Morganton, NC

Catawba Meadows

3.35(based on 41 reviews)
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10 0
dndelli
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.7 years 134 played 131 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Catawba Meadows

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 24, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Catawba Meadows is an open course with enough trees throughout to keep things interesting. The course shares the park with multiple ball fields, picnic areas, restrooms, a greenway, and what appears to be a Ropes Course - which likely is only open periodically. The course features concrete tees, tee signs with decent breakdowns of the holes, DISCatcher baskets, and multiple layouts.

The red layout is a perfect place for beginners to learn the game , and for Rec, Intermediate and Advanced players to enjoy a nice round of birdie hunting. The blue layout pushes the distances out and will allow bigger arms to air out their drivers. The holes have multiple pin positions listed on the signs, which would allow the local club to tweak the course to fit their current needs, and to keep the course from getting stale for regular players. Every hole is fairly wide open, but there are a few trees on each hole and a handful of mandos around the course to contend with.

Overall the course seems to be maintained well, the grass was mowed all around the course which was nice. The course seemed to flow well, and I never really had any navigational questions throughout my round. The tee signs/posts are also color coded which allows you to easily determine whether you are at the right tee or not for your hole. There even seemed to be a potentially new long pad poured on Hole 8, which means the course is still seeing a lot of love from the B.A.D. disc golf club.

Though the land is relatively flat, the course designers clearly tried to incorporate what limited elevation was available.

Hole 17 Long is a highlight on the course as a fun, challenging hole, where placement is key and an element of risk/reward in play for those trying to bite off extra distance from the tee.

Cons:

I'd say most holes don't really have a "fairway", because the course is so open, there are just general directions that the disc needs to be thrown to travel towards the basket. While there were a couple of mandos on the course, they were mostly utilized near the end of fairways, to force fade in one direction or the other. It would have been nice to see them utilized to force different angles out of the hand. Outside of Hole 17, I didn't feel like the mandos forced me to truly change the angle of release when driving.

The rough around the basket on Hole 2 was some of the worst I've ever seen so close to the basket. Especially when said basket is blind from the tee. It would be relatively easy to lose a disc that landed near the edge of the Circle in that mess, depending on the color. Some locals told me it was particularly overgrown the day I played, so maybe this isn't always as big of an issue. This is really one time there is rough that is bad enough (from what I saw) to lose a disc, and it's a shame that the blind shot likely results in a lot of time spent looking for discs. Without this rough, Hole 2 would have been among my favorite holes on the course, because the risk/reward of potentially ending up in the OB creek makes for a fun tee shot.

While the tee signs were mostly great, one huge improvement that could be considered would be to find a way to indicate which pin position the hole was in on the post. I've seen a few easy solutions done on other courses. While the baskets were usually visible, it would have still been nice.

Holes 16 - 18 feel a bit cramped considering how much space the rest of the course takes up. This would probably only be an issue during tournaments or on extremely busy days, but it should be noted that a bad tree kick on any of these holes could send you to one of the other ones.

Other Thoughts:

Catawba Meadows is a nice course to break away from the traditional woods golf that NC is known for. Whether you are a Recreational, Intermediate, or Advanced player, Catawba Meadows is worth checking out. While playing it, you will definitely feel the much deserved love it gets from the local club.

I definitely would love to stop back by, and check the course out again (and check out the red layout), but for now I am giving it a 3.0 rating. While it is fun to air out some shots, the course felt just a little bit too repetitive, even when compared to other courses I have played that utilize similar tracts of open land sprinkled with a few trees. I think something unique, even if it were just a second elevated basket, could help spice up the middle section of the course where the repetition is at its worst.

Favorite Blue Holes: 8, 16, 17
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4 0
pmay5
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 480 played 245 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great park, really fun course to play 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

BEST MOWING EVER! - Once you get to the meadows holes (#4), each fairway is mowed to about 20-30 wide, approx. Circle 1 around each basket and a path to each of the next tees. You kind of feel like you are at a PGA event, on the short grass, ""inside the ropes"".
Excellent tee signs, in the Nature Trail type, hole map, hole details, DG tips and nature facts (and even some history facts of the area).
Nice wide paved tee pads, two on most holes. Could be a little longer, but plenty of run-up available on most holes.
Nice Discatchers, not as bright as they once were, but pretty easy to see on this course.
Most of the property is pretty flat, but they used the elevation available on the first 3, and on several holes, up near the road.
A few Par 4s were worked in for variety.
Separated from other areas of this large, multi-use park.

