Huntersville, NC

Bradford Park

4.115(based on 61 reviews)
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18 0
LLmanu10
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 3.4 years 24 played 23 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bradford

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jan 16, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I have been wanting to play Bradford for a very long time now, and I was very pleased. I was expecting a longer, more challenging course, but in reality, this course offers a very unique and enjoyable layout for all types of players.
-Immense variety here. You got the standard QC wooded holes, tighter, gauntlet type holes, and open holes. Also, there are no real back-to-back holes that have the same hole type/layout.
-I would say elevation is good on this course. The most extreme elevation takes place on #14 (starts off going straight downhill, then back up toward the basket), but many other holes have little elevation changes that make it fun.
-I wouldn't necessarily say that the course is easy, but it's very scoreable. The holes are not very long, but require accuracy. Accurate throws will leave you with a lot of standard birdie putts. For the wooded holes, the rough isn't very punishing, and you will be able to save par after a bad throw.
-Navigation was straight forward for me. The kiosk helped me find the first tee, and transitions between holes were short and easy. The only time I wasn't 100% sure where I was going was from #2 basket to #3 tee, but even then I still found it fairly easily.
-I played the short tees during my round, and I definitely want to play the longs during my next round here. The longs seem to provide different looks for most holes.
-No real filler/questionable holes. The only exceptions could be #4 and #5, but even those provide decent layouts.
-I never got bored during the round. If anything, I enjoyed my round more as it went along. The four hole stretch of #8-11 is outstanding and incredibly fun. It oozes with quality, as all four holes would easily be a signature hole at other courses.
-Tee pads and baskets are in good shape, tee signs are helpful and accurate. Good benches, no trash around, yada yada yada. The course is beautiful and is in tip-top shape.

Cons:

-It was hard to think of any cons for this course, most of these are nitpicking. The most noticeable con is that the course is pretty short. I wish there was a couple more par 4's to make an even better experience. You can see the course has the potential, and I'm curious how another par 4 would be.
-For whatever reason, I wasn't a huge fan of the raised basket on #18. It felt a little forced and out of place. I don't think the course really needs a raised basket, but there are definitely other holes that would have been better for one.
-I really liked #1, but I didn't like it as the first hole (from the short tee). I would have liked to start with a wider, more forgiving hole. Still a great hole nonetheless.
-I didn't like the sandy feel on #8. Again, I am nitpicking, but it was weird and just something that I am not a fan of.

Other Thoughts:

Bradford provided the most fun I have ever had on a disc golf course. Even though I didn't play my best, I still loved almost every aspect of the course. Park amenities are nice, and there seemed to be bathrooms at #12 tee (mainly for people using soccer fields). It's hard to decide what my favorite hole was, but #16 was easily the signature hole. Great layout with a nice area around the basket. There is no doubt that I will return to this course again, and is a must-play if you're in the Charlotte area.
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14 0
ray1970
Experience: 53 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good variety of holes drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very easy to navigate and excellent tee signage.

The fairways are actually fair. While a lot of the holes force you to keep your disc on a fairway the fairway isn't four feet wide.

Decent variety of hole types- uphills, downhills, wooded tunnels, wide open holes.

Some elevation in play but not so much that you feel like you are climbing a mountain.

Course seems like someone takes the time to maintain it. Very clean and the rough off the fairways wasn't very rough making recovering from an errant throw very doable.

Cons:

Seems like there were a lot of straight shots required with baskets essentially straight off the tee.

Tee pads seemed a little short but I'm just being picky to add a "con" here.

A couple of the wide open holes (2 and 18?) kind of felt a little out of place and almost like "filler" holes.

Other Thoughts:

Generally, I enjoyed playing this course.

Although some of the holes felt a little similar (requiring pretty much a straight shot) they weren't stacked up in a row so you didn't feel like you were playing the same hole over and over.

I'm RHBH dominant and my wife is LHBH dominant and I don't feel the course really favored one over the other.

I had to fight traffic from the far south side of the Charlotte area to get there but it was worth it.
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6 0
elks34
Experience: 6.6 years 12 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Glad I stopped to play! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 5, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

I loved this course. Everything was in excellent condition, with grass recently cut, trees recently trimmed, and the absence of limbs and other things littering the fairways.

Pretty good variety, although I would have enjoyed just one or two more holes that opened up for longer/less constricted tee shots. Good use of the topography in the course design, and there were holes that favored sidearm throwers, holes that favored backhanders, and holes that accommodated both.

