Last Minute Recommendations: Raleigh, NC

[Nemmers]

Heading to Raleigh from Wilmington in the AM by way of Jacksonville, Kinston & Smithville and am looking for any last-minute recommendations for courses from locals and/or anyone who has a favorite in the area. Since Wilmington hosts courses that are relatively wooded (Castle Hayne, Joe Eakes & Arrowhead) we're looking to try out some that are a little more open. Nevertheless, we will not shy away from good courses that roll like the 910.

The agenda thus far for Saturday is:

1. Richlands-Steed Park (Jacksonville)
2. Barnett Park (Kinston)
3. Smithfield Community Park (Smithfield)....just for S's and G's
4. NC State Centennial Campus (Raleigh)
5. Middle Creek DGC (Raleigh)

We're gonna tip a few that night in SW Raleigh, then get up Sunday morning and play:

6. Kentwood (Raleigh)
7. Cedar Hills Rotary Club (Raleigh)
8. Zebulon Community (Zebulon)
9. Mount Olive College (Mount Olive)

....on our way back to the ILM.

Like I said, that's the "plan" but nothing written in stone. Any and all serious suggestions from those in the know will be to be put to a vote on the road tomorrow morning. Thanks, y'all!


PS. I've looked at the map. Just looking for favorites from those who've played any courses in the area recently. That said, posting "look at the reviews" will not be helpful.

 

[BrotherDave]

I'd skip Richlands and hit up New Bern instead if it were me. If you end up in SW Raleigh you might enjoy hitting up Buckhorn at Harris Lake and Rock Ridge in Pittsboro instead of Kentwood and Cedar Hills. Cedar Hills is fun but it's got some age on it, kind of short on a lot of holes. Zeb sounds like you'd really enjoy as a change of pace from the Castle, good course.

 

[Nemmers]

I'd skip Richlands and hit up New Bern instead if it were me. If you end up in SW Raleigh you might enjoy hitting up Buckhorn at Harris Lake and Rock Ridge in Pittsboro instead of Kentwood and Cedar Hills. Cedar Hills is fun but it's got some age on it, kind of short on a lot of holes. Zeb sounds like you'd really enjoy as a change of pace from the Castle, good course.

Buckhorn and Harris Lake.....definitely gonna pitch those. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that 50% of tomorrow's crew isn't as in to the disc golf scene so much as they are a free trip to NC State to check out the local "scenery."

Brother Dave, we should play sometime. You could be the disc golf tour-guide for my boy Adam & me and we could leave the dead wood in the 910. Gas & Saturday night beers on me.

No homo, BTW.

 

[Plastic Thunder]

Look into Buckhorn, Watch the water holes, it is a nice course on Harris Lake. South of Raleigh off US 1. Also, the course at UNC is nice.

 

[BrotherDave]

No doubt. I'm trying to keep longish trips off my hoopty until I can get it healed up so road trips are sadly limited for a couple of months as I consolidate funds for the mechanic. I am definitely down to play sometime though; I'm way overdue for a trip to Wilmington myself.

Random food tip: There's a killer taqueria near Zebulon. I can't remember the name but if you take a right out of the park, it's on the left just as you start to enter downtown. It's kind of hidden in the corner of a building and the storefront is a tienda (little store), restaurant in the back.

 

[New013]

don't stop at the smithfield course, it's not even worth the giggles. centennial is a waste of time you're better off finding other things to do in raleigh. buckhorn over middle creek makes more sense.

i'd look in to playing campbell over mount olive on the way back down fourty. neither are great courses but campbell is more legit and a fun round.

 

[JTacoma03]

I wouldn't hit Kentwood on a Saturday, it's a nice lil pitch and putt course but will be chock full of people.

I really like Middle Creek for a solid fun course t hat's not overly challenging or ball busting.

If you're new to the game or have newbies around avoid Cedar Hills and Buckhorn, it won't be as fun for them.

