Rocky Mount, NC

Sunset Park

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3.35(based on 33 reviews)
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11 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 585 played 539 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Wooded Flats

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 1, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

An interesting layout, to say the least. You're constantly playing in different sections of the park, playing in six different plots of land (seven if you count the island hole on #7). Prepare to cross roads, tee off on roads, throw alongside roads, and have to keep an eye on cars before throwing.
- Not an overly challenging layout, which means big arms are going to have a big advantage here. The toughest shots on the course: hitting the gap on #5 (after passing #6's basket) and the tee shot on #11. That's not to say you're going to be better landing tee shots on certain sides of fairways on particular holes. Make sure approach shots on #4 and #15 are placed on the correct sides of fairways, or you're going to have awkward angles approaching an otherwise significantly easier birdie chance.
- Course finishes right alongside the first tee. After looping around, back and forth, standing on #18's tee, I was thinking I might have a decent walk back to the first tee. It wasn't until I got around an area of thicket, when I finally saw the basket, did I realize I was right across the street. So, there is a method to the madness with this weaving layout.
- The general theme of the course seemed to be, "find big tree or row of trees. place a basket behind said tree/row of trees." #3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18 definitely fit in that category. Other 3 holes probably do as well. They're simply more open so I'm excluding them from this argument.
- The two longest holes (#5 & 8) also require players to hit a gap with a particular shot. I did like, on #5 especially, that the amount of caution vs risk on second, third, fourth shots is based on placement of the prior shot. Throwing your tee shot too far on #5 actually can backfire.
- #3 and 6 were the most enjoyable holes, IMO. #3 was a nice tee shot while also being the most scenic. #6, simply for the island green layout, added a level of fun. Safe to say this is the hole players are throwing a second shot on most often.
- How big is this park? Holes #10 is several blocks back to the first tee. The course is mostly removed from the rest of the park. The playground/picnic area is several blocks from the main park building, where the carousel and other park activities are located.

Cons:

Don't let the city's name fool you. This course has zero elevation. You're also playing throughout fields and wooded areas.
- I don't know how a first timer would play this course without a course guide or map. Multiple times through the round, you're walking past a different hole to get to your current one (going from #6, 8 seems like the logical next tee; going from #10, you walk right past 13 first.)
- Add to that, the gold and original layouts overlap with contrasting hole numbers throughout. Coming from Charlotte, I'm used to the Renny (both layouts) and Renske 3-in-1 overlapping layout fun. Gold #3's tee is original 4; Gold #8 is original #10; Gold #10 is original #13, etc.
- As echoed above, watch for cars. Lots of throws over roads, alongside roads, or teeing off from roads. I can't remember another course that has three holes throwing over roads.
- Lots of areas with thick underbrush, ivy, and whatnot. Be prepared for potential long searches for discs. I purposely threw a lot of pink discs during my round.
- Other than next tee arrows on tee signs, zero navigational assistance. Even an arrow or two on the long layouts (I'm looking at you hole #5), would help let us know around which blind corner we're supposed to throw.
- #9 is a long walk back to the first tee. If you're trying to play a quick 9, Gold isn't the layout. That SHOULD be apparent however when you're playing a layout that's 3K feet longer than the original.
- Rocky Mount might be in the running for most 18-hole courses in a small city. Put it this way: the seven 18-hole courses are in a more compacted setting than any seven courses in Charlotte. You could do some serious bagging here.

Other Thoughts:

Sunset Park ended up being almost exactly as expected. The reactions I had heard from other players essentially was 'it's alright' or 'it's pretty decent.' Never heard anyone rave about it nor did I hear any negative comments. Now, after playing, put me in that same category.
- The holes that are exclusive to the Gold layout generally seemed more open than the ones split with the original layout. Having only played the Gold, can't tell what the enjoyment factor of the other layout would be in comparison.
- I tend to notice little quirks when playing. Or, I'm just odd. But the course felt most enjoyable, most park-like on holes #2, 3, 7, & 15. The road to the left of #2 and 7 felt like a regular park road. Playing alongside a four-lane road on #4 & 5, or walking past an abandoned warehouse or houses on other holes takes away from the disc golf experience. I do think this exact same course in a different setting (think a large, county park) would feel much better.
- This is a place where having knowledge of the course will significantly help players. I can easily count three to four strokes I left on the course because I placed a disc in the wrong spot because I didn't a particular hole's layout. On #15, for example, it's a dogleg right. Standing on the tee, I thought I could tell the gap/area I needed to land my disc. Wrong! Was aiming for the wrong spot. Would have been much better landing further out left, so I had a better angle to actually approach the basket.
- I think the worst hole on the course is #18. I didn't get what the designers were going for. From the tee, it looks like your target is to throw right at the thicket/shule. If you land short, it's a blind tee shot to the basket. It seemed forced. It seemed unnatural. It was a bad way to end the round. A major disappointment.
- There were strong vibes of Socastee (Myrtle Beach) and Park Circle (North Charleston) as regional comparisons. Even courses I've played that are much closer (Halifax County, for example), have a different topographical setting.
- Two of the coolest aspects of the area were driving right by a large brewery area (Rocky Mount Mills) next to the course and a gorgeous, scenic looking greenway. The brewery(-ies?) overlook the river, making a great post round destination.
- Glad I played here. Next time I'm making a pit stop on the way to the Outer Banks, I know I can get a decent round of disc golf here.
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13 0
lee76007
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 4.6 years 112 played 111 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Go for the Gold, it's Challenging 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 13, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

