Renaissance Park - Gold has been #1 on my wish list for quite some time now, and today I got to play it for the first time. Does the course stand up to my extremely high expectations and prove to be the best course in Charlotte? Lets see:
-One word to describe this course: TOUGH. Others may think this a total downside, but for me, this is a good thing. Charlotte is home to many great courses, however, most of them are considered by most to be "easy." It's good to have a course that will kick your butt and humble you every once in a while.
-The course has an excellent flow/variety. The course begins with some standard QC wooded holes and slowly opens up to some wide open layouts. The course finishes with holes that I consider to be both open and technical. In shorter words, Renny Gold has a little bit of everything sprinkled in.
-Some great elevation changes make this course even more enjoyable. Who knew that throwing a hyzer backhand down the hill on #8 was so majestic?
-The course is built on land that has some very beautiful terrain/landscape. If my mom was obsessed about disc golf like she is with nachos (lol), we'd be leaving the park with a full camera roll.
-Risk/reward galore at this course. Errant throws will cost you big time, but a nicely placed tee shot in the middle of the fairway will give you a sense of satisfaction, like how you've just defeated one of the million different challenges.
-Most, if not all the holes here would be considered a signature hole for any other course. #2, 10, 14, & 18 could possibly be the best 4 holes I have ever played, and to think that they are all at the same course is delusional.
-I am so thankful that the big ravine is incorporated into this course. That being said, it could've be hard to maintain the erosion, but the course designers and maintainers did an excellent job to prevent this. Very strong barriers are placed alongside #2 & 18's respective greens, and a strong, wooden bridge was built to perfection that goes down, across, and back up the ravine.
-Renaissance Park also had two other courses, named "Pro Players" and "RenSke." If you realize that Renny Gold isn't right for you, there are two other options that seem great as well. Pro Players is just the short tees/baskets for Renny Gold with a few exceptions, and Renske seems to be a fun little par 3 course that has its own layout.
-After reading reviews prior to my round, I came in knowing that navigation may be a little tricky, considering that there are the other two courses overlapping. However, I was pleasantly surprised on how easy navigation ended up being. There definitely are a few hiccups (listed in cons), but for the most part, everything was pretty straightforward. The excellent tee signs and labeled baskets definitely helped a lot, as well as gold signs pointing to the next tee.
-A couple of minor things to wrap this section up: pin locations are very neat and clever, and made the "easy" holes a little more challenging. OB is listed very clearly and seemed fair. Benches are present on, I think, all tees, which is nice considering the amount of effort it takes to play this course.

-Because of the difficulty level this course offers, your round can (and will most likely) be very frustrating. I can see people going for putts on #2 and missing it into the ravine, same for #6. However, try to make it fun, and not let the frustration take over.
-Again, the overlapping of the three courses is probably the most noticeable con. It doesn't seem too bad with Pro Players, but this is definitely an issue with RenSke around holes #11-13. On a busy day, I can see this being very annoying, waiting around not knowing who is going to throw first.
-Rough is incredibly thick. Even though this course is demanding distance, accuracy is more important. A disc thrown into the rough will be hard to find. Luckily, I found my disc every time, but maybe not the case for others.
-Although I credited the navigation earlier, there were a couple of times where I stood clueless and needed a map. I couldn't find the tee for #1 immediately, so we ended up playing Pro Players #1 before we found it. The path from #10's basket to #11's tee was split into three directions with no sign. The next tee sign at #13's basket was wrong, telling us to walk left instead of straight. It took us a minute to find out where we actually needed to go.
-Tee pads are the worst I've ever seen. How does a course of this caliber have such poor pads? They are short and have a very rocky texture, which caused me to slip multiple times. #5's tee pad is buried by mud, making it hard to find. The tees over at RenSke seem better than this course, making me wonder if they will re-do them soon (hopefully).
-Course maintenance is pretty poor as well. The open fields on #1 & 2 has very overgrown grass, and there was a lot of litter scattered about the course, especially the front nine (Grass on #11-13 was good, most likely because of high foot traffic around the RenSke course).
-The only stretch of holes that wasn't good was #11-13. #11 & 13 are both par 5's and #12 is a long par 4. All three holes are wide open with some scattered trees, so it made throwing some bombs less enjoyable because of the repetitiveness. Also, the RenSke course overlapping with this area makes it even less fun.

So, did Renny Gold live up to my expectations? Absolutely. Although this course totally beat me up, I still had a blast playing with @michaeldean. The park itself seems nice with lots of amenities, including volleyball, tennis, skateboarding, and ball fields. For anyone in the Charlotte area, this is a must play. The RenSke layout seems fun and worth playing one day, too.
-Now that I have played the "big 3" courses, I think that Renny Gold is the best, closely followed by Nevin. I think Hornets Nest is a level below these, unfortunately.
-I really think this course had the potential to be a 5.0. Even though it isn't perfect, its pretty darn close. A high 4.5 rated course will forever be one of my favorites!

- Excellent course with good holes, pin locations, elevation changes, out of bounds, and distance variations.

- There are 3 different course options and I played the gold tees (long) and had an enjoyable time. The other 2 courses look like great par 3's to play.

- A very easy course to enjoy while still having a challenge.

- Hole 8 is one of my top 3 favorite holes with a throw downhill and a deep rough behind it.

- Many opportunities to lose a disc, like a big ravine and, a deep, muddy, rough on majority of the holes.

- Tee pads where not good and where short and in some occasions slippery.

- Navigation at times could be hard to read/understand because there is 3 courses.

I slipped down the ravine and it hurt but was pretty funny.

An iconic course that mostly delivers with a range of holes.

-Amenities: Same as Renske. Yellow-banded DISCatchers, small concrete tees, thorough tee signs with good maps. Generally next tee signs, benches. Occasionally distance to pin markers. Baskets are labeled to help avoid overlap confusion with Renske or the Grey course.

-Variety: A good mix of open and woods holes. The first couple are open, followed by five thickly wooded holes. Then, it's more of a hodgepodge of holes that are partially open, partially wooded.

-Elevation: Other than the (11)-(13) section, Renny uses near-constant elevation change. There are some big downhills and uphills, a gorge coming into play on several holes, and the very steep uphill (5), which probably makes my Top 5 of steepest holes I've played.

