New Bern, NC

Creekside Park

Permanent course
2.795(based on 7 reviews)
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7 0
lee76007
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 4.6 years 112 played 111 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A Good Variety Mix

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 4, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

-An 18-hole course with great variety of open holes with some open tee to basket, and others tee gaps with guardian trees protecting baskets all on the F9. A few heavily wooded holes on the F9, and the last 8 holes on the B9 heavily wooded and tight. A creek comes into play on the B9, and a lake provides scenery along the last few holes on the F9. Slopes are in play on most holes with a few roller greens, with the first 6 holes flat. On the F9 wind will dominate.

-If you've played here in the past changes have been made which looked like were completed in late 2021? Most holes now have long tees, and what used to be open holes on the first 6 holes long tees have reduced #2 to being the only open hole from tee to basket. Others have either a tee gap from the wood line or a basket placed in the woods. #5 and 6 have now been cut into heavy woods to reduce the non-playing walk to #7. #8 may have been shortened to avoid a gazebo? Holes 7-9 are still open tee to basket. I don't think any changes were made to the B9? IMO the changes have enriched the course!

-The new tee signs feature hole number, distance, par, and hole map. Multiple concrete tees on most holes, with some being new, and some being shared. A variety of distances and pars. A handful of distances 300 and 400 feet plus with #10 at 629 feet, and a few under 200 feet. I played long tees.

-The open fairways #1 thru 4 are kept mowed with thick grass on the borders reminding me of the John Walter Smith DGC in Snow Hill, MD. Fairways that are well shaped by the thick, rough grass.

-#15 hole a short Par 3 ranks in my top 15 in difficulty for holes less than 200 feet.

-Navigation is counter-clockwise easy, and mostly short walks. Only had to pull out UDisc navigation once when I missed the trail from 12 basket to 13 tee.

-From the bag on the tee a variety of putter's, Mid's, fairways, and drivers. Some holes you can bomb it, most holes need to hit that line.

-Beginners and Recreational you'll play a variety of disc golf with good scoring, and some cringe holes. Intermediate and Advance will enjoy the variety of looks from the tee and bag, some holes will test you.

Cons:

-If you enjoy woods (me) golf on the F9 you'll think too much open space, you'll get your fix on the B9. If you prefer open golf, you're going to think the opposite. However, the course has a good balance for both types of players.

-The course is mostly under 300 feet in distance from the long tees at 5365 feet, one of the shortest courses I've played with long tees. If you like more challenge in distance golf, its going to be lacking.

-With holes 5 and 6 newly cut into the woods, lots of debris in play. Over time those holes will be beaten in and clear. Holes 1 thru 4 are flat and the tell-tale signs of past flooding were on those holes, future flooding will likely include holes 5 and 6.

-There is 2nd parking at hole 10. I was surprised to see it after coming out of the woods at 6, and the threesome and twosome as well that were getting ready to start on 10. They let me play thru, but on busier days you may find flow interruption. A bad throw to the left off the long tee could find the parking lot.

-Lost disc can be high in the B9 with blind shots into heavy woods, brush, and the creek looming. The grass bordering the fairways holes 1-4 was thick in January, but I would imagine thicker in warmer months. Like my experience at John Walter Smith DGC, you may find yourself walking right past your disc before finding it.

-There's a gazebo just off to the left of #9 tee but should be out of play for skilled throwers. To the right of #9 basket outside C2 is a pavilion. Which means you may have walkers on #9 and a few other holes.

Other Thoughts:

I really like the upgrade at Creekside Park with additional long tees, and eliminating a few open tee to open basket holes, and adding two wooded holes I found the course a pleasure to play. The added variety is a plus! I don't have any personnel cons on the course. But I do have personnel preferences. Just still too open and short from the long tees from what I prefer from longer tees. Despite my grip, I really like the open tee to wooded basket on No. 4.

My overall rating is anchored on the variety of the course at a 5.0. The time to play was 1 hour it's a quick round with good flow despite my hiccup on hole 12.

Notable Holes:

-No. 4 Par 4 long tee at 462 feet is a straight away open tee to a basket with woods protection. The fairway is about 40 feet with thick grass for rough. At the 360-foot mark the woods await you and hooks left towards the basket with guardian trees. To the right of the green is thick heavy tall grass. Very eye appealing from the tee, distance throwers will love it! I kept my drive on the fairway and managed a turnover (lefty) into C1 on my approach.

-No. 15 Par 3 long or white tee at 164 feet heavy woods and likely brush with foliage. From the tee straight up hill with a dogleg left at about 40 feet from basket, basket not seen from tee. The gap is narrow as 10 feet and the look from the tee is a pinball game. The short or red tee is at 197 feet has an easier tee shot its wider and meanders right with a slight upslope a totally different angle and location from the "long" tee. From the long tee should have gone with my first impression and teed a putter, but with a mid I pinballed off a tree on the left across fairway pinballed a tree off the right deep into the woods and managed a bogey.

