Are you able to throw 260 feet? When you release the disc? The right direction?
The course is clear and clean and Fair!!!!
Plenty of Fairway must throw drivers to obtain a Five.
The Course is LONG. LONG means 2 Great Drives and you have a layup 3. 4 putt 5 in.
really long. You have to love the long. 2-3 drives to get near the basket on about 8 holes. Honestly, on the second round, I walked up to the tee and said why is this hole like this? LONG FAIR Holes. Plenty of elevation. Any more than 2 rounds and you are a trooper.

A couple more garbage collection. They have garbage cans on about every 4 holes from my experience.
I needed more cans for some reason.

you just finished a 580 ft hole. walk to the next box, 635 ft hole, next hole 520 ft. It can wear you down arm and body.

Do you have the mental fortitude? Your body will wear out on 2 rounds.

There is an awful lot to like about this course. The park is great, and huge. The scenery is very nice on almost every hole. Trash cans are abundant, there are benches at (almost if not) every hole. I love the fact that the DGC does not interfere in any way with the rest of the activities that take place in the park. A few holes cross paths, but beyond that the only thing in our way is other DG'ers.

I found the holes to be very well thought out. The layout does a great job of taking advantage of the best of the natural terrain, with good use of elevation on many holes.

Course signage is outstanding. I played all 18 without a tour guide, and didn't get lost at all. I especially liked the mid-fairway distance indicators

I am a novice player at best, and I came nowhere near par, spending quite a bit of time in the rough on either side of the fairway. The good news is that the underbrush is quite thin, and I had no trouble tracking down my errant plastic.

I understand some other reviewers were frustrated by this course, and I have to admit standing on a tee pad or two and thinking that the hole in front of me was a bit sadistic. But when you rip one straight down one of these chutes and it lays down right where you wanted it, it is incredibly rewarding.

There are a large amount of details that make navigation safer on the course. That includes what look to be new bridges over the deeper ditches, steps built into some of the steeper hillsides, and it's obvious that quite a bit of care goes into keeping the prickly and poison things from being a nuisance.

My biggest grumble all day came from tripping and stumbling over Stumps hiding in the leaf litter! Watch your step.

Some of the holes seem to be a bit long for no reason other than to say they're long, playing right over some very nice basket locations in the '450 to '550 range.

The worst thing on this course was my ability. But my frustration with my play had nothing to do with the course, the course just helped to point out weaknesses. Saying that is a fault of the course is like blaming the disc for my shot.

This is truly a destination course in my opinion, and I hope you find time to play it should you be in the area.

Thanks to everyone who has a hand in taking care of the course, you all should be proud of what you've accomplished here!

Well maintianed

Rustic

Conctrete pads and plenty of amenities

Very good signage

Difficult does not properly describe this course

Fun? Anyone? Bueller?

This course is beyond brutal.

Difficulty does not directly equate to quality when designing disc golf courses. For me, the most important aspect of disc golf is FUN. Enjoyment. Good times, man. This course is NOT fun. I seriously hated most of it. I wanted to pick up my disc and leave many times.

So, here is a break down of the layout;
You start with a long, tight hole. This is followed by a tight, long hole. Then there are a few tight, long, doglegs. Then you finish with some really tight and long holes. I actually began wishing I had loner discs so I could spare my plastic from this heinous torture.

There was very little diversity here. The whole course felt very monotonous. It is hands down the most difficult course I have ever played.

Still, this course is very well put together. If this is the style of golf you enjoy, then this has been meticulously detailed and maintained for you. The pads, baskets, signage and benches are all in great shape. There are some nice elevation changes. There actually are a couple ace runs, you just have to thread a needle to do it.

Obviously, this course isn't my cup of tea. I play to have fun, not to get beat like a tied down goat. But if you truly want to test your ability to throw error free disc golf, then this could be the best course in the nation.

Everything about this course was fun! Great signs and concrete teepads. Nice baskets! Well layed out and very well thought out! This course was pleasantly challenging!

No cons! Easy to follow!

Great job CDGC!!!!

