Basic Information
Course Location: Howard Peeples Park
Geographic Location: east of Kingsland, GA (30.80199, -81.63413)
Date Visited: February 2023
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 6084/7083 feet, par 59
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Carts: should be fine here
Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to dense undergrowth around fairways and a drainage canal
Park Information: https://www.camdencountypsa.info/parksrec/page/howard-peeples-park
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=11547
Course Walkabout Video, Front 9:
Course Walkabout Video, Back 9:
Driving Directions: From I-95 exit 3, take SR 40 east 0.9 miles to Gross Road and turn left on Gross Rd. Howard Peeples Park is 1.3 miles ahead on the right. Park in the only parking lot; hole #1 tee is east across the mowed-grass field; look for the sign shown in the picture below.
Course Constructions:
Tees: concrete pads, 2 per hole
Baskets: Innova Discatcher, 1 per hole, but most holes have 2 possible basket positions
Signage: course map near parking lot; hole sign on each tee; some signs pointing to next tee
Amenities: practice basket, restroom, playground, baseball fields, most holes have benches
Summary Review: 3 Stars (out of 5)
The Gum Branch Disc Golf Course at Howard Peeples Park occupies a completely flat piece of heavily wooded land along Gum Branch, which appears to be a constructed drainage canal. Many of the holes are long with wide fairways, but the rough around the fairways is dense. Thus, any disc thrown into the rough will be tough to play or maybe even find. I have read that overgrown fairways have been a problem here in the past. The fairways appeared to have been recently cleared when I came here, and the course maintenance was nearly flawless on my visit. Nevertheless, I would not want to play here in the summer due to heat and bugs, and I would not want to play here if it has rained recently due to mud. A bike path winds through several holes, and I did encounter users on the bike path when I came here on a Saturday afternoon. Otherwise, this course is free from pedestrian and vehicle disruptions. Possibly the worst thing about this course is the course's route, especially on holes #7 through #11 and holes #17 and #18. The course's route crosses itself a couple of times in that range, so you need to pay attention to the hole sign at the tee: it shows you which direction to walk after you finish that hole to find the next tee. Overall, I enjoyed my round here. If you like longer courses that also require some accuracy, then this course should be to your liking.
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: 214/255 feet, par 3
Comments: this course is located on an old forestry plantation, a fact that becomes obvious immediately. A dense thicket of pine trees stands between the tee and the basket, but otherwise this hole is pretty open. An accurate throw, preferably with a right to left disc flight because there are fewer trees to the right, will set up a birdie opportunity. #2 tee is behind the basket and to the right at the edge of the mowed grass athletic field.
Hole #2: 221/261 feet, par 3
Comments: very similar to the opening hole except the trees might be less dense. Also, this hole is a slight dogleg right if the basket is in the right position, as it is in the pictures above. In that case, the dense understory on the inside of the dogleg is best avoided. Gum Branch is only a few feet behind the right basket. Note the well-drained white sandy soil here for future reference. #3 tee is to the left the right basket position.
Hole #3: 390/436 feet, par 3
Comments: the next 2 holes parallel Gum Branch on the right; the branch/canal is out-of-bounds (OB). This hole plays down a rather narrow but open fairway before curving sharply left to reach a basket tucked in the edge of the woods behind a dirt mound. Normally I complain about holes that are too short for their par, but this hole might be too long to be a par 3 considering the dogleg and narrowness. #4 tee is further down Gum Branch behind the basket.
Hole #4: 454/500 feet, par 3
Comments: very similar to the previous hole except the basket is perched atop the mound instead of behind it. Again, I would prefer this hole as a par 4. #5 tee is further down Gum Branch and to the left.
Hole #5: 351/379 feet, par 3
Comments: now the course heads away from Gum Branch and back into the dense pines, and this hole feels more like the first two than the previous two. A narrow but well-defined line of play (created by the row-and-column configuration of the pine planting) encourages a right-to-left disc flight. #6 tee is to the left.