Cons:

Long grass and a lot of undergrowth on #3, everything else was kept up very well.
#18 was a pretty short, simple hole. I would have liked for #17 to have been shorter, then put a little more challenge to the finishing hole.
All, pretty minor Cons.

Other Thoughts:

For this large park that has a ropes course, ball fields, greenway access and several large picnic shelters, they found a large, separate area for the course. Plenty of parking, restrooms at the first tee and a practice basket. The course starts near these, then moves to the meadows, with plenty of space and the greenway on the border.
As I mentioned in the Pros, they used the elevation that was available for a couple of elevated tees and a short, uphill hole (#7).
#10 is pretty cool, with the basket behind a large tee, on a downslope to the greenway.
#2 features a death putt, with a retaining wall to hold the pin over a kudzu cover streambed. (They did clear a landing area for missed putts.)
#16 is also pretty neat, downhill, tunnel between the large, old growth trees, to an elevated basket.
Two tees on most holes, they generally just add distance and not another look at the hole.
Overall, the holes in the meadows are pretty open holes with just some shot shaping around the large, old growth trees. No true "tunnel" holes here, that can be a nice break from a lot of NC courses.
It looks like this would be a fun, everyday course and great for tournaments. Since the meadow is so flat, and the primary trees are large, you can see a lot of holes from just about any spot.
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0 0
Docxen
Experience: 5.8 years 8 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great for beginners 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

Really liked this park. It's easy to get to. There is stuff for kids to do if you can take someone to watch them on the cool playground or as a reward for following you around and playing disc golf. The holes are pretty straight forward. Super friendly people. (a jogger noticed my disc and another disc golfer stopped and said hi and talked about disc golf for a few mins.)

Cons:

Seems like maybe things were changed since they put the signs in on the course. Around the trees is weedy (so if your new be ready to search for a disc after you hit a tree.) Hole 2 is a killer and easy to loose a disc. There was some drainage issues and the basket on ten game me a bit of a problem finding it. Also maybe a bathroom or porta john...shoot a bit of fence around a tree, would of been nice.

Other Thoughts:

Great park nice people really enjoyed it.
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2 0
Notverygood
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.7 years 76 played 34 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun "low stress" golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 12, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

A reviewer before me described the course as "ball golf" style. Couldn't agree more.

But it works. It's fun, mostly open fairways with mild to medium obstacle. Some Charlotte area greats are frustratingly tough. I appreciate the difficulty, but sometimes it's nice to just open up and have some open air. This course has that

The tee pads are all in great shape, but could be a tad longer in some cases.

Thanks to the more open real estate available in this beautiful park, you get a nice length walk around the "meadows"

Just a great park in general. The playground is something to be seen. Great for the non golfing family members, or a nice walking trail that skirts the property.

Great tee signs, multiple tee pads and multiple pin locations also add to the rating and enjoyment of this course. It flows well from basket to tee pad, and the tee signs give a good overview of each hole.

Cons:

This course lacks some variance, as most holes feel like deja vu. Weaving in and out of the trees available in the park help break up the feel, but don't expect wooded tunnel shots. Not a huge con, as this type of course is a nice change.

An unfortunate by-product of this being an awesome park is the amount of people. I can foresee a packed disc golf course with not just golfers, but walkers/joggers/park goers. A few of the holes on the back nine do play somewhat close to the trail.

Hole #17 & #18 seem almost like they ran out of room. Keep an eye out holing out on 17 as 18's fairway is almost over top.

Other Thoughts:

Ball golf feel disc golf in the "meadows" near the river. Gorgeous location, with scattered trees make for some scenic fairways. A fun downhill bomb hole or two, and some shorter ace runs make this a low stress, fun golf.

