Pros:
Pipeline is an elite-level course. It offers plenty of challenge along with many elite and fun hole layouts. Put it all together, and this course is a definite 'must play' in my book.
- I have played more than 150 courses in the state. I rated it the second best course in the state, only behind Langley Pond.
- Pipeline is a solid all-around course. It combines everything one could be looking for in a course. The course starts with a solid risk/reward layout on hole #1, and ends with one of the most interesting, creative and nerve racking layouts I've seen with #18. With the aspect of the tremendous uphill aspect involved with the approach shot, Pipeline offers one of the best closing holes I've seen anywhere.
- Tremendous use of the terrain. There's an abundance of uphill and downhill holes. The closing three holes play this way: #16 is down and up; #17 is a downhill hole with a nerve-racking teeshot; #18 is an uphill shot that requires a strategically placed tee shot if you want to make a run for the basket in two shots. There's an excellent mix of tight and/or multi-shot wooded layouts to more open, be aggressive holes. Throw in some epic scenery - #11 is set to be the hole everyone talks about - along with grassy fairways in the woods- credit Little Mulberry's inspiration on the designers - and it will just add to the overall enjoyment.
- There are tremendously fair, but challenging, holes throughout the course. There's a high risk/reward factor here. With heavily wooded rough, an aggressive shot that misses the fairway could turn from a birdie run to a scramble for bogey or double bogey. In my one round here, I had my share of birdies/birdie putts while also seeing double bogeys. Even on a hole like #3, which is one of the few open fairways, by being overly aggressive and ending in the woods, it took me two shots to get back into the fairway. Be prepared for a wide-ranging scorecard when playing here.
- This course offers one of the best closing three-hole stretches of any course I've ever played. Doing a quick search of my disc-golf travels, I can only think of two other courses that have a closing stretch as solid as this: W.R. Jackson and Nevin. Here's a quick rundown of the closing stretch: #16 starts out in an open area, throwing downhill to an opening in the woods. Once you clear the woods (and it could take several strokes), you're in another opening, throwing uphill to a basket that's slightly back into another stretch of woods. Add to that there's a slight ravine protecting the basket, and this is a great, multi-shot hole.
- #17 is long and straight. Oh yeah, and the tee shot is a straight down 30-foot drop tee shot. So even by throwing a flat throw, your shot is way too high, and will either be knocked down by a branch or it will end up fading out into the rough. So you've got to throw downhill and keep it in the fairway for a mid-range approach shot.
- #18 is one of the best closing holes I've played anywhere. Love the strategy involved. It's a wooded hole, slight dogleg right with a slight mound halfway down the fairway. From there, the fairway curves further right to a raised basket back up another hill. Add in the fact you could see discs rolling back down the hill towards you and the bad-luck factor also comes into play here. These three holes could all see 3s on them, but could also see a 6 or 7 on them if you're off your game. A couple shot lead in a tourney might not be safe coming into this stretch. As great as the stretch of holes are, none is the best hole on the course. Or possibly even the second best.
- There's great flow to the course, clearly showing the course developers took time and effort to create a solid course throughout. There are two elite stretches of holes - #10 - 12 (listed below) and #16 - 18 (listed above). In between those stretches there's a three hole stretch where you can catch your breath. Holes #13 - 15 are all birdie-able. I had birdie putts on all three holes, making 2s on #14 & 15. It's nice having a chance to catch your breath while also undoing damage from earlier in the round, or doing some preemptive damage control for the closing three holes.
Cons:
Course is new and still being broken in. As such, some new-course issues will be issues for this first season.
- The biggest of these issues are simple, but noticeable things such as the course is too muddy in parts (because grass hadn't been planted yet); piles of branches right off the fairway; need for better signage and more benches.
- Course can wear you down physically and/or mentally. You'll be feeling all the walking up and down hills if you're not fit. And even if you are, good chance you'll be looking for a place to catch your breath at some point. Almost every hole requires well-placed tee shots, which leads to a lot of grinding and scrambling throughout a round. It also means you have to take advantage of the easier holes or you'll feel like you're throwing away even more strokes.
- A couple holes might border on being too difficult/unfair, especially if you compare it to its par. I played with a group of locals, including the designers, and there was feeling that a couple holes on the front 9 could easily be either a par 3 or par 4. The thought was to split the difference and make the two holes a combined par 7.
- Lost disc factor is pretty high. Between being a heavily wooded course and all the elevation changes, there are holes where a disc could easily sail away. Add to that, holes #11 & 12 play near Fairforest Creek. Discs that end up in there might be considered lost or it could take a lot of creativity to find them. All of that while trying to avoid snakes. Oh yeah, the snakes love the grassy areas down there next to the water.
Other Thoughts:
Pipeline immediately became one of my favorite courses, and was reconfirmed with my next visit. In my book, this is the second best course in the Upstate, barely edged out by Grand Central. Let me play each of them another couple times, and I might switch that order.
- #11 is a thing of beauty. It's an open, downhill tee shot, looking straight at the creek. The basket is off to the right and allows players to throw over the trees or through the cleared out openings. A great tee shot will allow you a birdie run at the raised basket. Very funny hole. Throw in the challenging layout on #10, which could also be argued as the course's best/most difficult hole, and the challenge on #12, and this three hole stretch could be considered almost as good as #16 - 18.
- Pipeline is a much better version of R.L. Smith in Charlotte. And I don't think it's even that close. So, for anyone who raves about Smith (pretty much the entire Charlotte DG community), you really need to check out Pipeline. In many regards, Pipeline has many elements and similarities to two of the IDGC courses: Steady Ed and Jim Warner. So, it's not quite as good as the IDGC courses, but it is better than R.L. Smith.
- I was amazed at the amount of elevation the course had - much more than anything else in the region.
- Pipeline is an absolute must play for anyone in the region - Charlotte, Atlanta, Asheville, Columbia, etc. After finally playing it a second time in January '21, I'm even more convinced this is one of South Carolina's best courses.