Use of elevation is incredible, some long tees pushed into the open requiring lacing the gap
Concrete tees
Short and long tee options on some holes
Directional signs for first half of course
Benches
Well maintained with clean lines
Hit the line and get rewarded; I don't recall any poke and hope holes

Directional signs started off strong, but the further into the course it became non-existent
Hole 14 basket to 15 tee pads is over 500 feet away. I thought UDisc had a bug. This is one area that could use a sign and map to get to the 15th tee. If I didn't have Udisc I'm not sure I would find it.
Hole 18 ends a good couple hundred yards away from parking lot, there was a hole 19 that wasn't near 18's basket so we called it quits.

I really enjoyed a lot of the holes. I was throwing well off the tee, but if your off, it could be a long day. Not for beginners as most shots required right straight throws. With some better signage and a way to add a hole between 14 and 15, this could be a top course in the Charlotte area

Stumpy Creek is a sneaky-good course in southern Iredell County, in the Greater "Disc Golf Mecca" Area (aka Charlotte). It may get overlooked due to the abundance of elite and above average courses in Charlotte proper or just down I-77 in northern Mecklenburg County, but don't pass up an opportunity to play Stumpy Creek. It rivals the Charlotte courses and surpasses many of them.

+ One of the best courses I've played in its utilization of elevation -- both off the tee and on the green. There are many fast greens, with baskets perched on steep hills or ridges with great roll-away potential. You may be cursing the course when you miss a circle's edge putt off the basket and it rolls down the hill to 45 feet for your next putt, but this is good golf: putting made more difficult, risk/reward elements on all stages of the hole. And the elevation off the tee is some of the best I've played outside of the mountains or foothills. I was really surprised by how stellar this property was. There are numerous technical (and super fun) downhill hills. There's an equal number of tricky uphill hills that play way longer than their yardage. Simply put, if you like courses with big elevation -- and I personally think this is one of the most fun and challenging elements of good courses -- you'll love Stumpy Creek.

+ Excellent signage and course navigation. It's also one of the best I've encountered in this category. There are Next Tee signs on every basket, number signs and painted trees to direct you in between holes, and good tee signs with accurate pictures and yardage.

+ This is a mostly technical and wooded course, but there are also open hopes where you can bomb. Great variety here, with some par 4's, good mix of distances, right to left, left to right, and straight holes. I used a ton of mids off the tee on this course, not because it was particularly short, but because the holes were particularly challenging and tight. Tree kicks can really punish you. If you can keep it straight in these tight (but fair) fairways, you're winning.

+ Beautiful park and course. Well-maintained. There are ballfields and playgrounds and walking trails for other park-goers. The course winds around in the woods after starting near the other park facilities, then finishing on the other side of the mixed use park area. You catch glimpses of Lake Norman through the the woods...along with some million-dollar lakefront -- and *disc golf course* bordering -- houses. I think I have my retirement mansion picked out.

+ White and Blue tees to challenge intermediate to advanced players. But new players will enjoy the excellent layout, beauty of the course, and get a taste for what disc golf should be about. More skilled players will appreciate the challenge and want to play it on repeat.

Nothing much to pick at here, but I'll list a few that keep Stumpy Creek out of my top 10, but squarely in my top 20-30.

- This is really whinny, but hole 19 ends several hundred yards from the practice basket and main DG parking area. The navigation on the rest of the course is flawless. This is the only time you're really hiking for a bit.

- Maybe a little on the shorter side compared to more modern disc golf tracks, but for a noodle arm like me, it was nice.

- Lots of very good holes, but maybe not a signature hole that rivals others I've played on 4.5-rated tracks.

This is really a must-play in the northern greater Charlotte area. If you're looking for a day trip, Stumpy Creek pairs nicely with the northern Mecklenburg courses Bradford and Robbins, or even a little further south into north Charlotte for Nevin and Hornets Nest. I rank Stumpy Creek right in this mix of outstanding NC courses. Go play it!

Stumpy Creek, located in the park of the same name, is located in the Mooresville area right near Lake Norman. The park features a small playground and multiple baseball, softball, and soccer fields. If you visit the course on a day when the park is relatively empty, these fields can be used to get a few warm up throws in. The course features 19 holes, with concrete tees and Innova baskets, including one practice basket.

