Pros:
Taking the fun Welborn Woods nine-hole layout, incorporating the open field for additional holes, and you're given the new Hughes Park course. Still a fun short course, just with a little more filler material.
- This is a short course. 18 holes total 4056 feet. Taking away the two 400-foot plus layouts (#11 & 12), the other 16 holes only average 201 feet. Can you say birdie fest.
- The course is a nice split between open and wooded. The open holes are the longer layouts, allowing for more aggressive throwing. The wooded holes play much shorter, requiring a little more precision. Even then, the fairways are wide enough to allow most skill levels to succeed here.
- This is a fantastic course for beginners. In some ways, hole #1 may be one of the most challenging shots for a beginner. The rough is deceivingly thick and an errant tee shot can discourage a first timer. Get through #1 and things get easier.
- I enjoy the simplistic challenges of #2 - 5. #2 is a slight uphill, open 261 foot hole. #3 & 4 are also open field shots with baskets protected by the single tree on the fairway. #5 is an open, uphill 224-foot shot. Adjust for the distance increase and park your tee shot here.
- In terms of scenery and charm, #7 is one of the best simple holes I've played. The fairway is nestled between a rustic farmhouse and outbuilding. It's only 140 feet, but you're throwing to a basket protected by a tree. There's a level of tranquility here that makes one want to kick off their shoes and lay down next to the tree. The only thing this scene is missing is the babbling brook running alongside. Seriously though, if the farmhouse could turn into a clubhouse, this would be a great hangout.
- The final six holes are in the woods. #15 plays close to a pond. I still think there's a way to incorporate the pond as it seems it's not used for anything else.
- Course can be played with only a couple of discs. Good for a quick round. It was less than 40 minutes from the time I hopped out of my truck to when I was back in and leaving.
Cons:
The tee pads are way too short. They are gravel. But they're framed. If there is a plan to pour the pads, please extended them to regulation length.
- #1 sticks out like a sore thumb. It's not good as a first impression. It takes several more holes to get the stench of #1 off of you before you can really start enjoying the round. Push the tee back 75 feet and you at least bring the rough into play on both sides.
- Signage for the course could be greatly improved. Pulling into the park, there's one sign for a 'disk golf' course. Keep driving past one lot, then you end up in a wide-open field. Where's the course? Drove through the field until I saw a small sign for the course. How about one more sign, pointing to the right, towards the first hole?
- Going from 9 to 18 holes, there are obvious spots where holes were added to simply get to 18. #2 & 3, #11 & 12, and #16 & 17 all play the first hole outbound, turn around and play right back to where you started. The only reason #11 & 12 are the only 400-foot holes is that if you have one 400 feet plus, the other needs to be just as long to head back.
- Course lacks basic amenities - trash cans, benches, and simple signage. The first sign for the course is once you're in the back half of the park. From there, you're on your own to find the first tee.
- For being so close to the interstate, I felt like I was in the middle of nowhere. The first time I played here, I took back roads so I felt as if I were in the middle of nowhere. The second time I played, I was surprised I was only 5 minutes from the interstate. That's also where you'll find the nearest gas stations for food, drinks, and restrooms.
Other Thoughts:
Hughes Park was a surprisingly fun course. It was a scaled-down version of a typical course. For short courses, (4000-foot range), this is near the top of the best I've played
- The biggest thing this course lacks is variety. There's not a longer wooded hole. There's not one that weaves in and out of the woods. There's nothing that stands out as wow or different. Again, simply throwing over the pond would be a fun, different look.
- The eight wooded holes - #6, 10, 13 - 18 - all range in length from 133 to 229 feet. That's putter or mid-range throws on all eight.
- Here's what I wrote for my Welborn Woods layout, "The park has a lot of unused space that you could expand to a full 18. A beginner-friendly, birdie-fest sub-4000-foot layout would be a fantastic addition to the Triad." I think they did a solid job making the transition.
Think of Elon Eager Beaver in Charlotte (3300-foot layout) and how popular that is.
- For more advanced players, this is a birdie-polooza or ace run. Players more skilled than me will be making a run at 18 straight birdies, or at least breaking 40. My round of 48 wasn't only a 895 rating according to DGCR. I had some solid tee shots, but definitely lost some strokes due to slightly askew tee shots or poor putts.
- This is a solid, decent course. For beginners, kids, and casual players, I think this is a great place to play. To make championship level courses possible, we do need beginner-friendly courses to draw a bigger pool of players.