Well Maintained course.

Unique course with beach sand and maritime forest. Also, unique for the area since most courses here are wooded with huge trees you can not throw over. This course gives you the chance to throw hyzer bombs and over hands quite a bit.

Nice little park, convenient parking, and course is pretty easy to find.

Has a practice basket

Fun Course that is not too long for recreational players.

Not my main course but I really have fun every time I come here to play.

Make it a beach and DG day and you will not regret it.

Completely different course if you choose to follow the fairway lanes under the trees rather than playing this course high which I think is kind of cool.

Very few trash cans.

Tee diagrams are very misleading. Walk ahead and find the basket before you throw or you will make some really bad shot choices

The double mando on 10? is really aweful. Overhead and to the right away from the left facing fairway is ridiculous. Also the bushes are growing over onto that tee pad making the tee pad really hard to play and reducing the space you have to make throws. As a lefty I end arm trough the bushes almost every time. Most annoying tee I have ever played.

The par rating on some of the holes is too forgiving for experienced players. Makes this course really easy sometimes. I shot 3 under last I played here. At the other longer course in town that I play everyday I shoot more like 8-10 over.

Bring bug spray the ticks can be really bad.

Sand on the tee pads makes some of the tees really slick. I almost went down twice. Not sure how they would even fix that since it is the beach but it is worth a mention.

This course has holes facing many different directions which means when the wind is up you will have holes with headwinds, tailwinds, hyzer facing crosswinds, hyzer against crosswinds all in the same round. Bring your wind discs or play the fairway lanes when it is windy.

If you cannot find a disc it is certainly stuck in a tree. These trees eat plastic. Do not give up on your discs keep looking up you will find them. I find discs every time I play here. Found three yesterday and now I gotta figure out how to get them all back to people.

I love throwing hyzer bombs and this course lets you throw a lot of them. I really enjoy playing here.

Well laid out and beautiful scenery very technical course need to control the disc to get around the trees. The course map is laid out on a large board at hole one.

need to keep the disc low so as not to get into the scrub oak limbs. TICKS!!!! lots of bugs in the summer and spring months

In my opinion this is a very fun course to play. The course makes good use of the land with what resources were provided. It has a balance of short technical holes and lengthy ones you can really let your disc air out on. All tees and baskets are clearly marked and have a natural flow. The sand all but eliminates skip shots and the beach wind forces you to play the course by keeping it under the tree line. It is rarely crowded probably due to its remoteness. Signature hole is that little par 3 with the tree. And hardest put is on hole nine, good luck with the wind... Overall its a great course for players of all skill levels.

Ticks. Jiggers. Cops. And lately I have been tripping on alot of roots and stumps in the fairways.

What is up with all the mandos? I dont think its fair to those with long distance capabilities. Also the keep it the right mando on the par 5 seems unnecessary.

This is a recently built course that I think should make almost everyone happy! The course is built on the state land on Pleasure Island and is in a spectacular place. You can actually glimpse the ocean (in the distance) at some places on the course! There is a nice gazebo, message board, and practice basket at the first hole. There is also a baseball field right next to the course which makes a wonderful place to practice throwing before or after playing. There is a bench on every hole, trashcans often, and the tees flow very logically. There are big signs with the distance, par, hole number, and a drawing of the general outline of the hole. The course is nicely maintained. There are multiple par 4s and a par 5. The best holes on this course are more likely to be subjective than other courses I have played, but I think most people would agree hole 4, very short par 3/ace opportunity, through a cool beach tree growing along the ground is the best. The best part about the course is that you are challenged to make a lot of different shots. Many holes have sharp curves, S curves, and other interesting factors.

The biggest problems on this course are caused by, as another reviewer put it, mother nature. There are actually warning signs for ticks. My personal experience was stumbling into chiggers and having about 30 bites on my legs. The guy I play with stumbled into ticks. I started using bug spray on my shoes and below my knees and have never had any more problems. Another one of my friends also had a close encounter (walked over it) with a copperhead. Be mindful of where you walk here! Another negative of this course is the wind. In most cases there is low wind and it isn't a problem, but due to its location the wind can sometimes/is more likely to be severe.

The other thing that I can think of that could have been done a little bit better is the drawing of the shot on the signs. It will give you a general idea of what you are doing but I would describe it as a cartoon representation, not a scaled diagram. Doesn't bother me because I never make a shot totally depending on a signs picture.

This is a subjective issue, but the tee pads are rubber. I personally don't think concrete would do as well here, due to the terrain being loose sand on many of the tees.

