Burlington, NC

Wellspring

3.645(based on 46 reviews)
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9 0
volklgirl
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 110 played 56 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Leave the Cart at Home! drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 16, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Super clean Port-a John in parking lot.
- Long and short concrete tee pads on almost every hole.
- Consistent elevation changes throughout the course.
- Distances that won't make beginners cry (except for 17!).
- Shot shaping and good disc control highly rewarded.
- Exceedingly clean course.
- No poke-and-pray holes.
- Every hole had a challenging line.

Cons:

- LOTS of roots and strenuous climbs make cart use an exercise in frustration.
- Tight lines and lots of trees require control that beginners may lack.
- Down the hill, over the creek, and up the hill over and over can get monotonous.
- 17 is an outlier with bug distance, a wide open fairway, and a lake in play. 18 isn't quite as bad.

Other Thoughts:

Wellspring is an old-school, heavily wooded short course in a gorgeous park that also has camping, hiking trails, horseback riding, a playground, and 2 other courses on site. After your round, take the paved path past the parking lot for an easy stroll to the dam and waterfall.

This is a great place for a family day or weekend. The players will be kept busy with 3 really individual courses while non players have plenty of other things to keep them entertained.
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9 0
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 203 played 201 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Little wooded gem

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

The wooded brother to the longer more open course at the front of the park.

As you descend to the first tee from the parking area it's apparent that this is a very different style of course. And I have to say even though it would seem not to fit my game, this is the kind of old school hilly woods course I will always have a soft spot for. I think this course was probably elite when it was installed.

You have two tees on I think every hole, and though from the longer blue tees are only 200-300ft on most holes(with a notable exception) the lines are interesting and require some precision to score well.

The signs are simple but nice, and there are benches I think on every hole but not every tee.

So the course is mainly this old school funky woods course that I feel like should be played with a Stingray and a Whippet(or Iguana and A2 as I was equipped with) and then #17 jumps out like like a bear at a picnic and slaps you with its meaty paws of a 700+ft par 4 with a lake in play. Very valid hole and I did like it but it was a very different tone. Like if Jimi Hendrix played a solo on a heartfelt Emmylou Harris tune, it's not bad just not where you would expect it.

Cons:

Honestly not a lot to complain about, it's a shorter(mostly) funky woods course, and that's what it is. It's clean well maintained and the lines are fun. The only critiques I have are that the navigation favors the white pads heavily and the blue tees are perhaps a touch forehand heavy.

That's not a problem for me at all, but I could see some complaints.

Other Thoughts:

Super fun old school course that I hope to play again. I feel like in competition you would need to need to shred to do well here, but it would be a fun challenge.

They have these large wooden bridges over the creeks that are awesome but slippery when wet, be careful I went face down lol.
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6 0
jeremytf
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 37.8 years 43 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great precision course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 25, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I love precision courses because they fit my game style - I'm not a long bomber. The new tees are awesome. The navigation is easy once you get started. Playing through the woods over the rolling hills feels perfect for North Carolina. The course is well maintained, clean fairways (for a woods course) and walking paths.
A shoppe, restrooms, good parking, camping, etc!

Cons:

I almost didn't review this course because my comments generally echo everyone else's, but I wanted to note a couple cons that I haven't seen mentioned enough.

There are multiple locations (4 or 5) where there are serious safety hazards. This is a compact course. Some baskets are close to other teepads. Some teepads are close to other fairways. A guy in the group behind us got hit in the head with a drive. I had to jump to avoid getting hit in the ankle. A few safety nets in key locations could make the difference to save a serious injury. Stay aware when you play this course.

The map on the scorecard also sucks because it has no point of reference such as a north arrow or the main park road or the adjacent Cedarock course. It took me some hunting to find the Wellspring course. A smart map would show a little more surrounding context, especially with the way people play both courses together. Why not make a larger map that shows both course layouts?

Other Thoughts:

Loved the course and the ability to play two (soon to be three) courses in one location. Worth a drive from anywhere nearby! Beautiful setting and good amenities and things to do.
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7 0
rwgatorfan
Experience: 3.7 years 29 played 18 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun, tight course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 4, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is a perfect companion to the next door Cedarock course. It is short, tight and (except for the long 17th hole) heavily wooded.

The course is in great shape. Tee boxes are concrete and plenty big. The baskets are all in perfect condition and the course has good signage, with Next Hole signs on pretty much every hole.

