Pros:
Located in the back of Guilford College's campus is this secluded course. If you're looking for a fun, casual round, this is an excellent course for that.
- A very good, mid-range course. Average hole length is only around 240 feet (DGCR lists at 241; UDisc at 234), with only one hole longer than 315 feet - #9 at 455. You're throwing lots of putters or mid-range discs off the tee here.
- #1 & 2 may be the most fun holes on the course. Both have ace run potential. Both may want you throwing a second shot for fun. #1 at 205 feet also offers a drop off behind the basket; although, it isn't as imposing as it appears from the tee. #2, at only 170 feet (it feels longer than UDisc's listing of 144 feet), is the tighter fairway.
- The front nine seems to have more memorable layouts. I felt holes #1 - 8 all had personality and different looks to them. After the three open holes in the same field (#9 - 11), I felt the course lost some of that luster despite still having some enjoyable layouts.
- #5 is a simple hole, but I love these types of shots. It's relatively open and slightly downhill at 270 feet. It's the type of hole you can throw multiple shots to get to the hole. An aggressive shot will land in the woods. A shot landing short may continue sliding down towards the basket.
- I liked the vibe of #7 and its extreme dogleg right. It's a short hole through a small gap in the trees so get your disc high and have it cut back to the basket fast. #8, at 230 feet, has a basket protected by trees. There's a wide, safe for par route you can take. There's a tighter, go for birdie route you can take. Or you can take the direct line, hit one of the first trees protecting the basket, and take your chances you'll get a somewhat favorable bounce. I opted for the third option.
- Quality tee signs. They were clearly recently added so you know the course is getting some regular attention. And, there are also some much appreciated next tee markers when needed.
- The course is secluded from the rest of the campus. I don't see any reason why you couldn't be here on a weekday. Just watch out for some gardeners or cross country runners (if they actually run here at times).
- I like a course that starts and ends with memorable holes. It bookends the round with good memories. I'm visualizing the first and last holes at Fox Chase as a perfect example. On a smaller scale, these two holes stand out above the other ones on the course.
Cons:
First thing I noticed pulling up is that the parking lot is ridiculously tiny. There were three vehicle parked, and we were taking up about half the space. If the lot is full, I'm not sure where to park unless you can just park along the access road or in the parking lot in front of the school building (if it's not permitted).
- On holes #15 & 16, you do get the sense you are right behind the work sheds as there are mounds of dirt and debris around. If they both had natural feels to them, this would be a great two-hole stretch. Instead, they have a cramped, invading feel to them.
- DISCLAIMER: I MAY BE AN IDIOT. Now to the con. As decent as the tee signs are, they need to let you know which direction you're actually throwing. With lots of paths/fairways between trees, they look similar. On #7, I threw the wrong direction off the tee. To be fair, the image just shows a sharp dogleg right around a row of trees. I had to figure out which way I was throwing on #18 as well. And, on #6, you only see the basket for #17 from the tee.
- Rubber tee pads were mostly ok. On some holes, they're on uneven ground, making them a hindrance.
- This is probably mainly a Winter issue. Course was ridicously muddy. I wore my mud/water boots, which was a major life saver. On some tees (#13 & 18 come to mind), mud was so bad, I couldn't find a spot to set down my bag. So, I left it on the tee and sacrificed a run-up. If you play when it's this muddy and you're in regular shoes, I don't know how you're navigating #18. That said, when dry, this is a solid closing hole. One of the tougher tee shots on the course.
Other Thoughts:
The Guilford course was a pleasant surprise. As my playing gets more infrequent due to life, I've appreciated playing less grueling courses. The whole two rounds vs one reasoning. And because of that, I'm liking courses that have quality layouts, flow, variety, challenge, and fun. Guilford meets all of those checkmarks.
- This is a solid course for beginners and casual players. A fantastic intro for college students and locals. If you want more challenge, you're not far from the better courses in the area: Keely, Johnson Street, and Patriot amongst others.
- Lots of birdie and ace run chances. If you're a regular, and you play #9 & 18 as par 4s, it shouldn't take too many rounds before you've birdie most if not all of the holes.
- #18 is a par 3.5 in its current setup. I'd move the tee back 75 - 100 feet, and make it a 400-foot, tight fairway par 4. I had a subpar tee shot, a decent second shot, and a 20 foot putt for a 3.
- This had some good vibes of Mint Hill's 9-hole layout in metro Charlotte. If you can keep your disc on-line, you will have a field day on the wooded holes. If you start throwing off-line, you'll be scrambling for pars. The woods are thick enough here that you shouldn't be surprised if an errant throw takes a wicked bounce deep into the woods and you end up with a bogey or double-bogey.
- So, the sign out front of the campus says the college was founded by a society of friends. I didn't realize that's a term used by the Quakers. I like the phrase when it comes to this disc golf course. When you're playing a round with anyone, you're part of our crazy society of friends.