Definitely worth stopping in and playing if you're driving through! Don't hesitate to bring kids, the playground is cool
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6 0
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 195 played 190 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

I played Catawba Meadows after about 2-3 days of constant rain, so course conditions were pretty lousy. I am trying not to let that impact my rating too much. I will list drainage and flooding issues as a con, but don't want that to take too much away from a course that has so many other good qualities. When *I* played the course, it deserved a 2.5. But I could certainly see that on a nice, sunny day, my playing experience would have been at least .5 to a point higher. Therefore, I settled on 3.0, giving it the benefit of the doubt. All in all, a solid course.

1. Beautiful setting, ball golf style course. It's just an immaculate park, very well maintained, with great facilities. There's a walking trail around the course, an amazing playground (literally one of the coolest "adventure-looking" playgrounds I've seen, so bring the kids). They did a fantastic job with this park.

2. This is an open course that is both aesthtically appealing, but challenging for beginners to intermediate-level players. There are also opportunities to really air it out for bigger arms. Nice to have red and blue tees. Something for everybody here.

3. The tee pads could be another couple feet longer, but they were plenty wide and good quality.

4. The tee signs are helpful, but I thought the yardage was off on a few. I think some alt basket locations must have been added. Still, the signs were good and clearly marked the red and blue tees.

5. I like the risk/reward element on hole #2. The basket is RIGHT on the edge of a creek, a steep bank to the creek anyway, so you have to make the decision to go for a birdie and risk going OB or layup for a par.

6. Some reviews have mentioned the mandos as a negative. I thought they were fine. Anyway, they were well marked and didn't take away anything for me. One set of double mandos forces you to drive in between two trees and keeps you away from the walking trail. For safety reasons, I think that was a smart design element.

7. Good elevation on this course. The foothills are truly the best place, i think, to install a disc golf course. (I'm also a huge fan of Rolling Pines and Yadkin County Park). Catawaba Meadows isn't at that level -- not as much elevation and not nearly in the same league in terms of quality -- but still an above average, open course with a decent mix of uphills and downhills.

8. Nice to have some par 4's mixed in.

9. Pick up a scorebard near the bathroom and playground. It helps with navigation. There are no signs pointing you to the next hole, even though it's usually pretty obvious. On a few holes, there are 2 tees close to the basket you finished on, so the map helps you avoid back-tracking if you guess the wrong tee.

Cons:

1. The major con for me was drainage. Again, I played this course on a less than ideal day, but still, the flooding was out of control. There were rivers running through the course that couldn't be avoided. Standing water everywhere and super muddy. I don't know that there's anything that can be done about this, unfortunately, other than play it on a dry day unless you don't care about getting muddy.

2. I thought the course was a bit repetitive. There was some variety of elevation, and there was the risk/reward element on #2, but for the most part, the holes were pretty similar, all open, and the only variance was length. There wasn't really a signature hole, in my opinion.

3. One aspect that disappointed me was the street noise. It's such a beautiful setting in the foothills: you have this big, open meadow with tall, mature trees dotting the hills, you're right next to the Catawba River. It LOOKS like it should be so peaceful. But the busy road on a ridge going around the course spoils it. It almost gives it an urban park feel, even though it's not at all. Most folks reading this probably won't have this course to compare to, but to me, the most similar course in my experience is Zilker Park in Austin, TX. It's also a big, open course with rolling hills and mature trees. But it's in downtown Austin with a major highway beside it. I wasn't expecting that feel in small town Morganton, NC.

Other Thoughts:

All in all, Catawba Meadows is a good course and one that I would definitely play again if given the opportunity. It's close to I-40, so make the stop if you're driving through.
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0 0
Ace22
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 12, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Let me start by saying if u are looking to play a course to try out new discs, get away from tight line courses for a bit of to simply just get started look no further. This course is great for stress relieve and to enjoy a round of 18 holes without worrying about hitting every tree from here to California **cough cough** Glenn Hilton and Sawmills both located near Catawba. Lines are not very difficult to hit but fun and enjoyable

Red tees are great for intermediate and beginners
Blue tees are great for more experienced players looking for a tough challenge.

Cons:

Some recent trees have been planted in odd spots to fill the original grid which doesn't play well for some holes.

Also tee signs need to be updated and replaced with both pin locations on multiple holes.

Will bump up .5 when tee signs are changed.

Other Thoughts:

Honestly not many cons to this course.

I notice that playing here I get a true gauge of how my game is and I don't have to worry about not being rewarded for a good shot. As other courses in the area would not.

