- Very fun course with a lot of elevation changes.

- Good layout and the first and last hole are near each other and by the parking lot.

-Out Of bounds was listed very clearly that made knowing if a disc was in or out easy.

- A good variety of holes with a couple of doglegs, wooded, technical shots, and open holes.

- Super annoying and very overgrown rough that made looking for discs really challenging. I lost a disc twice, and spent several minutes looking for a disc on numerous occasions.

- At times there can be an excessive amount of out of bounds.

- Not a lot of variety of distance.

- The tees were kind of beat up and a little short for me, and the baskets were old and has some spit-outs.

We saw a very large snake that was easily over 5 feet long, but he was just chilling and not hurting anybody.

Just north of Charlotte, in Cornelius, is a newer, intermediate level course: Robbins Park. The park itself has a couple of ball fields, walking trails, restrooms etc. Of course, if you are heading to the course for the first time, it is wise to type in "Robbins Park Disc Golf" because Robbins Park proper is actually a satellite area about half a mile down the road. The course features DISCatcher baskets, nice concrete tee pads, very informative tee signs, well marked OB and Drop Zones, a variety of benches, and bag holders at multiple tees. Some of the holes feature long tees to add a little bit more difficulty, but overall it doesn't change so much that an intermediate player will struggle on them.

Despite the overall length of the course, in terms of fairway distance, this is a very compact course. It manages to stay compact by making the absolute most out of the available land. This might be why the OB is marked so well throughout the course, to help keep the fairways separated. Luckily, none of the OB ever feels shoehorned or unnatural. Robbins also does a great job utilizing the natural elevation in a way that makes every hole feel distinct. The course has a variety of uphill, downhill, side-sloped, and valley shaped fairways that gives the course a lot of personality. The course also uses more subtle elevation changes around some of the pin placements, which make for some very interesting putting greens.

Robbins is a great course for intermediate-level players who are really looking to take their game to the next level. There is a heavy emphasis on power control off the tee. If you don't throw with enough or too much power you might find yourself somewhere you don't want to be, adding strokes to your score. This is further enhanced by how the elevation of the course can make a hole play longer or shorter, despite the distanced.

There are plenty of risk/reward shots on this course, such as the tee shot for Hole 2 short or the approach shot on Hole 16. Both have open hyzer routes out over the OB, so if you have good power control, and can trust your disc to hyzer back into the green, both shots are fairly easy. But if you put too much power on your shot and turn the disc over too much you're gonna be crossing your fingers praying a gust of wind sends you back to the fairway. Other holes have similar plays, but instead of throwing over OB, you have trees that can send you way off line to contend with.

The course finishes with a bang! Hole 16 and 18 are two of my favorite on the course, with Hole 17 being no slouch either. Hole 16 really rewards players who can control a spike hyzer out over OB. And Hole 18 is a valley shot, that felt reminiscent of the final Holes on Nevin and the old R.L. Smith layout.

The course is also in close proximity to Bailey Road Park, Bradford, and not too far from Stumpy Creek. Which can be played in addition to Robbins for a fun, full day of golf!

The course definitely feels cramped. Luckily there are barriers to protect tees that are in throwing zones, to keep players from being struck by a full-speed driver. The amount of OB at this course might feel overbearing at times (especially Hole 1) for newer players because there are OB markers on every hole. Speaking of which, I didn't really understand why Hole 1 wasn't just designed as an island Green. There would be less OB markers needed, which would make the hole more visually appealing, and it already plays as one since the landing zone before the putting green is only about 5 feet wide the whole way anyway.

One could say, "Robbins a bit rough around the edges." They wouldn't say that the design was poor or the course had glaring flaws. What they'd be talking about is how thick the rough can get in spots. It looked like some of it had recently been cut around Hole 1 when I played, but most of the other holes with grass had some really tall, thorny rough scattered about. I don't necessarily mind the tall grass, but when it gets full of briars, it is no fun to look for errant drives.

If I lived in the area, I would probably play Robbins regularly. The hole designs were really fun, and it has a decent bite to it. If you are on your game, you'll score well here, but if you're a bit off the numbers are gonna add up fast. I am thankful I was playing pretty well when I came through here, because I had played terribly at Bradford, on the same day. Hopefully I get the chance to play from the long tees in the future, but outside of Holes 2 and maybe 1, they didn't really seem like they would add much to the overall difficulty of the course.

I am giving Robbins a 3.5 for now, but it is a newer course and I could change my tune in the future if something can be done about the rough. Unfortunately its rating ceiling will always be somewhat limited by the small amount of land it is on. I wish more land had been allocated for design here, because this course really shows what the park could feature. It has managed to pack a fun, dynamic course, into a tiny track of land here!