My favorite holes were, for the most part, the ones I birdied, haha! Hole 8 is awesome, and I liked 6 a lot too. Even though I prematurely buried my tee shot not even halfway up the big hill on Hole 18 in embarrassing fashion, I really enjoyed the distance and elevation challenge of that hole too.

Excellent idea providing the option of a 9-hole loop; I thought that was pretty cool, although I would never in my right mind intentionally not play a full round at Bradford Park. I was in Huntersville after dropping my wife off at my cousin's house there, and wanted to play a Charlotte course before heading back to Georgia. This course was the closest to my location, and was also rated pretty well, so I stopped by to play a round - what a gratifying decision that turned out to be.

Cons:

There were a couple holes that ended with me wandering around a bit until I found the next tee. I'm pretty course-literate, I'd say, and the minis tacked to the trees (very cool idea!) on most holes were really helpful, but I was clueless on the walk from 11's basket to 12's tee. There's a possibility I just missed something or a storm tore down an indicator, but I had to walk around for 10-15 minutes trying a bunch of different trails before I finally stumbled upon 12's tee. There were a couple other times I spent a minute or two looking, but none so bad as that.

Also part of the same issue is the fact that the map at the beginning of the course has been destroyed, presumably by weather. So there was no option of taking a picture of the map in case I needed to consult it while working my way through the course.

Other Thoughts:

I will definitely be playing here again during another Charlotte visit!
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9 0
dndelli
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 17.3 years 154 played 150 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bradford Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 14, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

If you were to create a menu for Charlotte Area disc golf, Bradford would probably be listed as the sampler platter. It does a really good job giving you a taste of the different styles of golf the city has to offer. The course manages to weave in and out of the woods, throughout its design, in a way that golfers will probably unconsciously appreciate. Allowing them a few chance to air out their drives, but without ever feeling like the course is becoming stale. The wooded holes, while consequential, are still wide enough to allow you at least a couple options on how you want to shape your drive.

The variety of hole design and mixture of terrain that this course covers makes it maintain a fresh feel the entire playthrough. The holes that have water in play do a good job of providing just a little added danger when deciding if you want to lay up, or go for it.

Right in the middle of the course you have an absolutely phenomenal stretch of holes in 8, 9, & 10.

The park features soccer fields, ball parks, a playground, restrooms, etc. The course has nice concrete tees, DISCatcher baskets, and concrete tees. Not every hole has crazy elevation, but there are some that make good use of the elevation that the course had to offer. The course features two layouts, the white course is a great place for intermediate players, but will not be overly punishing towards beginners. The blue course (which features 13 longer tees and adds over 1000 ft of distance to the course) will give advanced players a fun challenge.

Cons:

Honestly, there aren't a lot of cons for this course, but some do exists- and there are a couple small ones. On a busy day at the park, finding a place to park can be a bear. When all the fields have a game going on, even the overflow parking gets full. Probably something to keep in when planning on coming on a nice day when soccer and baseball season are overlapping.

The course could probably benefit from at least one more long signature hole to give it the additional push it needs to enter into the upper echelon of Charlotte Area Disc Golf. If a par 5 (or par 4 for the short layout) could be added to back 9 to break up the long stretch of par 3s, it would really add some more memorability to the course!

Now that the Cedar Trees around Cedar Alley are getting taller, and old Hole 11 has been pulled, there really aren't any holes for big arms to open up at, outside of Hole 2.

Other Thoughts:

Bradford is going to earn a 4.0 from me. When talking about the best courses in the Charlotte disc golf scene, Bradford should definitely be in the conversation. It can be easy to focus in on the Big 3: Hornets Nest, Renaissance, and Nevin- and I don't really consider Bradford quite on their level, but it is just barely a small notch below them. If you are planning a trip to Charlotte, this course should definitely be on your list of courses to check out!

Favorite Short Holes: 3, 9, 10, 16
Favorite Long Holes: 2, 8, 11, 18
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8 0
RamsFan1
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.1 years 92 played 92 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Superb Experience 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2018 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 hole primarily wooded course with occasional peeks into the open. Welcome kiosk and practice basket await players at the end of the parking lot in close proximity to hole 1. Multiple plus-sized tee pads at each hole along with benches and descriptive signs. Trash cans/bags encourage players to keep the course clean. Navigation very easy with "next tee" markers present at appropriate spots. There are some outstanding holes here: a narrow straight shot between large cedar trees; a play to a basket positioned behind a massive boulder; a long straight shot down a fairway with smaller cedars symmetrically planted on either side; an awesome long straight shot which must turn over right to a basket tucked in the woods; an excellent downhill fairway shot which finishes uphill and a straight downhill shot to the basket. Great use of elevation and differentiation in shots.

