Chapel Hill, NC

Southern Community Park

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3.035(based on 32 reviews)
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0 0
David_George
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 3.7 years 50 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Challenging NC Woods Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 9, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This rating is for the current configuration with baskets in their long (C) position, which makes the course significantly more challenging.
+ Extremely challenging heavily wooded shots, longer than most courses that are this obstructed. Will certainly test your abilities to miss trees.
+ Great use of elevation.
+ Usually not very busy.
+ Good mix of left and right turning holes.
+ Course is fairly well maintained.
+ Signs, tee pads, and baskets are in good condition.

Cons:

- A number of the holes are a bit much in terms of having no discernible fairway. I am tempted to say they should cut down some trees, but it is kind of fun in its current form (if you want to be tested). Many of the holes are (for me at least) relatively easy to par, but almost impossible to birdie.
- During the summer, the rough gets pretty thick and the poison ivy abundant.
- Tee pads are a bit too short.
- It would be nice to have pars on the signs.
- I am not a big fan of the current system of periodically changing all of the baskets between short and long positions. In the long position, the course is too challenging for inexperienced players, and I feel like it would be better to have alternate tee positions or two sets of baskets.
- Navigation is pretty good, but there are some spots where it would be helpful to have arrows pointing to the next hole.

Other Thoughts:

This is a solid course, and one that I periodically play to test my progress. You will experience a lot of frustration, but it is very rewarding when you get a shot all the way to the basket through a seemingly impenetrable wall of trees.
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4 0
rwgatorfan
Experience: 3.7 years 29 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Very enjoyable course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 18, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

We drove over from Apex yesterday and were pleasantly surprised. This is a typical tight North Carolina course, mostly in the woods. Only holes 1 and 9 are somewhat open. That being said, I very much liked the layout.

We played the white basket layout which is the spring/fall layout. It is the middle distance layout. There are many tight fairways, but pretty much every one is fair, with an opportunity to make it through if you hit your line.

The area around the first green was very wet and muddy. We were afraid we were in for a long day. Happily, that's the only place we were bothered by mud.

We arrived at about 9:30 on a Saturday morning and the course was completely empty. We might have seen one other group playing the whole time we were there.

Cons:

Bring your hiking boots as there are a lot of roots and fairly challenging hikes up/down some of the fairways. It didn't really bother us too much, but I could see it being an issue if you're not a hiker.

Most of the holes had markers for the next hole, but a couple didn't. Be sure to use UDisc to navigate the course.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this was an enjoyable course. We'll definitely make the drive again sometime. I like that it is essentially a different course depending on the time of year you visit.
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7 0
emc2birds1stone
Experience: 34.6 years 25 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Promising in Blue Layout, Needs New Tees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 10, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Finally got to play the Blue Basket layout. If this course was always set up in the Blues, with short tees for beginners, it would be considered so much better by the community. Lots of holes over 300' with relatively generous fairways to throw, as far as NC woods golf goes.

Cons:

I'm mostly here to complain about the tee pads, which are too short by a few feet. I'm 6' and physically cannot execute an X step on these things, and many have a step up on to the pad or drop off after it, so extending the tee is tough and you feel like you'll fall if you follow thru on some holes. Suffered a muscle injury from navigating the crappy tees that put a damper on the round.

Other Thoughts:

Should be played if you can catch the Blue Layout if you are in the Triangle, not sure if there is a scheduled rotation between the 3 pin positions. The course turns into a very dinky woods course if you catch it in the short pin position.

Wish James Conrad would give me a hug & tell me he understands my frustration with the tees.
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7 0
DiscGolfCraig
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 585 played 539 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Southern Part of (Disc Golf) Heaven

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 14, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