-Length: A decently long course with plenty of multi-shot holes. There are still plenty of par-3s as well.

-Challenge: Lots of difficult holes requiring a combination of full committal and good shot shaping choices.

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: An ever-engaging circuit using all the pros listed above. Par-4s are most dominant, typically requiring a clean fairway hit on the drive to provide a birdie. Some holes are slightly forgiving, but on many the elevation is so severe that a miss will give you a dire scrambling situation. It's hard to peg one type as the dominant hole, but by and large there are reasonably wide and well defined fairways, or a mostly open hole shape with more options (but still specific shot placement important).

-Memorable Holes: I think Renny Gold is elevated by its memorable holes. (2) and (18) require crossing the gorge to precarious basket positions, an iconic thrill. (4) is a huge downhill with a steep right side dropoff. (8) and (15) are mirror images, big grassy downhills with pocket greens. Holes (7), (10), (14), and (16) were also particularly good.

-Two Loops: In the case of Renny Gold, it's a 7-11 split, rather than the traditional 9-9. Still, a good opportunity to get to the car.

-PPC Overlap: The Grey/Pro Players course uses a lot of the same holes as the Gold course, but with different baskets, tee pads, and/or numbers. This creates a bit of a confusing flow.

-Renske Overlap: Renske runs through holes (11)-(13) of the Gold course, which is pretty maddening. Who has right of way? I had to wait on all three of these Gold holes for Renske players, sometimes playing multiple holes while I stood in the fairway.

-Navigation: The transitions (4)-(5), (10)-(11), and (13)-(14) are long or confusing.

-Slump: Holes (11)-(13), beyond the Renske issue, are just flat and long. Hole (11) felt a little bit like one of Scott Stokely's 50,000' disc golf "holes".

-Disc Loss: The super steep hills and gulch can lead to disc loss, no doubt. This one will be best played with a spotter.

I'm not sure what I was expecting from Renny Gold, but it exceeded it. The (2)-(7) range, plus consistently very good holes thrown throughout the rest, convinced me that this is better than a typical Excellent course. It's a hard, long course that provides a great opposite to the Renske course also onsite, but it was very worth a play to me. Overall, it deserves a Phenomenal label.

-Similar Courses: There aren't a lot of comparable courses. Vaguely similar maybe are Stoney Hill (Newberry, SC) or East Metro Park (Manor, TX).

When I first started playing disc golf, Renaissance was not only the hardest of the five "big" courses in Charlotte at the time, but one of the hardest in the world. It was a championship caliber course that had gained a reputation, even amongst the pros as being a great, difficult course. The only thing that has changed since back then is my ability to score "decent-ish" here, because to this day it is easily still the hardest course I have ever played.

The amount of work that went into designing and maintaining this course is incredible, and definitely apparent when you play it. Two decades after it was first built, this course still holds up. It is a beast, and a blast to play. The "less memorable/average" holes on this course would probably all be considered signature holes on almost any other course in the region. This largely comes down to the great use of the park's landscape to create dynamic holes with some interesting greens interspersed throughout the course. While I've heard some call a few of the greens gimmicky, I personally feel like its use of tricky greens isn't overused to the point where I would call them that, and adds a new element to the course which can punish those who try to play too safe. I appreciate the need to really think about my approach shots.

While challenging, this course is never unfair. It does however, reward accuracy above all else. So don't let the distances on the scorecard fool you, because those sub 400' Par 4s, earn every bit of that par. And be prepared to pull out pretty much every shot in your arsenal if you expect to shoot Par here. The start of the course is fairly technical, but slowly opens up to a few huge bomb holes right in the middle of the round. If you really want to maintain your strokes though, you definitely are going to want to consider your landings even on the long holes, so you have the right angle for your next shot.

A lot of work has been done here over the past few years to improve the layout. If the basket has a gold band (or even half of the basket has a gold band), then it is a basket for Renny Gold. When you reach Hole 11, you're gonna need to throw past a couple red baskets before you reach your target. So the color coordination here is really nice!

UPDATE: I was just out at Renaissance again (it had been about a month), and the amount of work that is going into this course is incredible! I noticed new erosion bars on several holes, but more importantly a new wooden staircase leads you down, across, and up the ravine on Hole 18. The ravine was also cut back around this area for the people who were building this amazing walkway, which is a most welcome bonus, but the walkway itself should really help cut down on erosion and prevent injuries in this area.

There used to be a short layout that was referred to as Renny - Grey, but that layout was removed/revamped so that two separate courses could be built into the two halves of Renny Gold. And while they are decent courses in their own right, they can cause a lot of confusion and delays for people playing Renny - Gold. If it's your first time and you aren't with someone who knows the course, you would do well to download a map of the layout to bring with you. I think it would be nice if there were painted bands around the tee sign posts to indicate which course the tee belongs to, and if it is a shared tee.

At times the rough on this course goes from being punishing, to downright abusive. If you tend to play with a risk/reward style, either plan on backing off some here or be okay with the possibility of losing a disc. I have a love/hate relationship with this aspect of the course. Obviously, I hate searching for and/or losing discs, and hate when other people lose discs, but every fairway hit feels super rewarding when you know how hard it is to scramble on this course. Errant shots on this course almost never go unpunished.

The length of this course, and its difficulty probably make it less appealing to a significant portion of the disc golf community. I remember this course chewing me up and spitting me out my first time out here.

Even though this course might lack the aesthetics of Hornets Nest or Nevin, it has its own charm. Simply put, I believe anyone who manages to not let their ego get the best of them out here, they will realize that Renny - Gold manages to create the perfect blend of a challenging with fun.

I am going to give this course a 4.5 rating, because of the truly inspired course design that manages to eek out the absolute full potential of the land being used. And I am very pleased that it appears work is being done around this course, to give it a much needed face lift. While navigation still might be an issue for first timers, I would feel wrong giving this course a lower rating. Hopefully, further improvements aid with navigation as well. This is a course I could realistically see myself giving a perfect rating if all of it's signage issues were addressed and it were tournament ready.

