Rock Hill, SC

Winthrop University Lakefront

3.455(based on 47 reviews)
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13 0
dndelli
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.7 years 134 played 131 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Winthrop University Lakefront

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 30, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

It took me far longer than it should have to make the drive out to play at Winthrop considering I've lived less than an hour away for the vast, vast majority of the time that I have been playing disc golf. And I am kicking myself for that decision. However, the course was fantastic!

The first thing that will stand out is the aesthetics of the course. I have always thought the course looked great on USDGC coverage, but video does not do the course justice. Playing around the lake was a treat. In fact a lot of the standouts of the course, while apparent through video coverage, are not nearly as pronounced as they are while you are playing the course.

Winthrop, despite a mostly open course, requires significant thought as to how you are going to shape your shots and find our landing zones. The fairways are designed with just enough obstacles and bend built in, that some effort will be required to park every hole. Plus there is a significant amount of elevation change used throughout the course.

There were next tee signs on the baskets to denote where the next tee for the Lakefront vs Gold layouts were. Though, it took me a couple of holes to figure out which was Lakefront vs Gold, the Blue vs Black signs.

Cons:

With any legacy course that has undergone various redesigns, it is easy for a course to suffer from many issues that come with that status. Despite the legacy with the property, Winthrop University Lakefront has certainly not been immune to this occurrence. Signage is pretty horrible, aka non-existent. As I am pretty sure the University will not allow them to install new tee signs. The signage that does exist is mostly out of date for layouts long gone. Couple all this with the interwoven layouts on the campus, and a navigational nightmare is born.

The course bounced back-and-forth between astroturf and concrete tee pads. Some of the concrete pads have probably seen better days, and the differences made things confusing at times when trying to find the next tee.

A couple of the early holes play close to private property, with a barb-wire fence between the fairway and the residential land on the other side.

Holes 7 & 8, while both played really well, had an awkward transition to play that was not super apparent with the lack of signage.

Holes 15 & 16 were fairly obvious filler holes. Both holes stood out for all of the wrong reasons, and were right next to each other.

Other Thoughts:

Winthrop all-in-all is an absolute blast to play! The rules put in place by the University and the constantly evolving layouts makes it hard-to-impossible for permanent signage, but the course is still absolutely excellently designed. I will be giving it a 3.5 rating. However, it should be noted that it so much more than a simple 3.5 course while playing it, at least to me.

Even if you don't want to play the Gold Layout, you can still get to check out most/all of it by playing the Lakefront and Coliseum Layouts. We only had time to play Lakefront, but I plan on making a trip back down to Rock Hill sometime soon. Hopefully to play a round, grab lunch, then play the other layout.

Favorite Holes: 5, 6, 10, & 13
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14 0
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 203 played 201 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Historic course, still holds up

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 11, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

I happened to be in the area for work and found that you could play the day to day version of the historic USDGC course so I had to wander over.

The campus is quite beautiful, it reminds me a bit of a compact version of Berry College in GA but Berry could only wish for their courses to be this good.

There is a fair bit of variety here, some pretty good elevation changes and of course the lake to deal with. Only a few holes I would say are wooded and they are more of a "park style" woods than anything typical of a southern wooded course. The majority of the holes just feel very solid, and well thought out, usually offering multiple lines especially if you can "break" a hole with a pro distance power hyzer or roller.

Upkeep is pretty solid, but I feel like it's not as polished as you would see if for USDGC or the AM doubles championship later this year.

Pads are a mix of turf and concrete and I didn't have any issues with them, they were mainly very large and worked great for what you needed on the hole.

The water carries on several holes including a 390ft version of the long par 4 from the gold layout were a very fun challenge. On that hole I threw my drive about 80 long trying to make sure it cleared the water. Course mainly plays shorter though, that was the only time I broke out a full power drive and it turned out to be overkill.

The gate hole is pretty iconic and to be able to say I hit the gap on my first try is pretty cool, though I did do it with a fairway and not the nose up putter shot you see many top pros park it with. A 2 is a 2 lol.