Southern Community is the third leg of the Chapelboro disc golf scene. It's a winding voyage through the woods, one short hole at a time.
- This review is based upon playing the short, A-pin basket location.
- If you enjoy short, technical courses, you will like this course. There are many similarities to Anderson Park 10 minutes away. So many in fact, that if you play them back-to-back, it'll feel like one 36-hole layout.
- The good news is you get the worst hole out of the way first. Yes, #1 is uninspiring and overly simplistic. It's essentially your only chance to get the kinks out of your throw before accuracy becomes important.
- Each hole has 3 pins positions. Based on their variances, the course will look and play different in each layout. Take hole #4, for example. The short, A basket is 198 feet. The longest position is 300 feet. That's a different set of discs you're throwing.
- One of the best navigational markers I've seen on any course. Between each hole there is a metal, park sign with an arrow and hole number pointing you to the next basket. I haven't seen another park with metal, park signs. Metal signs = permanence. There is also a metal sign warning walker of flying discs on hole #14. It's nice seeing disc golfers get the right of way and a higher priority for once.
- #9 is an evil hole. It's rather inauspicious on the tee but gets nasty real fast. It's 231 feet to the A basket, with a little bit of thick rough to the left of the basket. What you can't see is just past the rough is an algae-covered pond, maybe 40 feet from the basket. I had no clue standing on the tee. I ended up 25 feet from the basket and 15 feet from the pond. Let's just say I putted fast.
- #15 gave me happy thoughts about the classic/retired Hornets Nest #11. It's a 183-foot, dogleg left layout. I played the same high arcing shot that sweeps back to the basket. I still have that same touch, landing my shot 10 feet from the basket. Good memories.
- Good tee signs that highlight the multiple basket locales. For a first timer such as I was, it's needed with the multiple layouts.
- In the short, A-basket layout, the course plays much longer and tougher than its listed length. It's a sub-4,000-foot layout, averaging 220-feet per hole. There are many tight layouts, hello #17 & 18, where you're dodging and weaving discs in and around trees. It presents some fun layouts...but it does boarder on frustrating when you're smacking one tree after another.
- Course is almost exclusively isolated from the rest of the park. That said, I wouldn't be surprised to see a walker take a detour off the walking trails and use the fairways, especially on the back 9, as their own paths.

Cons:

The parking lot is way too small for what the park offers. This isn't the disc golf course's fault, but it does affect the course, nonetheless. On the Saturday morning I played, there were youth soccer games across the street. So, this parking lot, with 50 or so spots, was overflowing to the point I had to back my truck up because one entrance was blocked by parked cars. If a course can't be accessed, that is an issue.
- This course has a few too many poke-n-hope type layouts. I'd see previous reviews for Anderson that say those fairways are too tight. I felt there were several here that were bordering on excessive. #3 has all the makings of a fun, ace-run, 180-foot (slight) downhill layouts that tempt players to throw multiple discs. Instead, you've got a fairway with trees that left me, and I suspect plenty others, a simple up-and-down from 50-75 feet, after hitting one of those trees.
- Course lacks flare. Other than #1, there isn't a bad layout. There also aren't many memorable ones either. Oh, how a longer, par 4 or 5 would be fantastic in the rolling terrain on the front 9. I kept imagining how a Nevin-esque (Charlotte) long hole could exist in this area.
- I don't remember seeing a single bench or trash can on the bench. The only restrooms also appear to be in the far side of the park, near the other entrance off 15/501. Just saying, it's a bit of a hike.

Other Thoughts:

Southern Community is a nice short-length layout, in the A basket design. I do not know how it looks or plays in the other layouts. Based on a local saying this is the summer layout, there are plenty of players who can use my review. For the other layouts, a lot of my review won't be pertinent.
- In the short layout, there are other nearby courses that play similar: Anderson (Carrboro), Cornwallis (Durham), Wellspring (Burlington), and Kentwood (Raleigh). If you need practice on your mid-range game and you're in the Triangle area, there's no excuse no to practice.
- This is a good stop for a quick round. I was done in under an hour, and that includes the challenges of trying to find a spot in the parking lot. You can also play a quick 9, as the course is two separate 9-hole loops.
- If you can throw a straight shot 200 - 250 feet, you're going to nail this course. On a couple holes, I couldn't spot the basket from the tee, #12 comes to mind. So, instead of playing to a side, I played to the hole length, and ended up with an easy up-and-down for my par 3.
- I liked Anderson Park slightly more than Southern Community. They're essentially on the same skill-level. Southern may get the nod because of the multiple pin placements, or simply because it's in Chapel Hill.
- This is a solid, mid-length course. I fully understand the ratings and perception of this course will vary when the course is in the short vs long tees. Some people will have a clear preference for one layout vs the other. Looking forward to playing the long tees next time.
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4 0
jamesthenpc
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

My favorite course in the area to just relax and play. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 10, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is one of my favorite courses and I consider this my "home" course. It's not the best course I have played (Charlotte and Michigan have some great ones), but it's perfect acceptable and well kept. I am familiar with the course having played it the most of the three around here. I started playing Anderson and while it's a fun enough course, this is a better version of Anderson.

-The signage and trails are very easy to follow except from 9 to 10 (across the street from 9's exit). But it's pretty simple to follow.

-Longer than Anderson park, but not too long for a beginner. No real frustrating distance holes for most people.

-Good lines for most shots. The only difficult/frustrating hole is number 9 for me which is a big risk for losing a disc in either the water or the giant mass of overgrowth. The angle is also touchy anhyzer/forehand shot that probably won't get much distance because of the angle and trees.

-Good elevation changes with some fun holes you can put some extra distance into.

-Variety of left and right leaning shots.

