Monday, February 2, 2026

Boyd Pond Park Disc Golf Course near Aiken, SC

Basic Information

Course Location: Boyd Pond Park
Geographic Location: southwest of Aiken, SC (33.45122, -81.79432)
Date Visited: January 2026
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 5433/4822 feet, par 57/55
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Carts: usable but expect some rough steep areas
Beginner Friendly? yes if you don't mind some length
Potential to Lose Discs: low to medium due to some dense brush
Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming February 5, 2027)
Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming February 12, 2027)

Driving Directions: From the intersection of SR 302 and SR 118 on the south side of Aiken, drive SR 302 south 6.1 miles to Boyd Pond Road.  Turn right on Boyd Pond Rd.  The disc golf parking lot is 1.3 miles ahead on the left, just after you go down the hill and just before you reach the pond.  #1 tee is to the east behind the practice basket.

Course Constructions:

Tees: artificial turf, 1 per hole
Baskets: Mach 5, 1 per hole but many holes have 2 possible basket positions
Signage: hole sign on each tee, course map near parking area, most holes have a green arrow sign pointing to the next tee
Amenities: practice basket, picnic tables, bench on each tee, other athletic fields and amenities elsewhere in the park

Summary Review: 4 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Boyd Pond Park is laid out on an old par 3 ball golf course.  Sometimes that type of conversion works well and sometimes it doesn't, but in this case the result is mostly fun to play.  One of the reasons this conversion went so well is that only about half of the holes actually use old ball golf holes; the rest are cut through the surrounding pine woods.  The area is exclusively devoted to disc golf, and the course has more elevation than you might expect for the Midlands: you will go up and down the hill overlooking Boyd Pond two and a half times.  The course flow is satisfactory but with a couple of quirks: you get back to the parking lot after hole #8, not hole #9, and you will have to walk several hundred feet back to the parking lot after your round.  The existence of 2 possible basket positions on many holes gives the course decent replayability.  Perhaps this course's biggest flaw is that some of the holes are too short and simple to challenge skilled and experienced players.  In particular, the middle holes, holes #7 through #13, stay entirely on the old ball golf course and are rather uninspiring.  That said, some of the first and last holes will challenge almost all players, and a second/longer set of tees would help with this issue.  Course maintenance was near-perfect when I came here.  The course is somewhat popular: I saw a couple of other groups playing here when I came here on a pleasant Friday afternoon.  Overall, this course is an excellent recreational level course that could use a rework of the middle holes to make it more appealing to skilled players.  If you find yourself in the Aiken/Augusta area, it is worth playing here.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from course map near parking lot.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 245 feet, par 3
Comments: a slightly uphill gradual dogleg left through dense pine woods.  The fairway is plenty wide to maneuver a disc right-to-left, but there is a somewhat tight gap in front of the basket between a magnolia tree on the left and 2 broadleaf trees on the right.  If you hit that gap, birdie should be yours.  This is a fun opening hole.  #2 tee is to the left.

Hole #2: 244 feet, par 3
Comments: We go deeper into the pines for this hole, which is a fairly flat dogleg right.  You might be tempted to go left of the trees straight ahead, but don't fall for that temptation: the left side is longer and does not provide clear access to the basket.  The fairway is reasonably wide, but if you go off the fairway you will definitely hit pine.  This is another nice short hole.  #3 tee is uphill to the right.

Hole #3: 233/182 feet, par 3 (Basket in B position)
Comments: Now we get to a hole that gives you a real choice: you could go around either side of the pine trees directly ahead.  I found the right line to be more direct and therefore require less bending of your disc flight, especially if the basket is in the A position.  Pick a line and execute a throw.  #4 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #4: 222/213 feet, par 3 (Basket in A position)
Comments: the most uphill hole on the front 9.  The fairway is reasonably wide, so the hill is the main challenge, not left-right accuracy.  The hole is dead straight if the basket is in the A position and a slight dogleg left if it is in the B position.  A wooden wall (A position) or cliff (B position) discourage you from missing short, while dense woods lie further uphill on the long side.  Distance control and judging the hill correctly with your approach are paramount.  #5 tee is a couple hundred feet down the trail to the right.