Ranks at the top of the most challenging disc golf course layouts I have ever played. I loved Nevin in all it's punishing glory because it exposed my flaws and my score rose from my mistakes not from some other means like other difficult courses. This wooded beast has ample fairways that invite you to throw your driver, and you should throw your driver. The difficulty comes from the long but FAIR lines that must be hit to achieve a respectable score. Let me repeat you should drive through the woods here...if you don't you will be playing bogey golf with no chance at par. Thats the kind of disc golf I enjoy. Demanding you to hit your lines to achieve par. Punishes laying up as the distance is too great to go mid-range to mid-range yet woodsy enough to punish errant drives. The high scores are derived from player mistakes and NOT rollaway greens, elevated baskets, unavoidable ravines, OOB, excessive water, wind, or too tight fairways. When you play these holes you have that feeling that you can achieve par each time but it's a matter of will you be able to execute. Luck really isnt a factor as much as decision-making and skill.
This was my favorite amongst the higher rated Charlotte courses. Iron Hill in DE and Nockamixon in PA are the only similiar courses I have ever played to this beast. It's not that the course kicks your ass it's more that you kick yourself for messing up....thats good design in my book.
This course does provide a slew of excellent par 3s that will challenge you, frustrate you and feed your addiction with moments of ecstasy and agony. Many looong layouts lack this mix of fun yet difficult par 3s.
For a wooded course the footing was excellent and there were minimal if any thorns...I was off the fairways quite often.
I really enjoyed the use of fast greens which were not over the top but allowed for conservative play if you wanted to add a stroke for laying up vs demanding you triple putt with a gimmicky high basket. (yeah I'm slamming the other Charlotte courses but this one gets it right...If I punk out I should take a stroke for playing safe and not be forced to triple quadruple putt from OOB for missing a forced putt due to no lay-up option)
OOB was minimal....really it's not even needed here as the course derives the difficulty and not silly mandos and contrived OOB. There were some oob and mandos but they added to the experience and were there for obvious safety concerns.
Avoids park congestion...other than a shot near horseshoe pits and 2 over a walking path I felt like I was deep within a PA state park playing real woods golf.
Elevation and Woods used in conjunction to create a masterpiece of forward thinking design and not forgetting what makes disc golf fun.
I make no bones about my love for wooded fairway driving and my disdain for placement landing golf but holes 12 and 14 are all about landing safely and setting up your second shot. I enjoyed these shots as it tempered the wide open holes with some punishment for recklessness.
The short holes provided enough trouble to make a 3 feel earned and a deuce was something special.
The longer par 4s and 5s were often filled with difficult lines, crazy looks, and wtf moments but never did I feel like it was impossible to achieve.
Holes 5 and 10 might be the most challenging woods holes I have ever played.
Dual fairway on hole 8 was a treat and offered a true decision-making off the tee.
The final 3 holes classify as spectacular finishers with reasonable fairways and attainable pars if you can play within your means and do not mess up.
The flow of the course was excellent with paths and signage adequate. Just when you're weary of arduous long woods you are met with an interesting par 3. Just as your sick of open air your back in the woods.
18 ranks in my top disc golf holes and truly is a masterpiece that is well earned after one grueling round of disc golf.
Dual Tees on many holes and perfectly textured concrete on every hole.
I love hearing the top pros bitch and lose it about a course....this one should make for some hilarious moments at 2012 Worlds. I'd camp out on holes 5 and 10 and laugh myself silly all day long at Worlds if I was a local.
For the record I played terrible at Nevin but am sure I could do better and am drawn back to Charlotte solely for this course alone. This is the one I want some revenge on. Utopian mix of difficulty and fun! Good Job Guys.

I really only have one issue with Nevin and that is the lack of landing areas and/or recovery zones on a few of the longer holes. North Carolina has a challenge that northern designers do not have to encounter and that is the thickness of the undergrowth under even the highest canopy. This makes for absolutely no option if your even 10 feet off the fairways at Nevin but to pitch out and redrive. I like the risk reward of trying an overhand or some ridiculous line through the woods rather than merely pitching back to the fairway each time. On shorter holes I can see the importance of keeping the integrity of the fairways but once a hole is over 500 feet the designers have to do something to allow some more creativity from players than constantly just merely pitching out....this aspect bored me at Nevin and I wanted to take a chance at some crazy recovery but it was never there...not once.
I would have rather been tempted to tomahawk rather than putting backwards to the fairway over and over. With the length and size of Nevin it will never be played as much as Reedy nor will players ever land in the same areas over and over as there is so much area to be beaten in. The course needs to be thinned out along some fairways to allow for some dramatic and fun recovery...in no way would this weaken the difficulty of the course or make it play easier.....it would just add another element of shot-making and fun to what already is one of my favorite courses to date.

I played Nevin in January and to me it was perfect. It may play more difficult in summer and for this I hope some additional thinning of schule is eventually undertaken.
Regardless this is the ONE course I will reccomend to traveling players when they visit Charlotte.
It's Iron Hill plus fun and Nockamixon minus the bad footing.

Nevin is likely to damage your self esteem right out of the gate, but if you can manage to pick yourself up off the canvas, you can be friends with it. More than any other course I've played, this one has the potential to make me a better (i.e., smarter) player with each attempt. One day soon I will own it. For now, Nevin owns me.


