Pros:
In terms of locale and vibe, you're at the top right here. You're at the Outer Banks, 15 minutes from the ocean; 3 minutes from waterfront eating and drinking. And you're playing a relaxing round. Not bad?
- It's a perfectly suitable short course. Holes do offer just enough variety that it's more than worth 15-20 minutes of time to play.
- #1 is a short, tight fairway layout. Road on left is OB and woods on the right, meaning an ace run might not be the most feasible shot. Take your easy 2.
- A couple short, simple layouts on #2 & 3, then you've got a nice walk to the back of the campus for the next stretch of holes. Even the school building has a chill, beach vibe to it. Not the simple, dull, paint-by-number every other school building looks like.
- #4 gets top marks for most scenic hole. Love how simply, pleasant, and scenic this layout is. The stretch of #4 – 6 all play in this corner, giving a good vibe.
- #7 is what it is. Had to find room for a hole, so you get this. Then #8 & 9 have more vibes of #4 – 6. #9 actually requires a tad more effort, being the longest hole on the course at 231 feet.
- Good course for beginners or people on vacation. You can't pack an entire bag for your trip? Pack two discs and play here.
- Baskets are in good shape.
Cons:
For a vacation course, this is excellent. You're a little sore, you're moving slow, you're hungover, but you want to get out of the house and play a little disc golf? This is the perfect course for that.
- Biggest gripe is hole #6. After playing #5, you walk the entire length of #6 backwards to get to the tee, play the hole (walking its length a second time), then walk the hole backwards again to get towards #7. It's clunky, especially if others are on the course.
- Part of the reason for this is the obvious that this course uses all available space. They're tapped out. So, deal with a couple of ho-hum shots.
- The course isn't targeting advanced players. Even average players are shooting well below par.
- Navigation could be a little better. Transition from #3 to 4 and from #6 to 7 are a little tricky without a map/UDisc.
- No amenities for players.
- Tee areas are lacking. Natural, and sometimes uneven tees. Now, that said, if you need more than a single step for a run-up, that's an issue in and of itself.
Other Thoughts:
Manteo Middle is a fun, short course. For a course averaging less than 150 a hole, it's good.
- One of the course's strongest suits is that not every hole is an ace run. I'm trying to figure out what the ace run line would be on #2. Getting back to #1, I'm thinking the ace run is a skip shot off the pavement to the basket.
- The course requires nearly zero upkeep other than standard grounds maintenance. Course should always be in good shape barring the occasional tropical storm.
- This is a great course to bring the kids to. When you're looking for something else to do, especially something that's quick, easy, and free, take them here. It's a lot cheaper than the mini-golf courses, and will offer the same level of challenge for beginners.
- It's easier than Ace Run two miles down the road. You could knock out both courses in under an hour.
- This will be a return visit course for me when I'm in the Outer Banks. If you're here, check it out. I wouldn't recommend driving four hours out of the way to play here, however, as I know some individuals are wont to do.