One of my favorite aspects is the elevation changes. There is a variety of uphill, downhill and across a valley type holes. Most holes are quite short, but still challenging with targets behind trees. There are challenges for all types of throwers, but there are many holes that can be aced too.

All in all, a fun course

Cons:

Lots of roots and some taxing climbs. There were many times someone in our group almost tripped or stubbed their toes on roots. Otherwise, no complaints.

Other Thoughts:

We made a day trip to Cedarock Park and had a great time. I"m glad we played the longer sister course to this one first as it's length would have been taxing as the second 18 we played. Wellspring was the perfect finish to a great day of disc golf.
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13 0
Nix It
Experience: 38.8 years 14 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wellspring 2.0 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 21, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- All new, big concrete tees... shorts and longs. Just finished on 7/17/20. The tees are aprox 4 x 8 feet.

- Six of the new long tees were lengthened, three tees were moved more to the left, and two were moved more to the right. So 11 of the 18 blue tees have a new look and feel.

- As of yesterday, 7/23/20, Tom and myself, with the park's permission, walked through each fairway and trimmed back the overgrowth that was encroaching. We just used extension, and hand lopers (no chainsaws), to box in the foliage to the defined fairways, This was mostly summer overgrowth, but it hadn't been done in a while. We also trimmed up tee and putting areas for a better golf experience.

- Wellspring is clean! There are more trashcans now, and they are being used. Many thanks to the conscientious disc golfers out there!

- Wellspring is the shady little brother to Cedarock long, and adds the perfect compliment to the golf pallet. The summertime 15 degree drop in temperature when you walk under that canopy is also a bonus.

- Alamance county has a parks and recreation department that recognizes, and invests in the popularity of disc golf in this area. This is awesome, and could lead to a third, pro level permanent course at Cedarock Park!

Disc golf is a perfect activity to enjoy during the pandemic... plenty of social distancing, and no masks needed. The park opens at 8 am.

Cons:

- Wellspring is not Maple Leaf Disc Golf Course, and never will be! But Wellspring IS a tight little wooded gem of a course with fair, accuracy oriented fairways that reward good shots with birdies.

- Could still use a bit of erosion control in some areas.

Other Thoughts:

Hey guys, this is Rob Nicks, and I did the overall design and layout of Wellspring back in '88... IKR! When we first began to survey this forest for natural fairways and course flow, these woods were very overgrown and dense with briars and ground clutter. In some areas, you couldn't see more than 10 feet ahead of where you were standing. I spent weeks cutting in initial trails to survey the park boundaries and to get a working idea of how it would zig zag through the wooded section, then take that long downhill bomb shot (now hole 17), to make it a loop. The course was built by a group of local volunteers who did it as a labor of love. Personally, I went through two sets of knee pads, and three sets of lopers. Blood, sweat, and blisters... LOL. Back then, hole 15 was hole 1, and on Cedarock, hole 9 was hole 1. We would enter the park on the gravel road Garrett House Trail, and take a left through a gate to park between the two courses. But much has changed over the 40+ years since my bud Bob Watson pitched the initial concept of a disc golf course to Alamance Parks & Rec. They let Bob and Carlton Howard (RADL), lay in the original Cedarock short course with natural tees and cedar posts as targets. It was the early days of disc golf, but the word got out and before long, there were a group of regulars, and it steadily grew. We ran tournaments and the Parks' would pay for trophy's and golf discs for prizes, while the entry fee money went toward baskets. There were also some donations and hole sponsors, which got us our first 18 DGA Mach III's. Then came Tom Wagner with the alternate pin positions, and long tees, and the park let him use their equipment to mow tight greens and fairway connections. Wellspring got designed and built, and we started putting baskets on it in like manor... one at a time as we raised money through tournaments, donations, and Parks & Rec help. Blue tees were added later to Welspring, as were some minor design changes to both courses for better tournament flow and safety concerns.
All that rambling to say this... 36+ years later, after many tweaks, basket upgrades, tee pad upgrades, storm damage repair, and 35 Sneeky Petes... I still meet Tom, Bob, Vic, and others on the regular to play the figure 8! I am so thankful and blessed to have been a small part of the growth of disc golf in this area, and to have met and enjoyed the company of so many like minded folks who share the simple joy of throwing that disc, and watching it fly! Since the late 80's, so many courses have sprung up all over the state, and I look forward to playing them all, one at a time, with my awesome friends.
God bless you guys, and keep slingin them discs!
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5 0
thumber_guy
Experience: 33.8 years 142 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

One of my favorites 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 5, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Gorgeous woods course, well established paths, excellent course maintenance, lots of parking, and fun! A great precision course.

