Sandy Creek Park Disc Golf Course in Athens, GA

Basic Information

Course Location: Sandy Creek Park

Geographic Location: north side of Athens, GA (34.02530, -83.38677)

Date Visited: March 2025

Number of Holes: 27

Course Length: 9917/4944 feet, par 90/84

Cost to Play: $3; includes $2 park entrance fee and $1 disc golf fee
Difficulty Level: intermediate, but lower if you are playing from the short tees

Carts: should be OK here

Potential to Lose Discs: medium to high due to dense woods and a forced water carry

Park Information: https://www.accgov.com/sandycreekpark

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/sandy-creek-park.598

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/sandy-creek-park-SjOB

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming April 10, 2026) 

Course Walkabout Video, Middle 9: (coming April 17, 2026) 

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming April 24, 2026) 

Driving Directions: From the intersection of SR 10-Loop and US 441 on the north side of Athens, take US 441 north 2.8 miles to Bob Holman Road and turn right on Bob Holman Rd.  Drive Bob Holman Rd. north 0.7 miles to the signed park entrance on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, pay the entrance and disc golf fees at the gatehouse, then turn right to park in the blacktop parking lot in front of the Visitor Center.  #1 tee is behind the course map sign just south of the Visitor Center.

Course Constructions:

Tees: concrete, 3 per hole: blue, white, and red in order from back to front

Baskets: Discatcher, 1 per hole, but many holes have multiple possible basket positions

Signage: course map near Visitor Center; hole sign on each tee; some signs pointing to next tee

Amenities: practice baskets, restrooms in Visitor Center and near #18 tee, a few benches, picnic area, playground, other amenities elsewhere in the park

Summary Review: 4 Stars (out of 5)

Sandy Creek Park offers 2 disc golf courses: an 18 hole White Course and a 9 hole Red Course.  Alternatively, you can combine the two courses in a clever way to form a single 27 hole course known as the ALT 27.  The ALT 27 is the course I am presenting in this review.

Generally regarded as the best course in the Athens area, the disc golf course at Sandy Creek Park occupies a rolling piece of land on the west side of the park's lake.  The course has 16 holes I would classify as heavily-wooded and 11 I would classify as more open, but all of the heavily-wooded holes occur consecutively in the middle part of the course.  Thus, this course feels more repetitive than those numbers would suggest.  The course has some elevation but no extreme elevation.  Every hole has 3 tees and most holes have multiple possible basket positions, so this course is highly replayable and highly adaptable to your skill level.  The course constructions here are excellent.  There are a couple of quirks in the course route but not as many as you might expect when you are combining 2 courses.  I only had to reference my picture of the course map at one point for navigation purposes.  The course maintenance was satisfactory with just a few of the mowed-grass areas looking a little shaggy.  Most of the area is devoted exclusively to disc golf, but there are a few park roads that are uncomfortably close to fairways and a few places you could encounter other park users.  Overall, this course has too many wide open holes, too little variety, and too many safety hazards to be a 5-star course.  Yet it is well worth the $3 you pay to play here, and most players will enjoy their round here.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) back tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 605/207 feet, par 4/3 (Hole #1 on the White Course; basket in long/B position)

Comments: The first hole is also the longest hole if the basket is in the long position; how many courses have that!?  This hole plays slightly downhill, and the fairway is mostly wide except for a neck about 300 feet from the back tee where the fairway gets wedged between a patch of dense woods on the right and the park road on the left.  The road is a little too close for safety comfort, but there is a row of trees between the fairway and the road.  A right-to-left tee shot will get you to the neck, and then you can attack the basket from there.  This is one of the longest and hardest opening holes I know of.  If you would prefer not to start with this hole, you could start across the park entrance road on hole #8, play the last 20 holes first, and then play the first 7 holes last.  #2 tee is to the right and back toward the tee, near the edge of the woods.

Hole #2: 469/258 feet, par 3 (Hole #2 on the White Course)

Comments: another long hole, especially for a par 3, but this hole is more downhill than the opening hole.  The fairway is wide, but you'd better not miss the fairway: a fenced-in area sits to the left and dense woods sit to the right.  #3 tee is down the trail behind the basket.

Hole #3: 273/194 feet, par 3 (Hole #3 on the White Course; basket in right/A position)

Comments: Now the course gets more technical.  While this hole is not heavily wooded, it plays slightly uphill, and there is a tight gap right in front of the tee you have to hit.  Also, which way you need to work your disc beyond that gap depends on which position the basket is in.  You might be able to get close to the B position with a straight throw, but getting close to the A or C positions will require a bent disc flight.  Or you could just throw it straight and hope you make a long putt.  This is a nice technical test after 2 long holes.  #4 tee is to the left.

