I was absolutely blown away by Dry Creek. I have never really seen or heard anything special about this course, which is harsh, because there needs to be a lot more recognition. This is probably the best non-CDGC course that is in the Charlotte area!
-This course takes open holes to a whole new level. About half the course is played outside of the woods, and not once was I bored by the design of each one of these open holes. They are not your typical "bomber" holes, they require a solid, well placed shot from tee to basket. Some use hazard and OB stakes, which turned up the difficulty level.
-The mix of these open holes with its wooded holes is great. Each wooded hole is laid out very nicely with defined fairways. You need to have every shot in your bag to conquer this course, both the open and wooden layouts.
-The course offers a gold, par 70 layout, and a red, par 58 layout. Personally, I played the golds, which is what my review is mostly based on. The dual layout attracts all levels of players, as the more beginner level players can enjoy their round from the reds.
-The blend of par 3's, 4's, and 5's is perfect. There are six par 3's, eight par 4's, and four par 5's. Personally, I am the person who wants more long holes, so this aspect appealed to me nicely.
-Great variety. Within the open and wooded holes, there are doglegs, straight shots, and dual fairways. There are even two island greens (#6 & 18), which made things more fun and interesting.
-The flow of the course was nice. After playing a longer stretch of holes, a par 3 is sprinkled in at the perfect time. There seems to be no better way to have laid this course out.
-Navigation was easy and straight forward. There are next tee signs everywhere, and the baskets have gold and red tape, signaling the direction where the next tee is located. The course completes one large loop, which brings you straight back to the parking lot after #18.
-The course maintenance was great. Because of the large amount of open holes, I can see the grass getting way to long. But during my round, the grass was cut to a very considerable length.
-The rough was not thick, at least to Charlotte standards. Losing a disc here seems impossible.
-The first couple holes of the back nine play through a pine forest, which gives off that Bradford vibe. The open holes also have some cedar trees scattered about, which adds to that vibe.
-The terrain on #11's fairway was cool. Very bumpy with lots of mounds, which can produce some unexpected skips and bounces. It adds to the difficulty, which is a con in my book.
-Tee pads are probably the best I've ever seen. Very long and wide, with a perfect texture. Also, the corner of each tee was painted to its corresponding layout, which lowered confusion.
-Innova DISCatcher baskets are installed well and caught well. Very bright and easy to see from such far distances. Also, #3 & 12 had nice raised baskets.
-Practice basket is located to the left of the first gold tee.

-My biggest issue with this course was the incredibly unhelpful hole maps on the tee signs. They show the absolute basics of where the hole goes, but that's it. I think I checked UDisc on almost every hole to look at the map, which was frustrating.
-I mentioned that the rough wasn't thick, however, it is very punishing. Because the woods is mostly pine trees, there are a lot of trees compacted together. So scrambling isn't very easy.
-The road can come into play right on #3. It would take a pretty errant throw, but definitely still possible as you are trying to throw a bomb shot on the longest hole of the course.
-Although I didn't play them, the red layouts for #2 & 9 looked terrible. They are the only two holes that have a different tee pad and a different basket from the golds, hence why I didn't play them. But they looked short, sub 200ft layouts that are very filler.
-Of the gold holes, the only one that I felt was filler was #8. One of the par 3's, it seemed very unfair and gimmicky. There was no real fairway, which is always a problem.
-Transitions between holes were fairly long, at least to Charlotte standards. Although paths were clear and marked well, it can cause some uncertainty and confusion for first timers.
-Finding the course parking lot was tricky. I pulled into the community college that is next door, and had no idea where to go. As it says in the course description, turn onto Rodgers Rd. People who type in the community college address to Google Maps (like me) are going to find this annoying.
-The course was very trashy during my round. Lots of typical litter that you would find at a disc golf course, mostly scattered around in the rough. And now that I think about it, there weren't many trash cans to help resolve that issue.
-There was a crazy amount of anthills scattered throughout the open fairways. It was so bad that even my friend's disc was thrown and landed into one of the anthills. Watch your feet!

Dry Creek is a top course, even for Charlotte. I'm not sure how this course doesn't get the attention like Renny or Nevin does, because it simply is just as good. While were talking about it, I really do think that Dry Creek ranks 3rd best, behind Renny Gold and Nevin. I bet if CDGC adopts this course, it would become more widely known. A definite must play for anyone who is visiting, or living in the South/East Charlotte area!

This is a review for the long tees:

There are many "pros" to this course, but my favorite is the variety. There are short holes, there are long holes; there are open holes, there are wooded holes; some are straight forward, but some can be very challenging. In all, a very well-rounded course design.

I really enjoyed the "open" holes (mostly located on the front 9). This is something we don't get a lot of in Charlotte, and it is something I look forward too on new courses I visit. Even though they are "open", you cannot simply throw big hyzers to get to the pin. A well executed shot is still required to find the landing zones and navigate the obstacles on the course.

Walking around the course for the first time can be aided by a variety of signs pointing you in the direction of the long tees and the short tees (often in two distinctly different locations). The course is easily walked, as there aren't many hills or valleys (yes, cart friendly).

As you can expect, mostly grass fairways on the open holes, and dirt fairways on the wooded ones (some fairways in the woods are over rocky ground which may take large chunks out of base plastic). The basket locations are well designed.

The most apparent con at the moment, is the temporary parking situation adjacent to the construction behind the nearby community college. It can be difficult to find the small gravel lot, if it's your first time coming to the course (it is directly off of Rogers Rd., across from the houses - no need to navigate through SPCC). Apparently, holes 1, 2, 17 and 18 have all been modified because of the construction (I wish I could have played the OG course layout). Hole 1 is very straight forward (literally 200' straight), but holes 17 and 18 are very fun and challenging!