Cons:

Beginners could get frustrated as there are a lot of trees to hit, but the distances are manageable for most everyone.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 1: uphill, left to right
white tee: tough but doable, one of the tougher 3s on the course
blue tee: about 80 feet longer with an uphill tunnel shot required off the tee. For rec it's really a par 4.

Hole 2: downhill, very slight right to left line, creek around green
white tee: tight shot, will usually require a 20+ foot putt for the bird
blue tee: mostly the same, just about 40 feet longer

Hole 3: from plateau to plateau, so "level" despite the down and up to get there. Left to right
white tee: trees 20 feet in front of the tee create a challenge, but get past that with a good shot and birdie is within reach
blue tee: same distance, just a slightly different angle that makes the tee shot a little harder

Hole 4: downhill, left to right
white tee: perfect for a thumber. The tee pad and fairway position makes a really difficult shot for right-handers, not enough room to forehand and super tight hyzer backhand
blue tee: 30 feet longer and offset left, actually be easier to use the fairway than from the white

Hole 5: short downhill, left to right
white tee: just a decent forehand will likely give you a chance at birdie
blue tee: a little tighter line, same distance, likely birdie

Hole 6: mostly level (up and down again with creek at bottom), slight right to left
white tee: straight shot
blue tee: a little more R to L

Hole 7: uphill, right to left with mando, fence on right side is OB
white tee: only about 100 feet to the mando tree on the left side, then 60 feet slightly down to basket. Few birdies here
blue tee: about 150 feet to mando tree, for advanced players it is probably an easier shot with a more natural disc flight

hole 8: downhill, right to left, creek behind basket
white tee: big, high, sweeping R to L backhand needed
blue tee: slightly longer, slightly offset to the right

hole 9: mostly level, recently fallen trees half-cleared
white tee: right to left, pretty simple backhand line
blue tee: straight tunnel shot, about 40 feet longer, difficult shot

hole 10: level, straight
white tee: straight line shot, also a difficult but possible forehand/thumber route on left side
blue tee: same shot, just 30 feet longer

hole 11: uphill, left to right
white tee: plays close to 300 due to height, very tough deuce
blue tee: same distance, but offset tee to right makes angle even tighter

Hole 12: mostly level (up and down again with creek at bottom)
white tee: straight shot
blue tee: a little higher up and 40 feet longer

Hole 13: completely different depending on tee
white tee: straight, downhill, short. Several narrow alleys.
blue tee: walk past the white tee down the path and across the stream. Narrow, mostly level, sharp left to right

Hole 14: uphill, slightly left to right, only one tee
I've aced this one twice.

Hole 15: level, straight line or slight left to right
white tee: take your pick of line, plays longer than it looks as green is a little elevated
blue tee: significantly longer, but same lines

Hole 16: level, right to left
white tee: tough tee shot, miss the gap and you're looking at a 4.
blue tee: same line, 35 feet longer

Hole 17: downhill, only par 4 on the course, the pond to the right is OB
white tee: have to get it at least to the first oak to have a chance at par. Going down the left side is tough.
blue tee: the gap is easier to hit than it used to be, but the 100+ extra feet makes this really a rec par 5.

Hole 18: slight downhill, left to right
white tee: don't hit the little tree in the middle! Decent birdie opp.
blue tee: occasionally muddy, sharp left to right angle limits distance making it tough to get close.
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8 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 480 played 245 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Bring your Technical game for this one 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Two concreate tees on every hole. Good Discatchers, very nice to have those bright bands on this heavily wooded course.
Excellent tee signs with all the details, both tees, footage, par, layout and next tee.
Flows very well, crossing the small stream or playing along side it on many holes. Including the inevitable elevation changes across the stream.
Very tight, precision course, not long, but it doesn't have to be, to be a challenge.
This course requires just about every shot you have, including short hyzer and anhyzer holes.
Course has worn in very well, surprisingly easy to find your disc in the rough.
The back nine lengthens a little, leaving the woods to finish with the par 4 17th and a mostly open 18.

Cons:

Some lines were a challenge to hit, its probably just me, but several seemed unduly tight.
Really no others to think of.