Favorite Holes: 2, 3, 10, 13, 14, & 18

I've played better courses, nicer courses, more scenic course, and more fun courses. But 15 years in and 300+ played courses, I still haven't played one that's tougher than the one that's 15 minutes from my house.
- When I first started playing disc golf, I cut my teeth on some of the more 'forgiving' Charlotte courses such as Reedy Creek, Kilborne, Sugaw Creek, Veterans Park (RIP), and even Hornets Nest. It took a while before I felt I was ready to challenge Renny. First the grey layout, then even a while later before Renny Gold.
- What is a tough course will always be up for debate? You could make a 5,000-foot hole, and make it a par 18, but is that truly tough? Renny Gold is the only course where time and again I'm satisfied making a 4; although, there are usually 5s and 6s sprinkled in.
- Ah, the dreaded ravine that comes into play on #2, (potentially) 6, and 18. In 2019, it's actually tame by the standards of a decade ago when a brave soul could find a dozen or more discs should he brave the climb down. If you play #2 & 18 smartly by playing smart station-to-station throws, they are two of the best holes one will see anywhere. #2 is also one of the few holes where throwing in the thick stuff (to the left of the ravine) is a good shot.
- Bring your patience. There are realistically only four holes where most players may see a 2 on their scorecards: #6 (257 feet), 8 (323 feet), 9 (285 feet), and 16 (302 feet). #8 and #15, both downhill layouts, also present the only holes players may want to throw more than one disc. Notice how three of the shorter holes are in a four-hole stretch. That is the only 'easy' stretch of the course.
- There are multiple holes that would be the signature hole on most courses. In addition to #2 & 18, #7, 10, & 14 are two of the best in Charlotte. #7 is one of the greatest tee shots around in that if by simply landing your disc in the fairway, it, by default, is a great shot.
- #14 is the first layout I was ever awed by. It showed me what an elite disc golf layout could look like. The tee shot on this 564-foot layout is heavily protected by thick growth and underbrush on both sides of the fairway until you reach the gap, with the hole sloping down to the left. Depending on how far you throw, you're probably looking at a 150 to 250-foot second shot that, 1., starts in the open, 2. plays downhill, 3. Into the woods, 4. to a slightly raised basket, 5. that's on a quasi-island, 6. with drop-offs all around it. Other than that, it's an average layout. To this day, whether I'm playing Gold or (now, the lame titled) Pro Players layout, I feel cheated if I don't get to experience this approach shot to it's fullest. Sure, I could throw a disc for fun, but it just doesn't mean anything. This right here, is one of my all-time favorite shots in all of disc golf.
- Yes, there are three long open holes on the back 9. If you're a big bomber, you'll love this stretch. If not, you're just throwing driver, driver, driver, approach, and putt on your 1,000 foot hole.
- Course just has a certain character to it. Whether you're a first- time visitor or a frequent player, there's often a sense somewhere around hole six or seven that one wonders how you are still only on the front nine. Between a lot of elevation factors, multi-shot holes, and possibly, multiple searches in the woods for a disc, or five, your round goes by slow. That's why the 'easy' stretch is such a relief. There's a fair chance you'll play #6 - 9 faster than you'll play #4 & 5.

I hate this course. It is tough. I'll freely admit this course is undefeated against me as I am not skilled enough. On many holes there is seemingly little margin for error. #8 can be birdie chance, but if your throw hyzers too soon or too hot you could be 50-75 feet from the basket and be lucky to salvage par.
- A round can blow up real fast. Land in the ravine on #2, and you may be getting a bogey or double bogey. Then, you've got a ridiculous tough stretch of #3 - 5 where all three holes could be blow up scores. Suddenly, you get to #6 and feel you must birdie this hole....but, remember the ravine is just to the right of the fairway. You overthrow this hole and suddenly, if this were an Xbox, you're hitting the reset button.
- The obvious problem with Renny is that three courses overlap. Pro Player is essentially the shorter version of Gold. Renske overlaps with holes #11 - 13. On a busy day, players are going to be popping up from all over the place. Who has the right of way? That's for you to decide.
- Navigation needs to be improved. It's always been a problem. Even with improved signage, it's still not where it should be. With three courses overlapping, you'll want to make sure you're following the correct path and/or arrows. At times, the same basket will play for different hole numbers for the different layouts. Multiple times I've come across first time players who were completely lost.
- Course is not for the faint of heart or arm. There are more holes longer than 800 feet (3) than there are holes shorter than 300 feet (2); more holes longer than 500 feet (10) than shorter than 400 feet (7). Point being, if you're not good enough to play here, you probably won't enjoy the round. You'll be sore, you'll be tired, you may be scratched up searching for discs; you'll be humbled; and you will probably blame the course instead of yourself.
- Not a fault of the course itself, but an issue to be addressed, nonetheless. At the furthest point (around #11 & 12), you're close to a half mile from the parking lot by hole #1 (if you follow the fairways vs as-the-crow-flies). If you park by the first tee, you won't see your vehicle again until after finishing your round. Over the years, there has been issue with car break-ins from time-to-time. Keep that in mind. You don't want a bad day worsened, or a great round ruined because you didn't lock up your car and/or valuables.
- As this is a long walking course, there aren't a lot of amenities throughout, mainly water fountains & restrooms. There are some near the tennis courts and again the second parking lot near Renske/hole #12.
- Also, there are areas of the course where there is little or no shade. Keep that in mind, especially when you're here in the summer. Gatorade is a much better choice that beer on this course on a hot summer day.