Favorite Holes: 3, 12, 16, &18

Many reviews address aspects of a course which are readily apparent to those familiar or those reading previous reviews, so this review stresses less obvious features or formal ideas, in an attempt to broaden the readers' appreciation of this course and maybe the game in general.

Robbins Park is a very thoughtful design on a site with severe constraints. I urge readers unfamiliar to call up the course map and see the site's spatial constraints. A small creek roughly bisects this slender site and large parts of the course's area are designed as floodplain for the athletic facility and adjacent subdivisions. The creek's south-side bank is heavily sloped, so it's quite a feat to merely shoehorn a course of this length, difficulty and variety onto the site, especially when considering the community's expectations. In spite of being hamstrung by constraints that might stymie other designers, this designer has acquitted himself well.

Robbins continues the east coast technical tradition of disc golf, but also relies on decision-making quite a bit more than the average iteration in this style. From the tee, most holes initially appear very straightforward, however the rash golfer is likely to be harshly penalized by charging ahead on first impressions. Take #1 for instance: given the hole's length, golfers should be immediately tempted to try a high/wide shot with plenty of fade for an 'easy' pin. Fair enough, but since the entire fairway and pin lie on a raised berm with extensive OB and lowered surrounds, maybe the better play is flat and straight with good fade control. Trade-off decisions of this nature figure largely in Robbins' design. From the tee, counter-spin deliveries are largely favored, while around the greens clock-spin deliveries are favored, which yields a unique type of shot-making balance overall. Minor elevation changes, especially around the greens, feature frequently, with all types represented. Scoring chances abound with an average hole length of about 300' from either tee set and combined with the creek coming into play on 13 holes, makes Robbins a true technician's (and skill building) course.

The site's nature creates issues at Robbins, not all of which may be ameliorated by design alone. As stated before, a large part of the site is drainage for surrounding development, which is likely to make play irksome during and after normal rain events. The creek ford on hole #8 is potentially dangerous and made more so by the fact it is the exit for most of the water going through the course (erosion). In addition, several tees required protection barriers from shots on other holes. Obviously an imperfect trade-off, this solution preserves the design's integrity at the cost of aesthetics. It is also quite bluntly practical. On crowded days or during organized events, Robbins likely is very the opposite of secluded, with frequent open sight/voice lines and a high potential for errant shots (and thus players) frequently straying into others' games.

By placing a high value on 'pure' shot-making values, Robbins Park offers solid golf for the majority of players and may engage the mind of golfer in a different way than other local offerings. Obvious site issues and a frequently 'shoehorned' feel balance the experience. However in the larger scheme of things and in most areas, this course would be a standout offering. In Charlotte, it probably won't be the most popular choice, but travelers might be in error to overlook it.

Robbins is built along a low, flat strip with a small wooded hillside boring one edge and a much steeper wooded hillside along the other. There are hole that play up the hill and holes that play down it. There are holes that play along the ridge, through the trees, some of which feature a sharply slanted fairway. There are holes that play on the edge of the trees on the small hill. Along the bottom of the bigger hill is a small creek which will either be shallow or dry. This water hazard comes into play on a number of holes. Though it rarely is in position to constrict drives, it presents a danger of rollaways: once while throwing across the valley to the opposite hill and a couple times it lurks past the basket on a slope to the left. With the hills and trees and flat spaces there is quite a lot of variety here and it shapes up to be a pretty solid blue-level course on which every shot is different.
Navigational aids are top notch. In fact, there might be too many next tee arrows. It is like they were afraid that a player might be confused if there were a few seconds in which they were not being directed, even if there had been no possible other ways to go since the last sign. But obviously too many is better than too few and proofing a course for the directionally challenged is never a bad thing.
Personally, I was a big fan of 5, which starts in the trees with the creek directly in front and the basket tucked into the trees on the opposite of the open space. A great example of how the course makes even the flat spaces interesting. 8 does something similar but places the basket higher on the hill on top of a rock outcropping.

I didn't love the beginning and end. 1 is a straightforward shot along a raised pathway with thick shule to either side but no real obstacles. I do like the climb to the final basket on 18, but the fairway has that classic power corridor shape that I'm not a fan of. Other than that the course is pretty solid. It's not, "I must go back there," great but it is one that everyone should play if they are in the area. A worthy course but not a spectacular one either.

I have been playing this course since it opened. Each time I go it gets better. At first this course had tons of crap around the holes and was not very appealing to the eye. Now much of the brush has been cleared and good trails have been cut out.