-A meadows type course thru a park, mostly lightly wooded. There are a few moderate wooded holes, some gaps off the tee, protected baskets by trees or bushes, and mostly a flat course with few sloping holes. There're also a handful street holes, and a few influenced by a street.

-Some holes have two tee pads which are concrete, two baskets, shared tee pads, and shared baskets. #13 tee is painted on a street.

-There is an Orange short course primarily for beginners and recreational, and a Gold course primarily for Intermediate and Advanced players and will challenge them. Both layouts have their own track and, on some holes join, and on others separate. Both Gold and Orange are considered one course.

-The Gold layout has a variety of distances and par. I played the Gold and the majority of my review will focus on Gold.

-Tee signs have hole number, par, distance, and will indicate which course the tee is for whether its for Gold or Orange or both. The maps are very detailed and will show locations of tees and baskets color coded. Also, next tee sign. Each tee has its own tee sign.

-Navigation is clockwise for Gold and very easy to spot next tee except #11 Gold. Not sure about Orange since I didn't observe all the holes. Each tee has a huge sign with the hole number in black and the background orange or gold or both to indicate the course you're playing. The navigation indicators for the next tee I rank #1 for the courses I've played. It would be difficult to lose your way on the course.

-Gold course is very memorable which is surprising considering the course is all park meadows golf. Only #14 was a little hazy prior to writing the review.

-The walking experience from tee #1 to basket #18 is very pleasant and scenic thru the meadows.


Cons:

-On a busy weekend for disc golfers, the navigation for both courses can have a collision course. For example, #10 Gold and #13 Orange share the same tee and basket, and there are other holes like it. You're likely to have groups arriving on the tee box at the same time from both courses or playing the same basket from different tees.

-I would think that most players will find the navigation easy enough. But I'm sure there will be some who find gazing across the course and seeing all the signs can find it confusing. On the first tee for a moment looking around it was a WTH is this but took just a few holes to figure out the two-course concept sharing tees and baskets and separating.

-#11 was the only hole I had a problem locating. It's a few minutes walking along a street and you run into tee 13. Only time I had to check Udisc and found #11 behind 13 across the street and uphill a few hundred feet.

-There are a few streets in play, but I only saw a few cars with no waiting on a Wednesday morning. Also, some walkers on the course which was light, and I had no waiting.

-There's a dog park that parallels #12, wouldn't want a wayward disc getting handled by a set of teeth.

-On some holes high disc lost with heavy trees and thick brush.

Other Thoughts:

Sunset Park Gold very much enjoyed the round found it challenging with some long holes, a few gaps to play, avoiding large trees with there canopy in the fairway, a few narrow holes, and some well protected baskets. A good variety within the realm of park meadows golf and scenic, and I can develop my game on the course. The Gold Course lacks variety such as water holes or even elevated tees, however it's not repetitive since there are distinguish features on each hole. I think the Orange Course would serve a purpose as a tune up for the Gold Course if time is permitted. This is the second course I've played with street play and I'm beginning to love it. I found the navigation easy enough after I figured how the course was playing within a few holes.

I agree with member aredoubles, Sunset Park rating is too low likely due to most and older reviews based on the Orange layout. If you are a skilled player, I recommend the Gold layout as well for the challenge. The only concerning con I have is on a busy weekend having course collision on some holes. If I lived in the area, I would play Sunset weekly, likely on a weekday.

Sunset Park is now one of three courses I've given a 4-disc rating without clicking the favorite box, there's just a few personnel preferences missing for me. My overall rating is anchored on a 5.0 for the Gold Course. The time to play clicking pictures was 75 minutes.

Notable Holes:

-No. 4 Gold Par 4 at 540 feet is a straight away hole from an open tee to a well-protected basket that is shared with Orange course. A street comes into play that crosses the fairway about 320 feet out, I didn't see any O.B indicators. Before the street are canopy trees lining both sides of fairway and stretching over the fairway. Its open the rest of the way just before the basket. There's a wall of trees and brush protecting the basket on C1 line with gaps no bigger than 10 feet. The approach is difficult, and I like the look from the tee. Got blocked by a canopy tree on the left could only advance up fairway and made a gap.

