Course is situated in a neighborhood level park of about 50 acres, which, typically for this region, features rolling piedmont terrain and semi-mature to mature canopy. Large areas of this park have been cleared and grassed, so the course has only a few holes exhibiting the 'tunnel carved through the forest' style. Park also features a recreation center and many other amenities, which are buffered by the park's land.
It should be noted that this park is located in a Charlotte neighborhood with a very dangerous reputation. Extra care should be taken regarding personal safety and the security of valuables, especially near nightfall. Use common sense and remain alert when playing here.
Course is fairly well sequestered from other park activities although some walking paths are interlaced with the course on the front side. Although this reviewer has only rarely experienced play delays at Sugaw, it is obvious at a glance that this course receives a fairly high amount of foot traffic, as worn areas around tees and targets are starkly evident. Some of these issues have been ameliorated with the addition of mulch. Course is well drained and no serious issues are evident, even soon after a rain event, but the course can get somewhat sloppy after same, especially in the more wooded areas.
Park's amenities are superior, as are tees, equipment and signage. The course features a practice basket, a returning 8 (front) and returning 10 (back), separated by the entrance road. Sugaw Creek DGC is very compact spatially and the park's topography is primarily flat, with fairly subtle and gradual elevation changes throughout. Most all fairways are amazingly flat. A great deal of this course's design was dictated by the existing cleared areas, meaning the course was primarily installed (as opposed to built - wholly carved out of virgin forest). This method certainly reduces the time, expense and labor of realizing the finished product, and as a result, many holes and tees are secreted in tree lines, while fairways play out over the cleared and grassed areas. Holes are also often played between 2 open grassed areas, with a 'gate' in the tree line being the major restriction in the fairway.
The front side's routing is a bit convoluted but there are no vex some way-finding issues, while the back circles the park's north side in a counterclockwise fashion. Average hole length for the 18 is just over 300'; 14 holes are between 240' and 350', which means that not only does the course suffer at bit from relatively static hole distances, but also, only fair to average power is needed to score well. This aspect of the course combined with the course's overall 'flatness' might help more inexperienced players gain consistency with throws in this general distance range. Lower speed discs can work very well at Sugaw Creek Park DGC.
7 holes are essentially 'straight', with 4 of these featuring obstacles in the middle of the fairway. This yields options for the golfer's preferred shot shape from the tee and generally this reviewer finds these types of holes more 'fun'. Options are good for the golfer. The remainder of the holes is well balanced between each spin's stable shot shape. The roller game is also a strong option for more than 50% of the course's holes. Course features double mandatories on 2 adjacent back-side holes, no doubt to channel play in the desired direction and to 'protect' the 18th tee. The more wooded fairways are plenty wide, certainly considering the hole distances, and are of an almost uniform width. #7's tee deserves a special mention, as it is a rare example of a severe height restriction right off the tee. The entire tee box sits under a mature southern magnolia and one of its large limbs extends directly over the front of the tee, perpendicular to the line of play. The limb's height is about 5'. Obviously this tee shot is nettlesome for the golfer, as and the limb is well covered with bruises and puckers from errant (point blank) tee shots. The hole is 300'. This type of flight restriction is rare in the piedmont. One wonders if the designer was attempting to reference the so-called 'Indian Trail Trees' found throughout this region. This reviewer enjoys tests like this, but each player will have to decide for him/herself.
Greens are primarily flat and open within the circle. Two greens are elevated, one a top a mulch mound and the other inside the spreading limbs of a crape myrtle. Reviewer has seen the latter idea in play at one of the iterations of the Oak Grove DGC in California and has some reservations about the durability of this particular species for this use. This green, #14, is very fun to play and the idea is sound, albeit underused in disc golf generally. Greens in general are more receptive to fades from counter-spin shots, although the advantage is not excessive, owing to the aforementioned 'flatness' of the course overall.
Roughs are very forgiving overall and recovery chances are excellent throughout, although there are a few 'jail pens' just to keep the golfer honest. These areas will be readily apparent after the golfer's initial round.
#18's target is blind from the tee, but #1's target is clearly visible from same. This might cause some confusion the first time through, although a 'short' drive at #1 from #18's tee could result in a surprise birdie at #18 to finish the round. Reviewer is uncertain if this 'feature' was intentional or the result of the space limitations at the park.
Sugaw Creek DGC is another solid offering in the Charlotte area, as I'm certain many readers are 'envious' of hearing and represents a good learning platform for golfers to ascend to more challenging courses. Scratch golfers may be disappointed, as the course could almost be classified as 'deuce or die'; really only scores in the low 40s would be competitive here. Perhaps they might try playing off-hand...