I never got around to playing The Bridges because of less than stellar comments I heard, but I finally made my way up to play the redesigned, and justly renamed, Cornelius Road Park. What surprises me most, after playing it, is that I haven't heard more about the new course. It was a lot of fun!

The course features Innova DISCatchers, a mixture of concrete and rubber tee pads (depending on the hole), teesigns with nice maps, & adequate navigational signage. The course features a nice variety, opening with four open holes before entering into the woods for some technical golf. Even on a course that is less than 5,000' long, it has a chance to truly open up on Hole 4. Most of the fairways are shaped through tighter gaps that will require players to think about shot selection and accuracy. Five holes have two sets of tees: the short tees are perfect for beginners or Rec level players, while everyone else will still enjoy their round playing from the longer tees.

Hole 1 is a great opening hole, that is a slight downhill hole- it also conveniently serves as an appetizer to the excellent usage of elevation the course provides. There are plenty of uphill and downhill holes here, but there are also a lot of unique elevation features, and ravines, that come into play throughout your round.

Hole 18 is an absolute stunner of a finishing hole. It is a downhill shot with a tight gap heading straight for the basket, and a wide open hyzer line up high that incorporates a lot of risk of its own. While reaching the green from the straight line would be harder, it doesn't incorporate quite as punishing risks as the wide hyzer line. Of course, the hyzer line is the kind of shot players dream of throwing, and watching their disc soar to the basket.

Cornelius Road Park would benefit from new tee pads. The concrete pads (other than the cracked one at Hole 2) are all great. The rubber pads were a little more hit-or-miss for me because of how uneven they tended to be. It wasn't too big an issue because the course was mostly shorter holes, but it would be nice to not have to focus on my footwork as much as my throw.

There is a lot of debris in the rough, presumably from the trees that were cut from building the course. A round here would likely be much more enjoyable if this debris could be cleared out, or at least stacked up a bit further off the fairway.

I didn't have any issues with it when I was there, but there is a walking path that crosses Hole 18 and that you tee off from on Hole 5, so there you may potentially have to wait to drive.

If there's room, some holes may benefit from having a long tee installed. Especially in the middle of the course where there's a string of holes that all come in below 250'.

I am giving Cornelius Road Park a solid 3.5 rating. As I said in my opening paragraph, I am surprised I don't hear more people advocating players check out Cornelius Road Park. It is a fantastic Par 54 course that utilizes the land and elevation available in a phenomenal way. It is less than ten minutes down the road from Stumpy Creek, which has an almost mountainous feel to it. The two courses can be combined for a fun, if not tiring, day of disc golf that will make you forget you're in the Piedmont. If I lived closer to this course, I would definitely incorporate it into my regular rotation