Seems like B.A.D disc golf is really trying to take the course up a notch and I've def noticed.

Course is great worth playing if you are ever in the area.
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2 0
Harpo1989
Experience: 48 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Morganton Greenway System 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a really nice, wide open, course. It probably isn't overly challenging for an advanced player but has something to offer for all levels below that in my opinion. I played the pro tees and my wife played the shorter tees. The pro tees don't really offer added challenge other than the added length.

For the lesser experienced player, you would be hard pressed to lose a disc on this course. Long and right on 2 and right all the way along 17 and 18. However, in both cases you can easily play to the left without really giving up anything.

The course is built on the site of a former nursery with lots of very mature trees. There were a few down from a recent storm but that did not hinder play in any way.

Be sure to pick up a scorecard near the beginning of the course. It was great to see a scorecard with some educational thought put into it and representing one you might see at a non-disc golf course with par and length, etc. all cleanly denoted!

Cons:

As I said earlier, the pro tees don't add anything other than length for the most part. The only other con was the repetitive nature of the course.

Other Thoughts:

What really sets this course apart for those that enjoy the outdoors is that it is located in a park on the Morganton Greenway System (Google it). After golf (or before) you can do some fishing in the Catawba River, canoe, kayak, or walk / jog / bike along 4.8 miles of paved trails. We even saw some people tubing on the river. This was an unexpected bonus for us as we love the North Carolina mountains and all areas in and around the Blue Ridge.

This can be a great all day spot for someone in the Charlotte area that likes outdoor activities or someone vacationing through the Blue Ridge that wants to try out new courses that also has something for the whole family.

Enjoy!
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1 0
jksenior
Experience: 16.8 years 214 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Parklike, open course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Beautiful park with lots of activities, including ropes course.

Visually appealing with landscaping and a parklike setting. Sporadic large trees.

Very nice, large teepads.(see cons below)

Good signage and navigation.

The hole design was generally fair with the majority being fairly straight and pretty long. From the long tees, there were very few deuce or die holes. Most required an accurate tee shot of 300+ (or equivalent) to get a birdie.
The par 4's were generally pretty easily birdie-able with two decent shots. Some holes had a low ceiling which provided an additional challenge.

Well-maintained, you'd be hard-pressed to lose a disc.

The holes were generally good based on the terrain and number of trees. It's generally an open course with a few somewhat technical shots created by mandos or double mandos.

Cons:

The teepads, while quite large and very nice, sometimes had a retaining wall around the side and/or back. This could create an issue for those who have a long run up or big strides.

Navigation and signage were good, but a few of the holes were using alt basket locations that were not represented on the signs.

A few of the holes were a little redundant, mid 300' open.

The use of mandos was done to create some more technical shots. Some were fine a couple seemed unnecessary, particularly hole 17.

There is potential for some overlap with other players, although it was not crowded at all when I was there on a Sunday Morning.

Other Thoughts:

It's a long walk from the parking to all of the holes except for one.

Given the limitations of the property as far as elevation, they did a good job in creating some uphill and downhill shots.

I believe that based on the open nature of the course, wind could be an issue. But that would put some teeth into a generally pretty manageable course.

Definitely a course worth playing. It provides a nice leisurely round in a nice setting.
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0 1
johngarcia79
Experience: 9.8 years 35 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 11, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Well taken care of, well marked, good long layout. The tee boxes were great. The playground was great for the rest of the family. Restrooms available.

Cons:

Not many cons, maybe some mando changes, but no real complaints at all

Other Thoughts:

This is a good course that I will play again and recommend to others.
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5 0
splatbaseball51
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15 years 182 played 58 reviews
3.50 star(s)

An Absolute beauty of a beginner course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 13, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is one of the most well taken care of courses I've had the privilege of playing. The park that it is situated in has many nice amenities in addition to some really cool things you don't see in most parks (ropes and zip lines etc...)

The relatively new tee pads and associated retaining walls (where applicable) are exceptional. Concrete, adequately sized and many have masonry stone retaining walls that function as benches.

Beginners will love playing here. Not that I didn't fall in love with the game playing Richmond Hill, it's just that Catawba Meadows would have allowed me to play more frustration-free rounds as I was learning technique. The course is mostly open, with nothing more than a few large trees along fairways or near the basket on any given hole. It's mostly flat as well, with a few holes having some slight elevation change. There is virtually ZERO chance to lose a disc (exception being hole #2 ???) all while giving a novice player many chances to try discs out.

