Another Beautiful Course in Charlotte

Good Concrete Tees
Great Baskets
Adequate signage (Teesigns and "next tee")
Benches at several tees
Bathrooms/water fountains at the parking lot
Plenty of parking
Navigation is easy

Very fun course
Great Risk/Reward
Use of elevation changes is Top-notch
Fairways are well trimmed and wide enough to make the intended shot
Variety is great.
-Up/Down/Flat
-Right/Straight/Left
-Water/Rough/Terrain
-Long/Short/mid
Good use of what water is there to make some holes challenging
Loved the use of Mandos to force certain lines
Also liked having several lines/options on most holes
The Deck on 12 added to the experience
Great place to work on shot-shaping
Some really good holes to work on Mids/Fairways
A few places to stretch out your drivers (you better be accurate)
Good for Rec to Pro players (something for everyone)
Empty your bag on 18 (fun)

Well kept and clean
Several trashcans
Trimmed not just butchered
Playground for the Family/kids to wait for your round to finish
Well planned and flows well
Not crowded
Good workout, up and down hills

Favorite Hole(s): 5,12, 18

Not very many cons

A few more trashcans would be better (not really a problem, if you can lug it in full, surely you can make it all the way to the next trashcan empty)
A few good walks between holes (with friends this can be a plus)
A couple of holes feel repetetive
18 ends a little ways from the parking

Not really a con, but, if you're here in the Fall, bring your brightly colored discs and save you and your friends a good bit of time kicking around in the leaves looking for your discs.

Least Favorite Hole(s): 3, 11

This course is a great, fun, and challenging course that will really get your blood moving. Not too challenging, just enough to make it fun for everyone. I will definitely play it again if I'm ever in the area. This course is on the lower end of a 4.5 but I think better than a 4.

All in all, RL Smith is a must play if you're ever in the Charlotte area. If your passing through or traveling to Charlotte for DG, add this course to your plans and you won't regret it.

My disc rating is based heavily on "Fun Factor" which this course has lots of. I then bump it up or down based on amenities. This course has plenty of both.

PM me and let me know how I can be "more helpful" with my reviews.

1-18 are all amazing! Some of these reviews are right on target and some make me laugh. It is certainly not a beginners course, so know your limitations. 3 & 4 have some heavy rough in spots, but advanced players can easliy land on the green in one. 4 can be tricky getting down the hill, after that no worries unless you have trouble staying in the fairways.

None, feel fortunate that you are in a dg heaven and just play it already. Nobody likes complainers and people who nit pick courses to death.

Have fun, wear shoes with good traction.

The course is in a district level park of about 150 acres and conforms to the prevailing park design ethos for this municipality. As is typical for area courses, RL Smith is sited in slightly sub-climax canopy on rolling piedmont landform. Course also features play around the shallow-wide Paw creek, water catchment areas and sewer/water right of way cutouts. The park features more than enough area for additional expansions and improvements to the course in future.

Course is situated on the park's north side and is almost completely sequestered from other park activities, circling in a roughly counter clockwise fashion. It does not feature returning 9's, however, equipment, signage and amenities are all above average, especially the benches, which are more extensive and ornate than typically observed. Mandos are well marked and 'next tee' signs are plentiful. Way finding is not an issue and is quite unobtrusive, although there are a few longish transitions on the backside. Some might have minor complaints, for example, 'there's no trashcan on EVERY hole' or 'the tee-pads aren't all uniformly wide/long enough', but these complaints may safely be ignored as 'nit-picking'. For the most part, the canopy blunts play-affecting winds. This park also features two excellent fields; one is quite large enough for all but the biggest of arms to air out any conceivable shot, and is thus very suitable for field events use and practice.

Average hole length for the 18 is slightly less than 300', but 9 holes range between 225' and 275', which means that scoring well here will depend on something other than pure power AND that scoring chances are abundant for most levels. There are substantial elevation changes and/or slopes on nearly every hole and green, at times approaching a 15% grade (#2's green being a standout example). Course also features heavy penal rough in most areas; scrambling and recovery chances can be limited for even mildly errant shots. Ob areas feature prominently (with a capital 'P') here, mainly around the 9 Paw creek holes. It should also be noted that more than half of the holes are either blind or semi-blind. All of this indicates that RL Smith may be characterized as a 'locals' course, where intimate knowledge of this track will yield an advantage of at least a few strokes during a round. It should also be noted that the average hole length on the front exceeds that on the back by nearly 100', which means that as the round goes on, the 'need' to score becomes more pressing.