-Three hole variations that rotate throughout the year which adds some distances to holes (hole 9 is basically the hardest hole I have ever played when at its full distance, though)

-Gets enough traffic to keep the fairways from becoming overgrown which is nice.

Cons:

-Not a really long course if you enjoy airing it out. Some open holes you can do so, but it's a more technical wooded course. Not a con to me, but maybe to others.

-I enjoy the disc locations, but some friends do not. Sometimes the rotation and placement of baskets can be really easy, but other times a bit too difficult to reach with trees/foliage blocking some lines(hole 9 comes to mind again as it becomes 600+ feet with weird angles coming out of the woods). Not a huge issue with me but I have seen people mention the rotations can be too easy or too difficult for some. My girlfriend dislikes the long placements for example.

-Some gnarly thorn bushes are prominent on the back side of the course which I happen to find more often than not.

-Teepads are concrete and fine, but if you have a big run up you might have issues.

-There are some holes where its very possible to lose a disc like hole 9. You have to pay attention because you do not see the water from the tee,.

-Opening hole can become extreme muddy for days after a rain to the point where its almost not worth trying if you dont have the proper shoes and attire.



Other Thoughts:

I like to compare this to Anderson park, but it improves on that course with its variety of shots. There are more elevation changes, more open and forgiving fairways, less overgrowth due to more people playing through regularly, and a variety of rotating baskets. The course does have issues with mud on the first hole and can become more difficult for beginners if and when the baskets change or possibly too easy for some when it changes to the short tees. I personally love this course because its not super long and won't tire me out and it's quite relaxing to go and play at because its not as busy as UNC. Not the most amazing course, but I prefer it to most in the Triangle area.
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5 0
Jonjey
Experience: 10 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Top 3 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 6, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

To me this is one of the best wooded courses in the entire area. Top 3 in the Chapel Hill - Durham area, right behind UNC and potentially tied with Valley Spring, depending on who you ask. It's clean, well kept, challenging at times and forgiving at times. Hole 9 is as unique as it gets.The front 9 starts open and ends up with all wooded in between, the back 9 is all wooded.

Cons:

For the most part, the course is well kept, but there are some areas where the brush is overgrown off the fairway.

Hole 9, well unique, is almost an impossible shot off the tee if you don't have a REALLY good forehand. It's extremely tight off the tee as far as trees are concerned, which is totally fine, but then it goes out into the open field, with an extremely overgrown pond on the left that the layout is practically setting you up to go into off the tee should you throw RHBH. A turnover shot honestly doesn't work because the trees go out further on the right side and it would have to be an extremely late turn to get past the trees before turning right and then hopefully never fading back towards the pond. It's just a strange layout, almost as if you'd be better off pitching a putter out to the bridge then a big hyzer to the basket.

Hole 10 and 18 are a little too tight off the tee, in my opinion, but I suppose that's nit picking.

Other Thoughts:

The course is very good (3.5), but could be great with a few changes. A little bit of brush removal and maybe take out a few trees at 9, and one or two at 10 and 18. I know that's asking a lot and people hate to see trees removed but taking out about 4-5 trees total would really improve this entire course tremendously.


UPDATE!!!: They COMPLETELY removed the super over grown mess by the pond on hole 9. I'm SO happy about that, makes the hole 10000x better and enhances the entire course by a lot. I still have a problem with hole 7 as it asks you to perform a shot that discs don't do, which means it should be a par 4, and I feel like the gap on 18 is a bit tight but I guess I can forgive that.
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8 0
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 195 played 190 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Overlooked, Underrated 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 23, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Southern Community is a nice wooded course located a few miles south of Chapel Hill.

+ There was a lot more elevation than I was expecting. There are some fun downhills and uphill fairways.

+ This is a very challenging course with tight fairways and lines to hit. Despite being a technical, wooded course, it's also pretty long (especially when the baskets are in the seasonal long position in the winter).

+ The tee pads were in good shape, but I thought they were just a hair too short.

+ Nice, clean, well maintained course in a scenic nature park. Also, easy to get to off of 15-501.

+ I really like the concept of short, medium, and long pin positions based on the seasons. In the winter, when the leaves are off the trees, the pins are in the long positions. In the summer, when more leaves and vegetation hinder shot-making ability, the baskets are in the short position. In the spring and fall, the baskets are in the medium position. I've played the course in different seasons and the rotating pin placements are really nice for keeping the course fresh while adjusting to the environment and making the course playable all year.

Cons:

A few cons to mention:

- The major con for me on this course is the "fairness" of it -- or lack thereof. The fairways are a little too narrow for the lengths of the holes (although I remove this criticism when the baskets are in the short position). Also, there are several holes where the basket is behind guardian trees, so even with a perfect drive up the fairway, you may have little to no shot at a birdie because of guardian trees right in front of the basket. There's just too much of a luck factor for me on this course. It can be pinball/plinko golf in spots.

