Goose Landing plays around Richfield Park, with the lake either visible or coming into play on many of the holes. It has DISCatcher baskets, concrete tee pads, teesigns, and two practice baskets. The course features long tees on multiple holes so players of all skill levels will be able to enjoy their rounds here. It is also nice that some of the short tees play very differently from the long tees. For example, Hole 15 Short is a completely different shot shape off the tee compared to Hole 15 long.

The course features a variety of wooded holes, and open holes - but even the open holes have their own danger and risk/reward nature to them. Many of the holes will punish you if you try to get a little too aggressive and are even slightly off, but are relatively easy Par if you just play it safe. Holes 3 and 4 are great examples of this. So accuracy is still a must here.

While there isn't any real elevation in this park, for the course to use, the designers have managed to utilize the extremely limited elevation surprisingly well. That being said, the course is extremely cart friendly.

The course is absolutely beautiful, with Hole 16 standing out as one of the most aesthetic. Despite being tucked in a little nook, where the lake can not be seen, it would absolutely be considered one of the signature holes on the course, over a creek and up a hill. Again, there are multiple ways to play this hole conservatively, but if you get too aggressive off the tee and miss your line early - you will likely be punished hard.

Goose Landing has a very unique feel for the area. Where many holes have many different options to reach the basket. Hole 1 for instance allows for multiple lines through the trees, and what might initially seem like a poke-and-pray hole is actually really well designed in my opinion.

There seemed to be plenty of benches to sit on, and there were even a few covered picnic areas that were in place where you could sit down and rest during the middle of your round.

There are tee signs on every hole, but not at every tee. Hopefully this is something that will change, because some of the tee signs don't have the most accurate diagram. Which is unfortunate because there seems to be a number of new short tees that aren't depicted on the signs or listed here on DGCR.

I loved the way Hole 15 plays as a hole, both from its long tee and its short tee (up the hill, near the flags), but I think it is an obvious safety concern throwing across the street. As fun as the hole is to play - it would be extremely nerve wracking to play on a day where the park was getting a lot of traffic. I think the basket could have been placed on the same side of the road as the tees and the tees merely pushed back some to create similar difficulty.

Holes 7 and 11 play a little too close to the property line with the neighboring farm, and the barbed wire fence creates many issues. This is made even more frustrating due to the wooded nature of these holes, one bad tree kick and you go sailing over the fence.

A few of the holes have weirdly angled doglegs or too many guardian trees around the basket that become frustrating. I am sure there are probably shots that can make the baskets on these holes, but they feel somewhat luck dependent. In the least they seem to slow the pace of play down. If the fairways were shaped out a little more, the round would feel more smooth/enjoyable. Hole 12 comes to mind.

The "safe" play on Hole 5 long, to me, feels so much harder to play than just driving for the basket due to the shape and slope of the island you'd be throwing to. If I were playing the longs and didn't think I had the arm to reach the green, I'd likely just take a two stroke penalty and throw from the short pad (as if I had thrown OB) and save myself the lost disc.

I am rating Goose Landing as a 3.5 for now, but do think that it has the potential for a higher score. This is a fun course with a very unique atmosphere (different from most park courses) with a lot of flavor that allows it to stand out on its own, but with some untapped potential still. So my rating of this course could definitely improve over time, if improvements continue to be made on and around the course.

With this course being so close to City Lake and Fox Chase, it is easy to understand why this course might occasionally be forgotten. However, this should not be the case because this course is outstanding. If you are traveling from out of town to play, a day with all three courses is extremely exciting - as all three courses have their own unique character.

Favorite Blue Holes: 5, 6, 16, 18

Several really cool holes.

1 is a great par 4
4 is a gut check par 3 that is beautiful
5 is a great water carry that you cross with a swinging bridge that and is absolutely Beautiful

16 is a great Par 5(as long as you don't cheat over the road. )

Most of the other holes do not have clean lines and fairways. These holes have trees in the middle of the intended flight path meaning you're basing scores off luck and not skill.

