The Ole Bird Disc Golf Course at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, TN

Basic Information

Course Location: Tennessee Tech University

Geographic Location: Cookeville, TN (36.17842, -85.51591)

Date Visited: September 2021

Number of Holes: 9

Course Length: 2888 feet, par 27

Cost to Play: free

Difficulty Level: recreational, medium

Carts: should have no problems here

Potential to Lose Discs: very low except around the wooded areas

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=9882

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/tennessee-tech-HaK2

Driving Directions: Near Cookeville, take I-40 to SR 135 (exit 281).  Exit and go north on SR 135.  Drive SR 135 north 3.2 miles through downtown Cookeville to University Drive and turn left on University Dr.  Turn right around the back of the intramural fields and park in the parking lot in front of Tennessee Tech University's Athletic Performance Center.  The first tee is to the right of the concrete path leading to the Athletic Performance Center.

Course Constructions:

Tees: astro turf; 1 per hole

Baskets: Innova Discatcher, 1 per hole, in good condition on my visit

Signage: hole sign on each tee, though a couple were missing when I came here

Amenities: some benches

Summary Review: 3 Stars (out of 5)

The Ole Bird Disc Golf Course at Tennessee Tech University is located in a mostly open mowed grass area around the University's Athletic Performance Center.  The course has more length than many recreational 9 hole courses, but most holes have few if any obstacles to negotiate.  Thus, this course is great for players who like to "grip-it-and-rip-it" but has little to offer players such as myself who like precision and strategy.  The course maintenance was satisfactory when I came here: the grass had been mowed within the past week or so, but a couple of the tee signs were missing.  The course route forms a big loop around the Athletic Performance Center with a few zig-zags thrown in, and I had little trouble finding the next tee despite the lack of a course map or directional signs.  Tennessee Tech is the home of the 2013 National Collegiate Disc Golf Champions, and this course is a solid course the University's community can be proud of.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from hole signs when possible, dgcoursereview.com otherwise (link provided above).  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 269 feet, par 3

Comments: the opening hole plays slightly uphill through the mowed-grass area with not a tree or obstacle in sight.  Let the plastic fly and see how far it goes!  The basket is located on a low platform, which makes putting more interesting.  #2 tee is to the right.

Hole #2: 354 feet, par 3

Comments: kind of the inverse of hole #1, this hole plays slightly downhill.  A lone large tree guards the left side of the basket, so you need to either come in low or curve the disc in from the right.  #3 tee is to the left.

Hole #3: 451 feet, par 3

Comments: the longest hole on this course plays down into a swale with busy 12th Street on the right.  The road is far enough away that it should not get in the way of your disc although the noise can still get in the way of your mind.  As with hole #1, there is nary an obstacle in sight on this hole, although a couple of newly planted trees might grow into hazards in a few years.  #4 tee is behind the basket to the right.

Hole #4: 397 feet, par 3

Comments: now the course's route turns 90 degrees to the south with seldom-used Pine Street on your right.  This hole plays uphill out of the swale, and it feels just as long as the previous hole.  Again, no obstacles are in play.  #5 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #5: 370 feet, par 3

Comments: this downhill hole plays over the back entrance road for the Athletic Performance Center, so check for cars before you throw.  The basket occupies a clever location left of the power line and behind a small cluster of trees, so you need to approach from the wide grassy area to the right.  Also, this hole enters an area marked as a wetland boundary.  I'm not sure what this designation means other than I encountered more mosquitoes here than on the first few holes.  #6 tee is back toward the tee and to the left.

Hole #6: 240 feet, par 3

Comments: kind of a strange hole, the tee shot is blind over a mound that juts out from the Athletic Performance Center.  The basket is located in the edge of the woods; an approach from the center left will give you the most room to maneuver a disc.  #7 tee is in the edge of the woods to the left.

Hole #7: 240 feet, par 3

Comments: a dead straight hole that plays between the Athletic Performance Center on the left and a row of pine trees on the right, but there are no obstacles between the tee and basket.  #8 tee is to the right.