Cons:

Not many. Surprisingly, there's only one Par 4 here. New construction and course configuration (re-numbering) on several holes may confuse some patrons until they're more worn in. Only one hole (hole 2) really allows big armed players to air it out in the open. The clay parking lot is a mess after heavy rain.

Other Thoughts:

Bradford was one of six courses I played while in town for the Am. Worlds and was my second favorite course behind Hornets' Nest. I left here with four other players commenting on what a tremendous experience it was playing here. More wooded than open, Bradford rewards accuracy and shot shaping. It is a venue which is challenging, yet never feels as if it's ever unfair or overly punitive.There are some beautifully constructed holes, and never once did I feel it was repetitive. The course is fair to both righties and lefties and calls upon you to execute your full variety of shots. Bradford has no real signature hole, but instead displays a number of excellent holes throughout the course. No bells and whistles here and no gimmicks, just good solid golf.

I think the one variable some might feel prevents this course from obtaining a 4.5 rating is the lack of Par 4 holes here. Despite this, Bradford is no easy Par 55 course; to me, it plays longer than it is. Kudos to the Charlotte DG Club and the individuals who have upgraded and maintain the course. A tremendous play.
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7 1
KenanFlagler01
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 198 played 192 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fantastic course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 9, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Bradford is a fantastic course in northern Mecklenburg County (outside of Charlotte in the suburb of Huntersville). It's legitimately one of the best courses in the Disc Golf Mecca of Charlotte. I rank it behind NC top 5 courses Nevin and Hornets Nest, plus nearby Robbins (which may put me out of step with the majority, who seem to prefer Bradford over it's North Meck neighbor). I rank it ahead of the other Charlotte courses I've played to date (Kilborne, the Eager and Angry Beavers, Bailey Road, RenSke, and Sugaw Creek). I admit that this is partly situational, as I played Bradford on a soggy day and after Parks & Rec pulled two holes for a park construction project. I imagine on a sunny day with better conditions, and all 18 holes in place, I may rate Bradford higher and possibly rank it ahead of Robbins (although I doubt ahead of either Nevin or Hornets Nest).

+ Navigation is simple, even with holes 11 and 12 not currently playable. There are next tee signs everywhere needed, good tee box signs, easy paths. If you're playing alone as a first timer, you won't have any problems.

+ The property is really beautiful, with mature forest and what they call "Cedar Alley," a series of holes with lots of cedar trees. When my son and I got to the first hole of cedar alley, with rows of young, perfectly aligned cedar trees, our reaction was, "Whoooaaa." It's a neat looking hole. (The fog, when we played, contributed to the mystical look of the hole.) Aesthetically, Bradford is one of the nicest courses I've played, and certainly so in Charlotte.

+ The course design and hole layouts are terrific. Great use of elevation. Several holes on ridges with slanting fairways, forcing you to place shots with the right angle and right amount of skip. There are a couple of death putt baskets. A creek is in play on a couple holes. There are wide open holes, wooded and technical holes... Bradford has it all.

+ Long and short tees available. I'm an intermediate player and played the shorts. I thought they were sufficiently challenging for my skill level: not too difficult, not to easy. Very fair. The long tees are significantly longer on a few holes and only slightly longer on others.

+ They did a great job of using the unique topography of the property. For example, a huge boulder is directly in front of the 10th basket. You have to try to hyzer your disc in over that obstacle to the green. I mentioned Cedar Alley already. Hole 17 is a great downhill hole with the basket on a slope opposite the tee -- with a creek bisecting the fairway. There's another creek hole with a peninsula green. The course concludes with a death putt basket on a steep hill for #18. The designers had a lot to work with on this property...and they took advantage of it.

+ Good mix of hole distances, hyzer, anhyzer, and straight lines.

+ Good concrete tees, not too short or narrow. (Some were a little slick though.)

+ Good baskets.

Cons:

As much as I enjoyed Bradford, I feel like there are some pretty easy upgrades that would take this course to a 4.5, in my book.

- First and foremost, it's a bummer to have two holes pulled. I hope this is only temporary and they're able to re-open holes 11 and 12.