There are also some old school funky holes that you don't see on many newer courses, like 17 that has tree branches almost completely covering the pad, forcing you to throw a forehand or turnover out over the lake. I love a course that isn't afraid to challenge the player.

Cons:

The main cons stem from the fact that this is a legacy course with tons of old layouts and without a map of the current one navigating it would make you want to jump in the lake.

There are tee signs and even a few next tee signs, that are beautiful stone slabs on the ground. But locals informed me that was for a legacy layout and cannot be trusted at all.

There are a couple of holes that cross close to busy walking paths and once or twice it's blind, so you just really have to be careful since the property is so busy in general.

People fishing don't seem to be as afraid as they should be of a disc going over their head. I was waved on a few times and it was uncomfortable.

Upkeep was good with the exception that all around the lake the are massive amounts of goose poop. I'm not really knocking it for that, but it's everywhere on those holes and you need to be ready for it.

Other Thoughts:

It's a fun time and throwing some of the shots you have seen in video is pretty cool. I think everyone who is close enough to play should try it.

Maybe a 4 is a touch generous, but it's better than a 3.5 in all but amenities. Maybe I'm just a bit sappy about a course I've wanted to play for a decade as well. In any case it was one of the more fun new courses I've played in some time and I think most players would have a blast here.
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6 1
Baysinger
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 93 played 55 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Winthrop University Lakefront Layout drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 3, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful property
World famous course
Great mix of open / wooded holes
Great elevation changes
Several different layouts you can play

Cons:

Potential for students to be in fairways
No tee signs
Could be hard to follow without a guide
Potential for a lost disc in water on several holes

Other Thoughts:

Winthrop University DGC! Wow! Of course, there's not many things I can say about this course that hasn't already been said, but I will give it a try. So when I played the course, I didn't get to play the full USDGC layout, although I will make it back to play this layout at some point. I played the Lakefront layout which is much better suited for amature disc golfers like myself. However, in this layout, several of the holes are the same, or shortened versions, of what you see during the USDGC so we still got to see a ton of the prestigious design. The layout of this course has a great mix of open and wooded areas and of course some outstanding elevation changes. This particular layout had a mix of concrete tees and turf tees which can be tricky alternating between, but honestly not that big of a deal. From beautiful open fairways, to tight wooded lines and tricky water holes, this course has it all. If you are anywhere near the area, this is a must play course! Give the Lakefront layout a try if you are looking for a more casual disc golfer type course and if you really want to test your disc golf game, take on the USDGC layout! Either way, you are going to have a blast! If you want to see the Lakefront layout on video, please consider checking out these videos that I filmed there:
Front 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ffjk7S390FU Back 9: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW9fvybYqJw
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14 0
Shadrach3
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 5.5 years 318 played 306 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Iconic Lake, Easy Version

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 2, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Perhaps overshadowed by the Gold layout, the Winthrop Lakefront course still offers iconic holes in an acceptably open style.

-Dual Layouts: For those not familiar with the property, Winthrop has two layouts, Lakefront and Gold. The two share a fair bit of land, with the Gold layout sprawling around other parts of the campus as well. The Gold course is mainly set up for USDGC, but it's playable in varying pin positions, with no OB rope, year round. The Lakefront course often dissects Gold holes into smaller pieces, and appears to always have all 18 baskets in position.

-Amenities: Turf and concrete tees, DISCatchers (number-coded with red for Lakefront only positions and black for Gold/Lakefront shared positions). There are no tee signs per university request.

-Views: No doubt an appeal of the course. Wrapping around the lake, there are quite a few lovely views. Even the portions not on the lake are no slouches on this well-kept, lush university property.

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A mostly open course of all par-3s, but mixing in some additional features and technical holes. There are plenty of sub-250' birdie opportunities with just a couple of trees to contend with, and some longer holes adding to the trees that will require more line drive approaches. Elevation is a major factor on (1), (3), (5), (8), (9), and (15)-(16) and a lesser issue on several others, while the lake is a play element on about five holes. I'd peg the number of technical holes at about 6, which provide good, birdieable variety. It's worth noting that there are a few holes shared with the Gold layout - L(5) is G(3), L(12) is G(8), L(13) is G(9) short, L(14) is a shorter G(16), and L(18) is G(18) short. The shapes on the Lakefront, though easier, are by no means boring, and will require commitment.