Signature Hole:

-No. 10 Par 4 long at 469 feet is an open tee with a straight away fairway until the halfway point, then meanders to the right with canopy closing in on both sides. Fairway at its narrowest is about 50 feet. At about 80 feet out the fairway hooks right to a roller green with guardian trees to the basket, with heavy brush downhill, and shouldn't reach the lake. It's a transition hole that represents the course with open tee to wooded basket, with the rest of the course in heavy woods, very scenic look from tee to basket as you walk. The parking lot is off to the left from the tee, if you're having a bad day going to the left off the tee, either make sure parking lot is cleared or move up to shorts. Down fairway canopy sticks out from the right on the side of the basket. Best line from tee is center left to clear canopy for best chance on approach. I threw a poor tee straight ahead, and caught canopy on the right, picked up a bogey.

Trouble Hole:

-No. 17 Par 3 longs at 296 feet are heavy woods tee to basket with a fairway gap of about 30 feet. A dogleg right at about 190 feet that drops downhill with the fairway slanting right to left. The basket sits on a roller green with heavy brush and trees behind it. From the tee to the left is heavy brush and a creek a tree deflection could send you there. From the tee the hole has a crusty look to it, the basket is blind, and has potential disc loss. Reminding me of some of the holes at Dorey Park in Richmond, Virginia. I threw a nice fade into C1.





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13 0
aredoubles
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 7.7 years 258 played 41 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 17, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Across town from the highly-esteemed Glenburnie Park, Creekside is often spoken of as a much more minor course, but it is not without its charms.
+ Excellent variety of holes, by far the best quality of this course. Essentially half-and-half between wide open vs. tightly wooded, with a full range of distances, and a nice variety of fairway shapes as well. Though the wooded holes are very tight, they are generally fair.
+ Brice's Creek comes into view during holes 7-10, and is quite pretty and scenic, adding to the attractiveness of the course.
+ A few holes have multiple tees, that vary in distance and in the shot shape required. A couple of holes also have multiple baskets to choose between. These accommodate to multiple skill levels, and also add to the variety of the course.
+ Nice concrete tees, Discatcher baskets, and tee signs. Navigation is generally easy and smooth. Two practice baskets are available in the parking lot. The course was very smooth to play and well-maintained on my visit.

Cons:

- Safety - Hole 9 throws directly at a playground and picnic shelter, and hole 10's long tee throws over a parking lot, which are pretty significant safety issues. I skipped hole 9 because of a children's birthday party in progress right around the basket. Hole 8 is also a completely blind throw towards a gazebo. A walking trail also winds through some of the wooded holes in the back.
- Very long hole transition between holes 6 and 7. I noticed some clearing in progress in the woods in-between, perhaps a new hole is being created to remedy this issue?
- A few of the wooded holes are exceptionally tight, perhaps a touch more than might be warranted. Hole 18 is particularly intimidating, and some players might even opt to jump putt their way down the fairway.
- I think the rough might be cleaner and more worn-in now, compared to what the reviews here from 5+ years ago seem to suggest. But there are certainly still a few spots that are very thick, and if you can even get to your disc, scrambling out could be a challenge.
- There are open holes, and wooded holes, but not really any that incorporate elements of both. Holes 5 and 10 might be the closest to having a mix, as well as hole 1 from the long tee, and perhaps it's no surprise that those were my favorite holes on the course. More holes with that kind of mix would have been welcome.

Other Thoughts:

Because of its sheer variety, I found Creekside to be a much more interesting course than Glenburnie in a lot of ways (whose lack of variety is one weak point), and I think I'm more likely to revisit Creekside on future New Bern stops because of that. I'm not saying that Creekside is better than Glenburnie, just that it's more interesting, and that the gap between them is not as wide as I was expecting.

Glenburnie should be your first stop in New Bern, but don't skip Creekside, I consider it to be a very worthy alternative.
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2 1
takman
Experience: 22.4 years 122 played 25 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Challenging 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 27, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The back nine has some of the most challenging short holes in the state, very technical and they make you craft severe shots that you don't see often in Eastern NC. The first five holes are open but are also subtly challenging to attack due to the woods line, no gimmes here. Middle holes are a nice transition.

Cons:

Early holes are not aesthetically pleasing and can hold water, maybe time and landscaping will improve this part of the course. Hole 12 is near impossible to reach as designed IMO, not sure how to fix though. Update, has been fixed by moving the pad back and left, good hole now.

