Monroe, NC

Bearskin Creek

Permanent course
2.095(based on 22 reviews)
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4 0
whansen319
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 26, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

I just started playing this year, so take this for what it's worth. Nice, wide open course. Good for practicing or learning new discs without having to hunt in the woods. Few hazards to deal with (except the creek!).

Cons:

Hard to find a trash can. Left a red Starfire in the creek. Hate littering worse than I'll hate replacing it.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely plan to play this one again. A nice change from the challenging, up-and-down romps in the woods around Charlotte.
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16 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.4 years 622 played 569 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A gentle bear of a course. 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 9, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Course is wide open on most holes, so let it rip. It's built in the field of a very small park. Front 9 plays around a rec center.
- Course is never crowded, so you're able to play at your own pace or spend extra time practicing.
- There are some fun hole layouts here. Course does a good job taking advantage of the few obstacles - trees, hill, creek - that the terrain offers.
- Here's your layout is a simple 4-hole stretch. #3 is open and downhill. #4 is longer, but plays uphill, so it's got a much longer feel. #5 is a shorter, straight ahead par 3. And #6 is a short, tight, wooded layout with the basket on the side of the hill. None is challenging in and of themselves. Each has some other 'challenge' from a seemingly always windy field on #3 & 4 to roll-away factors on #5 & 6. Standing on #3, you may think you'll see some real birdie chances on the next 4 holes. Putt out on #6 and leave wondering how you got 4 straight pars.
- #16 is solid, enjoyable hole. From the short tees, you tee off next to a playground, to a basket protected by two trees. You sail your shot too long, you bring the creek into play. A good shot results in an easy birdie, but an overaggressive shot can spell trouble.
- Over the past several years, the park has made several noticeable improvements. There's a nice, new playground along with improvements to the basketball court. Playing this course in March 2014, for the first time in several years, it was a great sight to see the park actually getting used. Maybe more park goers will help encourage locals to put forth more attention to the course.
- Part of the city's greenway runs behind/along several holes (#1, 2, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18 among others). As such, the area along the creek has been tremendously cleaned up and baskets moved away from that creek. This has created even better layouts.

Cons:

There are still some major issues with this course, which make it an afterthought for most people.
- Baskets are in bad shape. Many are bent, crooked and/or missing. A fair number of tee signs are missing as well. Also, with the short tees not having pads, it's a real issue that the signs aren't aimed more accurately towards the basket. On #17, for example, if you use the direction of the tee sign as your compass for which hole you're throwing to, it'd be easy to surmise you're supposed to be throwing to #18 basket instead of #17.
- Course needs better signage throughout. For a first time player, you're going to extremely frustrated trying to figure out the flow/where the next hole is. Especially with several long walks, navigation is frustrating. A good course map would be a tremendous help.
- The creek that runs along and behind holes #11 - 14, 16 & 17 is filled with trash and is an unnatural, filthy color. Among the objects I've seem in the creek are a toilet and shopping carts. If you lose a disc in there, you can pretty much kiss it good-bye or risk getting an infection going after it.
- Tee pads are too short for anything more than a 1-step run-up.
- Area surrounding park is sketchy. Unlike Sugaw Creek, which also is in a questionable area, this park is usually empty and therefore poses more of a potential risk. I'd much rather play a course that has heavy foot traffic, like Sugaw, than only come across an occasional person, some of whom seemed pretty sketch.

Other Thoughts:

With some work and regular attention, course would appear even better. A 'fresh coat of paint' level of attention would improve Bearskin's image. Or, I simply could have said 'NEW BASKETS.'
- For some reason, I have always enjoyed the course. Even at its worst, this course had a charm. Now that it's greatly improved, it's much easier to like. Still, a simple, straight ahead layout, without many frills. And, I like it!.
- As long as you know what you're in for - mainly a complete 180 from all Charlotte courses - and enjoy the change of pace, it's fine. I do like that it does not have the challenge of CDGC courses. It will still never confused with any of the area's good courses, but it does have a place in the Charlotte-area disc golf scene.
- Distances on some tees holes didn't always seem completely accurate making for some fun over/under throws. Also, be prepared to not be able to find the long tee pads on all holes. You'll notice as the tee signs and UDisc listed distances can be pretty far off.
- Rec center isn't always open, so good chance you have to go to gas station just up the road for a drink or bathroom. Just don't go to the BP.
- Because course is pretty wide open, they try to make up for it with challenging basket placements - behind trees, on edge of hill, etc.
- In the past, I would tell people to avoid this course. Now, with Dry Creek just 10 minutes away, I feel it's worth the time. Play both courses to get a feel for some solid Union County disc golf.
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