There are plenty of ace runs for the slightly more advanced players. I even hit basket in the most recent tournament on hole #6 (401' hole) which was a thrill. The course offers advanced players a chance to hone each disc on some of the longer bombs, while mostly catering to putt and approach from the tee. If your short game needs work, Catawba Meadows is the place to do it.

The course isn't without several long holes either. Although shorter on average, Harold Duvall doesn't make many Eager Beavers. You'll still pull out drivers on probably 4 holes, with hole 8 being the signature down the hill bomb which is a blast.

There is a huge picnic pavilion between hole 1 and the practice basket, providing a great place for tournament headquarters along with picnic area. Additionally, you'll find ample parking and bathroom facilities on your walk to hole 1.

There are also multiple tee pads on many holes, along with excellent tee signs to boot. The details didn't seem to be spared. Baskets are top of the line DISCatchers.

Cons:

Perhaps a bit too easy to be taken too seriously by Advanced and higher. At the tournament I was at, nearly every Advanced and Open player finished better than -12 through 2 rounds, with Schultz shooting a -17 round two.

There aren't any official benches, however as I mentioned, you'll find retaining walls on at least 4-5 holes which will allow you to rest if you didn't bring your stool.

There are a couple spots where you'll have a chance to throw into another tee pad/basket area if you aren't careful. Just be aware of other players/park-goers.

Other Thoughts:

Honestly, I don't have a lot to complain about with this course. It is maintained at the top level among the best I've ever seen. The amenities leave nothing to be desired, the tee pads are excellent, baskets are top notch and the atmosphere is wonderful. I simply wish it offered a bit more challenge for higher rated players, other than that I'd be proud to have it as my home course.

If you get the chance to play here, definitely do it. You won't regret it and you'll likely have some chances at a few aces!
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2 0
Bennybennybenny
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 305 played 287 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Very cool 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 6, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-This is the perfect beginner/intermediate course in a nice more open place. If you have a decent arm and some accuracy, you will score under par for sure. I shot -7 and have okay accuracy and a big arm. This course is also beautiful if you play on a sunny day.
-Some trees around there to make it fun.
-I like the pads here! They are wider in the back so they allow you to play a hole pretty much how you want.
-Nice double chain discCatchers on the course.
-There are some really interesting/fun holes on this course! #7 and #8 both utilize elevation very nicely. #7 is an uphill ace run and #8 is a long downhill shot through a few trees. At 526' long, and the longest on the shorts, this seems like a difficult hole but it's a pretty easy birdie 3.
-#17 long, very unique par 4! This is a severe dogleg left with a mando pointing to the right. This is the hardest hole available here, birdies don't happen often but it's a great enough shot just to get to the short pad.
-Front 9 is really easy, I shot -5 on it. Back nine is average. #11 is another hard hole, it forces you to make a decision. Since there is a mando 275' from the tee, and the hole is only 306', you have to decide whether you'll lay up or try to go through it.
-Very nice practice basket around #1.
-I actually think the creek around #17 and #18 is a great addition to the course. Even if it has a disc eating problem.

Cons:

-If I just rated this course for fun, I'd give it an easy 4.0. But face it, it's crammed in. A good shot can lead you to another fairway, plus you still have the capacity to get a REALLY easy par if you nail a tree and it goes to another fairway. Hole #8, I landed in #5's fairway and still managed to birdie this hole.
-There are some wooded areas, it wouldn't hurt to have a nice wooded hole. It would be great. #9 is slightly wooded and requires a low shot because of a lower ceiling but it isn't truly wooded, my accuracy needs work and I almost aced this hole, it's a good hole with some defense nevertheless. #18 is also slightly wooded, only hole here that won't accept a straight shot.
-There is graffiti on a couple of baskets, some of those stupid, pointy, bubbly, clowny white trash letters are put on one or two of the baskets.
-Needs both, more benches and trash cans.
-My run up is HUGE, like can't be less than 10'. Pads are a little bit short, but nothing bad.
-Few back tees just 20' behind the shorts, makes no sense. Why do you want another tee pad with all the limited space?