- I mentioned the tee pads above as a pro. I'd say they're slightly more of a pro than a con, but I wish they were just a couple feet longer to allow for a longer run-up and x-step.

- Drainage can be bad here. The open field areas on hole 1 and 9 can turn into pure mud.

- Navigation is so-so and probably nit-picky to count as a con, but I must have missed a next tee sign after hole 5 and wandered around looking for #6. Also, there wasn't a next tee sign after the front 9. You need to pull up a course map to know where to go.

Other Thoughts:

I feel like this could be a 3.5 course with some minor tree removal. As it is, Southern Community is a solid 3.0 course and a very good compliment to the more open-style course at UNC.
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6 8
DrFurious
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

DOGWOOD DISC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 30, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Awesome forest, with three different course settings: short pin placements (in the summer),
middle pin placements (in the spring/fall),
long pin placements (in the winter).

• 16 tight, technical holes in the woods; two open (hole 1; hole 9)
• Balance between right/left fairways.
• Balanced use of elevation (down and up)

Pin placements: All holes have a spring/fall; summer; and winter pin-placement

o Shorts in the Summer: when trees' leaves are out, herbaceous layer full, and the bugs are out, this placement allows for easier play and less time spent finding discs.
• This set up generally plays under 50 strokes

o Middles in the Spring and Fall: This placement is the "normal" dogwood set up, where the course is most of the year; Most holes are relatively difficult but fair. In the beginning of the spring and end of the fall, most of the holes are relatively free of leaves, etc.; Par 54

o Longs in the Winter: pins are all hard to reach, requiring good outs and good putting; Longs: Course plays par 58
Holes 2; 9; 13 and 18 are par 4's.

o Holes have left and right pin-placements (RHBH and RHFH) depending on season.
o Almost every hole has a tree islands or double fairway. Different fairways are used depending on the season (course pin-placements)
o You can see every basket from the t-pad;

• Course has virtually no trash issues; Minor cig-butts, dog-park bombs, and stormwater runoff that carries trash from 15-501. But we get lots of help from volunteers keeping it clean

Distances:
Short (Summer)
Hole 1 In meadow. 219
Hole 2 Straight, basket on right (RHFH). 231
Hole 3 Downhill, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 180
Hole 4 Uphill, on right, fast green (RHFH). 198
Hole 5 Straight, basket on right (RHFH). 204
Hole 6 Straight. 207
Hole 7 Downhill, double fairway, basket on left. 258
Hole 8 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 231
Hole 9 Straight, basket on right, fast green, pond on left (RHFH). 231
Hole 10 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 204
Hole 11 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 198
Hole 12 Dogleg right, double fairway, fast green (RHFH). 201
Hole 13 Straight, over valley. 330
Hole 14 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 231
Hole 15 Dogleg left, double fairway (RHBH). 183
Hole 16 Dogleg left, double fairway (RHBH). 213
Hole 17 Straight, double fairway, basket uphill on left (RHBH). 213
Hole 18 Straight, basket downhill on left (RHBH). 237

Middle (Spring & Fall)
Hole 1 Downhill, basket on meadow's edge (RHBH). 300
Hole 2 Straight, basket slightly uphill on left. 279
Hole 3 Downhill, double fairway, fast green, (RHBH). 228
Hole 4 Uphill, on left, fast green (RHBH). 264
Hole 5 Straight, then dogleg right (RHFH). 246
Hole 6 Straight, then slight dogleg right and slightly uphill (RHFH). 267
Hole 7 Downhill, double fairway. 324
Hole 8 Dogleg right, double fairway (RHFH). 264
Hole 9 Straight, over pond, island green, basket on left (RHBH). 351
Hole 10 Straight, double fairway (RHBH). 252
Hole 11 Dogleg right, double fairway (RHFH). 243
Hole 12 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 228
Hole 13 Straight, over valley, uphill, basket on right (RHFH). 369
Hole 14 Straight, double fairway, then dogleg left and uphill (RHBH). 266
Hole 15 Straight, downhill. 243
Hole 16 Straight, double fairway (RHBH). 216
Hole 17 Straight, basket uphill on right (RHFH). 246
Hole 18 Straight, basket uphill on right (RHFH). 249

