Apex, NC

Apex Nature Park

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3.575(based on 29 reviews)
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11 0
David_George
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 3.7 years 50 played 17 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Solid, challenging course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

+ Three sets of tees (red, white, and blue) allow the course to be played at different skill levels.
+ Nice, well-maintained park with a variety of activities and plenty of parking.
+ Doesn't seem to be very heavily played. A good alternative when Diavolo is over-crowded.
+ Very heavily wooded with narrow fairways that demand precision in shaping your shots. This could be a pro or a con, depending on how much you like this style of disc golf.
+ Redesign of the back 9 seems to have largely solved the ongoing problems with drainage, though I haven't played the course after a heavy rain.

Cons:

- The red tees don't actually have tee pads and are often set up at weird angles. Though the holes are often quite short, there isn't always a clear path to the basket.
- On a few holes, the fairway is a bit too tight. Removing just a couple trees would make it more a matter of skill than luck in getting to the basket.
- The redesign is slightly awkward when you have to backtrack to get to the next hole on the rerouted part of the course.
- Not much use of elevation, though there is one hole where you through downhill into the woods, and a couple where you throw slightly uphill.

Other Thoughts:

A solid course that is somewhat underplayed. Parts of the course had been closed for extended periods while they addressed the chronic drainage problems, so this may have reduced the crowds. Also the opening of a far superior course (Diavolo) about 15 minutes away probably played a role. If you haven't played this course in a while, give it a try. It isn't perfect, but it is fun and challenging.
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2 0
rwgatorfan
Experience: 3.7 years 29 played 18 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun but too many trees 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 2, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a fun, fairly short course with some nicely designed holes. It is very wooded which is great in the hot summer. This summer it has not been very crowded, likely due to some holes being closed for construction.

Cons:

I like a wooded course, but some of the holes are just "close your eyes and let it rip" holes. So many trees on the fairway that it's nearly impossible to not hit one. The course also gets very muddy when it rains. If you're adventurous, you can play 17 of the holes, but the 12th no longer exists due to water lines being put in. In some places the weeds are overgrown making it very hard to find your disc.

Other Thoughts:

We played here last night (Sept 2) and noticed that they're currently rebuilding the tee boxes on the back nine and they added a basket to the 11th! Hopefully this is a sign that they'll soon be officially opening up the back nine.
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2 2
TerribleDiscGolfer
Experience: 8.7 years 15 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A very pleasant surprise 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 17, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

First time ever playing here today. Holes 10-17 are still closed and unless they are all terrible and or muddy then that is the end of anything negative I can say... This place is fantastic for a public park course with the majority of the holes in their own wooded area away from other park amenities...The teepad issue has apparently been fixed also - I was prepared for worn out crappy rubber teepads and all I saw were nice grippy, flat cement pads all pointing in the right direction...Clean restrooms, large practice putting area with practice basket, beautiful & relatively challenging holes, good signage, solid DisCatcher baskets in good shape and on greens with a nice variety of slope and location... Errant throws are commonly easy to find as the pine needle forest floor makes losing a disk next to impossible. However, offline tee shots are definitely penalized with clumps of trees making recovery upshots very difficult in spots...The few dog-walkers we encountered heading toward or from other trails were ultra-respectful of us playing and we're willing to wait for us to throw, walk, etc.Majestic disc golf through tall forest - reminds me of some of the courses in the Pacific Northwest.

Cons:

None
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4 4
lenfantsuave
Experience: 9.1 years 16 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A great location undone by poor hole design 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 29, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The majority of this course plays in disc golf only portion of the park. Ths is great from an experience and a safety point of view. The fairways are well-maintained and the teepads, although rubber, are in great shape. Each tee is marked with hole map as well as a small sign indicating par and distance. Some of the holes are true beauties, including the holes which play over a winding creek in the middle of the course.

Cons:

Unfortunately, well designed holes are somewhat of a rarity on this course. I'll highlight some of the most egregious designs.

Hole 4: this hole actually used to play as a straight/slight turnover mid. Wanting to spice the course up a bit, it was redesigned a year or so ago. It is now a sharp dogleg left. Unfortunately the addition of the left leg of the fairway is a complete mess. The turn is somewhat falsely indicated by an arbitrary and completely pointless mandatory on the left side of the fairway. I say falsely indicated because just after the mandatory a small cluster of trees blocks any path to the basket. The designers cleared out a small alley between the cluster and the mando, but it's only accessable from a small landing zone. The only landing zone that truly gives hope for a 3 is the exact same spot where the basket used to be, and even from there you'll be lucky to have a clearly defined path to the basket.