-No. 8 Gold Par 4 at 728 feet is a straight away tee to basket sharing the tee with Orange #10 with separate baskets. From the tee you get push to the right by a tree 100 feet to your left, but you must come around and hit thru a doable tree gap about 220 out with a ditch running across which was dry when I played. The hole opens with trees still lining fairway until about 60 feet from basket that is protected by a huge canopy bush on the left. To make birdie need the full distance in two or a par in three. Very scenic hole from the tee and the basket placement. Hit a tree at the gap on the right and took 4 to get a bogey putt.

No. 10 Gold Par 3 at 256 feet sharing tee and basket with Orange 13. A straight away hole tee to basket meandering a little left with heavy trees and brush both sides, the gap very narrow at 10 feet at 180 feet out with extended branches overhanging the fairway. The basket is raised and protected by a few guardian trees. Another scenic hole, short and difficult. Got caught up in the bushes to the right and just skip up to the basket to salvage par.

No. 11 Gold Par 4 at 595 feet doesn't share with Orange at all. A down slope fairway lazy dogleg right all the way to a semi raised basket with the street bordering C1 on the right, the street is O.B. The street protrudes into the fairway about 350 feet out. The fairway is very short grass with dirt patches here and there with layered pine needles, it's a hot running fairway. From the tee mostly pines and other trees with canopy and extended branches a very scenic look. LHBH and RHFH will see a line all the way to the basket from the tee just to the left of a group of trees 100 feet out and will probably put a smile on your face "distance"! Its scenic and a very fun throw. Had a very solid tee shot but left my approach hanging out to the left.

Signature Hole:

No. 6 Gold Par 3 at 250 feet and shares the basket with Orange. Is a downhill straight way tee to basket. The basket is open and sits in a grass triangle surrounded by O.B. street. Most of the grass is within C1, some of the street is within C1. At C2 just before the street is a wall of trees with overhanging branches, largest gap about 8 feet. Very formulable look from the tee and the angle is downward toward the street. Picked a gap hoping to skip off the street onto the grass. An agonizing early release sent me to the right of the tree line got my street skip, bounced off a traffic sign pole in the safe grass and backwards onto the street. The drop zone is to the right of the tree line.

Trouble Hole:

No. 5 Gold Par 5 at 910 feet shares the tee with Orange No. 6. The hole starts from the tee throwing into the open with a heavy tree line and brush to the right. You'll have a glimpse of the #6 Orange basket about 300 feet away and that's your dogleg right pivot point. Need to get it there for a good look at the 400 feet down a very narrow fairway with heavy trees and brush on both sides with some area high disc lost. You'll see in the middle of the fairway at the end of the 400 feet a pile of debris bushes and trees that is your marker for a dogleg left. Don't want to land in the debris would be very difficult to throw out. The last 200 feet is upslope with the basket tucked to the right behind guardian trees. Any mistake with the distance will likely cost you a stroke and using long distance discs risk flying into the woods. From the tee you may want to hug the tree line on the right, but that was my mistake. I block myself from the dogleg right and tried to skim the extended branches and was knocked down. Best hope was now bogey, but I did enjoy the view.

















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10 0
interstategolferman
Experience: 13.7 years 51 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Stuck in the sins of yesteryear 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

In my opinion, Sunset is a much better course than the score indicates. Browsing the reviews, it appears it has come a long way from a humble beginning and still has the scores from that time dragging it down. To me, Sunset gets an easy 4 discs. The orange layout alone would be 3 or 3.5, but together the layouts are one of the best public properties I've played. I think it's great, for a number of reasons.

Both layouts are quality. The golds are fantastic with multi-shot holes and challenging par 3's. They have a really well-constructed combination of risk and reward. But, the oranges are still a nice challenge with a combination of some easier open park golf and pitch and putt holes. I've not played huge numbers of courses, but to my knowledge the number of courses that have 2 layouts this different is quite low. Most multi-pad courses I've played are basically more of the same, with extra distance on the back pads.

A little Google-Fu suggests that several disc golf pros including Brian Schweberger helped Rocky Mount Disc Golf and Rocky Mount Parks and Rec with designing the gold pads. It shows! If I had to pick one pro about Sunset, it would be the construction of the par 4's and 5's off the golds. They are the epitome of risk-reward. Almost every multi-shot hole at Sunset lets you bite off as much as you want, but the farther you go, the more danger there is to the shot. A couple of these holes rival holes anywhere I've played in quality.

Big concrete pads and Innova Discatchers are always nice.

Tee signs were nonexistent the first time I played but this last time there were some nice ones up. Pretty simple with bright colors and clear info. Quality stuff.

Cons:

There are some quibbles throughout the course, but that's exactly what they are in my opinion. There are no huge cons in the times I've played this course.

Navigation can be just a little tricky. I don't think this is a tough course to navigate, per se, but it's not completely straightforward. It took me a bit of backtracking my first play through, after that it is pretty simple and flows decently. This is an area where you can see that the course has been modified and evolved, it has a couple of disjointed areas of flow. It's not too bad at all. With the new tee signs, it's that much easier. I didn't inspect them closely since I had already played the course twice before they were put in, but they looked to be pretty accurate.