Hole #8: 270 feet, par 3

Comments: a dogleg right that plays over a small swale, the basket is located in a peninsula-shaped mowed grass area surrounded on 3 sides by woods.  A strange semicircle of logs that seems to serve no disc-golf-related function partially surrounds the basket.  #9 tee is to the left.

Hole #9: 297 feet, par 3

Comments: this might be my favorite hole on this course because it is the one that requires the most strategy.  A couple of small trees stand between the tee and the basket, and a left-to-right disc flight will be required to get around them.  More small trees and a pond sit to the right in case you overcook it.  A nice finish to a solid course.

Bradley Community Center and Park in Gastonia, NC

Basic Information

Course Location: Bradley Community Center and Park

Geographic Location: Gastonia, NC (35.28254, -81.16212)

Dates Visited: August 2021, November 2023

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 5150 feet, par 59

Cost to Play: free

Difficulty Level: recreational, high

Carts: should be OK, but a few steep areas will need to be negotiated

Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to some dense brush, especially on the back nine

Park Information: https://www.cityofgastonia.com/bradley-center-park.html

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=4466

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/bradley-center-dbNH

Course Walkabout Video (Front 9): 

Course Walkabout Video (Back 9): 

Driving Directions: south of Charlotte, take I-85 to SR 279/New Hope Road (exit 20).  Exit and go north on New Hope Rd.  Drive New Hope Rd. north 1.8 miles to Modena Street and turn left on Modena St.  Drive Modena St. southwest 1.1 miles to the Bradley Community Center on the left.  Turn left to enter the Center, and park in the main lot in front of the Center's main building.  #1 and #10 tees are on the left (north) side of the building.

Course Constructions:

Tees: 1 per hole, constructed with cement squares placed in wooden edging.  They also have a brush at each tee so you can clean the tee before you throw (to improve your traction).

Baskets: 1 per hole, Innova Discatcher; in good shape on my visit

Signage: laminated paper sign on each tee

Amenities: practice basket, waste cans, softball fields, benches on most tees

Summary Review: 4 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Bradley Community Center in suburban Charlotte is a real recreational gem.  The course features a nice mixture of holes: open, lightly wooded, and heavily wooded; long and short; straight and dogleg.  The course is routed in two loops that never intersect except at the #1 and #10 tees.  The front nine is fairly flat, but the back nine has more relief.  I had no trouble finding my way around the course without a course map.  The course is long enough and tight enough to engage experienced and skillful players, but it is still playable for beginners and recreational players.  The thought occurred to me while I was playing that a second set of shorter tees might make the course more enjoyable for beginners.  Also, it would be nice if the signs were more permanent rather than just pieces of laminated paper.  Overall, I left off a star to make room for possible signage and tee upgrades, but most players will enjoy their round here very much, as I did.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

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

Hole #1: 290 feet, par 3

Comments: nice moderately wooded opening hole that is a slight dogleg left.  The tee sign says that the drainage canal to the right is played as casual water, but the shrubs are dense enough and the canal steep enough that I would avoid the right side completely.  #2 tee is behind the basket, to the right, and across the canal.

Hole #2: 300 feet, par 3

Comments: this is the most open hole on this course; it is a slight dogleg right over a mowed-grass field.  A few small trees near the basket make you think on your approach a little.  #3 tee is to the left and back toward the tee.

Hole #3: 375 feet, par 4

Comments: this hole is a sharp dogleg left with a mandatory (mando) on the inside of the dogleg.  If you try to cut off too much of the dogleg and go left of the mando, you have to re-tee/re-throw with a 1 stroke penalty.  This design feels contrived to me, although the sharp dogleg does make good use of the available area.  The woods are fairly dense off of the narrow fairway.  #4 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.