 

[LoPan12]

Heading to Raleigh from Wilmington in the AM by way of Jacksonville, Kinston & Smithville and am looking for any last-minute recommendations for courses from locals and/or anyone who has a favorite in the area. Since Wilmington hosts courses that are relatively wooded (Castle Hayne, Joe Eakes & Arrowhead) we're looking to try out some that are a little more open. Nevertheless, we will not shy away from good courses that roll like the 910.

The agenda thus far for Saturday is:

1. Richlands-Steed Park (Jacksonville)
2. Barnett Park (Kinston)
3. Smithfield Community Park (Smithfield)....just for S's and G's
4. NC State Centennial Campus (Raleigh)
5. Middle Creek DGC (Raleigh)

We're gonna tip a few that night in SW Raleigh, then get up Sunday morning and play:

6. Kentwood (Raleigh)
7. Cedar Hills Rotary Club (Raleigh)
8. Zebulon Community (Zebulon)
9. Mount Olive College (Mount Olive)

....on our way back to the ILM.

Like I said, that's the "plan" but nothing written in stone. Any and all serious suggestions from those in the know will be to be put to a vote on the road tomorrow morning. Thanks, y'all!


PS. I've looked at the map. Just looking for favorites from those who've played any courses in the area recently. That said, posting "look at the reviews" will not be helpful.

In town, Skip Centenial (short 9), Skip Kentwood (really crowded, winding/confusing -but mitigated by all the people you can ask for help, crossing fairways, VERY rocky, will destroy base plastic in a heartbeat), Skip Cedar Hills (just never did it for me...few extra minutes gets you way better options). Middle Creek can be fun...but meh.
I highly suggest taking the time to forgo two mediocre courses, and hit either UNC or Buckhorn instead. You won't regret it. You might be able to get Sloppydisc to guide you last minute.

Zeb and UNC both have some open holes, and partially wooded holes. For NC golf, these are about as open as you're going to get without going all the way to Burlington...

UNC advice, park here, and start the round on hole 9 in the woods just west of the parking area. Or start the open 6 or 8 for easier warmup..
Buckhorn is my absolute favorite. Love it. If you want to avoid water, you can skip 10, 11, and 17. 8 has shallow water behind it. 9 is only a water hazard if you hit a tree and bounce way out over the water. 15 has a drainage pond DIRECTLY BEHIND the basket. You don't see if from the tee, but its there, so if you try to park the basket on the embankment, 90% chance you'll lose the disc.
My advice, just bring one water disc. Something OS that you can sky hyzer with for 10 and 11. 10 has a non-water pad, but the long pad over the lake is just too fun to pass up. For 17, layup to the pond, and it's a (relatively) easy carry over the water. Just watch for the hyzer-and-fade-out-right-into-the-pond move. :doh:


And if you're bedding down in SW Raleigh, Buckhorn is easy to hit, and you'll be primed for Zebulon, though it might feel like a long drive between the two. But honestly, hitting Raleigh FOR DG, and not getting to Buckhorn, is considered a crime.

 

[fnords]

Saturday drive straight on to Buckhorn and play a round from the shorts and longs. If you are still feeling it, hit Middle Creek afterwards. Sunday looks fine imo just hit Kentwood early in the morning. UNC is a great course, but it's at least 40 minutes from Raleigh and would take away a lot of playing time elsewhere.

Here is, in my opinion, a list of the best public courses in the area not considering your driving time.