There are definitely a few holes that are shoehorned in a bit because that's how they fit best. 7 orange, as well as 14, 15 and 16 orange are basically just filler to get you from one area to the next, in my opinion. Gold 9 (orange 12) is fine on the orange layout but is just a transition hole that I don't feel like really fits on the gold layout. None of these are terrible, there's just nothing remarkable about them, and in orange 15/16's case, they're nearly identical, with one just having a tighter tunnel. They work for what they are.

The roads running throughout the course do come in to play, but it's almost not a con. It is used as a design element on a few. The island hole is there, of course, plus playing off the road to go big on holes like gold 8 and 10. I mention it anyway because technically it's not ideal, but I've only seen a handful of cars in a half dozen rounds at this property.

Maintenance can be an issue. Sometimes the course has been well groomed, other times it was in serious need of a haircut. If the grass is tall, the inconvenience can be exacerbated by the fact that this course is in a flood zone, so when it is both overgrown and wet, it turns into a marsh. Not the most fun to play in. I would probably knock the score down a half disc for maintenance and poor terrain, if it was always the way it was when I was there in May, but I think it was the exception and not the rule. It's not too bad, especially when freshly manicured.

I've heard of people being panhandled or solicited, but have hardly seen other people, much less been bothered. It could be because I'm a bigger, middle aged man. I would not discount these experiences from other people just because I did not have them. Based on stories, I couldn't recommend someone of vulnerable nature or nervous disposition to play alone, since it is secluded, and nobody could really help you in a pinch.

Other Thoughts:

I always look forward to a round at Sunset. To me, this is simple, no frills, high quality disc golf. There's a lot of other courses up and down I-95 that I enjoy, but I stop here whenever I have the opportunity because I know it'll be a great time. Isn't that what it's all about?
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10 0
aredoubles
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.7 years 258 played 41 reviews
4.00 star(s)

The gold layout is gold 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 17, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

There are two wholly separate layouts/courses here, an older short Orange and a newer now-permanent very-long Gold layout. Sometimes they share a teepad but aim for different baskets, sometimes the teepads differ but the basket is shared, and sometimes they're entirely different. Navigation is generally okay, with large color-coded tee signs and basket bands.

I nearly always play the Gold layout, as I think it's one of the more unique and fascinating courses in NC. Risk/reward decisions abound, as aggressive birdie/eagle plays are possible on most holes but also bring OB into play, while safer par plays can reward consistent and accurate players. Many greens are closely guarded by trees, or by rough/OB on one side, that also reward careful approach play or even risky drives. Again on the risk/reward theme, many holes also have multiple available routes, often a short-but-tight route vs. a roundabout-but-clearer route. In casual rounds, I like to take a shot at everything, but tournament play brings out some fascinating decision-making for all players.

In comparison, the short Orange course is much more straightforward, but is still a decent course.

Both courses are relatively open, in a nicely manicured park-like setting, but still require very careful shot-shaping around large trees or woodlines, to accurately hit precise landing zones or greens. The back 9 features a few shorter slightly-wooded holes.

Focusing on the gold layout, highlights for me are:
- Hole 2, a beautiful par 4 that follows a curving street and large trees on each side into a challenging low-ceiling approach.
- Hole 5, an epic 900-ft. z-shaped par 5, that requires incredibly precise shots to make the corners. Birdies are rare and very well-deserved.
- Hole 8, an incredibly challenging par 4 where your drive must carefully position you to make a window/gap that's halfway down the fairway. Alternatively, wide hyzers that skip off the OB street are an alluring siren call to distance throwers. From there, the basket is guarded by a massive thick tree, that requires an extremely wide and/or an up-and-over approach. Birdies on this hole are the stuff of legend.
- Hole 11, a par 4 that follows another curving street. Distance throwers can go for the eagle off the tee, but must carry OB nearly the entire way, risking an almost immediate bogey or worse. But even the safer drive will still risk OB on the approach to the green.
- Hole 18, a par 4 with a thick wall of brush blocking you halfway down the fairway. There's a tight gap through on the right, or a blind up-and-over play on the middle/left.

For me, these are some of the more memorable disc golf holes in NC, and would probably make my NC 18, which is remarkable for a course with this low of a rating.

Cons:

- Considering that two wholly separate layouts are present, and the mixing of baskets and tees, navigation is bound to be an issue, though it could be a lot worse. I find the color-coded tee signs and basket bands to be quite clear, but hole-to-hole navigation is occasionally an issue, particularly on some long walks. For the gold layout in particular, use the uDisc app's map.
- The course is criss-crossed by streets that play as OB. Quick history, this used to be a residential neighborhood, but was abandoned after Hurricane Floyd in the late 1990's, and redeveloped into the park (a few holdout residents do remain). Generally, these streets are entirely empty, and so there are few worries about hitting cars, having OB discs getting run over, etc. But, those do occasionally happen, as they remain public streets.
- Two holes actually tee off from roads, with painted markers on the pavement. Even if they are generally empty streets, this doesn't feel entirely safe, as the occasional car still comes through.
- I've heard some stories of shady dealings on those quiet streets. I haven't encountered that at all in my 20+ times playing this course, but have heard it often enough that it's worth mentioning here.
- As much as I adore the gold course for its risk/reward options, those fascinating challenges are truthfully only available for players with comfortable 300+ ft. of distance. For players with less distance, there may only be one reasonable option to go with, and the course becomes much less interesting then, more like a tortuous version of the orange course.
- The infamous island hole, with the basket in a street median, is becoming more and more difficult to attack as some tree limbs grow out and take the hyzer shot wider and wider.