The first time this course mocks you, you'll be tempted to think it was just fatigue or poor execution that made you tank; don't fall for it. Nevin is designed mess with your head, not your arm. It's engineered to trick you into choosing shots that are too aggressive, too subtle or too clever at the wrong times. There are at least 18 unique riddles to solve here, and you will need to bring all your discs, all your shots and all your wits to get it done.

Memorable Features:
-Loooong holes that twist and turn, up and down, in and out of the woods from shot to shot;
-Baskets you can't even see until your third shot;
-A narrow double mando gate at 130' on #14;
-Blind dop offs behind the baskets on 3 and 7;
...and a dubious "Ace" claim written on the bench at the #9 tee. Really? It's 600' uphill under a canopy with a dogleg right at 450'. Who did that? How, exactly?

Watch your step. There are holes everywhere. The parks department has done an excellent job clearing trees to make fairways, but they left hundreds of deep 10"-30" diameter holes all over the place that will break your leg if you're not watching where you put your feet.
Beyond that, I wouldn't change a thing.

This course will test your skills. The holes are very long and narrow. You can not relax on any of the holes, since almost every one requires total concentration.

If you end up more than 2 feet off the fairway, you are in big trouble. Unlike other courses where you can save a bad drive by making a good approach shot, you are likely to need 2-3 shots just to get back to the fairway. Removing a few trees from most of the holes would make it more fair.

This is a very tough course that will test your skills. It can be frustrating, but will provide a great challenge. It is also only a few miles from Hornets Nest, so you can play both courses if you are feeling ambitious.

OK, first, this course is CHALLENGING!
Very long, very technical, and very fun.
Concrete T-pads, some decent (handdrawn) signnage, and very thought out , long, layout

DIFFICULT, have i said its long yet?
NOT beginner friendly, this course will kick most seasoned player's asses (which is also a pro! )

Bottom line- this course is new, still a ton of work to be done on it. In it's current state it is very impressive and ambitious.
This course is definitely looking to be a gold level championship course, its still got a good deal of work that needs to be done, but so far so good.

The length and hole layout is going to challenge damn near anyone, normally I would count this sort of difficulty as a fault, but NC has SO many courses in this area that a course like this isn't going to inhibit anyone from learning the sport.

The course seems like the parks just gave people this forest and said have your way with it. You can literally see where they carved their way through the dense forest to make way for the fairways that make up this course. Definitely a must play for any serious disc'er


- also- see brotherdave's review! he hits the nail right smack center on the head. this course definitely wants to kick your ass and take your lunch money

I loved this course. It was long, it was hard and it was fun. I think this is the best course in Charlotte period. My friends and I played Renaissance,Hornets nest and this. I love NC golf, and Nevin is well worth the drive.

I can't play it on weekends because I live in Cincy.

Keep up the great work.

I'm going to cut to the chase on this one. This course has:
Length with a capital L.
Well-defined fairways.
Signage and great tees.
A practice basket.
L-R variety.
Holes that require placement.
Memorable holes.

This course hates you. It hits the alarm clock before the sun rises so that it has time to prepare itself properly for hating you. It will kick your dog in the face. It ate your last piece of pie that your mom baked for you, then it threw it up on your best shirt. Think you made a good drive? Nope, the course will put your disc in a ditch, behind a cluster of trees, or kick it into the schule with it's many roots. Make a bad throw? Expect to make about 5 more before the hole is over. The course has open holes too, but you won't like them. Because there is just enough briers and weeds growing up on the fairway to make losing a disc easy or the fairway itself, like the wooded holes, never ceases to be "too clever" for its own good. Like the double mando on hole # 14. Sure, the mando on the right is cool, it keeps discs from flying into the neighborhood on the right, but the other mando some 30' to the left kind of forms a clown's mouth with the branches, an evil, sadistic clown that takes pleasure in popping kids' balloons. So what you get essentially is a ~10' tall by 30' wide window to hit up hill on a 500'+ hole, 200'+ from the tee. The question is, why? Why must every hole go out of its way to mock you? (That hole really isn't that bad/hard). But this is the way you feel if you can't hit narrow gap after narrow gap and land your disc with remote control precision.

There's a lot of cool, neat holes here. And most of them force you to think strategically. The problem is, it seems like even when you do every thing right, these holes find a way to deprive you from getting par. I'm all for clever bends and switch backs and dog legs but at some point you get tired of pushing the boulder uphill and you want a "dumbed down" hole to relax, get some confidence back, and key word here: Enjoy. This course has everything design wise that you can conceivably ask for, except enjoyment. But if you enjoy immense challenges that never seemingly never end and a course that gives good scores only to those favored by the Gods, then maybe Nevin is Heaven.

