Hocking College

Super technical course. Shots through the woods are tight but fair for a rec-level player like me. Bring a spare disc or two if you are not up to scaling down cliffs. Too short even for me. Lack ... show more ›

Super technical course. Shots through the woods are tight but fair for a rec-level player like me. Bring a spare disc or two if you are not up to scaling down cliffs. Too short even for me. Lack of maintenance is a serious problem as once were stairs are not just muddy slopes when it's wet. Still, I like it.

Gets a B+ because: a) challenge of some of the green complexes; raised up in many cases with drop-offs lurking everywhere b) the beauty, kind of like a short trip through the Hocking Hills with large ... show more ›

Gets a B+ because: a) challenge of some of the green complexes; raised up in many cases with drop-offs lurking everywhere b) the beauty, kind of like a short trip through the Hocking Hills with large boulder grottoes, rock cliffs, and steep ravines with the occasional forest pond c) the technicality, many holes force a sidearm or severe anhyzer and you have to maintain good lines throughout, d) signage, sweet, sweet signage. Get a map at Disc Golf Course Review online.

To start with, my buddy aced 12, so it was a great round. Course is not long and puts a premium on accuracy. I did not throw a full power shot. Makes excellent use of elevation; couple of good uphill and downhill throws. Par is not a bad score even though it's short. Lots of tree bunkers and uneven territory.

Plenty of danger in the woods, and it can surprise you. On the course website they say "Don't Throw Left." I would suggest, "Don't Throw Long or Left" as well. My midrange barely stuck on the slope on #7, avoiding a 100 foot climb into the ravine. I threw my putter right over the basket on the downhill #14, straight into another 100 foot ravine. I suggest throwing under control the first time through and assuming that drop-offs are near every green. Place could get muddy after a heavy rain. I am going to make this a regular stop.

Very very disappointed with this course especially seeing it was rated so well. If not familiar with area don't bother. Spent almost an hour trying to find hole 1. There are no signs to direct you to ... show more ›

Very very disappointed with this course especially seeing it was rated so well. If not familiar with area don't bother. Spent almost an hour trying to find hole 1. There are no signs to direct you to the course and no layout map. Once we did find hole one after finding someone to ask...no marking to show tee pad. Threw what we think was hole 1 and where the heck is 2??? Nothing to even flag the direction or a tee pad marking. Big waste of my day to not get to play!!!

Fun shots ! Maybe a bit difficult for less experienced players . DO NOT overthrow any holes , at least 9 holes have major drop-offs behind the basket . Also , if it is wet or raining you dont want to ... show more ›

Fun shots ! Maybe a bit difficult for less experienced players . DO NOT overthrow any holes , at least 9 holes have major drop-offs behind the basket . Also , if it is wet or raining you dont want to play that day . With natural tees and dirt floor on 85% of the course footing is a joke when wet. Very hilly , this course is a hike , you'll need to rest. All in all if you are a B player or better , you should enjoy this one.

This course is a workout. First 2 and last 3 holes are in the open, the rest follow a path through the woods with lots of elevation changes and tight, technical shots. Several baskets perched on hills ... show more ›

This course is a workout. First 2 and last 3 holes are in the open, the rest follow a path through the woods with lots of elevation changes and tight, technical shots. Several baskets perched on hills with severe drop-offs around them. Long teepads give more challenging lines. Only cons are the natural pads (some of which have gnarly roots/rocks), lack of permanent signs, and lack of direction on a few holes.

The staff at Hocking College has done an excellent job on this course. The current layout is a great improvement over the old 12 hole layout. The only thing the course needs at this point is a littl ... show more ›

The staff at Hocking College has done an excellent job on this course. The current layout is a great improvement over the old 12 hole layout. The only thing the course needs at this point is a little work on the tee pad surface. This is a great technical course with excellent use of elevation. Very nice to have a course of this caliber a half of a mile from my residence.

Great course. Must play with technique. Think about your shots. Really long players can get in trouble here. You'll use every shot in the bag. Bring your A game, if you dont you may leave a little fru ... show more ›

Great course. Must play with technique. Think about your shots. Really long players can get in trouble here. You'll use every shot in the bag. Bring your A game, if you dont you may leave a little frustrated. Probably the most scenic course around. Even if you dant play its worth the hike, especially in the fall. Hocking College OP has been keeping up with the course management. Some of the holes have been cleared out a little for those who thought this course to be a little too demanding.

Proud to call Hocking College DGC my home course.

great technical couse with not much distance, but some very tricky wooded shots with ravines and cliffs to throw off or around. tricky terrain on the wooded holes, but the hike is worth it. there is ... show more ›

great technical couse with not much distance, but some very tricky wooded shots with ravines and cliffs to throw off or around. tricky terrain on the wooded holes, but the hike is worth it. there is a lot of areas where discs can go off sides of ravines with some treacherous walks to fetch them, so i'd scout the area before playing the course. natural tee pads are always a negative, but the area was well groomed and the course flow was very easy to follow. most holes have 2 tees, which is always a plus. shoes with good traction are recommended, as there is a lot of walks up and down hills. i also wouldn't recommend this course for kids, as the hike is moderatley difficult.

A very fun course with lots of variety. The holes in the hills were spectacular with rewards for well-placed shots and obstacles for missed shots. Several holes surrounded by very steep drop-offs. Gre ... show more ›

A very fun course with lots of variety. The holes in the hills were spectacular with rewards for well-placed shots and obstacles for missed shots. Several holes surrounded by very steep drop-offs. Great use of terrain and elevation. Just about the best course I've played. Prepare to spend a couple of hours - you'll want to try extra drives on quite a few holes. Bring water and bring a friend - hard to describe some holes, you'll want to share this course.

