Basic Information
Course Location: Tyger River Park
Geographic Location: Duncan, SC (34.86929, -82.10185)
Date Visited: April 2024
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 6918/5986 feet, par 61
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Carts: should be fine
Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to dense woods
Park Information: https://www.spartanburgparks.org/343/Tyger-River-Park
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/tyger-river.7211
UDisc Page: https://udisc.com/courses/tyger-river-GU6D
Course Walkabout Video (Front 9): (coming January 24, 2025)
Course Walkabout Video (Back 9): (coming January 31, 2025)
Driving Directions: Between Greenville and Spartanburg, take I-85 to SR 290 (exit 63). Exit and go south/east on SR 290. Drive SR 290 east 1.8 miles to Berry Shoals Road and turn right on Berry Shoals Rd. Drive Berry Shoals Rd. west 1.1 miles to Silver Lake Rd. and turn left on Silver Lake Rd. Drive Silver Lake Rd. 0.4 miles to Gano Drive and turn left on Gano Dr. The park entrance is 0.7 miles ahead on the right. Turn right to enter the park, then turn left on the first park road. The signed start of the disc golf course is on the left at the south end of the park. #1 tee is behind the sign pictured below.
Course Constructions:
Tees: concrete, most holes have a blue back tee and a white front tee
Baskets: Discatcher, most holes have 1 but some have 2; older but in good shape on my visit
Signage: hole sign on each tee, some signs pointing to next tee
Amenities: benches and waste baskets on several holes, ball fields, playground and restrooms near clubhouse
Summary Review: 4.5 Stars (out of 5)
The disc golf course at Tyger River Park plays around the south and east sides of this park's developed area and parking lot. Most of the terrain is fairly flat, but there are a couple of steep (probably man-made) mounds in play on the back nine. The course has about an equal number of long open holes and short heavily wooded holes, but all of the short heavily wooded holes are on the front nine while all of the long open holes are on the back nine. This hole ordering makes the course feel very unbalanced between the two nines, and it is the only reason I did not give this course 5 stars. There are no official walking trails or other obvious safety hazards, but I did see some people walking their dogs on the course. I had no trouble navigating the course route, and the course constructions were adequate to excellent on my visit. Course maintenance was excellent when I came here. Spartanburg County parks have some excellent disc golf courses, and this one lives up to that standard while being just shy of elite. I enjoyed my round here and hope to have many more in the future.
Hole-by-Hole Review
Distances taken from hole signs or dgcoursereview.com; link provided above. Picture sequence for each hole is 1) blue tee (usually), 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.
Hole #1: 276 feet, par 3
Comments: A cluster of large trees stands directly between the tee and basket, and the park boundary fence stands just to the right. Thus, a left-to-right disc flight is required to get close to the basket in 1 throw. The area around the basket is fairly open, so a good tee shot should set up a birdie opportunity. This hole is a nice way to ease into your round. #2 tee is to the left near the park road.
Hole #2: 225 feet, par 3
Comments: Much tighter than the opening hole, this hole plays slightly downhill with dense woods on either side of the fairway. You will need an accurate tee shot to score birdie here. #3 tee is behind the basket and to the left.
Hole #3: 338/259 feet, par 3 (tee photo is from the white tee)
Comments: This is the first hole with distinct blue and white tees. There are some tight gaps directly in front of the white tee, but otherwise this fairway is rather generous. The woods on either side of the fairway have a dense understory, so you still need an accurate throw. #4 tee is to the right on the same side of the park road.
Hole #4: 378/259 feet, par 3
Comments: a gradual dogleg right from the white tee but dead straight from the blue tee. From either tee, the approach to the basket is pinched tight by red cedar trees. #5 tee is to the left.
Hole #5: 200 feet, par 3
Comments: Continuing through the red cedar thicket, this is the shortest and tightest hole on this course. A mandatory (mando) to the left prevents you from taking a less tight route around the thicket. I would kind of prefer to have the left option, but I'm not sure I would use it in this case even if I had it. #6 tee is to the left.