- I played Bradford after a day of rain, so I will admit that my experience there would have been better with dry conditions. There's construction going on in the park, so there's a good bit of mud. I didn't see any major drainage problems though.

- The biggest con for me was the underbrush and grass. On the open holes, the grass desperately needed to be cut, when I played. (It didn't help that it was wet grass.) There is some real rough on a few holes, including briars. It wasn't too bad, but enough to land Bradford at a 4.0 for me. I think with a good local club work day, all of it could be taken care of.

- Bradford is par 54. I wish it had a couple of par 4's and 5's, like many other Charlotte courses. (This is a nit-pick, as I stated I played the short tees...I could've played the long tees to get the par 4 difficulty level on a few holes.)

Other Thoughts:

I would love to come back and play Bradford, especially with some of the improvements mentioned above. If you're traveling to Charlotte, make plans to bag this one.
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7 1
lazrman778
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.7 years 264 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bradford Park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 23, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has practice basket

Has concrete tee pads

Has excellent tee signs

Has a bench at every tee pad if I'm not mistaken

Course navigation without a map is fairly straightforward

More wooded than open fairways with some elevations - which will be challenging to the casual player

Nice scenery

Well-maintained

Free parking

Restrooms

Cons:

Few opportunities to lose discs here in the water on holes #3, 12, 15 & 16 - recommend backup discs

Lots of trees where some fairways can be quite unfair for those who haven't mastered disc control

Some holes have fairly long walks in between such as #5 & #6 , and #10 & #11 - not really a con in my book but some may not like the additional walking

Other Thoughts:

This a nice, challenging 18 hole course in Huntersville that I enjoyed playing while vacationing out here. I probably would have had more fun if it wasn't raining on the day I played. The course is really beautiful and a joy to play even when it rained. Most of the holes are wooded, straight, and had some degree of elevation to them - which made it even more challenging playing here in the rain. A few holes had water murky enough where you can lose discs. Most of this course is wooded where some fairways are tight enough to add a challenging dimension of required control. Cedar Alley is tough on discs not thrown accurately. Holes #1, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, & 16 were memorably tight for me and reminded me on why I don't play in the rain as often, but it was my last day of vacation in the area so I had to make the best of it. Some hole transitions had fairly long walks but they weren't that bad for me. All in all, this is an excellent course not to be missed and definitely worth bagging if you're in the area.
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11 0
bdupree
Experience: 8.1 years 22 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Bradford Park is one of the best in the Charlotte area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 19, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Without a doubt, Bradford Park is one of my absolute favorites in the Charlotte metro area. At this point I have only been playing for about 8 months, and this course is perfect for beginners wanting to take that next step.

One of the best things about the course is location. It is about 15 minutes east of I-77, off exit 25. The route out there gets away from the nonstop string of strip malls off the exit. Pretty quickly, you are driving out through open farmland. When I played today, the back parking lot was completely full but the disc golf course was not all that busy. It seems like this one is just tucked away back in a beautiful piece of property.

The first two holes really aren't very indicative of what you will see from number three onward. The first hole drives me nuts, with a tiny opening you have to hit off the tee. Second hole is unlike anything else on the course... basically a big long wide open hole in a grass field. After that, you get to see a lot of really well thought out hole layouts. For a beginner, this is actually a tough track. However, it will make you better in the long run. Par can be tough on a majority of the holes, but none of them seem to be very unfair.

Hole three has a great basket location, just in front of a little bend in the creek. Right behind the basket on the other bank of the creek is a massive boulder, too. Quality footbridges are in several places around the course, including the path from three to four. The next four holes work their way up and down the hills through the woods, and then you pop out into an unusual opening at number eight.

Eight is something else... "cedar alley." Short tees sit right in the middle of this odd stretch of small cedar trees. The hole is relatively short, but you have to hit a very straight tee line or else you will end up underneath a 10' cedar tree with no good line to get out. I still haven't figured out how to play this one, but I love the hole.

Number nine enters back into the trees, and then ten goes back slightly uphill to a great basket location. This one is perched immediately behind a huge boulder, requiring a delicate approach shot if you're going for a safe par. Eleven takes you back out into the open a little, and so does twelve. Thirteen is a great hole with two tiers of long and short tees. This one goes over a small ravine, back up a steep hill to a flat basket location. Fourteen is similar, with an elevated tee going up into a thicket of small trees around the basket. Basically, jail if you miss the right line.

