This course is fairly open, wending it's way through mature pine trees, with some wide open holes in a power line easement. The effect reminds one of Horizons Park in Winston-Salem. I come to Emerald Isle every year on vacation and always look forward to playing it, always many times over the course of the vacation.

As this course hasn't been reviewed in a while, I wanted to update the current state of the course. It remains as others have described it, a solid course that does the best with the property it has.

- Nice mix of holes with a variety of lines.
- Gaps are generous, and the rough is forgiving, which lets you go for a lines and rip on shots you may not normally find comfortable, without fear.
- Mix of longer tees and some alternate baskets to add challenge for the better players.
- Navigation is easy, with clear tee signs, obvious paths, and clear indicators of direction to the next basket.

Edit: They have also now updated the pin positions on several holes making them quite a bit more interesting. The short position on 2 is just within reach for moderate arms now. The same for 11, although getting to the disc on top of the knob where the basket is won't be easy. 12 is no longer a wide open shot but requires a turnover. Finally 13 is now longer, with less risk of losing a disc over a fence to the right, and the new basket position makes running a long putt more risky.

- a few holes could lead to some potentially dangerous tee shots into unobstructed parallel fairways.
- the 6 wide open holes do get slightly repetitive , but they do a good job of mixing it up as best as possible.

Edit:

They now have all the long and short pin positions permanently installed with blue bands marking the long positions; however the tee signs are now frequently incorrect, as well as being quite cracked and faded. Not a huge issue in the age of uDisc, but worth noting.

This is a course that brand new and experienced players can both enjoy playing, whether in a group together or not.

The course uses the land well. It feels more natural than just cutting down a bunch of trees to make a fairway. I felt the course was fair, but they mixed in some challenging holes as well. Part of the reason why I think this course is fair is because you don't need to be able to throw four hundred feet or more to do well. In fact, the majority of the holes are around three hundred feet or less, and even when they get to the four hundreds, the par changes to a 4.

The front 9 were nicer than expected but the back 9 were a little disappointing, half of the back 9 that is. The course uses the wide open field well, but it is still a field. Wide open shots can get boring, but this course makes the best of it. Some of the back 9 tee signs were faded out and hard to read, some were even illegible. This made for somewhat difficult navigation in the open field.

I felt the holes could get narrow, but it wasn't like you needed to be a professional to get through them. The majority of the course was very forgiving and if you got a shot in the rough, you felt you would easily be able to find your disc and make a recovery shot. Some holes, like 6, could be a pain to retrieve a disc if you make a bad throw. I would also recommend to take caution on the wooden bridge on hole 6 as it is very rickety and does not feel safe. There is a small fence on the right side near the hole of hole 15 that you can not get over. This will make retrieving a disc from there practically impossible. As an effort to help fellow disc golfers I have taken photos of the course and will be uploading them soon so you can get a better feel for it before going.

Way, way better design than in years past. This redesign utilizes the park land much better and gone are the multiple pitch-and-putt holes and the absurd, 1000' power line hole. In their stead you have an actual white and blue level disc golf course, yea! The tees are nicely done concrete pads with good signs for the most part and there are lots of signs to clue you onto how to navigate if you're observant. A few holes had alternate pin placements and the Whites and Blues didn't just look like short and long versions of the same hole, generally.

This is a well-balanced course that blends long with short, open with wooded. The wooded holes are moderately so, with mature pines supplying most of the obstacles, but numerous enough to make gaps obvious and define the fairways. More than a few holes had enough length and shape to be solid multi-shot par 4's and the fairway variety is up to par.

Has a practice basket, interestingly a Marksmen/Bullseye type basket (the kind Dynamic Discs sells).

The only outright con is that many of the tee signs are of an impermanent nature and are faded to the point of being illegible, especially on the open holes. This was confusing as multiple baskets can be seen on occasion, like hole 12 where it's a little unclear which tee corresponds to which basket.

Some of the holes run a little close to each other, necessitating the use of mandos. Mando haters might complain but it wasn't a big deal to me. Some of these holes didn't quite have the length to be drive-drive par 4s but rather placement shot-drive par 4s and seemed a bit soft but I've seen worse 'tweeners.

The defunct tees from the previous design don't make navigation easier. The parking lot closest to hole 1 is in easy range of that one hole's green but not too bad since it's a placement shot par 4.

This is just an understated, solidly good course now. There isn't any extreme fairway shapes or much elevation change but fun and quality golf can be had here. Kudos to the area DGers for making the improvements, they deserve a solid pat on the back. It's no Castle Hayne but it's possibly on equal footing with the Barnet Parks of the world. I think the ~3.25 disc rating of this course currently is bang on.

