Pros:
Hardaway Point at Badin Inn. There are all sorts of dichotomies here: new disc golf course on an old golf course. Classic looking inn in a run-down part of town. Rolling hills with some mountain-esque vibes (and views), followed by wide-open, uninspiring portions of the course. Let's say, this was a tricky one to evaluate.
- There are parts to this course I absolutely loved. The view from the first tee, overlooking a series of fairways, and baskets, gives one a sense of purpose and challenge. The view from the first basket, looking back towards the first tee, gives more of a sense of some of the terrain.
- That's followed up by a couple more fun, if not overly difficult layouts on #2 - 4. #2 has a fun basket on the rocks with some tight OB. #3 has a tight tunnel tee shot to a more open approach shot. And, #4 is the fun, downhill, air-one-out tee shot. On #4's tee, look at the view over the course and inn. This feels more like the NC mountains or foothills - think North Cove or Ashe County - rather than Stanly County.
- #6 & 7 are two excellent holes. Man, oh man, how I wish there were about three or four more wooded holes like #6. Take away the wide open stretch of holes from essentially #8 onward, and throw in a couple of wooded holes, and this course would feel so much different. It's a sweeping, dogleg left, easily reachable with a midrange or fairway driver type of hole. Throwing over the rocks makes this a fun fairway, and a somewhat challenging walk if it's slick.
- #7 is the first par 4. A true multi-shot layout. I really enjoy the use of bunkers as OB, which can punish an overly aggressive approach shot. It'll force players from making a run at the basket with their second shots, and possibly forcing a more conservative approach instead.
- On the back 9, there isn't a lot of challenge; rather, the three big downhillers are going to get the most attention - #12, 17, & 18.
- I preferred the serenity, and overall picturesque, pine-lined fairways on the slightly uphill #10. The view from the tee on #4 is the best spot on the entire course. For an entire hole's worth of beauty and good vibes, it's hard to beat #10. That's followed by a fun, tight uphiller on #11. Then, for all you impatient types, now you can empty the bag throwing bombers on the big downhill, 536-foot #12. It's a wide fairway, so throw 2 or 15.
- What the course lacks in true challenge, it makes up for, or tries to at least, with great scenery and (sometimes gimmicked) OB. Good OB is using old sand traps and tall rough, which is easy to understand. If you've got to read or double read the tee signs to understand where there is OB, eh, that's where you're having to (perhaps) force some.
- This is a course that seems as if it was built to host a larger event. With plenty of wide open spaces, you can easily have crowds following players. You can easily set up cameras to film the action. You can easily tell the story of the tourney to casual viewers.
Cons:
The first seven holes are fantastic. I was thinking this might be the best course in the area, better than Fox Chase, City Lake, and Goose Landing. Well, things get different in a hurry. The rolling hills are now gone as you enter the lower portion of the course.
- There's a lot of 'just ok' holes for the second half of the round. Sure, you need a bigger arm to be having birdie putts. Otherwise, it was seemingly a lot of simple pars hole after hole after hole.
- #7 & 18 should be swapped for quality and continuity purposes. First, the simple reason: flow. As is, playing #7, it runs past the entire length of #18, then requires players to walk past #18 to get to #8. Swapping them, shortens the walk. Then the quality reason. I like the idea of ending the course with a longer, multi-shot par 4 instead of a shorter, make-a-run-at-the-basket par 3. There's more of a chance for a multi-shot swing to end a round on a 581-foot, par 4 than a downhill, 285-foot par 3.
- It would have been nice to find a way to have a couple more wooded holes. As is, this course have two and two halves wooded holes (tee shot on #3, all of #5 & 6, and the approach/green on #16. Everything else is in the open. That alone is going to be this course's biggest hindrance.
- The transition from #17 to 18 is clunky. In short, they wanted to have one more big downhill layout on #17. However, in order to accomplish this, you finish #17, whose basket is in the vicinity of the r for #12 & 15. So, after finishing #17, you essentially walk backwards up the fairway of #12, past #7's tee, to get to #18. Something got wonky in this corner of the course, and it all came to roost here.
- When I played in August '21, some of the tee signs and tees were still missing. Throw in a need for more benches and trash cans, and there are still some new course kinks to fix.
Other Thoughts:
Hardaway Point is a good course. It's not elite. It's not great. It's a good to really-good design. I feel like it built up momentum in the first seven holes, then never built on it. It's a late-model sports car that still can accelerate quickly, but then fails to get out of third gear.
- This is a physically challenging course. Hiking the hills, playing a stretch of open, barely-shaded holes on a 90-degree August day can wear one out.
- At some point in the (near?) future, the bar in the Inn should be re-opened. That'll make a great spot for post round/tourney meet ups.
- Did I mention you're 12 minutes from Fox Chase? You're also less than 20 minutes to (the vastly underrated and overlooked) Goose Landing and City Lake Park. You can play 72 holes of excellent disc golf in one day.
- Here's a reason this course may be just a tad short of other courses in the area. What is this course's signature hole? If it's scenery, I'd offer #1, 4, or 10 as options. If it's fun factor, let's throw out the obligatory downhill layouts of #12, 17, or 18. If it's challenging tee shots, I'd say #3 or 5. If it's quality hole designs, perhaps #6 or 7. So, if a course has half its holes as nominees, does it even have a best hole?
- I'm giving this course a 3.5. It's closest comp is South Mountain DGC in Bostic, two hours to the west.
- You'll have a fun time here. Come tourney time, you'll need a bigger arm and/or need to nail your putts to be in contention. If it's easy for you, it's easy for everyone else too. It's worth a play next time you're in the area.