-Holes 1, 9, 10, 15, and 16 are really professional style holes. Trees in jutst the right areas for you to get excited about weaving your disc through.
-Benches on every hole and garbage cans every few holes keeps your feet happy and garbage away
-Rubber tees are perfect for the beach. Sand on concrete could be dangerous. They are big and give you good grip.
-Front 9 are more open, then the back 9 have more woods to them, creating different feels for both.
-So close to the ocean, walk on down to the access and take a swim when you're done and cool off!
-Signs point you to the next tee after each basket.

-Some of the holes are pretty open with no shade. It gets hot and humid. Bring something to keep you hydrated!
-Ticks can be an issue. I use them as motivation to stay out of the rough...
-Being so close to the beach means it can get windy down there. Heed my warning and throw it low if you can hear the wind.
-Holes 7, and 8 are too similar to each other to be in a row. I know there was limited land to develop on. And I toss lefty anyway, so it works to my advantage.

This park is underrated in my opinion. I think being so close to Castle Hayne means people expect too much out of it sometimes. But I love it. It's off the beaten path, so it's never too busy. You are playing at the beach, which makes it so much different then most other courses out there. I think some alternate tees like they have recently added on Hole 6 can only make it better.

Unique
Fun
Challenging
Close to nice beach
Baskets in good shape
Clean
Drainage excellent

Needs more clearing in a few areas
Concrete tees would be nice, existing tees decent
A few minor safety hazards should be addressed
Ticks abundant in warm weather
Fairway lines on signs not accurate. 1st time through you should walk ahead and spot the basket on the many blind shots.

This course is definitely worth playing if you're in the area.

1. Signs have map, par, and distance
2. Large Rubber tees
3. Benches on all holes
4. Trashcans have been added
5. Practice basket
6. Playground
7. Good variety of holes

1. Wind
2. Not much shade on this course

I don't get to play this course too often. Found that they have mulched around all of the baskets and added trash cans to some of the holes. I love seeing that there is a good disc golf community taking care of this course. Overall I love this course and always look forward to playing it. With so many pros and the cons all being caused by mother nature I can't help but give this course a high rating. This course allows for a couple ace runs as well as a few longer holes that if you mess up on your score will raise. Take some water and a towel because you're gonna be thirsty and dirty after playing this one. Deffinitely worth checking out. I also would recomend Castle Hayne and Bill smith (only a 9 hole) parks as well. Castle Hayne is for those more experienced players while Bill smith is more for beginners. Arrowhead is a newer course in the Wilmington area that is average and worth checking out.

The Joe Eakes Park disc golf course is quite interesting, challenging, and unlike anything I can remember playing before. It is a very complete course, with plastic tee boxes (occasionally two tees per hole), tee signs, and set of 18 working baskets. The terrain is very sandy, and the trees are short, but crowd the twisty, narrow fairways and create thick, punishing gnarled masses of rough, low canopy. This is not always pleasant, but I include it as a pro because it establishes the unique nature of the environment, and adds a ton of difficulty. Overall, the course is on very flat land. I was totally frustrated, but highly respect and thoroughly enjoyed playing this course. Converging 9's allow you to play only the front or the back 9 without a lot of extra walking. Extremely clear of litter and other debris.

The tees boxes were hard plastic mats, good and level, but still less favorable to concrete for me. The tees signs were nice quality, but not always a accurate representation of the shapes of the many blind holes. Wind will often be a factor due to the ocean breezes, I suppose. This can subvert attempts to throw over the top of the numerous short trees and brush. Ticks must be a serious issue, because several signs posted advise checking often, and removing promptly.

I think this course is good in its current form, and surely worth playing. It could be made more friendly by clearing some of the fairways and greens a bit more, but removing all of the teeth would not be an improvement, in my opinion. The tee pads and signs could be better, and I think I would boost my rating by half a point if small changes were made closer to my ideal standards. I want to give this course a 4 just based on the difficulty and the unique nature of the place, but just can't do it. All in all, a good challenge for local disc golf enthusiasts, and a nice place to visit and play for all others. Very different course from what I am used to, and I would recommend it if you have a chance to get there.

Fun course! the low tree canopy offers extreme hyzer shots over the trees and because most of the course is sand they don't roll, like using a sand wedge.

Some of the greens need some more tree removal. Luck should have nothing to do with a 20 ft. putt. they need to do something about the ticks and chiggers.Course and hole/tee signs are weak and no OB markings

Glad to see a warm-up basket. (update) Some tree removal has been done much more playable. Went when it was windy lost a disc in that low canopy. Went after heavy rain course dries fast.