Other Thoughts:

WOW! If someone was trying to design two completely different courses, in the same park, which adjoin each other, this and Cedarock would be excellent examples.
Distance, foliage and elevation, three things used to describe a course, couldn't be more different between these two.
The smallish tee pads at Wellspring aren't much of a problem because most of the holes are so short.
You really need precise drives here, especially on the front nine, most of those are standalone holes, so the rough is not as beaten down. On the back nine, several holes are side-by-side, so you get a little friendly, neighborly clearing.
#15 is a fun, right turning hole, #17 is open, but the large single tree in the middle of the fairway has to be avoided, then #18 has been toughen up a bit, with the basket set in the trees down the right side of the fairway, an open, well placed drive is needed here.
Even though the courses start from different parts of Cedarock Park, they come together at one spot, #15 of Wellspring and #9 of Cedarock. I couldn't resist the temptation to hop over to CR and play one of my favorite holes of all time, #10, the Porthole hole. (The drive is through a round opening in the trees, a Porthole.)
If you wanted to get both courses in, in one visit, jump between courses there and play the Figure 8.
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4 0
Pymm
Experience: 8.2 years 42 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Tight, wooded, fun 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Benches and good signage.
Good use of terrain and elevation changes.
Quite a few ace/birdie opportunities if you can hit a line and maybe get a little luck. I had a 6 foot birdie putt on #9 after a fairly big hyzer through the trees. You will need to be accurate off the tee, though, and command a forehand, anny, and hyzer.
Hardly a level basket placement in the bunch. You really have to consider whether that 35 footer for birdie is worth it because a skip or rollaway can cost you greatly here. Makes for some tense moments.
Not crowded.
No ticks!!!!
Great as the second 18 of a Cedar Rock/Wellspring day.

Cons:

Some holes are kind of samey. We got to #12 and thought for a minute that we had already played it due to it's similarity to several others.
#17 and #18, while fun, don't feel like they belong in the same course. #1 through #16 are thematically cohesive in that they are tight, wooded,tests of accuracy. The final two are pretty wide open bombers. If these two holes were somewhere in the middle, they would be a great change of pace but having both at the finish makes them seem tacked on.
Short tee pads.

Other Thoughts:

Definitely a course I will return to, especially on a day that I want to get in two rounds; one at Cedar Rock and one at Wellspring.
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6 0
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 195 played 190 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Disc Golf Oasis 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 4, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

I wish I could review Cedarock-Wellspring as one course! They are polar opposites. Cedarock is very long and wide open; Wellspring is short, wooded, and technical. But I can't imagine visiting this park and only playing one of the courses. I mentioned this in my Cedarock review: individually, I'd rate each course as a 3.5. But taken together, they compliment each other so well, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. As 36 holes, I'd give Cedarock-Wellspring a 4.0.

The course that's most similar to Wellspring that I've played is Bethesda in Durham. Very similar in length and style; very short and tightly wooded. I used a Leopard on a few holes because I can get a good anhyzer out of it, but otherwise I didn't use any drivers.

What makes Bethesda a 2.0 - 2.5 and Wellspring a 3.5 - 4.0 is elevation (Wellspring has all kinds of elevation, and especially fun downhills), shot variety (hyzers, anhyzers, and straight), different ways to play holes (holes with dual hyzer and anhyzer fairways), and, oh yeah, Wellspring has Cedarock next door for another great 18 holes. Also, Wellspring has less underbrush. Even though you're in pretty dense woods, I never felt like there was a great risk of losing discs.

Other positives:
- There's a pro shop where you can buy discs and snacks. So cool. All courses should have pro shops!
- Great amenities. Clean bathrooms and lots of other activities at the park (fishing, beach volleyball, canoeing, grilling out).
- This is a pro for me: I was inches away from my first ace! I threw an anhyzer that zoomed right over the basket, hit a tree, bounced back and rattled the chains. So close! Would have been an epic first ace.

Cons:

If this were a standalone course, I'd dock Wellspring a half a point because it is pretty short. However, as mentioned, when paired with Cedarock, you really get everything you could want out of 36 holes of disc golf.

Other Thoughts:

This isn't a pro or a con, but one oddity of Wellspring is the last two holes. You emerge from the forest for the first time after the 16th hole. #17 is a very long, wide open par 4. #18 is a shorter than #17, but it's another wide open downhill hole. These two holes feel like they belong on the Cedarock course, not Wellspring. If the geography and navigation made sense, I'd add #17 and #18 to Cedarock, make it a 20-hole course, and make Wellspring a 16-hole course. Anyway, it doesn't matter because you should play both courses together as a 36-hole round.