Renny Gold sets up as if its 18 different challenges. Each one seems different than others...apart from #11 - 13. The good news is that if you struggle here, you're not the first one to have a bad round. Just look at the course's SSA and take comfort in the idea your round might not have been THAT bad.
- This may not be a popular opinion, but I do not like the idea/design of holes #11 - 13. Three open holes with lengths, in order, of 1042, 617, and 974 feet. Basically, you play 1,000 feet one direction to turn around a squeeze in two more holes 1,000 feet plus the opposite direction. Ideally, one or two of those holes would be eliminated and a shorter, wooded hole would be incorporated into the round. This is the most boring, unimaginative portion of the course.
- Conversely, #16 & 17 have fun looks on two of the more overlooked layouts. #16 is a split fairway, shorter hole, listed at 302 feet. Having played the two dogleg routes, both seem a fair bit longer than 302 feet (probably 30 - 60 feet longer). This is your last chance to catch your breath as you should be having a possible birdie chance, or at least, a relatively simple par 3. #17 is interesting with the fairway's 90-degree turn to the right halfway down. If your tee shot is on the wrong side of the fairway, you may not have an angle to the bend. Once you hit the turn, it's an uphill shot to the basket. Solid station-to-station play.
- I stand by the belief this is the toughest course I've played. I've played all three IDGC courses in less than 5 hours, zipped through Idlewild in 90 minutes after a nearly 4-hour car ride from Knoxville, and played some tough, private NC mountain courses. None of those, or the other 300+ courses are as tough as Renny Gold. This is the second closest 18-hole course to my house, and I hardly play it because I'd rather have fun than be beaten down when playing.
- I think Renny was far ahead of its time. There's a wave of newer, longer, tougher championship level courses. Think about playing this course when it first opened in 1998 and how far different the equipment was at that time compared to present day.
- The course is an absolute must-play for the appropriately skilled and disciplined player. Of people who give the course a low rating there is a common theme among those reviewers. Hint: there isn't a lot of objectivity in their reviews.
- I'm giving this an easy 4.5 rating. It's just rough enough around the edges that it's overall presentation is less than the IDGC or Idlewild. At it's current rating in the 4.2 - 4.3 range, you're not going to see another course of this caliber.

Renaissance Park's storied Gold course is impressively ambitious. Sprawling across rolling hills, working its way into and out of the woods at several points, it earns every throw of its stated par 70. Hole design stresses complete playthroughs, testing your ability to chain shots together and recover from the inevitable missteps. Risk abounds, but it's smartly done, and the longer layouts, well-worn fairways, and fair landing zones all allow you to control your level of exposure. If there's a course that requires a "complete game," this is it, with the maximum amount of shot variation created from all manner of elevation changes, distances, lines, and levels of tree cover. Renny Gold is a challenge, no doubt about it, but it's a well-designed one, and it effectively mixes things up to keep the round fresh.

The first 10 holes in particular stood out to me as one of the best stretches I've ever played. The hillside baskets on 2, the tight downhill fairway on 4, the dramatic uphill shot on 10 are just a few of the daunting shots etched in my minds eye. The bold design choices and skilled execution make Renny Gold an imaginative and memorable challenge.

Navigation isn't the most intuitive I've seen given the overlap with other layouts, but effective signage helps mitigate most of the potential issues. Friendly locals helped us at the few points we did get off track.

The length (~9500 ft) and level of difficulty lend this course a narrower appeal than most. Just walking the layout will tire you out. I personally wouldn't try to play any of the other significant courses in the area in the same day as I played this one, at least not with any hope of effectively playing throughout.

The rough can be really bad and deter aggressive play at a few points. It's a shame to be worried off interesting shots due to black hole levels of rough.

Due to elevation changes and fairway curvatures, many of the landing zones here are hard or impossible to see in your first play through. Because of this, Renny Gold is the kind of course that really benefits from familiarity; the right shot or accurate degrees of fairness aren't always evident from the tee or at first glance. There are a fair few shots that require you to actively distrust your eyesight.

After the first in my opinion stellar ten holes the course hits a stretch of duds. 11-13 are all pretty much grip it and rip it, fine enough individually especially after the preceding tight confines but awful back to back to back. The need to begin playing back to the course's in is partly to blame here but nonetheless having three holes totalling over 2500' feet after ten of the most challenging holes I've played is a bit of a tone deaf play for what is otherwise thoughtful design. Beyond that critique though, these holes are themselves just not very interesting. The back 9 are generally more open than the front half and don't boast quite the same level of nuanced play: holes are a bit more focused exclusively on shots off the tee or distance for the sake of it. Most are solid, a few are great, but they don't collectively attain the bucket list level of quality that the front half does.

Renny Gold is a beast worthy of its storied reputation and an absolute must-visit. As stated, I'd be wary pairing it with a Nevin or a Hornets Nest in the same day. It was my personal favorite of those three Charlotte stalwarts, although admittedly a bit of an acquired taste due to the length and challenge level. If that sounds like your bag, though, I can't recommend it enough.

If Hornets Nest knows how to be cool and popular while still keeping its morals, and if Nevin is the straight-edge overachiever, then Renny Gold is the misunderstood wild child.

I love a course that has a unique character to it, and this course surely has that. I knew going in that it was going to be a grueling round, but I was surprised by its many amazing holes and crazy variety of terrain. I've heard about how 2 and 18 are epic holes, but I'm surprised I hadn't heard more about its other monster holes - particularly the entire front 9.

Of the courses I've played, the pin positions are second only to Sugaree. There were many scary putts and approaches, all in a variety of creative ways. Of course, you don't want to come up a little bit short on your approaches for 2 and 18. But there are also many other interesting basket positions on steep slopes and among rock outcroppings.

There is a fun emphasis on landing zones, but used in unique ways. It could be with a drive to a blind pin like 9, 15, or 16, staying within a wider part of the fairway on 10 and 18, or just fun downhill approaches like 14. You'll have space to air it out, but you really want to hit you landing zones. Again, just a really interesting variety of holes and settings within the park that the course offers.

Having all three layouts share some baskets and tees is ambitious, but I didn't find it to be very confusing. It's super helpful that they painted the baskets two colors when shared and it had fantastic signage throughout all three courses. You just had to pay attention to the signs pointing you in the right direction. They're there.

However, playing and navigating the separate layouts can lead to some issues. We didn't experience any, but at peak times, there could be some safety concerns. From 4-5 you have to walk back up the fairway a little bit. To get to 14 you cross 10's Fairway. You throw across the park road on 18.

Ambience and setting isn't typical of a highly rated course. A main road plays near a good portion of holes, even close to some of the front nine in the woods. There are towers that you play through on a few holes, and just not much in terms of being aesthetically pleasing. Just my personal preference. If strictly the hole design is all you care about then you shouldn't be bothered by it too much here.

Disc swallowing rough on a few holes, some with tight fairways and blind shots too.

