Hocking College Disc Golf Course

Welcome to Hocking College’s Disc Golf course. During the past year the Outdoor Pursuits staff has been working hard to turn our disc golf course better. We have added 6 new holes and done many hours of trail work to make Hocking’s disc golf course into a course to be recognized. Our course starts in between the Shaw lab and the Student Center. It goes into the woods behind Shaw Lab and continues through the woods behind Davidson Hall and the Public Safety Services buildings. Our course is now 18 Holes with a total length of 3,778 ft. the PAR for the first 9 holes adds up to 28 and PAR for the full 18 holes adds up to 56. Of the 18 holes 6 of them are here on campus the rest are played back in the woods.

There are many hazards out on the course. The one thing that you want to remember when throwing on our course is DON’T THROW LEFT!!! Most of the fairways have some sort of hazard or drop off to the left so please be careful if your disc goes left and you must retrieve it. Another hazard that you will find throughout the course is standing water. Standing water is especially a problem in the spring time. Be sure to wear appropriate hiking shoes.

Playing Disc Golf:

The rules to Disc Golf are very similar to ‘Club Golf’ you know the type that Tiger Woods plays. You tee of from the same place, which is usually behind a wooden marker that has what Hole it is, distance from tee pad to basket, and the PAR number written on it. To choose who throws first you can just choose between yourselves or you can flip for first. The side of your disc with writing on it is heads. You throw your disc and after everyone in your group has thrown then you may proceed down the fairway. The person whose disc landed furthest away from the basket gets to throw first. This courtesy keeps everyone safe from getting hit with a disc. When it is your turn you pick your disc up and stand where it was laying. From this spot you throw again for the basket. On some of the holes at our course there are specific out of bounds. All of the roads are out of bounds. If you throw out then you add a one throw penalty, a point to your PAR, and you throw your disc at the place that it went out of bounds. Do your honest best to decide where this was.

Basic Disc Golf Terms:

Tee Pad- The location or designated area in which the first throw of the hole is suppose to take place from. We try to make our tee-pads as natural as possible. This is so that we aren’t taking too much away from the natural beauty that you see in Southeast Ohio.

Basket- This is the basket and chains with a yellow topper that you are shooting for from the tee pad. Once you get you disc to land in that basket then that hole is completed.

Throw- This is the act of advancing the disc towards the basket. This can be done with any of the different styles, backhand, forehand, or rollers.

Lie- The spot where your disc comes to rest. This is the spot that you pick up your disc and throw from.

PAR- like in club golf each hole has a set PAR, the desired number of strokes or in your case throws it takes to land your disc in the basket. We have a varying PAR all throughout the course. It is indicated at each tee pad.

Drive- Any throw off the tee pad or a throw from the fairway designed for maximum distance.

Putt- The final throw(s) of the hole aimed at getting your disc in the basket. These are short distances throws.

Ace- In club golf it is known as a hole in one. Landing the disc in the basket on your first throw, on that hole from the tee pad is considered an ace. Be sure to let us know if you get one!

Description of each Hole:

Hole 1- is 226 ft from tee pad to basket and a PAR 3. The tee pad is located between Shaw Lab and the Student Center. There is a sign in sheet as well as maps and score cards in the mail box at Hole 1. This is a nice throw that curves left to the basket. It is hidden from view by a shed so be sure to look and see if anyone is over there before you throw your disc.

Be careful of the little cluster of trees to your left and of the student center to your right. When you go to where your disc is laying you will have to cross a little run-off stream. It gets a little muddy trying to jump across so you can take the risk or just walk around to the path to the right or through the little path into the woods. After you make it in the basket continue to the right, if you were facing the road and tennis courts, and you will come to Hole 2.

Hole 2- is 310 ft from the tee pad to the basket and it is a PAR 3. You are throwing from the gravel area. There isn’t an actual tee pad or sign yet but there is a box on the ground that indicates where the tee ends. This throw goes slightly to the left. This one is tricky because of the road on one side, which is out of bounds, and the cluster of trees that is surrounding the basket. If you over throw be prepared to do little searching in the wooded area. Also with Hole 2 there is a pro-pad tee off place. It is going to be a 20-30 ft behind and up a bit from the tee pad in place. After completing the hole walk up a steep little hill in between two shrubs. Just across the park lot driveway you will find the tee pad for Hole 3.

Hole 3- is 410 ft and a PAR 4. This is the longest hole on the entire course. It has an out of bounds to the right, a building to the left and many, many trees in between. The basket is just out of sight as the fairway dips down a little. Be sure to check for anyone near the basket, building or the road before throwing your disc. Now to get to Hole 4 you must walk from the basket straight across the road. There will be a sign with an arrow pointing to a path. This will take you up the hill to the tee pad for Hole 4. Be sure look out for protruding roots so you don’t trip or slip.

