Basic Information
Course Location: Indian Mountain State Park
Geographic Location: Jellico, TN (36.58702, -84.14088)
Date Visited: May 2024
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 8139/5913 feet, par 62/56
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: intermediate
Difficulty Level: intermediate
Carts: should be fine here
Potential to Lose Discs: high due to forced water carries and dense woods
Park Information: https://tnstateparks.com/parks/indian-mountain
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/indian-mountain-state-park.13196
Course Walkabout Video (Front 9): (coming March 14)
Course Walkabout Video (Back 9): (coming March 28)
Driving Directions: Near the Kentucky/Tennessee border, take I-75 to SR 297 (exit 160). Exit and head south on SR 297. Take SR 297 through downtown Jellico to London Avenue; there is a state park sign at this intersection. Turn right on London Ave. Immediately after crossing the first railroad tracks, turn left on Dairy Avenue. After following Dairy Ave. for 4 blocks, angle right to enter the park. Pass the park office and park in the first large blacktop parking area on the left. #1 tee is north of the parking lot near the lake; you have to cross #18 fairway to get to #1 tee.
Course Constructions:
Tees: concrete, 1 per hole
Baskets: Discatcher, 1 per hole but most holes have multiple basket positions; like new on my visit
Signage: course map near parking lot, hole sign on each tee, plastic arrows in baskets point to next tee
Amenities: practice basket, benches on most holes, campground, picnic shelters, playground, nature trails
Summary Review: 2.5 Stars (out of 5)
The disc golf course at Indian Mountain State Park occupies an open to lightly wooded parkland area around the park's picnic areas, playground, and campground. The terrain is mostly flat, but the course has a scenic lakeside location with some forested hills in the background. Most holes have multiple basket positions, and the baskets, tees, signs, and other constructions are more than satisfactory. Perhaps the most serious problem on this course is the drainage. This park sits on an old strip coal mine, and the soil drains very poorly. I came here when most other courses and trails in the area were fairly dry, and I ended up wading through an inch or more of water on several holes. Thus, I only recommend playing here after a solid week or two of dry weather. Other than the drainage, the course maintenance was fine. The persistent openness gets a little repetitive, and the raw length ensures that small arms like me won't score well here. Adding some shorter tees would make this course more beginner friendly. Overall, this course has a few exciting throws, but it also has too many wide open and uninspiring holes to keep skilled players interested for the entire round. If you are driving I-75 through Jellico and need an hour or so leg stretch, then it is worth playing here. Otherwise, feel free to take a pass.
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: 452/297 feet, par 3 (Basket in short/A position)
Comments: a very open hole with only a few small trees to negotiate. The lake sits about 30 feet right of the A basket, but it would take a bad throw to end up there. #2 tee is to the left and back toward the tee.
Hole #2: 570/240 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in middle/B position)
Comments: The area left of the paved walking path is out-of-bounds (OB), but there is plenty of room to the right. The walking path sees plenty of pedestrian traffic, so you may have to wait before you can safely throw on any of these first 4 holes. #3 tee is to the left.
Hole #3: 390/345 feet, par 3 (Basket in long/B position)
Comments: The A basket location makes this a completely open hole; the B basket position brings a single tree into play. Yawn. #4 tee is to the left near the lakeshore.
Hole #4: 354/230 feet, par 3 (Basket in middle/B position)
Comments: A densely wooded area to the right needs to be avoided, but otherwise this is another completely open hole #5 tee is a few hundred feet to the right near the park entrance road.
Hole #5: 270/252 feet, par 3 (Basket in right/B position)
Comments: A single tree guards either side of the fairway, so at least some accuracy is required. Also, a densely wooded area sits mere feet past the basket, so don't overthrow. #6 tee is to the right; follow the edge of the woods to the playground area.
Hole #6: 570/430 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in long/C position)
Comments: The next 2 holes are my favorites on the front nine because they force you to choose and execute a throw. This hole plays south along the edge of the woods, and anything in the woods to the left is OB and maybe a lost disc. There is some room to the right, but there are also some big trees on the right. I like the mix of accuracy and power required on this hole. #7 tee is to the right near the park entrance road.