Long (Winter)
Hole 1 Downhill, over meadow, past tree-line to green. 345
Hole 2 Straight, then dogleg left and uphill toward dog-park (RHBH). 318
Hole 3 Downhill, double fairway, tucked in trees. 252
Hole 4 Uphill, on right, fast green (RHFH). 300
Hole 5 Straight, then slight dogleg right (RHFH). 276
Hole 6 Straight, then slight dogleg left and slightly uphill (RHBH). 300
Hole 7 Downhill, double-fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 348
Hole 8 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 279
Hole 9 Straight, over pond, opposite side of meadow. 600
Hole 10 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 306
Hole 11 Straight, double fairway, basket slightly downhill. 324
Hole 12 Dogleg right, double fairway, basket downhill (RHFH). 240
Hole 13 Straight, over valley, uphill, through tree-tunnel to basket. 420
Hole 14 Straight, double fairway. 300
Hole 15 Dogleg left, double fairway, slightly downhill (RHBH). 249
Hole 16 Straight, double fairway, basket on left (RHBH). 249
Hole 17 Straight, basket uphill on left (RHBH). 270
Hole 18 Straight, basket uphill on left (RHBH). 324

Cons:

It's getting broken in, but if you aren't comfortable in the outdoors, this course can be hard...It's a mature forest in the Piedmont. You will have some minor bushwacking if your disc flies too far from the fairway.

The Town takes FOREVER to respond to requests, mostly for chainsaw work.

Hole 1 has some drainage issues, since they dumped a huge sponge-like mound of dirt in the fairway AFTER the hole was built... But, they're going to build a little bike park there and hopefully address that.

There is poison ivy-- not too much, but in several holes more PI is coming out.

Other Thoughts:

Coming up:
• Kiosk and Big map at hole 1
• Individual signs on each hole's t-pad
• 12 More benches
• More boardwalks
• Trees: May still take out some trees.
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7 0
adambenson87
Experience: 23.8 years 12 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Better than a 2.9, but not 3.5 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 25, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Elevation and route variety

Challenging - difficult to get a birdie on any hole. No doubt that this is what course designers intended. On this course, a birdie means "superb job" and not "I should easily birdie every other hole."

Creative shot making off the tee and if you get into trouble. Trouble here is worse than most courses.

Good signage

Cons:

You don't always get rewarded for good shots but rather shots that are both good and lucky. A little luck is always needed in disc golf, but on these holes you sometimes need more than a little luck to do well. On some holes, there are so many trees surrounding the basket that the end of your shot needs a good bit of luck to be close to the basket. On these holes, the first half to 2/3 of the distance of the hole requires skill and focus to make a good shot, but the last 1/2 or 1/3 of the shot (when your disc starts to fade) you need a frustrating amount of luck to dodge the trees.

Other Thoughts:

Consequently, because we often don't get the luck we need at the tail end of a shot, this course constantly forces you to putt well, which isn't a bad thing. Birdies occasionally come by parking a disc, but more often you will have to be able to make 20, 30 and 40 footers to shoot under par.

I gave this course a 3.5 because I believe it deserves a better rating than a 2.9 (but I wouldn't give it more than a 3.5). It's a challenging course with some variety, a nice course to hike through, but it's easy for this course to frustrate you, especially if you get in trouble off the tee. The course has a few routes and secrets that only the locals would know, which would give them an advantage if a tournament was held here.

Also, please update the hole lengths on dgcoursereview to reflect the long pin placements.
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1 0
Seahawk
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Dodge the tree 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 24, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The location/parking is very nice, big field to warm up in, basket locations are mixed up/changed to spice up the course, benches, concrete tee pads (small), signs on every hole.

Cons:

The biggest problem for me is that this course is less about if you can make interesting shots vs whether you can dodge trees in a straight line. There are only one or maybe two holes that actually have significant curves besides just having the basket tucked into the trees to one side or the other. The game quickly becomes whether I can throw my disc in a straight line between trees rather than if I really know how to approach complex holes/shots. On some holes there isn't even a proper way to play it..meaning there is no fairway and not even the best of pros could get through without luck. The other main problem with this course is that is full of foliage. Play it during the winter. One of the local DG club leaders told me that this was the course that was meant to not need too much work to keep up... whereas UNC is the course that is more manicured.

Other cons: confusing to navigate at times, nothing besides par 3s.
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5 5
hurryjet
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
1.00 star(s)

No Longer Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 23, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Cons:

Someone decided to move the baskets to spots behind dense screens of trees turning the course from a fun, though tight, course into a mean spirited, discouraging, no win downer. I've played with others who feel the same way. To my mind, you don't make a course challenging simply by putting the baskets in impossible to reach locations. You just make the course irritating. Interestingly, I've seen few other players on the course on the last two Sundays I've played--days with great weather when one would expect the course to be teaming with players. I wonder if other people have gotten fed up with it, as I and the people I play with have, and decided to play on the other decent courses in this area.
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2 4
LeeLK
Experience: 15.8 years 68 played 52 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Decent but not unique 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 9, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great pads and baskets. Fairways are mostly fair. Nothing too long or short.