Hole #5: 390 feet, par 4
Comments: After 4 solid short holes, we finally reach the first long hole, and it's a good one.  This hole is a slight double dogleg, first right and then left.  The basket is higher than the tee, but this hole is really more sidehill with a mild left-to-right cross slope than uphill.  The rather generous fairway encourages you to be aggressive at getting around the doglegs, but you still need accuracy: any disc straying from the fairway will definitely hit pine.  Also, a single pine tree stands right in front of the basket for an extra smidge of challenge.  This is a great short par 4.  #6 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #6: 382/319 feet, par 3 (Basket in B position)
Comments: the most downhill hole on the front 9 is also a slight dogleg left.  The downhill and fairly wide fairway encourage you to be aggressive at working your disc around the dogleg to set up a birdie putt.  #7 tee is down the stairs to the left.

Hole #7: 288/273 feet, par 3 (Basket in B position)
Comments: After a strong first 6 holes, we now get into the middle holes, which are on the old ball golf course.  In general, the middle holes are passable but far less interesting.  The A and B basket positions lie right and left, respectively, of an old (now waterless) pond, which is marked in white as out-of-bounds (OB).  There are no trees or other obstacles in play, and a good throw will set up a birdie putt.  #8 tee is to the right.

Hole #8: 255 feet, par 3
Comments: very straight and open with a single pair of trees directly between the tee and basket.  You could go either way around the trees, but keep your disc low to avoid some overhanging limbs.  #9 tee is to the left; the parking lot is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #9: 279 feet, par 3
Comments: a very open hole with the basket directly behind a single cluster of trees.  Going right of the trees is the most obvious choice but maybe not the only one.  #10 tee is behind the basket and to the right.

Hole #10: 282/258 feet, par 3 (Basket in A position)
Comments: completely flat and completely open.  This is the worst hole on this course.  #11 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #11: 533/330 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in A position)
Comments: The next 2 holes play east along a power line corridor.  The power line corridor provides plenty of fairway width, and this is a real grip-it-and-rip-it hole.  A small cluster of trees guards the right side of the A basket.  I wish the basket was in the B position when I played here: the B basket on this hole is the only full-sized par 4 on this course.  #12 tee is to the left of the B basket.

Hole #12: 451/374 feet, par 4/3 (Basket in A position)
Comments: another very open hole, but there is dense woods to the left.  Bombs away!...but don't miss way left.  #13 tee is to the left.

Hole #13: 280/241 feet, par 3 (Basket in A position)
Comments: open, short, and slightly downhill to boot; yawn.  #14 tee is to the right.

Hole #14: 275/199 feet, par 3 (Basket in A position)
Comments: After 7 mostly uninspiring holes on the old ball golf course, we (finally) get off of the old ball holes and back into the pines for this steeply uphill hole.  The hole is straight if the basket is in the A position but a slight dogleg right if the basket is in the B position.  A single pine tree stands in the middle of the fairway.  The line left of the tree is slightly wider than the line right of it, and that tree makes this fairway one of the tightest on this course.  This hole is a fun challenge.  #15 tee is to the left across the ravine then up the steep hill to the right.

Hole #15: 302/264 feet, par 3 (Basket in B position)
Comments: This hole plays parallel to the previous hole but in the opposite direction, and hence it heads straight downhill.  Several trees dot the fairway, and they give you several shot-shape options.  I aimed between the first 2 trees you can see, which took me right of the first tree but left of the subsequent trees.  This is a nice strategy hole that forces you to pick a line and execute a throw.  #16 tee is behind the basket and to the left.

Hole #16: 201 feet, par 3
Comments: now we're back on the old ball golf course for a slightly downhill and mostly open short hole.  There is a steep drop-off to dense woods behind the basket, so account for the downhill and don't miss long.  #17 tee is to the left and back toward the tee.

Hole #17: 210 feet, par 3
Comments: This short dogleg left plays steeply back up the hill.  The fairway is plenty wide.  A concrete wall in front of the basket discourages you from missing short and works together with the hill to make your birdie putt more challenging.  #18 tee is across the hill to the right.

Hole #18: 361/345 feet, par 3 (Basket in A position)
Comments: The closing hole is a long downhill par 3.  You can aim at the cluster of large pine trees directly ahead, but use a right-to-left disc flight to avoid getting blocked out: the A basket position is directly behind those trees, and the B basket position is further left.  This is a solid finishing hole on a course with more strong holes than weak ones.  The parking lot is several hundred feet to the right back up hole #9.  For safety reasons, walk in the woods to the left if players are on hole #9.