Hole 8: this hole features an abrupt twist a third of the way down that would seem to lend itself to a tight flex shot. However, too many trees remain in the path where the disc would inevitably come out of the flex. It's telling when the highest percentage shot is a poke and pray forehand to the left off of the fairway. Perhaps this hole was designed with tomahawks in mind. I can't think of any actual disc golf shot that can actually fly within the parameters of this fairway.

Hole 14: up until now I have been speaking of the long blue tees. The blue tee on this hole is tucked away up the hill and behind the red tee about 100 ft back right. The shot itself is not bad. Throw a turnover mid into the gap and try to land on the fairway. It won't matter of course because the number of trees left on the fairway inside the woods means you're guaranteed to be pitching out from behind a tree and scrambling to finish in 4 strokes. A row of trees has been inexplicably left running 4 o clock to 11 o clock right through the main fairway as if to define a competing fairway for the short red tee.

Hole 15: once again the tee shot is a rather tame turnover mid to a well defined and open landing zone. It won't matter again because the basket is tucked away behind a sea of trees with no real continuation of the fairway. I threw a forehand roller and ended up about 60 ft off to the left. Layed up and hit the gimmicky wooden pyramid that the basket is raised onto and rolled 25 ft. Naturally I missed the par attmept (but that's on me I suppose). On all of the other problems I have written about, at least an attempt was made to carve out a path to the basket. The crew must have left the chainsaws at home on this one or moved on to another hole.

These may seem like the complaints of a middling rec player. And they are. However, the designers have failed to understand that they should have been designing a rec course. Even a fun hole like hole 6 which is a big hyzer flip to flat fundamentally misses it's target audience. It's a fun shot, but most will never sniff the basket. Even a perfect hyzer around the cluster will leave most ams with a 50ft look for birdie. The hole designs reek of an attempt to fit pro caliber hole shapes into rec level distances.

Other Thoughts:

The designers have confused difficulty and challenge. The former leads to frustration, while the latter ultimately leads to reward. It's a shame because the course really is on a beautiful and well maintained parcel of wooded land. I would look elsewhere if you are looking for a well thought out set of 18 holes.
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2 1
Odanaz
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Shady with Great Bathrooms 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 8, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This technical course plays through a 100 year old pine forest and around Beaver Creek. It is nice and shady and feels great on hot summer days, but can get muddy after it rains. There are three different tees for beginner, intermediate, and advanced players. There are nice signs located next to the intermediate (white) tees, which is where most people will play from.

Cons:

The tees are made out of rubber mats attached to what looks like wooden pallets. Most are too short and some (tee 17) is soft, mushy, and uneven due to the wood rotting away underneath the rubber mats. If the town of Apex would put in longer concrete tees I'd give this course 4 stars. There are no wide open long holes; all the holes play through the woods. Since most of the trees are pine trees there is not a lot of under growth so it's pretty easy to find your disc if you bounce off a tree and into the forest.

Update: 10/13/2017 - The loose rubber mats and most importantly, the rotting wood under tee 17, have all been fixed! Good Job Apex!

Other Thoughts:

This course is part of the reason why we choose Apex as our new home town. It has the nicest bathrooms I've ever seen at a public park. There is a small amphitheater near hole one that the bathrooms must have been designed for because they have excess capacity for a disc golf park. Even if you don't have to go, you should at least walk in there and wash your hands or something just to see it. There are a few picnic tables under a roof near the bathrooms as well.
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6 1
philstine
Experience: 0.9 months 20 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Good Walk NOT Spoiled 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 25, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Well manicured, for the most part, with generous fairways and enough schule to make you work to get up and down if you're off the fairway but not enough to make a heroic par save impossible.

Multiple teepads, appropriate to intended skill level, make it possible for players of varying skill levels playing from their skill-appropriate tees to compete head-to-head on a reasonably level playing field.

The risk-reward from each teepad is appropriate to the intended skill level for the hole. Conservative play will yield a par on every hole; birdies (and the occasional eagle) can be had by aggressive play and errorless execution, a minor error in execution will still provide a realistic look at par, while a major error in execution will leave you scrambling hard to save par (or bogey).

Tests the full array of shot-making skills (including one's ability to see (and hit) alternatives to the "obvious" lines). A number of holes test not only one's control of line and length, but disc angle and speed as well.

Cons:

As several previous reviewers have noted, many of the teepads are too short. (This is especially the case for the par 4s.) Also, the rubber mats (which were great when new) are starting to tear out in spots so you need to pay attention to the line of your runup and your plant foot placement.