-Great mix of technical, short holes, and long open holes, with some hills, drop offs, and even an elevated basket to add flavor
-Blue and white teepads change the course drastically, adding to replay-ability
-Multiple basket positions as well as secondary teepads for even more diversity on a single course
-Course is very well maintained by the city and the local club
-Baskets are all top quality, including a marksman practice basket
-Nasty creek on hole 6 has a small barrier to prevent short rolls or slides from falling in - very handy.
-Very few thick areas to lose a disc
-New signs at each teepad showing routes and distances

3-4 teepads are made up of square paving stones and are no longer level - minor tripping hazard
-Hole 6 blue is a narrow window over one of the deepest parts of the nasty creek
-Hole 6 blue requires crossing a somewhat rickety bridge over the nasty creek
-Trailer park dwellers not always friendly to disc golfers - sometimes known to swipe discs that hit their trailers
-After rain the course can be pretty muddy and several places retain water

This course has come a long way since the last review was posted. The local club has put a lot of time and love into this park and it shows. The only improvements that I would suggest are better teepads on holes 9, 11, and 13.

The city has cut down a lot of trees and is now grinding down the stumps to clean up the fairways even more. They have also taken out several hornets nests that popped up during the summer.

Overall this is one of the nicest kept, best designed, and overall fun courses I have found. I will always enjoy playing here.

Good variance of trees and open areas; this allows you the opportunity to test your precision as well as your ability to 'let it fly' accurately.

5 baskets missing. Bummer. Also, the course needs some maintenance. There are quite a few unlabeled concrete tee off pads. A bunch seen to be old ones. Needs a good face lift.

Overall, a fun course. Has potential to be great. Needs a little help to get there. I'm just visiting the area for a few weeks. Hopefully the locals take some much needed initiative.

Nice mix of wooded and open holes.
White and Blue tees create two very different experiences. White layout is short but still technical and appropriate for all skill levels.
Blue layout is appropriate for advanced and pro level players.
Multiple shots available on most holes.
Next tee signs both on baskets and nice wood signs on trees.
Tee signs with maps on front nine and in the works for the back nine.
Concrete tees for all white tees and majority of blue tees. Also still in the works.

Wood privacy fence defining side of fairway for 2 and 13 prevents easy retrieval of discs thrown OB.
The recent redesign means that areas cut through the woods are still a little rough, but are being worn in over time.

This course was redesigned by the local club recently. A 2 time world champ recently praised the redesign as well designed and executed. Tee signs and concrete tee pads are being installed on a regular basis, but are not complete.

-Challenging woods holes
-Open holes for a sort of "breather" where you can really let one rip
-Plenty of risk/reward shots
-Multiple Launch Pads
-Amenities
-Updated Signs at all tee pads and baskets directing you to next basket

-Challenging woods holes
-Areas where if your disc were to land there, you have no hope of getting it back.
-Locals at the course are not very considerate and will not let you play through, especially during weekend doubles.

My first course where I learned to play. Probably how all of my future courses will be graded on.

I had the opportunity to play this course in 2008 while staying at Emerald Isle. I really enjoyed this course (back then). The course had several short holes adjacent to one another, but also had some long open holes to air the disc out. It reminded me of a Horizons course near the coast with some long bombers.

On my way back home this year from Emerald Isle I planned to come to this course again since I had a great experience the last time I visited. I was aware that the course had changed, but I was under the impression it utilized the layout from the Women's National Tournament a few years ago. Man was I wrong.

When I got to the course I could not find hole #1. There were no maps or signage to direct a non-local through the course (I have since found a map posted on this site). Had I known this in advance I would have printed a map, but I didn't need one before. Luckily a local saw me and knew I would be unable to navigate the course due to the lack of basic elements for any disc golf course.

Even with the local pointing me where to go it was difficult to know which basket to throw to as many of the baskets were turned so that I could not see the number on the band. From hole #5, had he not mentioned to cross the length of a parking lot on the other side of the road, I would have never found hole #6.

On hole #6 I was completely unaware of a creek to the left of basket. I threw a skip shot only to find myself down in the creek.

Many holes seemed to give big arm players an advantage ( I'm an intermediate level player throwing around 350'). Also, some holes seemed one-dimensional. Either you had the capable shot to birdie the hole or you half to settle for playing a conservative par.

I'm not complaining about the difficulty. I do like the challenge to improve my game; however, I am concerned for novice/recreational players. Four years ago I would have been in the Rec. category. I would have had no fun playing this course at that skill level. For those just starting/interested the difficulty of the current course can be a real turnoff.

My home course, Creekside Park, in Archdale, NC features both a 6-hole beginner loop and a championship 18-hole course. This allows for all age groups and skill levels to enjoy the game.

Albeit the original holes for NEC were packed like sardines, they were an integral part for newcomers to disc golf. No new disc golfer will want to play a course where they are constantly hunting for their disc or loosing discs every time they play.

I hate to be so critical with this review, but I feel the designers responsible for the course changes need to be aware of how they affected disc golfers passing by.

I would like to see the course configured in a manner that challenges advanced players, but also teaches beginners.

To improve flow it I would recommend removing holes 6 & 7, find places with the current layout to add two additional holes, and instead walk from hole #5's basket to the current location for hole #8. Maybe use 7's current basket for a longer hole #18?

-Good variety of holes. Starts off with some short wooded holes. goes into some wide open holes, then into some larger wooded holes.
-Multiple tees on many holes, giving you a greater challenge when you're ready.
-Water fountains. I know it's minor, but most parks even with bathrooms neglect these.

