SPCC Polkton is a fun, 9 hole course that is suitable for beginners. The course works its way around the campus and has nice concrete tees and DISCatcher baskets. There was a single trash can between hole 6 and 7 right next to the small amphitheater.

While it's a course designed for beginners, and every hole is certainly birdie-able, the course does a great job making use of various trees around the campus to create a course that intermediate and even advanced players can find their rounds here enjoyable. The course also does a great job differentiating the hole design up enough that every hole feels unique, despite never needing anything bigger than a midrange to shoot well here.

I was honestly, pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this course. SPCC is doing a great job designing and installing courses on the campuses!

The holes don't really have proper tee signs, just a 4x4 stump with a number on it. While it is not overly important because you can see the basket from the tees, I think a proper tee sign, with at least the distance labed would help enhance this course.

Overall, this is still a beginner course. Most players would probably out grow it fairly quickly, but it is the only course anywhere nearby. Still probably makes for a fun way for students to kill time in between their classes. I am not sure if the school has enough land for a "back 9", but it did seem like there was enough space to at least add long tees to create a slightly harder layout for golfers who want an additional challenge.

Navigation isn't a huge issue here, but it could definitely be improved. The walk from Hole 3 to Hole 4 was pretty long and not obvious at all. I could barely make out what seemed to be a "trail" through the pine forest. The walk from Hole 6 to 7, while less problematic, was also a bit confusing for a short little bit. Putting arrows hanging below the baskets could help solve this.

This is one of the better 9 hole courses I've played so far. If it wasn't so far away from where I live, I'd probably take beginners here to learn the game. There is just enough variety and challenge to make the course interesting for them, but not so much that they are put off by the game. Plus there are plenty of ace runs here for better players. Maybe it's because it had been a while since I drew metal off the tee, but hitting off the chains, rim, and then basket on 7, 8, and 9 made my round here very enjoyable!

For now I am going to give the course a 2.0 rating, because I think the holes are designed well, features some of the better concrete tees I've played from, and the course seems to be in good condition. If the course were to get some improved tee signs and a second set of longer tee pads (or a back 9 somewhere) I could see myself bumping this rating up too.

Favorite Holes: 2 & 7

That's right, Polkton! Polkton is named after L.L. Polk, the 3rd most famous L.L. after L.L. Cool J and L.L. Bean. OK, not really. But he was a pivotal figure in NC history concerning agriculture and politics, fought for the Confederacy and wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. In addition to founding the town after the war, he also possessed a goatee that was said to be the envy of schnauzers everywhere. OK, I made that last part up again. Oh yeah the disc golf course.

Surprisingly, the course is very decent. This may place top 10 in courses whose tees are disproportionately nice and large compared to shortness of the holes. Finding these great concrete tees can be tricky but not too hard if you can spot the wood colored stobs that serve as signs. Design-wise there's nothing groundbreaking here but for a short 9 holer it's decent variety and fun. Some holes are nicely wooded but most are open tunnels flanked by pine forest. The routing is great with the parking lot supremely located next to start and finish and the campus is right off the highway so this is a great place to get a quick round in and stretch the legs if you're traveling this lonesome road. Nice Innova Discatchers.

Transition from 6 to 7 could use a sign, just walk straight past the little amphitheater. You've also got a long walk from hole 3 to 4 through the woods but little Discraft flags let you know you're on the right path.

Some if not all the holes are basically Par 2's but a few are blatant about it with their shortness. Some of these seem like the tees could have been pushed back to assuage that a bit. But definitely a putter course best suited for beginners. Hole 9 is pathetically short. The shortness of holes do make up for the fact that the tee signs tell you the hole number and that's it so you have to eyeball every distance.

No trash cans anywhere so you're going to have to take your Natural Light empties back out with you, sorry.

No frills but plenty of ace-runs to make and it is conveniently routed and located off the highway, albeit not conveniently located near, well, anything. Bring a Polecat and enjoy it for what it is.