-Aura: This one may vary more person to person, but to me, the history behind this course makes it an extra blast. The USDGC is one of my favorite tournaments, and no doubt this property stands out among other tournament properties. It's iconic, and if I thought everybody would have the same feeling, my objective rating would go up substantially.

Cons:

-Signage: No tee signs, or at least no consistent and up to date ones. Several holes have the original, embedded marble in the ground with inflated pars, but that isn't consistent. As others have noted, having UDisc will be very helpful for first-time navigation, even if you are familiar with the gold layout.

-Openness: A fair bit of the course lacks especially compelling shot shaping due to its openness. Those who prefer technical lines won't enjoy it here.

-Water Danger: A definite risk on several holes, especially (10) and (17).

-Geese: Pretty likely to be in the fairway or leave droppings along your route.

-Difficulty: Not going to hold the attention of better players. The age of the layout shows, and it's all pretty birdieable with modern gear and technique.

Other Thoughts:

If you can't tell, I love the Winthrop courses, Lakefront included. It's a beautiful and historic environment with quite a few lovely holes and no big mistakes. That said, I know it's not the bee's knees, and a lot of people may prefer to pass it up from a gameplay perspective. Trying to be unbiased, I've given it a solid Good. I find it very comparable in rating to Rock Hill's wooded counterpart, Boyd Hill.

~Similar Courses: Winchester City Park (Winchester, TN); James W. Olley Park (Walden, NY); Earlewood Park (Columbia, SC).
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4 1
Mickey Anderson
Experience: 16.8 years 17 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Yes Map Needed 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

The History
Nice scenery throughout, in the area on vacation and have always wanted to play. Beautiful Lake. Well manicured. I enjoyed playing 4 and 7 and like the fact that you can air out quite a few holes. Like the variety of hole distances. 13 was also enjoyable! Great day when I was here the day after July 4th. Only saw 1 other group. Of course I hit the Gate....lol. I like the total length of the course.

Cons:

I must admit it was not what I expected. I am from Ohio and some of the courses knock this out! I had a map. but still had trouble navigating. Amazed that signs are non existent. I am floored that with the History of this course it should really be better marked, next tee arrows etc. I do not know the situation there but feel there are small things that could be done to improve time looking for next holes!

Other Thoughts:

I am glad I played this historic course. I only hope someone or who ever the powers may be, update and improve this sweet course. It could be soooo much better! Some 6x6 and digital printed signs would be a wonderful start! Also enjoyed a great brewery nearby after the round! Really nice area!
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8 2
bdupree
Experience: 7.5 years 22 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

You had better bring a map! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Right off the bat, I will admit my own shortcomings going down to Winthrop to play this course. I figured that with this DG Course Review site in mobile form on my phone coupled with the InfoTalk Disc golf scoring/mapping app, I could figure out where the holes are. Wrong! This turned into something akin to a new volume in the Indiana Jones series of quests. I will call this one "Indiana Jones and the Quest for the Next Basket."

I was able to find the first tee, but mainly because I ran into another guy who was meeting his grand-kids out there to play. The first tee and basket are cut-and-dried. You can see the basket from the tee. Second tee is a guess, but not too far to the left of basket #1. Second basket is easy to see, too. From there, I meandered around like a pinball trying to find the third tee pad. Oddly enough, there is a rubber tee pad about halfway between #2 tee and #2 basket. I played to a visible basket, but the basket showed #17. What? I asked the people behind me, so they directed me to the right #3 tee. They told me to follow that across the parking lot to the next tee, so I somehow completely missed the entire 4th hole. That having been said, #5 is a great elevated tee down to a huge grass field with the basket right in the middle. When I got there, I could not figure out why it was labeled #5!

The next three holes are puzzling, too. This is where you absolutely need a map in hand. Hole 6 is easy to find, but then you need to realize you have to walk up the road to find the randomly placed tee for #7. It goes downhill, then #8 is placed in between #6 and #7. Completely confusing. Then, good luck figuring out where #9 is without the map.