Other Thoughts:

Quietly, this is one of my favorite courses in the state. The low ratings on this site mostly ascribe to the older Orange layout, but the newer Gold layout is really where the course shines. No course rating would be complete without trying the Golds.

Quick note on misc. amenities: nice concrete tees, good baskets, good tee signs, scattered benches, no restroom.
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1 3
STMitchell
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Pretty diverse course with alternative holes for different skill levels. Some nice long holes where you can really air out some throws. A nice mix of wooded and open holes.

Cons:

A little difficult to navigate for a first time player. We got turned around a few times trying to find the next tee box. Some shots cross over the street.
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3 0
zjones9
Experience: 14.1 years 70 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Sunset Gold top level course in Eastern NC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This property is home to two courses: the Gold layout and the Orange layout. The Gold layout is a very long and demanding course, best suited for advanced players. The Orange layout is much more beginner friendly. This review is specifically for the Gold course.

What I really enjoy about this course is that it really does require all shots to be able to score well.

I'm not sure if the local disc golf club or the parks department (or a combination of the two) does the course maintenance, but every time I have played the course it has been in excellent shape. The grass fairways seem to stay mowed which really adds to the beauty of the course.



Cons:

Some spots of the course can hold water after heavy rains. It doesn't affect any of the teeing areas or the areas directly surrounding the pins.

Teepads: tee on hole 11 is about 6 inches about the ground, making the run-up kind of weird. tee on hole 13 is the actual road and is actually slightly downhill (not much, but it is noticeable).

Other Thoughts:

Come out and play this course! It is WAY better than it's rating on DGCR. Here is my take on the holes as a RHBH backhand dominant player:

1. 325 ft slight left to right turnover. I feel this hole plays closer to at least 340. There are several large pines that force you to choose your line, but there is plenty of room for a fair shot on whichever gap you choose.

2.Very fun 625 ft. par 4. On paper, seems like this one might be an easy birdie...however, this takes a really nice controlled hyzer drive followed by a well-executed anny-backhand or a sidearm shot to get your 3.

3. Straight ahead 340 ft shot. Fairly dense rough on the left side that you want to avoid, and a large tree on the right side that will keep you honest and force the straight shot.

4. 540 ft. Par 4 that plays across an OB road. Plenty of options on this shot that really force you to think about risk/reward. Low ceiling off the tee makes crossing the road (about 350 ft from the tee) not as easy as you would think.

5. Really well-designed par 5. Smart play is a straight shot about 300 ft to layup to the open area, followed by a long straight shot that hyzers in close to the manhole, from which you can go up and down for your birdie. It's really easy to try and get too aggressive, though, which can easily lead to OB and a high score.

6. Short island hole. Tough to stick the landing for the 2, but feels great to get it. *The island is surrounded by roads, but there is almost ZERO traffic that drives these roads.

7. 305 ft. slight downhill shot. A line of trees runs perpendicular halfway through the fairway...pick which gap you want and go for it! *Gaps are very generous (when you miss, you know it's because you threw a bad shot as opposed to getting unlucky)

8. 710 ft. Par 4. Another par 4 that requires you to make some choices off of the tee. This one is definitely longer and more difficult that hole 4. OB creek runs through the the fairway at about 350 ft. Trees line both sides of the fairway, requiring control as well as distance.

9. Fun downhill 310 ft. shot. Dense rough on the left and deep of the pin. Soft hyzer with a mid should get you an easy birdie putt, which is very welcome after hole 8.

10. 260 ft. uphill shot to an elevated basket with an OB road less than 15 ft long of the pin. Basket is blind from the tee and requires you to throw a hyzer through a gap that will fade to the pin. Plays closer to 290, and the elevated basket coupled with the close OB really makes you think about your putt.

11. 630 ft. Par 4. Hole shapes left to right the entire way with an OB road running along the right side. Also, the trees close to the basket have huge limbs that will likely prevent a big hyzer bomb shot.

12. Speaking of hyzer bombs... 285 ft hole that plays with an OB road down the right side, OB road behind the pin, and OB dog park along the left side. At one point, this was a filler hole between 11 and 13, but with the addition of the dog park on the left side, this hole becomes much more memorable.

13. 350 ft slight downhill hole. OB road on the left side the whole way. Pin is tucked on the left side in between a few pine trees.