The course features 2 layouts, as some holes have two different tee pads. The white tees offer a more condensed, shorter version of the course, while blue tees provide the full Advanced level experience. While I have not yet played the white tees, it seemed like the white tees often changed the angle in a way that they provide new character to the hole by demanding a different tee shot. This will allow players of multiple skill levels the chance to enjoy this course.

This course utilized the terrain of this course in an incredible way, in fact the elevation use of this course is some of, if not the most pronounced I have ever encountered on a disc golf course. Even many of the flat holes make subtle use of elevation, like Hole 1 which will have many RHBH players drift down the hill towards the baseball field if they don't really commit to their drive. This course really has it all: extreme uphill shots, extreme downhill shots, valley shots, fast greens, etc. While the course has seen small tweaks here and there, what is currently known as Hole 15 is a definite standout to me. This top-of-the-world tee shot will really let you air out your disc. (And if you really want to put the extra juice on it, you can play to Hole 16's basket. Which will also let you play only 18 holes instead of 19.)

Not only does the course utilize the terrain well, but it offers a nice mixture of wooded and open holes, with 11 wooded holes, and 8 open holes. The wooded holes are tight and technical, with a lot of them being very straight shots. Taking an early kick will spell doom for your scorecard. The open holes, while not straightforward in their own rights, will give players a chance to take a breather from the gauntlet of challenging wooded holes. Even Hole 19, the final hole - which is also one of the most wide open holes with little, to no elevation to speak of, is made interesting by a mando pole. I could see some thinking the mando is a bit forced, but I actually like this mando. It turns the hole from a mindless rip into a well executed drive. I was able to just barely clear the mando to have a straight open shot to the basket, but if I faded out too early, I would have had to lay up to the mando. I also like the mando, because it looks like it will hopefully keep people from trying to attack straight at the basket and throwing their discs into the playground accidentally.

The course features a lot of what some people would call "natural OB", where if you miss the fairway you'll be pitching back to the fairway, just to have a line at the basket. Luckily, due to the woods the course is located in being so heavily consisting of pine trees, the leaf coverage around the course when I played (which was in the very thick of fall), was almost non existent.This is very nice for golfers, because it means less time looking for discs, and a lot less discs lost by being shoved up under a pile of leaves.

Stumpy Creek would really benefit from some new signage, especially at the tees. Unlike most courses in the area, it wasn't readily apparent what shot was needed from every tee without possibly walking the fairway first. On a course with as much elevation change, this quickly adds up.

The course could really use some newer baskets as well. There seemed to be a mixture of new, double-chain baskets and some single chain baskets. This is something that could really help prevent spit outs on a course that already has a high propensity for roll aways.

I felt like this course, out of all the courses I've played, would really benefit from more benches. Once again, with as much elevation as this course has, it is surprising that there aren't more benches.

A couple of the holes seemed to play fairly close to other aspects of the park where an errant drive/shot could become an issue, such as the playground or the ball fields. I could see this being a potential safety concern during tournaments during peak park season.

It amazes me how little I hear about this course, compared to other nearby courses. As this course truly deserves to stand amongst the best courses in the area. I've played plenty of courses that have been touted as using elevation very well, however, this may be the best in that regard. For all of these reasons, and more, I am going to rate Stumpy Creek at 4.0 for now. Though I could see this course continuing to grow into one that deserves an even higher rating.

Favorite Blue Holes: 2, 5, 8, 15

This is a great little course that offers a consistent challenge for intermediate and beginner players. Advanced players will eat this course up, but it still maintains its fun factor. It offers a lot of tight shots through the woods that will challenge your precision. If you're in the area, you'll have a great time and can play a couple rounds in quick succession. It utilizes a good bit of elevation change, and will challenge your upshot abilities. This is a great place to play to get yourself ready for Bradford, Eastway, or Nevin.

I've played there when all the signage was available, and I've played there when some of the signage was missing. It can be confusing when the signage is not all in place. It's a solid little course, but you'll have more fun playing some of the more advanced courses in the area.

Diversity, this course proved to show how diverse it is while challenging you in many ways. It may be frustrating while playing in the woods with these tight gaps, but for the most part the course is phenomenal.

Tee pads are a little small. Furthermore, most holes require a long run up for a big throw and the tee pad's are just too short. The signs for the holes are pretty bad too. But the course was easy to play for a first timer.