Other Thoughts:

-If I found the time to play the longs, I would have for sure because they looked really fun too. This course is very fun, I loved it. I think the lack of variety and the fact that it's crammed in is why I gave it a 3.0. This course and layout itself rocks but if you aren't careful, you could get in somebody's way.
-From the longs, you will see more variety. Lengths range from 212' to 600' and there are more woods and still some of that great open area like holes 17 and 18 being more wooded and hole 10 being a really fun more open bomb!
-I had some cons with this course but I think my pros are far more important because all of my cons are nothing major. Like some holes here are majorly fun with a decent amount of elevation, and different lengths. Just play this course, it was well worth an hour drive. Problem was only that my GPS didn't work at first and I had no idea where I was going or where to stop when I stopped in Newton.

Favorite Hole: #8. Great downhill par 4!
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1 1
Patton82
Experience: 10.8 years 11 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Go early!!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course is nice...AMAZING concrete tee pads!! All of shots are one opportunity to just launch it as hard as you can...2 shots are 450ft+.

Cons:

Absolutely NO shade, so either go early or bring plenty of water and sunscreen.

Other Thoughts:

Great course for touching up on your distance as well as accuracy!
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0 2
jeffboi
Experience: 9.9 years 14 played 14 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Let 'er rip 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wide open and tons of fun ripping it. Excellent tee pads and baskets - well maintained all the way around. Remember to look for the next tee on the sign before you tee off - then navigation is easy too. Great course for beginners, and fun for advanced players - you will spend almost no time looking for lost disks.

Cons:

A bit on the easy side
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5 1
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.7 years 278 played 273 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Change o' Pace 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Plenty of space to air it out. For those that like the sight of a disc in flight, this a prime location. Though there are some shorter holes, they are all basically out in the open with that will impede a preferred flight path. Every shot is basically straight ahead, (It has to be, without fairways, if the pin was to the right or left of the teepad, then essentially it would just mean the tee was pointing in the wrong direction) so throwers can feel free to let their drives rip.

There is variety of hole, however, as distances range from under 300 feet(and under 200 from the short tees) to just about 600. It's an absolutely fantastic place to work on your drivers, learn them, and watch them fly. With the various distances, you should get a chance to use a bunch of them.

And even though the majority of the holes are in one field, it doesn't feel that way. It's a big field, and there is more than enough room. It helps that the scenery is so appealing. Imagine a perfectly flat meadow, scattered with old pines under a backdrop of rising mountain. It may not be the vision of a challenging disc course, but it's a pretty nice place to be and the majority of the park and course is just very well kept. Throw in fantastic tees. Huge trapezoids with fort-like, log, retaining walls. An absolutely joy to throw off of.

Cons:

It's obviously not the most challenging course. Most holes don't feature a fairway as much as a direction to throw. It's also very flat, with only a few holes boasting even minimal elevation. While I do enjoy mixing it up with an open course now and again, they aren't typically the courses that I want to return to again and again. For advanced players, it will seem more like practice.

It could also use some next tee arrows. Generally the next tee is just the closest one. Finish a hole, spin around in a 360 and you will see the next tee. But there are a few places where there is more than one contender for the spinners destination. Even if there is one obvious choice, I'd rather not be wondering on the walk to the tee, as often happened here. (Even if I was correct most of the time.)

Other Thoughts:

An awesome first course. Beginners will love learning to play here, as they figure out how to work discs in frustration-free environment. And when they master that, there are advanced tees to step up to. Glad I stopped here. It was a nice change of pace in-between Glenn Hilton and Richmond Hill. Would recommend it for both new players, and anyone that needs to step out of the woods, even if only for a single round.
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4 0
pfpro
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 55 played 41 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Wide Open NC 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Great signs, if you are just starting out, some tips and information about the biology of the park. If you're there for the DG, it has distance, major obstacles and direction to the next tee.
- Park is super clean, and almost only for DG. There is a walking path, but it doesn't really come into play. The "meadow" was mowed, no real issue with losing discs in long grass.
- Nice tees, retaining walls serve as benches in the first half.
- Practice putting basket, restrooms and drinking fountains where you park. Playground equipment if you have younger kids.
- Decent flow - only a few holes are confusing (because you can see several baskets from the tee). Once you play it once, I'm sure it's not a problem.
- Decent use of elevation.