Some of the growth off the fairway is very thick. If you miss-release in some areas of the course, you can expect to be walking through chest-high (or taller) grasses, thorns and bushes to find your disc. This comes into play on maybe 7 or 8 of the holes on the course. Keep in mind, it is late summer as I write this review - I'm not sure how the course changes into the fall/winter.

Not really a "con", but the short tees seem to make the course very boring imo. I did not play the shorts, but I noticed that they were located in positions that would make the course very repetitive. You can expect short-straight-shot after short-straight-shot from these tees. EDIT: After walking the course again, I can see some more variety in the short tee locations - they supply their own challenge at a shorter distance with some obstacles that don't come into play from the long tees.

(See edits) Some reviews speak to the moisture that the ground can hold at this course. I did not experience this sense it hadn't rained in a while previous to my round. I will update this review if I go back to the course and witness the "standing water" that people mention. EDIT: I played the course again a day-or-so after it rained. The ground was fine - dry for the most-part. SECOND EDIT: I have finally experienced what other reviews have mentioned about the moisture! It was bad... probably one of the worst disc golf experiences I've ever had. Of course parks get wet after it rains, but this takes the cake. The holes in the woods were fine, but those in the open field (about half the course) were challenging even to walk down the fairway. My shoes felt like ice-skates slipping on mud as I walked. I still very much enjoy this course, but I certainly will be avoiding it after any inclement weather.

I have lived in and around the Charlotte area for 10 years now; why have I never played Dry Creek before?! Now that my permanent home is only a 25-minute drive from this course, I expect I'll be out here a lot more often. I love the diversity of the course and the many challenging shot shapes it presents. Every holes has a unique feel. It definitely doesn't feel like a typical "Charlotte" course, but I like that aspect of it. I agree with another review of this course that mentions how it has a private-course type feel. In fact, each hole feels like your own little private disc golf adventure.

EDIT: If you are driving from Charlotte, keep in mind traffic on Independence (74) can play a factor in drive time during rush hour. I made that mistake and it cost me 20 extra minutes of driving to get to the course.

Dry Creek is a fantastic course located just outside of Charlotte in Monroe, NC. While not officially recognized by the CDGC, this course is "home" to many Charlotte locals and has a very dedicated team of volunteers that keep the course in fantastic shape despite tough to manage muddy areas and other natural hurdles.

The course design has changed over time and more changes are coming in the future once the College additions have been completed. There is a good mix of short and long holes. Par 3s, 4s, and 5s depending on which layout you play. There are also short pads on most holes if you are looking for a quick round.

One of the most unique things about Dry Creek is the abundance of open holes which are very scarce in the Charlotte scene. Holes 2-8,15,16 are all "open" which creates a fun change of pace.

The attention to detail on this course is very good. Course designers Stan McDaniel and David Wheeler have done a terrific job of spreading mulch on greens, fairways, and tee boxes with the assistance of many volunteers. The course looks great and it is only getting better.

There are a few temporary cons for this course. Currently there are a few natural teepees which will hopefully be poured concrete by Fall. There are also a few changes on the course due to construction that will hopefully go back to a more original layout once the temporary parking lot isn't being used.

There are a few areas where additional directional signs would be very useful.

Tee signs need to be upgraded.

Overall, Dry Creek is a great course and one of my personal favorites in Charlotte. There is a great mix of holes and the course is fun for everyone from beginners to seasoned pros. Give it a shot and you won't be disappointed!

Multiple pads with some holes also having multiple baskets providing the opportunity for a lot of variation. Locals seem to be always trying to improve the course as well!

Can be very wet after rain.

I consider this a must play in the Charlotte area

Course is a mixture of open and wooded holes.
Navigation is fairly easy, baskets are marked in the direction of the next tee(s) and some friendly markers are tacked up close to the basket.
I loved the design of the course. It uses the lay of the land and natural obstacles to enhance the challenge of the course.
Baskets are all in good shape (think they were Discatchers).
The longs add some challenge, but have not played them yet.
The woods are thick, like natural OB. Often a throw into the woods required a lay up just to get out.
The Shorts are a good test of skill for advanced players, but not advanced/advanced players - you can play the longs.
Bugs/mosquitoes were not a problem while we were there.
Did not see any poison ivy or poison oak.
No water holes, so no risk of dunking your disc.
Concrete tees, the short tees are short in length and the long tees are long.

I think the design favors a RHBH overall but a decent mix of shots.
No benches, tee signs are very small and some are missing.
Was a significant challenge to find the course on the campus and then had to wander around a bit to find the first tee.
The open holes are HOT. This isn't a revelation, just a reminder to bring some sunscreen.
I have lost discs in the grass when it got high and have almost lost discs in the woods because it is thick and the ground cover is deep - be forewarned.

My son and I played this course the first time because it's the highest-rated course in the Waxhaw area. It did not disappoint.
We have a great time, because it's not too hard for us and not Beginner-easy either. Fantastic mix of fun holes and challenges. The one Par 4 just kicks my biscuits every time I play it and I still have a blast.
Highly recommended!!

Fairly flat playing surface, easy walking. Good mix of wooded and open holes. Even the wooded holes have wide fairways. Next holes are marked well.

Hole signs are small and some are hard to see.

I will go back to this course. It has a good range of distances throughout.