Hole #4: 310 feet, par 3

Comments: a straight, tight hole that plays through a dense stand of young pine trees.  Modena Street lies through the trees on the right, and while the cars are far enough away they will probably not get in the way of your disc, their noise can get into your mind.  #5 tee is to the left.

Hole #5: 236 feet, par 3

Comments: another tight, straight hole that plays through the pines.  At least it's a little shorter than the previous hole.  #6 tee is to the right.

Hole #6: 235 feet, par 3

Comments: a sharp dogleg left through the same tight stand of pines.  The basket is located on a steep downslope, so missing long can cause your disc to roll far away from the basket.  #7 tee is behind the basket, across the road and to the left.

Hole #7: 240 feet, par 3

Comments: now the course leaves the dense pines and heads back into the lightly wooded parkland area.  This hole plays slightly uphill with the park entrance road marked as OB on the right.  Apart from a few small trees between the tee and basket, there is nothing remarkable or strategic about this hole.  #8 tee is to the left.

Hole #8: 312 feet, par 3

Comments: the downhill counterpart of #7, a pair of mandos force you to throw through a tight pair of trees.  The mandos seem contrived to me, but maybe they serve to keep discs away from private property on the right.  A steep ravine with lots of greenery sits just beyond the basket.  #9 tee is to the left.

Hole #9: 240 feet, par 3

Comments: after throwing out of a tight chute with a low ceiling, this hole opens up into another mowed grass field.  The basket sits on the side of a hill in the midst of an interesting stair-step construction.  #10 tee is to the left of the Center's main building beside #1 tee.

Hole #10: 202 feet, par 3

Comments: now the character of the course completely changes: it heads into a dense broadleaf forest with some steep hills and ravines.  This short hole plays down a narrow fairway with a slight dogleg left at the end.  A deep densely wooded ravine lies behind and left of the basket.  #11 tee is up a slight hill to the right.

Hole #11: 396 feet, par 4

Comments: this narrow sharp dogleg right plays gradually downhill and offers an interesting risk/reward calculation.  On one hand the dense woods discourages you from trying to cut the dogleg, but on the other hand the dogleg is only 178 feet from the tee.  Even better, there is no mando on the inside of the dogleg like there is on several other holes.  #12 tee is to the right.

Hole #12: 190 feet, par 3

Comments: the signature hole on this course, a throw over a steep but shallow ravine is required with the basket perched on the far edge of the ravine.  If your disc goes into the ravine, you will need to use the steps at either end to go down and throw it back out.  This is easily the most memorable hole on this course.  #13 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.

Hole #13: 242 feet, par 3

Comments: this hole is the steepest downhill hole on this course, but otherwise it is another narrow hole with a slight dogleg left.  Some large trees around the basket need to be negotiated with your approach.  #14 tee is to the right.

Hole #14: 366 feet, par 4

Comments: playing the exact opposite direction as hole #13, this hole plays steeply uphill before taking a sharp dogleg left.  The hill is steep enough here that steps are needed to help you climb to the top.  #15 tee is back toward the tee and to the right.

Hole #15: 358 feet, par 4

Comments: an interesting double dogleg that curves slightly right before veering sharply left.  A mando on the left side minimizes how much you can cut the sharper dogleg.  A large number of medium-sized trees in front of the basket complicates the approach.  #16 tee is to the left.

Hole #16: 250 feet, par 3

Comments: another steeply downhill hole that is similar to hole #13.  A creek with steep banks lies just beyond the basket.  #17 tee is to the right.

Hole #17: 208 feet, par 3

Comments: possibly the tightest hole on this course, this hole plays sharply uphill with the creek to the left.  Accurate throws are necessary here.  #18 tee is to the right.

Hole #18: 400 feet, par 4

Comments: a super-sharp dogleg left that plays out of a narrow shoot of trees back into a more open area similar to what you saw on the front 9.  A mando prevents you from cutting too much of the dogleg, a design feature used maybe a few too many times on this course.  This hole provides a nice summary and conclusion to a varied and interesting course.