The course intersects with walking paths at various points, and I've encountered walkers on fairways on a fairly regular basis. A little common sense (i.e., look before you throw, and don't throw if there's even a remote chance of hitting a pedestrian) goes a long way to avoiding problems.

Other Thoughts:

I'm somewhat torn on Apex Nature Park. On one hand, it's a very enjoyable and satisfying course to play; on the other hand, for a player of my temperament (conservative, "I hate bogeys more than I like birdies") and skill level (~930-940), it doesn't quite tick the boxes that induce me to take the riskier lines in search of a birdie/eagle/ace so it can feel somewhat boring. Overall, though, it's an enjoyable experience: you get typical NC disc golf ambience (wood course that tests your shotmaking skills), without the overly punitive schule, bugs, and poison ivy. A good walk NOT spoiled!

[FWIW -
I disagree with alecfalzone's assessment of several holes. As I see it, from a RHBH perspective:

Hole 4: a placement high (or spike) hyzer around the mando off the tee with a glidey midrange to set up an upshot, leading to a putt for 3. While not a great hole, it's an improvement over the previous iteration, which was basically a longer version hole 5.

Hole 5: an excellent test of one's ability to thow a straight 250-270' standstill shot with a putter or midrange through a defined gap. In that respect, it's not all that different than holes like Cedar Hills #17, Cornwallis 1 (Long) and 17, UNC 10, 16, 17, or Cedarock. Focus on hitting a window between the trees a third of the way down the fairway that define the fairway rather than on the basket.

Hole 7: a relatively simple standstill floating high anhyzer with a putter (I throw it like I'm throwing a Patent Pending): as long as you put enough juice on it to keep it from flexing out, it will end up parked.

Hole 8: a late turning anny down the right side with an understable midrange. Don't try to force the disc over: gIve it a good tug and let it do its thing.

These may not be shots one commonly throws off the teepad, but they're all common enough from the fairway.

I can see, and sympathize to an extent, with alecfalzone's critique of hole 3, and concur that it's one of the weaker holes on the course and could do with a redesign. On the other hand, in its current configuration, take away the trees "in the middle of the line you are trying to hit" and hole 3 turns into a boring "throw a shallow hyzer off the tee and drop in your deuce" hole.]
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3 4
tyrothchild
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great local course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 20, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Awesome local course. They are always updating and changing the layout to keep it interesting. Facilities are top notch. This course is maturing well and I see a lot of interest from local families playing. The ground work is always being improved upon in some swampy areas with nice foot bridges.

Cons:

That dang creek can eat some discs!

Other Thoughts:

Great place to play disc golf with other options within the park for other interests.

20 Oct 2017: The Glow tournament was a lot of fun and a great challenge!
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1 3
Lrberger
Experience: 6.8 years 1 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 24, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course is very well made/designed and it is kept up and running nicely. There is a large area to practice putting, and a shelter with VERY nice bathrooms. You couldn't ask for much more in a course made by the town.

Cons:

On some holes (I think 11 or 12) there are trees right in front of your tee box for the little kid tees. It is really easy to lose a disc if it had just rained on hole number 12 (i think). My dad lost a disc when he threw into the water and it swept it away and they couldn't find it. (it is an island hole.)

Other Thoughts:

Its amazing, and they have tournaments there all the time. Its great to see the town putting a lot of effort into this course, and even the mayor has come out to play this course.
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3 1
Billymatson
Experience: 31 played 1 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fair yet challenging 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This course has every type of shot you could want to throw! Good course to learn new shots and tune in for a wooded game. The most fair/but challenging course in the area.
Well taken care of with the nicest bathrooms than I ever seen in a public setting.

Cons:

No real open holes for beginner/intermediate players.
Families like to walk through the course backwards(toward you throwing).
Not many long holes(2 drives for normal players), sometimes it's fun to air a couple bombs out.

Other Thoughts:

Good course for a windy day.
Minimal chances to lose a disc.
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4 0
jimbatterson
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun course when it is dry 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 30, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nice wooded course, almost all holes are through the trees but not always tight. A few up-hills and down-hills but mostly flat. All holes have three tee locations, fixed basket locations. Good mix of right-turns and left-turns and straight shots. Good signs and easy to find next holes. Easy parking, toilet facilities, waste baskets at some holes. Stream in a few holes but you will not lose your disc except in high water.

Cons:

The course has poor drainage and after a heavy rain there is standing water for several days and mud for another day or two.
Although there are several par 4 holes, there are no real opportunities to let loose on a long open hole.