Hole 4- is 285 ft and a PAR 3. This is the first hole to be played in the woods, granted it is only the last half of the fairway that is in the woods but it still poses a challenge. The basket is pretty much a straight shot from the tee pad. The first part of the fairway is an open grass field and the last 40 or 50 ft are in the woods. Look out for multi-flora rose if you get your disc caught in the brush on either side of the grassy area, it is sharp and it hurts. To get to Hole 5 go across the path and look for a sign with an arrow that point you to the tee pad for Hole 5.

Hole 5- This is the shortest Hole on the course with only 135 ft to throw and it is a PAR 3. Hole 5 is a nice throw because there is a big gob pile right behind the basket. A gob pile is a huge pile of extra and unusable coal from the coal mining days. All of the land behind the school is reclaimed land from when it was used for coal mining. If you go beneath the layer of leaves and dirt you will run into the excess coal. The basket is slightly more elevated then the area to the front so be wary of a possible rolling disc. There is also a pro pad that adds an additional 35ft. To get to it, walk past the regular pad and make a left turn on the obvious path. To get to Hole 6 follow the trail to the right, when you are facing the gob pile, and head up along the dirt path. The tee pad for Hole 6 will be on the right of that path.

Hole 6- Hole 6 is 158 ft and it is a PAR 3. The basket stands slightly to the left and up a little on a hill. You can see it from the pad. You have a small island of trees in the middle of the fairway but there is plenty of room to throw around them. Be careful of standing water it gets muddy in the lower areas of this fairway. There is a long tee 20ft behind the regular tee. After you complete this Hole proceed up the hill just behind the basket and you will see the tee pad for Hole 7.

Hole 7- is 217 ft long and a PAR 3. This hole runs along the ridge. This is a perfect instance that you don’t want to throw left. There is a steep drop to the left and with this hole you will be throwing across a small ravine to the basket. So do your best to keep that disc to the right because finding and retrieving your disc will be very hard. When you are walking down the fair way be careful on the slopes, there is a path to the right. In the spring time crossing the ravine can be very wet and muddy. We are working on putting in some sort of bridge system but for now there are logs that you can walk across. This is where appropriate shoes would be needed. Be careful going up the stone steps to basket 7. There are steps there but they are kind of far apart. When you are throwing to the basket at a closer range be aware for the drop off a few feet behind the basket. Basket 7 stands on a hill with steep drops on almost all sides. When you are ready to move to hole 8, you will follow the signs and the path way and come to a bridge. After you cross this bridge keep following the path way. You will come around some boulders just keep on walking the path up to the left and you will come up on the tee pad for Hole 8.

Hole 8- Hole 8 is 200 ft. and a PAR 3. It is one of the most scenic holes on the course. The basket is almost a straight shot from the tee pad, but you have to miss all the trees to get to it. When you are walking down the pathway be careful of the steepness. Make sure you get good footing as you go down to you disc. This fair way is pretty safe there aren’t any really steep or big drops. Behind the basket is a little dip but nothing to hard to throw out of. Hole 9 is up the big service road and on the right. Follow the signs to the tee pad.

Hole 9- Hole 9 is 155 ft and a PAR 3. This hole is one of the new ones that we have added to make our disc golf course a full 18 holes. There is a trash can here so please use it if you have trash. There is also a bench for your comfort. Basket 9 is just to the left of the tee pad. There are some trees to try and miss but not to much clutter. There aren’t any big drops or obstacles. This hole is fairly straight forward. Hole 10 is to the left of basket 9. There are signs pointing you to the trail that will take you to hole 10.

Hole 10- is a 200 ft. throw and a PAR 3. Hole 10 is another new hole. It is a nice throw over a fairly open fair way that curves to the right. When teeing off it is mandatory that you stay left of the large tree in the middle of the fairway. This is to preserve the brush to the right of it. When walking to retrieve your disc be careful of the fallen tree. It gets slippery in the spring when it rains a lot. To get to the tee pad of Hole 11 proceed past basket 10 and go down the stairs and they will lead you to hole 11.

Hole 11- is 230 ft to the basket and a PAR 3. This tee pad and the stairs were built by a few of our alumni workers. They spent many hours in the spring of 2009 working on making this area a safe and fun place to throw from. They also did their best to keep up with the natural look that we try to keep throughout the disc golf course. Hole 11 throws over an open area that can get a soggy in the spring. The fair way to the basket curves to the left and the basket is up a little hill. Be careful when you are throwing up the hill because if you over throw there is a steep slope on the other side of the basket. The tee pad for Hole 12 is just down the path to the right of the basket. There are signs to point you in the correct direction.

