen personally. I understand the course was just changed around a bit due to some construction - that may account for the lack of signage so that may be a temporary issue.