Stable counter spin shot shapes enjoy a significant advantage at RL Smith, especially when approaching the greens, as only 3 of the 18 show a DECIDED receptivity to clock spin approaches. This advantage is sometimes compounded overall by fairway shapes, which on paper appear fairly balanced overall. For example, both dual fairway holes are eminently drivable, have similar width/geometry fairways but both feature greens more receptive to stable counter-spin approaches. Another example is #7, a tough 'straight' driving hole, whose landing zone sets up perfectly for a counter spin fade shape and then a run for the birdie or an 'easy' three to its sharply elevated green. To drive #7 green with a clock spin shot, either a frozen rope or a controlled flex shot must be employed, both of which should be more difficult to execute than a simple stable fade. This counter-spin advantage is only moderately mitigated by o.b. areas which punish poor fade control of same, as there are plenty of areas where poor clock fade control is punished just as harshly, perhaps even more so. That being said, I feel both spins are needed to score well here, not just for scrambling, but also to deal with many of the tee shot's tight geometries.

RL Smith DGC gets very high marks for variety, dexterous use of elevations and the ambition/dedication required to tackle such a hilly problematic site, but is flawed regarding balance and fairness. Some players may also feel the course too short, but I would advise patience for these players. Also of note is the variability of fairway width over the course as a whole, which gives a more naturalized and mature feel to the course despite it's relative youth; this is the result of prudent observation and land use by the course designers.

Of particular interest are three holes:

#2 is a virtual carbon copy of #16 long at Stumpy Creek (with the addition of the mando). It's interesting for the tough geometry of the tee shot (a high uphill stable counter spin fade), combined with a slope that receives the fading opposite spin best. Hole is also noteworthy as the geometry and elevation on this hole are primarily the result of grading for other park activities, since grading practices are fairly universal, this type of hole may in future become as iconic as the 'tube shot' or 'split fairway' types. Despite its length (230') it's a tough pin for either spin, especially with the frequent prevailing headwinds.

#9 is a right-to-left fairway with a decreasing radius (or so-called 'fish hook') with a mandatory to protect cutting the corner. It finishes with (what might be evolving into a ubiquitous trope) an elevated rock outcropping green. Already a rare hole design in a disc golf hole, this 'fish hook' is really quite well done and is probably one of the course's toughest.

#17 is a near perfect translation of the Redan hole concept from ball golf (albeit without the extensive obs) into disc golf, and thus deserves special mention for drawing on historical precendent.

Rhythmically speaking, the course is somewhat staccato and abrupt, but in its favor is each hole's decidedly different look, which leaves little room for monotony. Despite a letdown of intensity on the back 9, RL Smith's routing is superb, with a front 9 as good as any in this length range and considerably better than most. RL Smith is a uniquely tough driving course, considering its length, especially on the back 9 where minor errors and 'rub of the green' macs may be heavily penalized. On every hole, all 3 aspects of your drive (angle, speed and direction) need to be 'on' for a close putt, and even then the heavily sloped greens may deny your reward. This cannot be said of many tracks, even ones as tightly wooded as this one. As far as a design school, RL Smith would fall mostly into the strategic one with an extra helping of the penal, which fits nicely with the prevailing local design ethos. You'll have to decide for yourself if it's fun or not.

Course is fairly easy to navigate.

Tee pads and signs at every hole. Benches and trash cans at most holes.

This course unlike some others in the Charlotte area is not as crowded.

Course is secluded from the rest of the park.

Course provides a variety of holes (open, wooded, uphill, downhill, water, etc.). Variety of shots needed to score well.

Some holes will allow you to take various lines to get to the basket and the tee pads even accommodate for that.

Once you start your round, there are no exits if you are short on time and only planned to play 9 holes or so. Course design kind of forces you to play the whole round.

No chances to bomb a drive in an open field.

A couple of the early holes (#1, #3, and #4) have horrible underbrush.

Hole #9's mando is strange IMO.

Probability of losing discs is high due to water and high brush in some places. (I've found 4 out there this year alone.)

