Pros:
- Great use of elevation on #3, #4, and #5 makes for interesting tee shots. Also makes birdies hard to earn, so you're not bored.
- Though the fairways are tight due to the numerous trees and heavy undergrowth (especially on #3, 4, & 5), there is a clear throwing lane from the tee on every hole.
- Rubber tee pads, not just grass.
Cons:
- POISON IVY EVERYWHERE. Saw it throughout the rough on every hole. On #4 I placed a perfect tee shot through the only clear flight path through the trees into what I thought was a sloping berm of normal landscaping ivy to the left of the basket, only to learn when I walked up to it that it was mostly poison ivy... Joy.......
- The Rough - Don't let the old photos posted here deceive you, the course looks nothing like them (at least during summer). The rough is tall, thick, and overgrowing the fairways which seem infrequently (if ever) mowed. And that means mosquitos everywhere too. I escaped with only a couple bites, but expect that I was really lucky. It's clear the course is being given back to nature with little maintenance.
- No tee signs, and the rubber tee pads are a little short. Also the painted parking space for tee #5 has almost completely faded. To find it, walk toward the academic building from basket #4 and look for a narrow trail (the 'fairway') down the hill to basket #5 in the gully.
- Finding The Course - This was a nightmare, and the old directions were inaccurate as the university has changed traffic patterns on the street right by the course. I've corrected the directions on the course homepage here for any other traveling player, so now you have a slim hope of finding the starting tee (for #2, not #1, by the way).
- Navigation from hole to hole was difficult even with the course map. Look for narrow, slightly worn walking trails that lead you to the next tee.
- An overthrown tee shot on #4 could nail a parked car in the lot right behind the basket.
- Only 5 holes - The original #1 was permanently removed due to construction of new university buildings; the 5 holes are thus numbered #2 through #6.
Other Thoughts:
Was going to give UNC-A a 1 star rating because there's great use of the hills on some holes, but there's just too many negatives here. Hope the university or student body mounts an effort to reclaim the course from nature, otherwise it's destined to be a forgotten jungle pretty soon.