Shoally Creek Disc Golf Course at Va-Du-Mar McMillan Park in Boiling Springs, SC

Basic Information

Course Location: Va-Du-Mar McMillan Park

Geographic Location: Boiling Springs, SC (35.05841, -81.96729)

Dates Visited: September 2023 and October 2023

Number of Holes: 18

Course Length: 6796/4604 feet, par 58/55

Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: intermediate

Carts: hard to use due to a few steep areas

Potential to Lose Discs: high due to dense woods and forced carries over stormwater collection basins

Park Information: https://www.spartanburgparks.org/facilities/facility/details/VaDuMar-McMillan-Park-187

DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/shoally-creek-dgc.1956

UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/shoally-creek-dgc-NroG

Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: 

Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: 

Driving Directions: Near Spartanburg, take I-85 to SR 9 (exit 75).  Exit and go north on SR 9.  Drive SR 9 north 2.8 miles to Rainbow Lake Road and turn right on Rainbow Lake Rd.  Drive Rainbow Lake Rd. north 1.3 miles to Bible Church Road and turn right on Bible Church Rd.; there are traffic lights at both of the preceding intersections.  Drive Bible Church Rd. east 1 mile to McMillan Road and turn right on McMillan Rd.  The park entrance is 0.2 miles ahead on the right.  Turn right to enter the park, then turn left at the first park intersection to follow signs for the disc golf course.  Park in the lot at the end of this park road.  #1 tee is behind the large course map sign near the entrance to this parking lot.

Course Constructions:

Tees: concrete, 2 per hole

Baskets: Discatcher, 2 on most holes

Signage: course map near parking lot, hole sign on each tee

Amenities: practice basket, some benches, restrooms near the baseball field on the other side of the park, tennis courts, soccer fields, walking trails

Summary Review: 5 Stars (out of 5)

The Shoally Creek Disc Golf Course at Va-Du-Mar McMillan Park is the crown jewel of Spartanburg County's superb collection of disc golf courses.  The course offers an excellent variety of holes: hilly vs. flat, long vs. short, tight vs. open.  There are several memorable throws, and this course offers enough length, challenge, and variety to keep most players interested.  The course is laid out across a broad ravine, and the course route makes sense given the space they had to work with.  I never had any trouble finding the next tee.  Most holes have 2 baskets: a yellow "main" basket and a red "alternate" basket.  In general, the alternate baskets are longer and more challenging than the main baskets, but I wish they would call them red and yellow instead of alternate and main.  The course maintenance was perfect on my visit.  There are two reasons I almost didn't give this course 5 stars.  First, some walking trails wind through the course, and they receive enough use that I had to stop and wait for the fairway to clear before I could throw on several occasions.  I came here on a Tuesday afternoon, but my attempt to avoid course traffic failed.  Second, this course could use some better signs and/or color coded tees.  Twice I accidentally played from the wrong tee only to realize my mistake when I got up to the basket.  Overall, I decided the strength of the layout outweighs these two areas for improvement, and this is an excellent course that will challenge most players.  It's location only 5 miles off of I-85 makes it easily worth driving a few extra miles to play.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from course map at parking area.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) white/back tee, 2) approach to yellow basket, 3) yellow basket to tee.

Hole #1: 387/316 feet, par 3

Comments: the tee and basket are in fairly open sunny areas, but the tight fairway goes through a cluster of large trees.  An accurate throw could lead to a birdie, but it will need to be accurate to get through the narrow gap in the trees, especially from the back tee.  #2 tee is uphill across the clearing to the left.

Hole #2: 435/293 feet, par 3

Comments: this open prairie-style hole has a mowed-grass fairway with wild prairie areas on either side.  The standard yellow basket is in a very open area, making this a fairly boring hole provided you avoid the prairie.  The alternate red basket is 200 feet behind the yellow basket, downhill, and in the edge of the woods.  I like the challenge the alternate basket provides here.  #3 tee is in the trees downhill to the right.

Hole #3: 257/212 feet, par 3

Comments: a short, very tight, technical hole that plays slightly downhill.  This hole is a nice change of pace from the first two holes.  #4 tee is across the bridge behind the basket.

Hole #4: 308/202 feet, par 3

Comments: a fairly flat, heavily wooded hole that has a rather generous fairway until you get to the basket, which is protected by 2 large trees.  Bring out the big arm to get near the basket in 1 throw, then thread a putt through the trees for a birdie.  #5 tee is to the right.