You throw over a park road on 15where the road is 300' off the tee and crosses the flight path like a t. 17 throws over the road at a blind point where you cannot see oncoming traffic or people walking in the valley.
When designing a course what makes you think throwing over a road is ok?

This course also suffers from several tweener holes where people will get a lot of 3's but it will be near impossible to 2 and unlikely for a skilled player to bogey.

One of the par 4's is a small tree kick away from crossing a barbed wire fence into the neighbors cow pasture that is about 15' from the fairway. This could have been avoided.

It's also in very rough shape and could use some help on the maintenance side.

Definitely the worst of the courses I played near Albemarle.

The good holes on this course are amazing and should be commended but they are unfortunately outweighed by the rest of the course and it's issues. Biggest of which is the issue of throwing over roads.

-I'm going to express my opinion, and it's definitely more "different" than the other reviewers. I was actually quite surprised with this course and rather overwhelmed. It doesn't feel like a park course at all; it feels like a private course that a house owner put in his backyard. But in reality, this course was designed by two men that I've never heard of, but they are men that seemed to want to work harder than most designers.

-There is a practice basket that you will see before you get to the parking lot across the road.

-When you step on the first tee, you might feel like you are in a camping spot by a lake instead of a disc golf course. The first hole is a difficult par 4 at 513' long. The fairway "twists" but never has a real turn to it. You start off throwing very slightly uphill through a moderate gap. The second hole is a 231' dogleg. But a more fair one, as the fairway is wide enough and allows a huge right skip without major risk.

-One of the highest points is when you play holes 4-6. It's an awesome three hole stretch. #4 is a putter shot with a view of the lake past the basket. #5 is a 342' bomb across the lake, but also has a short pad that seems more forgiving. #6 is a unique par 4 with an elevated basket. It's pretty short and gently fades left, so it can be reached by pros, but there is a lot of risk on both sides of the fairway. Also ends well with a fun hole 18 that plays as a valley across the lake.

-Many unique fairways that are fair, but different. Irritating? Not at all in my opinion. The tee signs are by the long pads, so that's the main layout. There are many available birdies out here, but easily turn to bogeys. I was -4 after hole 13 and finished even par.

-Mostly wooded, but has great bomber opportunities on holes #5, #15, and #17.

-Has room for long pins on some holes. #15 also has room for a short pin right by the lake.

-It's overgrown in a few spots. Especially on #16 as the grass can get very thick. Loved the hole as it is a truly unique par 5 with a creek in play, so that kind of got me to ignore the tall grass, but it could bother you. #11 should probably be widened because of the barbed wire fence completely in play the whole way.

-#9 is kind of like a par 3 distance on a par 4 fairway. It's short but painfully difficult to birdie from the long pad as it is a difficult dogleg right with guarding trees.

-Tee signs are somewhat confusing. Distances seem correct but the fairways do not according to the diagram. Could also use some trash cans, because there is litter on the course sadly.

-I love unique fairways. Fairways that are different, but hittable and easy to pitch out of. And that's pretty much what this course is about. There isn't much elevation, but it is pretty and the design in my opinion is overwhelming. Based on the rating here, I didn't expect too much, but I got a lot of enjoyment here. It felt like Fox Chase and Brackett's Bluff!

-There is not a hole here that I disliked, despite my cons. My college buddy Christopher told me how he loves this course, so I told him let's play it. So we did, and on most tee-pads, if not all, I said "Woah! This is cool!" I loved how it had four unique par 4 holes and a very scenic par 5. I loved how the trees were pretty spaced out, but still offered multiple fair lanes to the basket.

-Signature holes: #4-#6. #16, and #18. And many more. I don't know if I'm the only reviewer that was truly fond of this course, or if it was worked on, but I'd say come on out! It's like a backyard course at a local park.

great signage. easy to navigate between holes. good variety of shots. we played 2 rounds and only saw 2 people walking the trail. challenging course

not many garbage cans at tees. some small lower branches on fairway trees need to be trimmed

we traveled from charlotte. definitely worth the hour drive. great job on the course design!

