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Guilford Meadows reviews
12
0
NCfrolfin'
Experience:
11.6 years
37 played
3 reviews
The Woods Where I Grew Up- trees, meadows, and farms with some awesome holes! 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Feb 25, 2021
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
- Semi-secluded course that combines mostly woodland with meadows, and some holes that fuse elements of both!
- Minor course renovations during 2019 alleviated many of the erosion issues on most of the launchpads as well as gave new wood bridges where needed
- Course has come a LONG way since 2012, when it was scrappy and unkempt woodland where you could barely throw a disc... forest has come into its own and maintenance efforts have 'opened up' much more of the land to make it playable. So, I'm happy to say that other reviews that talk about the intense rough and claustrophobia are now outdated, especially after 2019's renovations. The course has seriously opened up and is worlds better than it was just a few years ago.
- Very rustic vibes while not being completely unkempt; maintenance is not all over the place nor is the course often packed, it is a very easy-going course to build up your game and not feel rushed.
- Gates aren't going to shut and there's no true closing time where you're going to be chased out... don't overstay your welcome but also don't be afraid to finish some holes in the twilight!
- There are 16 Par 3 and 2 Par 4 holes and plenty of diversity in holes and terrains, perfect place to practice your game!
- Baskets are new and 'pro,' unlike the cheap metallic kind sometimes seen in courses of similar levels of upkeep and use. They're also clearly labeled with their number.
- Signs exist at each launchpad that do a very good job at pointing out where the baskets are, though the photos may be a bit outdated. The fact that the signs have remained in such great shape the last several years is wonderful.
- Very friendly white cat will often greet you!
- Plenty of restaurants around and nearby for before, after, or in-between rounds!
- As much as I go there, I've never once seen a maintenance crew or lawn mowing squad descend on the course and disrupt play... I get the vibe that if there is maintenance here, it is not obsessive nor in-your-face and that nature largely takes care of itself around here; the rhythm of the forest ecosystem primarily keeps the area in check and not turning into a jungle or prairie.
- Short holes, but NOT packed together as you'd often see with holes of this length; there is plenty of land available here and you won't feel like you're playing the same hole each time, or are right on top of the previous hole you played. Where holes are parallel to one another, you often won't be able to tell due to the way the holes roll with the land and are separated by trees.
- Directions to successive holes are labelled in a semi-primitive manner with plate-signs (Hole 13's directive sign is wrong, though, and points to 13's basket instead).
- Minor course renovations during 2019 alleviated many of the erosion issues on most of the launchpads as well as gave new wood bridges where needed
- Course has come a LONG way since 2012, when it was scrappy and unkempt woodland where you could barely throw a disc... forest has come into its own and maintenance efforts have 'opened up' much more of the land to make it playable. So, I'm happy to say that other reviews that talk about the intense rough and claustrophobia are now outdated, especially after 2019's renovations. The course has seriously opened up and is worlds better than it was just a few years ago.
- Very rustic vibes while not being completely unkempt; maintenance is not all over the place nor is the course often packed, it is a very easy-going course to build up your game and not feel rushed.
- Gates aren't going to shut and there's no true closing time where you're going to be chased out... don't overstay your welcome but also don't be afraid to finish some holes in the twilight!
- There are 16 Par 3 and 2 Par 4 holes and plenty of diversity in holes and terrains, perfect place to practice your game!
- Baskets are new and 'pro,' unlike the cheap metallic kind sometimes seen in courses of similar levels of upkeep and use. They're also clearly labeled with their number.
- Signs exist at each launchpad that do a very good job at pointing out where the baskets are, though the photos may be a bit outdated. The fact that the signs have remained in such great shape the last several years is wonderful.
- Very friendly white cat will often greet you!
- Plenty of restaurants around and nearby for before, after, or in-between rounds!
- As much as I go there, I've never once seen a maintenance crew or lawn mowing squad descend on the course and disrupt play... I get the vibe that if there is maintenance here, it is not obsessive nor in-your-face and that nature largely takes care of itself around here; the rhythm of the forest ecosystem primarily keeps the area in check and not turning into a jungle or prairie.
- Short holes, but NOT packed together as you'd often see with holes of this length; there is plenty of land available here and you won't feel like you're playing the same hole each time, or are right on top of the previous hole you played. Where holes are parallel to one another, you often won't be able to tell due to the way the holes roll with the land and are separated by trees.
- Directions to successive holes are labelled in a semi-primitive manner with plate-signs (Hole 13's directive sign is wrong, though, and points to 13's basket instead).
Cons:
- Rubber launchpads
- Erosion at rubber launchpads once plagued the whole course, but after the 2019 renovations the only holes that truly suffer this today are 4, 7, and 17 (17's is almost completely buried and uneven).
