Emerald Isle, NC

Emerald Isle Woods

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2.385(based on 4 reviews)
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8 0
Rastnav
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 55 played 12 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Like a foothills course, but at the beach drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 27, 2020 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A noob, noodle arm review:

As others have said this is a tight, technical heavily wooded course. Pars are fairly easy to come by, but birdies may be quite challenging. Signs are new and quite good, with overall quite good navigation indicators that could be improved a small amount.

- Many holes play uphill to a green on the top of a dune/knob. Greens are quite small and missed birdie runs may travel far away.
- The course is something of a workout, with quite a bit of elevation change. Usually up to the basket and then steeply down to the next tee.
- You will need to play a variety of shots through tight opening gaps on most holes. More holes play to turnovers and forehands than to RHBH hyzer plays.
- Low ceilings and a lack of open air means even big bombers may be challenged to find an easy line to the basket.
- Good tee signs, next tee arrows On the baskets and large, high mounted, yellow navigation arrows make navigating what could be a tricky course fairly easy.
- If you had trouble finding the lines, the course is more fun on the second play through than the first, so go ahead and play 18.

Edit: Three years on, and as much better player, I think this review continues to stand up well. I'll make a few extra points, though:

- For more advanced players this course has little to do with power and everything to do with hitting the lines, angle, nose angle, spin, etc.
- With small tee boxes that are aren't particularly even, combined with the tight lines, the overall effect is something like scrambling off the tee. This is a great course for working on some very specific parts of your game.
- Despite it being quite short, you still may find yourself throwing a variety of disc speeds in order to get a look at birdie.
- Navigation is much improved from the first time I played it, but I can still imagine being confused at times.

Cons:

- If you were looking for an easy 9 hole stroll , this won't be it.
- In any inclement conditions, I can imagine some of the paths downhill by dangerous.
- A few places still lack adequate navigation queues the first play through. #4 and #6 are still a little confusing to find and #8 is just a much father walk than you would expect
- No hole over 270, and yet two par 4s. Some people are going to find this course to gimmicky.
- Several par 3s where there really is not a line to the green where the smart play is a 100 foot layup , followed by a chip shot. Heavy ceilings would seem impervious to even Simon lines, grenades, etc.
- Dense rough growth could mean losing a disc or two, if you get a little unlucky.

Other Thoughts:

A fun course for someone who has played enough to know how to hit a line, but perhaps frustrating for the absolute beginner.
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4 0
O.A.T.
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Tight! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 7, 2018 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

New hole signs! You can find 8 without a picture of the course map (that they took down)
Right on Coast Guard Rd. Super convenient!
Baskets are in great shape
Playable with 1 disc
Different from my usual courses
Not busy at all

Cons:

Bugs! I got eaten alive by horse flies and walked theough numerous spider webs
Very technical. Could be a pro or con

Other Thoughts:

This golf course is 2 turns from our beach house, so I've played it the last couple times i came down. Played today, 7/7/18, and the course is in ok shape. Grass is a little grown up on 1, but thats the only grass on the course. All of the baskets are pretty new and very receptive.
This course is super technical! Really tight lines that you can be punished for missing. Some of the greens are extremely domey and a missed putt can mean a huge number. With that being said, it's also super short. I brought a Dart and a Rat, and I only needed the Rat for a forehand or 2.
Hole 4 is the only hole inreally don't like. It goes way uphill, but there is a canopy. You have to throw a ~120' backhand or a wide anny forehand into a hill and hope your 50' putt hits chains. If it doesn't, you're right around the circle's edge, but 10-12' below the basket.
Other than that, it's all about hitting lines with a putter. It's fun to bring a disc or 2 and not worry about trying to bomb anything. Not great, not terrible. I'll be back next time we're in Emerald Isle.
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5 0
BrotherDave
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.3 years 192 played 189 reviews
2.00 star(s)

This Emerald Could Use Some Polishing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a quiet, quaint little park on the island and the course is well secluded from other activities. Basically 9 holes that are cut out of very dense woods around marshy, swampy areas. If you picture the place where Yoda trained Luke Skywalker in Star Wars you wouldn't be far off, just less swamp and more spider webs.

The baskets are nice and in good shape. Finding the tees isn't a problem for the most part although transitions from some holes could be confusing. The design itself is fairly thought-out with most of the holes having defined lines, neat pin placements and good use of terrain. Despite being on an island, the course has surprisingly good use of elevation and manages to avoid being monotonous.

This is very technical, needle-threading woods golf. Even at short distances, you're asked to shape intricate lines and consider disc stability. Your utility, get-out-of-trouble discs and shots are going to be used much more than your go-to discs, especially with the occasionally extreme angles some fairways take.

Cons:

The tees are bad and that's no lie. That being said, I didn't mind them even though I hate non-concrete tees. Every hole basically was so tight and short that running up with a backhand was impractical anyway. You just don't need much of a good tee to do standstill flicks, FH rollers or OH shots.

Finding the course is a little tricky. The first hole you see upon entry is hole 4 but you go past it and go into the gap of the trees to the right of the decently sized parking lot on the right to get the start of the course. Getting around is fairly straightforward after that but a couple of long walks between holes mixed with indistinct signage doesn't inspire confidence for first-timers. Basically the portion of the course on the other side of the road can be a little confusing thanks to the shared boardwalk/trails over there.

Is it too tight? Some holes, maybe a tad. It's tough when the holes are this short because the margin for error is so slim but I think a choice tree removal here and there mixed with thinning out some rough would make this course a lot more enjoyable. Some of the doglegs are fairly extreme angles that discs just can't hit by flight alone.

Other Thoughts:

I wish there was a more conventional type of disc golf course in this area to complement this one but beggars can't be choosy. It's just super-technical and short, kind of reminiscent of the many mini-golf courses in the area. It's not my cup of tea and not something I'd like to introduce people to the game via but it has its place.
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2 0
takman
Experience: 23 years 124 played 25 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Skinnyville 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Challenging layout with surprising elevation changes to deal with. Lines are very tight but well defined for a new course. No gimme birdies because of well-guarded baskets. Course will be tough to tame until it's worn in some.

Cons:

Teepads are sand and river pebbles and offer poor footing. I used the ground beside the tee on several holes. Poor signage leading to long transitions to holes 6 and 8, got lost on the adjoining hiking trails.

Other Thoughts:

Hope the locals consider pouring concrete pads or using rubber mats over the existing pads. Most of the pads had lost about half the rocks out of the frame. Some better arrows just after the baskets on 5 and 7 would help with navigation. The course has potential, hope it gets some play and regular trimming.
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