Solid course, and well worth the drive from Charlotte. Plenty of benches, navigation made easy by many next hole directional signs. Some lines and fairways very unforgiving. This is a tough, but fair course. Played from the long tee pads, which all have hole layouts maps.

Water carry on 5 requires a big arm.
Water that cuts through 16 is not friendly and hard to see from the tee pad.
Not many trash cans through the course, but shelters at the parking lot had them.

Good distance variation. 4 holes have water in play, power and accuracy needed. Many fairways crowded with trees means accuracy is a must. I found this course very interesting, not much elevation change, some baskets aren't easily seen from the tees. I played very cautiously due to the heavy leaf cover. I also didn't throw over the water on #5, I don't have that kind of power. I used the shorter tee box on the island. I enjoyed this course, although I hit almost every tree possible on a few holes. Signage was good. The long tee box for 16 is located near a parking lot, making this hole close to twice as long. Concrete tee pads on the holes are like new. Directional signs to next tee is present.

There was heavy leaf cover when I played, late November. This isn't any fault of the course, just an observation. Many of the fairways are lined with trees, that always seem to get in the way. The signage for hole 9 confused me a little, I think the distance from blue tee to the right hand turn is short on the sign.

I would like to play this course again in the springtime with less leaf cover and with someone to watch my throws with me. This is a nice course and will return.

- A downright beautiful, fun course
- Excellent variety of shots and holes
- Multiple tees
- Fantastic course design and flow
- Absolutely perfect, smooth, large tees. The best I've
ever seen
- Very well maintained

- Not much elevation change
- Missing about 2 1/2 tees
- Some short tees and one basket are not where the
signs indicate
- Only signs on the long tees now, which is fine except
when the tees are very far apart
- No benches and little to no trash cans, leading to
course litter
- A few of the short tees, really all the ones missing,
are just the same throws as the longs but ~35 ft closer

Those cons, they are nitpicking. Go play this course! It's fantastic! The was not much to complain about at all. I know a lot of folks complained about hole 15, the throw over the road and lake. I loved it. It's a fantastic risk/reward throw. My biggest complaint about this course was the late trouble on 7 & 11, and it wasn't a big deal at all. My other complaint, and it was only because it was my first time playing, is that without a tee sign at the short tee on 16, I was unaware there was a 15 foot wide creek in the fairway I couldn't see from the tee. Small thing- next time I'll know about it. But let's be honest, holes throwing over water, some beautiful wooded holes, wonderfully maintained.... this course was a labor of love and it shows. Those reviews below mine with 3's instead of 4's admitted they were taking into account that the course isn't finished. I say play those missing tees from the longs and just go! You won't regret it!

I loved this course. There were so many great things about it.
-Wooded and open throws
-Water Carries
-Beautiful woods
- Tee signs were pretty sweet.
- The location of benches was spraypainted. So I know those are coming.
-Tee Pads Long (and narrow 4') and grippy.
-Very little underbrush.

The course playes through some open woods, over a lake (awesome) then through some semi open holes and back into woods again. The holes are kind of short so a selection of fairways and mids should do, with just 1 long bomb on the course. I loved the variety.

I have a few minor then a few major concerns.
-When Trees were cut the logs were left to line the fairway, I have made this mistake before, they just end up getting in the way.
-Stumps need to be cut down to ground level, there are just too many trippers.
-From the longs, a few of the earlyier holes have either really awkward turns or the greens really narrow at the end with secret trees left to guard the baskets. I think hole 9 was one of these.
Major concern.
It is a shame, and really poor design to have the last 10% of a 405' hole finish over a park road. You could throw with no car in sight and still hit it as it traveled along that road. I liked the 3 finishing holes around the water ish, but a bridge on 16 sure would have been nice.

That road shot. I just wasnt needed and I really hope that the course designers move it back to the correct side of the road. It adds nothing and takes away a lot from a great design. There was plenty of room to have a tee pad 150' farther back and have the same long throw with the basket between the entrance sign and lake. Would have been just as boss of a throw and potentially even risky. That was probably the poorest use of a road I have seen and we have quite a few in Charlotte. I marked this review .5 discs lower because of that. With benches, a few trees cut at the greens and that pin on the correct side of the road, this is a strong 4.25 course. It has all the amenties and beauty except elevation. These guys put in a heck of a lot of work and it shows.