Nice looking course centered around a small town park. Overall I'd say the course is on the shorter side and fairly technical. Lots of short-medium distance holes with a good variety of lefts and right, lots of trees, and some pretty tight fairways. All of the trees are fairly low and can be thrown over. A fun course to play as you don't need to be a power thrower to par, but you do need to be pretty accurate.

The sand makes for a different playing surface than most courses, preventing much of a skip and not providing very firm footing. Although the trees are very low, they are extremely thick and discs often get stuck in them, so don't forget to look up. On a windy day, it's hard to play this course as you have to stay pretty low to the fairway.

Tee pads aren't concrete, but that probably helps since it's so sandy. I do like that they have signs for each hole and most of them are great, but I feel that some of the signs slightly misrepresent the fairway or basket location. There's not much elevation change and no water hazards, but you can't really expect much of that when playing a course so close to the coast. As the signs on course suggest, watch out for ticks in warm months; I have found a few after playing this course.

Loved the idea for the rubber tee-pads with holes because i would imagine sliding on concrete pads due to sand may have been a problem.

The landscaping between holes and teepads made for a nice look for the course. if you are a backhand forehand only player and the wind is up the lines can be really tight and hard to hit making it a tough course(however not always the case, See below).

Nice signage from hole to hole and a course map Hole 1 the beginning.

#9 comes back to the parking lot

The Bugs/ticks were not a problem when I went.

Benches on every hole

Your at the Beach how can you complain too much!

On the day i went there was NO wind ,as a thumber thrower, I was able to just launch shots over the short trees and brush and not have to worry. I could imagine better players throwing huge hyzers over everything making this course really easy for them.

While the tee signs were nice I think they were kind of general and didn't really represent the hole well

The Brush on the sides can be thick and they eat discs. When you can't seem to find your disc......Look up!

reading other reviews and seeing a sign at hole 1 saying "beware of ticks" I would imagine that it is a major issue. However in the late fall/winter they are not as much of a problem.

This course was really interesting due to the fact that you are playing right next to the beach and all of the footing is pretty much loose sand. There are almost no skips and some of the shots you want to throw it low and see it skip but it won't happen. It was really fun to play and if you got off the fairway you had a job ahead getting out of the thick brush. had lots of fun playing this course!

My experience may be different than others who played this course in other conditions that had a much worse time but the day I played it was a PERFECT day for disc thus my experience at the course was not hindered by small issues.

I would suggest this time of year to play this course(if you can)

18 new baskets tucked into a cool little city park. Playground, fields, dog park etc.

Very well maintained course. Good signs that show distance and hole layout. Plastic pads at every hole. They work pretty well, but not perfectly.

Well defined fairways. There are a couple very tight areas around the course, but mostly the fairways are what the signs show, and lead you to the basket. Basket positions are set up pretty well considering there is ZERO elevation or water to add risk. They are mostly tucked in or behind the oaks to add some challenge.

Decent variety of left and right shots. A couple short shots are mixed in too. There is some decent length, but no real open holes. You'll want to carve this course up as opposed to bombarding it with power.

Disc golf near the beach. If you like the beach it is an added bonus. If you're like me and want to avoid the crowds at the beach then this course is for you. Either way it's nice to have around.

No open holes to really let loose. There are trees everywhere, and trouble if you are off the fairway.

Pads are probably good for a sandy location, but a few of them were pretty slick. Probably just the sand, and nothing can be done about that.

No elevation. No water. No overwhelming or memorable holes.

Wind. Sometimes nature sucks. This course is near the ocean and was damn windy when I played. I suspect that is normal. I tried to look on the bright side, and try to learn to play in the wind better. But it will change your game if you are not used to it. This could be considered a positive for some I guess.

Overall this is a nice little course. It looks like a great amount of time and effort has gone into it. It has very well made signs and is easy to navigate. Given the flatness of the land and the trees there the designed did a nice job adding some interesting twists and turns to the course. Even on the 150' #4 there was a very cool tree blocking the ace run to the basket. Nice for a 150 hole. Hole 15 with it's long fairway, listed at 480', was also a favorite of mine. There are several fairways that twist and turn rather than have one line to the basket. Disc control and line shaping are key here.

Others mentioned using thumbers and tomahawks here, but often the basket is tucked under the trees making an overhand approach a little risky. I found out how good those trees are at catching. Better than most baskets.

All in all this is a solid course. And since it is so different than almost all the North Carolina courses I've played I'd call it a must play if you're anywhere close.

Easy to navigate from hole to hole

Technical course

A lot of the little details makes this course fun/exciting (stone pathways and outlining!)