Nevin's footage is not out of this world. Lesser armed players still stand a chance; if they can negotiate the fairways. This is perhaps my favorite thing about this course (as opposed to Renny, which has more of a big armed player feel; to me). This is not a short course; but neither is it a big arm track. Stan designed original concept here; but extreme kudos should be given to Mark and Matt (with some applause for various other contributors). M and M have logged enormous hours at this course. Mark also involved with a number of other area disc course projects; and seems (like a number of Charlotte individuals) to work non stop on making this area an even better destination point than it already is. He is also the main person responsible for enlarging the scope of Nevin towards an eventual par 72 layout. My original comment about length being fair for shorter arms, I think will still be valid to some degree; but Mark is sadistically laughing at the opportunities for even more length to challenge the risk/reward options for gold level players. I really think this is going to be a crown jewel by the time worlds comes to town....
I enjoyed this course from start to finish. There were four of us traveling on this trip; and we played some fine courses along the way (14 total courses in three states; per this site; 4 3 rated courses, 1 3.5, 4 4 rated, 1 4.5 rated, and four home grown; which were all at least 3.5's IMHO); and, we thought Nevin was the best/toughest of this group. Since then, some of the pin ball action has been removed from Nevin; but one of the course designer's reveals that very tight fairways are the "feel of the course" and will not be opened much.
Talk about a thinking man's course....Talk about a shot making course....Talk about a course to keep your wits about you after your second or third trip to the schule in succession...
You are asked to make narrow shot after narrow shot. If you're off the fairway, you need to spend a shot to get back into the fairway. Schule is thick off the fairways.
There are dog legs associated with this narrow steerage. You not only have to make thin shots; but you have to finish one way or another, to lead to your next shot.
To me; it was a beautiful walk in the woods; with great disc holes thrown in. I have been assured that the early spring look is nothing compared to the greenness of summer!
There are places for deuces; but, most often, you must make a good drive off the tee (meaning fairway; regardless of the distance), and then plan another excellent second shot (again, staying on tough fairways), follow this advice again, make a putt; and move on to more of the same.
The combination of length and technicality is simply out of this world. And, you will have to use every shot in your bag; right hand shots, left hand shots, uphill, downhill, tomajunk, forehand, escape rollers probably...etc. to maneuver your way around this test of skill.
There is not a huge down hiller here. Nor is there a great water shot. This is a rating based on great wooded shots. Hole after hole of them. Signature after signature hole of them.
Believe it or not; there is some mando here. Also, telephone pole(s) to hit on #18; in case there were not enough trees for you.
Two sets of nice, new, roughened and long, tees. Course feels longer than pure footage would indicate; due to narrow lines needed.
Other activities available in park; see other reviews.

At the time we played; things were fairly primitive in terms of amenities.

Bikinjack (from this site) was our guide this round; which helped our enjoyment level. Also helped on the navigation. We played in March. Course fairly new. I believe Jack had only played it once previously and we didn't have any troubles.
I have to say that N.C. is one of my favorite areas for disc in the U.S. Nevin is, after one time through, my favorite of this bunch!!! I will be back to see the progress with the amenities, and to play this awesome grouping in the future.
All of those who reside in a cold winter state, as I do, should put Charlotte N.C. and Nevin, in particular, on their escape winter weather trips. March and April are one of the best times of the year to be playing here. Southern spring is way ahead of us....things are green in March/April; but schule is not near as thick as it will be a month or two later....

I am going to leave the minute details to those who wish to nit-pick the finer points. I have played a good many courses in my life; more than some, less than some. Charlotte, NC is (and has been) a supreme and premier area in the WORLD for disc golf, and for quite some time. This course is an EXCELLENT reflection of that fact... and is absolutely world-class. Do not be deceived. If you have the opportunity to play this course... do so.

This course does not favor any handedness or throw style over another. The tee signage and maps are great. It's a beautiful course (especially in Spring/Summer), FUN, well designed, balanced, diverse, engaging, and at times, complex (without being frustrating). The course profoundly balances a need for both shot-making and distance throws almost perfectly.

The tress on this course are some of the oldest and aged in the entire area and region... by far. It's very impressive in that regard. This may well be described as a future equivalent of Augusta in ball golf.

This course will challenge you to grow in and improve your game, within an excellent environment... while still providing a lot of fun. What more may we ask for in disc golf... ?

The pics currently posted for this course are not the best or true to it's current state of vastly improved development. This is not a punch-off the tee and shoot for birdie course. It represents a pure, fair and formidable challenge. That said, again, it's not discouraging.