This will probably work itself out over time but there are some areas on the course where steps or a bridge here and there would be helpful.

Have seen several snakes out there so watch out!

Be sure to carry bug spray.

My opinion the signature holes for this course are #13 and #18.

This course is quite a hike and can be tiresome due to the constant elevation changes; however the back 9 is much shorter than the front.

If in Charlotte, along with Renny, Hornets' Nest, and many others....this one is a must play. You won't regret it.

There are some solid holes here. In particular some of the holes that utilize elevation changes like the steeply uphill 2. Or the holes that parallel creeks like 5. There's a ton of variation. Most of the hole give different looks and require different shots.

There's also a lot of challenge, like the gap you have to hit off the tee on 8. And there are some memorable holes, like 12, where the tee backs up to an edge, and the pin is located in a rock garden.

Buuut, there's a lot here that isn't great, and in in an area like Charlotte, there are several courses that are much better than this one.

First, some of the holes feature some of the worst underbrush I've ever seen. I'm all for risk/reward, but on holes like 1, the risk is way too high for a minimal reward. In several locations, the deep woods is just unnecessarily deep.

Perhaps there are seasons where it is not as bad, but RL Smith is home to the worst bugs I have ever experienced on a course. I don't care how good the design is, I'm simply not enjoying it if mosquitoes are constantly flying directly into my eyeballs. (because everywhere else is coated with bugspray.) There is definitely a point where the amount of spider webs and skeeters on the fairways has to weigh in.

Some of these factors could be made up for if the holes were on the caliber of Nevin, Hornets Nest or Renny. But they just aren't. There's good holes and decent holes, but no signature holes.

If I was a Charlotte native, I'd give it another shot. But as a visitor. there are just too many other options, to try this one again.

great course that starts out at the top of the soccer fields and quickly moves into the heavily wooded forest by the end of hole 4. Lots of water in play here, but the nice clear fairways give plenty of room to avoid water as well as trees. The course ends with an awesome #18 tee box sitting on top of a large hill with the basket sitting straight ahead across a gully on another large hill.

There is not much bad to be said about this course. Just watch out for some tight OB restrictions and play the mandos.

RL smith is heavily wooded with a lot of water surrounding, making it a desired place for snakes to be lurking. Within the past four days alone, we have spotting three snakes. I also had a close run in with a copperhead on hole 5 last summer when i picked up my disc to find it coiled up beneath it. So be careful.

Nice view and it was a Avery hard challenge for a beginner player. Nice river view thru out the park

Long walk in between each hole made it take a long time to change between holes

Hole 1 looks scarier then it really is

Layout - This course has a lot of good things going for it. Numero Uno is an unprecedented amount of elevation change and natural features throughout the course. It sets this course apart from the majority of other courses within Charlotte because the grades here can be very steep and this courses uses it to the fullest.

The greens here might be the riskiest greens I've ever seen and for this reason you need to be on top of every drive/approach and think about how it will land and your positioning. There's baskets where you play up a steep hill, there's huge drop offs behind some, there's some that have creek in play and some positioned in rock outcroppings.

Even the fairways here are slanted and running downhill towards peril so every shot has to be meticuously considered.

The width of the fairways here are for the most part very fair and allow you ample room to execute the shot. There's no super long holes other than a few par 4's but many holes play long because they are so technical and use elevation.

Most of the course is a shorter technical style golf but there is a good mixture in shot types you'll need to get through and score low.

A few holes offer multiple routes to the basket which is always nice to see. I like it when courses give you options to weigh and create risk/reward for each option.

More than one signature hole out here; you'll walk up to some tees and just say wow.

Equipment - Brand new baskets, good signage as well as directional arrows pointing you towards the next tee. New concrete tee pads and some awesome benches... and a deck. Yeah the deck is cool. Trashcans in parts of the course as well with restrooms in the parking lot.

Atmosphere - It's a beautiful park with some very unique features such as the rocks and the creek. Very seculded and keeps away from the rest of the park.

Layout - I've got some issues with this course that can hopefully be rectified if seen fit by the designers. My biggest pet peeve is that many of the holes have to many overhanging limbs in the fairways; while they're wide enough you don't have enough vertical space to execute a solid shot on many holes.