Starting and finishing in the forest on the back side of the community college campus, I couldn't find Dry Creek the first time I went looking. Yesterday, I had better precise directions and found it easily, at least partially due to the good course overview sign at the head of the well graveled trail leading into the forest to the course. Other signage is good, even very good, imparting more than adequate textual and graphic information. Crude, but efficient directional signs help to find the next tee(s). As this course obviously gets lots of well deserved play, most transitions are visually evident, though the signs denoting routes to long and short tees are greatly helpful, as well as time and energy saving.
Nineteen DISCatcher baskets, including an excellently placed and labeled practice basket. Good/very good concrete pads. Picnic tables spread throughout the course. Though some reviewers lament the lack of restrooms and trash cans, there are plenty of secluded woods in which to be a bear, and if you can carry it in, you can carry it out.
Dry Creek does indeed offer a variety of distances, directions, and foliage densities. Though there is little elevation differential within the land, the designers do well utilize the slight slopes available. And Number 6 does feature an acutely elevated basket.
One of the most positive features of Dry Creek is the differentials between Red and Gold pad positions. They are not merely slightly longer/shorter versions of one another. They are positioned and placed, so that they are wholly different holes, with admirably accurate par assignations. With the differential in overall Par schematics (55 and 60), I may actually attempt the Gold layout the next time I play Dry Creek. And I shall play it again. This is an enjoyable, challenging layout that will require a variety of shots, in terms of distance and direction. It is a pretty and picturesque setting. The forested holes are a nice walk in the woods, with ample, well defined fairways with little or no overgrown brush and briers on the sides. The open holes offer visual vistas, with well mown grass and pretty yellow flowers, as well as well utilized trees and tree lines which define fairways and greens. It will be interesting to see if during the Summer, when school's not in session, if it remains so well mown, or be let go, as Guilford Meadows at Guilford College generally is. The course was completely dry and totally navigable yesterday, but I could see areas of potential muddiness or swampiness, as mentioned by others. But there are many well placed, large flat stones, big square mats and gravel beds to help alleviate that.

Not much at all to cry about here. The excellent little tee signs are a bit small for someone with less than good vision. It would probably be good if the sign designers could color code the signs to coincide with the tee's color designation. Laid onto small pieces of double thick poster board, the signs are easily stealable, but also should be easily replaceable, quickly and at very little cost. I was happy to note that all signs were in place at the time of my round. The transition between Holes 15 and 16, I think it is, could use a directional sign. There are two visually equal ways to go and I chose the route to the green, rather than the tees. Take the path leading left.
Though not necessarily a con for most, the campus, including the course, is demonstrably designated as a tobacco free zone. I'm always adversely amused when public sector property in North Carolina is so posted, since tobacco was one of the two cash crops that built this country and particularly this state.

Kudos and gratitude to the designers and to the maintainers.

Variety of wooded and open holes. Also some longer and shorter holes.

This course has the worst drainage of any course I have ever played. Most holes had standing water and muddy fairways and transitions. With the mud and standing water, more benches are needed.

Many of the transitions were very long. And

If I play this course again when it is drier, I will update my review. For the two rounds I played, the mud and standing water ruined any chance of fun. Hopefully I just played at a bad time.

Ever since Dry Creek lost the old holes 1, 2, 17, & 18 - the course has been ever evolving. Every so often, enough changes occur that I feel the need to update my review, and each time I have basically completely rewritten my review (This is now the fifth version of this review.) The course features DISCatcher baskets, concrete tee pads (some are still gravel at the time of this review), and new, better detailed tee signs. Throughout every version of the course I have played, it is always been well maintained - and the people maintaining/designing the course have done an incredible job making such a treat for people to play!

Over the years that I have played this course, it has undergone substantial changes, but through all that time has an almost private course feel. It has also managed to maintain its incredible blend of open and wooded holes. Of all the courses I have played in the greater Charlotte area, and even the entire state of NC, I don't think I could name a course that manages to maintain that balance so well. While there are some huge bombs out in the fields, they all have actual obstacles in the fairway that really require thoughtful tee shots if seeking a birdie. The course also features incredible wooded holes that feature a premium on accuracy with a decisions to be made on placement vs distance.

Dry Creek manages to blend open holes and wooded holes really well, with almost a private course feel. But the superb hole design is really the major highlight of Dry Creek. There are only a few open courses in the Charlotte area, and compared to some of those courses Dry Creek really gets it right. But you're not limited to long bombs over open holes, the wooded holes are there to keep the round exciting, and it mixes it up by moving in-and-out of the woods. While some of the red tees follow the formula of straight lines to the basket, all of the open holes are not just open field shots. There are always some sort of obstruction you need to avoid. On the long tees, if you have a really big arm, you can really let your disc rip out over much of this and hyzer back into the fairway.

Dry Creek features two distinct layouts, with so much difference between the two - that playing both layouts in a single day will feel like playing two completely different courses. With many holes having different fairways, different tee pads, different pin locations, or some combination of the three.

The first couple times I played here, I noticed how much water the course collects. It is literally a sponge after the rain, and it seems to hold on to the water for a few days. However, when the course is dry, you're gonna have a blast. It's still fun wet, but nobody likes wet socks! (I haven't been by after much rain recently, so I can only assume this is all still true.)

There aren't restrooms or water fountains, at least that I know of. So make sure you bring some extra water and empty your tank before heading over.

If you fire off your discs like a sprinkler, there is some chance for lost discs, especially if it's a particularly windy day.

The new holes definitely need some time to wear in and even out, but I am sure that is going to happen over time. A few places still need concrete tees poured and possibly a few stumps removed.

Holes 17 & 18 on the Red course feel a bit hard still compared to the rest of the course, to where they could possibly use short tees, or a different Par ratings, but Hole 1 is the only hole left on the Gold course that feels truly out of place. And I have heard that Hole 1 will likely be redesigned in the future though, so that isn't an issue.