Hole 12- This is a 170 ft. throw and it is a PAR 3. When you are standing at the tee pad the basket for Hole 12 lies up on a hill and slightly to your left. This is another area that gets muddy in the spring time so be careful as you walk to your disc or the basket. We have done our best to keep the areas to the left and right of the path free of multi-flora rose but be careful as you go to retrieve your disc because some might have escaped our machetes. When you are throwing your disc up the hill to the basket be careful of over throwing it, there is a small but steep drop behind the basket that won’t be much fun to climb down. . To get to Hole 13 just follow the path to the right of Hole 12 basket. It will take you to the tee pad of Hole 13. The tee pad will be in between some trees and there is a bench to sit on if you are tired or waiting for your friends to throw their disc.

Hole 13- This is a 175 ft. throw and it is a PAR 3. Hole 13 is fairly straight but it is directly up hill. The fairway is more open then some others but you want to watch out for the little crevice to the right. It runs up the hill and it tends to get very wet in the spring as water runs down it draining the water from up the hill. At the beginning of the fairway there is a drop to your left that has a few access points. The pathways down are steep but they are there. Be careful for standing water, fallen trees or logs, multi-flora rose and snakes. We have done our best to clear out hazardous trees and logs as well as the multi-flora rose but there might be some that we missed. There is also some water hazards behind the basket so look for that if you over throw. To get to Hole 14 go to the left of basket 13. There is a sign pointing you in the correct direction.

Hole 14- Hole 14 is a 150 ft. throw and it is a PAR 3. This is a fun hole to throw but it has a major hazard. There is a 50 ft. drop just a few feet from the basket. Keep away from the edge. The edge of the cliff is not the strongest so please stay on the path and behind the fence that is there. As you look out to the tee you will notice that there is 30-40ft flat area in which to land your disc if you can’t make the basket. If you throw too short you have to go into the ditch. Throw to far and you have to climb down the steep hill behind the basket. We have put many fallen trees on the hill behind the basket in case your disc is rolling. Hopefully it will stop closer to the top of the hill. Good luck with your throw! Before you leave this hole please sign in on the sheet in the Sign-In mail box. Now to get to your disc head to the left of the tee pad and follow the path out to fairway 13. Use this path to get either to the ditch or the basket. From the basket Hole 15 is to the right if you have your back to the tee pad for Hole 14. It is just to the right of the pathway and I believe there is a trash can right by it.

Hole 15- Hole 15 is a 310 ft. throw and it is a PAR 4. Hole 15 has two tee pads the one that you come to first is the long throw. If you wish to use the short throw pad, which is a 250 ft. throw, then continue up the path and you will see it on your left. It isn’t used much and there isn’t a sign with it but you can throw from there. Hole 15 is a very long, blind throw. It curves to the right as you see on the map. Give a holler to see if anyone is at the basket or have someone run up and look before you throw. The fairway has some littler ditches to the right side watch for standing water. The fairway is mostly clear of trees; that is if you can stay in the open areas. Hole 15 is a great challenge. After you make the basket go back out to the path and follow it down the hill. You will come to a sign that says where the tee pad for Hole 16 is. This is what it says: Tee 16 is located behind the Police Sciences Building. Follow the path out of the woods, past the fire training tower, head over the wooden foot bridge and the tee is on the hill behind the first building. The tee box is painted on the ground.

Hole 16- Hole 16 is another blind throw to the right and it is 220 ft. and a PAR 3. There isn’t a map to tell you where the basket is. It is mostly a clear shot to the basket. There are three trees that flank it. Be sure to look around the corner of the building to see if anyone is near the basket or walking in between you and the basket. Also be careful of the building. After you get your disc out of the basket go towards the side walk that leads to Davidson Hall. You will find the tee pad for Hole 17 painted on the walk way.

Hole 17- This is a 170 ft. throw and it is a PAR 3. This throw is a straight shot, right through the trees. It may look like an easy throw but it isn’t. You have to either go through, over, or around the grove of trees. In the fall this is a beautiful hole because the leaves turn red and orange and yellow. It’s like throwing through sunshine. After you get to the other side of the trees and get your disc out of the basket head left towards the pond. The tee pad will be painted on the ground right in front of the two stone pillars standing tall and the stone block on the ground.

Hole 18- Hole 18 is a 275 ft. throw and a PAR 3. Now if you don’t notice it when you are out there I will tell you here, this fairway has a MAJOR water hazard. Don’t despair that you can’t make it if you are a beginner player, there is a short throw. If you walk on the grassy peninsula and stop just before the large round stone you may throw from there. You still have to get your disc over the water but the distance is a little smaller. If you throw your disc in the water and you can’t reach it go to the rock wall in the Student Center and askone of the employees to help you get your disc out. We have a retrieving pole for sunken discs. You may walk around the pond on either side to get to your disc and the basket. Watch for pedestrians walking around the campus so you don’t hit anyone.

Hopefully this write up has helped you learn a bit more about our Disc Golf Course and about Disc Golf in general. We hope that you bring your friends and family and come throw discs at Hocking College.