Overall I enjoyed this course. Most of the holes were unique except for for few mirror image doglegs in the middle.

Hole #5 was neat for a water hole. I did verify with my own spatial analysis for the 300 feet necessary to clear the lake.

Hole #16 was interesting. Now that I know where the basket is, I would enjoy it more. 17 and 18 were good finishing holes for this course.

The course condition says 'perfect' and for the most part it is, but look at hole #18 from the short teepad.

More signage is needed. I intended to play all long teepads. After the fact I realized I missed longs for hole #1 and #4

I did like hole #5, I have just enough power on my drives to clear from blues. The teesign did show landing on the island as a layup option; however, there is quite a large bush in your line-of-sight between the blue pad and islands. Most people, like myself, want to see where you are throwing. Particularly a shot the flirts with a lot of OB.

Hole #7 needs to loose trees inside the putting circle. I had a good throw until my disc found one of these.

The barbed-wire fence on #11 did not bother me, but I could see that as a problem for poor releases, beginners, and just plain bad luck.

#12 is a little to well guarded similar to #7.

#15 creates a safety hazard by throwing over a roadway.

The walk to #16 long was poorly thought out. my experience brought out a flaw. I passed a two-some couple taking their time on hole #11, but they caught back up to me due to the longer holes from #14 and onward. They walked to the short pad after I had thrown from the long, but they did help point me where the basket is tucked in the corner by the intersecting roads. Now I see why reviewers talked about throwing along the roadway, which probably should have a Mando to play the fairway.

#17 from longs could be a hazard with the road along the right. The relief makes it such that you cannot see if a vehicle, pedestrian, biker, etc. is along the roadway.

Having only visited this park once, I do not know how much traffic this park receives; however, it does appear several holes (mainly by the lake) could have conflict with families, fishermen, etc. around the water.

I know this course is new and will get better with time, but the only way to correct some issues that where previously mentioned by other reviewers include: Moving teepads, baskets, or reconfigure fairways, etc.

-If you're like me and disc golf is about getting outside and enjoying the atmosphere, you'll love Goose Landing. Mainly a hardwood forest of oaks and hickory. Trees in adolesence and maturity, making for some excellent wooded holes through 2/3 of the course. Beautiful park-like atmosphere and curving lake with reeds. Quiet and quaint. Wildlife seems prevalent, and biodiversity is commendable (I noticed many different kinds of mushrooms when I played). At least two holes backed up against a pasture...really cool to tee off with some confused cows sitting in the shade 15 feet away.

-Nearly every hole has two sets of teepads, which is very helpful because this course can challenge the best of players. Although some pads seemed to be missing despite two layouts on the signage, I'm assuming these will be poured soon (I didn't detract points, this being a new course).

-Excellent hole designs for the most part. Fair but challenging, with a good mix of directionality and open fields and wooded fairways.

-Superb use of water. I'll admit that when I saw this course had ~8 water holes, I debated whether or not it'd be too much for me. But for the most part, the use of the pond is very well done. The water is mainly used as an OB off to the side (a generous distance) off from the fairway. Even for beginner players it's fairly easy to preserve conservative placement away from the water's edge. The exception to this is probably holes 5 and 18...challenging but beautifully designed. Hole 5 long tee is a long drive across the lake, but allows a player to play conservatively and throw mid-way to an island (where the short tee pad is). Very cool hole. Hole 18 involves throwing across a little inlet and may be wide enough to sink the discs of beginner players.

-Solid, appropriate tee pads

-Good signage, and also has signs pointing to the next tee.

-Appropriate pars. Mixed up with some par 4's thrown in, and one par 5.

-Course has a rural atmosphere and I was the only one out here during the week. I would be surprised if Goose Landing ever gets busy.

-Overall a high "fun factor" and a great atmosphere. I really enjoyed playing this when I was passing through Richfield and I'd play it again.