Honestly, most of the other Cons that I have listed seem to have been resolved over the years. The course has new tee signs, new benches, and have more consistent difficulties between the layouts.

While I originally I rated Dry Creek as a flat 3.0, and then bumped it up to a 3.5 after playing the course dry and checking out the long tees, the course feels like it deserved a 4.0 after I played the most recent iteration of it! There is still a bit of work to really polish the course up, but I have know doubt the incredible people working on this course will get this taken care of.

This course always reminds me how much fun disc golf is, and really pumps me up. I really enjoy the environment changes, and hope the course continues to improve. There isn't much elevation to be had, which I would consider a con usually, but the varied foliage and two elevated baskets made up for this in my opinion. The best part of this course is that there is still room for growth and improvement. While Dry Creek has been one of my favorite courses since I first played it, I think there is a real possibility that it begins to be talked about as a premier course in the State of NC if it continues to grow & improve the way it has been these past few years.

Favorite Gold Holes: 3, 6, 7, 18

Tremendous variety. Open shots, wooded shots, rights, lefts, short & long, this course was a joy to play. The design is well thought out and the lack of crowding made it even more fun. Had no issues navigating.

No bathroom and if hills are your thing there aren't any to be had here.

The Dry Creek disc golf course is a fully enjoyable 18 hole course. The opening holes and the last couple are in the woods, but there are also many holes through the middle that are more wide open. Hole 5 had a tall post, to test your putting a little more. Holes 10-14 are back into woods for a while, and only have short tee pads. Concrete tee pads, and good baskets. Many of the holes have dual tees, and the longer boxes add significant distance. There is not really any elevation changes, and no water to contend with. Nothing is super easy, but there are birdie chances to be had. The mix of left and rights seemed well balanced, and there are plenty of par 4 holes from the long boxes. While most of the long holes are on the more open part of the course, but there are still a few trees out there to keep it interesting. Overall the park was very clean, grass fairways were in great shape, and I liked what I saw.

There was not a lot of downside I could see at the Dry Creek course. If the sun is out, you will catch some rays, there isn't much shade on the grassy fairways. No dogs allowed, sorry to all my four legged friends. Campus that is home to this course is tobacco free (or it was supposed to be according to the signs, oops).

I liked this course. As usual I played well mostly, but blew up a couple of holes and wound up a little over par. I played the long tees (except for hole 9, I passed it and didn't want to walk all the way back), and finished at +2. I was 3 under par through 13 holes, but I missed an easy put on 15, and assaulted a few trees on 17 to make sure I didn't look too awesome. If you are on point, you can definitely put up a low score. I would check it out if you are able to get there to play a round. So many good courses around Charlotte, this one is not among the best in the area, but is still very good and worth the trip for sure.

COURSE PLAY:
Dry Creek was recommended to me by a coworker, so this past week I took the drive to Monroe/Indian Trial to try it out. I was very impressed with this course. There were several holes with short and long tees. There was a great mix of left and right turn holes which I found really nice for working on different shots. There course weaves in out out from open plains to heavily wooded holes. The front 9 are longer then the back 9 in the woods but there is an overall good mix of distances throughout the whole course. Hole 5 was one of my favorites because it had an extended pole placing the basket a good 7-8 feet high surrounded by two large tractor tires and cemented in the center. I have to admit, I stopped and did some practice putting on this hole just for the fun of playing this tall basket! There are several open holes where wind can be a factor, be prepared to throw your heavy discs if its windy. The course is pretty wide open with a few narrow holes in the back 9. Brush and weeds are minimal and easy to find OB discs and the course is very well maintained and mowed.

AMENITIES:
Nice concrete tees in great condition. There are picnic tables at each long tee, which I think is an awesome idea for seating. The signs were in great condition, accurate depictions of total distance and where each basket is located. Most of the course has signs to navigate you to the next hole and some included directions to the short tee or the long tee. The course was very VERY clean, little to no trash laying around.

It would be nice if the tee signs showed both tee pads so you knew which one you were actually at. A few times I threw from a long tee unknowingly because there was no indication that I was at the short or long tee based on the tee signs.

If you use a GPS to get the the course, the address is 4209 Old Charlotte Hwy, Indian Trail, NC not Monroe, NC. My GPS showed two 4209's on Old Charlotte Hwy and I thought the Monroe address would have been correct since the course says its in Monroe, but it is in fact right on the border of these two towns. Use the driving instructions on the main Dry Creek course page which mentions the red and white water tower, this guided me straight to the course and where to park.

I highly recommend this course to beginners!