There's a lot of places where you're being forced to throw pretty far considering the difficulty of the shot while keeping the disc very low which is a problem because it's much harder to work a disc on low lines and you have to add more spin. This causes the disc to hit the ground more unpredictably in some cases and with the rollaway fairways/greens and OB lurking it creates a lot of luck factor throughout the course.

There were many times where a solid shot produced an unlucky bounce that rolled really far away or even OB. I think more airspace should be cleared so you can more manageablly control how your disc is landing and where it's being placed on this tricky course.

There's also some areas that to me just seem a bit to overbearing with the tricky greens, it's almost as if it gets played out when every green you're worried about a rollaway. There's just some holes that without the elevation change would be boring shots. Some holes just don't seperate themselves from the pack and I think that takes away from the course overall.

You're never really given a chance to air anything here and I like to see courses mix it up a bit more.

The course has a few awkward transitions and one long walk.

Equipment - Danger Danger Will Robinson!!! I don't think I've ever felt less safe walking down some fairways, transitions and even while putting than here. They have took some steps to make navigating the landscape safer but more needs to be done because there are many safety hazards here.

The teepads are in some cases just to small for a course that just went in, especially for a course in a city with the reputation of Charlotte.

Atmosphere - Some of the course plays down sewer lines which can be an eyesore and smell bad. More of the briars and immediate rough needs to be cleared out more.

I like this course, it's a different feel from most of Charlotte and that helps it set itself apart. I think most of the design elements have been done very well and now some more steps to take care of the little things will make this course better.

This course just needs some love and play, plain and simple. Though if you want to check out some amazing elevation changes and picturesque holes hit this place up.

One of the best finishing holes in disc golf, it's not that hard but it's pretty awesome.

You should know that I like strenuous hikes, scenic courses, and ace runs. This course has all of that.

Also, this is my favorite course in the winter but it can be too thick and bugsy in the summer.

The course itself - the holes have it all (except for wide open field throws, however there is a huge field you can throw in before/after your round if you like). There are straight holes, hard lefts and rights. There are holes like #3 that present three separate paths toward the basket. You can throw right, left, or straight at it. There are plenty of holes with water in play, and plenty of holes where you can just sit back and look at the stream without having to worry about it (12's tee pad). You start out with three hilly holes, but there are level holes and holes with some elevation at the beginning (4) or end (5). There are a few longer holes (5). Many of the holes are aceable, but there are no gimmes. Also, lots of strategy as an errant throw can roll or skip into the water or down a hill. There are OBs and at least one mando. Some folks hate that but you don't have to count the OBs, sometimes I just ignore them. The rough will hurt your score enough. However, you can usually find your way out of the rough, it's not as terrible as some courses.
I also like how different this course is summer/winter. It's a steamy jungle hike in the summer (which I like), but it's much easier with the foliage down in the winter. The streams iced over is a pretty good sight too.

Amenities - very impressive. It starts with the tee pad on hole one. Built into the side of a hill, with a nice path down to the basket. Stairs and switchbacks in a lot of places. Benches almost everywhere. A few trash cans (which really ought to be enough. Please carry your empty forty bottle two holes til the next trash can). Many reviewers have rightfully raved about the party deck on 12 and the "v" tee pad. Very cool. And there is a bathroom with water fountains at the start/finish. The tee signs are very helpful.
Keep your eye out for the next-tee signs. They're on just about every hole. They can come in handy because sometimes you backtrack. Have your buddy grab your disc out of the basket, so you don't have to climb the hill just to walk right back down it.

Very close to I-85 and I-485. Great if you're passing through town. Very close to the whitewater center, a great place for a post-round beer.

Not usually very many people nearby. Mostly very secluded and nature-y. Close to the airport so it can be fun watching planes glide overhead.

None for me.

This is a five-star for me, but maybe a one-star for some people. If you have problems with balance or stamina, this may not be the course for you. If you get discouraged by woodsy holes, if you dislike copperheads or yellowjackets, beware. I've heard people say this is in a bad area but I've never seen stragglers on the course. No long open bombs and I don't think there's a single par five. At least one long walk to the next hole (in fact that long walk criss-crosses another transition). And it can definitely get slick during/after a rain. After hole #3, you're deep in the woods (there's no halfway spillout to the parking lot like they have at Hornets Nest). Bring water, even in the winter. I've seen all of these dock people's reviews of other courses, so beware if this affects you.