At some point here, I was able to get the map up on my phone from DGCR. I played #9 wrong, but then found the correct tee pad for #10 and kept on track the rest of the round.

So, sorry about the ranting and raving. This course is mostly in the open wrapping around a beautiful lake. Lake does come into play quite a bit, too. One thing I loved was the presence of some absolutely giant oak trees in a couple of spots around the course. Some of these must be at least 100+ years old, and add a great deal of character to the route. Holes 15 & 16 are about the only two that drop you into the woods like most courses in the Carolinas. Hole 15 goes up through a narrow chute of trees, and it is very short. Hole 16 comes straight back downhill adjacent to 15. Both of these are a good change from all of the open field holes.

Hole 17 goes back down by the lakeside with a dangerous short route to the basket across the shore of the lake. Then, it finishes up a steep hill to the final elevated basket for #18.

Cons:

Most of my cons are intertwined above in "Pros," unfortunately. Some of my real legitimate complaints are similar to others I read here. Absolutely zero signs on the tees... nothing at all. On some of the holes, they have granite bricks in the ground with hole numbers that have nothing to do with this short course. I'm not even sure they correlate to the gold course, either. I am so used to directional signs to the next tee after finishing a basket, and you will get none of that here.

One other thing for awareness is that a lot of people use the lake area for relaxing and recreation, so it brings some level of danger into play for some of your tee shots. Just be careful.

Other Thoughts:

I really can't believe the same place that has hosted and will be hosting the 2017 USDG Championship has such a poorly marked course at the beginner/intermediate level. I know the tournament course is a different one, but it still floors me. It wouldn't take much to put up some makeshift hole signs and direction arrows. Just about every single course in the Charlotte area has this. All of this is unfortunate, because this is a really scenic course. I would like to go back, but it won't be at the top of my list.
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4 0
Redwingsrox5
Experience: 8.7 years 5 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Passing through on vacation 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Awesome baskets. Probably the best I've seen in a while.
-Location is beautiful. Love the different shots around the lake and courts.
-Wasn't terribly hard. Being an OK disc golfer, I found myself at par or bogie on most holes. Heck even got a birdie on one.

Cons:

-No bathrooms near by
-No signage. Had to go off what I knew the next hole looked like from the videos I had watched. Hard to navigate which added a lot of time to my round.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I'm glad we went out of our way back to Ohio so I could play this course. I did enjoy playing it even though it was very hot that day. I'd play it again if I'm ever around.
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4 1
dyerjol
Experience: 22.8 years 54 played 6 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Better bring a map 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Decent variety of wooded/open holes and elevation changes.
Pretty setting.

Cons:

There is no map on site or an indicator of where the course starts. Many tee pads do not have any signage; the ones that do are incorrect. The baskets are often numbered incorrectly. It's basically not possible to play without a local or a map from the internet.

Other Thoughts:

Right now there are better choices in the Charlotte area, but it wouldn't take much effort on the part of the University for this course to stand with some others.
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9 1
Harpo1989
Experience: 48 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

For the love of God, mark the course! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

We were in the neighborhood and decided to give the Lakefront course a go. The university campus is very nice and the whole area is like one giant park. The course basically plays around a lake that has a huge flock of geese, which people were feeding. There is lots of eye appeal, which is always a bonus for my wife and I as being outdoors for some exercise is our primary motivator.
The course itself wasn't overly tricky or difficult even for us beginners out there having some fun. There was a wide array of shot types. I did like the elevated tee on #2 and the short tee shot on #17 that has you shooting directly at the basket, which is situated only about 20 feet from the water behind it.
While the lake can certainly come into play it isn't difficult to play safely around it if you are worried about losing a disc in the drink. I'd use a floater if you want to be more aggressive and still have a chance to retrieve your disc.