I've seen the "figure eight" mentioned in previous reviews, where you play part of either Wellspring or Cedarock, then jump to the other course on a parallel hole, play that entire course, then finish on the one you started on. I honestly don't see the reason to do this. The two hole #1's are maybe a quarter of a mile apart. You can walk it or drive to the other parking lot easily. I would suggest playing one and then the other for a completely different feel.

However you chose to play the Cedarock courses, consider them a 36-hole disc golf oasis and leave yourself enough time to play all of them.
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1 1
GSquare44
Experience: 12.8 years 16 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good Technical Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 31, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good Tee Signs, Concrete Pads, Multiple Routes to Pin, Elevation changes

Cons:

No trash cans, Holes are pretty close together and bad kicks get you into other fairways.

Other Thoughts:

Enjoy it a lot, the first course I ever played in high school. Right next to Cedarock Course - knock out two courses side by side.
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7 2
Tenacious EJ
Experience: 30.6 years 72 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Not much left to say. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-A wooded course with clear throwing lanes (how novel)
-Holes are well-defined and well-planned
-No holes that make you feel cheated
-Perfect compliment to Cedarock
-Recently groomed, so a lot of the low brush has been removed

Cons:

-Trashcans? Not here, sir!
-Benches need replacing
-Frequently damp and muddy
-Several fallen trees in the fairways need to be removed

Other Thoughts:

Well, as a set, Cedarock and Wellspring represent just about all you can hope for in 32 holes of golf. Wellspring by itself is certainly a lot of fun, however. Its a wooded course done right, at least, its nearly done right.

What they got right: the holes themselves. Most of the baskets are visible from the tees, and there are clear paths to them. This doesn't make the holes simple, though- you still have to hit the throwing lanes to score well. Thankfully, missing those fairways or deflecting off trees into the brush doesn't triple your score like it might at say, Anderson Park in Carrboro. Its no picnic, but the opportunities for recovery are more plentiful here. Does this make Wellspring easy? Well, yes, relatively, but it also leaves you with no one to blame when you leave the fairways. Back on point, Wellspring boasts some great elevation changes, "water hazards" in the form of a meandering creek and a large pond (off 17, which is not really in play), and a challenging 18 holes of play.

What's wrong with Wellspring? Well, the little things, mostly. The course has newer tee signs that provide hole maps and distances for blue and white tees, but the tees themselves are marked as blue and red. These tees have been called small, which I guess I can see, but it was the design choice to cement in large, slick quartz stones into the pads that I question. Overall they aren't a big problem because most holes are short enough that you don't need a huge pad. The lack of trashcans is a problem- we played at 9:30 am on a 99% humidity day, and water was a necessity, but there was no place to place our empty water bottles. The benches are old, rotten, and falling apart, at least, when they weren't falling over.

Yes, its often damp, as a result of the creek and runoff areas the course weaves around, and yes there are the obligatory ticks and mosquitoes of a course in the Carolina woods, but its very easy to forget all that because Wellspring is simply a fun course to play.
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6 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Play well at Wellspring 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-This park has a playground, a farm, homestead and a museum as well as two fun courses. This is the wooded course at Cedarock. It's the shorter course but it's got some difficult ways to get birdies.
-Great 28 chain disCatchers that are in very good shape. They catch well, I made some good birdie putts.
-Place is pretty secluded. I like it that way but that can also be a con. Crowds can get in my way. It's happened at Cornelius Road and Hornet's Nest. I like it when the place is to myself usually.
-Great chance for an ace! Many holes are under 200'. One hole however, is very long and that hole is #17! #17 is an awesome downhill bomber over 600'. That hole was definitely the signature hole because it isn't like the others. It's open and you can just launch your driver over 300'.
-Construction is great! The creek is in play on many holes and there are bridges on every hole that has water in play.
-Yes it's almost completely wooded but the holes are different. They require different strategies to get a 2. This course reminds me of Reedy Creek in Charlotte. The holes are all different and unique.
-There is some good elevation here. Throwing off small cliffs, big hills or throwing up some hills definitely gets a teenager like me hooked on disc golf. #2 comes to mind. It's a very fun ace run with an elevation drop of maybe 25 feet.
-Wellspring's friendly yet bigger and stronger older brother Cedarock is also at this park. They are completely different from each other and Cedarock is the place to air it out but you still got #17 on this course.
-Benches and trash cans on just about every hole. That's why both of these courses are very clean.
-#13 is not a typical ace run. It's a very tricky downhill sidearm hole with a C shaped fairway. It's only about 150 feet long. You'd maybe get frustrated if you don't get a 2 on it, but it takes a good precise flick to get your birdie.

