Course is in an 83-acre municipal park on typically rolling (although the more queasy might say 'heaving' in this case) piedmont landform, in parts accentuated by grading for other park amenities. Most of the course is under mature canopy. It should be noted that this park is one of two 'official' parks in the county (a third is in the planning/fundraising stage) and may be considered Iredell's flagship. It has been many years since I've visited the site, and the course overall is vastly improved.
A quick note about 'course conditions': Considering the overall economy and this county's relatively small budget, this reviewer found the property's conditions to be above average. That being said, I was disappointed to find copious litter on nearly every hole, many of the targets lightly vandalized and a few other noxious 'indiscretions'. Granted, there are not trashcans on EVERY hole and there appears to be very light foot traffic at this site. Conscientious and observant golfers will bear in mind the aforementioned local constraints and act accordingly in an at least a quasi-responsible manner. Screw the rest of you, while I dismount my high horse.
Course circles the park in roughly a counter-clockwise fashion and does not feature returning nines. Targets, including a nice variably sloped practice green, and pads are above average. Signage, benches and other amenities are poor to fair; the lower ranking due, in the main, to incompleteness. Park amenities are good, but park is often officially closed after rain events to forestall damage to the more maintenance intensive facilities. So preparedness may be in order. Way finding is straightforward and intuitive, although signage may be lacking at times and transitions are often extended and sinuous affairs, especially so between #'s 13 & 14.
For a piedmont course in general, Stumpy Creek has tremendous elevation changes throughout (#3 being the sole exception), and there is extensive bulk heading in place to aid walking (green sites too) and despite it's lightly played nature, erosion is already an issue in many areas, which is a good indicator of this parcel's steepness of slope. Proper footwear and hydration will enhance one's round.
The heavily wooded portions (12 of the 18) exemplify 'tightness' especially off the tee. While making good use of the land available, the designers' hand in forcing a particular play style from golfers is undeniable (I believe 'placement golf' is the term). One might say that Stumpy Creek DGC is a disc golf course in the same way scales are for the piano player, while the holes change and one moves through the landscape, the types of shots needed to efficiently negotiate the course do not change much.
From the shorts, average hole length is just over 310' (for the longs add 100'), so no surprise, straight flat shots of up to 300' with good fade control are what's required for good scoring. (A note on the term 'fade control': no doubt some readers will understand what is meant, which is not the same meaning as the golf term. Fade control means the ability to control the disc's angle and attitude at the flight's end, when it is losing momentum. Naturally the higher the disc's speed rating, the more difficult this is, even if one plays it to 'hyzer out' and this skill is really a big key in getting it to come to rest exactly where one intends and another reason why many players prefer a stable or 'over' stable disc. They are more consistent and predictable under a variety of conditions).
Conservative controlled play is the only rewarded style at Stumpy. From either short or long tees, half the holes are blind, which, combined with other factors, translates strategically into the question: Just EXACTLY how aggressive can I afford to be here? Fairways, two-shot in particular, are often a tunnel, distinguished only by the convolutions of slope, with no obvious landing zone visible from the tee. Some experience with the course will help one find that 'sweet-spot' for your up. In defense of the designers, some very nice features will be taken up later in this review.
By my count 13 holes are 'straight', most with no other option. The remainder is equally divided between right-left and left-right shot shapes. Thick penal rough awaits mildly errant shots and in most instances the scrambling or recovery chances are limited at best. Reviewer observed some limited attempts on the front nine to ameliorate this condition via select clearing, which brings up an interesting issue. Given the limited resources available to husband the course, combined with the low foot traffic and desire to promote the sport to 'locals', is additional labor of this sort the best expenditure of effort? Even from the short tees, I feel this course is a bit much for the novice, even a motivated enthusiastic one, and I'm equally as dubious as to Stumpy Creek's 'family friendliness'. Stumpy Creek, while a decent course, just doesn't seem to fit the situation too well. Certainly unless one belongs to a particularly sadistic fraternity, Stump Creek DGC is not for the uninitiated.