South Piedmont Community College offers a fun 9-hole layout. It's a good mixture of open and wooded holes, giving players a reason to stop in Polkton.
- Fun mid-range course. No distances listed, but holes all appear to range from about 140 feet (#6) to 240 feet (#2 & 5). I played two rounds with a Buzz and a putter and had birdie putts on every hole at least once.
- For a 9-hole layout, course offers solid variety in layouts and looks. Every hole has a varying degree of trees in play, with #6 being the most wide-open. #3 is a relatively straight hole with the basket surrounded by trees if your shot strays off line. #4 & 5 play dogleg right to a sharper dogleg left layout. The final three holes all have trees protecting the basket. I threw high sweeping, RHBH shots and finished both rounds with three straight tap-in 2s playing the same shot each time.
- Solid course for beginners and casual players. I thought the course was much more enjoyable than most 9-hole layouts, even if it wasn't the most difficult. That said, birdies aren't automatic, you've got to earn them with solid shot-making.
- Nice, small-town campus. Other than hole #1, you play away from the highway and have a pleasant, quiet stroll through portions of the campus.

Biggest con is that the course is in the middle of nowhere. You're either driving east towards the beach or heading west towards Charlotte. If you don't pay attention, you'll drive right past the school and not even realize it.
- Holes don't have distances listed. If you don't have a good eye/feel for your throws, that can be frustrating.
- Navigation can be a bit tricky at times. There's a long walk from #3 to 4. To the designer's credit, there are disc golf flags marking the trail. The long transition from #6 to 7 isn't marked. You must walk straight past the amphitheater to find the tee markers for #7.
- No trash cans or benches. Also, coming from the west, there weren't any gas stations/fast food joints close by. You'll need to drive east towards town to find places to eat, drink, use the restroom, etc.

This is the second-best disc golf course I've played at a South Point Community College campus. Dry Creek is on Monroe's SPCC campus.
- There appears to be plenty of good, unused, wooded land on the campus if the idea to expand is ever explored. You could have an 18-hole layout that looks and feels just like Oakboro District Park 25 minutes away.
- Nobody is ever going to drive this far away just to play this course. You'll need to tie it in with other courses. I was already in Monroe, so I knocked out Wingate and this course. From that perspective, I could justify the time and distance.
- Disc golf has given me the chance to stop in some small towns I would never otherwise visit. I've now stopped in out of the way towns like Oakboro, Troy, Weaverville and now, Polkton, simply due to their disc golf courses. It's enjoyable stopping in these small towns, if only for an hour.

I think it's fantastic that community colleges are adding disc golf courses on their campuses to introduce new players to the game. The course at South Piedmont Community College has the bones to be an above average 9-hole beginner course. BUT there are a few issues which knocked it down a notch or two for me. The good news is, my cons are easily fixable. First, the pros...

+ Big, level concrete tee pads.

+ Good baskets.

+ Good variety in how the holes are laid out: hyzer, anhyzer, and straight.

+ The distances on the holes were very appropriate for a beginner-friendly course, but not so short that it's a "putt putt" course.

Again, the cons are fixable. The problem is that the solution requires a little money invested in the course.

- Navigation is an issue. There is not a course map, nor next tee signs. There's a pretty long walk between hole 2 and 3...and without any direction, it's very easy to head off in the wrong direction. (I did.)

- A second point on navigation: there are tee signs with the number of the hole, but there are no signs indicating hole layout or distance. You have to make a guess on distance, and on a couple holes, you have to walk up the fairway to find the basket and plan your strategy off the tee.

- I believe it's hole 2 (could be hole 3) plays to a basket in a small putting area carved out of a thick pine forest. I'd say it's about a 220-foot hole. If you miss the gap to the green, you're going to be in extremely thick rough. This was the only hole I'd say was "unfair" or at the very least "not fun."

- No trash cans or benches anywhere on the course, that I could see.

Nice little course. I hope they're able to add maps and signs. I feel sure that this course will introduce some new players to the game.