14. 280 ft shot with a low ceiling that makes this hole feel longer. Best advice is to disc up a little and throw it straight.

15. 580 ft Par 4. This one feels a little like a tweener par 3/4. OB road on the left, and some thick rough on the right. Fairway is plenty wide for a full power flex shot or even a roller.

16. 275 ft shot. There is not much of a backhand gap on this hole. Thumber or sidearm is the play here.

17. 240 ft straight shot. Trees on both sides make the gap fairly tight (compared to most of the rest of the course). The length of the hole to width of the gap ratio (if there is such a thing) still seems fair though. Pureing the gap feels great.

18. 540 ft par 4. Fun finishing hole that starts out pretty open, but pinches down and forces you to thrown an accurate second shot to be able to snag the final birdie.
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5 0
alecfalzone
Experience: 13.9 years 174 played 13 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hopeful the Tournament Layout is Permanent 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 14, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

As a player who lives in the Raleigh area, venturing outside the Triangle does not happen much for casual rounds. I did however end up playing the Spike Hyzer Finale this weekend at Farmington, Sports Complex, and Sunset. Man, I was pleasantly surprised with how amazing Sunset is. Word on the street is that the tournament layout is permanent now, and I sincerely hope that is the case. NC disc golf is very old, with many courses outdated due to new disc technology. This layout at Sunset is amazing and rivals Barnett in Kinston as the 2nd best course East of I-95 (Behind The Castle of course).

Pros -

1) Great starting hole, not too hard and not too easy
2) Fantastic Par 4 that is not an easy birdie with many obstacles and OB
3) Great straight shot with a few options
4) Another tough Par 4 (a welcomed theme on this course). The opening to the basket could get cleaned up a bit. If those power lines weren't hanging over the road it would be a lot better, but some things you cannot change.
5) Fantastic Par 5 with the requirement of two good placement shots for a birdie chance.
6) Traffic island hole
7) Great left to right shot downhill between trees.
8) Another great Par 4, this one is a borderline "tweener" Par 5, if the middle openings of the fairway were cleaned up a bit it would be much better. Great hole.
9) Great downhill midrange shot.
10) I don't see the need for the elevated basket on this hole, kinda meh.
11) Great Par 4 with two options: BH hyzer over the road or turnover shot down the middle. Interesting basket placement next to the road now.
12) Solid hole
13) Solid 350' downhill shot at a protected basket location. Again, an over the road option or straight up the gut.
14) This one is kind of a fluky Par 3, super low ceiling with random tree and bush placements. There are a couple of lanes but it could be improved with some cleanup. Not bad.
15) Pretty solid Par 4 with a straight shot off the tee.
16) Nothing special, straight with a right finish about 285'.
17) Super tight line to hit for the park job, a good changeup type hole.
18) Great finishing Par 4, you can throw straight down the fairway or cut it just outside the mando tree and play the left side of the fairway for an easier second shot. Again, it's great to have options.

Cons:

Significant damage from Hurricane Matthew that still needs to be cleaned up. I am sure in time it will be looking fantastic.

Benches and tee signs with corrected distances at every hole would be fantastic. Currently there are not many of these.

A decent amount of Rocky Mount residents like to park on the streets next to 15/16 for illicit drug use, which is always interesting...

The lack of a parking lot is also kinda of a bummer, park on the street by Hole 1's teepad to play the course.

Other Thoughts:

Again, this tournament layout is great and I really do hope it is made permanent as I heard over the weekend from a couple locals. Farmington is a great shorter course, and when paired with Sunset could make for a great 1/2 combo for a day trip. Keep up the progress RM because the course is something special!
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1 1
Weeluck
Experience: 8.7 years 6 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Sunset 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

Our second time out and a much better experience. The course is much better maintained than our very first round of disk golf at the Rocky Mount Sports Complex which left us feeling quite discouraged over the sport itself.

Sunset is very well maintained. The tees are well marked and the holes are fun to play. We are not comfortable with parking on the side of the road, but were fine with parking over by the tennis courts or by the ball field.

I can definitely see us playing this one again.
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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)

Open fairways and island green 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good concrete tee pads on every hole, multiple tees on most (if not all) holes, adequate signage on each hole, mostly open holes. There are plenty of trees on this course, but the holes mostly work around the thickest woods and use the trees (and large bushes) to shape shots around. Nice change of pace for an NC course.

Course flows pretty well, just a couple of nav issues. Good variety of hole lengths, nothing real long, and good mix of right and left turning holes.

The Island green. I am going to have to disagree with reposado here, I enjoy reading his reviews, have tried to pattern mine after his, but have to disagree with him here. A little background - as I understand it, the park this course is in used to be a residential neighborhood. Then one of the F hurricanes (Fran, Floyd) came through and flooded out the neighborhood. Instead of rebuilding in a floodplain (are you listening New Orleans?) the city took over the land and made it this park. Plenty of nice streets, with driveway cuts, that you cross over playing the course, but very little traffic.
Part of that road structure is a triangle-shaped traffic island, this is the normal green for the 9th hole. The hole plays 240 feet, but it is downhill and partially guarded by pine trees. Hit the island and you are safe, miss the island and there is a drop zone. This is a real fun hole for those of us that want to play an island green, but not the risk of losing plastic. Real fun hole!