Favorite Holes: 4, 8, 11, & 18

Do you remember the bad late-'90s movies where the shy high school girl stops wearing baggy sweaters and giant glasses? **SPOILER ALERT** Suddenly everyone notices she was actually hot all along. Turns out Cornelius Park was that girl.
- Technically, Cornelius Road Park needed to go one step further and disassociate itself from the old layout by retiring the Bridges course name. It also realized less is more, utilizing the space in a fun, mid-range course that offers plenty of fun and challenge.
- To be fair, the old layout did have untapped potential. To be even more fair, the work needed to make that layout a reality wasn't there, or perhaps more likely, not realistic due to time requirements.
- The first four holes give you a false sense of this course's appeal. These are your four open layouts, the only holes where you're throwing in grass and out in the sun. If you're having an accuracy issues, get them fixed by hole 4.
- Standing on #5's tee, I realized immediately this was a whole new layout. A tight-ish, uphill layout that starts in the open and ends in the woods. Your risk here is smacking any of the trees, especially if you end up in the creek/ravine. At 255 feet (or 275, depending on if you trust the tee sign or online info), a mid-range disc should help you avoid danger.
- The beauty of this course is the risk/reward factor throughout. More so than most courses, especially shorter courses (sub 5,000 foot layouts), there could be some huge scoring discrepancies from hole-to-hole, round-to-round. I had 4 birdies and 3 missed due to mediocre putting where at least several of them barely missed smacking a tree. On one hole, I missed my line (going left of a certain tree instead of right) and still had a 15 foot putt. That easily could have hit a tree, kicked 50 feet into the woods and I would have been scrambling for a 4 or 5 instead of getting a 2.
- Excellent use of terrain, creating some true uphill or downhill layouts. Heck, there are even some switchbacks transiting up or down between holes. Here's the unknown secret for out-of-towners. As excellent as the Charlotte DG scene is, Charlotte courses are relatively flat. If you want elevation, you only have to travel slightly west (RL Smith, Torma Town, or Rankin Lake in Gastonia) or north of Lake Norman (Stumpy Creek and, now to a degree, Cornelius Road Park).
- My favorite elevation-related holes are #11 & 14. #11 is a tight, not-quite-gauntlet 215-foot layout. You're throwing over a slight valley back up to the basket that's protected by trees. From the short tee, you're teeing from the edge of the mini-valley. Even though it's only 35 feet variance from the long and short tees, the short tee takes all the challenge out of the layout.
- As for #14, it's a dogleg left, high sweeping hyzer tee shot - only 230 feet. The elevation factor is the drop off long and right of the basket. Anything long or right, or rolling, could end up 50 - 100 feet past the basket. An aggressive tee/approach/birdie putt could lead to you scrambling to get up and down. A player putting for birdie from 30 feet short of the basket could easily end up with bogey or double bogey if they're too aggressive.
- #18 is this course's tribute to the closing hole at Glenn Hilton in Hickory. It's a dogleg left layout with the middle 1/2 of the hole playing over a drop-off. The course offers two main lines - a narrower, straighter line and a more open line that starts out much further to the right. I took the far right, sweeping line.....AND I STILL HIT A BRANCH. That led to a 10 minute way of trying to navigate down the drop-off all the way to water with walls taller than me. I fully expected to come across a snake in the water with nowhere for me to turn. I'm glad I had waterproof shoes on. So.....the point being, this should be a fun closing hole. Just don't end up in the bottom.

Some very in-progress problems. The most pressing are the lack of tees. For the most part, it's a none issue due to short hole lengths. There are several holes however where it was a challenge trying to complete a full (or even 3/4) run-up due to uneven ground, roots, or stumps.
- Signage needs to be better in several spots. The biggest culprit was the transition between 14 and 15. After #14's basket, there are several paths that immediately branch off from the hole. Even when you pick the correct path, it branches two more times before you get to the tee. Even using UDisc's app, I wandered down the wrong path for a bit due to the delay in satellite data. More arrows are a must as the course does cross over trails & paths throughout the round.
- Several tee signs aren't very accurate. #10's was one of the offenders. The tee sign shows a straight ahead basket with two routes to the basket. The hole is actually a decently sharp dogleg right. I had to walk two other fairways to find the baskets as the signs didn't fully convey where they truly were.
- There's a discrepancy between the hole lengths posted on the tee signs and the apps/scorecards. For the most part they're within 20 feet. But at least once I landed 40 feet shorter than expected.
- More maintenance related work - piles dragged further away, a little more cutting, stumps cut down or marked. The simple ongoing issue kind of things.
- The panic stricken feeling when coming across old fairways and/or tee pads from the old layout. Walking down the fairway on #5, as I'm about to cross the bridge, I look to the right and I have flashbacks to the horror of the old hole #7. A long par 5 (600-foot range) that was tree-lined on the right and deep ravine creek-lined the entire left side of the hole. Keep your shot dead-straight or make a long walk back to a bridge to cross the other side of the ravine to retrieve your disc. Sadly, you were often better off having to make that walk than trying to scale down and back up the creek walls if your disc ended up down there.