Cons:

I rate this low mostly because it took me a while to figure out where to tee off and how to navigate. It is partly my fault for not looking into the course more before heading out there but damn what a nightmare it would be without my uDisc+ app! I literally had to rely on the GPS to help me get to some of the holes and that's just plain ridiculous. It costs an instate student $27k a year to attend the university. You'd think they could spend a couple hundred bucks on signs, arrows, markings, anything! Ugh!
Maybe I'm too OCD for this course but when I'm playing hole #4 but get to the basket and there's a #2 on it, that just doesn't set right with me. Put a donation box out there for course updating and I'll drop something in there but I won't upgrade my rating until the course makes more sense and is easily navigable to someone that pulls up having never played it before.

Other Thoughts:

If you don't care about the aesthetics of tee #'s and basket #'s matching and don't mind wandering around trying to figure out where the next holes starts or ends, then disregard my cons. Other than that I think all players will have a great time.
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4 5
APPST8DISCGOLFER
Experience: 9.9 years 11 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Withrop Lake Front 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 30, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful Course around the lake and a lot of challenging and unique holes.

Cons:

First time playing this course and I was unfamiliar with the layout. There are no signs indicating which way to go and almost all the numbers on the baskets don't match the hole numbers. Also many of the in ground plaques don't indicate the correct hole. We spent the entire time looking at the map on a smart phone guessing where the pads were and which basket we were throwing at.

Other Thoughts:

Someone should spend a weekend to either relabel the baskets with the correct numbers and add more signage other than being lost the whole time we really enjoyed the course.
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8 0
thedogatesoup
Experience: 10.2 years 8 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

WHY IS NOTHING LABELED? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 30, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

I liked the setting and location. It's a good place to go to if you want to test how far you can throw. A lot of the holes are completely open and you can really work on your long game. I enjoyed the fact that you walk around the huge pond the whole time but you're never forced to throw over it. However, the day I played, one friend threw 2 discs in the pond on accident and another friend threw 1 disc in, so be careful and I recommend having a floating disc even though it's not completely necessary.

Cons:

My main con would definitely have to be the layout and navigation. Make sure you can pull up a map on your phone or print off a map before you come if you play here, otherwise you will be lost by the second hole. I've only played about 7 different courses since I've started playing disc golf, but I can honestly say that this course was the hardest to navigate by far. Nothing is labeled correctly and there are no signs pointing you to the next tee. It's crazy that someone actually set this up and didn't see a problem with it. Once my friend pulled up a map on his phone, it was a fun place, but even with the map, it was still confusing.

Other Thoughts:

Final thoughts... It's a cool place to go with nice scenery and open tees for the casual disc golfer to enjoy, but whatever you do, HAVE A MAP!!!
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17 1
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.8 years 278 played 273 reviews
2.50 star(s)

a day in the park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 2, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

The lake in Lakefront dominates the scenery here and the entirety of the course is sure to be pleasing to the eye. It's surrounded by manicured grass and a few low hills. It's a very aesthetically pleasing place to play and I'm sure many a fun round has been played on the property. I played the standard Lakefront course, and that's what I'm reviewing. That layout is easily played with the map listed in the files on DGCR, and though there are no navigation aids on the course, there should be no issues following the course as long as said map is available.

Winthrop provides plenty of opportunities to air out some discs, and though there are no carries, there are plenty of places where you can watch a disc in flight over that pretty terrain. There's not a ton of distance, but there is a good variety of lengths with holes ranging from under two-hundred feet to over six-hundred.

And there are some cool holes. Thirteen is sharply uphill and while there is a roadway in the path, no cars should use that route since it's a dead end. Seven demands a little accuracy as the basket is tucked into a grove of trees. Thirteen plays deep into a creekside stretch of land. Seventeen is probably the most interesting as the basket is on the edge of the lake on a small outcropping of land and a disc can be hung out over the lake and fade right to the basket. Between those and the generally pleasant atmosphere, a causal round here could be pretty fantastic.