-I love Dry Creek, it's very scenic and has a whole lot of variety throughout the course. The course is perfect for what it was designed for. It's pretty challenging, it has some very hard holes. No real gimmes here. The course is at South Piedmont Community College so this isn't a park course.
-Very unique! I love the variety on this course. There is some elevation, not a lot but a decent amount. The elevated basket on hole 5 was super cool on the tires leaving a very difficult putt. A lot of different shaped fairways on this course here, straight, left, right. It's well evened out. Lengths range from 176 to 648 feet long.
-The par 4's are all very challenging holes. There are four on this course. Hole 5 was my favorite hole. It's around 550' with OB all around the right side as well as the left with small trees in the middle of the fairway. Definitely requires a small hyzer about 300 feet to clear the trees and OB to the left. The second shot, your goal is to get as close to the basket as you can since it is elevated on two tires. Hole 9 is the hardest hole on the course by far. The OB is hard to avoid especially with the trees. The hole is 648' long. You want to stay away from the small trees on this hole as well and avoid the OB to the left side. It's right in front of you at one point about 360' from the tee. You want to stay away from the trees to the right. #14 is the shortest par 4 on the course, but it's very tight and very punishing. I can't see anyone throwing a driver because the woods are pretty dense. The disc (preferably a mid range) should turn very slightly to the left, leaving a second shot that should go right. The basket is out in the open. #15 is very tricky as well. It's open for maybe 275' and then, about 100 feet it's slightly wooded and you go back out into the open. It's pretty hard to stay in the fairway if you want to go long. This is a hard 3 to get on this hole.
-The wooded holes are not quite as long as the open holes. The wooded holes require more accuracy. Hole 17 is the perfect example here. It's about 275' long. But has two routes. I highly recommend the one to the right because it's much wider. The route on the left is the risk and reward kind of thing. It's much more narrow but if you go threw it cleanly, a birdie will come more easily while the right route has a sharp left turn. For the distance on this hole, it's a very hard 2. Same with #14. It's an S shaped fairway that goes out into the open. I can't see this hole being birdied often. It demands two clean shots that clear the woods. Not overly difficult but can be very hard to even par this hole.
-Dual sets of tees on almost every hole. In the CAC we played the longs except on 2 and 6. I think #2 is much more challenging from the short tee. It demands a huge hyzer shot around several trees to the left. You want to go big on this hole, the woods are very dense to the left but there are not as bad if you go long. Even a pro would be psyched to birdie this par 3 hole. This hole has an egregiously sharp left turn. The long tee is a dogleg right and around the cluster of trees. Still a hard hole from either tee. #6 isn't a very difficult birdie if you can hyzer without hitting the trees straight ahead. The basket is to the left but it's a blind shot. Go right of the trees on this hole and get a good distance on this hole, it's not a difficult birdie. The long is an easier birdie because it allows a much bigger shot. If you can throw 300+ and throw a slight hyzer 245'. A birdie should come pretty easily. If you play the short tees here, you will have a fun, forgiving round here. The longs are more challenging but can still be pretty unforgiving if you don't go OB. All the OB is in the vegetation, the only holes with OB are 4,5 and 9.
-There are some benches out here. Not on every hole but on some of them.
-Nice concrete tee pads. Appropriate length for the distances on every hole. They are not raised up very high either so my giant run ups are not limited.
-Secluded. I don't think anyone will really be in your way here.
-Next tee arrows on the confusing transitions.

-There are no bathrooms that I could find. There are no trash cans either on any of the holes here.
-The trees. There are so many trees growing. #16 stands out in my mind. It's a medium length par 3. It's pretty reachable but there are trees all to the right of the fairway. Luckily they are pretty low but this will be a problem in several years. Same thing with #9. This hole is just crazy. There is so much OB on this hole and so many trees that are growing. If you land under a tree, you are not getting a birdie on this hole, no chance at all. The OB gets worse after about 360' because it's just straight ahead of the tee. It's hard to avoid if it is in front of you and there are so many trees to the right side that will prevent you from having a good second shot.
-The lost disc potential is pretty high here. This course has a ton of vegetation. Mostly on the front 9. #7 probably has the most here. The hole isn't that long but long enough for me to throw a fairway driver. The rough is really rough on the whole front 9. Whether it is the trees or vegetation.
-#10's tee pad is angled toward the woods. I still birdied it but that doesn't mean the tee needs to face the fairway. It demands a very big hyzer. This is the shortest hole on the course at 176' long and some people throw drivers here. They just didn't do a good job with the tee pad.

-Dry Creek is the perfect course to play if you love variety. It has so many interesting shaped fairways, great greens, and a perfect mix between open and wooded! I suggest you find plenty of time to play this course. It's just very well designed and well put out.
-There are a few signature holes. #5 definitely is a good grip it and rip it par 4. #11 is a super cool downhill dogleg right. I'm surprised that this hole isn't as popular as it should be. It reminded me of #3 at Grand Central Station. It's a short downhill flick shot that turns pretty sharply. #14 is probably the most unique as it is a wooded S shaped fairway hole.
-This course kind of has a Cedarock and Grand Central station feeling. If you like both of those courses, you will LOVE Dry Creek. The open holes had a Cedarock feeling while the wooded holes were more challenging. #14 was exactly like #13 at Grand Central Station. A tight righty flick shot with an S shaped fairway.

A do not miss in the South Charlotte area!

What a beautiful course. I played int he summer time. It really had that coastal feel, the smell of the pine trees, sand, loved it. Dry Creek plays through open manicured fields, new growth and old growth forest. I found there to be great variety. I was able to throw technical shots back hand and side arm, thumbers, rollers, and air out some bombs. Tee pads while not consistent were level, set into the ground and appropriate for the throw required. There are very few "surprise" trees that you cannot see from the tee. Teesigns had enough detail for me. No sign is better than viewing the hole first. I didnt notice benches but I dont use them. I didnt see any trash on the course and it appeared to be in a very safe area behind the school. Rough was thick but in the field areas thin and discs area easily found. I really appreciated the variance in shots required....and being able to select a line throw and not cross my fingers. The open air and tunneling of the wind is great for wind practice. I have read about some mud and drainage issues however they have just spread tons and tons of good thick gravel on the walking paths. It was really neat and added to the directions. It seems like there was wind there even though it was a calm day everywhere else. I felt peaceful, the kind of course I would like to be on my property.

Some will complain about a few long transitions...there are many more longer on VERY well respected courses in Charlotte. They were pretty walks through the woods too. I didnt notice any wet areas. I think trashcans and benches will be good. My biggest problem that I hear is being fixed is that the teesigns are too close for comfort, and can be in your way. I hear they are being moved so I didnt mark the course down for them. There was a lack of elevation...but a raised basket made up for that. You can't add elevation!