Buckhorn
UNC
Cedar Rock Park both courses (Burlington)
Valley Springs (Durham)
Zebulon
Cedar Hills
Rockness (Roxboro)
Cornwallis (prefer this short course to Kentwood but it's in Durham)
Kentwood (really fun short course, but often super crowded)
Middle Creek (not a bad course but weird with roads and sports complex in play on many holes)
Southern Village (Chapel Hill, about 10 minutes from UNC, worth a quick round if you play unc)
Leigh Farm (currently closed or it would be higher up on list)
Anderson (Carrboro)

 

[Olorin]

Heading to Raleigh from Wilmington in the AM
The agenda thus far for Saturday is:

1. Richlands-Steed Park (Jacksonville)
2. Barnett Park (Kinston)
3. Smithfield Community Park (Smithfield)....just for S's and G's
4. NC State Centennial Campus (Raleigh)
5. Middle Creek DGC (Raleigh)

Sunday morning and play:

6. Kentwood (Raleigh)
7. Cedar Hills Rotary Club (Raleigh)
8. Zebulon Community (Zebulon)
9. Mount Olive College (Mount Olive)

May be too late, but...

Skip Richlands, Smithfield, NC State, and even Middle Creek.
Add Buckhorn, Rock Ridge in Pittsboro is excellent, and maybe UNC (if you can fit in the drive there). I'm a fan of Valley Springs, too, but it's farther away.

On Sunday you can skip Kentwood, maybe Cedar Hills. Definitely skip Mount Olive College.
Add any of the above. Add Lake Wilson for a more open course with lots of water shots.

 

[gvdg jake]

Skip richlands. Not worth the time. Hit kinston then go to Greenville (west meadowbrook park) it's only 30 min from kinston and from Greenville you hop on 264 to Raleigh.

 

[SoCal Mike]

Zebulon is worth playing!!!

 

[pmay5]

Raleigh trip?

Nemmers - don't leave us hanging! How was your trip to Raleigh? Which courses did you play and what did you think of them? I see you got a lot of recommendations, just wondering how your weekend went!

 

[Nemmers]

Nemmers - don't leave us hanging! How was your trip to Raleigh? Which courses did you play and what did you think of them? I see you got a lot of recommendations, just wondering how your weekend went!

Had an absolute blast last weekend, despite the radical change of plans. Didn't play nearly as many courses as we'd planned; ended up playing a couple of the same courses twice. Didn't even make it to Raleigh....ended up in and around Greenville the whole weekend. Here's what we played:

Saturday:
Richlands-Steed Park (x2)
Barnet Park
West Meadowbrook Park (through 15 until it got dark)

Sunday:
West Meadowbrook Park
Covenant Church DGC
UNC North Recreation Complex DGC (x2)

Played Richlands twice just because it was so wide open and only one of the four of us (me) had ever played a course with that kind of space. Moved on to Barnet Park in Kinston and, despite it being in sort of a sketchy area, the course was actually really fun. Followed that up with West Meadowbrook Park, which was also pretty entertaining. Covenant Church DGC is, IMHO, pretty under-rated. I liked it. However, my favorite by a LONG shot was UNC. An absolutely gorgeous course. Had a hard time finding it and when we did it was kind of a B trying to find the first hole. When we did though we played it twice. I would make that 2+ hour drive again in a heartbeat just to play that course for a weekend.

I plan on writing some reviews of these courses over the next week, but suffice it to say that overall the trip was well worth it. None of the courses we played were boring -- of course, what course is the first time you play it? -- and it was well worth the gas money. The guys from work and me are planning on making this type of roadtrip a quarterly event until we hit all the best courses in the Carolinas. Next stop....Charlotte!

 

[Nemmers]

I TAKE THAT BACK....

It was NOT the UNC North Rec Complex we played that I loved.....it was the ECU DGC. It isn't even listed in the courses here on DGCR so far as I know. But it needs to be. Off the chain, it is.

 

[FightingTheTide]

Have they changed the course at NC State in the last few years? It was pretty rough when I played it a few years ago. If I remember correctly, some of the pin placements were either too simple or ridiculous.

(NCSU Alum, Class of '08)

 

[jmw1121d1]

The ECU course is a different course now from what it used to be. I played it back in the day when it was by the Football stadium. (Lived a 1/4 mile from it.) Now it is across town and is a much improved course. I may be wrong maybe a current local can chime in, but I think the course listed in DGCR as the ECU course is a mixture of the old course and the current one all lumped together under the current name.