Probably the best course in lake norman area, good for intermediate, experienced players looking for a challenging round

Too hard for beginners

Loved it, its like a duff golfer getting to play bethpage black. Great fun

Great course! I've been playing through the various courses around the Charlotte area, and i'm upset with myself that I haven't played this course sooner!

I've driven past this course several times putting my boat in at the ramp just past the park, but never thought much of it. Was I wrong

This course has some very challenging, tight shots that resemble "the gauntlet" at Hornet's nest. Punishing fairways that will ruin a good game with an errant drive. I like it!
These challenging holes are well balanced though and not overbearing. There are several that are not "easy" birdies, but with an accurate drive a birdie is well within reach. I needed several of these birdie holes to even out my score from the punishing tight shots! In summary, I felt like the challenging holes throughout the course are well balanced with the less challenging holes. A great, fun mix

Elevation! Who would've thought there could be so much variance in terrain in Mooresville near the lake. The course design uses every bit of it as well. (nice job 1978) From shots over valleys, uphill shots and downhill and "off camber" greens.

Tee pads! Great Long pad locations, which really change the way you play the course. Most holes have Long and Short pads. Also important, the length of the pad! These pads are plenty long on most holes, allowing adequate room for a run up, without worrying about a foot fault, tripping, etc.

Course layout! This course seems to use most of the parks real estate. The holes and fairways aren't stacked on top of each other, resulting in a nice hike through the woods.

Signage! Although there were some arrows pointing to the next hole, and a few signs at the tee pad showing the length par layout etc. it did get a bit confusing where there were missing signs.
Although the long vs short tee pads are generally easily identified by 6x6 posts painted Blue or White.

Baskets. Some of the baskets were missing the inside set of chains, and were missing or had incorrect numbering.

The signage is really my only Con for this course.
I thoroughly enjoyed how this course plays, and had fun with the challenge that each new hole presented.

Definitely worth heading North from the city to check this one out!

Tough, scenic holes that will punish mistakes and several long bomb holes to open up on!

With a few updates to the signage and baskets, this course has some serious potential

Very challenging tunnel shots and elevation changes. Great distance variations from 600' to 150'. Long course in general. The trees are awesome and make for some tough shots. I did like a lot of the shots out there and the hole layout.

The course layout was tough for me to follow. Without a map or signage, it's tough to get through. The signs that were there were not very good and torn down or half missing and it would be great with a hole layout and pin locations/distances. It's simple enough to add some better "Next Hole" signs. I did see some, but you know what I mean. The layout had some long walks to some of the back holes and I was tired of looking around, so I left after maybe 12 or 13 or something. I could see some of the holes being very tough to play while baseball/soccer games are going on. A little too close for comfort, but risk/reward is pretty cool.

I'll go back and play this on again for sure. Maybe I'll try to play with a group of locals to show me the way next time.