I rate this course 4 out of 5 stars. Pros - Plenty of parking - Bathrooms are at the Student Center - The map is handy but the trails are very defined as well - 8 holes have multiple tees - Th ... show more ›

I rate this course 4 out of 5 stars.

Pros
- Plenty of parking
- Bathrooms are at the Student Center
- The map is handy but the trails are very defined as well
- 8 holes have multiple tees
- There are next tee signs that are extremely helpful!
- Tee signs are great and you can see that a lot of work went into them
- Baskets are in excellent condition (I believe they were also labeled but don’t quote me)
- The overall flow is good. #18 ends at #1 right by the parking lot. There are some long walks between a few holes. #3 to #4 has a long walk across the road up a hill but is marked by a next tee sign. #15 to #16 has a walk down hill on a path out of the trees and back into the area with the college buildings. #16 actually starts next to building F and wraps around it to the right down a hill.
- Technical! You will use absolutely every shot you have. There are some very tight spots and a lot of decisions to be made on how to play a hole. You may choose to go for it in dangerous situations such as #7 that has a tight fairway with cliffs on either side along with a huge cliff farther down the fairway and to the left. A safe throw keeps you on top, and unsafe throw can score an ace or send you deep DEEP down the hills. It’s just a complete melting pot of shots and if you are uncareful, you will always be trying to get out of trouble.
- Beautiful wooded scenery and rolling mountainous landscape. By Hole #10 you feel like you are miles from civilization. The woodwork and stonework on the pathways are fantastic along with the great tees with log borders. Obviously some of these had to be redone over time and the stairs had to have upkeep as well so I really tip my hat to those that work the upkeep on this course. Moving Hole #3 to it’s new location half way up the long hill was an AWESOME idea!!
- Distance is a bit short but the elevation changes are just constant and insane
- There could be some traffic of walkers on the 5 holes that are not deep in the woods, but all those holes in the forest will only have light traffic and only then from the few disc golfers
- Very clean course, no vandalism, lots of trash cans
- Benches scattered throughout the course


Cons
- There is no sign designating the start of the Disc Golf Course so finding Hole #1 the first time can be tough. Bring a course map the first time.
- Even though there are some next tee signs in some very good locations, there could be a few more signs located. For example #15-#18ish.
- Hole #18 has no short tee and could really use one. Not everyone wants to try their luck over the pond. My group threw from in between the railroad tracks at an even distance with the tee.
- No place to drive for distance. Hole #2 is the closest thing to an attempt at a distance shot but you still have the trees blocking the straight shot and there’s a low overhang of branches.
- Hole #1. This hole feels like it was forced, like it’s there just to make 18 holes on the course. The immediate and short left turn in between two buildings just has no appeal and gives the course a bland start. One possible suggestion is to add a hole similar to how #3 was added on the hill and just start the course at #2… or add a hole to connect #15 & #16.

Other Thoughts
- Spiders, spiders & more spiders. Be careful going over the cliffs. We had a large group so we went out looking for our share of discs. Mainly anytime you go into the rough on Holes #9-#15 you are in some seriously large spider territory.
- Bring your bug spray for the mosquitoes. And there’s lots of poison ivy.
- I haven’t played this course in rainy conditions but there was quite a bit of muddy spots from rain that was days old. I’d expect that the hills can become a slippery mess.
- The challenge factor is off the charts. I’ve only played this course 3 times but all 3 were in 95 degrees, 97% humidity, and each time I played this course it was like running a Warrior Day course. Not only is the course a physical challenge, but there are so many trees and obstacles that every throw is a challenge.
- The most challenging hole for some reason is #15 for me. I just cannot turn the corner to the right without slamming into every tree. But the most challenging hole with risk vs. reward is #7. Because of the cliffs located to the left and the multitude of trees that you could possibly hit, this hole has many changes to go very wrong. But if you get down the fairway with a bit of distance you could land it for the ace.
- My favorite hole is #14. I loved throwing off the cliff down the hill and trying to drop my shot by the basket without tanking it in the nasty areas in front of the basket or shanking it into the fairway to the left. Long climb to the long tee but it’s really beautiful to look down and throw.
- Lots to do locally like visiting the local caves, camp grounds & fishing. Nearby you have Happy Hills Camp Grounds and Disc Golf Course, and also Hocking Peaks Adventure Park Disc Golf Course. Hocking Peaks has other things like OGO Ball, paint ball, zip lines etc… But Hocking College DGC is the best course in the area and a must go to course if you are anywhere near it! If you are someone that doesn’t live by hilly land this will be the most unique course you could ever visit. Worth many hours of travel to try this beast out. Hocking is a great place to visit and make a vacation out of. I plan on coming here every year.

Edit: 07/31/2012
I played this course on vacation and saw a picture posted of a black bear swimming in Lake Hope which is nearby. Just FYI.

I loved this course! Directly behind Hocking college in a beautiful setting. I was skeptical after I arrived because the first hole kinda sucked, however, once you work around the back of the 1st bu ... show more ›

I loved this course! Directly behind Hocking college in a beautiful setting. I was skeptical after I arrived because the first hole kinda sucked, however, once you work around the back of the 1st building into the woods, hang-on cuz it gets fun! The holes are short most all under 300' unless you play from the longs which do not increase by that much. The wooded holes I thoroughly enjoyed. Elevation insane! Throwing down mountains, up mountains, across valleys, surrounded by mature trees and nature. Each hole has Ace potential clear fairways, like any good foothill course there is great punishment for bad shots. Do not let the elevation intimidate you, the good layout does not have you running up and down mountains. Also, good course for a HOT sunny day, lots on shade in woods. I can't wait to get back. Good job on its' construction, Ian.