Of the finishing holes, sixteen is most interesting. Downhill steep tee shot, threaded between quite a few mature hardwoods. At the bottom, there is a really nice two-tier footbridge that leads up to the basket location. The last two holes aren't all that thrilling, considering how unique the rest of the layout is. The basket for eighteen is perched up on what seems like a mountaintop from where your tee pad starts.

Bottom line, this is a fantastic course overall. I will happily take the 25 minute drive from the middle of Charlotte to go up here often.

Cons:

Not much downside here at all. The park is a little bit of a drive from I-77, but in my opinion that isn't a bad thing.

Other Thoughts:

If you finish up quickly here, there are some other great options in the area. The little Bailey Road Park course is only about three miles away. For those of you who are "of age," you are less than 5 miles away from three breweries... Ass Clown, Primal, and D9. Not a bad way to finish off a round!
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2 3
jsemales
Experience: 20.4 years 91 played 39 reviews
4.50 star(s)

One of the best kept secrets in Charlotte 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a really well designed and challenging course. It's a great place for beginner and pros alike. The course offers a solid mix of big arm throws and technical tight shots. Every hole presents a unique and interesting challenge, and the scenery surrounding the course is spectacular. It can get muddy, but the course plays very well.

Cons:

Watch out for ticks, and this course will EAT DISCS. Keep an eye out for where you land and walk immediately there. It's very easy to lose sight of where you end up.
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2 1
Klingmeyer
Experience: 8.3 years 23 played 18 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Text book course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 18, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great signage with distance and overview of holes. Holes are put together well with long and short concrete tee pads. Very good diversity of distances. A good mix of open and wooded holes as well as elevation changes. This course is a good course for beginners and veteran players alike. Foot traffic is never too heavy. Some tee-shots are very tight through the trees; #9, #13.

Cons:

Very long #8 hole (challenging). Almost twice as long from long tee box (720 ft from long). It's much better since the underbrush has been cut. Not much to say negatively about this course.

Other Thoughts:

This is my favorite course in this area so far. Some holes are difficult to par on regular basis. The paths are clearly marked and there is an option to play a short 9 holes after the 4th hole.
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2 6
Mygrassisblue
Experience: 3 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 1, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Excellent, extremely clean and well thought out holes. Bradford is how disc golf courses should be. Signage is good, and the holes flow together nicely without confusing. Good mix of wooded and open holes, the vegetation is really nice on a couple holes.

Other Thoughts:

Check this one out, you won't be disappointed
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6 1
reposado
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.3 years 278 played 276 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Bradford doesn't disappoint. The highlight is the two cedar alley holes, which both offer a gut shot between rows of ten-foot cedar trees along with the option of bombing it over the top of it all. Unique holes. Other than that there is a ton of variety with both open and wooded shots. The open shots are appropriately longer and the wooded fairways are just the perfect width to challenge without turning people off of the game. It isn't a mountain course but there are plenty of rolling hills and slight elevation changes.
New signs and easy navigation are bonuses here, as is the signed directions to just play nine holes. I wish I had more to say but Bradford is almost textbook, how-to-make-a-course that I'm almost stumped about what to say about it. After close to 250, I've finally the one that I don't have much to say about. Bradford is completely balanced and varied. If disc golf courses had evolved naturally instead of being planned by people, I would suspect this course to the ancestor from which all other courses had evolved from. Just completely well done and highly recommended.

Cons:

I don't think the blue tees added much. Often, the blue layout used the same exact tee so it wasn't an entirely different set of holes. Other times, it didn't change the look much.
I liked the look of the old 15 based on photos and map. It looked like it was a long drive to a right dogleg and then a pond on the approach, which is a reversal of the usual water setup.

Other Thoughts:

A lot to like about Bradford and settles into that nebulous region between a 3.5 and a 4 for me. One of those rare courses that despite having only one difficulty, would probably appeal to players of an assortment of skill levels. It works best for intermediate players but I can't imagine a player that I would tell not to go to Bradford. A lot of I'm pretty sure that they layout has been changed a bit recently as all the holes featured new signs and hole distances and sometimes hole shapes did not match with the map I had downloaded here.
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2 0
Harpo1989
Experience: 48 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice, clean, but difficult for newer players. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a well maintain and very scenic course. The wooded holes are more cleaned out than nearby Robbins Park. While tee shots can be narrow or long at times, the approach shots are typically clear from underbrush and places to lose your disc are minimal.