Hole #6: 302 feet, par 3
Comments: a straight hole with no obstacles directly between the tee and basket but plenty of pine trees and shrubs on either side of the narrow fairway. #7 tee is to the right.
Hole #7: 198/256 feet, par 3
Comments: a short but interesting hole. There is a left tee and a right tee, a left basket position and a right basket position. If the basket is on the same side as your tee, then this is a very straightforward hole. If the basket is on the opposite side of your tee, you will have to thread your disc through a row of trees. Though not one of the harder holes, this might be my favorite hole on this course. To get to #8 tee, walk out to the concrete bike path, turn left, walk a couple hundred feet along the bike path, and look to the left. #8 tee is closer to #7 tee than it is to #7 basket.
Hole #8: 294/354 feet, par 3
Comments: another heavily wooded hole, but this hole has a wider fairway. (Note: I forgot to take a picture at #8 tee.) Also, this hole is most easily attacked with a left-to-right disc flight. #9 tee is a couple hundred feet behind the basket; #9 basket is closer to #8 basket than to #9 tee.
Hole #9: 316/326 feet, par 3
Comments: another hole through the pine planting. A slight dogleg right with a tight fairway, this is not one of the more exciting holes on this course. #10 tee is down the trail to the left at the edge of the mowed-grass athletic field.
Hole #10: 259/312 feet, par 3
Comments: a short but very tight hole, the pine trees are partially replaced by broadleaf trees with lower branches. Thus, you need to keep your disc low as well as straight. The basket is in a fairly open area. #11 tee is several hundred feet away; walk behind the basket, to the left, and across the concrete bike trail. You have to walk past #18 tee to get to #11 tee.
Hole #11: 356/441 feet, par 4
Comments: the next 5 holes play through sunnier forest with fewer large trees. The rough has a very dense understory, and throwing or maybe even finding your disc will be difficult from the rough. This hole is a sharp dogleg left from the back tee but straight from the forward tee. The basket is in a "corner" of the fairway and surrounded by rough on three sides. #12 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #12: 512/588 feet, par 4
Comments: very similar to the previous hole, but this hole is longer after you get around the dogleg. Notice the darker soil in this part of the course; this soil drains much more poorly than the sandy soil we saw earlier. #13 tee is behind the basket and to the right.
Hole #13: 438/484 feet, par 4
Comments: this hole is straight if the basket is in the left position (as it is in the photos above) but a sweeping dogleg right if it is in the right position. The left basket position has 3 small trees very close to the basket, while the right basket position is more open. I like how this hole plays completely different depending on the basket position. #14 tee is behind the basket and to the right.
Hole #14: 329/408 feet, par 4
Comments: a sweeping dogleg right, this hole is much more open and easier than a couple of the par 3's on the front nine. Keeping your disc low and under the tree branches is imperative. Also, the dense underbrush in the rough is not to be messed with. #15 tee is to the left.
Hole #15: 383/463 feet, par 4
Comments: yet another sweeping dogleg right, this hole is similar to the previous hole but a little longer. #16 tee is behind the basket and to the left on the bike path.
Hole #16: 373/423 feet, par 3
Comments: the next 2 holes tee off on the bike path and then parallel the bike path on the right. Points on and left of the bike path are OB, and a pair of mandatories (mandos) force you to play right of the bike path. Check for pedestrians and bikers on the bike path before you throw. The fairway is wide and open, and the basket is cleverly built inside a concrete cylinder. #17 tee is on the bike path to the left and behind the basket.
Hole #17: 344/471 feet, par 3
Comments: almost identical to #16, but the right basket position (shown in the photos above) is located just into the woods without the concrete cylinder. #18 tee is behind the basket and further up the bike path; it is a several hundred foot walk to reach #18 tee.
Hole #18: 350/424 feet, par 3
Comments: now back on the south side of the bike path, #18 plays on a tight line through the large pine trees you became accustomed to on the front nine. Points on and to the right of the bike path are OB. Some dense undergrowth sits just left of the fairway and basket, so bringing your disc in from the right is best. This is a solid finish to a solid course.