It helps to have a spotter on a few holes (2-3 of them), but that's a con only to some.

Get you some of this one. It is, without a doubt, one of the best.

- Extremely Challenging. Everyone needs a good ole' fashion beat down every now and again to humble them. This course will definitely test your shot making ability, save your ass-ability, accuracy, and mental game. Out of the 120+ courses I've played... this was by far the most challenging.
- Brand New Everything. Innova DiscCatchers, large concrete tee-pads, fairways, stairs, terrace work... and, I'm sure new things (more benches, terrace work, better tee-signs, etc...) will be added to make the course even better.
- World Championships. This course was clearly designed with the 2012 Worlds in mind... and it's cool to know that you're playing one of the "Worlds" courses. It will be interesting to hear what the pros think about this course, as well as to see how well they shoot.

- Unrealistic Expectations. 600+ foot holes with a 20' gap the who length containing an extremely precise triple dogleg and nothing but a pitch out for anything but the most perfect shot... are a little too unrealistic for me; and considering that I would rank my golf game in the 90th percentile, probably a little too unrealistic for anyone but the top pros too... (and, even they're going to struggle at times). The course is just...
- Stupid Tight. But, from what I understand, that's how Stan McDaniel designs his courses - Super Tight... and then he lets the golfers break them in and loosen them up. Missing the fairway here practically requires a pitch out... the saplings are sooooo thick that forward momentum is usually impractical and probably foolish anyways. The very few "open" holes on the back-9 are a God send... and even they are littered with trouble.
- Terrible Signage. For what the holes are... and what they require... they need some extremely professional tee-signs detailing the holes shape, overall distance, the distances to the dogleg, the distance to the second dogleg, Pars, OB's, Mandy's, etc...

- NEVer agaIN. OK... I kid with the title... I will play it again... but, just not until it's a little more broken in. Because I live a couple of hours away, and there are so many other options in the Charlotte area, it will probably be a while before I return... (like right before the Worlds).
- Local Routes. Nevin is the type of course you need to play more than once. There are simply too many forced ("optimal") landing zones and routes that you would need several rounds to figure out the "best" places to be and NOT to be.
- Putter Pars vs. Driver Double Bogeys. Use your PUTTER. Halfway through the round I realized that if I simply used my putter and mids to take shorter but straighter shots while chipping away at the fairway, I could remain in the fairway and make Par... as opposed to having a driver curve off into the woods, thus requiring a pitch out (or two) to make double-bogey. And, this is especially true if you don't know the "Local Routes".
- Double Digits Over Par. You're going to go nuts if you are at all worried about shooting under par. Which, initially, I was... because, usually - at lesser courses - I do... but after 5 holes I knew I had no chance of even getting close to Par. The goal quickly became trying not to shoot double digits over par, which I failed at.
- My Charlotte Rankings. If you're planning a road trip to Charlotte, here are my rankings (of the courses I've played): Renny, Hornetts, (Nevin in future), Sugaw, Kilborne, (Nevin current), Reedy, .........Veterans.
- My Score: +12

Well marked course, with yardage markers in fairways. Good design, no backtracking or fairway crossing. Course ends where it begins which is nice. It is obvious that the guys in charge of this course care about it and will make the necessary improvements, I look forward to playing it again. This could honestly become one of my favorite courses in Charlotte.

Several fairways are too narrow for the distance. Mandos on holes 12 and 14 are tricky with the wind and distance from tee pad. As I am not a pro, throwing 250 feet and then making my disc turn at a 90 degree angle is impossible (i.e. hole 17). Very challenging uphill holes, make sure you are in shape.

Tee Signs need improvement especially with marking long tees and short tees but that will come with time and money. Possibly more trash cans and more benches, I only remember seeing one all day.

Location: 1 mile off the highway.
Design: Featuring both lefty and righty holes. There are a couple of holes that can be 2'd.
Challenging: Lots of par fours and harder. Wooded and long.
Navigation Friendly: Tee signs at every hole. Easy to navigate. Fairways are clearly defined making it easy for a first time course player to throw toward the basket on a long hole where basket can not be seen from the tee.

Fantastic work designing and building this gem of a course. One of the best and most challenging I've played. On par with the Jackson course at IDGC.

Today I took bogeys on almost all holes, and still had a great time.This park is massive, and so is the course.It was raining and the ground was playdough, but I was there to scope out the new beast that everyone is raving about, by myself, with no one else around. Whole round went smooth thanks to the arrows and signs.(from #9 to #10 there is an unused tee pad in the fairway of ten dont let it fool ya, go down the hill to the stream for #10 tee pad)All in all it is a tech course with mid-range disc control a prerequisite, a true game of golf is played at Nevin, not an ace run course.
That is the future of this sport and Stan and CDGC are ushering it in big time with this amazing course.