-Good use of elevation, particularly on 16, 17, and 18... although this course isn't too hilly.

-The biggest con for me was a few hole placements. Specifically, two holes' fairways are very close to the cattle fence to a farmer's pasture. Errant shots could easily wind up on his private property--not to mention the challenge of getting through the barbed wire to retrieve your disc. Hole 15 is a hidden basket over the road, and in my opinion it's just too close to where traffic will be coming through.

-Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this course to beginners. It is challenging, and the water is always a looming threat (bring your junk discs). Going OB will kill your score.

-Pond seems like it may get recreational fishers, so could be a small problem.

-As of right now, a lack of trash cans and benches.

-As of right now, fairways still have a little ground growth and the roughs can be still pretty rough. This isn't a big deal and will improve as the course matures.

This is an excellent course, and I commend the designers and everyone that helped out. I have been travelling from Charlotte to the Triangle for some years along highway 49 and I always wished for a disc golf course along the way. I finally got one, and it doesn't disappoint. If you're ever going from Charlotte to the Triangle...skip the interstate traffic and stop through Richfield. Could also be a good day trip for Charlotte players looking for something different.

I think this deserves a 4 rating. It was designed for more experienced players and most of the cons (like water and hole placement) are less of a problem for the skill-level Goose Landing was intended for. Just as well, problems like missing teepads, trashcans and benches are easily remedied and will probably come soon.

Goose Landing is an excellent course at the intersection of just-passing-through (NC 52) and heading-somewhere-else (NC 49). Two years into its existence, this course has established itself as an under-the-radar locale.
- After reading earlier reviews, my expectations were somewhat tempered. But, Goose Landing blew any thoughts I had about the course. This is a great layout, one of the best new courses in the area in a while.
- The course is filled with fun and challenging holes. It can be a grind at times, as noted by having to play your round around the lake, and essentially the entire park. Still, finishing up #18, I was really tempted to play another 18. And this is after I'd already played 99 holes that day, across four different counties.
- There are some really quality holes at this course. I think there are 4 holes that could easily be the signature hole on this course: #5 (the water hole); #14 (402-foot hole that runs along the water); #15 (405-foot hole that throws around/over edge over water, over hole to basket protected by trees) and #16 (648 foot par 5 that seems much longer and bigger than that). In that sense, this course has advanced-level potential, along the lines (to varying degrees) of other area courses such as: Renny, Nevin, Hornets Nest, Stumpy and Fox Chase. All are great courses that come at you with one challenge after another.
- That said, my two favorite holes on the courses were none I listed above, but did also involve water. #4 - really enjoyed the challenge and risk/reward of this layout. It's a 279-foot hole that starts in the woods to an open basket that's only 25 feet or so in front of the water. #6 - it's a 429-foot hole with water (protected by some trees) running along the left side of the fairway the length of the hole. It felt great parking my second shot here for a drop-in 3.
- The course requires a lot of different shots throughout, while also giving you multiple options of how to play the course. The course has decent length, averaging 351 feet per hole, with 6 holes longer than 400, another four between 342 -372 feet, with nothing shorter than 227 feet. That said, on the longer holes, you can pull out driver, or play a couple mid-range shots and keep your shots in the fairway.
- Throughout the course, on many holes, you will be in trouble if you miss the fairway (deep in the woods or in the water) or the smart lay-up spots, as seen on #9. So yes, there's a strong risk/reward factor here, with the scales leaning heavily towards the risk side on some holes. Your round can be simplified, and produce many easy pars, even if not birdies, just by playing safe.
- Tee signs are mostly good. They're very descriptive and helpful, providing important information. On #5, it's great that the sign lists the distance to carry the water. It's good for those of us who are unsure about how aggressive we want to be.