Best place to take a leak - obvious answer is hole 12 but I'd say anywhere on Hole 7, with that stream to the right of the fairway, all very scenic.

This is my first review, and my experience at RL smith was so phenomenal I created an account just to write this.

From the tee pad on hole one its easy to see that this course is going to offer a different experience from other courses in Charlotte. Off the Tee Box you follow your drive down a goat path into the woods and really have to work to come away with par.

Making great use of the land you'll play up and down this same hill on the next two holes, what a warm up!

Next its into the woods, where your going to spend the next 15 holes. I imagine this is going to be a welcome reprieve from the carolina sun come summer.
Despite being all wooded holes, the holes verried enough to not feel repetitive. Using a creek as a OB provides beauty and also a challenge. Also featured is a large rock formation.

For such a new course , the amount of work put in is amazing. Awesome ceder benches are frequently well appreciated.

I loved playing this the first time, and felt like a kid in the candy store. Really transports you from the hustle and bustle of the city to a nice walk in the woods.

Its a little hard to find the first teebox, but really not that big of a deal.

I really considered a 4.5 rating, but went with a 5 because its displaced my previous two favorite courses. ( Renny and Hudson Mills )

This course deserves to be recognized as one of the best, if not the best, of the Charlotte metros courses.

What a well designed course! This course was one of the most enjoyable rounds of true Disc golf I have played in a very long time. It has a mix of everything and as a Lefty, I loved that all the punishement for errant or early releases was not on the right side. Hole 4 has to be my favorite. It is an extremely tough par 3. Water and OB all along the right, and a basket that is surrounded. a well placed drive will most likely earn a par. going for the bird is as risky as it gets, and will prob get you 2 strokes on a lot of people. The use of the property was perfect, you feel completely separated from the rest of the park and that is my favorite kind of DG. It almost has the private course feel. I really could go on and on about this course. Holes 17 and 18 are also amazing. Again, as a lefty I love 17, I can rip my drive and usually get up over the creek. 18 is just gorgeous. I want to empty my bag everytime I get on that teebox.

None really. you are isolated, so make sure to bring anything you want to have with you. Water,backup discs, towels, maybe a banana for the leg cramps. this course is a workout.

I am always down to play a round at R.L. the little extras that the club put in really make it special. Some of the coolest benches and teeboxes I have seen. the gallery area on the back 9, for the short uphill drive to the boulder is EPIC! If you are going to Charlotte, Do not miss the opportunity to play this course.

+ Baskets always seemed to be placed just out of range, in a corner, next to treacherous water, on top of some rocks, around a dogleg - just fantastic placement
+ Very challenging hole layouts almost always with elevation change
+ Lots of elevation makes for good exercise and fun between-hole hikes; not overly hilly, but definitely worth noting that good shoes are a must
+ ROCKS! Boulders, rocky streams, and rocks on the greens made some holes seem hardcore.
+ Woodwork! Come on, who doesn't love seeing hard work and great care being put into the layout of a disc golf course? Tons of bridges, stairs, and very nice benches
+ WATER! Streams everywhere, which made shaping safe, but long lines even more crucial.
+ Awesome paths to follow, but not so worn down like Reedy
+ Fantastic maps at each hole really helped
+ Great tees
+ Great baskets
+ Restrooms
+ Practice basket
+ Big fields to practice distance drives

- Some rough areas were very rough
- Water can be great fun, but it SUCKS when your disc drops down and it's murky in some spots, so is your disc in there or not? Only one way to really find out...

Overall, I had an amazing time here. I had a pretty great round, too. Getting that perfectly shaped line lead to some very very satisfying birdies (#2, 6, and 18). The water kept me on my toes. It was never too deep where I felt I couldn't hop in if it was necessary (and it wasn't necessary even for beginners), but it seriously made me think about each individual throw more so than any other course I've ever played (no hole was out of my intermediate skill range). It was just a gorgeous forest, too. The course designers deserve awards for this one. A lot of care must have been taken when designing and building it to preserve the integrity of the streams, trees, roots, and rock structures. And the woodwork! Great benches, very solid bridges (and lots and lots of them!), and some very nicely crafted stairs. Thank you. If Charlotte DGC has any hand in keeping it in such great shape, I also have to say thank you. Also, thank you for the maps. This course has two great maps on DGCR.

