The Gates County Community DGC is not a track you're going to travel to intentionally. I played it because I had a work trip that took me from Raleigh to Currituck. I went 15 minutes out of my way to bag a course I'd never otherwise play. Northeastern NC is a disc golf desert; there aren't many other options. Ahoskie appears to be far and away the best of very few courses in this region. I didn't get to play Ahoskie on this trip as I only had time for a quick 9. I don't think there will be a "next time" for Gates DGC...

+ There is one fun, memorable hole on the course: #5. It plays slightly downhill from an elevated tee (on a hill), through a tunnel over the paved walking path that circles the park, over a flat field, to an elevated basket perched on a small but steep mound. It makes for a fun ace run. If you miss, you have the only unique/tricky putt on the course.

+ The UDisc map lines up with the course. Tees are natural areas and generally unmarked, but if you follow UDisc, it makes sense.

+ Very short, beginner course with bountiful ace runs.

Unfortunately, the cons stack up on this course...

- Danger to pedestrians and park goers is always going to be a big, off-the-bat, major deduction. The DG course is jammed into this small community park with several other amenities (paved walking path, horseshoes pits, playground, baseball field, and soccer/football field). The first basket is positioned in between the horseshow pits! I literally had to skip this hole because some guys were playing horseshoes. (Kudos to Gates for having the coolest horseshoe pits I've seen. They appear to be well maintained and used often.) Other holes on the course have you fly the disc directly over long stretches of the walking path, near the playground, and in between the ballfields. When I played, the only other park goers besides the horseshoe guys were kids on the playground. They weren't in any danger from me. But if this park is ever in use by many folks, several of the holes would be unplayable.

- Nothing overly challenging, aesthetically pleasing, or memorable about the course. I mentioned the one hole that I really like and threw several discs on out of enjoyment. Other than that, there isn't any elevation, major distance, or fun elements.

- Baskets are old, leaning, or falling down. The tees are natural areas, with a couple concrete or asphalt (shared with trails or sidewalks).

- A couple of baskets are placed right up against chain-link fences in the park with gates. Two of the gates were open when I played. I landed my disc within 15 feet of the basket on these two holes, but the open gate blocked any approach on the putt. Strange design choice!

This course is really for kids in the area (who are mature enough not to throw discs when other people are at risk!) or ultra course baggers. Otherwise, I would not recommend traveling from near or far to play this one.

There are baskets, kind of pinkish colored DGAs, not in the best shape.
Most holes had paved tee pads, because you are usually teeing from the walking path or sidewalks.
A couple of good holes, #2 and #5.
The course starts on one side of the Community Center, plays around the entire park, then finishes on the other side, so its a pretty short walk back to the parking lot to get out of there!

No tee signs, the only tee markers were spray painted on whatever concrete is available. Several were difficult to find.
6 of the 9 holes play along or across the park walking path or sidewalks. #8 and #9 both throw from or over a main sidewalk back to other facilities. If this multi-use park is busy, its going to be a very slow round.
In addition to the conflicts with the walking path and sidewalks, the first hole plays over the horseshoe pits, #6 uses the football practice field for most of the fairway and #9 basket is just a few feet from the skate park. These all add up to a lot of safety issues.

The only course within 14 miles, so its nice to have one in this DG desert. But they really crammed this course into a small space, with lots of conflicts. Not sure if there is any other land available, but that probably would be heavily wooded and a mess to clear.
There were a couple of good holes here:
#2 - tee from the walking path and throw into a grassy area between two ballfields. The basket is between a group of trees, so nicely guarded.
#5 - tee from the walking path, just behind the main ballfield. The fairway is along side the walking path, but you must clear the hand rails in front of the tee, but keep it below a tree branch creating a low ceiling. Downhill to the basket that is on a raised mound. I overshot the basket and had a difficult downhill stance, back up to the basket, probably one of my better long putts for the birdie!!
It was good to play this course on a weekday morning, so I was the only one here. If anyone tried to play in the evening, or on a weekend, you're going to be here much longer than you need to be for this course. It is located right on Hwy 158, so if you aren't heading to Merchants Millpond State Park, not much other reason to be here.

-Theirs a paved trail all around the course, that you can tee from. Only 5-6, and 9 tees are sprayed painted on pavement. No. 4 a choice from 3 basket on grass or walk back up to the pavement.
-Excellent navigation on paved trail, the course works counterclockwise. The fence and woods are always on the right until No. 7. At 7 stay on the trail that turns left towards 8 and away from woods. Makes a particularly good course flow.
-The course is setup for beginners, recreational, and a few holes for intermediate. The course is used as another activity for the community center.
-The baskets are DGA, it is the second course I have played them on, and the disc tend to stick on a putt hitting chains or even off C1, so I like this type of basket.
-No. 5 is a unique hole, throwing off the tee. It is a doorway throw. I have now played 7 nine-hole courses and No. 5 has the most difficult throw out of the 63 tee throws. Out of the 14 eighteen-hole courses I have played, No. 5 is more difficult to get off the tee pad than any of the holes on ten of those courses.