The biggest problem here might not even be a true negative. It's more of an observation. For a course having two different layouts, 8 of the 18 holes share the same layout. So, on one hand, there's not a lot of variance due to the overlap. However; that might be better than the alternative of having forced alternative tee pads.
- I thought the tee on #11 plays much too close to the barb wire fence that runs along the left side of the fairway. It's a narrow fairway, with heavy tree coverage on both sides. My tee shot was running down the right side of the fairway, hit a tree and kicked 50 feet left, and ended up on the other side of the fence. I was able to get my disc back, but I'm probably not the first or last who will have the property line fence become a major issue on this hole.
- Navigation could be improved. Holes cross over at several different points. For example, after playing #5, you can go left to #6, go right to #14 or head past the basket and end up at #9. A few more arrows or signs could possibly keep people from ending up at wrong holes.
- Signage could be more accurate. On holes #10 & 12, for example, the tee sign shows both holes being doglegs, indicating both holes having about the same degree of bend in the fairway. Hole #10 plays very straight, with almost no bend. The fairway for #12, on the other hand, ends up being a near 90-degree right hand turn halfway down the layout. These two holes are completely different layouts, but a first-timer wouldn't know based on the signage. Add to that, #16 long could have better signage, letting players know about the (at-times) deep and dark creek that runs across and along the fairway.
- More benches and trash cans throughout the course will be needed in time. On a hot summer day, once you're on the back nine, I'm sure plenty of people will need to be sitting down and resting quite often. Not me, of course. But others will.

This is a solid course, and my opinion hasn't changed after my second round, 2 years after the first. It's hard to believe that Stanly County now has 3 very good-to-great courses.
- As much as I sing this course's praises, there are still improvements to be made. Maybe clearing out some more trees or moving tee pads or baskets will lead to even better layouts.
- Some people are not going to like some parts of this course, and I can see why. #5, for example, is going to have its critics. If you can't clear the water from the long tee (I wasn't in the mood to chance it, so I wimped out), you either have to play from the short tee (some people, like me, want their entire round played from one set of tees without exception) or have an awkward/difficult layup. I basically threw from the long tee towards the short tee on the island. The problem is that there aren't really any other options to play this hole.
- The other problem I could see some people having is that there seems to be a drumbeat of (nearly) alternating wooded, dogleg left and dogleg right holes from holes #8 - 13. That six-hole stretch yields three rights and two lefts. Maybe breaking up that monotony a little would be nice.
- Course is really convenient for players coming from Charlotte and/or I-85, half a mile from the intersection of 49 & 52. If you're coming from out of town, make it a day trip to play the entire Stanly County trifecta of Goose Landing, Fox Chase and City Lake. It'll be a solid day of disc golf, even if Pat disagrees.

As of now Goose Landing is predominately a very tight and technical style wooded course that requires accuracy throughout the fairway and power on a few of the more open holes.

Also for this review I only played the long pads.

Layout - The biggest strength I see for this course is a diversity in hole lengths. It mixes in long/short nicely and throws in 5 multi shot holes including one par 5. The course is mostly a technical wooded style but there are several more open holes mostly around the lake.

Water does come in to play here and for the most part I think it's done nicely. The water holes here are probably my favorite holes. In total you have 8 with water in play; 7 involve the lake and one has a creek. My favorite is 5; a fun water carry with a short and long pad appropriate for two skill levels.

There's a good basis for the wooded holes. I think a few are thought out pretty well but as is just need some refinement to be solid holes. There's a good mixture of shot types that force you to have a few different tricks up your sleeve to score well.

I like the par 5 #16; makes you have a good drive with length off the tee then flirts you with an OB creek and then the fairway turns and adds another distance shot with multiple paths depending on where you are.

17 is another really fun shot that lets you rip one downhill a bit. There's not a lot of elevation on the course but there is a bit which comes mostly from the land sloping upwards away from the lake.

Equipment - Good signage with a pretty accurate map and hole distance listed for both tees. The baskets are new Discatchers. Practice basket near the lot.

Atmosphere - The park is great, really nice lake setting and some beautiful holes around the water. The wooded holes farther in to the course take you away from the other park areas and give you some seclusion. Didn't see anyone else playing while I was there so don't expect a crowd.

Layout - Overall I think the basis for a solid course is there and the course just needs to break in and be touched up.