-Slightly seedier part of town. (Let's be honest, most of J-ville is the seedier part of town.) We saw what we are sure was an escort having pictures taken for her website. Seriously short minikirt and high heels walking in the park, as well as different outfits in the car. C'mon now.
-The large power lines overhead on some of the holes emit a rather loud humming. Yikes.
-Confusing layout at first. Be sure to print out a course map.

Now that the course is pretty much done, it's in much better shape. Still using some of the original tee boxes, which aren't in the best shape. Especially when the new ones are so nice. Worth the drive every few months to play on something different.

Clean and varied facilities: restrooms, trash cans, ball fields, playground, fishing.
Well maintained park: no trash, no criminal element noticed, landscape maintained.
Ample shade, scenic water, swamp and pretty tree and grass areas.
Excellent use of existing elevation and foliage.
Mostly smooth and level tee boxes were well marked for blue and white. The holes that had only one tee seem to be designated by having both a blue tee post and a white distance post.
Good risk/reward on many holes: deceptively punishing outside the fairway at times, even in seemingly open woods. Knowing your discs and keeping your line really pay off here.
Good mix of left and right holes.

Some missing distance markers need to be added or replaced.
A few too many open, similar holes, but still not automatic birdies, with the electric wires, breeze and some punishing shule.  If you want to air out some drives, you better still keep them a bit controlled to avoid problems with these.
Next tee signs pointing the way would be much appreciated, although I probably wouldn't need them after this first round. Just nice for visitors like myself.

I was visiting from Atlanta, and this course was somewhat reminiscent of one of my favorites and my home course, Rosewood-Dekalb (Redan Park), with its mostly flat, well broken-in terrain and shade.  The mix of tight wooded fairways, more open woods, and open sunny holes was another shared feature.

Overall it was an easy, fun, quick round from the white tees for this 780 rated woman.  Perfect while visiting the beach!  I was shooting mostly 3s, but one of the few times I got off the fairway, I got a 7!  A couple more times through would probably yield a birdie or two. Remember I was playing from the white tees, scoring a 63.

Pretty sure some advanced guys could play the whole course from the white tees with their Roc, since even the long holes require an accurate drive. All I brought was my midrange, an under stable, and a stable disc, since I was traveling, and I wasn't wanting for more discs.

Some well placed shrubbery, to draw attention from the electric wires on holes 13-15, would create some shade and aesthetic pleasure.

Returning later this week for a round from the blue tees did require a lot more skill.  With a lot of luck I scored a 68, so still a relatively easy, fun course. I will def visit this one again. There were some creative alternate routes when I didn't hit my lines, which gives an added fun factor! The blue tees raise my review to a nearly a 4.0, as a well rounded course with something fun for a variety of players.

All the amenities close by bathrooms, pinic area plenty of parking.Lefts and Rights Open and Wooded nice mix.

Very difficult to find the next tee box.Could not even find #1 back nine had some wide open holes but if it got crowded I think it would be a mess disc everywhere.

Old tee boxes need to be removed to help the confusion factor. Signs pointing to next hole.

This park has everything bathrooms, water fountains, even some water front. The course has a little bit of everything. It has some challenging holes with dog legs, as well as a couple easier straighter shots that give a confidence boost in out game when needed. The rough isn't teribly ungroomed here so finding a disk isn't impolsible.

Needs more signage and tee pads I've read that this course is still under construction so I'm sure that will change

We've only played three courses this one was right in the middle of the three in turn making it my favorite. Castle Hayne was pretty hard on us and Richlands steed park was a little easier. This is my home town park and I truly love it!

Playable White and Blue tees give some variety. Much longer than the old course. More variety of shots, long and short, tight and wide open. Holes are laid out much better. Tees and baskets are spread out so that nobody is in danger. Spread out over the entire property, the holes don't have a claustrophobic feel to them. Several Par 4's from the Blue tees. Lefty and flick friendly. Clearly-defined lines and fairways, you'll still be challenged to hit your line and avoid the penalizing woods.

Flow and navigation have to be the two worst aspects of the course. Several tees are a hundred feet or more from the previous basket. Print out and carry a course map or arrange for a guide. You will not find your way around otherwise. Their is something to the complaint that some holes are repetitious, but I liked the holes that were repeated.

This is a new course and the layout is still a work in progress. I talked extensively to Mike and Kevin during the round and got some insight into the new layout. The tees are natural because they are still tweaking the layout. Once it is final, they will put in large concrete tees. Some of the hole repetition was a result of restrictions that the County put on the layout.
Overall, I liked it. I'd love to give it four discs, but I'll re-visit after the layout ids final. This course is a huge improvement over the previous layout.
Like I said, bring a course map when you come to play, you'll need it.

-tight technical course that really tests your accuracy.
-you don't need a big arm to play this course well.
-lefty friendly
-long tees make for an entire new course for most of it.
- temporary signs are up until they get new ones.

-some holes are very similar.
-still needs a little work done to it.

very good course in general for it just being redesigned within the last few weeks. needs a little TLC but that will come in time.tee pads and signs are a little rough but as i said the course is newly redesigned. be sure to bring bug spray!