Cons:

A bit repetitive. Not a ton of elevation or features to the course, so you're basically just throwing through the woods for 18 holes. Not bad, not great.

Other Thoughts:

Apparently they've made some improvements to the course over the last year or two so that it's a playable course now. Just don't expect anything too unique.
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3 3
millsbury
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 29, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has come a long way, with three varying pin placements on nearly all holes thanks to hardworking volunteers. Some holes are hard to get in three! As of 1/28/14 pins are mostly in long positions, but there are birdie holes and it is possible to shoot under par.
Any easy course to play just nine holes since the parking lot is between the front nine and back nine.

Cons:

Teepads are a bit short for a big runup. Some holes are tight but that is not a con!

Other Thoughts:

A beautiful piece of land that is well used by the course. Much drier than the UNC course, which is a drainage nightmare if it gets wet.
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2 1
Jonathan K.
Experience: 11.6 years 94 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent, but definitely not the UNC course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 26, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice open hole on 1 so you can loosen up the arm a little bit!

Nice elevation changes. I am used to playing courses east of Raleigh where everything in pretty much flat. Throwing up/down hill makes things interesting.

Signs for next tee helped out, even though most pads are pretty close to the previous basket.

Cons:

Fairways are tight which is fine, but when they are only 8 feet wide and you still leave random trees in the middle it almost comes down to luck as to whether or not you get through or not. There are also some really nasty turns on some of them with absolutely no way to get within 75 feet of the basket on the tee shot, even if the hole is only 300 feet or so.

The tee pads should be a little longer. They are a little bit short for those of us with longer legs. I stumbled off the end several times and I only do the typical 3 step drive.

Other Thoughts:

My brother and I (who have both been playing for a while and played many courses) both thought that the course is laid out very well, but that a few of the "random" trees need to be taken out on the tightest fairways so it doesn't come down to luck. It is definitely a challenging course, which is fine, but they could to a few things to make it more playable.
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2 2
pfpro
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 55 played 41 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent, but tight 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 20, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Nice use of elevation.
- Great "next tee" signs that were always within view of the basket.
- For the most part, this is a challenging course. There are a lot of short holes, but typically the line is tight. I guess you could argue that length on an open course or a tight course is the same for an ace run - since most shots are not aces, I'm thinking there is a mental aspect to all the trees.
- The alternate pin locations add nice variation. I only played in one layout, but you could see where most of the sleeves were. The long pins definitely added difficulty. They layout I played (I think) alternated long-short. I didn't see anything explaining ahead of time. You could see the basket from the pad. Don't know if this is an issue in the summer when the underbrush isn't dormant.
- Two nine-hole loops, so you could play a quick nine.
- Nice park, soccer fields for field work.

Cons:

- Fairways (in general) are tight, tight, tight. I'm sure they have loosened up a little as the course has worn in, but they are still really tight. You have to hit your line, or you will have a difficult next shot.
- Teepads were really small. I don't have a large run-up, and it was bothersome to me.
- It would have been nice to have some signage somewhere on the course with a map. The scorecard on this site is nice, but I didn't have a copy of it. Also, a picture of the hole on the hole sign would have been nice.
- This course isn't super accessible. If you were local, it would be OK. If you're coming off the interstate - Leigh Farm (if open) and UNC are superior courses that are more accessible.
- Potential interaction with hikers on the walking path - could be dangerous for them.

Other Thoughts:

I enjoyed this course. It is a typical NC wooded course. Since is it new, the fairways are really tight. I played when the leaves were down, so the underbrush was mostly dead. That could be a concern in the growing months. Looks like it could be a little swampy. If you like the challenge of short technical courses, you will probably like this course. If you like to bomb, you will probably not like this course. My favorite hole was 9 - really tight that opens up to a field (it probably helped that I didn't know about the water hazard, so wasn't trying to "not" throw it in there). A few of the holes had large trees that had fallen, but were caught, so you have an obstacle at 45 degrees across the fairway - makes those fairways a little more challenging.
I had a little extra time, so I played this course. It was OK - but I will probably stick to UNC or Leigh since I'm usually trying to squeeze a round in.
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5 5
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Typical Triangle Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 30, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice, short course through the woods, very typical of the area. It will definitely make you work for birdies down narrow fairways and through tight gaps.

It does one of my favorite things: it opens with one wide open hole to a basket perched at the entrance to the woods. I love loosening up the arm with at least one rip. From there, its essentially all woods.

There's a fair amount of elevation changes and multitude of lines on the majority of holes but two holes standout. 13 is the highlight. (and the only hole currently pictured on DGCR) It's a long straight line over a gully with a smallish gap about midway. The other (11?) features two parallel lines, with the left a little narrower but a slightly better approach angle. Good stuff.