Cons:

- It gets boring (I'm from the Raleigh area, and have grown up on trees). If you can throw 300' with some aim/consistency, at least half of the holes are pretty much wide open. There really is no "rough" - if there were brush, or if they didn't flay mow the meadow, you could maybe shape some fairways, island greens, etc.
- It is kind of far off the interstate, probably 10-15 minutes depending on lights. It's not necessarily a course you could jump off the interstate, play a quick round and jump back on.

Other Thoughts:

I played this course with two friends who don't play a ton. It was right about their speed. I shot a par, even though I had several throws where I didn't have a great tee shot. This is not pitch and putt, you can use drivers (and actually can rip them since there are very few trees). If you were learning, this is a forgiving course where you can feel good (although it may give a false sense of security before playing the "typical" NC course). I did like the run of holes 15-18, they were slightly different as the trees came into play (having to shape shots to avoid some of the lower limbs). I would stop and play here again. I "inflated" my score by 1/2 due to the very nice signs and general cleanliness of the park.
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1 3
Warthog
Experience: 11 years 9 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Love this course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Nice mix of holes some long and some short. Not so many trees as to be a wall. Local to Morganton. Removed enough from walking track as to not be an issue. Mix of hills and flat. well marked. Score cards usually on site. Nice tee pads. Close to coffee shop and restaurant which are on boardwalk less than half mile away. Lots of parking, picnic shelters, restrooms, water fountain and play area for kids.

Cons:

Few benches however some of the first 9 have low walls that can serve as benches. Watch your step many hidden holes in ground can turn an ankle real easy I did so going from #10 to #11. Hole 17 has a disc eating problem on right I have lost 3 all on this hole. There are no real problems with this course when the weather is pleasant.

Other Thoughts:

Of only 5 played this is my favorite. The target on hole #8 has recently been moved back into the usual position. The problem during the rainy summer has resolved itself and the course is once again loads of fun to play.
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7 0
New013
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 179 played 120 reviews
2.50 star(s)

The anomaly course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Layout - It's a more open/sparse tree style course. Mostly straighter shots where you have a few options on how to maneuver the trees.

Two pads on 12 of the holes. The longer pad usually added some length and put you in a more awkward tee position cutting down on your options.

The pads were placed pretty well considering what they had to work with. Every shot is pretty much straight ahead with no real mixture but the tee placements made you consider which route you were taking and how you would work the disc.

I like how it mixes up some long bombs with shorter holes. NC has a severe lack of courses that let you rip so it's nice to find one.

There's some elevation change on a few holes, nothing really major though.

Course flows decently well, a few not short walks but nothing long. There is one part where you run in to 5 & 17's pad very close together that could cause confusion.

They used mandos to create more difficulty and mix it up a bit. I'm not sure I'm a fan but they had to do something.

Equipment - Might be the nicest concrete pads I've ever seen. They're huge trapezoids. The signs had pictures and info on each hole, they were nice.

Atmosphere - Really nice looking park overall, it's an open park with huge trees scattered about. The disc golf course seems to use a part of the park that is separate from the rest. There is a walking trail around it but that doesn't really come in to play that much. There's some other nice facilities including bathroom and water at the parking lot.

Cons:

Layout - It's great you get to let the disc fly here but after a while it just gets boring. Every hole is pretty much the same design. There's a pad and a basket and maybe 3-5 tall trees in your way.

While you do have to mix in some interesting lines to maneuver the trees/branches in the end it just feels like the same hole again and again.

The lack of elevation here is confusing considering the location. They found a big flat field in the hills and put a course there, that's disappointing.

Some serious tweeners from the long tees. I had a ton of short upshots on the par 4's.

Atmosphere - There are some drainage issues in the field though keep in mind I played it after we've had some serious amounts of rain.

There was also damage from the bluegrass fest they just had on the grounds which took away from some of the beauty.

Other Thoughts:

I wish they could of mixed up the course more. It's great they had this open area to create some good more open holes but if they could have gone in to the woods at all it would of really made this course shine.

As it sits now it's just kind of mundane. More trees have been planted so in the future it might be a bit more interesting but as of now it's a one trick pony.

