Pros:
Update 7/15/2020:
After having played this course a second time, it would be a cold day in hell before I took a true beginner to this course. I would love for someone more experienced to walk this course and Cornwallis Rd and justify this as a Green course and Cornwallis as a Red. Cornwallis is much easier to play. But I did finally find the tee for #13 by following the secret trail to Peter Pan's hideout.
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There are a bunch of reviews that state this course is "good for beginners". This course is not actually good for true beginners. I think people have forgotten what it's like to be a beginner, or they have a different definition of beginner.
After reading other reviews of the course I was completely unprepared for what this course actually plays like. Tight lines without much in the way of layup opportunities.
I'm going to re-review this after I have played again, but as someone who has about 200 rounds under my belt at this point, if this was my introduction to disc golf ... I might not like disc golf.
Pros:
- The holes are fairly short.
- If you need to work on hitting your lines, this course will require a variety of different shapes. RHBH Turnovers that can't be forehands, forehands that can't be turnovers, tight low hyzer shots, tight straight shots, short high hyzer forehands, shots that need to clear a 3.5 foot obstacle 5 feet off the tee, working from awkward stances on the teebox, etc.
- If you want to practice your death putts, you'll actually have several on this course.
- If you need to learn to manage downhill rollaway risk into OB, this course has it.
- If you want to practice some pressure shots, this course has a few. Being forced to carry OB short, miss trees that will drop you into the OB, and avoid OB long (#12) isn't something you are going to get on most sub-rec level courses, nor is needing to throw a tight low hyzer with OB right (#8), nor is throwing a dead straight shot with OB left and right (#17), not is carrying an OB road the entire way to a green that slopes 30+ degrees away from you (#18).
- The rough is rough in many places. You will be punished if you find the thick stuff, so, again, it encourages you to hit your lines.
Cons:
It sounded like I was listing cons above, but I do consider those to be pros. The course is certainly attackable by better players, but beginners needing to work on those skills can work on them here.
But all of the above could be considered cons if you are looking to play a less challenging round on a putative green level course.
Other cons:
- Maintenance seems to be hit and miss. #1 is going to be nearly impossible to throw from soon do to the mimosa starting to encroach on the tee shot. #3 has high weeds growing up nearly to the tee area, forcing a blind, high throw on a down sloping hole to a green sloping away.
- Comparing the pictures from the 2013 to what the course is like now, the holes may not be playing as designed. #1 is now playing as a tight turnover that would be tough forehand, with a tunnel of trees tight to the bridge. Compare that to the picture of #1 from 2013.
- Navigation is nearly non-existent, especially in the places that need it the most (holes that have been redone due to nearby construction). Be prepared to hunt around for the next tee and scout the basket. Be prepared to rethrow when you have thrown from an old tee and see the new one.
- On #17 green you need to double back away from the green, ignoring the clear path in front of you, to a nearly unmarked tee area next to a maintenance shed that looks directly at a road and then throw a tee shot over the road the entire way. It's very unclear that this is the shot you are supposed to throw.
- You may need to throw standstill on many tee shots, as frequently the tee areas are root and rock bound.
- I never found a tee for #13. I had guesses on where it might supposed to be, but it was muddy, uninviting and marked differently than all the other tees.
- The mosquitoes are as to be expected for a low lying course in NC that seems to see a fair amount of standing water at times. Bring your bug spray.
- Did I mention low-lying? Conditions were fairly good when I was there, but I wouldn't play it after a rain.
- The course possibly interweaves just a little more than normal with the walking trails. Potentially distracting, but probably not too dangerous unless you get unlucky and miss the rough and whiz into the walking path.
Other Thoughts:
I think there is probably something to be said for playing this course until you can master it. The first 5 holes kind of lull you into thinking that you won't be challenged in a new way, but the tight flex forehand I was forced to throw on #6 was more indicative of the rest of the course. If you go in having been led to believe that its an easily scorable course for newbies, you may have a bad time.
I think there may be potential here for a much better experience, with better navigation and better tees, but I worry the low lying nature of the course means it won't get the love it would need to really fill the niche it should.