-I can't believe I waited 3 years to play Stumpy! It is well worth your time! Elevation changes galore and it's not even in the mountains! There are a few downhill holes that are around 300' but even a putter would go too far because of the huge elevation changes. The long pads are a real challenge and are very capable of destroying your entire round if you are not careful. Many of the long pads are not far behind the shorts but still provide a different "feel" to the hole itself. The shorts are easier, intermediate players are very capable of scoring under from the shorts.
-Dual sets of tees, well there are 13 long pads and #14 has a long pin position tucked into the woods.
-Whoever keeps track of my reviews knows that I love elevation. I don't dig flat. Holes 2 & 4 from both sets of tees are extreme valley shots. #2 is much more challenging. First of all, it is very tight, and it is much more punishing if you miss the fairway, also if you go a little short of the pin while trying to reach it, you will have an approach shot with no line, the basket goes left and short of it is a cluster of trees. #4 on the other hand allows plenty of power. It should be a par 3 from the short because I almost aced it, my driver went too far. The hole is only about 380' from the short pad and feels more like a par 3. The long pad makes it seem like a different hole, it's only about 70' behind the short but that does mean an under stable driver will fade to the left of in a lefty's case, to the right. I threw the same driver on the long that I used on the short. so it had more time to fade. Not a hard hole on the long but still can be rough.
-Very good holes that play steep uphill. #8 is the shortest hole at only 180' but has maybe a 35' elevation increase and to add to it, the basket is elevated. #10 long is a very difficult par 5 for its short length at 538'. It plays as a dogleg left, the tee shot provides ample space just to get all the way up to the hill but the second shot is a whole new look. It is very tight and very punishing if your tee shot is just a little long. A 4 can turn into a 6, 7, or 8 very easily. #16 looks just like #2 at RL Smith except it plays a little straighter, the short pad is just an easy toss up the hill, very aceable.
-Stumpy Creek park is closed on weekends but disc golfers are still allowed to play. There were some cars at the entrance. I tried to call and explain that I wanted to play a couple of rounds because I can't on weekdays, I'm in High School but it seemed to work out fine.
-#14 is my favorite hole. I don't know exactly if the long pad is in use anymore but I hope it is. It's an awesome "Top of the world" shot. The long pin position is also really fun, it's a really cool approach that is tucked into the woods. I don't understand why #15 isn't really mentioned. The long pad is very similar to the new hole 12 at Bradford. Fun anhyzer tucked into the woods.
-Straight downhills! There are many of them. The aforementioned #14 stands out and so does #11! It's much more downhill than it appears on the media, it is also tight but doesn't take much to par this hole.
-Love some of the greens! Especially #7's placed on the hill, I also loved #8 and #17's elevated baskets, the drop off behind #9 and both of #14's pin positions. The short is on the side of the hill and the long is tucked into the woods.
-Very nice bathrooms and there are a couple of soda machines beside them.
-Nice practice basket beside #1.
-There are stairs on the really steep parts of the course.
-Cornelius Road (The Bridges) is nearby. It isn't as good as Stumpy but is still pretty fun.

-Park is closed on weekends. Makes no sense, the place has some other features, for instance a playground. You are not going to see children there because they have school. At least the course is open.
-A few of the holes can be a hindrance to the sports fields and the running track.
-A few of the short tee pads need to be a bit longer.
-Only one bench that I remember. On #7.
-Graffiti on some of the baskets.
-Really could use new tee signs.

-Stumpy Creek Park is a great park in a great neighborhood. I didn't have trouble finding the fairways on this course really, they provide plenty of space but there are trees that give bad kicks but that is what makes a perfect challenge. #12 was a serious test. You must throw left of the tree just straight from the tree and through a small lane. This is a pro par 3, it's very challenging but the fairway is still inviting if you can just get past the tree. Both #17 and #18 allow shots that go right to left. #17 is not as easy as it looks. The mando is very hard to clear because it is a long way from the tee. #18 will accept any throw as long as you hyzer/anhy a little.
-I think this course easily deserves a 4. I can't really nit pick about anything about the course itself and I love extreme elevation and there is some out here! I really like playing Mark Huether's courses, I find them the most fun in the Charlotte area. Hope to see Mark design more courses around North Charlotte, this course is one of my favorites. I waited too long to play here!

Just a caution: Course can get very slippery and muddy.

Favorite hole: #14 long

Signature hole(s): #2 and #4, huge par 4's across valleys. #7, a gauntlet over a small valley, #14 open bomb with two tee pads and two pin positions! Have fun on this one!

Stumpy Creek is a great course! Good distance for both short and long throwers. If you play the blue or white tees, both require control and disc placement. Hole 1 is great to start with due to open field to basket tucked in the edge of woods. After 1 it's time to bring out your tight flying discs until 14 when course opens up again. Elevation is great and good exercise. Stumpy is wooded, but very hard to lose a disc here. You always can hustle out of a bad shot and make good with the next. Fairly clean and always friendly.

Not many cons with Stumpy. I would say that more info would be posted at practice tee about course and course layout. Trash seems to build up in trash cans, but good thing is that almost every hole has a trash can! Hole 18 can sometimes have vehicles on fairway due to soccer games, I guess people don't understand what yellow tape means!

This is my home course and I wanted to post an honest review due to I have played at least 8 courses in this area including some Charlotte courses and Stumpy is a hidden gem! We now have a group of us in the area that will help with some of the cons I mentioned above, so this course will only improve in the future. Thanks to Stan and Mark for creating a great course!!

I'll try to get some new photos of course. Photos uploaded do not show how good Stumpy looks right now.

