I was lucky enough to play this course while on vacation a week ago. I saw that this course was highly rated, and I was never gonna give up that opportunity!
-The course has a great variety of holes. There is a good mix of dogleg holes, as well as some straighter holes. The course also has a wide range of distances, shortest being 207 ft and longest being 700 ft.
-The course does a good job of using elevation. Typically, courses near the coast are more flat, but the designers for this course did an excellent job of using the elevation to the best of their ability.
-The course is definitely tough, but fair. The day that I played, I was struggling to find the fairway, and I paid the price. But when I did find the fairway, I was finding myself with good opportunities for birdies.
-The kiosk was easy to find, and the course starts off with a practice hole. There also is a practice basket, which is away from the kiosk and inside the traffic circle.
-Course is in good shape. The long tees were very nice and large, and the chainstar baskets fit well with the vibe of the course. There were benches and trash cans near the tees, which were nice as well.
-The course wraps back around to the parking lot after 9, so it is easy to bail out if you need to.
-Good community. Back in Charlotte, the fellow disc golfers I see are not incredibly friendly, and are always using drugs. I played by myself, so I passed a bunch of groups. They were all extremely nice, and they let me play through. I even played a couple holes with some dudes, and it was a good time.

-Navigation was definitely an issue as a first timer. The layout of the front nine is very confusing, and I can't believe I didn't get mixed up on which hole was which. The layout of the back nine was straight forward, but #10 was tough to find, and I had to pull up the map to locate it. Again, these are all issues for first timers.
-#2 feels like a filler hole to me. When you are on #2 tee, you see another tee pad across the road, which is #3's tee. The transition from #2 basket to #3 tee feels kind of stupid, and the flow of the front 9 would be much better if they used the practice hole as #1, and switch #1 to #2.
-When I played, the baskets were in the short pin locations. This isn't that much of a con, but I was really disappointed that I couldn't play the par 4 version of hole 4.
-The course is prone to disc loss. There is a huge, deep river that runs through the front nine, and many blind shots can lead to some lost discs.
-I played on an early Saturday morning, and it was very busy. I would suggest playing on a weekday if you can.

As a Charlotte based disc golfer, I was IMPRESSED. There are many fine courses in Charlotte, and this gem is right up there with them. The park itself has many other amenities, including soccer fields, tennis courts, playgrounds, and basketball courts. The bathrooms are located in the traffic circle, along with the practice basket. I hope to return to this course some day, and this is a must play if you are in Wilmington.

Castle Hayne is a multi use park with a rightfully popular 18 hole disc golf course . The traffic circle around the disc golf area has a multitude of parking spaces . There is a bathroom near the parking area .
The Equipment - The putting basket for this course is in an obscure area , in the traffic circle and away from the course . They have a " practice hole " , old #2 , where you can practice your putts , too . The kiosk is across the traffic island and part of the way into the woods section , in front of the practice hole . It is nice and has a course map on it . There are nice dual cement tees . The pro tee pads are longer for better runups . The tee signs are nice and are wood with all of the necessary information . There are also good Next Tee signs to keep navigation less confusing . The baskets are Chainstars , but seem in good shape . There are benches and trash cans throughout the course .
The Landscape - Being so close to Wilmington and the ocean . the course is not going to have an incredible amount of elevation , but course designers have sewn whatever there was into some of these holes . There are creeks that will come into play , luckily not deep enough to lose a disc in . Mostly woods , trees are the norm here .Pine needles cover a lot of the fairways on the course . There are a few holes where the rough will overly punish you , but for the most part , it is kept at a minimum . The course was clean , grass cut and branches trimmed when I was here on a Friday morning .
The Appearance/Atmosphere - I was expecting the course to be a mess from the previous storm fronts , and the fact that there were Course Closed signs at the start and at the #10 , but the signs were being ignored and I felt that the course was in good condition . The course is well above average in appearance , the woods is even serene when many groups of players are on the course . Expect to see some sort of wildlife while playing . The atmosphere is pure enjoyment from playing disc golf . I was here at 9 am on a workday , and there had to be 50 people playing the course . Everyone was having a good time , and the locals are helpful and nice . I even ran into a solo player that lives about 80 miles up I-71 from me .
The Highlights - #4 , 419' is a nice flat tunnel shot that moves slightly left , then at the end , you shoot down over a gully to the basket on the right . #6 , 505' has a tight fairway that slowly turns left . #10 is a nice hole . A tunnel shot where at the end , you can choose 1 of 2 baskets . One is level and to the right and one is to the left and is elevated . #12 is one of the most challenging holes .Only listed at 472' and a par 5 , you have to go station to station and start to contend with an incredibly tight fairway on the 2nd turn . A creek sits to the left until you get to the small green . #14 is a tunnel shot and a hard 90 degree dogleg right . #17 is a straight tight fairway shot with random mature trees between you and the basket .
Signature Hole - #8 700' . Your first drive will go uphill with a creek on your right . You will have to cut your drive to the left . Your next shot will follow a long fairway to where it will eventually cut to the right . The basket is protected by some trees on the left .
The Time - The course loops back to the parking lot after #9 , so you can leave after 9 , but you won't want to . The course has good chances of being crowded . It took me 90+ minutes solo to play here . A group of 4 could take close to 3 hours , but you will enjoy it .