Hole #4: 318/128 feet, par 3 (Hole #4 on the White Course; basket in long/C position)

Comments: a moderately downhill dogleg right.  Accuracy is more valuable than distance: woods sit left and right, and overhanging limbs form a low ceiling if the basket is in the B or C positions.  The woods to the left are denser than the woods to the right, so you would rather over-do your left-to-right disc flight than under-do it.  #5 tee is to the right.

Hole #5: 494/135 feet, par 4/3 (Hole #5 on the White Course; basket in long/C position)

Comments: Now in the southwest corner of the park, this fairly straight hole plays gradually uphill through a lightly wooded area.  There are no trees directly between the tee and basket, but overhanging limbs from many nearby trees create a low ceiling, constrain your distance, and make 4 a reasonable par on this hole.  #6 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #6: 365/200 feet, par 3 (Hole #6 on the White Course; basket in short/A position)

Comments: a fairly straight and open hole, but you have no shot choices: you have to go under the big cedar tree directly in front of the back tee and between the trees on either side of the fairway.  Strategy/execution players such as me don't like this hole.  #7 tee is to the left.

Hole #7: 391/170 feet, par 3 (Hole #7 on the White Course; basket in middle/B position)

Comments: gradually uphill, very straight, and fairly open with just a couple of small trees to miss.  This is the second straight hole that has minimal appeal to me.  #8 tee is a few hundred feet away.  Walk past the Visitor Center to the park's gatehouse, turn right to walk in the entrance road to the big circle road, turn left on the big circle road, and look to the left.

Hole #8: 381/181 feet, par 3 (Hole #8 on the White Course; basket in long/B position)

Comments: An arc of large trees has to be passed through diagonally, so you need to keep your disc low and hit your chosen gap accurately.  Check for traffic on the road to the right before you throw: a ricochet off of a tree could easily hit a car driving on that road.  #9 tee is across the road behind the basket.

Hole #9: 363/166 feet, par 3 (Hole #9 on the White Course; basket in right/B position)

Comments: a hole fraught with blacktop and safety hazards.  Some old blacktop tennis courts are to the left, you throw directly over a blacktop walking path, and park roads sit to the right and long.  A left-to-right disc flight is required to avoid some trees, so at least this hole requires some shot execution even if I don't like all of the blacktop.  #10 tee is a couple hundred feet to the left at the rear of the parking lot.

Hole #10: 308/206 feet, par 3 (Hole #10 on the White Course; basket in right/B position)

Comments: The most downhill hole so far is also a transition hole from the lightly wooded area to the dense woods.  A row of tall pine trees forms a veritable picket fence to throw through, but the "fence" is less than 100 feet from the back tee.  A reasonably accurate throw with decent distance will lead to a birdie opportunity on this hole.  #11 tee is to the left and back toward the tee, paralleling the lake.

Hole #11: 448/274 feet, par 4 (Hole #11 on the White Course; basket in right/B position)

Comments: Now the course heads into the dense woods where it will stay until almost the end.  This long gradual dogleg left plays back uphill.  For a heavily wooded hole, the fairway is reasonably wide until you get very close to the basket, so a couple of good throws will set up a birdie opportunity.  #12 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.

Hole #12: 368/162 feet, par 3 (Hole #12 on the White Course; basket in left/B position)

Comments: By far the tightest hole so far, this hole plays down and up across a ravine with technically a forced water carry over the small stream at the bottom.  You will need a long fairly straight throw to threaten the basket.  There's also a hidden safety hazard: players going from #25 basket to #26 tee walk right-to-left across this fairway near the stream.  Given the dense woods and the safety hazard, a spotter can be helpful here.  #13 tee is to the left, beside the parking area.

Hole #13: 271/187 feet, par 3 (Hole #13 on the White Course)

Comments: slightly uphill, fairly tight, and fairly straight.  Moving on....  #14 tee is several hundred feet to the right; follow the trail across the road.

Hole #14: 249/194 feet, par 3 (Hole #9 on the Red Course)

Comments: Now we get our first taste of the Red Course.  This hole has gentle undulations, but it also has a cluster of trees directly between the tee and basket.  I went left of the cluster and used a slight left-to-right disc flight, but you could go the other way.  You need to pick a line and make a good throw, and this is one of the better heavily-wooded holes on this course.  #15 tee is behind the basket and to the left, beside the park road.

Hole #15: 289/158 feet, par 3 (Hole #8 on the Red Course)

Comments: Playing from a slightly elevated tee, this gradually downhill hole is very tight but also fairly straight.  Try to throw it far enough to get close to the basket, but keep it straight.  #16 tee is downhill behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #16: 506/128 feet, par 4/3 (Hole #14 on the White Course)

Comments: finally something not quite as tight!  This long hole plays gradually downhill and then gradually uphill, all the time curving slightly left.  The fairway seems to coincide with a hiking trail or old road.  Also, there is a stream or wetland to the right.  Missing up the hill to the left is better than missing right, plus you might get a good bounce off of the hill.  #17 tee is uphill to the left and back toward the tee.  There are a lot of holes in this area, hence a lot of baskets and a lot of tees.

