Pros:
Pulling into the parking lot, I immediately got a sense why this course had a low rating. Walking past the construction, through mud and brush to get to the makeshift first tee (actual hole #5), my sense was even lower. Then, I started playing the course, and I started to think this wasn't far from being a really good course.
- This is a review I'd prefer having all the cons listed first. They're so glaring that you may as well address the elephant in the room immediately.
- Quick disclaimer: I am listing hole numbers based on the numbers listed on the basket NOT the hole number based on the temporary layout that's on UDisc.
- After playing #5, a slight uphill, dogleg right to a basket tucked back amongst trees, with a creek right behind the basket, you go directly to a 'fun' hole. It's a downhill, 'island' hole with an OB wall in front of the basket. At 240 feet, you can throw a good tee shot, land 25 feet short, but be OB. Lots of 2s and 4s given out on this one.
- #8 &9 was my favorite back-to-back stretch on the course. Honestly, they might have been my two favorite holes, period. #8 is 210 feet, tight fairway, over the park road to a basket with drop offs to the left and short of the basket. Another hole where 2s and 4s are both in play. Throw your disc 5 feet too far, start rolling down hill, and you might be 100 feet away. For some reason, whoever created the construction/in-progress layout on UDisc did not list this hole on their layout. How nobody has noticed or fixed it is surprising.
- #9 is an excellent, tight, downhill, slight dogleg left. Creek on the right side is OB. It's listed at 240 feet but plays considerably shorter. My tee shot landed 20 feet short, but with the speed it was carrying, one skip later and a slide later, and I was 40 feet past the basket. This is an excellent short layout.
- Your next stretch of holes is a series of holes playing up, down, and parallel to the hills. As part of the layout I played, several holes were being imported from Lake course due to the current construction. Of these, the most memorable is current hole #14 (Lake course #5) that plays alongside the pipeline.
- Your round wraps up with several holes that play alongside the paved walking trail. #18 is a fun, s-curved layout. I can see why that's the closing hole. Instead, you finish your round (temporarily) back on #1. Trust me, by this point, I was completely confused as to what holes belong on Pines vs Lake, what holes are permanent vs temporary, what hole distances are correct, and what are the odds I teed off or threw to the wrong basket at least once. I'm guessing pretty high on that last one.
- Even with all this confusion, you can see there's a great piece of land here. There's room for a great layout. Make this layout a great compliment to Smith Lake.
Cons:
The park portion that you go to for Pines is run down. I had to eye the other people sitting in their cars before I got out of mine realizing they were waiting for tennis partners. Course needs a face lift, including a better park sign.
- As for the course itself, it's a disaster with the construction. I think I played somewhere between 13 - 15 of the actual holes, with other holes being borrowed from the Lake layout. If you try to play this course without the UDisc interactive map, you will quit after one hole. Good luck searching for the non-existent holes #2 – 4. If you start at hole #5, good luck figuring out after #10, where to go once the two layouts start overlapping. You will play some good disc golf; it's just going to be a disjointed round.
- Due to construction, signage is a disaster. I understand why it's the way it is. I'm simply stating the obvious.
- Upkeep is lacking. I'll say it's due to construction. Based on the condition of the entire park, I'm a little more concerned this might be a non-construction issue.
- Lack of amenities. A few more benches or bag hooks on the hilly back 9 would be appreciated.
- Despite all these issues, compared to the Lake course, Pines is in pristine condition.
- Pack yourself lots of patience. I swear I walked past tees multiple times that I hadn't yet played. I trusted the UDisc layout. If left to my own resolve, I guarantee I wouldn't have played exactly 18 holes. I know I'd have thrown to the same basket more than once, and very likely played the same hole twice without noticing.
Other Thoughts:
It's interesting that Mazarick Park has two courses. Neither course offers a full 18. Come to Mazarick Park. Enjoy our 28 holes spread out over two course and several miles of walking.
- Based on the conditions of the two courses, as confusing as this layout was at times, I'd play it 10 out of 10 times instead of the Lake course. At least Pines has a clear vision of what its layout was, is, and will be. The other course is just putting in holes wherever they can find room without rhyme or reason.
- After the confusion of finding the first tee – hole #5 – I'm glad that was the first hole of this layout. Holes #5 – 9 are such a strong, varied first five holes that get the course starting at such a high point. It afforded me patience to try to figure out the temporary layout and weird transitions.
- I played 8 courses in the Fayetteville area in one day. This was clearly the second-best course of the day, behind Smith Lake.
- All my feelings on this course assume that the course will get the proper attention it needs once construction is completed. Even if that means the course inherits the Lake holes in the section, or at least requires a hole or two overlapping, do it. Ensure this course takes advantage of this piece of land. Have one good course and one mediocre course instead of two mediocre courses.
- I'm giving the course a 3.0 rating based on the layout I played. That includes ignoring the signage/navigation issues. If the course was completed and signage was in place, this is easily a 3.5 – 3.75 range course.
- I hope this course is restored to what's shown in the pictures on this site. It looked much more appealing than the version I played. Yet, I still had fun.