Pros:
Renaissance Gold has been on my "Must Play" list for a while. A few courses in Charlotte have been on that list. So when I found out that I would be in Charlotte for a couple days, I was ecstatic.
Renaissance Gold is not flashy. It doesn't have brand new Discatchers, pristine tee pads, exquisite tee signs. However, it makes up for this with exhilarating golf.
This course has some of the most extreme holes I have ever played, mostly due to the crazy terrain, especially around the green. For example, hole two seems harmless enough on paper. Under 600 feet, par 4. Pretty open, no extreme elevation changes overall. However, the approach shot is over a DEEP ravine, which is terrifying to traverse. Leave an approach five feet short, you are throwing 80 degrees up the hill. Go long, and you have a horrifying death putt.
This theme continues through the course. Holes that should be easy, but then you have one non-perfectly executed shot, and somehow you're 500 feet from the basket, shooting for double bogey. That's what I really love about this course. From start to finish, you can't take a single shot for granted.
I could go on and on about the brilliant hole designs, and fun shots, but it's impossible to do some of it justice. However, know that a course without water can still make discs disappear.
There is a great variety of shots needed to execute a great round. The front nine is shorter, but much more technical and has more substantial elevation changes. The back nine requires more distance, while still having different lines to throw on each hole.
A lot of courses that have a total distance like that of Renaissance Gold are reliant on distance. However, this is not the case here. I believe that if you can throw 350 feet with a good bit of accuracy, you can shoot par at this course. They put a lot of emphasis on landing zones, giving a more experienced player an edge.
Cons:
Renaissance Gold is one of the best course designs I have played, it's hard to believe it's twenty years old. That's older than I am! However, it's far from perfect.
The baskets are no longer a shiny gold, but rather a dull, pale yellow. The tee signs are worn, not as descriptive as they should be at a beast of a course like this, and small. This course is showing a lot of age, and could use some new equipment to match the golf. The best courses deserve the best amenities!
Navigation at this course is not intuitive. There are signs to guide you to the next tee, but with the overlapping layouts, the multiple baskets, and not-so-great tee signs, there was definitely an advantage to having a map and a spotter to show us the way.
On a dreary December morning, the course was very wet in a few places, and, combined with the extreme elevation changes, it got a little slippery on the muddy areas. I would recommend wearing shoes with a lot of traction, and clothes that you don't mind getting dirty.
The rough at Renaissance Gold is dense and unforgiving. I said that you could never see a disc again without throwing it into the water, and I mean it. Steep drop offs, Thick underbrush. Overall, a lot of places you don't want to end up.
Design-wise, a few holes were lackluster compared to the other holes, that are definitely signature. The wide open bomber holes on the back that are in a row are a little frustrating. Plus, the first hole does not match the rest of the course at all.
There are overlapping layouts, holes that play near roads, and more possible safety hazards that could arise on a busy day in the summer. I ran into a few people on the RenSke course that played across the Gold fairway. I can not see how this would work during a busy day, as I imagine it would cause a lot of backups.
This course is not for the weak-minded and weak-armed. Bring water and your game face. There is no short layout. That's at the other courses. This course is for the strong. If you play your hardest, its not hard to conquer.
Other Thoughts:
I wrote a long review, because I have strong feelings regarding this course. I love the design, but there are issues with how it is laid out. While not a huge problem I imagine in the '90s, the disc golf scene continues to boom, and courses like this need to be cherished. Make it look like the Championship course that it is.
I will return to Renny Gold in the future, and I will definitely love it like I did the first time. I don't know what will change, but I hope it's for the better.