Be in shape, or pay the price.I carry 22 discs when I play, I would like to think I have everything I need for my Charlotte courses.This course slapped me across the face when I realized I have so few under stable discs in my bag.I throw mostly side-arm so I have an array of stability, but today I could have used an under stable driver for backhand finesse shots.This course demands concentration like no other in the area, if you can't shape a shot you will not like this course at first.I used a max weight Mako today half way through the round and started getting my game back.Great course for training your arm to do exactly as you wish, because if you falter for one shot you will be looking at bogeys galore.

This is Renny's conservative old crotchety grandfather.
Some holes have flashy trick shot shortcuts, but very few.Where Renaissance will make obvious big steep elevation changes, Nevin will trick you with elevation and pinpoint accurate distance. I was expecting a pro level course like Hornets Nest but I got a glimpse at the future of our sport and course design instead Can't wait for a dry day, all of us here in the disc golf mecca of Charlotte have been building and playing these new courses in slop all winter.Thank you CDGC, and all who keep our courses clean and playable.

- Very challenging course that offers a great variety of shots.
- Well taken care of course, especially for how new it is. Concrete teepads, fairways are well defined, alternate routes on several holes.
- Next tee signs and clear cut paths make this course easy to navigate.
- Great use of Mandos and elevation

The course is new and hasnt been "worn" in yet. There is no cons I noticed that dont appear to be working themselves out quickly.

Very tough course but fair. Fairways require accuracy to score well and offer a varirty of lines. A few holes have alternate paths that let you decide between forehand/backhand hyzer/anhyzer. The course is well worth making a trip to see and will only get better as it ages.

brand new concrete tee pads, brand new discatchers. in a great park with tons of land, with plenty of elevation. one of two new courses in the charlotte area(elon long). a real test for advanced to pro caliber players. accuracy is a must here, tight fairways leave very little room for errant shots. alot of par 4 holes and the few par 3 holes are tough.

there are alot of holes in the ground from rotted trees. they are slowly being filled in, but you must keep your eyes on where you step. or you could hurt yourself. a few of the transitions are a little soggy, but we have had alot of rain lately, so not that big of a con.

there are at least 4-5 holes that would be considered signature holes on any other course. it is winter, so the fairways are a little more forgiving, cant wait til spring to see the difference in difficulty. mark and matt have busted some major ass to get this course where it is now, they deserve alot of credit. nevin is across the highway from hornets nest, so if you want play multiple rounds at different courses,... i consider it a plus

1) Concrete teepads are going to be poured very soon. I think this coming weekend so I will give them some leeway since I played them with the gravel filled frames in place.

2) If you want a challenge come here!!! This is the most difficult and least forgiving course in Charlotte and quite possibly the second least forgiving course I have played to date (only to Jack McLean in Tallahassaa). I like a challenge no matter how hard it is, that is how you learn.

3) This course is set on yet another incredible Mecklenberg county park. Everyone of these courses and parks are incredible. They are clean, they have tons and tons of things to do and they are simply put a jewel to the already kick butt city of Charlotte. I could spend a day in everyone of their parks! Come on bocceball, horseshoes and shuffleboard. If that isn't an excuse to hang out at the park all day!

4) Next tee signs are helpful for navigation on this newer course.

5) Tee signs are present and although a little crude they do help out on the teepad. I am sure they will be top notch signs by the time this course is fully installed. I am giving them the benefit of the doubt because of this county parks departments record.

5) It is obvious the local club does a lot for this course as with all the other local parks. One of the main guys was there on a rainy day getting some timber in place for a retaining wall.

6) Playing this course is like a wonderful walk int he woods. It is so secluded from the outside world. Sure you might run into some walkers but you won't hear any street noise, and you may not see any vehicles for the majority of this course. I enjoy courses like this.

7) Many of the stumps and roots (trippers) have been flagged or painted so you do not break an ankle while playing. This is a positive but the true best way to handle these would be to take a brush hog and cut those things flush with the ground.

8) Mandos are used effectively to force a specific line on a few holes. These are not used for safety they are instead used for intentional hole design.

9) Ribbon is used to help you guide yourself from hole to hole. It is nice that they have done such things to help ease navigation since the course is new and everyone is playing it for the first time.

10) Discatchers in great condition because they are brand new. The yellow band is key for this course because finding the basket on a double dogleg 600' hole can be tough sometimes!