Other Thoughts:

Rarely crowded, almost empty on weekday mornings and not bad in afternoons. Trees but not so much underbrush that you will lose your disc.
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6 0
Balzac
Experience: 22 years 94 played 13 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Among the best in the Triangle 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- As other reviews have stated, the facilities are top notch. Even if you don't have to use it just step into the restroom to check it out. It smells like cedar.
- Great signs for every hole. Easy to find your way to the next hole.
- Multiple tees for every hole: blue, white, red.
- A couple holes may be in close proximity but I never felt like there was any overlap or a real chance that there would be any interference between groups even if it was busy.
- Nice use of elevation.
- Even though it is pretty heavily wooded there are some longer holes laid out so that it doesn't seem unfair despite all the trees.
- Beautiful trees and a nice clear creek winds its way through the course. Be aware that the water moves quick though if it lands in the water. There are nice bridges at several spots to traverse the creek.

Cons:

- It was VERY muddy when I played. To be fair there had been a lot of rain in the area recently, but I played a few other nearby course the same day and this was by far the worst. There were places where mulch had been put down to combat this but I still had to trek through muck on almost every hole.
- Very few benches. This wasn't a problem for me as I was playing by myself and only saw a few other golfers during my round, but if you are playing at a busy time or need to take an occasional breather this would be a downside.
- This may be nitpicky but for a couple holes I felt like there wasn't a great line to make it through the trees. More like chuck and pray. That being said most holes had a clear line to go down (although like many NC courses if you get off the fairway you can add a couple strokes to your score for that hole).

Other Thoughts:

I was very impressed by this course. For me it is easily in the top tier of courses in the Triangle area, along with Rock Ridge, Buckhorn, Cedar Hills. The biggest downside was how muddy it was, but of course this wouldn't be a problem during dry times. If you're in the area do yourself a favor and play it.
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8 6
alecfalzone
Experience: 13.9 years 174 played 13 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great Ideas, Poor Execution 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 19, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

UPDATE: The drainage issue on Hole 8 has been corrected (for the most part). A foot bridge constructed on Hole 17's fairway seems a little excessive, but does work well.

Amenities and Park Upkeep

Everyone who plays here will agree that this course has 5 Star amenities. The bathrooms? Sweet baby Jesus they're better than most of us have in our homes. The pavilions and vending machines? Top notch. The safety of the course and community? It's Apex, duh. Walking trails, amphitheater, practice green? All fantastic. The town clearly put some serious money into Apex Nature Park. Garbage and recycling available throughout the course and they're emptied on a regular basis.

Select Holes

2 - Great downhill putter shot
6 Short - Two fairway options, RHBH or RHFH
10 - Great downhill putter shot
11 Short and Long - Great straight to right finish hole with an OB creek in front of the basket
12 - Great downhill putter shot
14 Short and Long - Pretty awesome Par 4 from either tee pad
16 Short - Solid RHFH drive
17 Short and Long - Pretty good hole from either pad
18 Short - Great uphill midrange shot, albeit not a great finishing hole

Signage

When they're not stolen or vandalized, they have all relevant information and are very clear.

Cons:

UPDATE: The teepads are worse off than they were a year ago with no improvements. The drainage issues on Holes 10 and 16 have worsened. The mando sign on Hole 4, which has been stated to be placed in correctly, is still in the same spot it was last year. The foot bridge placed between 15's basket and 16's pads have dangerous gaps on the turns. Very few tee signs have survived the short time that have been installed. The bridge leading to Hole 13's blue teepad has been washed out for months now, cross at your own risk!

Teepads

They opted to use the Innova rubber teepads, which are fantastic when implemented properly (Jones Park, Rock Ridge, etc.). However, these were not installed properly and already need replacement less than two years into the course. They are nailed onto wooden boards without any filler, which leads to tearing of the pads. Almost all white pads are done, the blues are still in decent shape because not many people play them.

No bueno.

Speaking of teepads, they are all built on gravel mounds which are not level with the ground. The teepads are not long enough to begin with (especially on 3 Blue, 6 Blue, 8 Blue, 11 Blue, 13 Blue, 15 Blue, 16 Blue, 18 Blue). Can see a trend here? Most teepads do not allow you to have a proper run up, especially on the longer holes and the Par 4's. From the whites, (most) teepad lengths are fine, however a lot are awkward and not long enough. Raising them above ground level prevents you from running up from level ground behind the pad. IMO all of these need to be re done.