Cornelius Road Park is the hot chick after her makeover. As is the case with certain actresses from the '90s (cough, cough, Rachel Leigh Cook), she wasn't hot, she just looked different because of a wardrobe makeover.
- This is a fun course. Six years and nine days after my only round at the old layout, I gave the redesign a whirl. Looking for a course comp, I think the course most closely resembles Fort Hamby in North Wilkesboro with lots of similarities to Glenn Hilton. This definitely doesn't have a Charlotte-course vibe despite only being 35 minutes from downtown.
- The first four holes remained from the old course, surviving the annihilation of that layout. I had forgotten how simply perfect of an opening hole #1 is. It seems an opening hole should never be too tough. It should be a relatively easy par 3 in case your arm isn't completely loosened up while requiring a quality shot to get that birdie. Here, you start out under a tree, throwing slightly downhill, weaving around several more trees, back to an uphill basket. It's only 273 feet, and it was the only time during the first seven holes I didn't have any look at birdie. Still, an easy 3 so I could start my round on a solid note.
- #4 is the only hole where you can really air one out. It's 425 feet, and it's slightly downhill. Your last chance at a simple layout for awhile.
- There are multiple holes where you'll want to throw multiple discs off the tee. I really think #8 is the best for this layout. At 330 feet, it is the course's second longest hole. It's one of the few blind tee shots as it's a slight uphill flow for the first ¼ before dropping down to a dogleg left layout. It's going to be easy to be in the vicinity of the green with your tee shots. It's going to take extra work to get your disc all the way to the hole due to the tree coverage.
- This is a fantastic compliment to Stumpy Creek. That's the longer, advanced layout. This is the shorter, have fun layout. It's only 10 minutes to Stumpy, so if you're up from Charlotte or down from the Triad, you are playing both courses or you're wasting your time.
- One of the best shorter courses (sub-5,000 feet) that I've played. My first thought when finished was that I really enjoyed the course. My second was of frustration that the course is just a little too far to be regularly played. It's just out of reach and that's not good. Still, I'm giving this course a 3.5 rating. It needs to be played by all Charlotte-area locals.

-Note: Before you read this or write a review. The layout is marked on U disc. If you want to play here, then make sure you get U disc if you don't already.
Teepads and teesigns are coming soon so be patient.

-Cornelius was crazy when he first arrived. Many short par fours and fives with sadistic fairways with trees frolicking in the middle. You'd be more bound to be in good shape with a lucky tree kick than following the supposed fairway. Used to be the scariest man on the streets of Mooresville. Loitering around at midnight dressed all in black just looking for someone to brutally rob and attack with the rings on his fingers. He was escapable, but you had to be lucky in order to lose him when you saw him at his worst. Anything could make him want to come after you and have you fearing for your life. There was a devil inside that created turbulence in the town of Mooresville for seven years. Everybody, not just in the area, but everybody that exposed his antics wanted him out. Instead, he got help after a court order. Now he's much better. He's no longer a luck based, two faced Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Pat and some other locals did a great job turning Cornelius into an approachable par three course.

-This course is very rewarding now. The old course had an extreme variety in challenge. Some holes were very easy and some were just downright nasty. Cornelius found his medium and it's much better than his old two faced ways. He was a master at street craps and you knew it if you played the old layout. He placed bets with everyone he saw and whatever they betted on, he rolled a unfair die that he weighted with a power drill and super glue. That die would favor him and have the odds against you. The fairways were ridiculous and didn't make a whole lot of sense, the odds were against you. You could fly through the woods if you were lucky and have your number rolled, but most of the time you got hustled in the deep rough and most likely lost a disc. He doesn't play that game anymore. All of the fairways require some sort of accuracy, some require more than others (#14 and #18 for instance) but they are all very attackable and fair.

-Some parts (the best parts) of the old course remain. Hole three is the same. The old hole nine is now #15 and the old hole ten is now #16. The first four holes from the old layout have you teeing off on the old tee box, but the baskets for holes one, two, and four have moved a little. Hole one is slightly longer and no longer a straight 228' footer. It's 273' and plays as a righty flick/lefty backhand hole. If you are a righty that struggles with forehands such as myself, this hole will be challenging. But it's fun to throw a few forehands off this hole. #2 is slightly longer as well. The old #4 was really cool (was the best hole on the old course) but it's even cooler now! It was a very soft par four that was just under 500'. Now it's a little bit shorter and a legit par three. The basket was moved back a little and is a little bit straighter from the tee pad.

-Cornelius loves his ravine. It's intimidating and punishing and the old course was notorious for having people trip in there while following the fairway.
Nice to know that Cornelius branched out of his scandals. The ravine is used very smartly now, and a little less frequently. You throw over it on hole five. The long pad is a little more frightening, because the ravine is easier to avoid from the short pad. The fairway is very well defined and straight, but if you hit one of the trees just past the ravine, you will be punished. #11 is a pretty tight ace run across the ravine and up a hill. Being only 215', this hole will have a pretty wide scoring difference. It's aceable for sure, but it's pretty tricky. #18 has you throwing over it one last time. Multiple over the ravine shots, but they are all different and have their own special attributes to them.