11) There are multiple signature holes on this course. There is only one throwaway hole: Hole #13. That one just isn't scenic, it is pretty straight forward and there is no risk/reward. All the other holes have trouble to avoid, shot shaping to consider, and other trouble to avoid.

12) Shot distances vary throughout the course. You will need many different discs and you will need to be accurate with them so do not be afraid to throw midranges if that is what will get you to the doglegs etc.

1) Course is still very new so it is rough in spots and will need to wear in a little bit. It is obvious that the local crew will help make this course as good as it can be. There are spots of the course that need some cleanup. Downed branches, thick shule areas close to the fairways, and areas that simply need to receive a little attention. There also are a few areas that have junk piles. There is a rotary and pushbutton phone cemetary in on spot on the course and 2 or 3 other times I noticed piles of junk (not plant material, I mean garbage, cans, etc). They may have a plan to pick this things up and the are simply in a pile to make the cleanup easier. These are all things that I put into one category because the course is so new I didnt think it would be fair to leave in the review. I will update this review when I hear that these issues have been taken care of or if I return next year. I do however think they are worth mentioning for the time being.

2) Not beginner friendly at all. There are way too many tight wooded holes of extreme distance. This combination makes this course virtually unusable for beginners without serious frustration. It might even be frustrating for advanced players.

3) There is a long walk to Hole #1 and from Hole #18 back to the lot. This isn't a huge issue, but worht mentioning.

4) Teesigns are a little crude so hopefully they do replace them with nice descriptive signs. This course needs a diagram for sure!!!

5) Walking path OB's seem to be a little bit unfair. They are what would normally be a fairway and I understand they may use it for safety, but a couple of the areas are simply not forgiving at all.

6) Hole #14 has an area that looks to be a dump for the maintenance department. Just another one of those things that will change eventually but hopefully be one of the many things the club will attack after they get the teepads poured and can focus on conditioning.

7) No benches or garbage cans yet. I again am sure this will change overtime.

8) I played this course after a lot of rain the night before. It did pretty well but there are areas on the course that certainly can retain some water. Also a few areas that could use some steppers or planks to get across some wet areas.

Worth mentioning is that Hole #18 is going to be changing. I have a feeling it was becoming an issue that you end up throwing across the road. Some people in cars either have complained or gotten hit.

Please take this review with a grain of salt considering I am an out of towner and although I hope to come back next year again for another few days. I will only be able to update this review after I return, but it hopefully has some information that will be helpful for the next few months.

I have rated this course according to what I saw when I played 1/17/2010. I am sure it will be a 4 rated course by the time I return next year or the yer after and I will most certainly adjust my rating. I want to represent the course as it stands right now, but will certainly want to adjust the rating as the course gets broken in more and more and more playable. I also can tell the structure of the course is there and it will be an incredible course, so I am being somewhat lenient with my rating. I do not want to give it a 3 which is what I would give it in its current state. I am raising the rating to 3.5 because I am sure the things I have mentioned will be worked on in short order. If everything gets improved and taken care of this course could be as high as a 4.5 in my opinion.

I highly recommend playing if you liek a challenge but if you get easily frsutrated maybe you should skip this course or you might give yourself some health issues. It is tough and long, but seems to be fair, but the more and more play that comes the less luck you will need and you can focus on just using your skill to execute the shots. Have a good time but be prepared fro some bogies, doubles, and worse. I only had one birdie and I had two 6's. That is surely a tough course.

UPDATE: I upgraded the course to a 4 from the sound of it all the concrete is in, tee signs are up, and it seems to have received the work that was close when I was there. I am updating this from 3.5 to 4.0 because those were the things I wanted to see to give the course a 4.0. If I return next year I bet it will be a borderline 4.5 course like I have said.