This was one of my most exhausting rounds ever, mentally and physically. But Renny Gold has one of the most unique feels to it and some of the craziest holes that I've ever played. I didn't have the highest expectations entering the park, but man was I wrong. While the park doesn't appear to be anything too special, the course is incredible, hole after hole. I can't imagine what people first thought playing this in 1998.

Renny Gold has probably some of the most eclectic mix of reviews and ratings. I'm sure a lot of that is because of it being one of the most difficult courses out there, as well as changes to the layout over the years. If you haven't played here, don't overlook the true beauty of this course. It's one of the best out there!

+ Multiple epic, signature holes. #18 is one of the most memorable holes I've ever played, a long par 5 with a do or die second drive over a steep drop-off if you want to shoot for an eagle. #2 has great risk / reward on the upshot, having you throw over a steep drop-off to a basket placed precariously on the other side. Complete death putt from certain angles. #11 was the first hole over 1000' I played, and #13 is one of the more interesting true par 5's I've experienced. It begs you to gun it, but you will pay if you stray off the narrow fairway. #13 is one of the only par 5's I've played I've yet to eagle, and I've thrown this course for years. #14's longer pin placement is genius, turning a fairly standard hyzer line into a more complicated affair.

+ Incredibly long, and very demanding. If length and challenge excite you, this is a must play. At 9407' long and a Par of 70, this is one of the longer 18 hole courses I've had the pleasure to experience. The challenge feels fair 100% of the time. There is not a single hole that feels like it has 1 or 2 too many trees, not a single hole that feels more luck based than skill based. Renny is an absolute beast, but its a fair, conquerable beast.

+ Incredible variety. Bring all your shots to Renny, you'll be throwing uphill, downhill, left, right, short holes, long holes, Par 3's, 4's and true par 5's. Multiple pin placements ensure things remain interesting over repeated plays.

+ The lines here are just superb, it cannot be emphasized enough. The variety is remarkable. In terms of raw golf, I've only played one course I think is clearly above it, and only 1 or 2 others that are of comparable quality (Moraine State Park is my pick for #1 if you're curious).

+ Long, paved tees, nice signage and plenty of benches.

+ Water fountains and restrooms on site.

+ An absurd amount of amenities. This is a destination park even without disc golf. You have an incredibly nice Tennis course complex, rugged mountain bike trails, multiple baseball fields, multiple volley ball courts, ball golf right across the street, an indoor rock climbing gym 2 miles up the road, breweries and restaurants nearby, etc. This is the stuff an active city dweller dreams of.

- Crossing fairways are a concern here. There are three courses at Renaissance Park, and while most days this isn't much of an issue, on a busy weekend you might have to wait 20 minutes to tee off on #11. There are multiple holes that intersect the fairway from Renske. #12 and #13 suffer from the same issue. #1 intersects the Pro Players course first hole as well. The trade-off is worth it, as Renske is a fun course that caters to a different skill level, but its unfortunate for people who prefer the Gold course.

- There are some minor safety concerns aside from what I listed above. #18 plays along the parking lot and on a terrible drive there is potential to hit a car. #2 plays over the edge of the parking lot and if you turn over a RHBH shot it could easily hit a car or pedestrian. The crossing fairways issue. #18 has a huge cliff 2/3's down the fairway that could be a serious concern if you have dogs or kids with you.

- This course can by physically intimidating. Located in a very warm climate, with numerous hills, and plenty of spots where you'll be exposed to the sun. For this reason, I do not recommend this course if you consider yourself very out of shape. It's a bit of a hike at times for a city course.

- Too much for beginners. This course will often beat down experienced players. Stick to Renske if you're new to the game.

- Certain holes are a bit too open for my liking. #8 is wide open, and would be boring if not for its pin being perched on a steep rock hill. #9 is pretty wide open and very straight forward, one of the weaker holes on the course. #12 is a fairly boring hole that is dependent on raw length more than anything to be interesting. It's very plain compared to the hole that follows.

- The rough on #18 can be absolutely abysmal at times. I've watched people miss a putt and never see their putter again. When the rough is really overgrown on this hole, you might as well consider it a water hazard where you don't expect to get your disc back. It's amazing how effective this spot can be at eating discs.

- Navigation can be very difficult for a first time. With three courses playing on the same property, and multiple baskets often visible from each tee, it can be a challenge working out where to throw your first time playing a hole.

This is one of my top 3 courses out of ~155 played. It is a phenomenal, must-play course for anyone who enjoys a rugged, challenging experience. I cannot recommend it enough.

Charlotte is one of the premiere locations for disc golf on the entire planet. Being the best course in an area like this is really saying something. I think an argument could be made for Nevin or Hornet's Nest to be considered #1, but to me they're all amazing, top-tier courses and which one you think is the best, or most enjoyable, will come down to personal preference. The fact that Renny Gold is in the top 3 in an area like Charlotte speaks volumes in itself.

I think Renny balances open and wooded shots very well, has the most memorable holes, and has the most consistently "fair" feeling challenge. Nevin offers few opportunities to really open up, and feels less balanced as a result, while Hornets Nest has less memorable open holes compared to Renny Gold. That being said, I would give all three courses a similar rating, and consider them all top-tier, must-play, destination level courses.

If you enjoy disc golf and you're above the rec level, you owe it to yourself to go far out of your way to enjoy this gem.

This is a course I feel very wrong not giving a 5 to because I enjoy it so much, but as much as I love it I have to admit its not perfect.

Rennaissance gold is probably one of the most consistently difficult, but consistently fun and fair courses I have played. Especially from the gold tees, this monster is a true test of tournament calibre disc golf. The local club was blessed with a beautiful piece of terrain with which to make a course. Wooded ravines, deep gorges, gigantic boulders, and even a few small sneaky creeks come into play. Elevation changes here can be very drastic and require shots that simply are unique. The variety of shots required on this course is absolutely intense. This is not a course where one dimensional throwers are going to score well. Holes dogleg left and right, and pins are tucked into some devilish places that really require a ton of precision.

Hole length variety is also really great here. There are some definite birdie opportunities on reachable par 3s, and also some really fun par 4s and 5 that keep the course from being at all monotonous.