-Very nice mix of wooded, and open holes. Start in the open, then hit the woods. Just when you grow tired of chopping down trees, back out in the open you go.
-Dual Tees, so when you have a group of 9 like we did the shorter length helps out the novice players.
-Makes excellent use of it's large elevation changes. Hole 4 felt like throwing across a canyon, heh.
-Good facilities. Bathrooms, drink machines, and snack bar.

-Some of the signage was missing, so finding the next hole was a bit hard. Also nothing pointing you to Hole 1 start. You do drive by it when you pull into the park, and there's no number visible from the street. There's a community billboard, and it says Stumpy Creek Disc Golf Park, but had nothing to do with disc golf. No layout, no maps, no arrows. We found some helpful players who had just finished who directed us where to go.
-The park can get real busy with other sports. Baseball and Soccer mostly, so parking can be a premium.
- Garbage left at holes by other players. There weren't a whole lot of garbage cans out in the wooded holes, so it made some players lazy I guess. Sad.
-Since there's a lot of elevation changes, there are many wooden steps to take down the hills. But they have been packed down past the wood frames, making them almost more of a hazard than the hills themselves.

-We went on a Saturday at noon in what can only be described as perfect weather and were only one of maybe 4 groups out there. We had 9 people so this worked out well for us. Maybe because of how busy it was from the other activities, local players know to steer clear at these times. Which could make sense, since some holes are very close to the fields, and may influence your shot choice.
-Overall the more experienced of our group liked this course, despite the long walk, and seemingly endless game time with so many people at once. It was good fun though. Seal of Approval!

Course is in an 83-acre municipal park on typically rolling (although the more queasy might say 'heaving' in this case) piedmont landform, in parts accentuated by grading for other park amenities. Most of the course is under mature canopy. It should be noted that this park is one of two 'official' parks in the county (a third is in the planning/fundraising stage) and may be considered Iredell's flagship. It has been many years since I've visited the site, and the course overall is vastly improved.

A quick note about 'course conditions': Considering the overall economy and this county's relatively small budget, this reviewer found the property's conditions to be above average. That being said, I was disappointed to find copious litter on nearly every hole, many of the targets lightly vandalized and a few other noxious 'indiscretions'. Granted, there are not trashcans on EVERY hole and there appears to be very light foot traffic at this site. Conscientious and observant golfers will bear in mind the aforementioned local constraints and act accordingly in an at least a quasi-responsible manner. Screw the rest of you, while I dismount my high horse.

Course circles the park in roughly a counter-clockwise fashion and does not feature returning nines. Targets, including a nice variably sloped practice green, and pads are above average. Signage, benches and other amenities are poor to fair; the lower ranking due, in the main, to incompleteness. Park amenities are good, but park is often officially closed after rain events to forestall damage to the more maintenance intensive facilities. So preparedness may be in order. Way finding is straightforward and intuitive, although signage may be lacking at times and transitions are often extended and sinuous affairs, especially so between #'s 13 & 14.

For a piedmont course in general, Stumpy Creek has tremendous elevation changes throughout (#3 being the sole exception), and there is extensive bulk heading in place to aid walking (green sites too) and despite it's lightly played nature, erosion is already an issue in many areas, which is a good indicator of this parcel's steepness of slope. Proper footwear and hydration will enhance one's round.

The heavily wooded portions (12 of the 18) exemplify 'tightness' especially off the tee. While making good use of the land available, the designers' hand in forcing a particular play style from golfers is undeniable (I believe 'placement golf' is the term). One might say that Stumpy Creek DGC is a disc golf course in the same way scales are for the piano player, while the holes change and one moves through the landscape, the types of shots needed to efficiently negotiate the course do not change much.

From the shorts, average hole length is just over 310' (for the longs add 100'), so no surprise, straight flat shots of up to 300' with good fade control are what's required for good scoring. (A note on the term 'fade control': no doubt some readers will understand what is meant, which is not the same meaning as the golf term. Fade control means the ability to control the disc's angle and attitude at the flight's end, when it is losing momentum. Naturally the higher the disc's speed rating, the more difficult this is, even if one plays it to 'hyzer out' and this skill is really a big key in getting it to come to rest exactly where one intends and another reason why many players prefer a stable or 'over' stable disc. They are more consistent and predictable under a variety of conditions).