- Holes 8, 9, and 12 (formerly 10 and 11 as well) can become virtual wilds in the warm months; there's a reason the name is the "meadows"! Ticks haven't been a problem for me in these fields (miraculously) but the fields are deceptive and you can easily lose your disc in them. Keep an eye on where the disc goes and run out to it; during the pandemic in 2020 when the course truly was left to nature and regressing back to its 2012 state some friends and I employed a system where, once one of us threw, that person immediately ran out to the disc and watched where others' would end up to help them find them.
- Hole 10's basket is quite close to an electric fenced tract of farmland used by the college; I've never landed a disc behind the fence but this could be a problem for someone who throws a bit too far.
- That is to say, there is a hazardous electric wire fence on the course, rather close to 10's basket and 11's launchpad, also just on the other side of the woods from 13 and 14. Be careful, especially if you have kids or pets with you.
- Nothing wrong at all with beekeeping, but on the other side of the trees from Hole 14 and Hole 15's launch area is an active beekeeping site! It's labeled and not close to paths and certainly not the active course, but bee careful!
- Hole 13's launchpad position is mislabeled when leaving from 12's basket; it appears to be pointing in a direction where it may have used to be but no longer is at... you may struggle to find the start of 13 if you're new.
- Hole 16 currently has the beginnings of a young forest rising in the fairway to your left; at present it already presents a major obstacle should you land in it, having to push past young trees, thorns, weeds to get your disc... but as it grows taller I fear it will make 16 almost unplayable due to its density; you'll have to throw right around the forest (without landing in the already-existing one, which already provides a major challenge in losing your discs) and then around again, under the thick tree that hides the basket. 16 is quite an annoyance to play as it is, but a welcome challenge nonetheless.
- Hole 18's challenge is that, at the launchpad, a sharp incline rises while a thick branch arcs downward, likely to mess you up on your first throw... but who doesn't like challenges?!
- There are no garbage or recycle cans on the course, though you'll find plenty of signs complaining about 'packing out' your trash or face the possible closure of the course.
- There are no bathrooms or porta-potties on or near the course- come prepared.
- Mud can be a major issue on this course after heavy rains, especially in the winter where Holes 8, 12, 17, and 18 are most impacted as to be unplayable when it's really bad while Holes 1, 2, 3, 6, and 16 can be impacted to a much lesser degree.
- Parking's usually not a problem, but overflow may result in some players having to park up the drive near the tennis courts and walk in (New Garden Friends School is starting to crack down on cars being parked in the grass, though I don't believe they actually own the tract...).
- No maps of the course exist on site, nor do any maps or score cards that I know of.
- Erosion at rubber launchpads once plagued the whole course, but after the 2019 renovations the only holes that truly suffer this today are 4, 7, and 17 (17's is almost completely buried and uneven).
- Holes 8, 9, and 12 (formerly 10 and 11 as well) can become virtual wilds in the warm months; there's a reason the name is the "meadows"! Ticks haven't been a problem for me in these fields (miraculously) but the fields are deceptive and you can easily lose your disc in them. Keep an eye on where the disc goes and run out to it; during the pandemic in 2020 when the course truly was left to nature and regressing back to its 2012 state some friends and I employed a system where, once one of us threw, that person immediately ran out to the disc and watched where others' would end up to help them find them.
- Hole 10's basket is quite close to an electric fenced tract of farmland used by the college; I've never landed a disc behind the fence but this could be a problem for someone who throws a bit too far.
- That is to say, there is a hazardous electric wire fence on the course, rather close to 10's basket and 11's launchpad, also just on the other side of the woods from 13 and 14. Be careful, especially if you have kids or pets with you.
- Nothing wrong at all with beekeeping, but on the other side of the trees from Hole 14 and Hole 15's launch area is an active beekeeping site! It's labeled and not close to paths and certainly not the active course, but bee careful!
- Hole 13's launchpad position is mislabeled when leaving from 12's basket; it appears to be pointing in a direction where it may have used to be but no longer is at... you may struggle to find the start of 13 if you're new.
- Hole 16 currently has the beginnings of a young forest rising in the fairway to your left; at present it already presents a major obstacle should you land in it, having to push past young trees, thorns, weeds to get your disc... but as it grows taller I fear it will make 16 almost unplayable due to its density; you'll have to throw right around the forest (without landing in the already-existing one, which already provides a major challenge in losing your discs) and then around again, under the thick tree that hides the basket. 16 is quite an annoyance to play as it is, but a welcome challenge nonetheless.
- Hole 18's challenge is that, at the launchpad, a sharp incline rises while a thick branch arcs downward, likely to mess you up on your first throw... but who doesn't like challenges?!
- There are no garbage or recycle cans on the course, though you'll find plenty of signs complaining about 'packing out' your trash or face the possible closure of the course.
- There are no bathrooms or porta-potties on or near the course- come prepared.