On the subject of unique would also be some of the green complexes which are amongst the most scenic, and also most difficult that I have seen. Some of them are nestled atop of large boulder complexes which really test short approaches and putts. I would say my favorite was #2 though, which sits on a wooden embankment overllooking a huge, deep gorge. The throw up to the basket (and the penalty for missing that green) is incredible, and a nightmare for the golfer who finds himself at the bottom. That, combined with the basket being on an elevated gangplank forcing a deathputt back down the ravine, creates probably one of the toughest greens I have ever played, and also probably my favorite.

All of the baskets are nicely kept discatchers (for both the gold and grey baskets) and tees are ample concrete. There is a fair attempt at signage here, though as below I do think it could do with some improvement.

One of the coolest parts of this course is that the golds and greys play as almost completely different courses. Different baskets, tees, sometimes even fairways or even completely different holes. Different chalenges make the replay value for this course very high.

Also the obvious, great facilities on site in this well maintained park. Practice basket by the parking lot. Plus another full course on site the RenSke makes this a truly great disc golf facility

Only a few cons here. The most significant one is the navigation which has been noted by some other reviewers. Though there are a ton of signs on the course that attempt to help with the navigation, this place can be quite confusing. Unfortunately the hole signs aren't completely accurate sometimes when showing both basket positions, and a few are old signs that show possibly old basket and tee locations. Sometimes the hole numbers on the basket don't match the hole being played, which was a bit troublesome as well from a navigational perspective. (update, as of 11/16/15 I have heard this has been improved significantly but I haven't had a chance to see it for myself yet)

One of the mandos in the woods was simply a stick on the tree, which was a bit diffiult to see from the teebox.

Finding the first tee was a bit difficult as it is all the way around the tennis courts on the corner of a walkway that doesn't necessarily look like a teepad.

I wasn't a huge fan of the gold teebox on #2. It seemed to call for a sweeping RHBH hyzer over the parking lot back to the fairway. It is not an overly dififcult shot, but it brings cars and people potentially into play. The green complex on this hole is difficult enough, I didn't feel the danger of that teebox was necessary

Overall this was a very good course. I really enjoyed taking my beating on this one, and I would really love to come back and try the grey layout as well.

I think part of my frustration with the navigation was that some of the layout for the course has been slightly altered currently for the upcoming US Masters. That means that some baskets are moved, a few holes are re-routed, and there are spraypainted hole numbers on a few holes that don't match the hole's usual number. There are a few temporary grass tees. As a first time player, this got me a bit confused but I understand that this is a temporary issue that doesn't reflect the normal state of the course.

Make sure you pick which layout you are playing before you start, because there are different courses and sometimes the layout can be a bit confusing

This is 2 separate courses. There is a gold course and a grey course. It is not like courses with a Red and a Blue layout (long and short), it really is 2 courses. You need to pick which course you are playing before you play to avoid any confusion or navigation issues. I realized this after hole 6 but still enjoyed what I played.

Courses are both extremely challenging championship level courses aimed at pro level and upper intermediate level players. The Gold course is longer than the silver but both are just as challenging.

Baskets - The Gold course uses baskets with a gold rim, the grey uses baskets with a grey rim. They catch great. If the two courses share a fairway, there are two baskets. Make sure you play to the correct one. Practice basket on site.

Tees - Each hole has at least one concrete tee. For the holes where the Gold and Grey partially share a fairway, there are 2 tees. When the two split apart from each other, there is only one per hole.

Variety - Everything from flat and open to hilly and open to short and wooded to long hilly and wooded. No two holes are even remotely close to being the same. The gold course has a little bit of distance to the holes, especially when it cross over with Renski for a few holes. There are many blind shots due to elevation, woods, large rocks, and even tall grass. There are many holes at this course with unique basket placements; 2, 9, and 18 stand out the most. If you over/undershoot, you will find yourself 20 feet downhill from an immediate drop off. A majority of the holes are on the long side featuring several placement shots (esp on 18), woods, elevation, and a few water hazards spanning across different types of terrain. Gold and Grey split apart after hole 10. Gold is longer and more flat. Silver is shorter and technical.

Signs - arrows pointing you to the tees for both gold and grey. If you know which course you are playing, it is easy to follow. The signs at each hole show a map for which hole you are playing (for example gold 10 and grey 9 share a tee and a basket) so it is listed on the map.

Once you figure out the navigation to either the gold or grey, the play and layout of this course is phenomenal. Bridges and steps when needed (and it is needed a ton).

Requires the best throw on every throw. Very challenging and rewarding.

Very scenic. Plenty of nature and trails to go around.

Unique basket placement.

If you do not determine which course you are playing, navigation will ruin this course for you. It would definitely be and is a make or break point with this course.

Some of the holes are too difficult for the average disc golfer but fortunately there is an easier course on the opposite end of the park (use the other entrance).

Drop off midway along hole 18 is dangerous. Needs some sort of safety device.

Some of the maps were not accurate.

Navigation was still confusing at times. Especially when Gold crosses Renski as well as a few hole on back 9.

Noise from nearby roads takes away from the peacefulness of the course.

Lots of opportunity to lose a disc (also a pro for being challenging).

At times, did not know which basket to throw to. Would have to walk the hole before playing to know where to go. There were some baskets that did not show up on the map.

I wish I would have picked which course to play prior to playing. Once I figured out what was going on, I really enjoyed everything. Some of the holes were above my skill level (18 for example) but I was willing to try any challenge this provided. The course was laid out very well and the designing phase must have taken months. I was very impressed with the holes here and was definitely wore out after playing.

I would recommend this to any intermediate to pro level player as long as they pick a course and have a map on hand.

Once you figure out navigation, you will more than likely be impressed with this course. I would give this course a 5 out of 5 if it wasn't for the navigation issues and if it were more playable to an intermediate crowd. I left impressed and feel a 4.5 is a great score.

The grey course is an exciting way for a beginner or an advanced player to challenge themselves. The holes give you several different looks and makes it easy to find a route that works for you. Great use of elevation and concrete tee pads are always a plus.

I was able to figure out the course but it does take some navigating. While it is clearly marked where the next hole, the basket location can be confusing. Some holes have two baskets, some one, some show two on the sign but only have one on the hole. I was able to figure it out but it did make the first trip a little confusing.