Not much to pick at here .I can't believe that a course like this has Chainstar baskets . An upgrade to yellow banded Discatchers that are easy to see in the woods would be nice .
Flooding must be a concern here . The Course Closed signs look like they have been used before, and not just for tournaments . You might want to check with the parks dept. ( and you may not , as attested to all of the locals out here playing ) .
#2 ? #2 seems out of place on this fine course . Throw it and backtrack all the way back and cross the street to #3 .
Fragmented - A lot of street crossings make the course seem fragmented .
Disc Risk - some blind shots combined with a few spots of rough make the disc risk about medium . To be expected from a woods course of this length .
Bring bug spray .

I had played the old Castle Hayne layout a couple of times , most recently about 7 years ago . The course seems ever more improving and more challenging . The locals here are passionate about the game and protective of this gem . If the parks department enforced the closing of this course for any reason other than a tournament , they might have a revolt on their hands . I am glad that they left old #2 up . It gives you a chance to toss a disc while taking the walk to #1 ( old #3 ) . A lot of variety will make you empty your disc bag during your round . The course will give you as much challenge as you can handle . Better bring your precision " A " Game with you . I saw a lot of groups cutting up and insulting each others questionable drives . I guess this means that the Fun Factor element is also present .
Adding the alternate pins and tees answer the question " Why should I play Castle Hayne ? Why shouldn't you .
My Recommendation - This is not the type of course for an after-dinner round . Even with the challenge of this course trying to break your will , this course would be good for newbies , locals and 1 discers . There are a lot of players , some very good , that can give you advice or help correct a flaw in your game ( They didn't have a full day to work on Mine ) Intermediates to pros will play this course whenever possible . Travelers - This is one of those courses that you might not want to pass up if anywhere in the Wilmington area . Vacationers as far down as Murrells Inlet , south of Myrtle Beach would consider the trip to this course to be worthwhile . Course Collectors will get a memorable round here , and can combine it with several Wilmington area courses to have a full day of bagging . PLAY THIS COURSE !!!!

The (in)famous Castle Hayne is the legendary beast of eastern NC. A long, demanding wooded course filled with par 4s and 5s over surprising elevation, it stands up right alongside the other classic great woods courses of North Carolina.
+ A wonderful array of challenges have been carved out of the woods here. There are tunnels, blind hyzers, tight gaps, and precise landing zones to all contend with. All of these challenges are completely fair, and fairways are generally wide and clean, but this is still a demanding course that asks for the best of your game. Strong scrambling skills will be essential and valuable here.
+ I'm always surprised by how much elevation there is at this location so close to the coast, and the course makes fantastic use of that elevation on quite a few holes.
+ Excellent teepads and tee signs, and good quality baskets.
+ Brand new concrete short teepads were added to a few holes in late 2019, adding some interesting variation to those holes. These are very welcome, as the long tees can be extremely difficult and intimidating for more casual players. Many holes also include posts to mark shorter tees, more suitable for beginners.
+ Large parking lot, two nine-hole loops that return to it, a practice basket, informational kiosk, a picnic shelter, and restrooms are all nice amenities. There's even an entire practice hole before Hole 1, though it's a little silly. Once you find holes 1 and 10 out of the parking lot, navigation is generally smooth and easy.
+ Some of the par 4s and 5s are particularly memorable, and are amongst my favorite holes in NC. Holes 6, 8, 15, and 17 are examples that often come to my mind when I think of great woods holes that combine challenge, fun, and beauty.