Other Thoughts:

Having recently played this course in a competitive setting, I gained a new appreciation for the difficulty and technical merit. This is a good design from our Schwebby.
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6 0
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.8 years 278 played 273 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 29, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

If Creekside had been a niner that started at the back lot, a pretty solid course could have been made because there are some solid holes here. 8 and 9 play along a lake, though not close enough for it to come into play. Both are mostly open holes but the 8 tee is tucked low and backed into the woods so the thrower is confronted with a steep climb initially and 9 features a small valley as it the hole doglegs right but large trees provide a canopy near the approach, requiring any drive to be very low to be successful. 10 is another fun shot. (Though the blue tee over the parking lot should be scrapped.) It's open again but the basket position (into a narrow channel to the right of the green space) makes it interesting. From there you are into the woods, where the holes range from well-done to pinball. I'm surer by careful selection, a setup of the right five holes could be arranged to complete a really nice nine-hole course that finishes at the back lot. (Adding one hole that leads from the lot to 8. (Really just move the seven tee to the other side of the playground so that discers throw away from it.)
For the most part, the wooded holes have reasonable fairways with a few changes in elevation the underbrush isn't terrible. The most notable hole is downhill all the way with water behind the basket but there is a gulley here and a mound there on most holes and the trees definitely make you shape your throw. There is good nine-hole course here for beginning and even intermediate players. One that has offers a taste of most aspects to the game and offers variety, some challenge and a lack of frustration.

Cons:

However, that layout isn't labeled here and there are a handful of holes that range from inappropriate-for-players-that will-enjoy-the-rest-of-the-course to enjoyable-by-no-one. I'll start with the latter. The first five holes are just back and forth across the same open field. 2-5 might even be the exact same distance. Moreover, only the "fairways" are mowed, which adds nothing to the difficulty or fun and only to the frustration of the new player. Experienced will find those same holes pointless. Their frustration will come on 16, when there is not a single possible line to be found. Veterans will enjoy 18 as it is considerably tighter than anything else on the course but thus considerably out of line with the difficulty of the previous holes. 6 is just as bad as 18 in those terms but it is lined with very thick brush that will swallow discs that even slightly off the mark.

Other Thoughts:

So while the location could support a very good red-level niner, about half the course doesn't fit with this philosophy and the first stretch of seven holes does not leave a good impression.
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11 0
Nemmers
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.7 years 89 played 33 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Meh.... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 14, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Another course in New Bern. Glenburnie DGC sets the bar high, but being from Wilmington with Castle Hayne basically in my back yard I understand how one might want a break even from a top-shelf course. Creekside provides that change.

- "Interesting" layout. Creekside gives you holes where you can launch it as well as holes that you have to "thread the needle." Wide open holes coupled with extremely wooded holes provides a little something for everybody.

Cons:

- Bi-polar layout. I said the layout was "interesting" and that that was a plus, but it's also a detractor because of the lack of variation between the extremes and the lack of flow on a few holes. Allow me digress and get specific:

* As someone else noted, the first five holes are basically the same wide-open shot across the same wide-open field. Okay, but really repetitive.

* After 5 you're presented with brushy and wooded holes with fairways as wide as 12 and as narrow as four feet wide with the same par. Yes, they're a skosh shorter, but it seems (for lack of a better word) schizophrenic. There's no transition. You don't have an open shot that LEADS into the woods (providing an idea of what's to come), you just jump right from the World Cup into the Walking Dead.

* After you play #6, you have to FIND #7 based on a lonesome singular sign next to the pin. Once you maneuver your way down the path, across the road, through the parking lot and past the playground, you get to play #7.

* When you hole out on 7 you see #8's pin. You have to walk down 8's fairway to FIND the teepad - which, incidentally, is down a hill in a gaggle of trees next to the water - and there are no signs indicating this is where you're supposed to go.

* #9 is a dog-leg right that aims right towards a playground. Now, this doesn't look like a playground that garners heavy traffic, but disc golfers need to be vigilant to make sure they're not endangering any kiddos playing. Just seems like this hole (with all the other land available) could have been placed in a less precarious locale.

* #10 is one of the few alternate tees I noticed. The long is par four; the short a par three. However, the long layout (for its added length) offers ZERO risk/reward so far as I can tell. There's no line that offers a legit look at birdie for big arms that doesn't offer a par to the mortal chuckers playing from the shorts. It's just long for the sake of being long it seems.

* #16 is RIDICULOUS wooded. I'm all for making it tough by having tight lines to practice your accuracy, but 16 is borderline retarded. Seriously. There is quite literally no fairway. It's like throwing a Frisbee through a briar patch. I only par'd it because I threw two tomahawks and am deeply religious.