The baskets are great.

Great use of land.

Every hole is different, there are no holes that you feel are the exact same.

You must have a number of shots to do well on the course, BH, FH, I even use a couple tomahawks.

Such a fun course.

No signage.

Not hard to navigate though, but still would be nice to have more signage on the holes.

Need more trashcans on the course.

A lot of holes still do have piles of brush and vines and thick stuff that makes it difficult to retrieve a disc that goes in there.

Seen 2 snakes this week, so watch out!

Hole 12 is awful. It requires an uphill shot that must be placed perfectly to even have a chance on taking another shot at the basket for a birdie. I normally just play from the top of the hill. Wish there were another pad at the top of the hill.

This course can really be played with just fairways and mids.

If you make your shots you can shoot under very easily. If you mess up you can shoot very poorly.

Great course, it will only keep getting better.

This course is fun...mostly. A lot of great elevation changes that lead to "fast greens" and the penalty for error is high.

The layout of the course uses every bit of the hillside and creek, and there is OB on almost every hole. A pro, because it challenges you, and keeps you on your toes.

Lots of tight tee shots that open into wider fairways

I'd say 1/3 open to 2/3 wooded holes

Most of the tees had accurate tee signs, describing elevation, OB and the route.

Easy to follow route through the course, with a decent amount of signage leading to the next tee

Well marked OB leaves little doubt if you're in or out

Purpose built drop zones for OB! Concrete pads just for OB drop zones...cool

Briars briars briars

Watch your step, and hope you don't have a bad shot. There are several holes where the briars are EVERYWHERE. I believe it was hole #11, where it seems that the fairway was cut through a briar patch.
Then again on 16 the entire left side of the fairway is thick briars. I found out the hard way...it's hard to retrieve a disc from them

Most of the tight shots are fair, but towards the back half of the course it seemed to be getting monotonous. Tight tight fairway, followed by a tight fairway. Not a huge con, as I still enjoy playing this course, but it does get annoying, especially on a bad day.

Tough to play just 9 holes because hole 9 leaves you at almost the farthest away point from parking. Although this is an easy way to convince yourself to play the back 9 to get back...I'd like to be somewhere near the parking halfway through in case I'm short on time.

I do really like this course, it is a ton of fun to play thanks to the creative layout that uses a great deal of the available elevation. There's uphill, downhill and shots across "valleys". Hole 18 is a great example of a valley shot, and a great finishing hole

Definitely worth playing this course! Bring your A game for the tight tunnel shots, and look out for briars...

-First, I want to say that this course is better than a 3.5. But since it is new, it still needs work. Robbins is like baby Renaissance. The fence you throw over on #3, and some pretty dangerous pin positions, definitely has the "Renny" feeling! Almost every hole is reachable, but the danger risk seems to outweigh the possibilities of making a birdie.

-The OB around the fairways (usually in the ravine) definitely adds some challenge. For instance #17 has it all around the left side, demanding you to go right. It's used very brilliantly many holes without being too much of a burden. There are still a few I don't agree with, but it's brilliantly used on most holes with it. #16 is a prime example. A very tough but very fair par four with many ways to birdie, not fickle ways. This hole is very rewarding and logical. There's a lot of OB the whole way without being unfair.

-This isn't a large park so the front 9 all plays up and down a big hill, making it a pretty hilly front nine. The back nine mostly on it so it's not as hilly, but holes 12 and 18 are great exceptions. #12 is a blistering par four, the fact that it's only 463' and a par 4 makes the short pin seem pretty simple. But it's not, it's steep uphill and is a dogleg right, you want your disc to clear the trees and be set up perfectly in the fairway and the landing zone is blinded by the hill, so if you make it all the way up, you can't tell if you are in the fairway or not. Many big trees scattered at the landing zone that determine your fate on whether or not you have a logical line for birdie. Take away the steep hill and you get the old #10 at Hornet's Nest. I love how they got rid of the mando. There's a small gap to the right side. More risky, but if you manage to clear it, you'll have a better chance in being up the hill and away from the retention trees straight from the pad. #18 is a nice finisher down the hill and back up over the creek. The long pin is probably more than 30' above the lowest point of the valley.

-Well balanced elevation and terrain. The front 9 is moderately wooded with the first two holes being decent open holes, just to warm up and then hole 3 is a pretty tough wooded hole to the right with OB to the left side. #4 is an easier hole at barely 200 feet, just kind of allows you to get a birdie then holes 5 thru 9 are downs and ups on the hill. Then 10 thru 14 are all wooded holes that require the most accuracy. #15 and #16 are something different. They are long holes in the open. Right now they are really rough so they require some accuracy (hopefully the growth will be gone soon). Nevertheless, fun holes. #17 is back into the woods and #18 is an uphill finish out in the open.

