-Challenging but fun course
-Aesthetically pleasing w/ views of Harris Lake on several holes
-Other water holes w/ smaller ponds
-Score cards available at hole #1 (sometimes)
-Well maintained
-Variety of shots can be utilized and are needed. Anhyzers, hyzers, thumbers, tomahawks, etc...
-Low traffic. Meaning you do not feel pressure to rush through holes. Usually you can take your time and enjoy all the course has to offer.
-Ample parking
-Pro & Am tee pads (concrete). Regardless of whether you play from the Pro or Am tee boxes the course will challenge your skills. Each hole changes significantly depending on which box you choose to throw from.
-Course is wooded which provides shade in the summer

-Can be a morale crusher to less experienced players due to the length and difficulty of many of the holes. Actually it can be a morale crusher for any experience level. Several water holes do provide quite a challenge.

Fun course but your first trip or two can cost you some discs. A friend and I played the course for the first time a few years back. By the 9th hole we were forced to leave because we had lost all of our discs except our putters. We lost what was our entire disc supply at that time except for two puters A day I will never forget! Not a beginners course per se but all skill levels should enjoy. More advanced players may have a better appreciation for the challenge. GO PLAY THE COURSE

Buckhorn is not a course for the faint of heart. This is the epitome of a technical woods course. Not overly long - but there are definitley a few "longer" holes requiring good power and EXTREMELY accurate placement to set you up for an approach. There is also a nice combination of left and right turns that force you to perform and be very deliberate with the flight of your disc.
I like the overall balance of this course - as there are definitely a few dinkers you just gotta get, a few more medium shots that are there to get if you execute properly, and a few that you either execute - or you pay the piper.
Well kept, well marked, decent tees, great challenge.

It's an 18 hole circuit - you don't return to the parking lot during the round - not a big CON, but one to be prepared for.
Slightly remote - also not a big CON - but also one to consider as you plan your travel - Buckhorn IS a little off the beaten path. Being that this is a tighter/technical course - I can't see it being beginner friendly.

Buckhorn is the course that forced the Raleigh Area Disc League (RADL) to abandon Cedar Hills as part of the X Town Classic. It is plainly a step above Cedar Hills in both overall quality, and in difficulty. Nice mix of tight and tighter. Nice use of water hazards, nice test of skill. If you're not a woods player - you probably wouldn't rate this course as highly as I have. If you are a woods player, you will immediately appreciate what Buckhorn has to offer. Definitely worth a visit, and one of the courses responsible for the high caliber players coming out of this part of NC.

Very well maintained course. Very challenging course. scorecards are set up in the mailbox at the first course. Very long with lots of walking and scenery to look at.

A few holes with water that can be difficult to cross for beginners. Hole 17 seems to be a lot longer than it is marked for.

The course is in good shape and has nice tee offs. Very easy to follow for the most part. A high difficulty.

Personally the thought of losing a disc is not one I look forward to. There is just too much water and wind to take chances. It is also next to a nuclear power plant so may not be the best idea to go in after it either. This course was made with the top players in mind. The fairways are no more than 5 feet wide at some points which leaves not much par oppurtunity without having wonderful aim.

It is a great course but very difficult. I ended with a decent score slightly above my average and had a great time. I suggest giving this course a try but be ready to take on the challenge!

Buckhorn is indeed one of the most well kept, serene, and challenging courses in central North Carolina.

The course is located on land donated by the Sharon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, so it's an interesting paradox considering it's so beautiful and serene, and yet it is overshadowed by the Nuclear Power Plant.

~ There are different types of challenges on every hole, including a few water hazards.

~ Clearly defined markers and signage, including concrete tees.

~ Well maintained grounds, including pathways, fairways, and baskets.

~ Professional baskets which are also well maintained, and clearly visible.

~ Perfect mixture of woodlands, hills, valleys, and lake views.

~ Course can be quite muddy after heavy rains.

~ Weekends can produce heavy traffic on the course, so arrive early or late after the "rush."

~ Pro/Con: Caution on hole #17, because that swampy pond is an infamous Disc-Eater!

~ Dogs are allowed at the park, so there are rare occasions where you might have your discs run off with.

Buckhorn is my course of choice here in Central North Carolina. It has quickly become my absolute favorite course for it's challenges (especially hole #17), as well as it's perfect mix of topography and scenic views.

Gorgeous, simply great scenery. The prettiest scenery I've ever seen. Nice wooded fairways, good mix of water hazards. Love the hole that's on an island during wet seasons. For the most part the holes have tight but open fairways, great variety of shots and great length from the Blue tees. Huge tees.

To be honest, the lake is brutal. Be prepared to lose a disc. I threw a warped Eagle in there for safety sake. At the time I only had like 4 precious discs and was very hesitant to throw them around the lake. I really have no negative things to say except it is a tough course if you can't thread needles for 300-400 ft. Holes 9-11 are tough not only because they play over water but because it can hard to judge where the shore is due to the marshy grasses that abound. It pays to play ultra conservative. It can get kinda buggy, horseflies.

I saw a freakin' deer less than 30 feet away from on one hole, kinda hanging out but wary of my buddy and I playing. That's the kind of wild splendor you get to enjoy at this course. I had a miraculous save the second time I played because I turned over a Star Teerex on hole 9 and it somehow landed top down in the lake and floated. I was about to leave it when I spotted a pontoon boat of fishermen near the bank and I pleaded with them to scoop it up for me which they did in a jiffy. Got to love southern hospitality.