Southern also flows well, with a large break only between the front and back nines. There are many possible wrong paths to take but the green signs almost always point out the right one. (The two exception are after 5 and 6. These need next tee signs badly,)

It's a fun but technical course that if anything should give you the chance to see approach shots from different angles.

Cons:

It's similar to Valley Springs, but not as good in a few ways. For starters, it's a lot less clean. The brush creeps onto the fairways and the boundary between fairway and rough is not always clear. Sometimes the undergrowth even surrounds the basket.

Additionally, there isn't much distance. Most of the holes are fairly short and are a little too similar. Not bad holes in themselves. But it's a lot of the same here. The one hole that could have been very different, 9, is ruined by a thick tree just in front of the tee. The way that hole goes down and up into the field, with the sludge lake on the left, could have been a nice risk/reward shot with different lines possible. But with the trees right there, the options are too limited.

Really though, too many of the holes are the type of hole that is a tough birdie for an intermediate player, but an automatic birdie. There are enough trees to make it hard to park holes, but not enough distance to keep you from getting up and down from a bad drive. It's just par, regardless of how well you drive. At the same time beginners will likely be frustrated with all of the brush and lines that will be too difficult for them. So I'm not sure if there is a target player that will love this course.
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11 0
New013
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 179 played 120 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Dogwood'n it up 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 22, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Layout - Technical NC woods golf is what you'll find here. One set of tees and two rotating pin positions, short and long.For the most part it's a tight course that is pretty much hit this gap straight ahead and you'll score well. Miss this gap and good luck. From the longs it's even more exaggerated because you not only have to hit the gap you have to put some mustard on it.There's a good amount of elevation out here, nothing to steep but it's there. It mainly makes you throw up/down hill or over a valley.You'll need some shots to get through the course, it shows you some lines that move right and left; early and late in the fairway. A few holes have multiple routes.The first hole is in the open and on 9 you throw out in to the open... enjoy it if you like open. Though 9 also makes you throw through a tight gap to begin with and watch out for the water hazard out on the left.Course flows pretty good, possibly a few confusing transitions but there are signs. You loop back to the parking lot after 9.A lot of the rough has been cleaned out and it's made it a lot better, you'll still have trees in your way if you get off fairway but a lot of the short thick stuff is gone.Equipment - They finally got some concrete pads out here and man does it make it so much better. Baskets are in good shape as well.Good signage that shows you the way throughout the course. The hole signs only show distance.Atmosphere - Really nice park, very wooded and once you're on the course it's pretty much you and other dg'ers. Occasionally you'll run in to a walker on the back 9 but it's never been a problem.

Cons:

Layout - Still possibly a bit to tight on some of the long tees; doesn't really bother me but if you're less experienced you may find it a bit tough.The course does lean a bit RHFH or LHBH friendly. More than a few holes finish right after straighter fairways. Perhaps to many straighter holes overall.If you like to mix in some open shots or even more open wooded shots you won't find them here. For that reason some of it does kind of blend together; some holes don't stand out and are forgettable.Equipment - The new teepads could be a bit short for some people. Some signs with the hole layout would be helpful, especially on the long pins where they can be hard to see from the pad.There's no course map at the beginning or really anything that would tell you a course is there unless you notice the pad near the parking lot.Atmosphere - There's still a few areas near baskets that could be cleared out more; but whoever is running the course has done an amazing job so far.There's a deer that hangs out in the fairways... I've seen him twice and he just hangs out and dares you to throw at him.UPDATE: Recently the people running the course have decided to add new pin positions; they're awful. Basically the course has gone from a nice challenge to an annoying attempt to figure out what the people now in charge were thinking.The baskets are in extremely awkward spots that are very tough to get to even on solid shots that hit 75% of the fairway. You basically just drive hit something then approach and putt over and over.It's a classic example of someone trying to create challenge based on luck than skill. Apparently the pins stay in these new positions most of the time from what I can tell.The other big problem with some of these new positions is that they make the holes much longer and the pads there are still super short. It was fine by me when you're throwing short shots but now you have to throw super accurate shots with some juice and have no real runup to do so. Maybe if they didn't have pads 6" off the ground... So basically I'm dropping my rating of this course which is a shame, I probably wont go back there.

Other Thoughts:

If you like technical style golf this place is for you. It's nothing amazing but a very solid course.
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2 3
jizzle79
Experience: 21.6 years 24 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

New Improvements at Dogwood 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Baskets have been extended into the woods for longer holes on holes 5 and 6. The course is getting cleaned up pretty good and now that the baskets are in the city should be coming out to do some clearing of trees, but for now me and a buddy cleared out 6 to at least give a tight lane. If the one thing I enjoy the most though out there is the variety of shots and the change in terrain. This course allows you to play a quick 9 on either front or back and even gives and option to play 5 when it starts to get dark. All-in-all my favorite course.