I am a beginner. I've only been playing three months with a max drive of 280. While my score was much higher on this course than the rest I have played, It was a lot of fun. When I play this course I plan to take an extra 5 shots over my average. I have heard all the stories of how tough this course is but did not find it impossible for a beginner. I encourage everyone to take the challenge and enjoy the difficulty.

-The layout here is spectacular, particularly in terms of the pin placements. The pins are placed on well protected greens that and require navigating slopes, elevated baskets, and delicate approaches.
-The use of elevation adds a big wow factor to a number of holes while increasing the degree of difficulty.
-The big gorge is another signature element and is used at both the beginning (hole 2) and end (hole 18) of the course.
-Concrete tees are always nice to have on every hole.
-Really nice mix of shots, especially for NC where the courses tend to be pretty heavily wooded. This has tight tunnel shots, big open bombs, and makes you work the disc both left to right and right to left.

The only con for me would be the issues with navigation. I don't understand the way the course is laid out at the moment, and it isn't just me. I had a local club member as a guide and we still managed to miss a hole. As we approached one of the tees another group arrived at the tee from a different direction but claimed to be playing the same layout that we were (they had actually taken the holes completely out of order). Every other course I've ever played with a short and long layout just has a long tee and a short tee playing to the same basket which seems by far the easiest way to do things. If the club insists on the spiderweb of tees that is the current system i think much better navigational aids need to be in place.

Renny is a course i've been hearing about for some time and i'm happy to report that it didn't disappoint in the least. The layout issues hardly take away from the rating as the holes taken individually are some of the best i've ever played. Every shot you have will be tested and those that put some thought into how they are going to get around the course will be rewarded. If you ever have a chance to make it out, this is one that shouldn't be missed.

I haven't played many gold-level courses that are this much fun. Renny is an absolute beast.

Elevation changes are frequent and dramatic. I can only remember about three flat holes, and those were the all-out distance bombers (11-13). Risk-reward is incorporated beautifully, with many baskets on or right next to slopes. None is more dramatic than on #2, where the basket is raised on a pedestal with a steep ravine a few feet away. There is a fence to keep you safe, but if you air ball your putt, your disc may not be so lucky.

This course had more doglegs than any I can remember, and they are designed well. The landing zones were generally pretty fair, and you had to think a shot or two ahead (or not; sometimes I did this and then nailed the first tree).

There are some scenic rock outcroppings. On #9 my drive landed 15 feet away from the basket and 15 feet below. Wooded and open holes are nicely interspersed.

I like courses that finish big, and you can't finish much bigger than #18 here, an 800+ foot gut check. After a full drive, I had to decide if I could safely get my approach across the steep ravine that bisected the fairway and also avoid the one that runs along the right side (I laid up). Then there is a memorable approach to the basket on the precarious green above the ravine. Really fun hole.

Hole 1 was a little underwhelming, and the tee shot seemed a little odd with a branch blocking your drive. (I'm pretty sure I was using the right tee pad - a big concrete slab near the tennis court - but there was little signage).

In general the tee signs are missing. Distances are listed on the tee pads, but with multiple configurations it can be confusing. I got through okay with the help of the "next tee" arrows (which were plentiful) and the map on this site. Without the map, good luck. You absolutely need to understand the direction of the doglegs, and these fairways are too long to walk before you throw.

I played the gold course. Be careful that you're playing to the right holes, as some holes also have a basket for the black configuration (and they're not black baskets), and often times there are multiple baskets visible from wherever you are.

My score was higher than any course I've played in the last two years, but I didn't care. This course was epic. If Homer were alive today, he'd be writing about Renny Gold. I would put this up there with the best city park courses I've played, along with Water Works and maybe Hummel.

- The layout is challenging and awesome. As mentioned, pin placements are unlike most courses. You are forced to risk it to gain a stroke, or layup and play it safe since many are on the sides of ravines.
- Good mix of wooded and open. The wooded fairways are not too tight - they are fair. The open holes (11, 12, 13) are about 10 holes combined distance on my home course. If you have a big arm, they may not be challenging, but for the mere mortal, a 1000' hole into a slight headwind is very challenging....
- The fairways are very well defined - you don't have to worry about trying to figure out your lines. Now, whether you can execute them or not - that is the challenge.
- Mix of elevations
- The landscaping is excellent. It is a little worn, but there are stairs, retaining logs, bridges, etc. So even though the terrain can be challenging (going in and out of the ravine), the people who maintain the course make it accessible (big thumbs up to them).
- Benches at most (if not all) tees.
- Park opens at sunrise
- Great use of having a course in a park with many other amenities, but really not being an issue with endangering non-discgolfers.

Ticky-tack cons
- The tee signage and maps are lacking. If they were decent and accurate, I would have given a 5. There are arrows posted to give directions, and if you are an experienced DGer you can probably navigate with the help of the map by Tee 1. I'm still not sure if there are 18 holes on Gray or not.
- Poison ivy - (I know, it's NC, it's wooded - in the perfect world, there wouldn't be any!!!)

I had Renny all to myself this morning. This was on the list of courses I had to play, and a work trip timed out perfectly. I may edit this review as I run through it again in my mind. Hole 2, 4, 18 were my favorites - probably because the pin placement was super challenging after a challenging hole. This is not a course for beginners. I look forward to trying to play this course every time I come through Charlotte!

Extremely challenging course that will make you think on almost every shot. There is a lot of risk/reward type holes, with hole 18 being the signature one (do you lay your second shot up to the left of the ravine, or do you throw over the gorge and risk an OB penalty?). It is truly a championship caliber course and will be one that you won't forget for a long time to come!

Not many...I guess the park can get a little crowded at times, but this has little effect on the disc golf course. Also, the layout can be a little hard to follow without a map especially because there are two layouts.

Bring your A-game because this course requires both distance and accuracy. As mentioned above, there are two layouts, but if you are a serious disc golfer and only are able to play one...don't pass up Renny Gold!