Hole #17: 312/150 feet, par 3 (Hole #7 on the Red Course; basket in long/B position)

Comments: The tightness returns for this uphill hole.  The fairway is almost a double dogleg, first left and then right; both doglegs are gradual.  You can't see the basket from the tee due to the hill, but you will want to work your disc right-to-left with your tee shot.  This hole is a good bit of throw and hope.  #18 tee is behind the basket, across the park road, and to the right of the restroom building and playground.  This is the one place I had to use the picture I took of the course map for navigation purposes.

Hole #18: 280/174 feet, par 3 (Hole #1 on the Red Course)

Comments: another super tight hole, but this hole is also moderately downhill.  Thus, this hole plays shorter than the distance would indicate.  Use your most accurate throw and save the driver for the next hole.  #19 tee is a couple hundred feet behind the basket; follow the park road and look to the left.

Hole #19: 507/206 feet, par 4 (Hole #2 on the Red Course; basket in long/C position)

Comments: a sweeping dogleg left.  The fairway is reasonably wide, but there are several trees in the middle of the fairway.  You just have to hope you don't get a bad ricochet off of one of those trees.  You can only see the first of the middle-of-the-fairway trees from the tee, and you could go to either side of that tree.  Dense woods preclude any thoughts of cutting the dogleg.  This hole plays slightly uphill to boot.  What a hard hole!  #20 tee is behind the basket and uphill to the left.

Hole #20: 334/169 feet, par 3 (Hole #3 on the Red Course; basket in long/C position)

Comments: gradually back downhill, fairly straight, and not as tight as some other holes.  The lake behind the basket adds a little scenic value, but it is far enough away that it likely won't come into play.  This hole is a nice breather after the previous hole, but you have to keep your disc flying straight.  #21 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.

Hole #21: 298/143 feet, par 3 (Hole #4 on the Red Course; basket in left/B position)

Comments: The tee shot plays over a small swale, but the basket is higher than the tee, so it is best to regard this as a gradually uphill hole.  The fairway is tight, but you've played tighter.  The two possible basket positions are on opposite sides of the fairway, so which way you need to work your disc depends on which position the basket is in.  #22 tee is a few hundred feet away; walk uphill along the park road to an intersection, then angle left.

Hole #22: 397/196 feet, par 4/3 (Hole #5 on the Red Course; basket in left/B position)

Comments: another tight, slightly uphill, heavily wooded hole.  As many holes as I've described that way in this review, you start to see why this isn't a 5-star course in my book.  The 2 basket positions are at least 50 feet apart.  The left/B position is longer and has many more small trees to contend with than the right/A position.  The B position is too much plinko for my taste.  #23 tee is to the left in the woods across the road.

Hole #23: 238/179 feet, par 3 (Hole #6 on the Red Course)

Comments: gradually downhill and a slight dogleg right.  Try aiming at the tree you see in the middle of the fairway straight ahead and use a slight left-to-right disc flight.  This hole is your best birdie opportunity on the Red Course.  #24 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #24: 225/138 feet, par 3 (Hole #15 on the White Course)

Comments: Now we go back to the White Course for good, but 3 more heavily wooded holes remain.  This hole plays back uphill parallel to the previous hole.  The fairway is tight but not super-tight, and the hole is fairly straight.  A straight throw with decent distance should set up a birdie opportunity.  #25 tee is to the right.

Hole #25: 398/162 feet, par 4/3 (Hole #16 on the White Course; basket in left/A position)

Comments: This hole is only 398 feet at most, and it's downhill to boot.  Easy, right?  Not so fast, my friend.  (Tip of the cap to Lee Corso and College Gameday; this course is near my alma mater in Athens, GA after all.)  A wetland in a deep bowl starts 170 feet from the tee and requires another 150 feet to carry.  There are also many trees that could ricochet your disc into the wetland.  If you throw a disc into that wetland, you will need to wade to retrieve it in all but the driest of conditions.  In my mind, discretion is the better part of valor, and I went with 2 shorter, more accurate throws.  This isn't my favorite hole on this course, but it is the most memorable.  #26 tee is several hundred feet away; walk behind the basket and angle right.  You have to walk across the #12 fairway to reach #26 tee.

Hole #26: 341/159 feet, par 4/3 (Hole #17 on the White Course)

Comments: similar to hole #11 but shorter and with 2 fairways for the 2 different basket positions.  #27 tee is a few hundred feet away.  Walk to the road behind the basket, turn left, then look right when you get to the clearing.

Hole #27: 489/320 feet, par 4 (Hole #18 on the White Course)

Comments: kind of long, completely open, very flat, very boring.  After so many decent to good holes, why do we have to end with this?  The park road is only a few feet beyond the basket, so don't overthrow.  The parking lot is across the park entrance road behind the basket.