Cons:

As fun as this course can be to chuck on, it's not a very interesting course. The lake is beautiful but it doesn't really come into play very much. That's not to say there is not a lot of risk/reward here. On many shows you risk hitting a car with your disk. Many fairways reward you with a chance to throw if you can find a break in pedestrian traffic. Seriously, I don't think I'd play here on a weekend unless the weather was poor. The worst offender here is the gate hole. That's just begging for dog-walkers to stroll through it. Well, worst offender pedestrian-wise. Hole four is a terrible idea. Yeah you can pitch around the parking lot, and yeah a ton of the other holes throw over roads. But the direct line to the basket on four heads directly through the lot that you just parked in. In summation, playing here at a busy time in the park is probably going to be frustrating.

The course at Winthrop doesn't offer much to make that frustration worth it. Challenge? Where is it. Beyond an occasional pedestrian, it's pretty much an open path to each basket. It's not a bad course. It can be fun. But open park courses like these are pretty common. There are some fun or cool holes, but nothing memorable. Nothing that you will want to go back for. It doesn't help that the flow is pretty bad. Holes don't follow in any logical direction. There are some very long walks between holes that you would never, ever find without a map.

On the topic of navigation, oh boy. It can be followed easily enough if you bring a map and stick to it, ignoring everything else. There are no tee signs, but there are tee plaques that list incorrect holes and information. Likewise the baskets often sport inaccurate hole numbers. So ignore that and you should be fine but it's a bummer that people who show up unprepared will be confused.

I'm aware that there is an additional layout but I reviewed the Lakefront course, as advertised on this site. The gold layout, if playable, really just seems to be longer holes that are just as open and uninteresting. And I guess, for the tournament they bring out hay and ropes for those who like to play an artificial course made of ropes. To each his own.

Other Thoughts:

If you expect a fun, light round with a few buddies, than by all means, there is good golf here in a scenic setting. But it's not a destination course so don't travel here looking for something that will knock your socks out.
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5 26
Suspena kenna
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
1.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 8, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice wide open holes. Some ducks. I was col when I went. The lake was frozen and all the ducks and geese where sliding on the ice so that was pretty sweet to c.

Cons:

No signs at all. No telling where the next hole is. Every hole seems like the one u just played.
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21 1
Hector Chain
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 222 played 189 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Championship-level yawn 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 21, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

The site of the USDGC every October, this is probably the most photographed course, and it does have some photogenic parts. The course begins and ends along a pretty lake with fountains in the middle.

Note: I played the gold layout (the one played at USDGC), which has some overlap with the Lakefront course but is generally longer.

Part of the fun of playing here is seeing in person the holes that the pros play. Among the more enjoyable ones:

Hole 4, a U-shaped hole playing over a shallow valley, curving into a grove of trees.

Hole 5, the long hole along and across the lake. I was happy to get my second shot where the pros seem to be after 2, but I didn't have the guts to try to make it across the water.

Hole 13, the famous "888" hole. After tons of discussion in the forums about the best way to play this one, it was nice to see it up close (I took an 8).

Hole 17, the downhill shot toward the lake. It wasn't as steep or long as I had thought it would be.

Elevation comes into play on several holes.

Cons:

What makes Winthrop an interesting course for the USDGC is the miles of yellow rope and the bales of hay used for OB. They are only in place for the week or two leading up to the event. Without them, frankly, Winthop is kind of boring. Other than the 888 hole, holes 9-14 are just long, open bombers where trees do not come into play. In fact, I think I only hit a tree on three holes, and it's not because I was shooting well. It really hits home how manufactured the challenge is; there really aren't many organic aspects to this course, in sharp contrast to all the Charlotte courses I played 30 miles away.

Navigation is awful. Without the map, neither the Gold nor Lakefront courses are navigable. There are no tee signs. I used this to navigate Gold:

http://www.winthrop.edu/uploa...re%20Card.pdf

Note that while all baskets are in for the Gold layout, one or two holes play slightly differently (for instance, hole 6 is not in its beach location).

Other Thoughts:

I came down here from Charlotte for two reasons: 1) I have watched a lot of USDGC coverage and wanted to play the holes, and 2) I'd never been to South Carolina. I'm glad I came once, but unless I can come back during October when the ropes are in place, I don't think I would return.
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17 2
BraveThrower43
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 14.1 years 729 played 59 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Bringa GPS or something 2+ years

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

Pros:

This course is absolutly beautiful. The lake on a clear day is amazing and it is a fun course to play. Its a nice change of pace for those who want to play a more open course in the Charlotte area.