- Out of the parking lot, the location of holes 1 and 10 is not immediately obvious, as the practice basket is far away from the course, and the informational kiosk is hidden in the woods by hole 1. See the course map on this site for a helpful picture.
- This course has long had a reputation for being friendly to righty-forehand players. As a balanced but slightly-favoring-forehand player, I would agree with that, and would actually say that it feels overly friendly to forehands. Quite a few holes feature obvious and straightforward forehand hyzers, while the backhand turnover equivalents feel incredibly demanding, and risk massive tree kicks into the rough. Conversely, it feels like there are very few backhand-favoring shots here, and those that do exist still feel completely reasonable for forehand-turnovers to reach. Of course, backhand specialists can still find success here (see: Michael Johansen's long reign as the Azalea Open champ), but to me this course feels 100 times easier with a forehand, to a stronger degree than I've seen on any other course.
- The rough is extremely thick in some of the lower and wetter spots on the course, threatening disc loss on top of whatever strokes are added. The right side of holes 15 and 17 can be particularly bad, and are also particularly easy to griplock or tree-kick into. Not much can likely be done to control this, it comes with the climate and verdant growth. I'll note that the rough is reasonable and scramble-able for a majority of the course, there are just these few trouble spots that lurk.
- Train tracks run alongside Hole 12, and if you're unlucky enough to be playing that hole when a train comes through, prepare for a thundering, bone-shaking interruption to your round. Particularly awful/amusing in tournament play.
- Other park activities and neighboring resident activities can add to the distracting noise on busy days, particularly on the back 9.
- Others have noted that flooding can be an issue after rains.

This new Castle Hayne layout should now have accumulated enough reviews to regain its rightfully deserved place on the list of NC's top courses. It is the king of eastern NC, and an essential course experience for the region. Though the course has been heavily damaged by multiple hurricanes, the New Hanover club and park staff have always done an amazing job bringing the course back to life, stronger than ever. Kudos to them, and long may Castle Hayne reign.

I struggled rating the original Castle Hayne. It's a monster of a course. People travel from all over the Carolina's to play it. It has amazing hole layouts, challenging par 3's, 4's, and 5's. You need every shot in your bag to play it. Just a beast. I actually think the course is better now than the old layout. The three new holes are just as fun and challenging as the rest of the course and don't stick out at all. My challenge with rating the course is its one major flaw: FLOODING. I unfortunately played on day after it had rained and the course was basically underwater (no exaggeration). When I played, the course was not worthy of a 4.0, but I know on most days it is, so I stuck with the rating.

+ Extremely challenging. It has concrete tees that I would consider blue tees (advanced). There are also markers for natural white tees (intermediate).

+ The course is beautiful and the park is well maintained. Good facilities (bathroom) and amenities (baseball field, soccer field, playground).

+ The course is what wooded courses aspire to be. It's technical, requiring precision over distance. But many of the holes throw decent distance at you to make birdies and even pars difficult. If you kick into the woods off of a tree, par becomes even harder to save.

+ The par 4's and 5's have wicked doglegs and small landing zones. You can't just throw through or over the doglegs. You have to play smart, patient, precise golf.

+ Being a coastal/beach course, there's not much elevation, but what little elevation they have, they use. There are baskets on ridges and hills to make putting trickier.

+ Nice concrete tee pads and a couple of rubber ones on platforms on the new holes.

+ Nice tee signs with yardage and hole layout. Navigation is straightforward.

Not many flaws, but the one true flaw it has is kind of a big one (for me):

- FLOODING. Pay attention to the weather and course updates before you play here. I played on a clear day, but it had rained a lot in the days before I played. The course was absolutely under water. There was no getting around it. I walked through standing water on numerous fairways and greens. They attempt to mitigate it with boards, bricks, stones, tees on platforms, etc. But there's only so much that can be done. Water just doesn't drain well here. The creek is a fun obstacle -- I'd consider it a plus -- but it's a raging river after the rain. It's frankly not worth playing the course when it's in this bad of shape.

- My only other nit-pick is the baskets are pretty old and can be tough to spot from far away.

This is a must-play in the Wilmington area. Just pray for dry weather. And bring your A-game when you storm the Castle or else you will feel the PAYNE!!!

Nice large tee pads
Tough but fair layout
Just really nice looking shaped fairways
Well maintained course and facilities
Bathrooms and water available on the course
Every shot and then some covered by the holes
Course map at the first hole
Well maintained ball field to warm up

Only thing I can think of is that the water out of the bathroom sink tasted a little funny but I drank a water bottle filled with it and was fine.
If you like long drive holes, this isn't going to be the course for you, really only a couple or three holes where a fairway driver off the tee is the play.