I loved my play here and would easily fit it in to my top 10 charlotte area courses. To me it had the feel of a pay to play park with all the care and maintenance around individual trees and the mowed fields and paths. Its the kind of regular care that most Charlotte proper courses lack because it is all done by volunteers. Swing by this course and give David and Mike a handshake when you see them out there.

The fellas that designed and maintain the course are out working on the course almost every time I go out to play. Still being less than 2 years young, I feel that some of the issued folks have in other reviews will be handled in time.

The course offers variety! What a concept! Dry Creek offers the opportunity to work on your short game, long game, sidearms as you will need an array of shots to score well. The rough is rough in places. I feel that for the most part- good shots and smart playing are rewarded. I heard that new signs will be put up in the next few days- so that's a plus. Gravel was spread on most of the long, wet transitions so it will make playing the course when it's wet much easier.
Even though this course is a bit of a haul for me, I will continue to play at Dry Creek. It's well worth checking out if you are in the area.

Some longish transitions
Lack of trash cans
A few more benches would be ideal

Requires distance and creativity
Mentally challenging
Secluded environment
Quality pads
Enough choice holes to make the drive worthy, especially 5 and 9 - new #s.

Confusing signage - needs to be fixed before the CAC
Lack of trash cans (counter point - the lack of trash on the course, despite the lack of trash cans, was remarkable. great job Dry Creek crew!)
A couple long transitions, particularly the walk to 17
This course will test your soul in the summertime - it will be "Africa Hot."

Overall a really cool course to add to the Charlotte mix. Provides the chance to throw a few shots that you don't see on many other tracks in the region.
Unfortunately, if you don't live on the south side, the distance will factor in for frequency of play.

Course is situated on the grounds of Southern Piedmont Community College, comprising about 110 acres total. This area is, in the main, reclaimed farmland, which has been left fallow to the pioneer species of plants, particularly groundsel bush (blooming nicely at the time of playing) from which fairways are cut. In these 'open' areas of the course, small trees, particularly pear, dot the landscape and give the fairways definition/obstacles. About 30% of the course consists of sub-climax mix of pines and various hardwoods typical of the region. Terrain is very gently rolling and quite the nice walk. There is ample area for almost any future enhancement to the course, and may be an easy site for a 10,000'+ super course one day. Strong seasonal winds will frequently affect play at Dry Creek.

Course is the only 'official' activity on this part of the grounds and is spatially distant from the community college. The course seems designed around the gold set-up, as playing the reds, one frequently experiences redundant transitions. Transitions overall, even for the gold, are longer than average and in several instances can be confusing for the uninitiated. Equipment, signage & tee pads are above average. The numerous 'next-tee' signs were critical to a less frustrating time of it (the transition between #'s 13 & 14 is particularly rough and confusing). Please note this is a 'no tobacco' zone and that all refuse must be packed out. There are no amenities, practice facilities or a practice green. It should also be noted that the tee pads lack the preferred heavy texture finish, and may get slick in adverse conditions. OB areas are very limited and are clearly marked or intuitive. There are no mandatory flight paths.

From the reds, average hole distance is about 230' and from the gold tees, just under 360'. The gold course distances are very well distributed and from either set of tees scoring chances abound. Players with average power can score very well here and the course should be a delight for power players, as every par 4, except one, can easily be reached in 2 with very limited interference from trees. I dare say this course could easily be overpowered and the professional expectation would be in the mid-high 40's to stay in the hunt. The caveat being that the wind isn't up (During my play sustained winds were about 12 mph with gusts over 20, making scoring much more difficult).

From the golds, course is fairly well balanced regarding fairway/shot shape from the tee and approach, although it does set up a bit better for the clock spin thrower overall - particularly on all but one of the par 4's. Variety is solid, and since a large part of the course is open (and can be windy), creativity is encouraged and can be rewarded. Elevation changes throughout are gentle; miscalculations in play regarding same are of the kind that will tend to increase the length of your putt (or up), while not getting one into really serious trouble. Only 2 holes on the entire course, both short, straight 'deuce or die' types have unobstructed looks at the basket from the tee box. Roughs are a mixed bag throughout; except for the serious gaff, I could find no consistent correlation between the size of the throwing error and the penalty one receives. Poor shots will frequently 'get lucky' (or may even be rewarded), while even minor errors can be completely stymied. Provided the course is mown, this factor alone will determine playability for the recreational to advanced level player. If the course is not mown, it can be a disc-eating nightmare with diligent spotting and/or conservative, accurate play required for all levels. Greens overall are flattish and open. All targets are mounted at standard height. Green spin receptivity is largely determined by the fairway/obstacle geometry, not slope of the ground. Greens here offer some of the most 'straight-up' putting of any Charlotte area course.

One hole in particular proved especially noteworthy - the par-4 14th; I feel it's the course's toughest. A narrow flattened 'S' shape, it's basically not cuttable from the tee, as the fairway is severely height and width restricted. What makes it really tough is the fairway's thick penal rough, a semi-blind landing area and the gentle convex curve of the 'S's' top portion out to an open green - one is shielded from an accurate wind read on the upshot. It's a tricky technical par-4, very hard to birdie and very easy to bogie this one.