Conservative controlled play is the only rewarded style at Stumpy. From either short or long tees, half the holes are blind, which, combined with other factors, translates strategically into the question: Just EXACTLY how aggressive can I afford to be here? Fairways, two-shot in particular, are often a tunnel, distinguished only by the convolutions of slope, with no obvious landing zone visible from the tee. Some experience with the course will help one find that 'sweet-spot' for your up. In defense of the designers, some very nice features will be taken up later in this review.

By my count 13 holes are 'straight', most with no other option. The remainder is equally divided between right-left and left-right shot shapes. Thick penal rough awaits mildly errant shots and in most instances the scrambling or recovery chances are limited at best. Reviewer observed some limited attempts on the front nine to ameliorate this condition via select clearing, which brings up an interesting issue. Given the limited resources available to husband the course, combined with the low foot traffic and desire to promote the sport to 'locals', is additional labor of this sort the best expenditure of effort? Even from the short tees, I feel this course is a bit much for the novice, even a motivated enthusiastic one, and I'm equally as dubious as to Stumpy Creek's 'family friendliness'. Stumpy Creek, while a decent course, just doesn't seem to fit the situation too well. Certainly unless one belongs to a particularly sadistic fraternity, Stump Creek DGC is not for the uninitiated.

Greens, given the elevation changes throughout, are strangely neutral in character. 11 of them are either flat or dead up/down hill conferring no great receptivity advantage to either spin from the approach. The rest are divided 4 clock/3 counter and should be noted, the clock 'ad' is gained mainly on the 'outside' finishing holes, where a counter spin thrower must be PAST the pin have the disc work into the slopes, but don't worry, most of the holes there are 400'+.

Did I place my foot in the high horse's stirrup again? Pardon me. I realize that's just how things work out sometimes...

Several holes here have the raised basket feature, as has been discussed ad naseum on many disc golf forums. I feel it more proactive to just deal with it and create a special shot with a special disc one carries for just that special occasion. It's not going away anytime soon.

Several holes and features deserve particular mention and for varying reasons.

Several greens at Stumpy, #2 comes to mind, are 'pocketed'; their shapes resembling something like the appendix hanging off one's colon. I enjoy this feature. (lol) It adds complexity to the approach game and depth to the course without obvious contrivance. I also believe this type of feature is relatively simple and cost effective to employ. Another feature on several holes here that I appreciate is what I'd call 'gate variability', which is placing the fairway pinch points at various distances from the tee and having gates of varying width. The effect actually makes a tight 'frozen rope' shot even tighter, and is a good idea with so many straight holes.

#6, despite its need for a spotter off the tee, is a wonderful hole. No surprise, the best shot seems to be a frozen rope, but the distance of 400' tempts one to swing it out wide and (typically) there's trouble waiting everywhere for shots with poor spin control. The green sits pocketed in a terrace below.

#8 is possibly the low handicap hole on the course at 180' and deserves mention, as it is one of the rare instances where a left-to-right hole can actually favor a clock spin thrower, especially if it's BH, as it's much easier to get the needed shot height for an uphiller like this one when the fairway is shaped in this manner. In addition, the slight angle of the slope to the line of play makes this green a bit more receptive to the clock spin, certainly if the shot is decaying on entry. Most players won't find this hole an issue. It's an interesting little hole.

#13 isn't that tremendous of a hole overall but the green is certainly the best on the course, aesthetically speaking. One emerges from the woods into a gently sloped shady grassed glade with just enough obstacles to make your putt interesting and challenging.

The long tee pad on #14 is absolutely the best look on the course, a long downhill tug in free air, especially nice after just emerging from the woodsy cloister of tunnel shots, but don't let down your guard there's trouble everywhere on this hole too.

#15 is the lone 'cookie' for the power counter spin player. A better hole might have been dead straight ahead, but 'fair is fair', no?

#17 is a good experiment, albeit somewhat controversial in the 'contrived' manner, with the forced dogleg (a bit paradoxical considering all the free air in this part of the course. Ah, there's that heavy designer's hand on your back again...), but a small bit of thinking about it should reveal the logic, utility and purpose behind this hole's design. I'll leave that up to the player.