A majority of improvments in that area include taking out some high limbs which is a problem on a number of holes. In some cases I don't think the line is achievable enough on a consistent basis.

Another area I repeatedly saw a problem with was late skinny trees right before the basket. You could hit your line 75% of a fairway and nail little trees not well seen from the tee. To me these types of obstacles create more luck than reward solid shots.

Due to the above concerns the greens to me are not overly well thought out or cleaned up enough. Take out some cluster and in some cases I think some baskets could be moved to create better holes.

Overall I think some of the wooded holes are just to tight for what they are. Instead of real challenge they're forcing more of a luck situation.

If there's one area that seems a bit to overdone to me is the holes that seem to go out and cut straight right. There's at least three holes of all very similar design that seem to favor players who can throw big RHFH/LHBH hyzers.

Some possible safety issues with the road coming in to play on some of the later holes. If people choose to fish near baskets or near fairways on a few holes that could be a problem, signs letting them know would help.

I think the course breaking in will help fix some of these problems and perhaps the designers are waiting to see how to further refine the fairways however...

...there are some aspects of the layout I disagree with and I think some changes to certain holes could make a much stronger course. I don't usually break down holes one by one but because this course is still newer and in progress I'll write down some particulars.

#4 - This hole is an impossible par 3 and one of the worst holes I've ever seen. If there is anyone who can deuce this hole I'd like to see it. Basically it goes straight out towards the water then bends straight right and curls backwards a bit around a thick tree line. To play it you have to throw a layup right near the waters edge and then pitch over to the basket.

There's a few ways I see to fix this hole. One you could move the basket out on to the peninsula a bit to create a short but risk/reward shot with OB looming. Two you could cut an actual fairway to the basket through the trees and back the pad up a bit. Three you could back the pad all the way up the path and clear out more trees around the water and have an actual par 4.

#6 - I like this hole but to me the basket should be backed up right and longer to make the second shot more difficult the less you flirt with the water on the left. I'd also like to see some high limbs taken down on the left so a risky big bomb over the left side is possible.

#7 & #11 - these holes flirt with the barbwire property boundary a bit to much for me. People will kick over there and it's going to create a problem. 7 is a hole where way to many late trees are still in and 11 to me is overall to skinny off the tee for it to be a fun par 4, especially with the barbwire looming.

#10 - Another hole with way to many late skinny trees

#12 - To me this hole has a good idea but it's to tight once you make the turn. I kinda get it because it's a short par 4 but to me if you could lengthen the hole and push the basket back and then take out some trees you're making an overall better hole that forces solid shots and takes luck out of it.

#15 - Really solid long shot with multiple paths but to me the inside route needs serious limbing and a few late trees taken out

#16 - I like the big open bomb aspect but the park road does come in to play and when I played it there were people fishing right in the fairway. Fun shot but could pose problems. Another hole with petty late gaps that are 400' off the tee. If you can chuck one that far over an elevated road hanging it out over water a bit then you should be rewarded not punished for a late tree kick.

#18 - Again really great basis for a hole but again I think the gap approaching the basket is just a bit to tight to be fair for such a long shot that has an early water carry and gap off the tee.

Equipment - The tees are gravel/natural as is. Not really my style but it is what it is. They probably shouldn't be pouring anything until the course is more settled anyway.

Atmosphere - The park was pretty much empty when we were there but it was a weekday. Park goers didn't pose that much of a problem but I can see where people around the lake could be in danger. A couple had to move out of the way so we could play 15.

If the designers of this course read this please take these as helpful suggestions and not harsh criticisms. I really think a good job has been done getting the groundwork done in putting this course in.

As is I don't really recommend this course as of yet especially to newer players, it will just frustrate you. Hopefully this course comes along nicely and I can definitely see it having a huge rating jump potential.

The park. Seriously lovely park. The course plays around a nice lake and over the lake a couple of times. When you're not throwing over/around the water you're in typical NC woods style golf, mostly at general Intermediate level distances of <300'.