-Interesting rock work, kind of like at Renaissance and Bradford. #8 may be another signature hole on the course. It's a straight corridor hat goes over the creek and up the hill. The approach shot is an awesome feature to this hole since you have the OB creek in play and immediately past the creek, the hill starts to rise with a few boulders just shy of the pin. This hole really asks for the optimum height. Can't go low because you either end up short in the OB creek or you bounce off a boulder.

-I enjoY some of the pin positions. To me, #8 is probably the standout because of its green. Hole 1 has a drop off past it. It's very easy to go past the basket on this hole even with a mid range, #11's elevated basket with a drop off past it as well. This is a short hole but it's very tight so it feels good enough to get par on this hole. #6 is a very sweet anhyzer over the creek and up a medium sized hill. Going short leave you with a tough uphill putt.

-Bailey Rd. is nearby, great two course day in Cornelius with a gas station between the way to each and plenty of restaurants.

-Nice tee signs that Mark installed. Hole diagrams and info. They are updated regularly too. For example, #12 used to have a mando and it was marked on the tee sign. Now there is no mando and the sign has been updated.

-Most of the vegetation is OB yes, so you want to do the best you can to not land in there, but it's also quite thorny and painful. Some of the vegetation is not OB, and can be very tough to even navigate your disc when you see it. The thornbush on #5 on the left is pernicious. There are plenty of thorns in the creek too.

-The rollaway potential does get a little too excessive. There's a ton of OB on the first hole, not to mention it plays on a ridge. Some of the OBs aren't necessary either. Some of them are well used but some are not well used. I wish #1 was just down the ridge and maybe 50' longer. There'd still be risk in going OB but the basket would be in a spot where rollaways are less likely after a putt. The OB stakes on the right side of #14 are just irritating at best. This hole has a downward slope to the right side. You could simply have an unlucky landing on the hill and roll OB when there is already a creek a bit further to the right. I just think this hole would be better without the artificial OB.

-#9 is a bit poke and hope. The line is there and it's valid enough but the curve is very sharp left and the basket is guarded by many retention trees as well as playing on a downward slope on the right side. Your shot could look perfect off the tree but you could still not be nearly far left enough. I've birdied this hole, but it's a very aggravating one. Probably the least fun on the course.

-I really liked how the the front nine mostly was going up or down the hill and how the back nine wasn't quite as hilly but required more accuracy and distance. I did mention that I wasn't too fond of #13 but the fairway going downhill to the right and the basket being by the creek was really cool. The back nine was more difficult and longer too but they all reachable. The hardest hole to reach would probably be #15. It's a 415' par 3. It's not only the distance but where you disc could potentially land may scare you a little.

-Personal favorite hole would be #5. It's a super fun straight downhill par 3 out of the woods and over the ditch. Just a great hole all around followed by others like 2,7,8,12 and 16! I think you will love those holes too!

-If you plan to come, just be aware of the entrance. The park sign say "Westmoreland Athletic Complex." I came in and no one was there which got me confused. I came to the near gas station maybe half a mile from the place and found out I went there all along. The address is on the sign 8430 Westmoreland Rd.

Robbins Park is a great addition to the Char-Meck disc golf scene. It stands out amongst the other area courses for what it offer: a shorter, technical course that's going to yield plenty of birdies but also punish bad throws.
- This is a great layout. It's not just the variety you get (wooded, open, elevation, long, short, etc.) but it's the entire 'fun factor' that a majority of the holes offer. Holes such as #3, throwing over a fence, to the downhillers on #5 & 7 (with a dogleg factor on #7) to the dogleg on #10, to #14 and it's sloped fairway and #16, being the proverbial long, open hole with a great approach shot...this course offered enjoyment throughout.
- Add to the layout, and one of the two appealing aspects, is that the course is heavily a mid-range level of course. Depending what layout you're playing, the average hole length is around 315 feet. Take away #16 at 675 feet, and the other 17 holes average around 295 feet. The point being if you can throw accurate (or somewhat accurate, in my case) in the 250 - 300 foot range, you're going to play well.
- The other part of this course's appeal is the incredibly high risk/reward factor. Most players, on most courses they play often, have a pretty narrow scoring range. For example, courses I've played often, such as Nevin or Hornets Nest, my rounds are consistently within a five to six stroke window. This course seems like it's going to have a huge window. For intermediate and above level players, I see every hole being birdie-able on a regular basis, with the possible exceptions of #12 and 15 (when it's in the long position). Every other hole offers a very reasonable chance for a birdie with a good shot. The flip side is that if you miss your lines, you'll hit trees, end up in some nasty rough or out of bounds. The point being, I could see many players getting 2 or 4 & 5s on the same holes due to hitting or missing lines by a matter of inches. Holes I thought I should birdie, I ended up bogeying (#11), while get a surprising birdie on a hole I didn't expect to (#10).
- Adding to that, the course does reward smart shot-making. You can take out the whole risk/reward dynamic and just play the entire course cautiously. And in truth, if you do that you'll probably end up with mostly pars with a birdie or two on the card. You can play for a safe round, and probably end up under par for the round. But what fun is that, playing a course like this, so cautiously?
- Somehow 18 holes were managed to be squeezed in such a small plot of land. It gets a little tight on some holes - hello safety wall on #12 - along with holes that play next to each other - watch for discs sailing right on #2 onto #3's fairway. During a normal day this shouldn't be an issue, during tournaments; however, it could get a little dicey.
- Easy to navigate. Lack of space results in short walks between tees. That also means this course is a good one for squeezing in a quicker than normal round. That's assuming you don't have to spend time searching for a disc in the woods or thick rough.
- Nice baskets and tee pads. This still has that new course smell to it.