-Most holes have at least a little bit of elevation. Nothing is drastic, but some of the elevation changes are moderate. #8 is my favorite hole here. It's a 330' downhill wooded hole that is down a medium width fairway that sweeps left at the end. Great hole to throw a stable disc on! #16 (the old hole ten) has a nice elevation rise and is perched on a hill that drops to the left. #17 is very sweet downhill hole that crosses a path and #18 has you teeing off of a pretty big hill over the ravine and back up a small hill. The hole has a pretty severe left turn, so you have to throw a hyzer through a gap and over the ravine. Ends with the signature hole, which makes it special.

-Family friendly park. That's a bonus. There was a yoga class going on near hole five's tee pad. Other than that there's a walking trail, tennis court, playground, and other athletic fields.

-Some holes have dual tee pads. Holes five, eleven, fifteen, seventeen, and eighteen. I heard that sixteen does too, but I never saw it.

-First four holes are open, allowing you to warm up on your accuracy. None of the first four are particularly easy, but they are forgiving. The remainder is wooded, still forgiving but you'll want to scope out some of the rough so you know where you don't want to land.

-Stumpy Creek is a few miles away and just down the road. Another great course. This course is easier than Stumpy. You can get two rounds in. This is a good warmup course for Stumpy, a more demanding course with less forgiveness.

-The ravine is very steep and hard to safely enter if you land in there. There are parts of the ravine that are more than ten feet deep. There's that risk of injury. I love the holes that have you crossing it, but it is dangerous. You may have to walk around looking for a safer place to enter and exit. At least it's more avoidable this time!

-From I heard, some locals are pulling the flags that mark the tees. Smh. When I came here yesterday the flags on #5 were missing and they were back today. Again if you decide to play, use U disc. The layout is already on there. And on holes 14-16, make sure you tee off on the old concrete pads for the old #16, the old #9, and the old #10.

-You'll have to yield to pedestrians because the walking path overlaps with the course. Keep an eye out before you throw.

-So glad this course was revived the way it was. The terrain and space in the woods is perfect for a disc golf course and I'm glad we can finally see the real potential this course had and has. I'm glad I got to see how much better it could've been. Initially as a fifteen year old kid, I thought the old layout was fine when I FIRST played it. I didn't know a lot about what makes a great course back then and I thought it just needed time to improve. I came back before the redesign a couple of times and realized that the old course was just badly designed and the ravine was utilized very poorly for the most part. Too close to the fairways, or even in the fairways past a small gap or before a bunch of small gaps out of the woods.
Now it's a whole lot better! And it ends well this time.

-Here's a comparison I must go into detail about. The 18th hole on the new layout is probably the most memorable. The 18th hole on the old layout was the most memorable pretty much without any debate. On this new layout, you are throwing a big hyzer through a gap over the ravine on #18. A very fun sight to see your disc gliding down the hill!

-The old hole 18 was ridiculous. You were throwing parallel to the ravine on the left down a fairway and then you had to throw over it through one of the many small gaps out of the woods. The basket was blinded by a ton of skinny trees that were so incredibly close together. This hole was legitimately scary to look at. It was a stationing type hole, but there was a mando right off the tee and the second shot out of the woods was just too fickle. This hole was an iconic nightmare and left you with a long walk back to your car. If you ever had nightmares about disc golf in your sleep, chances are this hole was the cause of it. If any hole could traumatize you, it'd be the old 18 along with the old 7 and 11.

-If you haven't been traumatized by the old layout, then be sure to play the new layout. It's really good!

- nice concreate tee pads
- Half the course plays along and around a ravine with a nice creek at the bottom.(unsure if it will be OB or not but reguardless if your down by the creek your taking a stroke)
- most holes throw high three hundreds with lots of trees in play.
- i liked that the front four were more open and then you got back into the woods.

- Course is very raw and will get better as they clear more holes, add benches and tee signs.
- The Ravine can be quite Dangerous as it slants steeply towards the creek(some steps will be needed)
- Hole 18 can be dangerous as you throw up blindly at a running path as well as just the climb up to the top.
- 18 finishes quite a long ways away from the parking lot and hole 1.

The course is very raw and i am not factoring it into my rating that much but as it stand Cornelous has potential but there is lots of work to be done in reguards to safety around around the steeper sections of the ravine. Also, as state before Cornelous is a HIKE(I Enjoy that) but i went out with a group of 5 and was up and down retrieving their disc from the ravine. Felt it was safer for the young buck to do it. With all that being said i had a blast and enjoyed myself.