Its fun to play several USDGC shots without having to play the Gold layout.

Nice teepads.

Benches and trash cans on the course

Cons:

If you are reading this because you plan on playing before you do anything else Click links and get a map because if you don't good luck finding your way around or knowing how far you have to throw.

There were several people sunning and picnicing on the course but I couldnt blame them cause it is an awesome place for it.

There is a decent chance for a lost disc with the lake in play.

The teesigns are either not there or really old. They don't seem to be to the same course or to the Gold course.

Other Thoughts:

Even with the navigation issues this course was great to play because of the atmosphere alone. The view over the lake is stunning and it was perfectly manicured. I would strongly recomend this course to anyone in the rock hill area
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15 0
sloppydisc
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 201 played 147 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Pleasant change of pace 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very well kept course winding around a small lake on the campus of Winthrop University. Also home of the USDGC. The landscaping and care is top notch. Playing a round here feels like a leisurely walk in a park.

Mostly open course with mature trees and limited elevation. Lake is the back drop for several holes including one that presents an opportunity to go over the lake and some trees. There are a couple wooded holes that are fairly basic, short holes.

All holes had excellent concrete tee pads. Fairways were mowed and what rough there is posed no problems.

Cons:

Navigation is a nightmare. Thankfully I had bikinjack for a guide. Without him I would have had no clue. The baskets are not numbered correctly, and the flow seemed a little odd. No next tee signs or navigational aids. I definitely recommend playing with someone that knows this course.

Outdated or no signs at tee pads. It is pretty much guess work on distances. Most holes are fairly open so seeing the basket and line is not really an issue though.

Not really any exceptionally fun holes. The downhill on #5 is decent, #10 gives you an over the lake option, and #12 is the infamous bamboo wall hole. They are all OK, but nothing that you really feel like emptying your bag for.

Most holes require a pretty straight shot. Not much line shaping or shot making.

The geese invaded a few areas so be prepared for some goose poop and leavings in the grass and on the tee pads by the lake.

Other Thoughts:

The Winthrop Lakefront layout is not the Gold layout used for the USDGCs. So keep that in mind when heading out here. The ropes are not set up and so it plays a little differently than it will in the other layout. It does however offer a nice, relaxing round. Having a mostly open course this close to Charlotte is a nice option. Most of the course is pretty open so it would also be a good option on a nice sunny Fall, Winter or Spring day. It was a little hot out there this week. Bring your sun tan lotion if you are going in the Summer.

Overall this isn't a bad course. Just don't expect a true destination course or a once in a lifetime experience.

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9 0
Buschbacher
Experience: 12.8 years 31 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Don't Travel For This One 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Nice clean campus park setting
- Good short and quick course if you like playing wide open holes without many trees to contend with

Cons:

- Impossible to navigate without a map, definitely need to print out a map if you would like to figure out where each hole is located
- The baskets and tee boxes are not numbered correctly and the distances are incorrect even on the available scorecard/map
- No maps/diagrams at the holes
- No benches
- No trash cans
- Goose poop everywhere on MANY holes and as there are not benches finding a clean spot to lay your bag is sometimes difficult

Other Thoughts:

- Overall I was extremely disappointed with this course, I have played a handful of courses throughout the Charlotte area (a few included in the current 2012 Worlds tourney) and you can not even compare Winthrop Lakeside with these courses rated about the same or even slightly lower (higher than Plantation Ruins at Winget - just silly, nearly the same as Robert L. Smith Park & Elon Park - Angry Beaver - ridiculous)...this course must only have its current rating because the people that reviewed it have not played elsewhere on truly solid courses
- If you are already in Rock Hill and you swing by for a quick round you will have fun, but if you are in the general Charlotte area, picking any other course with a 3+ rating would be a better choice
- I admit there are definitely a few fun holes, 12 was unique and fun, but generally it is a wide open grassy park style course...the main obstacle is the large lake that impacts a few holes and truthfully I would rather deal with countless trees as a miss-throw, gust of wind or unlucky roll down a hill will not cause a lost disk if trees are the obstacle
- Also, note that the road around the lake is ONE-WAY counter-clockwise so you don't get yelled at by campus police when leaving the parking lot
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9 2
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lakefront DGC 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 6, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Winthrop Lakefront is the shorter course around a college campus. It's scenic, challenging and fair. This is the shorter course so if you like longer holes, then play Winthrop Gold which is also onsite.