Sitting area/bench at each tee box *Major Kudos*

*FREE* to play

Majority of the holes/pathways are in the sand

*Don't feed the TICKS*

Very narrow approach shots on a majority of the holes

Overall I enjoyed my experience at Kure Beach and would recommend others to play at this course. (If you've got enough time take the ferry across and play at Bill Smith Park in Oak Island, NC)

Close to the beach, easy to get from hole to hole, signage on every hole. Can really fine tune your short game. New baskets, grippy tea pads even though they don't look like they would be. Signs warning you about the ticks.

Every hole is pretty much the same with the primary layout of each hole being the shape of a question mark, or reverse question mark. The hole layout on the signs is often misleading so if you're a first timer playing it you will be perplexed. No creativity whatsoever and the terrain is just weird. Lots of trees that all seem to be 10 ft tall at the most and shield most potential lines to the basket. On some holes the basket is hidden behind 3 or 4 tress and you have zero shot at a birdie or par putt unless you are extremely lucky. It is very windy, which is not surprising being so close to the beach, so if your tee shot gets any elevation the wind takes your disk wherever it pleases and typically have to navigate through tick ridden brush to get it. If you don't get enough elevation on the other hand you will hit 1 of the million tiny trees or branches out there. Even if you have the perfect throw there are places where the fairway has a cross-wind spot and your disc just dies because of it and drops down. Bottom line, you have to be extremely accurate and/or lucky to get a good lie on most holes otherwise you have a poor second shot. I'm by no means an accomplished player but in my opinion to score well on this course you have to be more lucky than good. I've played other courses that are actually intended to be difficult but are not nearly as tedious and not fun to play like this one.

If you're in the area within close proximity its a neat little course to play but I would not go out of my way to play this one and would prefer Castle Hayne. This course should not be difficult and should hone your short game but you have to be much more lucky than good to score decent on this course and you come away from it not having had much fun. You don't need your driver except for maybe one hole, the rest of them you can handle with a mid-range Roc and a putter. I guess the terrain is the way it is because it's so close to the beach and there's only so much land to work with. I just think the course could have been made so it is a more fun experience. I'm ok with playing difficult courses but not courses that are little or virtually no fun to play.

nice course right near the beach, tee pads were plastic but worked really well for the course. all brand new baskets.the terrain was flat but the winding fairways made for challenging lines. if you can throw a decent thumber, you will need it. clean park , a few benches, tee signs at every hole

all though there were signs, i felt like a few were off on distance and fairway shapes were a little off. no big deal really.

i liked this course and drove from holden beach about a hour away. its not as good as castle hayne but still worth checking out. good work....

Nice wide fairways, plenty of obstacles and some "blind" holes. A good mix of right hand and left hand turns. Trees and brush provide plenty of obstacles but most importantly this course is marked very well. If you are visiting this area you can go to this park and find your way around without having to have a "local" with you. Excellent course. My 73 year old father loves it, I love it and my 13 year old son loves it. All skill levels can play here.

there really aren't any cons.... oh, do carry some bug spray.

This course is a must play for Disc Golfers of all ages and skill levels and I will definitely be returning for more fun.

The score cards were readily available. Holes are well marked. Good use of natural oaks and beach scrubs to create a need for finesse. The course will give right handers a chance to throw some anhyzers. The sand fairways are a nice change from all the other surfaces for the occasional game. Locals I met were very friendly.

For a player of my age, almost 67, and the terrain of the coast being utilized there were no cons.

This course makes being able to control your point of curve instead of just being able to bang it out. A good control player can compete with a long tosser almost equal. Also the use of the trees to,limit the type of approach you make to some of the baskets rewards a good approach game and putting. Note: on a 90 degree day the sand will be hot if you play in flops or beach type shoes.

The course is, aesthetically, very appealing and sharply done. Nice entry/gazebo area with a large course map. Clear and informative signs. Really enjoyed the course "barriers", mando flags - very sharp and a nice dark green motif - and stonework around the course. It just has cleaner and slicker feel then most NC courses. The teepads are gravel with rubber insets - they work very well.

There just doesn't seem to be a great variety to the course - tons of long swtichback fairways - which actually gets monotonous. The course is challenging, but for the wrong reasons - small gaps, tree branches interfere with normal flight paths, too many "protected" holes. It is very buggy (liked the tick signs though), but it is the beach, so cannot be avoided.