Dry Creek receives high marks for situational appropriateness, general playability, balance and variety, but is a bit rough around the edges and inconsistent throughout. It certainly lacks the care, refinement and polish of other local offerings, but Dry Creek is still quite young and these matters are more a matter of time. I dare say the more skilled and powerful the golfer, the less challenging this course would be to play, as this course can definitely be overpowered; for the recreational to advanced level golfer, it offers a solid test, with frequent opportunities to experiment with unimpeded disc flight. The routing is acceptable and one of the most gentle pleasing walks of any area course. It might also be said of Dry Creek that the difficulty is spread very consistently throughout the route - every hole is vulnerable to scoring and there is no real increase or letdown of intensity throughout via clever sequencing. Some may appreciate this even-tempered solution. Dry Creek's main drawback seems to be its relative remoteness from Charlotte; it requires a 'special' trip for visitors and Charlotte residents alike. I hope it doesn't get lost in the shuffle.

1st thing you need to know is that this is one of the best balanced (woods/open) courses around. Really good NC style wooded holes and really good open holes. The short tees (didn't play) look like good easy fun, bravo. The longs (did play) provide lots of jollies for more experienced hacks like myself. Really good concrete tees, informative signs, signage makes it easy to get around, everything you can ask for. Like others have mentioned, even though it's beside a comm. college the school is pretty much not there. The vibe is a really well maintained private course.

Woods holes: Lots of good line variety and well defined fairways. For the most part, nice and wide tunnels compared to a lot of NC courses.

Open holes: Like ball golf, long multi-shot holes that require big hyzers and annys, etc. Big arms will beat up on these much more than my 300-350' max D on a good day arm can but for me (and probably most DG'ers) they did a great job with the distances.

The wooded holes on the back 9, can't remember which ones but there is like 3 in a row, aren't as good as the front 9 holes unfortunately. They aren't bad, but a little rough and could use a little clever tweaking IMO.

The rough on the open holes is not something you would want to do 90's dance move "the running man" around in sans pants but I've seen much worse and really, why would you want to do that anyway? You need help, your drinking is out of control, Steve.

I have no idea if there is a place to deposit human waste other than going Bear Grylls' style. The usual park amenities of trash cans and benches and water fountains are not available on the course proper.

Pretty flat.

Really fun, good course. It's really hard for a new Charlotte course to saddle up to the table with all the big boys and grab a seat but I think this one not only accomplished that but gave Eastway a wet willy as it did. I can't really decide if this is a 3.5 or a 4 but since it could conceivably be improved with amenities or some tweaking of those holes I mentioned in the Cons it really could flirt with a 5 IMO. Flirt, but probably never get due to lack of elevation and natural beauty and other things that get Dave242 a raging hard-on but I digress.

Layout - Starts with two tees on 12 holes which greatly change the difficulty and layout of the course. The shorts are for more casual and beginner play, and they are great for that if that's you. The longs offer a real challenge. (the rest of my review will be based on the longs)

There's a great balance of open/wooded. The wooded holes offer a challenge but nothing overbearing and super tight. Plenty of room to hit the lines. The wooded holes do a good job of creating different lines and not feeling really standard.

The open holes offer up something much different than most courses I've seen in the area. It's basically an overgrown field full of Bradford Pears that has fairways cut out like a ball golf course. The trees are still short and sparse so you have plenty of room to work whatever line you choose.

These fairways are decently wide enough if you're accurate and challenge you to push your disc out farther on the long holes.

There's a serious risk/reward factor here which is also a con. If you drive one out pretty far and go in the grass off the fairway you are very likely to not find your disc. It's a pro in that it creates a situation where you want to play it safe and not try to just rip them everywhere, makes you stay within your game.

These open holes have a very good layout within the holes, some real quality par 4's. You can throw over most of the trees as of now but the baskets are hidden and bent around all of the death grass.

Good flow to most of the course, it's easy to follow. Mixes up the open/wooded holes really great so you go back and forth.

Equipment - New large concrete pads for all tees. Tee signs on all pads.

Atmosphere - It's a community college course but it's all completely behind the college and we were all alone with none of the college in sight. Really great atmosphere in that perspective, on top of it being pleasant views in and out of the woods.

Layout - There's a few bum holes even on the longs. The shorts are really boring holes right now so don't even worry about that if you're a serious golfer.

I think my biggest complaints have to do with the how new the course is. I can see in two or three years when the trees grow up more that this course will offer a super challenge and really make you shape lines. As of now you can just throw huge hyzer or fade shots around everything on a lot of the open holes.

The grass off the fairway is just complete crap. if you end up here you will look for your disc in scratchy briar laced crap for a good while and hope you find it. That alone takes a lot away from the feel of this course.

There's some serious tweeners. I had short upshots to many times. I think the basket placements should be re-examined on some holes.

There's two kinda weird long walks through woods. I remember wishing they would of put a couple more holes in the woods and they definitely could have with all the space.

No real elevation at all here.

Atmosphere - The tall grass stuff really sucks. It sucks so much here I am mentioning it again.

Overall I like where this course is going but I find it hard to see what can be done about the grass situation. For a lot of people that's going to be a huge drawback when they are constantly looking for discs. I think it's hard to ask people to bomb one out there and just hope they don't catch a wind gust and end up losing a disc.

I still think it's worth checking out if you want something a bit different than what most of the CLT area offers.

I also think it makes this course even more interesting to play the tall grass OB.