-Winthrop has nice, long teepads that are in good shape and allow a nice long run up.

-The course has a couple ace runs (15,16) and they are the only couple holes in the woods and they are in the neighborhood too and 16 is next to a house. Every other hole is open and some are short and still in the field and others (5,13,14) allow you to bomb a nice drive.

-This course has a good amount of elevation. You can tell on every hole if its uphill or downhill. Although most holes are not super uphill or downhill, Holes 5 and 18 have a lot of elevation.

-I like the obstacles to avoid on the holes cause they are punishing but only if you hit them. Water is the main obstacle, and on the water holes, use a disc that floats in water (Dragon, Hydra, don't know if a gator does or not) so you wont lose it. Every other obstacle is easy to avoid but don't try to hit them. It can be tough to get out.

-12 is a great hole that is fun and tricky at the same time. The green has bamboo outside of it and you throw through a mando gate.

Cons:

-Mainly, the navigation is atrocious. None of the baskets are numbered correctly. If you haven't played here, you better bring a map.

-Goose crap is everywhere from 9-11 and needs to be cleaned up. Don't let that make you hate this course.

-Hole 9 is in alternate position. That's the shorter position. My first time here I was really looking forward to playing the original position because it's the only par 4 on the course at 664 feet long.

-This isn't really a con but this is a warning. Hole #10 is a very hard hole surrounded by water. The teepad is directing you to go over the water which disc are lost frequently. If you don't think you can go over, then play it as a dogleg left hole down the fairway.

-The new hole 4. It's kinda silly. It's a downhill 115ish footer onto a platform.

Other Thoughts:

-A few of the baskets here are moved regularly to keep players interested. Hole 1 has three pin positions! Which to me is pretty awesome.

-#4 isn't well marked because it is a new hole. The old hole 4 was around the parking lot. The new #4 is across the road and plays as a jump putt down a hill. Hole is only like 115' and loses maybe 15'-20' in elevation. I'm sure a pad will establish soon.

-The mando you see on hole 8 is not in play. That is only for the gold layout.

-There are two tee-pads for hole 9. You can play the original where the pad is past the road, or you can play off the dock. And hole 17 has a new pad right outside the fence on the walk over. The bamboo and water to the left make this an awesome hole.
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9 2
The Ox
Experience: 13.2 years 54 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Winthrop Lakefront 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The property is very well taken care of and the greens are finely manicured. Concrete tee-pads are set level and flush with the ground. Wide open fairways allow you to really rip some big drivers, but anyone at any skill level can go out and have fun on this course. The bamboo hole (#12) is really a test of your skill. If you live anywhere near Charlotte/Rock Hill, play this course !

Cons:

Most, if not all the baskets are numbered incorrectly. This is due mainly in part because the USDGC is held here every year. After the tourney, maintenance crews replace the nice tournament baskets with older ones, and the numbers never match the holes. So, if you have never played Winthrop, definitely print out the course map.

Other Thoughts:

Bring extra discs (cheap plastic) if you want to throw near the lake. Big winds and large hills easily allow the water to swallow up your throwing stock. Also, be careful on hole #4 as there is a barb wire fence backed up to the fairway, if your disc goes over, it's gone.

I try to play this course at least once every two weeks. If you need someone to guide you through a round, send me a PM and let's set up a tee time !
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3 7
medic5888
Experience: 13.3 years 38 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very well maintained course.
Very clean!!
Some challenging holes.
Water to throw over!!
Concrete tee pads.

Cons:

Signage sucked! If you dont have a map you will be lost.
Geese everywhere and we all know they are mean!
Goose poop everywhere yuck.
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