Wingate University DGC is set on a small college campus, with a decent mix of open holes and wooded holes.The course uses DISCatcher baskets, natural tees, and has tee signs that list the par & distance information. The course seems to have undergone another small redesign recently.There aren't really any amenities to speak of while you are on the course, though there is a great spot by a lake to sit and relax.

Somehow, in the middle of a county I always envisioned as being as flat as a countertop, Wingate manages to set up quite a few holes that bring elevation into play. Hole 5 for instance is a fun uphill shot, that actually caught me off guard by how much elevation gain there was. Hole 9, on the other hand, is a fun downhill putter toss at what is arguably the most scenic spot of the hole course.

The front nine features two technical par 4s that really make you work for your birdie. It also features what is easily my favorite hole on the course: Hole 8! It provides you with the option of trying to send a huge sweeping hyzer towards a basket, which is located on a grassy mound, or to park it by hitting through a gap with a straight shot. The only manageable way to birdie it seems to be the straight shot. Even then, the grassy knoll is just noticeable enough to let you miss your birdie putt- which I know from experience!

Here you get a great view of the lake before you start making your way back towards the main campus. Might be a great place to rest and relax before entering the back-9. The back nine features some shots that are really going to test your accuracy and distance. Hole 10, for instance, is a long straight tunnel shot that fades left at the end. The course finishes with a bang, by playing two holes near a steep creek bed through a second of trees that give you plenty of lines to throw, and plenty of ways to kick into a bad position.

Finding this course proved to be very tricky! In fact, while I was walking around with my bag of discs, I was stopped by students who asked me for directions to the course because they were interested in playing it... Never a good sign. Construction of a new building has made the course map here on DGCR out of date, as there is a building in the middle of where Hole 2 used to be. That building is East Wilson Hall. If you can find that building, you just need to walk along E Wilson St until you find Hole 1. Holes 17 & 18 are on the opposite side of the building as the rest of the course. Alternatively you can just look for the Campus Service Center, hole 1 is across the road.

After hole 2, there are also no signs for how to find the rest of the course. If it weren't for BrotherDave's review, I wouldn't have thought to walk down the gravel/dirt maintenance road to find the next hole. But that is how it is done. After this, navigation becomes less of a bear, but having a sign at Hole 2's basket directing your towards Hole 3, and maybe a sign near Holes 17 & 18 directing you towards Hole 1 would be a huge plus!

Speaking of the dirt maintenance road, I saw pictures of the course from a few years back, and it seems that the maintenance road has been extended throughout the fairways of the vast majority of holes. It makes the course look less natural, and possibly creates safety concerns depending on how often the road is traveled. The entire time you're throwing along the road, there are woods nearby that would create such a secluded feeling if it weren't for the road.

I wish the tee signs had little maps on them, because there were a few holes I was happy I had a decent drive because there was a road or a marshy area nearby that I had not noticed. Admittedly this may prove difficult to accomplish since the course seems to be somewhat redesign prone.

Hole 14 had some heavy duty trucks parked on the fairway and there seemed to be a lot of construction happening around there. The vehicles seemed far enough away that I went ahead and played, but had to play casual relief when I slid underneath one of them.

It is likely due to the newest redesign, but Holes 1 & 9 felt somewhat like filler holes. Which is really a shame, because Hole 9 has a lot of potential to be improved if it can be lengthened.

Wingate University is a course that is definitely worth checking out. If you live relatively close by, you should consider putting it into your regular course rotation. It is a fun course on a small, quiet college campus that will allow you to escape the large crowds of more popular courses. It provides a challenge that tests multiple aspects of the game. For now I will be giving it a 2.5 rating, due to the lack of navigational signage, the dirt road on most fairways, and the construction debris and vehicles parked on a few fairways. Even with a few simple fixes, this course would deserve a bump in the rating I'm giving it. Signage at Hole 18 pointing players to the start of the course, and signage at Hole 2's basket directing players towards Hole 3 would really go a long, long way! The fact that students of the university were also having struggling to find the course was not a strong selling point for me.

Favorite Holes: 8, 10, 17, & 18

not bad for a 9 hole course, 2 holes were over 400ft. the layout was easy to follow and it was not crowded. nice baskets and good use of land available

no tee pads, hole #1 i couldnt find a tee sign for, so i threw from the parking lot. hole# 3 , i didnt see the basket at first and threw towards #6, not too challenging for the most part. the tees were pretty close to the last holes baskets, so if it was crowded it may be a problem, but idont see this course getting a ton of play.

for a 9 hole it wasnt bad at all, it took me about 20 minutes to play. with the exception of two holes a driver never came out of the bag. a roc was about all i needed to throw. there seemed to be enough space to add 9 more holes in the future. good course to practice on.

The course is set in a well kept field. It utilizes the trees, hill and one creek that runs through the course. Most holes are out in the open, but have branches blocking the easiest flight path. They also used the one hill for 3 holes to give you some elevation. The creek comes into play on 2 holes, and behind another if you go long. Tee signs are new, baskets new. The course was easy to follow and loops back to the 1st hole.

No benches, no garbage cans. Grass tees. This is a newer course and these things may get worked out. There is also a design danger problem with 7 and 8. The basket for 7 is in the fairway for the 8th hole. I've yet to see anybody but me playing out there. But if you had more players you would surely want to watch out when putting on 7.

This course plays a tad tougher in the summer due to the trees having leaves.
-Hole 1 is across a field with no obstacles. Unless you put your drive left, then you will have a tree to putt around.
-Hole 2 was one of my favorites. It's only 177 long, but crosses a creek. The creek has thick brush. You have one small opening to get your disc in between 2 trees set about 20 feet apart. And you can't go in high because of the branches. If you hit either tree your disc will likely get wet.
-Hole 3 is an uphill shot that would be dead on, but if you try to make a run at the basket from the tee you will have to go right and bring your disc back left.
-Hole 4 is a downhill run that has tree branches in your way. I threw low and got a skip to leave me with a decent putt. If you happen to go long the creek sits about 15-20' behind the basket.
-Hole 5 is back up a hill. The branches are not as much of a problem here, it's just a tighter hole to the basket.
-Hole 6 is just a 400' shot across a field. If you go long on your first or second shot you could have trees to putt around.
-Hole 7 is pretty straight, but you'll need to keep your drive low.
-Hole 8 is fairly straight, maybe one tree to deal with. But don't hit the 7 basket.
-Hole 9 was the most interesting other than 2. It's over the creek with the thick brush. But I'm not sure I ever found the intended flight path. I think they want you to tee from the right of the tee sign, but it's hard to get your disc out of there with a lot of power. It's tight and about the point where your disc starts to rise are branches. If you tee from the left side of the sign good luck, it's real tight.

All in all I enjoyed my rounds here. I travel this road weekly and I know I'll play here more.