The water holes were cool. You've got to worry about griplocking a drive into the drink on the right at hole #1, Hole 4 has an uneasy basket location, a blind basket tucked away on the right but all you can see at the end of the wooded tunnel sloping gradually downhill is a finger of green land jutting into the lake. If the basket was on that peninsula, holy crap what a fun but challenging hole it would be. Hole 5, you HAVE to throw over the water but there's a short tee on the little island for those not feeling adventurous enough to get 342' off their drive. For the record, either I've gotten a distance boost or the tees are exaggerating the distances a little. Holes 14 and 15 have water on your right flank again; if you're trying to go for it on 15 you will have to throw over the corner of the lake and over the dam, another test of max D and how much sentimental value your discs really have. Hole 16 is seriously one of the coolest holes I've played in a long time. No lake, but you have a long, multi-shot hole with a wide creek in the middle of it. If you pure the gap off the drive with a ~300' toss, the creek is situated in a way to really make you think about laying up before it or trying to carry it off your 2nd shot (I had a less than ideal lie so I laid up). The basket is another solid throw away from the creek on a man-made base on the hill in the corner. Hole 18 has you throw over another corner of the lake with a valley shot for a really nice scenic end to the round.

The wooded holes decent, some of them are pretty good, some of them are a little rough with their lines and some of them need a little fairway refinement with the correct trees removed. But none of them are outright bad, it just leans towards the "technical" side of placement golf on shortish holes. Long and short tees on most of the holes.

The tee signs are pretty slick and informative and I like how they faced the back of the tee, although my bro thought that was a con. He's more used to them being somewhere off the front of the tee but I like these b/c they're well out of the way and easy to spot from the previous hole. The designer also put some white arrows to make transitions basically idiot proof, a nice touch that I appreciate enough to factor into the rating. Even though this course hasn't been played much and the leaves covered the ground, I was able to locate paths to the next tee easily enough and little pink flags aid in navigation as well so getting lost wasn't much of an issue. Baskets are brand new Discatchers. Pretty good variety of lines on the holes so they didn't feel monotonous.

Mostly "new course in the ground" stuff. The tees are natural and leveled off spots marked by flags. They're okay but some of them are a little rutted or marked with roots so you'll want to stand and deliver for the tight, technical holes. Some piles of brush here and there, especially on hole 13. Some briers but shouldn't be a problem unless the course doesn't get enough traffic next spring/summer. The rough is treacherous, if you get knocked off the fairway you are in instant tree jail, maximum security. Mentioned earlier, some of the lines of the fairways needed some tweaking in my opinion but nothing major.

Biggest cons are hole 11 with the barbwire fence right there on your left flank the whole hole, not great b/c you know somebody is eventually going to get kicked into that pasture. Hole 12 specifically stood out as hole that needed some real fairway refinement, it's obstacle to airway ratio is way too high in favor of obstacles. Hole 15 is a pretty cool hole BUT, you have to throw over the road that crosses the dam, a safety issue best avoided if possible. Definitely needs a new transition cut from 15 to hole 16 b/c the path empties you out midway on 16's fairway. A little too much late trouble on a lot of the holes, i.e. baskets are too well guarded. I prefer a decent green that you can at least get an open look on your putt from a straddle but a lot of holes left you 2 putting for no fault of your own, really.

The course kind of reminds me of a cross between Squirrel Lake and Lake's Edge. Not a lot of multi-shot par 4 type holes but the ones that are there are really great, especially 16. The water holes are daunting but more than fair and avoidable, partially because they don't seem as long as the distances listed on the tee signs. I'm excited by the potential of this course as it wears in and gets tees, could creep into the 4 disc category. As it is, it makes a really nice complement to the nearby Fox Chase, and if you're coming from the south, Oakboro rounds out a nice trio of courses for a satisfying weekend of golf. Seriously one of the nicest parks in terms of nature I've played, I was really surprised for some reason.

For those of you imbibing brewskies out there, PACK IT IN, PACK IT OUT! Already seen some litter out there which is disappointing. C'mon Bubba, Busch Ice cans don't belong on the ground.