Hole #6: 440/338 feet, par 4/3
Comments: the first hole with 2 baskets, a short yellow basket and a long red basket. This dogleg right is another tight heavily wooded hole, but given all of the other par 3's on the front nine I prefer this hole as a par 4 via the red basket. Low accurate throws will be needed to score well on this hole. #7 tee is behind the red basket.
Hole #7: 219 feet, par 3
Comments: another tight heavily wooded hole with a low ceiling. This basket is the first of several perched atop a pile of rocks, which makes putting and retrieving your disc more interesting. #8 tee is to the left.
Hole #8: 364/220 feet, par 3
Comments: not as tight as the previous few holes but gradually uphill with a low ceiling. None of these front nine holes are bad holes, but they get a little repetitive when they occur in sequence. #9 tee is to the right and back toward the tee.
Hole #9: 232 feet, par 3
Comments: This gradual dogleg left plays out of a dense red cedar thicket into a more open area. An accurate right-to-left throw should lead to a birdie. #10 tee is to the right.
Hole #10: 584/550 feet, par 4
Comments: finally a longer and more open hole! This hole plays north with Gano Drive about 30 feet to the right. A smattering of trees still needs to be negotiated, but the gaps among the trees are much wider than on previous holes. #11 tee is behind the basket and across the park road near the park entrance.
Hole #11: 580/508 feet, par 4
Comments: a completely open prairie-style hole with 2 baskets. The red basket makes this hole dead straight and dead boring, so I prefer the yellow basket ,which makes this hole into a slightly uphill dogleg left. #12 tee is behind the yellow basket or to the left of the red basket.
Hole #12: 234 feet, par 3
Comments: Playing over a low ridge, this is another prairie-style hole with a tight gap between 2 large trees directly in front of the basket. Aim for the gap and hope you hit it. #13 tee is to the left.
Hole #13: 261/225 feet, par 3
Comments: Another very open hole, but this time the basket is located on the front of a steep (probably man-made) mound. Wouldn't this be a nice hole to have on the front nine? #14 tee is to the right.
Hole #14: 362 feet, par 3
Comments: This hole plays back down the mound. The basket is surrounded on 3 sides by a tight cluster of trees, so the only clear approach is directly from the front. #15 tee is to the left.
Hole #15: 780/580 feet, par 5
Comments: the longest hole on this course and slightly uphill to boot. The fairway has generous width, but it has several twists and turns left and right that force you to shape your disc flight. Dense woods sit across the park boundary to the right, so don't miss there. This hole is a worthy par 5, and it would be the signature hole on this course but for the hole 2 holes ahead. #16 tee is to the left.
Hole #16: 431/390 feet, par 3
Comments: This hole has 2 tees and 2 baskets; I prefer the yellow basket because it brings the large mound more directly into play on a course that has little elevation in play. This hole is very open, but a constructed rock "fort" in front of the yellow basket prevents a run-up shot. #17 tee is behind the yellow basket.
Hole #17: 540/435 feet, par 4
Comments: the celebrated (or dreaded) double island hole: an island fairway AND an island green! Both islands are mowed grass in a sea of wild grass and are outlined by boulders. This hole is somewhat downhill, so big arms will be tempted to skip the fairway island and go directly for the green, incurring the drop and penalty if necessary. Weak arms like me will just be happy to hit the islands. The basket is on a pole that is twice as tall as a standard disc golf basket. I personally find this kind of hole design contrived and frustrating, but I know other players enjoy the challenge. #18 tee is behind the basket, across the park road, and to the left near the bench.
Hole #18: 474 feet, par 5/4
Comments: long, very open, gradually uphill, and a gradual dogleg right. The park road on the right is a little close for comfort, but a row of trees separates the fairway and the road. This is a solid if unremarkable hole to close the second half of a two-part course. The parking lot is behind the basket and across the park road.