If you're tired of playing the same technical style NC golf over and over again it's a nice change of pace. I recommend checking out at least once.
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7 0
BrotherDave
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.7 years 192 played 188 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Ball Golf style course done well 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

I want to preface this review by stating that this course is atypical of NC courses. It's mostly open in a park-style setting. An impeccably manicured lawn dotted with great, old pines. This is the best ball golf style DG course I've ever played, save for Winthrop Gold layout (I'd personally would rather play here more often than not).

The tees and signage are immaculate. The people that built them are well-deserving of sexual favors. Seriously, these concrete tees were plucked from my trees and installed here. Not only do they function superbly but just look nice. Many holes have separate tees for red or blue and these are easy to find and differentiate from afar thanks to the posts being painted red or blue accordingly and the paths to the tees from the holes being mowed as short as the fairways. The surrounding 'rough' is meadow type fare that really frames the fairways. It's not very tall and difficult but probably not impossible to lose a disc in.

The course is mostly open. This will irk many a NC golfer that associates high-level disc golf with the tight wooded courses of Charlotte. I'm generally of that ilk but I appreciate variety and to me this course is a great example of an open course done properly. It has good length and use of what elevation there is. Mandos here and there help force certain lines to break up the monotony of just ripping hard without fear of consequences. The course itself is mostly separated from other park users so you don't have those distractions.

Cons:

I wish the course used mandos a little bit more to force certain lines because this course does suffer a lot from 'straightness' and also to persuade throws away from other tees/golfers.

Big arms are going to find this course nonchalant and easy, probably pitch and putt variety. If the rough could somehow be more punishing or maybe even OB, that would greatly boost the challenge of the course for advanced and better players. Not sure how you'd make it more punishing because I rather enjoy finding my errant throws amidst a sea of bluebells. Maybe strategic planting of bushy trees here and there would help.

Maybe more trash cans?

Other Thoughts:

I'm bullish about this course. Sometimes it's nice to get out of the tight woods and air discs out. Courses like this are great for those without fields to practice in b/c it is really difficult to improve your form when you're worried about missing that tight gap between the trees. Tees, signs, flow, navigation, etc this course hits it out of the park. I'd be ecstatic if the guys that put these tees down would come to my local courses and do the same.
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6 3
bradharris
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.9 years 90 played 46 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 28, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a very well maintained course, with excellent tee pads, informative signs (with additional pro tips and facts about the course), and mowed grass.

Although it is set in a large multi-use park, the course makes use of it's own plot of land so that there is no threat of interference from other park users.

The design does well to make use of what it has. Limited elevation is used to create a couple fun elevated tee shots. The trees are used to help force some different lines.

Cons:

The landscape leaves a lot to be desired here. While the course does make use of a little bit of elevation, the majority of the course is flat. The trees help force some lines, but there is very little punishment for missing a line. The lack of any sort of undergrowth means that nearly every throw will land in grass with a clean stance and a nice recovery line towards the basket.

Other Thoughts:

To me, Catawba meadows defines the "typical" course. It is well-kept, and certainly a lot of fun to play. But without any real identity or wow-factor, it's pretty forgettable.

If you're in the area and looking for a place to play, you will not be disappointed, but it's not a course I would go out of my way to play.
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4 0
ill4mation
Experience: 32.9 years 32 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Awesome course in a NICE park. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

I have been playing this course alot in the last 2-3 months. I just wish I had found it sooner.

CM is laid out in a very nice, well kept, park. That being said, the course is also very well kept, they even have brooms hanging on some tee signs to brush off the teepads if needed. Speaking of the teepads, they are quite possibly the NICEST I have ever teed off of. They give you plenty of runup, are flat as they should be, and some have retaining walls where needed.

The course itself is a mostly open, field type course with old growth trees and some elevation for that extra challenge. I did just say that it is a mostly open course but there are trees to hit if you throw an errant shot and a creek that runs behind hole 2 and through holes 3, 17, and 18 that can come into play also. New tee signs have been put up recently which are a nice addition. If you are on the fence about going out of the way to play this course, DO IT! Its well worth the trip.

Cons:

The only con I can think of is there are no restrooms once you leave hole 1 so you better handle that before you head out.

Other Thoughts:

This course is like a walk in the park because, well, it really is.
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