In the past two days in Charlotte I've played four really good courses; not Nest, Renny, or Nevin yet, but this has been my favorite so far. I actually think this is my favorite course I've ever played. It truly deserves 5/5 discs.

**Update** After playing Nevin, Nest, and Renny I have to say that this was definitely my favorite course. The elevation changes, streams, and woodwork stick out most in my mind, but I also liked its location and level of difficulty. It wasn't as difficult as those popular challenging courses, but to throw well I needed to consider my discs and shape some very fun long and short lines. More advanced players won't feel challenged to the max, but I still think the location and layout make it a must play course in Charlotte for any skill level.

The Robert L. Smith course in Charlotte is a great course and instant favorite of mine. Offering challenging, and very shapely fairways featuring elements of extreme elevation changes, a few long distance holes, some water, and moderate to heavy woods almost all the way around. Each hole has its own merits, with several stunners. I particularly remember the proximity to the water on holes 4 and 7, the candy cane hairpin fairway on 9, and a fantastic finishing hole on 18. I think hole 13 had the only V shaped tee pad I have ever seen, giving options to drive the split fairways. I saw a number of interesting trees and liked the surroundings of this course. I would like to see it in the summer with leaf canopy on the trees.

Like most of the course I have played in Charlotte, the course is well designed, and the tee pads, baskets and signage are all high quality and complete. I really thought the benches, stairs, and bridges were great as well. There are restrooms at the beginning of the course and a few garbage cans around the course. A police officer was keeping an eye on the park entrance from his cruiser the entire time we were there.

The planes arriving at and departing the nearby airport were my biggest distraction, but nothing can be done about that. Some footing issues for me due to leafy debris and some wet ground, not that bad considering the rain in the days prior to my visit. The signs and pads were quality through the course, but there were not as many benches on the back 9, maybe more are in the works. My only real reason to complain was the poor play from me all day. Such a great course, and I really stunk it up. A few good throws, but couldn't really even get out of the box most of the day.

I have not given a 5 to any course yet, and rarely 4.5 ratings. I feel Robert L. Smith disc golf course deserves the phenomenal status, for the terrific blend of scenic beauty, fun, challenge, great layout, and quality equipment. I realize there is not the versatility of extra boxes or pin positions, and maybe some might find this course too difficult, but it is as close to perfection as few other courses I have played. If I had played better, or hit an ace I might have rewarded my first 5. Reminds me of Golden Hills DGC in Blacksburg, VA.

Played this course for the first time over the weekend..and I love it!!,This course is NOT for a beginners. Great variety and ELEVATION changes. Be ready for a work out. I will definitely be coming back for this one.

It would be nice if hole 9 were closer to the parking lot so you could get refreshments but I just packed more water on my second round.

I have to say the CDGC keeps our area courses in tip top shape and this course is no exception. When we started our second round there was a couple of guys on hole two weed eating the hill. These guys deserve a big pat on the back as does all the CDGC.

Excellent variety. A little cit of everything. Elevation- OB- Water- right turns- left turns- did i mention elevation??
The moment you walk onto this course you can tell that it is something special and that a ton of work has gone into making this place incredible. I feel the course designers did a terrific job with the land provided. It is a beast to walk and play- but very fun and enjoyable. There are hand built benches and a huge deck right off of a teepad. I would highly recommend playing this course if you are nearby!

My score- nah just kidding. You have to be able to throw several different types of shots to score well. Challenging and rewarding. I dont really have anything negative to say about this course!!

Thank you to all of the volunteers for all of your hard work building and maintaining this gem!

The elevation here and design is very well done. There are terrific concrete tees. Hole 2 plays straight uphill and is very unique in that it goes way right and uphill. I've never seen another hole like it. There are some great par 4s here and plenty of unique shot shaping required in the woods. Some of my favorite holes include hole 5, a tough right dog leg to a treacherous sloped island green. Oh, and there is ob the entire right side of the fairway. Hole 10 is a great par 3 that requires an uphill, long, straight shot. 18 is a fun downhill straight shot with ob directly behind the basket.

Some holes are weaker than the rest of the course like hole 3. It is a short downhill hole. I dislike how hole 7 is a tweener hole. It cannot be 2d unless you hit a big uphill putt. Hole 12 is a very short uphill hole but it has an awesome green. The back nine is considerably shorter than the front nine. There is a long walk back to the parking lot and hole 1 after the last hole.