Monday, December 29, 2025

Lookout Park Disc Golf Course in Tega Cay, SC (Course Review #100)

Basic Information

Course Location: Lookout Park
Geographic Location: Tega Cay, SC (35.03791, -81.01000)
Date Visited: November 2025
Number of Holes: 9
Course Length: 1998 feet, par 27
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, medium
Carts: fine except on hole #5
Beginner Friendly? yes except that holes #4 through #6 have bad and close rough
Potential to Lose Discs: medium due to tall grass and dense woods
Course Walkabout Video: (coming January 8, 2027)

Driving Directions: On the south side of Charlotte, take I-77 to South Carolina SR 460 (exit 88).  Exit and go west on SR 460.  SR 460 becomes Gold Hill Road in 3.3 miles.  Drive a total of 4.2 miles from I-77 to Shoreline Parkway and turn left on Shoreline Pkwy.  Drive Shoreline Pkwy. 0.9 miles to Chestnut Hill Drive and turn left on Chestnut Hill Dr.  Drive Chestnut Hill Dr. 0.1 miles to Newberry Lane and turn left on Newberry Ln.  The parking lot for Lookout Park is 0.2 miles ahead on the left.  #1 tee is to the north past the practice baskets and near the soccer field.

Course Constructions:

Tees: 1 per hole, dirt
Baskets: Discatcher, 1 per hole
Signage: post marking each tee
Amenities: practice baskets, restroom, swingset, picnic tables

Summary Review: 1.5 Stars (out of 5)

The disc golf course at Lookout Park plays up and down a hill under a high voltage power line.  There is plenty of elevation, more than you might expect for a 9 hole community park course near Charlotte.  Every hole measures between 180 and 280 feet long, and many of the holes have minimal obstacles.  That said, there is some very nasty rough on this course, too nasty to really qualify this course as a beginner course.  Thus, this course does not present many challenges, and many of the challenges it does present are not of the fun type.  Similarly, none of the holes are memorable for good reasons.  A paved walking trail winds through the course, and I saw several walkers on that trail when I came here on a nice Thursday afternoon in mid-November.  I was the only player on the course.  The course maintenance was passable, but tree and shrub growth was starting to squeeze the lines of play on some holes.  Overall, this is a below average 9-holer with some rough edges and some boring edges, and unless you live near Tega Cay there is no reason to play here over anywhere else.  There are many courses in the Charlotte metro area, and almost all of them are better than this one.

Hole-by-Hole Review 

Distances taken from UDisc; link provided above.  Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.

Hole #1: 226 feet, par 3
Comments: gradually uphill, the basket sits only a few feet into the woods.  You will need a straight and low throw to set up a makeable birdie putt.  #2 tee is at the edge of the soccer field to the left.

Hole #2: 278 feet, par 3
Comments: longer and more uphill than the previous hole, the basket is located behind a tongue of dense shrubby brush that juts out from the right.  There is plenty of room to the left, so don't miss right.  Unfortunately, this might be the best hole on this course.  #3 tee is uphill and to the left; follow the walking trail across the road.

Hole #3: 223 feet, par 3
Comments: Another very uphill hole, this hole is completely open except for a patch of wild grass to the right.  #4 tee is behind the basket.  As an aside, if you want to skip the potentially rough part of the course, you could make this a 6-hole beginner course by going directly to #7 tee on the right.

Hole #4: 191 feet, par 3
Comments: After 3 straight uphill holes, we finally get over the hill (literally) with this hole.  The basket is in an awkward position to the left of the power line corridor.  A couple of baby trees block direct access to the basket and force you to come in from the right.  Missing left in the dense woods will be bad and maybe unfindable.  #5 tee is in the woods behind the basket.

Hole #5: 207 feet, par 3
Comments: slightly downhill, but more right-to-left sidehill than downhill.  More problematic than the slope are the tight window created by the trees near the tee, the wild grass to the right and across the fairway, and the tight alley that accesses the basket.  This hole is actually a little intimidating, and it was a better hole before the trees and shrubs grew up and crowded the line of play.  #6 tee is uphill to the right.

Hole #6: 184 feet, par 3
Comments: The last steeply uphill hole, wild grass comes into play tight on the right, and more young trees crowd the line of play, especially on the left.  You have to start your disc over the wild grass to keep it away from the trees.  Aim at the left side of the power line tower and work your disc slightly right-to-left.  #7 tee is behind the basket over the ridge crest and just past the water tower.

Hole #7: 209 feet, par 3
Comments: downhill and very open.  Avoid the dense woods to the left.  #8 tee is across the road and to the right.

Hole #8: 222 feet, par 3
Comments: downhill with no obstacles.  Yawn.  #9 tee is behind the basket.

Hole #9: 257 feet, par 3
Comments: A row of small trees is tight on the right, but there is plenty of room to the left.  The parking lot is behind the basket past the playground and practice baskets.