Cons:

-You may be wondering why I did not put dual sets of tees in the pros section and the reason why is because some of the long tees are beside the shorts or just a few feet back. Some of them are not close which is good but not many of the long tees are really different from the shorts.
-You can't take very small tee pads seriously. They are more of a problem at Cedarock but if you need a run up, you will have to start your run up about five feet behind the tee pad so you won't foot fault.
-#18's tree in the middle of the fairway is literally a disCatcher. It caught my pro starfire, so I had to climb up over 20 feet in the tree just to get it out, to make things worse, it was raining. Expect to get dirty here when it rains because I did.
-Erosion is not really a problem except on #16. It's a mess on #16 but that's it. This place is heavily wooded and clear cutting never occured here. This course was around before I was born so it could be much worse.

Other Thoughts:

-Well, this course is the opposite of Cedarock. It's not the "Air it out" course. It has what a great course needs, it has elevation, it has an open hole, it's got a creek, and it's a beautiful walk in the woods. I enjoyed this course and I think it's the easier place to play but yet, it can be more punishing if you miss your line. At Cedarock, it's easy to get out of trouble, you just need a long throw but this course is still forgiving nevertheless. There is a low chance in losing a disc on both courses, you can easily see where you disc will land at Cedarock and the holes here are very short, well most of them and you throw will likely be better than it looked to be. This place is definitely worth the stop and I will say that it's something better than most courses over twenty years old.
-Again, #17 rocks! Downhill 600+ footers are always a +. That's a hole you will remember for sure at Wellspring.
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1 6
chillbro15
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Awesome course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

challenging, tight, wooded fairways which force you to place your shots well. its awesome. i also like how you can "figure 8" the course and shwitch from cedarock to wellspring. its really awesome in tems of layout. all the holes felt similar but yet required different tactica and strategies

Cons:

tees could be a little better colored and located
kind of slightly overgrown
holes 17 and 18 felt a little out of place with the feel of the rest of the course. its strange going from short hole 16 then to long hole 17. its odd.

Other Thoughts:

best course ive ever played
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3 4
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.8 years 278 played 273 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Mixing it Up 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 20, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

It's a typical North Carolina-style disc golf course. It's just done really well. I get the feeling while playing, that the builders took their time with this one. It wasn't rushed, so that it would be playable while it was in progress. They could just play on Cedarock until this one was done. So they took their time and found the best lines through the woods that would make for a great experience. This is speculation, but that's the impression I get while playing.

Wellspring doesn't have a signature hole as much as a signature type. Many of the holes feature high tees, throwing over a valley to a highly placed basket. While that requires a bit of walking on relatively steep descents and climbs, the bridges over the swampy areas.

The best part, however, may be the existence of Cedarock. Others have mentioned the figure 8, but the opportunity to combine, eighteen technical, wooded holes, with 18 out in the open is fantastic.

Cons:

As much as I like the throw-across-the-valley type of hole, it may be overdone here. There are a ton of them. There's a dry creek bed that runs through most of the course, and a lot of time is spent crossing back and forth.

And while the fairways are all perfect, the rough isn't quite rough enough. It's too easy to get out of trouble on most holes here. Because most of the holes are short, from most bad drives, it's typically easy to get back up to save par. That means that drives are essentially parked or not parked. Decent drives don't mean too much.

Other Thoughts:

It's a very good eighteen at Wellspring. It's a great thirty-six in combination.
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2 2
BuzzSharpe
Experience: 53.7 years 77 played 24 reviews
3.50 star(s)