Nevin is one of the most challenging, longest courses around. It's going to humble even the best of players, but also make you want to come back for more. It challenges you both physically and mentally:
- Physically: Accuracy and distance are both a premium here. Lots of walking; long rounds, even when playing solo, rounds have been taking me about an hour and a half. By comparison, I can play a solo round at Hornets Nest in about an hour. Also, your endurance will be challenged by lots of walking; long rounds, even if playing solo. You better come prepared, especially once the hot weather rolls around.
- Mentally: There are very few holes where you can relax, unwind and just throw. On almost every hole, you're throwing tee shots, not as much for distance, but to set up your next shot(s). You have to put bad holes behind you because this course will humble you. You don't want one bad hole snowballing into a stretch of bad holes.
- Course has some tight fairways. As difficult as the course can be in the winter, when there are no leaves on trees, it's going to play even harder in the spring and summer.
- Nevin forces you to be a better player. Any weakness in your game will get exposed here. Your tee shots fade too much at the end? You'll be deep in the woods on almost every shot? Can't putt (like me)? There goes any chance for birdie. Can't throw far? You'll be spending extra throws just to get to the pin on the long holes.
- Course has a bunch of great, creative holes. A lot of holes at Nevin would be the signature/most challenging hole at other courses; here it's just another hole. For example, everyone who's played Hornets Nest knows #12 - 638 foot, dogleg right par 5. At Nevin, holes #5, 6, 10, 16 & 17 are all at the same level, or close to the same level as #12 at Hornets. Even a hole like #1 - 491 foot long, narrow hole with a downhill, dogleg right basket, which I think is a great hole, easily gets overlooked at this course.
- The course has a good variety of hole-layouts, non-open holes excluded. Doglegs both directions (both severe and gradual doglegs); straight holes, open baskets; tightly guarded baskets; holes with good elevation changes (by Charlotte standards) both up and down.
- Park has lots of other amenities - baseball & soccer fields, playground, picnic shelters, walking trails, horseshoe pits and even bocce ball and shuttle board. The park is nicely laid out into different areas - ball fields and disc golf all the way to the back; playground, bocce ball and shuffleboard in another; and picnic shelters in the front.

These first two items will contract my pros and are not negatives for me nor do they affect my rating. I'm just mentioning them so people know what to expect before playing. That said:
- This course can get frustrating. As stated, this course is meant to be a difficult, pro-level course and is not for beginners. Still, this course has almost no reprieve. When things are going good, it's fun tackling one tough hole after another. When things are going bad, it's easy to dread one tough hole after another.
- Narrow fairways will frustrate others. On some holes, there's thick underbrush/trees/plants, right along the fairway. Miss here and you could spend lots of time searching for your disc. The lost disc factor here is definitely higher than normal, so plan accordingly when you throw.
- The lack of open holes will also frustrate some people. #11 is relatively open, but it's under 300, so not smart to grip-n-rip here. #12 is open, for the first half, before playing through the woods. #14 is in an open field, but you first have to clear a mando between two trees.
- Parts of course seem to remain muddy long after it rains. This may be a "new course" issue or it could be a bigger drainage issue. The most notable areas are along parts of #15 & 16.
- Tee signs need to be upgraded. I'm a fan of Mark and his hand-drawn signs, but I'm guessing real signs will be an improvement and appreciated by more people.
- No amenities in the disc-golf portion of the park. You don't pass a water fountain and/or drink machine while playing, so you'd have to stop in another part of the park before or after your round. There's a bathroom near hole #13, which is opened year-round, and one near #9, which is only in spring & summer.
- Lots of long walks throughout course. Not an issue on the front 9, but there are some considerable walks on back 9. Also course doesn't loop back to parking lot after #9, so you can't easily start on #10 to play back 9. Because the course is so spread out there are no easy/natural places to skip holes if needed.

Nevin ranks right up there with Renaissance as the two toughest courses I've played. I might give this a slight nod simply because this course is more wooded than Renny.
- Toughest doesn't always equal fun, so not everyone is going to like this 18-hole marathon. I equate extremely difficult courses with the U.S. Open. Rounds at the Open are always a grind and you see the top golfers struggling/being overwhelmed with the course. Instead of shooting 20 under, like they do at the John Deere Classic, golfers are shooting par at best.
- Know what you're getting yourself into before playing this course. Don't expect a lot of birdies and be happy with pars. Don't beat yourself here by wasting strokes with foolish shots. You'll already find yourself scrambling enough throughout the round, so don't add to it.
- The course has a bunch of great holes, it's hard for me to pick one. I love the design of the downhill/drop-off holes - #1, 3, 7 & 16 and how the play. #1 & 16 are both long downhill doglegs. If you don't keep your shot low, it will go sailing offline as the fairway curves away. #3 & 7 both have big drop-offs right behind the basket. What may appear to be a great tee shot or putt could end up 50 feet past the hole.
- Nevin gets added love for its location and convenience. It's 3 minutes from I-77, 5 minutes from Hornets Nest, and 10 minutes from Sugaw Creek. You can easily knock out the 3 courses with little drive time. In terms of proximity and quality of courses, Nevin and Hornets Nest is the best 1-2 combination in town. You're not going to find 2 better, tougher courses in Charlotte so closely located, which is perfect for out-of-towners. In the Charlotte-region, only Winthrop's 2 course layouts - Gold and Lakefront - are on the same level of location and quality for courses.
- This is a definite must-play for all DGers. You might not like the course layout, but at least you'll have to appreciate the difficulty this course offers for 18 straight holes.