Hole #7: 560/400 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in long/C position)
Comments: Trees crowd any possible line of play to the right, so the best tee shots start left near the road and use a left-to-right disc flight. Such a strategy is not without risk: the road is OB, and a mandatory (mando) forces you to stay right of the first tree. The basket is halfway up a steep hill, and this is the only place on the front nine where any elevation comes into play. #8 tee is across the road to the left.
Hole #8: 300 feet, par 3
Comments: slightly downhill but completely open and completely boring. #9 tee is to the right near the park's side road.
Hole #9: 268/220 feet, par 3 (Basket in short/A position; I forgot to take a photo from behind the basket)
Comments: The front nine closes with a long forced water carry: about 170 feet is required to carry the water. Some trees growing beside the lake also require some accuracy from your throw. This is a 1 throw hole: if you clear the water and miss the trees, a birdie is likely. Otherwise, a big score and lost disc are likely. This is easily the most exciting and dangerous hole on the front nine. #10 tee is several hundred feet away; follow the park entrance road past the original parking lot and look to the right.
Hole #10: 510/285 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in long/C position)
Comments: Overhanging limbs create a low ceiling, so the distance is a real factor here. This entire hole plays parallel to a water-filled ditch on the right, so you're better off missing left than right even though the park road is left. This is not one of my favorite holes, but it definitely keeps your attention. #11 tee is behind the basket; use the park road's bridge to cross the creek and look to the right.
Hole #11: 950/640 feet, par 5/4 (Basket in long/B position)
Comments: This hole continues to parallel the ditch, and at this distance you will need the slightly higher ceiling this hole has compared to the previous hole. Missing into the cluster of trees to the left will force a clever recovery throw, but missing right will land you in dense woods and maybe a lost disc. As with the previous hole, I'm not sure I really like this hole, but it's a handful. #12 tee is to the left and back toward the tee.
Hole #12: 330/310 feet, par 3 (Basket in left/A position)
Comments: This relatively tight fairway has the lowest ceiling on this course, so you will need a low and accurate throw to get close enough to the basket to set up a birdie opportunity. The park road behind the basket is OB, so don't overthrow with your approach. #13 tee is behind the basket and across the campground road near the lake.
Hole #13: 430/327 feet, par 3 (Basket in long/B position)
Comments: After 3 holes away from the lake, it reappears in a big way on this hole. The forced water carry is minimal, but the lake continues up the entire left side of the hole. There is plenty of room to miss right, and otherwise this is a completely open hole. #14 tee is to the right near the park road.
Hole #14: 440/305 feet, par 3 (Basket in long/B position)
Comments: a completely open hole that plays across a park road. The park road is not heavily trafficked, but it still presents a safety hazard. #15 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #15: 330/247 feet, par 3 (Basket in long/C position)
Comments: another hole that plays across the park road. The hole starts in a mowed grass field, but dense woods sit 15 feet right of the basket. Other large trees near the basket need to be negotiated. (Aside: the small "rock" at the top of the hill to the front right of the basket in the approach photo is actually a snapping turtle!) #16 tee is to the right along the edge of the woods.
Hole #16: 340 feet, par 3 (Basket in left/B position)
Comments: a tough tee shot through a veritable picket fence of trees, but if you somehow get through the row of trees it's a clear path the rest of the way to the basket. #17 tee is several hundred feet away near #13 tee; walk out the campground road and look to the right near the lake.
Hole #17: 500/415 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in long/B position)
Comments: this course's signature hole: a double forced water carry if the basket is in the B position! The opposite bank of the lake is angled, so you get to choose how much of the water you want to try to carry with your tee shot. Swimming is not allowed, so any disc that finds the water is lost. The second forced water carry is not as intimidating: it goes over the creek that is this lake's outflow. Several trees stand around the creek near the basket, so accuracy is more important than power on the approach. This is by far my favorite hole on this course. #18 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #18: 575/330 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in long/C position)
Comments: a fairly open finishing hole with a smattering of large trees to navigate, including one directly in front of the C basket position. The lake is well to the right, and more attention-getting is the walkway to the left, which is OB. After the previous hole, this hole is a more mundane way to finish your round. The parking lot is to the left.