Cons:

Course does get a little repetitive. Not much elevation to use (on only 2 holes) so they didn't have a lot to work with. Also they were somewhat restricted with the streets throughout the course.

A couple of navigation issues, 6 to 7 then 7 to 8 and 8 up to 9. It was also tricky finding the first tee, no signage pointing you there. The course map on here did help a lot.

No restrooms or drinks available on the course, but a park facility was nearby.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, a fun course to play. Good grass throughout, and plenty of chances to let it fly without having to thread a needle. The island hole is so nuch fun, my last time playing in Rocky Mount, I went back to Sunset and emptied my bag a couple of times at the island green. Nice use of the land available.
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5 0
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 195 played 190 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good park course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 16, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ This is a very pretty park-style course with some wide open fairways, some lightly wooded, and a few moderately wooded holes.

+ Thick woods and underbrush only border 2-3 holes. Other than that, it's mature trees and manicured green grass.

+ Some reviews praise the "island green" hole #9, others pan it. I've played the course twice and haven't seen a single car on the roads that form the median where the #9 green is, so I don't see any problems with it. I like the unique opportunity to play an island green without the danger of losing a disc in water.

+ Navigation was OK and the course was well-maintained when I played.

+ Sunset offers a good challenge and is, in my opinion, the best course in Rocky Mount

Cons:

- While signage was good overall, I didn't see a sign for hole #7 after I finished #6. I found it by pulling up the DGCR map. I had to jump across a ditch that was pretty muddy after recent rain and make my own path, through some poison ivy, to the next hole. Maybe I missed it, but navigation wasn't intuitive to me on this hole.

Other Thoughts:

I recommend playing here if you're in the Rocky Mount area. I have not had a chance to play the gold layout when tournaments are held here, but I hear it's awesome. If I get a chance to do that, I can see a ratings bump.
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6 0
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
3.00 star(s)

What time is it? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's an open, parks style course that starts off with very open hole that may require a little shape at the finish to navigate around a tree or clump of shrubbery. Over the last nine, it becomes decidedly more difficult with masses of hedges to throw over or around. A favorite trick of the course is to stick the basket directly behind a broad tree so that a straight approach to the basket is almost never seen from the tee. Essentially a mix of very open holes to open holes with scattered trees, it is one of those course that can easily be described as fun.
The design is extremely clever in its use of small plots of land between park streets. Though you have to cross to new plots of grass often, rarely is the hole positioned for the street to come into play. Really impressed with the plan here and it gives the course something to unique to hang its hat on. It doesn't really have a signature hole but the hedges and the amount of time that you are throwing over or under a gap in the hedge provides an identity.
Next tee arrows are needed and in place. Players should expect a quick, fun round with no issues with navigating the course.

Cons:

9 is one of the most idiotic and insane ideas that I have ever seen. The basket is placed on a small triangle of grass between three roads. These aren't heavily trafficked streets but still, this is a terrible idea that is asking for trouble. All for a 150-foot open hole. I almost want to drop the course a half point for this absurd design element alone. (I won't though.)
Other than that, there aren't major flaws at Sunset. It's completely flat with no outstanding holes, nothing of note to draw the traveler. One of many perfectly playable local courses around the state. This one happens to be very near to I95 so I can recommend a stop here. But it's definitely a stop and not a destination.

Other Thoughts:

From the parking lot indicated, the tee that is near the parking lot is actually 3. To find 1, you can drive around the block and park on the street. But there is no reason why you can't start on 3 and finish on 2.
This falls around 2.75 for me if I was allowed that distinction. It has just enough of a unique feel to warrant the up bump rather than down.
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2 0
LeeLK
Experience: 15.8 years 68 played 52 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Almost top tier course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful old forest to play in. Nice mix of open and wooded holes. Big concrete pads and good baskets.

Cons:

Could use a touch more variety, but that's really the only thing keeping it from being a really top tier course.

Other Thoughts:

Parking was a bit weird, as we weren't sure if we could park on the road. Otherwise had a really nice day playing the course.
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3 1
clementsjd1
Experience: 12.8 years 54 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

1st Run 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 19, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Once you find Tee 1 this course is very easy to navigate.
- Very well kept after, the grass is mowed, leaves (where it matters) are raked up.
- Covers a lot of ground, Got some good long shots on this course.
- Not much opportunity to lose a disc on this course

Cons:

- Bathrooms and Drinking fountain, I could not find it, I didn't adventure through the whole park looking but they should be easy to find if they are there.

Other Thoughts:

- My favorite course out of Rocky Mounts 4 courses hands down.