Cons:

Just need the city to come out and do some clearing of trees on a few of the holes and a lil bit of poison ivy. Other than that the course just needs more foot traffic off the beaten path,
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5 3
logjammin
Experience: 26.8 years 32 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I swear, they even have extinct species of trees on the fairways here. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The baskets are in good shape; highly visible.

Concrete tees on every hole.

The fairways are challenging; lots of obstacles.

Some legitimate ace runs; some holes you'll be doing well with a 3.

The park has a dog park, tennis courts, soccer field, hiking trails.

The course is not usually very crowded. You probably won't have to wait for other groups to finish a hole.

Dedicated volunteers working hard on improvements (in addition to park employees).

Nice natural scenery. Pretty forest.

Well-maintained field in play on 1 and 9.

Bridges built on the fairways for crossing creeks and swampy areas.

The course is divided into front 9 and back 9. It's simple to start on 10.

The tee for hole 1 is right next to the parking lot.

There are a lot of right doglegs. (Put this into the cons if you find it more appropriate there.)

Cons:

If you don't have good control on your throws (and emotions) you might want to find a less wooded course. I hit several trees on a good day there.

The tee signs show very little information, and even that is not always accurate. There's no indication of alternate pins, and when the basket is moved, the sign still says the same distance and par as before.

Lots of poison ivy in the summer and spring. I mean lots of it. If you're extremely allergic, you should just go somewhere else during ivy season.

It can get swampy in places sometimes.

Lots of undergrowth in the summer in those areas that get swampy.

There's no shade in the parking lot in the afternoons. And no other reasonable place to park.

When you finish 9, you could get lost looking for 10. you have to go across the main road and cut onto a little path in the woods; watch for little tiny signs with little frisbees drawn on them.

The pond isn't advertised on 9, and it isn't visible from the tee. It's lining the left of the fairway just after you come out of the woods.

I'd prefer tees a little bit longer, or at least level with the ground so I can run-up from behind. However, the concrete tees were built by volunteers, not by park employees, so maybe I should have helped; then my 2 cents might have been worth a couple of bucks.

Other Thoughts:

You've been warned about the trees, right? Just want to make sure.

Ace potential depends on your ability, and other things. I wouldn't be surprised to learn of aces on a lot of the holes here. I've played this course about 20 to 25 times, and no dice so far, but I've come very close on hole 1 (short position), 3 (short), 3 (long), 6, 7 (long), and 15.

1 (short) is the only hole that is completely open, and even there, you're in the woods if you overthrow at all. On every other hole I've hit trees from time to time.

3 is one of the easiest holes here, IMO.

2 and 4 are both tight uphill drives.
Some people have mentioned yellow jackets on hole 4. I saw no sign of them today. Maybe they're gone or maybe they let me play through.

I would make hole 4 a par 4 when it's in the long position. It's well over 300 feet, probably the steepest uphill you'll find in this area, with a winding tight fairway, and huge dead trees to dodge in addition to the live ones.

5 and 6 are very similar to one another. Level, tight, short.

7 is a little longer, but downhill.

8 gives you a little room in the fairway.

9 is the longest of the course. 100 ft or so and you're out of the woods, but make sure you hit the gap. Then all you have to watch out for is the pond on the left.

10, 11, 12 are moderately short, tight fairways with undergrowth.

13 is a long one, and there's a tight gap about halfway down the fairway.

14 and 15 are reasonable, if you stay in the fairway.

16 is very tight; you almost have to throw a sharp left turn, rather than go straight down the path.

17 is another tight, winding, uphill fairway, and there's a poison ivy plantation to the right.

18 reminds me of the very tight fairways on the last 16 holes. No mercy here either.

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2 3
cyclone251
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great Course, Angry Yellowjackets 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A beautifully wooded course with generally short, narrow fairways typical of the triangle area. More open than Carrboro's Anderson Park, this course doesn't just rely on the trees to create challenges, as holes make clever use of the elevation changes in the park. Doglegs bend both right and left, with plenty of straight fairways as well, something I appreciated as I throw LHBH without a great forehand.

Cons:

Yellowjackets. The nest--or at least one of them--is on the fourth hole or so with a sign at the tee pad warning about its location, but they seem to be prevalent throughout the course. The last time I played, my group stumbled across a few around the 8th or 9th hole, and most of us were stung a handful of times.

I have few complaints otherwise. The tee pads are a little small, and awkwardly high.

Other Thoughts:

Would play this course regularly if not for the stings.
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