Take a really good course and then add beautiful North Carolina scenery and you've got Buckhorn. Single use course, and I was there most of a Sunday afternoon and never had trouble with traffic. I met a group of 3 locals who I played doubles with- they were very cool. White tees were reasonable for most skill levels- I imagine the blues would challenge very skilled players. Very memorable holes, including lake shots and a shot over a pond that forces you to decide to go for it or lay up.

Wooded holes could use more obstacles in the fairway to shoot around- maybe some trees should have been spared. There are cattails (big reed like plants) by the water on the lake holes, so even if you have a floating disc or are willing to swim you may not find an errant shot. Red tees are not concrete, just a red rock marking the tee.

Although I'm fairly new to the game (~9 months), I have been traveling recently and this is the best course I've played so far- I played 3 rounds in one afternoon, about half of that with 3 locals. The difficulty and layout of the course itself is as good as any other I've played, and when you put the lake shots and scenery on top of that it is the best course in the Triangle.

Be careful if it is windy- myself and my doubles partner saw our Beasts turn over into the water.

WARNING: Don't think a floating disc will save you on all the water holes- some of them have vegetation that will make your floating disc irrelevant (I lost a Dragon).

I've only played 42 or so courses, but this is the cream of the crop for me. I live just north of Charlotte and have numerous courses to choose from, but I loved this place.
-Water holes. This course has some great water holes...8-11 are great. 8 has the water not 5 or so feet from the back of the basket with not much fairway to land. The hole is only 168' but when you step on the tee you will realize you need to land perfect. 9,10, 11 all play around Harris Lake. It's nice and if you can throw a disc to fade a bit left you can have the thrill of watching your disc fly out over the hazard and landing safely on land. The course has an easy layout that is easy to navigate. The previous reviews about finding the first hole have been resolved, there are signs once you park telling you where to go.
17 and 18 are 2 really great finishing holes. If you like a walk through the woods, and a tight but fair woods course this is your course. It has 3 tees for all levels of play.

A couple of the holes have issues with having the next tee being a walk through the fairway you just played. But this course has not had alot of players the 4 times I've played it. So I don't see it being a big issue.

Prior to playing this place Fox Chase was the best course I had played, but this one goes above Fox just for the water holes alone. I will play this course again and again.

This is a secluded,remote walk through a gorgeous peidmont forest and around a picturesque lake which just happens to include a first class disc golf course and a nuclear plant.
Signage is great and each hole has two t-pads and red markers for the shorts.
Interesting layout with good flow.
Mostly wooded with some epic water holes mixed in.
Although this course is just outside of Raleigh, it was not crowded at all, even on a weekend afternoon. Quiet and serene to the point where you can hear owls trading hoots across the forest.

Do not leave anything of value in your car !!!

Along with Richmond Hill, Buckhorn is among the elite as far as best public woods courses in NC. April is prime time when the dogwoods are blooming.

Outstanding course. I loved the walk through, and the lake was neat to play beside. I felt challenged through all the holes playing from the long tees. The best marked course I have ever played (except where to begin).

I was from out of town and there was no sign indicating where you actually start. I wandered around a bit, but this is hardly a problem. This is otherwise the best marked course throughout.

Maybe it was the time of year for bugs, but like any other course - pack some bug spray.

Very well marked, Tight wooded holes without being too tight. Seldom crowded, beautiful scenery. Three sets of tees make it very fun to play with all of my friends who all have different skill levels.
#8, #9, #15, #17 are some of the most interesting holes around and prove that a hole doesnt have to be 400+ feet to be difficult.

A few of the holes have quirky tee shots that make it easy for a beginner to lose a disc... #11 from the white tees is awkward for a novice player who doesnt throw it 200+ feet... no lay up area.

Wonderful well maintianed course.... a must play for anyone visiting the Raleigh area. Make sure you make the time to play twice!!

This is what a disc golf course should be. It has nice tee pads, good tee signs, good holes and a good flow. It's also in a single use portion of the park. There is nothing here except a disc golf course. It's a hard tight course with the tees, pins and fairways far enough apart to not interfere with other holes. It is very hard from the long tees. Tee signs are good and the golf course has a natural flow with paths to each hole. You can start at hole 1 and easily find your way around the entire course. This course will test your accuracy. It does not cater to people who can throw super far unless you can do it with pinpoint accuracy. In my opinion this is the best course in the Raleigh area by far.

The only thing I don't like at Buckhorn is #16 from the long position. I think the right angle lay up shot that's there is too quirky and doesn't work with the rest of the course. The short tee is a beautiful hole though. Other than that the course is excellent.

Beginners should be careful with the holes around the water. Especially 15 and 17. If your disc ends up in that pond there's a very slim chance you will ever see it again.

A comment regarding my evaluation of courses. I am not trying to insult or hurt any ones feelings when I review a course. I'm just trying to evaluate the course on what I feel are important characteristics of a good course. Disc golf has become a large enough sport that I feel we should strive for better than we have now. Just putting 18 holes in a park isn't enough. 18 pole holes does not make a disc golf course. It requires tee's, signs, maps, solid course design and constant maintenance. Any less than that and we will never advance the sport to a reputable level.

-The water holes, especially 9-11, are among the best and the most beautiful in the Triangle. Even from the White tees the drive over the pond on 17 has high risk vs. reward.
-3 sets of tees: Blue, White, Red that will cater to many playing levels.
-The Blue tees are one of the most challenging and difficult courses in NC!
-The 3 sets of tees make this a complete course. With the water holes, this one of the top 2 courses in the Triangle area; many would say it is THE best.

(I can't think of any, and that's extremely rare!)

There is a picturesque view of the cooling tower of the Harris Lake Nuclear generator. You may leave the course with "a certain glow", but it makes night golf much easier.