I am still a newer player but usually still play long tees. I will say that I am not good enough to be playing the long tees on this course. An 11 on hole 8 is testament to that. While this is a con for me some better players might find this good news as the long tees offer more added challenge than simply adding length on a lot of the holes.

Next time I will play the shorter tees and very likely have much less difficulty. Hole 8's long tee requires a long and straight tee shot just to make it to the short tee and hole 18 has a mando requiring you to hyzer around a tree through a narrow opening and away from the hole!

Cons:

Not many. There were several holes that did not have the signage telling you distance and direction.

Also, I did not see any arrows directing you from the 11th hole basket towards the 12th tee, which is off to the right along the roadway.

Other Thoughts:

There is a practice basket near the first tee, which is always a plus.

If you're coming from out of town and need a second course to play, Robbins Park is only a few miles away and would make for a great one-two punch!
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5 0
ajbova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.6 years 112 played 95 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Another impressive Charlotte course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very challenging intermediate to pro level course. Requires extreme accuracy as well as distance.

Very clean park with playground on site.

Baskets - 18 Grippy innova discatchers that were fantastic. Had zero issues with spit outs. Had a practice basket.

Tees - Each hole had at least 1 large concrete tee pad that were still in great shape. 12 holes had dual tees with a shorter set. 6 holes only had 1 tee.

Variety - Course is heavily wooded so bring your A game. Everything from short and technical to long and technical to long and open. Only a few holes were mostly open but still required great placement due to elevation or the woods bordering the fairway. Multiple types of terrains. Several tunnel shots requiring a player to thread the needle. Many holes had blind shots due to elevation and woods.

Signs - Signs were very helpful. Listed distance, par, hole number, and a map. Course billboard at start of course with very detailed map and info on disc golf. Signs throughout course pointing towards the next hole. Also, after hole 4, sign gives info on possible 9 hole loop (1-4, 14-18).

Many signature holes here.

Trash bags and benches at each hole.

Elevation - Elevation on almost every hole (8-12 were flat).

Rocks - A cool feature from this course are the massive rocks throughout it. Really stood out to me.

Course was challenging but not as challenging as Nevin or Robert L Smith. Still had many intimidating holes.

Very scenic and peaceful. Quite park with lots of nature and animals to take in. Plenty of shade.

Another spread out park. Only a few holes had bordering fairways but was never an issue due to the woods between them.

Course started and ended near the parking lot.

Bridges and steps when needed.

Very easy to navigate.

Cons:

I did have many negative thoughts about this course. It had pretty much everything. A little more clearing on a few of the holes would be nice but that would take away from the challenge.

Poison Ivy throughout course.

Other Thoughts:

I was a big fan of this course. Out of the 6 I played in the Charlotte area, this was my third favorite behind Nevin, Robert Smith. It was very challenging but had enough holes that gave you a break in between the woods. A few ace opportunities.

The walks between holes were peaceful and scenic which is always a plus.

Would definitely recommend this course to anyone traveling though the city or someone looking for a challenge. If it is too hard or too easy, there are several other courses nearby.

I felt this course was much better than 4 out of 5. Not nearly as good as Nevin, Renaissance Gold/Silver, or Robert L but still a great compliment to those courses. Worth checking it out.
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4 0
Dickie B
Experience: 10 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Cedar Maze 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

First time on the course and played the short tees for the upcoming CAC (MG1). Very impressed with the variety of shots required, most of which require a higher level of technical skill. Each hole has it's own merits which are unique to that particular hole. Forehand, backhand, power drives, they are all there.
The course if VERY clean and well maintained. Flow from basket to tee is smooth and protected from upcoming players. The concrete, brushed finish tee pads are excellent. Benches are at all tees and some (most) are artistically produced.

Cons:

Hole #11 left me wanting for a homing device on my disc. By the time I found it, I was itching like crazy and by the time I got home, I had at least 5 chigger bits on my legs. Yuk! I guess I need to have a bit more control or at least a spotter :)
Could have used a little arrow after hole 8 to help me find hole 9. The on-line map and the real-world didn't match exactly.
Honestly, if that's all I have to complain about, I guess you could say the course exceeded my expectations.