HOLE # 1 is located On Dawson Street about 100 yds up on the right. HOLE # 18 basket is right across the street from that.
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2 0
netposer
Experience: 25.9 years 10 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A few changes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great parking. The #9 island hole and a mix of long-ish and short holes. It's never crowded so the odds of you waiting on another group is rare. And if it's crowded you can drive less than 2 miles to Englewood or Farmington.

Course is well kept and the city does a great job of cutting the grass and trimming weeds around the holes.

Cons:

Tees are not marked correctly. So if you are not familiar it's impossible to know where the basket is---since it doesn't exist. And it's a bit worse now since they are moving things around for the PDGA tournament this May (2011).

Other Thoughts:

They moved #2's basket back around that small tree again.

They removed the basket and poured a blue t-box on #4. So you shoot at #5's basket and by-pass #5 all together. They also moved #14 to the other block. So after #13 you walk across the street past that house and tee off in the street. You have to throw straight on the same side of the street then throw across the street to land inside the OB box they put up. If you have a strong arm you could throw in the box from the T...problem is there are 2 pine trees you have to shoot through at an angle.

They also poured a new blue T-box on 18 so no more easy birdies.
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2 1
NCStatePlaya
Experience: 16.1 years 39 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 25, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A relatively open course that uses the existing trees to shape lines instead of carving a lane out of an existing forest. A good mix of lengths and the "three" tees (once finished) will offer a great round for all level players. Great looking signs that show hole layout and distance.

Cons:

My main cons were with my playing...banging putts off the cage that should have been gimmes. Drives - can't go long off many of the existing tee pads...plenty of short to medium length holes. Freaking cold and windy!!!

Other Thoughts:

My favorite hole of the course is no doubt the Island Hole (#9). The first time I played I actually landed safely and had to two putt for the par. Yesterday I over threw the basket by about 20-25 feet. Bogeyed with my drop, but it is still an awesome use of the existing infrastructure. This course will improve once all teepads have been installed. The course is coming along very nicely...I can remember when the land was full of houses, prior to Hurricane Floyd.
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1 1
GRISWOLD87
Experience: 14.1 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

very clean well maintained course. brand new concrete tee pads. hole 9 id what i always consider being rocky mounts signiture hole is a hyzer shot onto an triangle shaped island road all around, it will make you are break you! alot of nice long open holes and a good mix of wooded holes. also some good intense blind shots that will make you listen for that ching-a-ling we all love to hear! really nice tee signs too

Cons:

needs trash cans, and some limb trimming.
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2 0
crymerge
Experience: 13.7 years 19 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 18, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The best thing I like about this course is it is not that busy around. It is located in a park, but the actual park is located away from the play area. You can shoot a pretty low round if you are ready, but it can bite you if you are not paying attention. The signage is clear and accurate. A decent mix of short and long holes as well as different shot selections. The city does a good job on mowing and the upkeep is good. The island hole, did I say the island hole. Basically the basket sits in the middle of the street on top of a small grassy triangle. Can be very difficult to stay on the island even if you land on it. Probably my favorite hole on the course. This course now has concrete tee boxes.

Cons:

The first time I played it I actually skipped over two holes by mistake. Now that I have played it, I know where to go. Not enough long drive holes. Every hole there I usually throw with a mid-range disc. The longest is 367 ft but it doesn't seem even that long. The trash can be bothersome, probably more trash cans needed. You will need to cross a few streets but that is not really an issue because there isn't that much traffic back in the area of the course.

Other Thoughts:

A practice basket would be nice, there is even a nice big field to throw on if you need to warm-up before a round.
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3 1
FACTSHACK
Experience: 23.6 years 31 played 2 reviews
5.00 star(s)

A perfect course, IMHO. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-beautiful, well-maintained course
-not too wooded, not too open
-great mix of long and short holes
-mix of shot types required
-though it's in a flooded-out neighborhood, rain doesn't seem to gather like you would think
-streets are pretty calm, don't have to worry much about cars passing through

Cons:

-honestly, the only "con" i would have listed about this course was that they had gravel teeboxes, but they have been changed to concrete as of a few weeks ago

Other Thoughts:

-i would say this is one of the best courses in the area, and possibly eastern North Carolina.
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2 1
JustSayin'
Experience: 16.6 years 58 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Its getting there 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New concrete tee pads installed 6/12/2010. Directional and mando signs now installed.The concrete teepads with the addition of the island hole and long tees show this courses continued improvement.What is a very beginner friendly course from the ams turns into a totally diff. course from the longs. The course is beautiful and well maintained.

Cons:

Need to get the long pads in and install a couple bridges.Bridges should be done shortly.
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1 2
dmbill
Experience: 17.8 years 29 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

impressive 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 18, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is clean and beautiful, well maintained, and is in a great area with few people around you also has an amazing island green hole

Cons:

Only a few holes is it not clear where to go after completing them

Other Thoughts:

I had the opportunity to play this course with its founders this course is great it has obstacles, distance holes and accuracy throughout
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