This beautiful course winds its way around the large pond, ball park and coliseum at Winthrop University. Winthrop Gold is one of the premier courses in the Charlotte area, hosting the annual USDGC professional tournament and providing a challenge to every disc golfer in the region. The university is very well maintained and there are a number of iconic holes. Hole 3 is a great downhill shot into an open field. Hole 5 is 1,000 feet, par 5, around the pond or a pin located on a peninsula. Hole 6 is the famous "beach" shot, and hole 7 has the triple-mando bamboo gate that you must throw through. The variety is great and the course is beautiful. These hallowed grounds are a must-play (at least once) for any disc golfer in the greater Charlotte region.

First and foremost, there are no signs or diagrams for any of the holes on this course. You can probably find a map online with a simple search. Winthrop University has a map/scorecard at this link: https://www.winthrop.edu/recs....aspx?id=3439
The course does get fairly close to walking paths, parking lots and roads. Just remember to be considerate when other people are around. The large pond - as picturesque as it may be - does present a bit of a challenge. Beware: Hole 17 is a downhill shot straight towards the water (this shot is an island green for the pros - I can't even imagine)! If you've watched the USDGC, you will realize that some of the pin locations have been moved since the tournament. However, none of these things will affect your experience at Winthrop. It's simply an amazing course.

This is a "big boy" course, and by that I mean - if you want to finish anywhere near even, or below par, you must have the ability to do so. After watching the 2017 USDGC a month ago, I wanted to compare my abilities to that of a professional. Let's just say that I have a lot more respect now for what those guys can do. I'd consider myself an intermediate amateur and I finished 19 over par, which I'm very-very proud of! Prepare for a lot of walking. The course stretches to almost 10,000 feet!

The Gold course was very hard but very fun. Great mix of holes. Some very long and very challenging holes. Some station to station holes, some to the right and some to the left. There are a few holes you're not likely to see anywhere else, like the bamboo hole (which I put about 15 feet away and my brother put about a foot away from an ace). Even in the winter this course is very scenic, and well taken care of. Nice tee boxes, great baskets (a few raised) Lots of benches.

When you go out to play the Gold course it's hard to say that how freakin long and hard some of the holes play are a negative, because what did you expect!!! The only thing I could say is maybe a broom or two would be great, I mean this is a championship course right? A lot of tee boxes were covered with leaves, but I'm really just reaching for "cons" here. Bottom line is if you're not looking for a very long and tiring round, then just don't play the Gold course. But if you want to see what your made of then go ahead! Oh if you play the 888 hole with all the OB, good luck not taking a penalty or two!!

I played the Gold course without the ropes, just feel like I should specify that. Awesome course, had a great time. My arm was dead after, although I did drop a 3 (eagle) on one of the 900 foot holes, just before the 888 hole which is a beast. I'd say this is a worth while adventure for any person that loves to play disc golf.

The Gold Course at Winthrop is spectacular - to say the least. If you're playing Winthrop in its Gold layout, you're playing it championship week - with all of the emotion and awe that comes with that. There is a feeling you get playing this course, even if it is just the day after on "spectator Sunday."

Additionally - the course itself is very well put together. There's a nice variety of short and long holes, with holes 1, 3, 7, 17 all deucable with a putter or a midrange. A lot of the par 4's and 5's are birdiable with a nice 3. The ropes keep you honest, and force you to hold your arm in check. A lot of newer players may look at it as unnecessary distance and wide open fairways, but for a player with a huge arm the fairway starts to look awfully narrow and tricky 425-50 feet down the way.

Additionally the course is beautiful. On top of that sense of emotion and awe that you get, you hit hole 5 and take a look out over the water - or as you're looking off of 17's teepad or down 18's green... the views are stunning.

At times, despite the yellow rope keeping the course from playing too wide open, it really feels open. From hole 9 through hole 12 you really feel like you're out in the sun for a long time - it feels like far more than four holes and it can drain you.

This is Winthrop Gold - and it is the absolute best there is in professional disc golf. If you're playing Gold you're playing championship week, and nothing feels better. It really does carry the course a little. I rated it a 4.5... based on the course alone its a 4.0, in my opinion. But based on the feeling you get teeing off from hole 1, the feeling you get knowing that you're treading the same fairways that the best of the best are going to be heading up all week... that's worth the bump to a 4.5, without a doubt.

World class amenities. From the pro shop to course maintenance, this course is at the highest level.

NOT for beginners.
Hole 17 OB lines (personal dislike).

This course is for advanced and pro players. Beginners will hate this course. Even experienced pros will find this course long and grueling if they are not playing at a top level. It plays on and around the Winthrop University campus, close to 10,000 feet in length, maybe more. Ive only played this in tournament situations so don't know if there are alternate tees, I don't believe there are. For the most part, its fairly wide open if compared to a course like the Rennaisance course in Charlotte, NC. There is yellow OB rope, narrowing the fairways on almost every hole that will limit your disc selection to ensure a successful in-bound drive off the tees. This is one of the few courses ive played that demands accurate, fairway drives as well, instead of a layup shot after your initial drive on 70 percent of the holes.
Excellent use of foliage on the course, no unfair or unusual looks from the tee box to the pin, although you might have trouble seeing the basket on some holes, they are so far away from the tee pad (holes 5 and 13 for example). The fairways are top notch, well maintained kentucky blue grass, I believe. Course management is huge here, a person should score much better the second time around after playing it once, as your course knowledge will benefit your decision making in disc selection and placement down the fairways. This is a factor not present on most disc golf courses available to play anywhere so makes this course very special in that regard.
All your skills will be challenged on this course, if you like rollers you can do that, if you like overhead shots you can do that too, to your hearts content. Most people who do well here can throw backhand accurately 450 feet or furthur. The furthur you can throw accurately, the better you will do scorewise. There are a handful of shorter holes on this course but the majority of tee shots are big-arm friendly. Each hole has a character of its own, so you don't get bored with repetition from hole to hole. I would like to play this course without the pressure of competion to see if it will be as enjoyable and challenging at the same time as I think it is.
No matter what kind of situation you may be in playing on this course, it's a must-play if your in the area. I would like to see more courses like this, only perhaps with slightly less emphasis on having to throw big to be competitive, but that's just me and my lame ability to throw farther than 400 feet.

If you want a challenge, then you've come to the right spot. Some holes are nearing 1/4 mile in length.

Will humble you quickly. Tee/basket numbering is crap.

Sunbathers around the lake mixed with a large amount of goose crap can be frustrating.