In sum, Stumpy Creek DGC is a decidedly mixed bag, which favors a clock spin control thrower by a few shots at least, but overall it's a worthwhile experiment and solid application. Insofar as a design school characterization goes, Stumpy Creek is primarily a penal golf course with a dash of the strategic and freeway. Pacing isn't the best, as the major rhythmic variation comes with the player's emergence from the woods - very deep into the round; there is no intense and memorable sequence of holes, despite several excellent individual ones. While I doubt, for many reasons, this course will become the favorite of any but locals, it IS a difficult test of golfing skill primarily for more advanced and above level players. I feel it also a great place to practice a certain type of golf and a certain mindset while golfing. That being acute self-knowledge (of one's game and capabilities) as they relate to a certain course. This gap will be starkly evident to even the thickest golfer immediately, myself included. On the downside, I don't feel Stumpy Creek is the most fun place to golf by far, as there's just too small a margin for error to ever really let loose and there's more fun close by, which is the thrill many seek when golfing.

--Best use of elevation in the Charlotte area. For those familiar with Richmond Hill in Asheville, I feel like this course has even more elevaton related holes. Where some of Richmond Hill's design uses contouring to make it a bit easier walk, no such luck @ Stumpy...bring water and springy legs.

--Not much traffic. For a < 1 hour drive from Charlotte, this course offers nice seclusion...even the holes that play around the park area have very little chance to interfere with park activities...

--Challenge. The long layout is tough, as the designer notes below, this layout is all about playing smart "within your game" position golf. Basically, use a driver on 1, then put them back in the car, and grab them for 14-18, and don't tempt yourself to throw too many otherwise, nothing but trouble if you do. The short layout is not as demanding, but based on your skill level, it's not necessarily "easy." This is a plus IMO, because newer players who can't get upper level D with mids can play the shorts w/out losing the character of the course.

--Tee pads/baskets are adequate or better on every hole. I imagine the pad pours were something of a nightmare.

--facilities (including a snack bar open sometimes if you need a hot dog to salve your mental wounds) are great, and are accesible before you start, and after 13.

--Pretty good variety of looks/shots. I like how just when you're getting tired of threading needles with putters/mids, you get a few opportunites to take out your frustration with some big bombs on the closing holes.

--Practice basket.

Not too many, but we have to nitpick, yes?

--A couple of spots where an errant shot could be trouble/safety issue. #1's long tee shot, if griplocked, or over-flipped, can make it into the road, but there's not too much traffic on said road. I think it's #5 where it's possible to hyzer out early and land in one of the baseball fields...only effects your play really if there's a game going on.

--The great use of elevation always has it's downside, depending on how you feel about the Stairmaster. I don't mind the hump, but one needs to be prepared for an above average aerobic work-out getting around Stumpy.

--First time through, the transition from 13 to 14 can be confusing...though it's been marked better over time, and since I've been out there maybe is better still. Map a must here probably for a first timer. I understand that tee signs are in the works. For a first time player here, there will be a couple of blind tee shots that you'll either have to spray/pray, or add to the considerable hike to scope out.

--More benches are coming....the more the merrier.

--Any tight course with severe elevation changes will offer lots of chances to lose discs...leave your Champ Boss in the car!

This course, like Fox Chase in Stanly County, would be jewels in any players eye, but since Charlotte is now loaded with a dozen high quality 18 holers, Stumpy, though w/in easy distance, is sort of a "best kept secret" in the area.

Great course. Extremely hilly and tight wooded fairways have definitely shaped my game with this course being so close to home.

the amount of leaves and dead grass on the fairways can hide discs and stumps sometimes causing a very unlucky bounce and i happen to get that bad luck quite a bit.

I've lost a disc on hole 10. White innova leopard i got when i was starting out. I don't entirely miss it but it absolutely disappeared. I have NO idea haha

-Great use of elevation!
-Great risk/reward shots
-Little to no trash on the course
-Trashcans!
-Long and a short layout
-Clean park
-Restrooms
-Little course traffic
-Concrete pads
-14 Long
-Practice basket

-No benches
-2 more pads need to be poured
-10's fairway isn't exactly fair
-17 is boring and too easy in its current configuration
-18 is also easy and boring