Hole Execution

1 - Not a bad hole, but also not a great hole 1 for a course.
3 - There are trees in the middle of the line you are trying to hit. Not a good disc golf hole. To make this a "Par 4", they moved the basket back 30' and raised it onto a platform. The hole needs a redesign to make it a real Par 4.. Which brings me to Hole 4...
4 - They recently cut out a fairway to the left of the old basket position, put in a mando, and made it a Par 4. The mando is completely unnecessary and in a terrible spot. You can have a great drive, and miss the mando. If there is ever a PDGA here (not likely from those of us who have looked into it) this will punish players unfairly. Move the hole back 100' (there is room) and get rid of the mando. Make the turn more gradual and not a dog leg.
5 short and long - Not a fun hole. The line is unreasonably tight and the teepads don't allow a proper run up. Not fun.
6 long - They recently moved the hole back 200' to make the hole a "Par 4". I am not a fan of forced Par 4's, and this is another one. Again, the teepad also does not allow a proper run up on a hole that needs it.
7 - This turn angle is ridiculous for most players. 50' forward then a 85 degree righthand turn followed by another 200' with low hanging limbs and trees in the middle of your line. What?
8 long - From the shorts this hole isn't bad. From the longs, a whole different story. There is a tree to the left on the teepad that prevents the RHBH anny shot. Forcing you to throw the impossible RHFH line. Not a fun hole.
9 short or long - There is a dead tree which was left in the middle of the fairway. The top of the tree fell off, leaving the base and about 60' of trunk. Not only is it an eyesore but it also isn't the best line from the longs.
12 long - Another hole where the shorts isn't bad. But due to the teepad and tree right next to the pad, the longs is not a good hole.
15 short or long - Again, teepad issues. There is a fantastic fairway for the first 300' of the hole; then it stops. It turns into Plinko. There is no defined fairway, only random trees, 175' and in from the basket. This seems like another forced "Par 4" as it is reachable from the teepad, but these random trees force you to scramble (from the fairway) to save a 3/4.
18 long - There is absolutely no room for a run up (due to the teepad) to have a good drive.

Other Thoughts:

UPDATE: I would still rate this course as a 2.5/5.. There are tons of changes which have been discussed and problems which have been identified.. However very little has come to fruition.

I held off on a review because I knew the course had changes coming.. But now that the changes are being implemented I am very disappointed. This course is not fun for a player of decent skill level. The fairways are for the most part unreasonable. The teepads don't allow a run up. And the blues are not fun, mostly due to the teepads. This is the closest course to me, but it is less fun to play than Kentwood. I would choose ANY other course in the area to play over this one.

Again, the amenities of the park are top notch. However the DG course was not implemented properly. This course has/had so much promise.. But to me Apex Nature Park is a huge let down.

This course could be amazing for beginners.. But the lines and basket placements are not beginner friendly at all. Personally, I would not play a PDGA here, not that there will ever be one.. $$$$$

Bring the family out here for a casual round... But the experienced golfer should spend their time at Jones Park in Holly Springs or Buckhorn in New Hill.
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4 1
adambenson87
Experience: 23.8 years 12 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A Gem 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 6, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- great layout and variety
- clear signs: on the tees and next tee signs
- great mix of elevation
- nice streams and water hazards throughout - they did a great job of incorporating the water hazards into interesting hole designs that were both fair and challenging.
- good, challenging placements for baskets and for back tees
- three sets of tees for all levels: red, white, and blue tees
- really nice facilities and area
- what par 4's are on the course were really fun, challenging, and well-thought out

Cons:

- drainage issues: on the holes where there were streams, the ground wasn't too soggy; but on holes where streams were lacking the ground was not fun to walk through
- one hole, number 7, felt lame. (I probably would extend hole 6 to hole 7's basket and make it into a par 4.)
- some of the holes have distances - from tee to basket - that are farther than what the signs indicate (e.g. hole 6 is listed as being 316 feet from blue tee, but hole is evidently 370 to 390 feet). My guess is they calculated the distances using straight lines from tee to basket instead of considering the curves of some of the fairways (which was fine for the holes that have straight fairways).

Other Thoughts:

I debated between a 3.5 and 4.0 for this course, but I give I'll give it a 4.0 to help get it's average up to a 3.75.
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1 2
joker021
Experience: 8.8 years 63 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course from beginner to advanced 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 18, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Red, White, and Blue tee boxes to choose from. The reds are very short and beginner friendly. Blues have a lot more distance to cover and are challenging with more tree obstacles. The holes are clearly marked with signage making the Tees, Basket, and Feet information easy to find.
Course was in great condition when I played. Lots of mulch. If you get caught playing in the dark, don't worry, hole #18 has some lights.
The bathrooms are the most luxurious public bathrooms I have ever seen.
Mosquitoes are not that bad.
Hole #1 located off the circle drive, left of the pavilion and practice putting area.
Several water holes which are dry and sandy, so you don't have to worry about having your disc sink or float away.