Dry Creek is a solid course just outside of Charlotte, with a great mixture of wooded and open holes. If this were in the Queen City, it'd be getting a lot more love.
- There is a lot to like here. Sometimes courses just have that feeling of something special, and you get that with Dry Creek. There is a great flow from hole to hole, with each being challenging, enjoyable, or simply solid. Of the entire course, there were only two holes I'd argue that were subpar, especially by this course's standard, and that had more to do mainly with poor design. The rest of the course offers one good hole after another.
- There's a wonderful mix of wooded and open holes on this course. Holes 1 -4 are wooded; #5 - 10 are open; 11 - 14 are wooded; 15 - 16 open and then 17 - 18 end back in the woods. The wooded holes at the front of the course (#1 - 4 & 17 - 18) have a strong Kilborne-esque quality to them. The course's strongest holes are actually the open ones, especially from the long tees. It's a credit to the designers that the open holes offer a variety of looks and feels, keeping the challenge and interest aplenty.
- Expanding on the above comment, the open holes offer some good layouts , with lots of strategically placed baskets and/or trees coming into play. The course emphasizes accurately placed tee shots, especially on some of the par fours on the long layout, namely #7, 10 &15. For example on #7 & 10, if you're on the wrong side of the fairway for your second shot, you're going to have a bad angle towards the basket with your approach shot. On #15, the fairway splits around a cluster of trees for your second shot. If you land in the middle of the fairway, you might have to lay up, just to get around the trees.
- The fairways are in great shape, with the grass recently cut. If you stay in the fairway, you're in great shape. Land in the rough and you might have an awkward second shot and/or spent lots of time looking for your disc in the tall, tall stuff. The rough really is unforgiving in some spots.
- Great tee pads and above-average tee signs. Tee pads are nice and long, which is always a huge plus. Tee signs are solid pictures that offer pretty accurate descriptions of the basket, fairways and tree clusters. Tee signs would be even better if there was a sign pointing towards the next tee and an even better indication of where fairways end and the rough begins. More on both of those concerns later.
- From the longs, there's a great variety of difficult holes, where you'll be struggling to get par, as well as some chances for birdies. In addition, there's also variety of really narrow wooded holes to wider fairway wooded holes. Even the open holes, when including the rough, have fairways ranging from wide open to much narrow. That all adds to the good risk-reward feel of the course.

For a somewhat new course, things are generally in great shape. The major problems are all smaller, maintenance-level problems.
- Signage could be much, much better. After parking, and walking behind the building, the only sign I saw was one arrow. Following the trail, I eventually saw another sign, which led to the first tee. The bigger problem is that signage is needed on the open holes in the back of the course. There are many cleared out paths/transition areas between holes, and at least once, I started walking down one before realizing I was on the wrong one. It's a somewhat similar problem to what you see at Mint Hill DGC, only on a larger scale. Some holes have good signage, it just needs to be consistent throughout the course.
- There are several LONG transitions between holes, several of which, even when they did have next arrow signs, I wondered if I they were wrong or I had missed a turn. The worst transitions were from #10 basket to #11 tee , #13 to #14 and #16 to #17. The whole stretch from #11 to #14 is somewhat weird, as a whole. After playing #11, you follow the trail where the first thing you see is the tee for #14 to your left. Head right to get to #12's tee instead. After finishing #13, you then backtrack, walking the entire length of #12, just to get back to the tee for #14. It was a little confusing playing that stretch, so I know it had to be confusing reading that explanation.
- I mentioned there were two below average hole layouts on the course, and they both were in that same stretch - #12 & 14. The main issue is that neither has a good fairway. Both are really narrow, especially with the trees and rough being so thick. #14 is essentially a wide path serving as a de facto fairway. Make both wider, or at least knock some trees down to thin out the rough, and they would both be suitable holes. #14, with a normal fairway, would actually be a really good hole. The approach shot, a dogleg right into an opening is actually a good layout.
- On the open holes, it would be nice if the rough/tall grass was better indicated on the tee signs, especially on holes involving blind shots. The inconsistency in fairway widths got frustrating at times. Case in point, on #6, my tee shot sailed to the right, over the tall stuff, so I think I'll be searching for my disc. Nope. It ends up in the fairways, in a cleared out area. On #15, another semi-blind tee shot, my shot sails a little to the left, before I lose sight of it around the curve. I think I should be ok, the grass didn't seem too tall. Nope again. This time it is in the tall stuff, and after 30 minutes of searching, I finally find it. I know one could walk every single fairway before playing each hole, but that doesn't seem like the most ideal solution.
- The back 9, overall was far less cleared out than the front 9. I don't know if the front 9 has been in longer, or has just gotten more attention, but the back 9 wasn't as broken in yet.
- I actually don't remember seeing many, if any, trash cans or benches anywhere on the course. Those aren't problems for me, but I know they're used, and preferred, by many players.

I was cautiously optimistic about playing Dry Creek, and was more than pleased with the course. There is a ton to like here for most players. As a true compliment to everyone involved, despite being a new course, Dry Creek, for the most part, already had that existing course feel.
- I continue to remain cautiously optimistic about the future of the course. If it's well maintained, and some of the minor issues are fixed, this is going to be a great course. I have a little concern that the course could become neglected over time, that the school and volunteers won't have the manpower to maintain the course. If the grass isn't constantly cut, the open holes are going to be really difficult to play. And in turn, this course is going to suffer.
- I feel this course could easily get lost in the shuffle. The Charlotte CDC, and all of its courses carry so much weight, that courses in the Charlotte-region can get overlooked, as we've seen with Stumpy Creek. That actually could become a blessing in disguise, possibly keeping the casual players away from this course, leaving it available for the more serious players.
- The open holes reminded me a lot of Falling Creek DGC in Bedford, VA. That's one of my favorite, if not the favorite, open courses I've played anywhere. So anytime I get a layout that reminds me of Falling Creek, it's a great thing.
- Not that a single person anywhere cares about splitting hairs when coming to ratings, but this was right in the 3.75 range for me. Rounded it up to a 4.0, which is fine for me.
- Regardless of that rating, this is a great addition to the Charlotte region disc golf scene. It's definitely a must play for anyone in the area. And for anyone making a disc golf trip to Charlotte, you should strongly consider adding this one to your itinerary.