I Was There When It Was Built 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 3, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A GREAT counterpoint to adjacent Cedarock and almost as old. New DISCatchers are much easier to see through the forest than the original Machs and the newly installed tee signs are among the best I've ever seen. Newly installed metal benches spread throughout. Though I'm more of a fan of open courses, Wellspring is among the best wooded courses of which I know. It is a solid, stable White/Blue layout, with well shaped and defined fairways through the forest, offering a wide variety of shots through the eighteen. Because of its layout, it is easy to play a couple of variations of a very well flowing 'skip through nine', as well as a half and half round with nine holes on Cedarock and nine on Wellspring. (WS 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 14, 15, CR 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 1, 2, 5, 6, WS 17 &18). One reviewr says that finishng on 17 and 18 is contrary to the character of the course, ending with two open holes, especially with 17's length. Remember though, that those were originally 3 and 4, as the course began on what is now #15, and that overgrown grass area just outside the woods to the right of 15 was the parking lot for both courses, with Cedarock starting at present Hole 9 and that big, open field that is now Cedarock 7 and 8 was our marked and measured driving range and practice putting green. But I think that ending with those two holes adds to the course's overall variety and toughness.

Cons:

No real cons for this course for me, despite the woodiness. A few of the holes could use more than the one tee sign. And there are three minor design flaws...Number 7 should have been built as a straight up the hill run to that nice little grove, that would shorten the walk to #8, and eliminate that arbitrary mando, which was only wanted by the hole's builder, who had a shot and a disc that he could park in its existing position. Number 14 needs a second tee pad and basket 16 should be moved about 40' to the right to increase its distance from tee 14. When the course was new, there was a THICK foliage fence that separated them.

Other Thoughts:

This is the course where I got my first ace, on what is now #10, then #14, with a 90 degree right dogleg and an appropriate mando tree. It was the group's consensus that I hit the phone pole in the paint. It was on that same hole, in its present position that I got a 150' ricochet ace off of that aforementioned mando tree
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4 1
Jawa
Experience: 11.6 years 42 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Must Play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 11, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Wellspring is short and wooded, It has good use of elevation changes and a creek running throughout the course.

The layout is great. It loops back so 18 finishes back at 1. It uses the elevation to make the shorter shots more of a challenge.


Left handed players have it slightly easier on the red tees. Blue tees are about 50/50. So have your anhyzer or thumber shots ready if your a righty.

I only use a putter and a midrange for every hole except 17. Break out the driver, just beware of the pond on the right and the woods on the left.

Cons:

The pads are short and not very wide compared to a lot of the newer courses; the shortness isn't too bad since you don't have to crank on your disc much.

I don't really like the blue layout as much. I can see why they put it in (to add a more difficult counterpart) but essentially they just stuck a tee pad right behind a group of trees. It makes the first 30' the hardest part of a lot of the holes.

There are also some holes on both courses that will really make you scratch your head as to what to do, I guess that might be a good thing for some but for me it goes a little to far.

Other Thoughts: A great way to play this course is to make one giant loop with it and Cedarock. You can start at 1 on Cedarock and play through 8; you then turn left and walk in to the woods where you'll find 16 on Wellspring (it hugs the right side of the woods). You play 16-18 then go right to 1-15 on Wellspring and then pop back out of the woods and continue Cedarock on 9.

Holes I love -

#1 - it starts you off with one of the harder holes on the entire course (both layouts). i like the challenge right off the bat.

#3 White - it's a great valley shot with the basket tucked in on the right in a cluster of trees, watch out for roll aways.

#9 White - R to L hyzer shot off a small cliff, just a nice looking shot

#11 Both - one of the longer wooded holes on the course, it's an L to R shot over a slight valley and the basket sits up on a hill guarded by trees.

#14 Both - not a terribly difficult hole, you have to maneuver a gap near the begging and once you're past it you should be fine. it's a great looking hole.

#17 Both - a long downhill bomber that's more open, you've got dense woods on the left and a pond on the right, plus large trees in the middle. If you can get it down and past the obstacles should be a 3.

Other Thoughts:

I play this course a couple time a week. I love it. I 've started to switch between the tees to change things up. You can play the figure 8 by stepping out at hole 15 and start playing Cedarock at hole 9 then jump back to 16 in Wellspring.
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1 6
Drew.S
Experience: 12.2 years 9 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

A walk in the woods 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great terrain and elevation changes. Clearly marked teepads, each with a sign telling you all the info on the hole, and baskets. Good mix of straight and dogleg shots. Some holes require precision shots, but all baskets are easily reachable.