I love Charlotte golf. Good work gentlemen.

-Course is very easy to navigate
-Fairways are designed well and are very fair
-Elevation and water are used wonderfully through out the course
-Nice use of rock formations for basket positions
-Benches on most holes which are greatly appreciated
-Most courses only have one signature hole, this has at least 3

-Not beginner friendly. You basically have to be able to throw over 250 or you're looking at lost plastic. This isn't a con in my book as I prefer non-casual courses

-A lot of comments about hiking. There is a ton of hiking to be done. After many of the hikes you are rewarded by fantastic hole design and interesting variety of shots. There really are no connector holes on this course which is greatly appreciated.

Played this on a disc golf trip to Charlotte. It was the 8th course we played on our trip. We played it after a morning round at Plantation Ruins and Renaissance Gold. Even though the group had played over 14,000 feet of golf, all of us were excited to keep playing as we discovered the holes. Instant classic and moved into my top 3 along with Renaissance Gold and Hawk Hollow.

Many thanks to the builders (Wit & CTP) of the course, who we met after playing. A lot of time and effort was put into this and it shows. Can't wait to play the next course they think up!

This course has everything to offer. Large elevation changes with big drops and upshots. Water does come into play on a few holes but shouldn't be a problem for more skilled players. This course is mostly in the wood and is very well maintained. There are also wide open soccer fields which are always good for some driver practice before you play.

Once you start there are not many opportunities to leave the course especially between 8-15.

Elevation: Really, nowhere else to get the variety of elevation change in Charlotte, except of course for Stumpy. I've been playing this course since the baskets went in, and though it's still a tough hump, the work done on little bridges, stairs, etc, have done so much to ease the walk. Amazing job on the navigation, CDGC.

Challenge: At my intermediate skill level, I like the level of challenget this course presents. OK, you're going to have a Nevin flashback or two here, but it's not impossible from start to finish. There are "pitfall" holes that can ruin your day. But smart play at the right times, and this course can be had.

T-pads: Obviously, this course improved once the natural pads were history, and I can speak from experience that the back nine was not an easy pour.

Layout: there was a real danger to be repetitive here, but the holes around the rock formation break up the round nicely. It's not like the Web, with one 325 ft tunnel shot after another. Some people have beefs with risky basket locations...welcome to Charlotte, where we don't like flat turf circles with 10m radii.
Again, the amenities have made this course jump a full "disc" in rating for me. The deck on 12 needs a grill!

18 is a truly great finishing hole. Tough climb, but a bench to rest your weary feet, great view down to the basket, and out into the park, not TOO much of a chance to he a tree 100 ft off the ground and watch your Buzz go native.

I just don't like #2. I have no problem with "top-o-the-world" or "bottom-pf-the-world" shots, etc. But 2 is just a buzzkill to play. The entire fairway is a 45 degree incline, with some rough, so ANY shot requires climbing around on the cliff. "Belay On!"

I'd just like to see this hole reworked some, so it doesn't feel like such an obligation. Like "I'd love to play Smith today, but then I 'have" to play 2. Overexaggeration for effect, but you get me. I think the hole can be reworked to incorporate the slope, etc, without it being so zzzzzzzzzz.

--Like the little lounge area by 4 basket/5/7 tee.

--hole 2's really my main beef. Otherwise, as teh finishing touches go in here, this thing could make it to 4-5.

Great scenery, great use of elevation. Signature holes like #18. I also really like holes 2 and 3 with the significant elevation changes. Baskets placed near the large rocks on 9 and 12 just makes me smile because it is so original and creative.
Course directors and volunteers have done awesome work to make the course asthetically pleasing. The benches are the best!

Alot of roll aways near the baskets. In particular hole 7. It would be very helpful to have an area near the basket that is flat that could be aimed at during an approach shot to the green. I have seen so many bad roll aways on this hole that end up in the creek even though the shot orginally landed 5 feet from the pole. I understand disc golf can be flukey but R.L really exploits bad rolls and even more punishment from OB. (maybe just a part of hilly courses)

This course will wear you out from the tricky terrain. In tournament play their are some long back ups at holes 4, 5, and 7.
Its a great course to practice and a must see for out of towners