- Nice mix of line shapes through a secluded and well maintained wooded park.

- Quality signing and navigation makes for an easily navigable course.

- Variety of distances with a number of par 4s make for a challenging and enjoyable round for more experienced players without being overly difficult.

- Almost exclusively wooded fairways with a few overly tight lines and landing zones, especially on some of the par 4's.

- Crushed gravel/sand tee pads are likely to be problematic after rain.

- Seasonal course is only open from October 15th to May 15th.

Forest Ridge Park was a pleasant surprise that I did not expect to play during my latest trip to the Raleigh-Durham area. It was not originally on my radar to play, but ended up being the closest course to where I was staying and I'm very glad I was able to squeeze in a round on Thanksgiving morning. The seasonal course model to limit negative environmental impacts is interesting. I would hope a disc golf course could exist harmoniously within the natural environment, without a need for closing it during the "main plant growing season", but I'm no ecologist. At any rate, it would be great if this course was available for the entire year as it is a fun track that could be great with some minor improvements.

The property has a pretty "permanent course" feel despite its seasonal nature. The tee signs are simple but have all the information you need and there are fantastic next-tee signs on the paths between just about every hole that make navigation a breeze. The Discatcher baskets look brand new and catch great. The framed crushed stone/sand teepads were fine during my round, but it had been mostly dry the week or so leading up to my visit. I would think these could quickly become sloppy after a bit of rain. I don't see how permanent concrete tees would detract any more from the natural environment than the tees that are already in place, so hopefully they can be upgraded eventually. I also don't recall any benches or trash cans throughout the course either. Something else to note, the GPS location provided on this site places you at a section of the parking lot near a park district building that is not near the start of the course. You will want to continue on through the parking lot until you get to the end past the playground. Hole 1 is then down the path past the end of the parking lot. The gate to the park was unexpectedly closed at the time of my visit with a number of cars parked along the side of the road just outside the gate and I relied on UDisc to get me to Hole 1's tee.

The course itself plays almost entirely through narrow wooded fairways with a decent variety of straight, left, and right turning fairways. Most of the lines are fair, if on the tight side, and kicks into the rough will frequently result in bogies even with a relatively short average hole length. There are 6 par 4s, all but one on the back nine and also on the short side, but most are true two-shot holes. Hole 15 was my least favorite hole on the course, a 380' par 4 with an incredibly small landing zone before a split in the fairway to a couple of difficult approaches. This wasn't the only hole with overly tight lines that could use some minor clearing. Hole 10 was one of my favorite holes, with an interesting design feature. The primary fairway plays along the lakefront with a couple different landing zones along the beachfront. Those with 400+ feet of power will have a good chance at eagle on this short Par 4, with the rest having a potentially difficult uphill approach into the woodline for birdie. There is also an alternative Hole 10a that plays through a tightly wooded fairway for when the regular Hole 10 may be unplayable, or for those unwilling to test the water at all or just wanting a different challenge. I wish more holes were able to incorporate the lake and add a bit more variety to the course layout. Hole 18 is really the only other semi open hole, playing across a walking path and over an expanse of tall grass to a basket in an open field under a large mature tree.

Forest Ridge is a quality technical course that will challenge players of all skill levels. I passed a group of two middle aged men and a handful of elementary aged kids during my round. They seemed to be having a great time, but I wouldn't typically think of this as a course well suited to newer/less experienced players. The constant, tight wooded fairways could certainly become frustrating if you are having an off day, especially with the par 4's being concentrated on the back 9. That said, for those who enjoy wooded golf or with good control of their putter/mid game this is a quality course well worth a play, and a great addition to the Triangle Area. Hopefully it becomes a year-round addition.

For the last several years, Forest Ridge Park in Wake Forest has installed a seasonal 9-hole course. For the 2022-23 season (which typically runs from October to March), the course got a redesign -- keeping a handful of holes from the previous layout, scrapping some, an adding lots of new ones -- making it 18 holes, new tees (gravel, for now, but looks like concrete *might* (?) be coming), tee signs, navigation signs, and a UDisc map. Basically, this looks every bit like a brand new, *permanent* 18-hole course! It's still being advertised as a seasonal course, but we can hope! And from the looks of this course, it sure seems like it's on its way to being permanent.

+ The new 18-hole layout keeps most of the best holes from the previous 9-hole layout, but scraps the shortest, poke-n-hope hole. The new holes are fantastic: several par 4's, many stellar designs (landing zones, alternative routes, even a water carry!). Forest Ridge essentially popped to the upper tier of Triangle disc golf courses overnight, in my book.

+ The new water carry hole easily jumps to nearly the top of the list of most scenic holes in the Triangle. The tee is on a peninsula jutting out into Falls Lake. It's a par 4, with the most aggressive line -- carrying the water for a longer distrance -- offering the highest risk and reward. Eagle is possible for long throwers who test the water longer. But noodle arms like me can still make birdie or at least par, choosing a less aggressive water carry. Loved this hole.

+ Several other new par 4's, all well-designed. They remind me of Rock Ridge Park in that the distances aren't oppressive and technical accuracy in the woods is rewarded. Disc-down to mids and putters to keep it in the fairway and play for par or possible birdie chances. Go for more distance on these technical holes to shoot lower, but risk going off-course and losing strokes playing back to the fairway. The dense woods are punishing if you miss your line or distance.

+ Wide variety of shots and discs required on this course. Very challenging, but fun.

+ Well-maintained, beautiful park. Now with a water hole, the lake comes into play and adds more serenity and beauty to the course. If you play disc golf as a stress-relieving walk in the woods like I do, I can't imagine you'd have any complaints about Forest Ridge.

+ Easy navigation with accurate tee signs, directional arrows, and an accurate UDisc map.

I don't have many cons...and I'm hopeful that some of these can be taken care of if/when Forest Ridge becomes a permanent course. I can easily see this growing to a 4.0 rating for me. Like I said, it's already in the upper tier of tracks in this region.

- The tees are still natural/gravel, although the boxes have been built and appear ready for concrete! This is pretty minor, but if concrete gets poured and this course is locked in year-round, ooohhhh baby.

- This course gets extremely soggy and doesn't hold water well after it rains. It gets so muddy here, I do not recommend playing it after a rain.

- I really don't have any other complaints about Forest Ridge. Ratings and reviews are subjective based on all the other courses you've experienced. For me, it stacks up well in terms of challenge and fun. It's not quite in my "favorites" category, but pretty close -- and certainly one I'll try to play frequently (as I live in Raleigh) every year it pops up.

Thank the parks & rec team for installing and maintaining this course! And ask them what we need to do to make it permanent!