Cons:

There are roots everywhere, its in the woods, so you need to watch you footing while traversing through the course.
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6 2
prerube
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.8 years 274 played 235 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Take the opposite of Cedarock and improve it to get Wellspring 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Easy flow and navigation, excellent tee signs. Multiple tee pads, some provided totally different looks and lines, 9 and 17 are good examples of well placed second tee pads. Good use of elevation and terrain. More isolated than Cedarock, even though they share land. Plenty of shade. Many interesting holes, #3 may have been my favorite, throwing over the dried up creek twice from the elevated tee (wish I could play while the water was rushing)

Cons:

Not many, course was very solid, but not much stands out to create a wow factor. The holes begin to get repetitive with tight short shot after another. Not much variety in distance, with the exception of hole 7. The course is short with the blue tees averaging 250 feet (reds 227). Hole 8 was my least favorite hole on the course. There was no fairway from the blue tee and the 5 trees surrounding the basket were cheesy.
The tee pads were a touch too small, several had large rocks sticking up that the tee pad was built around. Tees were 7.5'x 3' if I recall correctly.

Other Thoughts:

NO ALCOHOL PERMITTED at Cedarock or Wellspring. Wellspring was far superior to Cedarock, but the Terrain is pretty rough, so leave the kids next door.
Be warned hole 14 has some tight merciless woods on the left, stay in the fairway or pay!

There was a shop in between courses, I hear they sell snacks, drinks and even discs.
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2 1
forehandfranz
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.8 years 226 played 128 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is the little brother to the Cedar Rock course in the same park. But don't confuse short with "inadequate". This is a tight, twisty, woodsy course that is a lot of fun. It has a lot of elevation changes on every hole (I believe), and even has two open grassy runs on the final two holes. The greens are usually sloped and somewhat treed, so they always keep you thinking.

This was a great challeng for the approach game and could be considered a pitch and putt course. I really like pitch and putt, because I still find myself using high speed drivers to turn sharp corners, along with my fairway drivers and midranges.

This was my first time here, and had no problem finding my way around without a map. All signs were superb and other equipment nice as well.

Cons:

Much of the hole design seemed to be a bit repetitive but by no means degraded my enjoyment.

Other Thoughts:

Here's an idea (a fantasy) - please don't beat me up for the suggestion: If you were to combine the two courses and create a single course, of, say, 27 holes - this place would be world class! Just take the weak holes away from Cedar Rock, and lengthen a few of the Wellspring holes (Nevin or Rennaissance style) and this would have the sickest variety of holes ever. But heck, what's there now are two very different, but homogenous courses that will keep you more than entertained.
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6 2
DSCJNKY
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.6 years 682 played 129 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2 Courses, 1 Round 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Polar Opposite to Cedarock. Wellspring is the exact opposite of Cedarock: a short, wooded course that places the focus on accuracy and shot selection.
- Short, but Demanding. Wellspring was on the shorter end, especially as compared to Cedarock. However, it is still demanding in that you must hit your lines in order to have a shot at a birdie. The woods and rough are thick enough that you can be punished for errant drives, but the holes are short enough that you will be rewarded with a birdie opportunity when you hit the fairway with the proper shot.
- Dual Tee-Pads. Every hole at Wellspring had two sets of tee-pads: Blue and White, with the Blues being slightly harder (usually by angle of approach than added distance). This allows players to select the tees that match their level of play, or just to switch it up a little.
- Two Courses, One Park. I love when I can bag two new courses in one great location. Especially two courses that are completely different from one another. At Cedarock / Wellspring, you can jump-on / jump-off of each course mid-round and hook into the other course to make a 36 hole round. Otherwise you'd have to drive to the other courses' parking lot to start your second round. To do so, start at Cedarock... after finishing Cedar's 8th hole, jump onto Wellspring at Hole 16 (gap in the woods)... play out Wellspring through Hole 15 and then jump back onto Cedarock at Hole 9 and complete the round. This worked for me... and helped to break up the monotony of the relatively wide-open Cedarock.

Cons:

- Blue are a Little Quirky. The Blue holes seemed to have some interesting tee-pad placements, sometimes requiring awkward tee-shots to get through the fairway. The White pads seemed like much more straight forward golf shots. A local recommended that I play the Blues (thinking that the Blues were harder and better for me), but I think I have chosen to play the Whites if I would have known how funky some of the Blues lines would have ended up being.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall. The combination of having two distinctly different courses in one park definitely adds to the flavor of the location and desirability to bag them. Aside from that, Wellspring is a fun course that is suited for beginners and advanced players alike. Beginners will enjoy the shorter holes and opportunities for birdies, whereas advanced players will enjoy the demanding lines and putter/midrange driving practice.
My Score: -7 (Blues)
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