- Mud can be a major issue on this course after heavy rains, especially in the winter where Holes 8, 12, 17, and 18 are most impacted as to be unplayable when it's really bad while Holes 1, 2, 3, 6, and 16 can be impacted to a much lesser degree.
- Parking's usually not a problem, but overflow may result in some players having to park up the drive near the tennis courts and walk in (New Garden Friends School is starting to crack down on cars being parked in the grass, though I don't believe they actually own the tract...).
- No maps of the course exist on site, nor do any maps or score cards that I know of.
Other Thoughts:
- Holes likely for holes-in-one: 2, 6, 17.
- The shortest holes are 2, 4, 6, 13, 14, and 17.
- The only Par 4's are Holes 9 and 18.
Woodland Holes: 1, 2, 4, 6, 17
Meadow Holes: 9, 10, 11, 12
Mixed Woodland-Meadow Holes: 3, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18
On a personal note, this was the course where I really found myself and my game; having a course put almost in your backyard helps with that! It's a great place for beginners, and I'm the proof of that. It's the sort of place you can come out any day or every day, at any time, and have a very similar game each time. It's not an over-packed course, it's not an over-hyped course... it's the friendly neighborhood course where you and your friends can play a leisurely game and commune with nature all at once!
I'll also attest that its private but relaxed nature is a godsend... I hate having to rush out of other nearby courses like The Patriot or Haw River right at closing time or risk being locked in or have trouble with the staff; you don't have to worry about that here (at least that I can see). I think that's due to its nature as technically being part of the college's land if not campus and the fact that it's also a full-time farm operation; volunteer gardeners and beekeepers come and go leisurely and on their own schedule, just as you can when you come here for a game.
It is a tranquil place, that much I'd like to voice to you. It's also the place where I made my first hole-in-one, on Hole 2, and my friend made his on Hole 1 (which I'm still shocked by given the nature of Hole 1!). It's the place where I went and still go to collect my thoughts. It's that sort of place, and that's what I hope you see in it too.
- The shortest holes are 2, 4, 6, 13, 14, and 17.
- The only Par 4's are Holes 9 and 18.
Woodland Holes: 1, 2, 4, 6, 17
Meadow Holes: 9, 10, 11, 12
Mixed Woodland-Meadow Holes: 3, 5, 7, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18
On a personal note, this was the course where I really found myself and my game; having a course put almost in your backyard helps with that! It's a great place for beginners, and I'm the proof of that. It's the sort of place you can come out any day or every day, at any time, and have a very similar game each time. It's not an over-packed course, it's not an over-hyped course... it's the friendly neighborhood course where you and your friends can play a leisurely game and commune with nature all at once!
I'll also attest that its private but relaxed nature is a godsend... I hate having to rush out of other nearby courses like The Patriot or Haw River right at closing time or risk being locked in or have trouble with the staff; you don't have to worry about that here (at least that I can see). I think that's due to its nature as technically being part of the college's land if not campus and the fact that it's also a full-time farm operation; volunteer gardeners and beekeepers come and go leisurely and on their own schedule, just as you can when you come here for a game.
It is a tranquil place, that much I'd like to voice to you. It's also the place where I made my first hole-in-one, on Hole 2, and my friend made his on Hole 1 (which I'm still shocked by given the nature of Hole 1!). It's the place where I went and still go to collect my thoughts. It's that sort of place, and that's what I hope you see in it too.
2
2
Dgnation2013
Experience:
3 played
3 reviews
Great course, especially for beginners 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Nov 15, 2017
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Great for beginners
Good navigation.
Nice variation of wooded and open spots.
Good navigation.
Nice variation of wooded and open spots.
Cons:
People leave lots of trash (it has gotten better).
There is only one bomb (hole 9).
Parking is less than desirable.
There is only one bomb (hole 9).
Parking is less than desirable.
Other Thoughts:
Overall, great beginner course. I personally think it would be better if there was a club to support and maintain it.
2
2
jlherrmann
Experience:
39 years
60 played
3 reviews
Birthing Pains 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Dec 6, 2012
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
The Meadows has a nice mix or shots. There is something for everyone. Several tight wooded tunnel shots, several wide open meadow shots, Some really tough holes, and some easy ones. I think that maintaining a variety is one of the most important features to keeping a course interesting.
Cons:
The underbrush along the side of some of the fairways needs clearing. Right now it's easy to lose a disc in some areas. Time and traffic will help that out a lot.
Natural tee pads are a detriment, but I know plans are in the works to set the tees, once the course is finalized.
Natural tee pads are a detriment, but I know plans are in the works to set the tees, once the course is finalized.
Other Thoughts:
For a new course, in a town that is hungry for new courses, The Meadows does a great job of filing the need. My score on this review is a bit future based. I can see that the course will be a really nice one once the tees and underbrush are taken care of, and these will happen sooner than later.