I played this course today for the first time in about a year today (both longs and shorts). I have drastically improved my game over the past year and I can say that this course is tons of fun. First I played the longs and was definitely challenged on most holes. The shorts was less of a challenge but hitting your lines is still super important. Leave your drivers in the bag except for holes 1 long, 14 long, 17, and 18 long. This course will teach you how to throw a Buzzz or Roc 300-330 accurately off the tee every time. It would be hard to score well if you cannot do so. The lines are tight, but fair (except 10s fairway). It's a shame it's not in Charlotte because it would get played a lot more but we can't have everything in Charlotte. I would jump all over the chance to play in a sanctioned tournament here. Bring water and be prepared to be worn out after your round(s) due to the extreme elevation. Don't wait, if your in the area give it a try as soon as possible.

very challenging. for those who have played glen hilton in hickory will like this one. a lot of different shots are required to tackle this course. you do think twice about how you want to throw the next disc.

very hilly and a lot of walking required. stumps throughout the course to trip over. a lot of blind shots so you kinda throw your disc wondering where it might end up.

could use some better maps for the holes but the ones they have work well enough to know where to throw. spent more time looking for discs on the holes that have blind shots than it took to actually play the hole. would take a walking stick cause im sure you might run up on a copperhead being close to the lake and deep in the woods. during summer and fall months bring a can of OFF cause im sure mosquitos will tear you up. dont walk during the day.....unless its under 80 degrees and bring water.

A tough challenge, lots of up and down holes in the woods that take a great deal of thinking twice about shots.

The name is very fitting for the course, stumps and roots will be tripping you all along the wooded holes.

While it makes the course more technical, the way the hills are along the course it's not wise to try and tackle this place in the middle of the day from June to August unless it's below 85 degrees out. This course at one time was a 9 hole course and it has two ways it can be played one with 18 holes one with just 9 that stays pretty well out of the wood. There is a way to play 9 holes without going deep into the hills if you play the old basket on 4 from 5's white tee box.

Mix of open holes and woods
most holes have a long and short tee
baskets are easy to identify in the woods
challenging course- difficult for beginners
the course really opens up in the winter time
the course will benefit the consistent and accurate player

at the tees you'll find some distance markers and a few hand drawn signs, but nothing permanent
if it rains, good luck making it through without falling or slipping.
Unless you know the course, you can get a little lost. Not all the holes flow to the next tee and there aren't a lot of signs

I like playing here. It's close to my house, but there's a lot of work to be done. Stumpy could be a great course, but it needs some TLC. It's a good, enjoyable course for the competitive player, but I don't think the casual player will find it as fun if they play alone. I'm hoping to get out and do some clean up to it this spring and start a regular league that will meet during the week.

This is a great course. Very long course surrounding Iredell counties first park. The first hole is hidden up by the road near the outer most baseball diamond. The pin in the middle of the parking lot by the big brown "Disc Golf Course" sign is the practice pin.There are very technical holes with tight fairways and many elevation changes. This course takes some good accuracy. Also like everyone has mentioned there is hardly ever any one at this park on the week days. Tees are all concrete pads with disc catcher baskets. Most holes at least have a white or blue post denoting the original and pro tee pad.

Only one hole has a trashcan and bench that being #9 if I remember correctly. Looks like it was someones Eagle Scout project. Also signs are very lacking with most holes having a handmade sign or nothing at all. Be careful on the fairways when walking around. There are some large stumps and some at ankle height that could really trip you up. This is a very long course. Make sure to bring water and probably at least tennis shoes.

I really like playing at this course. Wouldnt mind getting a group together to clean it up a bit and gather some money for some trash cans and benches. With just a little bit of work could be a 4-4.5 star course

Very hard course, need to be accurate. The blue tees add up to 1.4 miles, and are a lot of hills. long high hilled fairways. Great during the week, no one is in the park.

Hole 18 is in the middle of the "parking lot". its not really in it, but people park in the fairway, and right in front of the tee. if your not in good shape, you'll be worn out by the time you get done. the course raps around several baseball and soccer fields, if your disc goes in the field, on a busy day, you won't get an accurate spot due to kids moving your disc.

the only hole i didn't play was hole 18 because of a line of vehicles right in front of the tee, and going down to the basket. but that hole is straight and open during week when the park is closed. if you decide to go during the week, you can park outside the gate near hole 1 and walk around. that would be the best time to play due to the inconvience of hole 18l