Hole #5: 319/183 feet, par 3

Comments: playing steeply uphill, the fairway on this hole doubles as a dirt walking trail, which presents a safety issue.  These trails do get used: there was a family with 2 kids walking this trail when I came here.  The yellow basket is behind a tree just off the right side of the trail; the red basket is steeply uphill off the left side of the trail.  #6 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #6: 425/307 feet, par 4/3

Comments: another heavily wooded part-of-the-fairway-is-a-trail hole, this hole is a sharp dogleg left.  The fairway to get to the trail from the back tee is quite narrow, and the basket is located uphill off the left side of the trail.  Though short for a par 4, this hole offers plenty of challenge with its terrain and trees.  #7 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #7: 244/180 feet, par 3

Comments: the first truly memorable hole, this short hole plays steeply downhill with a creek behind the basket.  Plenty of trees demand left-right accuracy while the hill demands long-short accuracy.  #8 tee is to the left.

Hole #8: 206/128 feet, par 3

Comments: a short tight hole that plays up a moderately steep bluff overlooking the creek to the right.  If you miss right, your disc could roll a long way down into the creek, making for a tough recovery shot. Yet dense woods and a steep hill encourage you not to miss left; such a conundrum.  #9 tee is to the right.

Hole #9: 305/203 feet, par 3

Comments: another uphill hole, but this slope is more gradual with a gradual dogleg right.  While heavily-wooded, the fairway is wider than on some of the previous holes.  This unremarkable hole is a nice mellow change from the previous dramatic holes.  #10 short tee is to the right; #10 long tee is to the right and back downhill toward #9 tee.

Hole #10: 395/250 feet, par 4/3

Comments: this hole is short for a par 4, but it is uphill and heavily wooded with a tight fairway that doglegs sharply left.  It would take a world class throw to get near the basket with the tee shot from the back tee.  The dense woods discourages cutting the dogleg, and I am glad the designers didn't put a mandatory (mando) on the inside of the dogleg like I have seen at many other courses.  #11 tee is in the pipeline corridor behind the basket.

Hole #11: 702/564 feet, par 4

Comments: the longest hole on this course, it starts by heading sharply downhill along what appears to be a pipeline corridor.  Upon reaching the creek at the bottom of the hill, the fairway curves sharply left and follows the creek to the basket.  The creek and beyond is OB.  If you don't make it to the creek in 1 throw (and it's at least 400 downhill feet from the back tee to get there), you will have to decide how/when to deal with the sharp dogleg left.  This is a memorable hole and not just for its length.  #12 tee is across the creek's bridge to the right.

Hole #12: 378/216 feet, par 3

Comments: long for a par 3, this is a tight heavily wooded hole with the creek on the right.  The tightness and length make this hole a challenge from the back tee.  Note that the course map at the parking area has an error: it has the locations of the tee and basket switched and hence shows this hole playing the opposite (wrong) direction.  #13 tee is uphill to the left and back toward #12 tee.

Hole #13: 387/277 feet, par 3

Comments: the most open hole since hole #2, trees encroach on the right side of the fairway and hence block the most direct line to the basket.  The basket is in the woods to the right of the mowed-grass area.  After a long sequence of heavily wooded holes, it is nice to play something more open.  #14 tee is behind the basket; walk parallel to the tennis courts.

Hole #14: 350/225 feet, par 3

Comments: a memorable hole that requires a forced carry over a stormwater collection basin, which is OB regardless of whether there is any water in the basin.  The yellow basket is on a narrow ridge only a few feet over the basin, and a steep drop-off falls behind the basket.  The red alternate basket hangs from a stone support with wooden crossbar downhill beyond the main basket; reaching that basket would require a blind throw from either tee.  #15 tee is downhill and across the creek behind the basket.

Hole #15: 364/248 feet, par 3

Comments: a tight wooded hole with a creek close to the left.  The creek is small enough that you should not lose your disc if you throw it there, but you will have a tough recovery throw.  A small cluster of trees directly in front of the basket increases the difficulty, and you have to decide whether to challenge the creek by going left of the trees or play a safer line to the right of the trees.  This is a very well thought-out hole.  #16 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #16: 378/238 feet, par 3

Comments: more open than the previous hole, this gradual dogleg right plays across and then follows the creek.  The creek and densely wooded area are tight on the right, but there is plenty of room to the left.  #17 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #17: 353/209 feet, par 3

Comments: the second and final hole that requires a forced carry over a stormwater collection basin.  From the back tee, it is a 200-250 foot carry to clear the basin, and there is no obvious layup area.  A field of boulders to the right of the basket leads down to a creek, which adds to your water worries.  #18 tee is to the left.

Hole #18: 603/353 feet, par 4/3

Comments: The stormwater collection basin from the previous hole is now on the left, but this hole is a dogleg right that uses a tight fairway through the woods with low overhanging branches.  Hopefully you don't come to this hole needing a birdie to post a good score, because birdies will be hard to come by here.  The parking lot is uphill to the left.