The first time I played at The Claytons I recall wondering as I was parking in their corporate campus lot if I was even allowed to be playing their course. I had no idea if my friend had taken me to a private course reserved solely for Clayton employees or if we were indeed welcome to roam their grounds. However, my apprehension was abetted by the rustic nature of the course. The Claytons seemed like a secret that I had happened upon, but one that perhaps was meant to be reserved for those on campus.
Obviously, my misgivings were misguided. While the staff of around 2,000 Clayton employees has prime access to the course, it is open to anyone. And after an extensive redesign in fall 2019, The Claytons has now set itself apart as the premier disc golf course in the Knoxville area – and one of the top courses in the entire state and perhaps even the country.
Re-opened in November, the campus boasts numerous new amenities that provide a high-end disc golf experience. A small field that lies between the parking lot and the wooded first hole has been transformed into a driving range complete with picnic tables, a water fountain with attachments for filling bottles and dog bowls and a kiosk that provides a digital course map. Additionally, an old climbing tower on the front nine has been repurposed into a filming tower with overhead views of multiple holes. These features create an inviting introduction to the grounds, but it becomes apparent that the driving range and group features are just the beginning of what was a substantial renovation.
The front nine took the brunt of the reshaping of The Claytons. Winding through a thicket of trees separating the main campus from the Clayton Lodge campus (lodging for Clayton employees from around the country who travel to the main campus for training), the first half of the course saw significant changes to every hole. Along with making the front nine more challenging (par increased from 31 to 34), steps were taken to ensure that the holes were more enjoyable, as well. Trees removed for hole shaping were mulched to create a soft walking path underfoot, not only providing a better walk in the woods, but also allowing for more noticeable paths from hole to hole, leading to a more connected disc golf experience.
Course designer Daniel Boutte says this continuity through the course was a struggle in the design process. “The biggest challenge with the redesign was definitely maintaining ‘the flow’ of the course. Course ‘flow’ is one of the most important aspects of the design process and is what makes a design and layout feel unique.” The expansion of the Clayton Lodge campus necessitated an overhaul, and to maintain the flow of the original course, multiple trail improvements had to be made. This includes small bridges that cross over rough terrain, mulched paths from hole to hole and – most eye-catchingly – a serpentine staircase that leads from the seventh green to the eighth tee. On what easily could have been the most baffling connection between any two holes on the course, the staircase provides an unmistakable visual guide to point you towards your destination.
The trails and hole connectivity may have been the most challenging aspects of the remodel, but the holes themselves were far from overlooked. Each hole was outfitted with a new tee box, and some elevated or trickily situated tee boxes now have a rock “landing area” just beyond them for improved safety. Boulders were brought in to demarcate the greens from the fairways, giving many of the holes a look and feel akin to traditional ball-and-club golf. These create not only a visually appealing target for the hole, but act as an additional obstacle, as well. Six of the holes were also outfitted with retaining walls around the baskets. The meandering stone walls curve and snake around the greens, strategically placed to help stifle course deterioration, but also acting to level the surface around the baskets.
Boutte says the flattened greens “add to the overall aesthetic, but also limit the roll-away effect of putting on slopes. This was an intentional decision, to again lower the initial frustration rate of beginner-level players.” While the exasperation of novice players was taken into consideration, The Claytons by no means caters exclusively to newcomers.
Two permanent baskets are available for each hole, providing two distinct disc golf rounds. The intent was to create a course that would be enjoyable to players of all skill sets, Boutte explains. “The longer ‘green’ layout has tighter fairways for more experienced shot makers, while the shorter ‘blue’ layout has more open fairways and fewer obstacles to avoid.” Although the blue layout is the one that will be played and enjoyed by most of the patrons of The Claytons, the green layout has the potential to attract regional and national tournaments, giving it the exposure to the broader disc golf community that it deserves.
Locally, The Claytons has set itself apart competitively and aesthetically. The overhaul creates an immensely enjoyable course that is destined to become a favorite of East Tennessee disc golfers. And for those who, like me, were uncertain before as to whether the course was public or private, the new amenities make it abundantly clear that The Claytons is a disc golf experience for everyone.