Cons:

Short course. It would be nice to have a little more distance and variety. Favors RHFH or LHBH.
Slightly hard to find. Do not go in the first park entrance on the right, take the second entrance.
No water fountain at the pavilion.
If you start on the back 9, there is quite a walk from 18 back to 1.
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4 3
tjreyner
Experience: 34 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Gorgeous Woodland Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Lets start with the atmosphere. Quiet, scenic woodland course just a discs throw from the heart of the triangle. One of the nicest practice baskets I have ever seen. Open flat plane right next to hole 1's tee.

Signage was excellent! Detailed sign with fairly accurate footage and lines at every white tee. The red and blue tees also have small markers with the footage at their tees.

Almost every fairway was dry and mulched. Decent use of elevation when available and excellent use of the creek on the back nine. I loved hole 12 which sits on an island amongst a maze of creek beds. Creek plays OB but its a nice element of difficulty added.

Cons:

Not too many cons but a few benches here and there would have been nice. Was not the easiest course to find. There are two park entrances and you have to drive by the first in order to get to the park entrance where the disc golf course. Some signage on the road directing you to the right parking lot would have been nice. What really kept this from being a 5 star course is its lack of distance. There were a few par 4's thrown in but I would of loved a few 700 or 800ft par 5's here and there.

Other Thoughts:

I can always tell the difference between a park that was built with a disc golf in mind, and one where a course was added later. This was definitely the former. Park was gorgeous with excellent amenities, but there was little to none intrusion with the rest of the park features. Will definitely be playing it again when I am in the Raleigh area.
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6 1
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14 years 195 played 190 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beautiful course, fast greens! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 29, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Apex *was* one of my favorite courses in the Triangle, but it has been knocked down a couple of notches due to a massive drainage problem and a redesign (currently incomplete) of most of the back 9.

+ Apex is one of the prettiest courses in the Triangle -- a great piece of property and a peaceful setting.

+ Apex has terrific, unique, and fast greens. Several holes are on steep elevation. Hole #2 is on a plateau with a dry creek bed around it (making roll-aways possible). Hole #3 is a raised basket. Hole #7 is perched on a hole and roll-aways are all but certain if you miss. Hole #11 is above a creek. I hit the basket and my putter rolled right into the drink. Hole #12 is on an island green (my favorite hole). #13 is on a steep hill and is the toughest putt on the course. Hole #14 is a par 4 and is a tempting birdie, but the basket, just over the creek, can force some risky putts. #15 is on a raised platform about 3-4 feet tall. Just really unique and fun greens. My favorite aspect of the course.

+ Awesome risk-reward elements (see above)

+ Good mix of left and right curve fairways, although slightly more right curves than left (a con for this RHBH player).

+ Lots of trees to contend with, but I think every hole except #5 is fair. (#5 is a poke and hope hole, in my opinion.) Challenging, but fair, overall.

+ Multiple ways to play certain holes. Examples: #8 has a flex line and a straight, slightly hyzer line. Hole 4, the dogleg par 4, has a mando. You have to decide if you want to aggressively cut the corner after the mando or play a safer shot in the landing zone before taking the dogleg turn.

+ Easy navigation and informative tee signs.

+ Nice baskets, easily visible from the tees.

+ Some legitimate par 4's where birdies are possible, but bogeys are too.

+ Three sets of tees for different skill levels (red, white, and blue).

+ The rubber mat tee pads on wooden platforms, which were a major con due to the rotting platforms and beat-up mats, are in the process of being replaced with new, concrete pads. The front 9 already has the concrete pads. This is a big improvement.

+ Nice practice basket at the first tee.

+ Amazing facilities: the nicest public park bathroom you'll ever see (complete with murals and artwork on the floor), paved and unpaved trails for walkers (watch out for pedestrians!), a dog park, a playground and athletic fields on the other side of the park.

+ Very clean and well maintained.

Cons:

The cons:

- Installing rubber tee pads on wooden structures instead of regular old concrete tee pads was a mistake. Many of the original tees have rotted out and are uneven and dangerous now. (Note: these are in the process of being replaced; the front 9 now has nice, new concrete pads.)

- This is more of a nit-pick, but I think Apex is very lefty-friendly. (I'm sure lefties have that complaint about many rightly-friendly courses!) I like the opportunity to work on anhyzer shots, but still would prefer a better balance of left-to-right and right-to-left fairways.