- CRAZY foliage. It's disc golf: throwing Frisbees in the woods. I get it...there's bugs and pointy plants and lions and tigers and bears (oh my!). I'm not saying this is anything out of the ordinary, but since this is a new course that hasn't been worn down yet, I implore you - if you're one of those who likes to wear flip-flops or some other manner of open-toe foot appendage - wear shoes if you're going to play this course. Between mad briars, wicked thorn bushes, and crazy thorny weeds blooming out of the ground like the devil's botanical Bellagio, you WILL be sorry if you don't wrap your piggies in some Kevlar.

- No topless Hooter's girls frolicking along the #8 fairway.

Other Thoughts:

Creekside is new, just coming on to the scene in 2014. Like your favorite Valkyrie, Firebird, or DX Roc, it has a lot of seasoning and beating in ahead of it to make it good. With a design overhaul to give it more balance and a lot of TLC to make the "fairways" (such as they are) more believable, Creekside could eventually be a course that could/might/maybe/sort-of give Glenburnie a run for its money. MAYBE. However, as it stands it's not worth driving out of your way to play. It's great for New Bern/Jacksonville locals who have 18 more holes to play, but out-of-towners would be better off skipping it and playing Glenburnie twice for now.
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3 1
mcodyclapp
Experience: 11.3 years 27 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Don't let the first few holes get you down 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 10, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Once you get past the first 5 holes, things start to pick up. The designer made the most of the land they were working with, and wound up with a variety of interesting and challenging holes. A lot of tight lines on the back 9 that create some very interesting and challenging throws.

Cons:

1-5 are boring, repetitive, and should you stray from the fairway, the grass and shrubbery is tall enough to swallow a disc. The thorny briars scattered throughout make rescue missions a pain as well.
Hole 16 is a satanic creation. The 3 foot wide "fairway" weaves left and right multiple times, and the trees do not allow any discs to pass that are not centered on the fairway. My best on this hole is a 6, and that was due to a miraculous forehand that pinballed its way through the forest.

Other Thoughts:

Hole 8 is a straight open shot with the tee sitting about 15 feet down a hill. River borders the hole on the right. While you are walking down the hill, pick a cloud that lines up with the basket and throw a hammer. You'll be surprised how consistently you can park it within 5 feet of the basket.

If you are in the area and don't feel like playing Glenburnie, it's worth visiting, though I wouldn't go out of my way to hit it up.
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7 0
aggreen
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.9 years 264 played 19 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Thorn in my Creekside 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 27, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Overall, it is a decently designed course that will allow you to use various shots - some open 300' early, midrange/fairway shaping shots in the middle and dense woods. Unlike it's New Bern counterpart, Glenburnie Park, straying off the fairway will definitely produce score separation on many holes. The back of the park is pretty nice and has a number of fun holes - #10 is a great par 4 that has multiple risk/reward options - along with being a visually nice hole. #7 through 9 were actually decent holes with risk options (although there is possible movement of these holes).

Cons:

Redundancy - the first 5 or so holes are in an open field and zig-zag across this field with no real variety. #2, 3, 4 are the same shot. Again, #6 and 18 are the exact same shot. Once in the woods, it is mostly a similar shot with variance of fairway turn - zigzagging back and forth through the wooded portion of the course. The other component of redundancy is the type of holes played in succession. All the wooded holes are played separately from the open holes. I am not sure of the limitations, but there seemed to be an opportunity to integrate the 2 areas, since they parallel each other in the DGC portion of the park.

No fairway relief - this is not a reflection of the design, but the property is encompassed with briers. Some of the holes are, seemingly, tunnel shots flanked by these briers. Any shots off the fairway leads to a disc finding adventure and potential loss of blood. Yes, don't throw off the fairway will make this a non-issue - but still is a con that needs to be mentioned. A number of the holes do not allow for any recovery shots if you stray.

Tight - Don't let the distances fool you - this is not an easy course. #16 quickly comes to mind (I 3'd it out of luck), but there are a few holes out here that are very tight. I have played numerous NC courses (I think this is # 138 or so), so woods is not something that is foreign. Some of these holes either had incredibly tight pinch point at the tee or tight/protected greens.

Other Thoughts:

Navigation notice - after finishing hole 6, walk to the right and follow the road into the back area of the park, go the right past the portable toilets and the #7's pad is in the corner.

I wasn't able to play #1 due to standing water by the basket and along the left of the entire fairway - making it impossible to go from #1 to #2 without swimming. From talking with the operating club, there will be some changes to the back area of the park, which I actually enjoyed the most. Keep in mind, this is a very new course that needs traction and activity. Fairway relief can come with time and work. There is a great local club (Craven Chains) that is passionate about the sport and I know they will make many improvements to the park. I rarely rate courses that I have played only once, unless there are no reviews or something hasn't been mentioned that other disc golfers should be aware of. My review may seem negative, but it is a fun course. It falls, for me, into that 3 to 3.25 range in it's current state. If you are in the general area, it's worth the play and a decent compliment to Glenburnie.
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