Other Thoughts:

When I started out to find Hole #1, I met a gent, to whom I told it was "my first time" at this course. He politely pointed me in the right direction and had so many good things to say about the course that I wondered if it could be true. I am a believer :) I just wish the course was close to Clover so I could play it every day! A 5 rating hasn't been given by me yet because I've never been blown away by a course. A 4.5 is reserved for what I consider the best so far. So, a 4.0 is the highest I can give this course.
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13 0
Pbmercil
Experience: 19.3 years 50 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Bradford Raises the Bar 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

As I've gotten into reading and writing reviews I've considered a hypothetical question: "Can a shorter, easier course, earn a 4+ rating?"

Until I played Bradford I would have said no. I didn't think that a short course could be so well designed, maintained, and executed to earn this high of a rating from me. I was mistaken. Bradford raises the bar on what what I previously though possible from free to play public property courses that are playable by any skill level. It really is that good.

Course was meticulously well maintained. Spring in NC is hard to keep the weeds at bay, and the rough was very well managed, keeping the lost disc factor very low. There was not a fallen branch or unmowed strip of grass to be found anywhere.

The little touches make a big difference. The course was easy to navigate, tee signs were very good, and benches were frequent as well as very nice.

In my opinion disc golf is at its best when played in the woods, and Bradford shows why. The course design requires a high degree of technical control of your disc at a variety of different distances and lines. Despite being a bit on the short end compared to my other favorite courses I still felt like this course challenged all aspects of my game.

The few holes through the cedar grove were very nice. A little bit of distance, which always makes someone with power happy to pull a high speed driver out, while still needing precise shot location.

Well developed long AND short tees. I usually play with my girlfriend, so having holes that play awesome from BOTH tees really adds to a course. A lot of courses throw longer or shorter tees in as an afterthought without really looking at how they play, but at Bradford they were very well executed.

Cons:

I don't really have any. I guess I will say that not a lot of holes stick in my mind as spectacular. The par 4 through the cedar grove was very nice, but other then that the holes blurred together a little bit. They were all tight, wooded, technical, and reachable off the tee (for me, sans the par 4s). I think for Bradford the whole is greater then the sum of its parts

Other Thoughts:

Bradford really grew on me as my round progressed. I didn't have particularly high expectations, I figured I'd get a standard issue Charlotte wooded course. But it kept growing on me as I progressed from one hole to the next. By the back nine I was telling myself "this is a really good course". By 18 I was telling myself "This course is incredible!" I don't feel like there is much to add. I get to Charlotte a couple times a year and Bradford is definitely going to be a go to course for the foreseeable future. I think it belongs in the conversation with some of the giants in the area.
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2 1
Notverygood
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 76 played 35 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun, challenging, beautiful course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 7, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well maintained, you can tell the club? city? takes good care of this course
Decent variety
Gorgeous park this time of year (February)

Cons:

Nothing jumps out at me as big Cons for this course
There wasn't much relief from tight wooded holes, but it didn't get aggravating
Clay/dirt ground is slick and muddy in some places

Other Thoughts:

I'm new to town, and this happened to be the first course I've played here. And what a course to play first!

Its obvious that the club members or city takes great pride in this course, as the pathways, tees, benches etc. were all in great shape compared to some other courses I've played.

The "Cedar Alley" section of the course is a cool change of scenery from the tight wooded fairways, but doesn't offer much relief as far as difficulty.

Overall a challenging course that really focuses on accuracy and shot shaping. Very fun to play, even the first time through.

Generally easy to follow the course as most baskets had signs leading to the next hole nearby.

Some cool variation in elevation was also a nice change coming from Florida where its flat flat flat.

I look forward to playing this course again, and hopefully lowering awful score.
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8 0
pfpro
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 55 played 42 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Solid - it grew on me 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 20, 2014 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- great DG course setting. Nice benches (like what you would find in a lodge style hotel, not 1"x8"s bolted to 4"x4"s). Great signage (plus directional arrows between holes when needed). There was a garbage bag at every sign (and the course was in great shape - there was garbage in the park, but it was probably from the non-DG activities - kudos to the locals).
- lots of variation. For a NC course, multiple "open" holes to bomb on. Challenging, tighter (but not unfair) wooded holes. Good mix of long and short holes (so a few ace runs without feeling like they were trying to squeeze in 18 from the short tees). There are four holes (on called cedar alley) with a lot of cedar trees - unique to this course in this part of the country.
- nice park, have only played on weekdays, could see it getting busy on the weekend. The bathroom in between 11-12 has drinking fountains.
- two pads on most (if not all?) holes. Many of them offer a truly different shot (some much longer), not just slightly different angel tucked behind a tree so we can call it two different pads.
- water that doesn't "really" come into play, but will make you consider your shot.
- bridges, stairs, etc keep you out of the mud in low lying areas
- course layout is pretty intuitive (plus signs all show next hole) so it's easy to navigate and there is plenty of space between holes, so minimal risk of getting drilled by someone else.
- there's a 9-hole loop (jump from 4-14) if you don't have time for a full round.