- #5, mentioned before, is a "poke and hope" hole in my opinion.

- Apex does not drain well AT ALL. After rain, many fairways turn into churned up, muddy messes. In fact, the course has remained a muddy mess for months at a time.

UPDATE: Holes 10-17 are closed and being redesigned. Hopefully, the back 9 will reopen again soon and be as good as the original.

Other Thoughts:

Keep an eye on the course status for Apex to see if and when the back 9 redesign is complete. Once that's done, Apex should be worth your while. Until then, there are better 18-hole options nearby (Jones, Buckhorn, Middle Creek, and the soon-to-open Diavolo).
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1 1
chaphil3
Experience: 41 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

In my top 5 for sure 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

I have played about 30 other courses and I must say this is one of my favorites so far. It is an awesome course. Holes flow very nicely. The maps give all the information you need. Most holes have blue white and red tees and are well marked. I really enjoyed the rubber pads (although some could use some leveling). Each hold had a "next tee" sign so getting lost would be hard to do. While pretty much all wooded,it provided an excellent mix of long and short holes. From ace-able par 3's to over 400ft par 4s. Precisioin is key out there. The most unique hole was probably the one that had you shooting thru a tunnel downhill onto an island surrounded by a creek. For those who follow PGA, it felt like a take on the famous TPC at Sawgrass hole 17 (http://www.mcssl.com/content/...grass17.jpg). The course is a must play for anyone nearby!

Cons:

So again, great course, but I did have some gripes. Its elevation changes result in some low areas that have poor drainage. It hadn't rained in a few days when i played but there were still areas that were pretty thick with mud. You can tell they have tried to address the issue with lots and lots of mulch and some creative placement of plastic drain tunnels under pathways, but there was still mud and standing water. Which brings me to my next biggest complaint: mosquitoes. In the areas near the standing water, they were def in full force so make sure you bring some spray before you go out.

Other Thoughts:

Again, awesome course! I just wouldn't play right after a big rain and make sure you have some bug spray :)
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2 1
Cripes
Experience: 19.8 years 22 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Wooded Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

A lot of money has gone into making this place nice. The park has tons of parking and very nice facilities. The baskets are new discatchers and there are two sets of tees with nice rubber mats over gravel. The park has also spread an unbelievable amount of mulch. Hole signage is good and there are "next tee" signs in all the places a new player could get confused.

There are several interesting holes here and from the blue tees it plays pretty long for a wooded course. Although nearly every hole is heavily wooded most holes have a generous enough fairway.

Cons:

Even with all the mulch that has been spread I think a significant portion of the course is doomed to be marshy. The white tees have nice maps but the blue tees only get a small distance marker. There are a lot of right finishing holes here, which I wouldn't mind, but several of them are very severe. There are also a couple holes that throw across a walking path.

Other Thoughts:

Overall I think the designers did a nice job of fitting a course into the park. It is nice to have a decent course between Buckhorn and Raleigh.

The blue tees provide a nice challenge and it is definitely worth the short trip from Raleigh or Durham to check it out.
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2 1
All Back Hand
Experience: 15.8 years 16 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good Challenging Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 9, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The first thing worth mentioning when it comes to this course is the investment the town put into it. The facilities are second to none in the area. The baskets are brand new Innova Disccatcher. The signage on each hole is awesome. I like the addition of Par 4's that seem to be a growing trend in the area. They did a nice job creating unique greens on a few of the holes by making creeks guarding the pins (11, 12, 14). I really like that the course has multiple real tee pads to throw from so anybody from a beginner to a pro can enjoy the course. The teepads are also rubber which I prefer. Some critique that it favors lefties but personally I enjoy the course having a different feel and enjoy throwing longer turnover shots. I find it unrealistic to expect every hole to have a long hyzer path.

Cons:

I only really have a few minor criticisms of the course. The first is a lack of benches, there are only two on the entire course (4 & 18). I am sure this will be addressed eventually as the course is brand new. There are maybe a total of about 2 or 3 trees I would have cut down had I been designing the course, but this isn't really a Con more preference. I could see the course getting muddy in the wrong conditions.

Other Thoughts:

I personally prefer the back 9 more than the front 9. This isn't a knock on the front 9 as much as it is a compliment to the back 9, especially the holes that involve the creek. My favorite holes are 2, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 15. I definitely feel this course is a championship caliber course from the pro tees and hopefully it can be included more in some of the local tournaments.

