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.