Cons:

- fairly ticky-tack, but it's not super convenient to get to from 85 corridor (if you're not coming from that direction, guess it won't bother you).
- relatively high disc loss risk on the cedar holes if you shank a shot (which it's so tempting to go high and rip, because it's "only" ~300' to the basket..... )
- one other minor one, the transition from 15-16 isn't super intuitive, (or maybe I just missed the directional sign). If you have the map, or have a good sense of direction, it's no big deal, the rest of the course is so well marked, it stuck out.

Other Thoughts:

When I came back and played this course the second time, I liked it much better. Don't know if I was in a rush the first time, having a bad day - glad I waited to review it until the second play. Although not "unfair" with super tight fairways, I would call this course more of an intermediate course. I can't quite out my finger on it - don't know if it's design, if it's my disc selection not quite being dialed in, but it seemed like I spent a lot of time looking for discs without really having terrible shots. So, maybe not the best course to start someone on.

5-10 years from now, the cedar alley holes are going to be tough (although maybe you will be less likely to lose discs because you will have to hit the tunnel instead of trying to bomb over them).

My favorite hole was 13 (probably just because I hit the line) nice valley shot. 12 is enjoyable, get to rip with the RHBH hyzer going into a hill, then you have to deal with the retention pond on your approach shot.

Bottom line - super solid course. Challenging, well laid out, varied course. I'm not a local, but travel to charlotte for work on a regular basis. This course is good, but it's in a rotation of several courses (Nevin, kilborne, idlewild, hornet's nest) that I am going to get through before I'm back here. If this were my home course, I'd be stoked.
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8 0
codyroberts18
Experience: 15.1 years 109 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Big Trip 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Let me start out by saying Schleppy is an awesome guy. He was out picking up garbage while we were out there and you could tell he cares about the course a lot. He helped us navigate the front 11 or so holes and told us about the rest of the course.

Now about the course: This course had a good variety of holes and gave opportunities to score well while also the challenge of staying in bounds and avoiding roll aways, etc. I was very impressed with the signage, the flow of the course, and the overall layout of the holes. Each hole was very unique and that makes it hard for me to pick my favorite hole. The signage was top notch, and we never had a time where we were wondering where the basket was or looking around for a tee pad. The paths in between holes were very well defined and there were signs going to every hole.

Cons:

Upon entering the park, there is a sign that points towards the disc golf course, but maybe it could be placed in a better place or made a little bigger. We didn't notice it at first and took a wrong turn. This wasn't a big deal but for some out of towners, like I am, it proved an issue. I would also say that 2 and 18 are kind of lackluster compared to the other holes. This is something that may not can be done, but the addition of some small trees or bushes in the open areas would at least add a little challenge after the initial tee shot. Outside of those small cons, there is not much negative to say.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this was a very fun course. It had its challenges while also allowing us to score well. This was one of the many courses we played, and are still playing, on our big road trip to Charlotte and it did not disappoint. As I said earlier, thanks to Schleppy for the help getting around and for your dedication to keeping the course nice and tidy. That goes for other locals as well. Thanks for a great experience Bradford!
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9 1
sidewinder22
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.3 years 331 played 198 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Check out the Big Brain on Brad! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 Discatcher baskets with dual concrete tees on most holes. The variety and design of holes is outstanding as the available terrain and elevation are used nicely. The course plays a bit a of everything from open bombs to short technical shots that go into, out, and through the woods and around a pond and creek. Mostly par 3 with a couple par 4s. Navigation and signage is great. Bathrooms and vending machine after hole 11.

Cons:

It's really hard to think of much, the course plays a little close to the parking lot on 2 holes. I could see it being crowded because it's such a playable course.

Other Thoughts:

Bradford is an excellent course for anyone. The course just flows and transitions it's variety seamlessly from hole to hole. The only knock I can come up with which is no fault of anyone, is that there is not much elevation to provide some truly epic holes. That said I enjoyed pretty much every hole, the par 4 hole 12 was probably my favorite like many others, I like how the drive makes or breaks the approach shot to the basket next to the pond. I could play this course everyday it's like a mighty tasty Big Kahuna burger!
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