Also, the course looks nothing like the pictures as these were taken when it was first being built. The back 9 has been reconfigured with a different layout and the course is now much cleaner and kept due to the removal of some trees, mulching of all fairways, and maintenance of some greens. The video in the Media tab is a much better indication of the current status of the course.
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6 1
New013
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 179 played 120 reviews
3.00 star(s)

New Kid on the Block 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 2, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Overall it's a shorter and technical/wooded style course.

Atmosphere - Apex Nature Park is a new edition to the area and the city spared no expense putting this one in. The facilities are top notch and a lot of time and care went in to the construction of this place.

The course itself flows the wooded section of the park and although you never get the real secluded feeling it's a pleasant little area with some great geographical features.

Layout - The course offers up three tees which I would say suits the skill level of novice, intermediate and advanced. The majority of my review will focus just on the two harder layouts.

The entire course consists of wooded holes although a few holes have wider more forgiving fairways that allow you to work a disc in a number of ways.

A few holes give you multiple routes to choose from though for the most part you're trying to hit a particular line the length of the fairway. Most of the holes are heavily walled with a mix of trees so getting off line can mean trouble.

The white/intermediate course consists mainly of shorter shots under 300'. There's a good wealth of shot shapes and the flow of the layout does a good job of mixing things up so it stays interesting; even though you'll mainly just be using mids/putters.

For less experienced players this course can be a fun yet challenging task; probably a good course to learn to shape shots on. For more experienced players you'll be looking to get birds although there's more than a few holes that come with danger; good shots get rewarded.

The long/blue course is meant more for experienced players, less skilled players will probably have a hard time navigating fairways due to the added length.

The blue tees do a good job of changing the look of the tee shot just a bit on some holes so the gaps you need to hit are squeezed. Or in some cases the blues just back you up enough so that hitting that first gap while also staying on the correct line becomes more challenging. Most players will probably pull out a fairway driver on a handful of holes that require more D.

The front 9 from both layouts is more about hitting straight tighter gaps while the back 9 gives you holes that generally require more shot shaping.

There's a few par 4's on both courses; all reachable from the tee if you have the D and skill. However for the most part you're just playing a technical layup shot then moving forward.

The course has decent elevation changes with short but quick slopes though overall there's no drastic up and downs. What is there is used in a really solid way to add difficulty and create some faster greens.

A creek comes in to play on the back 9 on three of the holes. It's used very well and creates some cool greens, especially on #12.

The flow of the course is easy to follow and intuitive. There's two different parking lots for the park and you can jump on the course at any number of holes.

Overall the course does favor LHBH/RHFH but I personally don't consider this a con, us RHBH guys have plenty of courses in our favor. If anything it helps you work on your game.

Equipment - Brand new discatchers. Rubber hexagon mat pads for the two longer layouts. Tee signs located at white tees with map/distance of each hole. The other tees do have smaller signs listing just distance.

Park facilities conveniently located. Course bulletin board by #1.

Cons:

Layout - To me the biggest problems of the course come from the limitations of the land. It's all a bit squeezed in together although the course does a good job of keeping fairways separate.

There wasn't a lot of land to really be creative and this is apparent mostly on the front 9 which was designed with some prior limitations. The lines here are less imaginative and mostly straight gap hitting.

There are some holes that still have that one tree in the middle of the fairway that makes it based more on luck than skill.

In a few areas the course comes back to the walking path and you will have to watch out for casual park goers before you throw. It's nothing serious because they'll be visible and most of the time the tee is right beside or on the path in these situations.

If there were a few more shots that went right to left the course would be more balanced. There's also no real open shots where you can rip something if that's what you're looking for.

Atmosphere - Again, there's a few areas where you need to be considerate of other park goers and err on the side of safety. You're in the woods but you're not alone.

A good portion of the course is in a low area so when it rains the course can get very mucky, it's best not to play right after a rain; although the parks dept has done a great job with throwing done a ton of mulch to combat this.

Equipment - The rubber pads are nailed down on to sunken wooden platforms. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me and only time will tell how well these hold up but I don't consider it the best way to do it; although I think the rubber mats are the most appropriate for this course.

Other Thoughts:

To me with some tweaks and more breaking in this course could be a 3.5 but it's getting better every time I go.

I think this is a great addition to the area even though it doesn't really add any diversity in terms of what was already here. It's just more NC style technical golf in the woods; yet it does a good job of dishing out fun and challenging rounds depending on your skill level.

The park itself is super nice so if you're traveling with your family I'd put it up there as a really good place to stop. Check out the bathrooms by hole 1 they're insanely nice, it's ridiculous.
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