Greens, given the elevation changes throughout, are strangely neutral in character. 11 of them are either flat or dead up/down hill conferring no great receptivity advantage to either spin from the approach. The rest are divided 4 clock/3 counter and should be noted, the clock 'ad' is gained mainly on the 'outside' finishing holes, where a counter spin thrower must be PAST the pin have the disc work into the slopes, but don't worry, most of the holes there are 400'+.
Did I place my foot in the high horse's stirrup again? Pardon me. I realize that's just how things work out sometimes...
Several holes here have the raised basket feature, as has been discussed ad naseum on many disc golf forums. I feel it more proactive to just deal with it and create a special shot with a special disc one carries for just that special occasion. It's not going away anytime soon.
Several holes and features deserve particular mention and for varying reasons.
Several greens at Stumpy, #2 comes to mind, are 'pocketed'; their shapes resembling something like the appendix hanging off one's colon. I enjoy this feature. (lol) It adds complexity to the approach game and depth to the course without obvious contrivance. I also believe this type of feature is relatively simple and cost effective to employ. Another feature on several holes here that I appreciate is what I'd call 'gate variability', which is placing the fairway pinch points at various distances from the tee and having gates of varying width. The effect actually makes a tight 'frozen rope' shot even tighter, and is a good idea with so many straight holes.
#6, despite its need for a spotter off the tee, is a wonderful hole. No surprise, the best shot seems to be a frozen rope, but the distance of 400' tempts one to swing it out wide and (typically) there's trouble waiting everywhere for shots with poor spin control. The green sits pocketed in a terrace below.
#8 is possibly the low handicap hole on the course at 180' and deserves mention, as it is one of the rare instances where a left-to-right hole can actually favor a clock spin thrower, especially if it's BH, as it's much easier to get the needed shot height for an uphiller like this one when the fairway is shaped in this manner. In addition, the slight angle of the slope to the line of play makes this green a bit more receptive to the clock spin, certainly if the shot is decaying on entry. Most players won't find this hole an issue. It's an interesting little hole.
#13 isn't that tremendous of a hole overall but the green is certainly the best on the course, aesthetically speaking. One emerges from the woods into a gently sloped shady grassed glade with just enough obstacles to make your putt interesting and challenging.
The long tee pad on #14 is absolutely the best look on the course, a long downhill tug in free air, especially nice after just emerging from the woodsy cloister of tunnel shots, but don't let down your guard there's trouble everywhere on this hole too.
#15 is the lone 'cookie' for the power counter spin player. A better hole might have been dead straight ahead, but 'fair is fair', no?
#17 is a good experiment, albeit somewhat controversial in the 'contrived' manner, with the forced dogleg (a bit paradoxical considering all the free air in this part of the course. Ah, there's that heavy designer's hand on your back again...), but a small bit of thinking about it should reveal the logic, utility and purpose behind this hole's design. I'll leave that up to the player.
In sum, Stumpy Creek DGC is a decidedly mixed bag, which favors a clock spin control thrower by a few shots at least, but overall it's a worthwhile experiment and solid application. Insofar as a design school characterization goes, Stumpy Creek is primarily a penal golf course with a dash of the strategic and freeway. Pacing isn't the best, as the major rhythmic variation comes with the player's emergence from the woods - very deep into the round; there is no intense and memorable sequence of holes, despite several excellent individual ones. While I doubt, for many reasons, this course will become the favorite of any but locals, it IS a difficult test of golfing skill primarily for more advanced and above level players. I feel it also a great place to practice a certain type of golf and a certain mindset while golfing. That being acute self-knowledge (of one's game and capabilities) as they relate to a certain course. This gap will be starkly evident to even the thickest golfer immediately, myself included. On the downside, I don't feel Stumpy Creek is the most fun place to golf by far, as there's just too small a margin for error to ever really let loose and there's more fun close by, which is the thrill many seek when golfing.