Being so new, the course is still being tinkered with, some slight modifications are expected to take place.
- The rough is ROUGH is spots. The area in between holes #15 & 16 is thick. There's also thick stuff on other holes. I got to know it quite well on #2. Add to that the abundance of trees and tight fairways, which could result in crazy bounces off trees. All of that can lead to long searches for discs. I wore long pants while playing this course in July. Sacrificing a little comfort in the heat was definitely worth it when I was searching for my disc in the rough.
- The flip side of having a course in a tight space is that you have a course in a tight space. Beware of discs potentially ending up on other holes, or having discs from other holes coming your direction. Navigation is really good, but if you're distracted, say you're walking and writing in your scorecard, there are a couple spots where you could easily walk to the wrong hole. The last part is more a matter of DGer error, but it is there. On the flip side, that means it could be easy to skip holes if you're in a hurry or trying to jump around a large group. And as mentioned, when the course is packed, it could present some challenges.
- With the high level of a risk/reward factor involved, there's also a 'lucky vs unlucky' factor. For some, the line is so thin between great and unlucky shots, and good and bad rounds. You get a couple of unlucky bounces in a row, and the frustration level may start simmering. I had what appeared to be a great shot on #3, throwing a shot over the fence and fading back to the basket. It looked really good, until hearing the thud of it hitting something. That something ended up being a small branch that was less than an inch thick. In the end, I'm a believer of the law of averages, so the good and bad breaks should even out by the end.
- As mentioned in earlier reviews, the lack of tee signs present a challenge on several holes. Permanent ones are coming. In the meantime, on holes such as #12, you can't see the basket, meaning you're either walking half the hole/up the hill to see the basket, or saying 'screw it' and just throwing up the fairway to the dogleg right. Huey, or someone else, when the tee signs are in, remind me and I'll delete this note.
- I don't think this is a con, but I'll just mention for the sake of saying it. I could see the overall lack of distance variety being a con to some. I could see an advanced player playing this course with only two or three different discs. That 'lack' of variety is why I'm putting it here.

Robbins really is a fun course. It's not the most challenging course due to the lack of length. Now, if you stretched out the layout, made most of these holes 400 - 500 feet instead of 300, then this course would be brutal. It's an angry tiger on a tranquilizer right now, and I'm not about to anger the beast.
- This is another great addition to the Charlotte-area DG scene. As if we didn't have enough great courses already, Huey gave us another one. Robbins filled a void we didn't know we needed, but now that it's open, it's different than any other course in the area. The closest comp I could think of is Yadkin County Park, an hour north of this course.
- Wow, so hard to find one favorite hole on the course. A lot will have to do with what ones I birdied that day. In lieu of that, I'll instead mention a fun hole I've yet to acknowledge - #13. It's a dogleg right with the hole sloping downhill towards the basket. Don't go long or you will end up in the rough. This is a hole I wish I hadn't hit a tree two-thirds of the way down the fairway because I would have loved to have had a really run at the basket.
- This is in the 3.25 - 3.5 range for me. It's pretty maxed out its ceiling. But, based on its layout, that's fine in my book.
- With this course in the mix, there's now a great one-day disc golf trip to the Charlotte area without being in the Queen City. Take Robbins, Bradford, Bracketts, Stumpy and Bailey, you have an awesome trip all on the north side of town. Check this place out.