Lifepoint Disc Golf Course

The first course in a town of 20,000 residents. PRO: + NAVIGATION + Fairly straight forward. The entire layout is mostly wide open with a few trees per hole. This makes jumping from hole to hole just a matter of spotting the closest tee sign. These transitions are normally around 50 feet. Hole signage is accurate but flimsy. They show obstacles, distance and par. No course map on site but there's one online at DGCR. I'll also mention that the course is good for those that like to brin ...
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The first course in a town of 20,000 residents.

PRO:
+ NAVIGATION + Fairly straight forward. The entire layout is mostly wide open with a few trees per hole. This makes jumping from hole to hole just a matter of spotting the closest tee sign. These transitions are normally around 50 feet. Hole signage is accurate but flimsy. They show obstacles, distance and par. No course map on site but there's one online at DGCR. I'll also mention that the course is good for those that like to bring out the disc golf cart.
+ MAINTENANCE + The grounds appear to be mowed weekly. The park was very clean, despite me not seeing one garbage can along the layout. I didn't notice any areas that had significant overgrowth other than along hole (1's) right side.
+ FORGIVENESS + The odds of losing a disc due to an errant shot is almost impossible, and its likely limited to one being stuck high in a tree.
+ RECREATIONAL FRIENDLY + It's good that this course is geared toward recreational players. There's sort of still enough here to entertain intermediate players and it's also still kind enough for beginners.
+ QUICK PLAY + Players should expect to complete a solo round in 30 minutes and a four sum in an hour.
+ LOCATION + No doubt will this course aid in introducing the sport to another area. To my knowledge, there is only one other course within 25 miles and it's 15 miles away. So Lifepoint fills a substantial hole for Alabama's course coverage.

CONS:
Lifepoint bears a lot of the same characteristics as nearby Agape DGC in Scottsboro.
- UNIQUENESS - Nothing at lifepoint is going to blow the mind of any player that's played 4 to 5 other courses. Mostly lightly wooded to open shots. Baskets are guarded in several ways using trees in different configurations, but most courses do that. All par 3s with the longest hole just over 350 feet. No water features and no elevation, see below.
- ELEVATION - Located on Sand Mountain but there's nothing of significance at this course. The course has a swale that runs through some of the layout, but this element isn't fully embraced except on hole (2) where the basket is towards the leading edge of the swale. This affords the throw from tee to be about ten feet down. Hole (2) is the most notable elevation example at Lifepoint.
- CHARACTER - Other than nice baskets and signage, all the other amenities like those seen on the established courses are missing. No alternate baskets locations, practice basket or multiple tees. The tees are natural, but so far not pitting. The tees also have minimal defined throwing lines using two loose field stones. As for seating, none yet.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I didn't score Lifepoint very high. Way too open and lacking water and elevation. There are a few beautiful large trees here, but that feat is achieved by almost every course in this part of the country.
- BASKET AND TEE SEPARATION - Several tees are right on the fringe of being too close to the prior basket. (8) tee is probably the only major offender at around 35 feet from basket (7), but I think Tee (4) is in play of an errant shot on (3) as well.
- SPACING - The whole course feels a little squeezed. Although there are no fairway overlaps, the undefined edges of the fairways appear to be shared on a few holes. Discs will no doubt find their ways onto other fairways so players need to be attentive.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - Advanced players should be able to throw 9 down eventually if they throw enough rounds here. The shot shaping here is limited but it's used a bit. Baskets appear to be guarded about as well as they can giving the surrounding elements but it's still light guarding. Recreation players will probably average around even or so.
- WIND - A lightly wooded layout, so expect wind on most days. I was personally greeted with gusts up to 0 mph. I wish this was always the case for the open courses I've visited.
- LOCATION - Yes, also a con, especially for baggers. The course isn't close to any city of good size. A good 30 minutes from the interstate. Unless you live in Albertville or have some other odd reason to be here, it will be hard to check this one off your list.

OTHER THOUGHTS:
I'm not entirely sure how sand mountain got its name but its flattest mountain I've ever seen. It is sandy in spots however. I'm happy that the area finally got something in the ground. It had to have been one of larger Alabama micro-regions without a course.
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