-The course is on a community center property with so much activity and equipment crammed on it, including fairways 1-2, 5-9. Activities such as a children's playground on No. 1 and 2, horseshoes right in front of the basket on 1. 5-7 football practice for the high school next door. 8-9 softball stands for the two fields, a skateboard ramp behind No. 9 basket. A few other activities as well. Disc golf is just another activity at the community center. The community center on a warm day could be crammed with people, and it is possible to show up to play, and have access to only 5 holes, and during football practice just two holes No. 3-4. Best time to play here during the warmer months, would be at sunup.
-8 and 9 were comical with all the chain link fences for other activities, I was wondering if this what it felt like to play disc golf in a prison yard. You must take it easy from the tees.
-The paved trail you follow is also a walking trail, so you need to watch out for walkers, there were 5 when I was playing.
-Theirs a park map at the start of No. 1, but no information about the disc course.
-No hole signs at all. With no hole signs and only marked tees for 5-6, and 9. It is likely the paint has worn off on the other tees. I walked along the trail until I spotted the next basket and threw from that spot if I thought the distance was close to being correct.
-With the fence and woods along the right side all the way from 1 to 6, there is lost disc potential for any errant throws.

It is a risk taking a long trip to play the course, it's going to be possible your round is going to be interfered with from other activities. There were a lot of Huh? Moments playing for the first time looking down most of the fairways and seeing clutter. It was a reminder why I tend to play a new course early morning on a weekday when its likely not to be any type of unknown interference. There were too many holes that just seem to be thrown here and there to make a course. Without No. 5 which made the trip worth it, the overall rating would only be a half point. There is some help for No. 5.
Notable Assist Hole is Number 3 at 280 feet. It is a longer Par 3 than most of the courses I play on in my rotation from short tee to short basket. It slopes downward and the right side is wooded with lost disc potential for a bad throw. You can have a roller past the basket into the woods as well. Nothing unique about the hole, but sorely needed to assist No. 5.
The doorway for the No. 5 tee throw is dominated by a tree on the right side with over hanging branches on top of the door. The left side is an outfield fence. If the tree is left alone, No. 5 keeps its distinction as a difficult tee throw, and a 1 point towards my overall course rating. If those branches are cut down, the distinction and point go away. For the first time in my reviews, No. 5 has the title of both Signature and Trouble hole.
Signature/Trouble Hole No. 5 Par 3, 202 feet. From the pavement an elevated tee pad of about 12 feet. On the left of the tee pad is an outfield fence that stands about 6.5 feet tall and very intimidating from the tee pad, the fence is the left side of the doorway. To the right of tee pad is woods, and the right side of the doorway is the tree that holds the branches for the top of the doorway. The doorway is 20 feet in front of you, the width 6 feet, and height 6.5 feet. 4 feet past the doorway are rails to a bridge that are 3 feet high, that cuts your doorway down to a four-foot window past the doorway. The fairway drops down, and you use a bridge to the bottom of the fairway. Theirs a 7-man blocking sled at the bottom of the fairway a little more than halfway to the basket, which I hit. The fairway slopes back up to a basket that sits 3 feet high on a knoll and is a roller. The hole is scenic and would be more so when the foliage returns. With return of foliage the doorway closes some.
By the time I reached No. 5, I pretty much thought there would not be a return visit to the course. So, after my first disc I threw 3 more disc with no limits on the throws. Two hit the right side of the doorway the tree, with one rolling down the hill, 1 the upper doorway branches not advancing far. No. 5 tee pad had its way with me. It is one of a dozen tee pads throwing the first time that had me pause "What to do". The hole by itself I give a rating of 3.5, and if it had more distance a bump up. Hopefully the community center leaves that tree and branches alone.

This course is on a Community Center with many other activities nearby. The course follows a paved exercise trail. The holes are short and every hole is ace-able, probably nothing over 200 feet. The DGA baskets catch great. The course is designed for kids at the community center and a nearby high school.

If anyone is using the other amenities then the course will be unplayable. I hit exercise equipment a couple of times. The equipment actually serves as obstacles many times. My friend overthrew the last hole and landed his disc on a skateboard ramp.

Tee areas vary and sometimes are tough to find. On hole 1 we couldn't find a tee so we teed off from a spot in the grass which was worn. Other holes had square tiles which we teed off from. A few holes had a number spray painted on the walking trail to tee from.

Other Cons:
- no tee signs
- no hole distances
- fences to go around to retrieve errant throws
- several safety issues

Following the course isn't tough if you follow the trail but finding where to tee from is tough sometimes. After #7 you can't see the next hole but just keep with that paved trail and you will come to a point where you see the basket (not sure about the tee though.)

The course stays along the perimeter so sometimes there is a fence a few feet behind the basket. I admit, I enjoyed throwing my disc hard at the basket without fear of overshooting it.

It's a quick round with some fun ace runs but there are just too many cons. Even without the safety issues the course would become boring to a regular player quickly. I hope the course gets kids playing and enjoying the sport. That will be the greatest success.

Let me preface this review by saying this course is built for kids.

Layout - It's basically a bunch of 100-200 foot holes that follow an exercise course on a horseshoe shaped 1/2 mile walking trail.

You start out on the right and follow the horseshoe trail down and around to your left so holes 1-6 are straight on but favor LHBH or RHFH because a fence and woods are on your right. 7-9 are short little hyzers.

It's probably fun for the kids and gives them something new to do.

Equipment - Nice baskets.

Atmosphere - It's an older rec facility and the course flows around some fields. There were no kids out there the day I went but that could be an issue some days.

Layout - Again it's meant for kids but also again 1-6 are pretty much the same shot and 7-9 are little hyzers along fencing.

A good amount of the baskets are right near the walking trail or the kids exercise equipment that follows the trail. That could be an issue if the kids aren't careful.

It's all pretty much what you would expect for a 9 hole course crammed in to a space that doubles for other uses.

Equipment - There are these little 2' square things that are pads or they just use the walking trail. Holes are marked with spray paint.

Atmosphere - It's definitely not the most picturesque course out there.

Unless you're on some kind of mission to play every course in NC (myself) or you live in the area and have a kid there is no reason to come here.