+ All amenities in place: practice basket, some tee signs, all permanent tees, some trash cans, easy to see baskets in great shape, lots of consideration has been taken to ensure proper footing is possible (stones and wooden steps, bridges, etc.)
+ Lots of great landscapes are incorporated in one huge course
+ I never felt claustrophobic like they were limited in space and just tried to cram some holes in

- Tee pads have a bumpy rock texture that I personally didn't like
- Course layout is confusing and inconsistently marked
- Baskets should be marked short/long or whatever, but especially for which layout the basket belongs to: gold or gray..

The three major challenges to this course were as follows, in order of significance: 1) Following the course layout, 2) Avoiding the grand canyon, and 3) Hard putting.

Following the course layout was almost perfectly doable with the Gold map online. The line between doable and not really doable is very fine, however. I believe there are probably disc golfers out there who couldn't comfortably and correctly navigate Renaissance. Even with checking ahead to see if the pin placement is as depicted on the course map, it was still difficult to figure out transitions (15 to 16 and 16 to 17 specifically). Plus 14 was kind of confusing. Even 18 carried a sense of doubt until we got close enough to the basket to realize we were actually going to throw over the grand canyon to the basket. In hindsight, for the most part, we just had to follow our instincts (except from 15-16 where it seems like you should follow the path along the road). That's all just with the course layout as it is, that doesn't even take into consideration the fact that there are two layouts in place right now with signs for both. Sometimes you see a sign for one course, sometimes the other. Sometimes you'll see a basket 8 where you think basket 7 should be and realize you don't know if you got switched from Renny Gold to Renny Gray... It's kinda crazy.

**Update**: I've seen the new Renny signs that have since been put up and they are sweet!

Renny's grand canyon as well as the course's many little valleys are both treacherous and humbling. The difference between par and bogey gets small very quickly when you consider how easy it would be for a gust of wind to come right when you throw over them or even throwing next to them.

Never have I really had to weigh risk vs reward so much when trying to make a simple putt. If there's a small margin between hitting a putt perfectly and missing it with terrible consequences, you really start to slow down and put your all into each and every putt. This isn't true for all holes, of course, but I would say a significant amount of them. Bring your short game.

That being said, the huge holes are in the middle of the course where they should be. Perfectly placed to allow you to air out your drive after you've warmed up on the front 9. I really appreciated this. The beginners I played with found these holes tedious and too long. They were only throwing 250-275 max, though. Add the trees in and they were up to 7 and 8 shots for the big holes

All that being said, it was a very very fun course. I was challenged in distance and accuracy and enjoyed some great elevation change. The layout was creative and the landscape was really cool (especially holes 3 through 7). I appreciated the landing zones with boulders and rock structured greens. I also really enjoyed how the baskets were placed on man-made and natural structures. It's a good mix of all the various characteristics of other disc golf courses in Charlotte's blended into one really cool and huge course.

**Update**: After playing seven Charlotte courses, I also want to make sure I emphasize that Renny Gold is probably too much for brand new throwers. It will teach you a lot, but I don't think there's any one part of disc golf that Renaissance puts emphasis on that would amount to a good learning experience. If simply playing for pleasure, DO IT! In my non-expert opinion, new Charlotte players may want to work up to Renaissance with Hornet's (upshot accuracy), R.L. Smith (controlled putting), Bradford (overall accuracy), Eastway (distance), and Reedy for a good in-between course that blends all aspects.

This course is the toughest course I have ever played and rarely if ever do I say to myself "This hole is unfair".

The Greens here are very tough and very guarded making for some interesting putts.

The holes are designed to make you think which I love. Course managment is the name of the game at Renny. How much do you bite off? Is it worth the risk? You will ask yourself these questions the entire round.

Brand New 28 chain baskets.

The Black course is no more so there is no confusion about which basket is which.

Elevation is used very well throughout the course

The course gets kinda rough and can be a disc eater.

Some Fairways and greens not used during worlds are overgrown and look kinda bad.

The roughness also takes away from the aesthetics of the course.

Erosion is getting pretty bad.

Rounds take a lot of time and a lot of energy

I really enjoy my rounds at Renny. When you play this course it is unlikely you will find yourself getting a bunch of birdies. Keep it in the middle and try to survive is the best plan you can have. I recomend this course to any player who is looking to challenge one of the toughest courses out there.

The biggest, longest and most challenging course in the area (along with Charlottes Web).
If you like to throw long this is the course for you to test your long range accuracy.

More signage needed as new players tend to get lost on the back nine. Just print a map or play with some locals if it is your first time.
Erosion is a problem and it is muddy in the wet months

Use spotters when throwing in blind areas, like to the green of 18. Disc eating bushes and thorns are abundant

Course was relatively well marked, although not as good as most I've seen. Good that there were different sets of tees and baskets.

Not a course for relative "newbies" or for families. The back nine was not so well marked and seemed only marked for gold tees. The designer(s) were great and went out of their way to make it challenging. Basket placement was great for a championship level course.

Great for the 'pros', but not good at all for someone wanting to toss around or learn how to play. Stay away until you've mastered the game.

Revised review.

- Playing here is a combination of a foothill hike and a round of challenging disc golf, everyone definitely gets a workout with both their legs and arms at this one
- This course has both distance and tight holes to hone your accuracy
- Plenty of benches to take a load off
- Hole #18 - very cool hole, nice distance and across a couple ravines
- Great elevation - a few uphill for added difficulty and a couple fun elevated tee boxes

- I would not recommend this course for starters unless you plan on taking many mulligans, but I think anyone can have fun here as long as you don't let yourself get frustrated
- This can definitely be a tough course to navigate the first time you play. Luckily there are usually other experienced players around to request directions from, and you can easily learn the route after one round, but the course could use some better directional markers and a printed map is not a bad idea
- If you are afraid to lose discs you might have to lay-up on a couple holes if you are not completely confident in your consistency. So far I have been lucky enough to always come home with a full set, but I know many people who have finished short a disc or two
- I last played on 7/11 and nearly all of the short baskets had been removed so you must play the longer course
- Like many courses it can get muddy with recent rain

I admit that I am still somewhat a newbie when it comes to disc golf, only been playing weekly-plus for a couple months and have only played a handful of courses, but I cannot imagine how a free public course could be much better
- When I have played with my family we have yet to play all 18 in one day, but always have a great time just playing the front or back nine, so you don't necessarily have to completely shy away if you are playing with people who have a shorter game