If you're anywhere near the area or passing through this course should be on your list. There are shorter tee markers in for lesser skilled players or weaker arms. I talked to guy clearing tee pads and he told me there had been a big push by the local club leadership for shorter tees, maybe permanent ones will be in soon.

I was fortunate enough to play the course in a couple of cooler summer days on my way to and back from visiting family but I could see it getting buggy but no more so than any other wooded east coast course in the summer.

If you're playing it for the first time take a few minuets and walk the fairway before teeing off. A lot of the holes look deceptive off the tee, meaning that what may look like the OS mid hard hyzer shot is really a Comet type slow pushing hyzer. You'll appreciate the extra time taken to scout the holes out.

My not be the most friendly course to yellow, orange and red discs. I you think you may have a good chance of missing the fairways then it might be helpful to throw white, blue and pink stuff if you have it, I spent a good amount of time on some holes looking for errant shots with a red and yellow disc.

Overall a really nice course, I really enjoyed my rounds here and look forward to playing it again.

This is the course that started my addiction so being objective is tough but I've locked my rose tinted glasses away as best I can.

This is still one of the best courses in NC and an East NC must-play. The idiots, I mean concerned citizens, that needed another road into the park could've hurt the Castle a lot worse. They knocked down a parapet but the excellent club down there rebuilt the Castle arguably stronger than before.

Most of the Castle is the same as ever but you have some new holes and the additions are good. Hole 5 is the newest hole, an uphill par 3 that plays a little farther than it is. In addition to elevation you have to nail a fairly precise flex shot to get a look at the deuce. Hole 6 is a really well-shaped par 4 dogleg left. It's a full throw for most players to get to the bend and a technical hyzer approach. Hole 7 is a classic forehand hole, a straight to fade slight dogleg right. It will feel like a par 4 if you don't have a solid FH or a precise backhand turnover, plus it's easy to overshoot the basket and have a tough comebacker due to rough and being downhill.

Castle is a course that plays a premium on staying on the fairway and the new holes demand it. Unlike the rest of the Castle which has had years of chuckers knocking down rough these holes are very thick off the fairway.

There's also a sort of 19th hole, which is original hole 2. So the course officially starts on original hole 3.

As before the Castle is about executing lines, hitting gaps, staying on landing zones and improvising with a good scramble game. It's open enough that you can BH to your heart's delight but you're going to be up against it if you don't have a solid FH to go with it. You'll also need to knock down your putts b/c most of the greens aren't the score separators that the fairways are (due to coastal flatness). Multi-shot fairways, doglegs, good, true par 3s and a variety of holes keeps the Castle's peasants happy.

Original hole 1 is gone. This is a bummer for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the distance between new hole 1 and hole 10 is much farther now. Secondly, it was one of the few holes that most people had a prayer of acing. I have many Wilmington DG buddies that are still looking for their first ace, largely b/c the Castle hoards ace runs like royal treasure.

Hole 1 (original hole 3) has a road behind it now. It doesn't come into play much but it did expose the green to way more wind than there used to be, adding an extra degree of difficulty).

Hole 2 (OG hole 4) is no longer the wonderful s-curve it was. It got chopped in half by the *$&#@ road. So it's now just a straight putter hole with a quality green. It's also kind of a weird backtrack to the next hole but not too bad. Instead of playing original hole 5 (completely gone ) you proceed to what used to be hole 6.

Hole 4's long green (OG hole 7) like hole 1 is greatly exposed to the wind now thanks to the new road. This isn't necessarily a con, just a warning that your terrible putts and approaches are way more visible thanks to the extra sunlight.

Hole 10's location is still kind of a mystery if you've never been there, the back 9 still floods a lot and you might scratch your head on why the park didn't let the DG community use any of the new land instead of more ball fields that won't be as popular as the course and enough parking for the mall of America but other than that the course is still great.

Concrete tees, great signs, good baskets, yada yada yada. Just go play the course already. If it's warm and the weekend, go early/late and bring bug spray.

Beautiful park
Bathrooms
Plenty of parking
Well defined fairways
Nice mix of shots
Two 9 hole loops
Appropriate sized tee pads
Easy to follow

The flatness of the course causes issues from rain. The club/park has done a great job adding drainage to try and combat this issue. Lots of roots in fairways. Not an issue for me but some may see as a con. Older baskets, although they are still in good shape if you putt hard you may see more spit outs/blow through.

This course continues to work you mentally. It dares you to throw a big shot and will punish you when you miss the fairway. It has continued to be one of my favorites even as it has changed over the years. The current layout was actually more challenging for me. It is a course I will always make time to play when I'm in the area.