This is much different than your typical NC wooded course. You have the ability to actually throw over the trees (since they are short beach trees), which I found myself doing on a few holes to get a good line. If you have a good OH throw in your arsenal, it will probably benefit you greatly. This is disc golf on a beach, so there is no shade. Also, the fairways are sand, so skips are minimal. It could be a little tricky to determine where the park is without the temporary-looking "Disc Golf Course" sign, since there is no sign for the actual park. I would give this course a 2.75 rating if it were an option - a solid course, no real memorable holes or "wow" factor to the actual course itself. If you are vacationing in the Carolina Beach/Kure Beach area - then this is one to try. From a Raleigh perspective, it's one to play if you are hitting Castle Hayne already, but not worth the trip solely. FYI, the police station is right across the street - hence the police presence.

Amended my review rating slightly - since it was better than other courses that I have rated 2.5 as well. That said, I still believe it is a solid 2.75.

The course officially opened on Feb 20th and it is as finished a course as you will find. Great signage, benches and unique but functional tee pads on every hole. Huge course map and welcoming patio lead you to the first hole .

For a first time designer, Mike Jones & crew did a great job on this course for the amount of land provided @ 15 acres. Good variety of shots and challenging. Different ways to score good and bad here.

Unique landscape and proximity to the beach are what make this course special. Mike made great use of the scrub oaks on the short holes to guard the baskets.

I don't like to see the same shot on consecutive holes & 7 & 8 are near identical. Update: Hole 8 now has an alternate basket with a straight shot.
Bugs and chiggers will most likely be an issue during the summer, I hope to be proven wrong on this.

The local govt is very supportive of the course & excited about the sport but I hope they don't get too EVENT happy. This is a good course but it's not a championship course.

The local police will be strictly enforcing open container & leash laws...please don't give them a reason to pull this course.

If I may amend the directions given for this course. After crossing the bridge and passing the shopping center, turn right onto Dow Rd. just before the CVS pharmacy. Roughly 3 miles will be a sharp left turn. Look for the Kure Beach sign and Joe Eakes Park will be the next right turn. This will keep you from driving thru the busy section of Carolina Beach.

Great L-R and distance variety, superb tees/signs, beautiful and unique park setting, and lots of extra touches like mulch around the tees, pins, and fences to help keep your disc from veering off into nearby neighborhoods or non-park land. The short, quirky Dr. Seuss trees alone make this course a must-play IMO. Occasional white sand pits and tons of moss help the course ooze charm. The big metal buoy on hole #4 reminds you that you're on a special course.

The holes: Well thought out and all require some line strategizing to score well. None seem too repetitive and there's a nice change of pace with the last 3-4 holes as they get a little longer and under some taller pines. This course requires lots of little tricks like thumbers, FH rollers, and flicks to score well.

The tees are plastic, interlocking squares with a honeycomb type pattern that are dug into the ground. They work surprisingly well and don't seem to be as merciless on your shoes as concrete, so a big thumb up from me. Also, benches abound this course which is always a big +.

The course also has some better than expected elevation change as well.

The tee signs are good but the pictures on them are fairly misleading on a few of them.

A couple of holes have some really tough lines to hit off the tee, kind of make you feel like you have to burn your drive short just to set up for the par, hole #10 or #15 I think, I can't remember which, are a prime example. (It has a mando on the left and then cuts down and hard to the left with a little awkward hump of elevation b/w the tee and the mando. It's a low ceiling to boot, so your only real shot at getting down the fairway with any sort of length is with a miraculous roller or velvety smooth FH anny.)

A lot of the trees have mulch around them, ringed with large rocks. These rocks are annoying and will chew up your plastic. I've heard that they were put in by the P&R people and the designer is not happy with them and that they'll get removed soon. But for now, they suck.

This has nothing to do with the course per se and didn't reflect in my rating at all but it bears mentioning. This course is being frequented by Kure Beach's finest boys in blue, and probably will continue to be so until beach season when they have something better to do. Until then, expect the Fuzz to issue out some open container and leash law violations faster than a Twista rhyme. They apparently like to roll through the course on 4 wheelers around lunch time, so this isn't a booze friendly course to let your fido run around helter skelter.

I played on Friday afternoon and was the only guy there. Apparently, I heard from friends that went to play Sat and Sun that the KB PD were turning DG-ers away left and right, saying that the course is not open until February 20th. So I wouldn't drive out there on a weekend until then.

This is a challenging course. The trees are short for the most part, but the steady coastal breeze and disc eating rough will make the big armed pros think twice about unleashing a big spike hyzer or OH up and over the fairway obstacles. This course is a different beast from most NC courses, the wind and vegetation causes you to throw drivers more than you think you would, yet shot placement remains foremost on the priority list like a technical woods course.

Signature hole: #4, what else? A short ace run with a buoy on the far left and the basket sits behind a tree that runs practically horizontal to the ground. The tee is a chill spot too. Just a cool little hole.