Wide Open
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Great course for practicing different shots without worrying about trees. It's virtually wide open with old pines scattered throughout. Never gets too tight or technical, so you aren't forced to throw much of a variety. While it is open for the most part, there is good use of trees on many holes. You can rip it off the tee from the blues quite often. Several ace runs and good birdie opportunities on plenty of holes. A few par 4's that also provide a great chance for birdie, perhaps an eagle. While being open makes things easier, watch out of the wind picks up. This course can go from one that you'd expect to shoot under par in good conditions to a struggle in the wind.
Cons: Most old gripes have been solved over the past couple years. Very nice concrete pads have been installed. Some of the best I've seen or thrown from. Several benches have been installed and the concrete walls behind the large pads can also be used as benches on some holes.
Some of the big pines have fallen over time or been cut down. This will happen to even more trees in the future. But this issue has been countered with several new basket positions as well. Most of them add a degree of difficulty to holes, which is a good thing while keeping the original positions as well.
New trees have been planted and there was recently a fundraiser there to get more in the ground.
Other Thoughts: This course is just fun. Not as stressful as your typical more wooded course. You can build your confidence here and see the lines your discs fly on without much interference. I see it as a great place for beginners to come work on their game without being discouraged. It's also a breeze to play. I get through in an hour or so every time. Playing solo, you could get through within an hour.
Course has improved quite a bit overall due to nice new pads, fairly new signage, new baskets, etc. I bumped it up a full point. Go check it out for yourself!
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
3 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Wide open course, good place to rip some drives, some nice "ace runs" holes. Long and short tee pads. Playing the long tees feels like a completely different course from the shorts which I think is great.
There are also lots of fields on the property which makes it a great place to practice. I like to go out and practice in the field and then play a round or two. There are restrooms and water fountain also well.
Cons: Most holes from the short tee pads are straight. You don't really need a variety of shots to play well here. In the summer time the grass can grow pretty high which is a little bit annoying
Other Thoughts: The tee pads are natural which I actually prefer but they can get very wet and muddy after it rains. I bought some cleats for $15 which solves the problem.
I only rated this course a 3 because it's pretty basic. It's not very technical. If you've got a big arm you'll most likely find it a little easy. Some of the holes can seem a little long for a beginner but there aren't a lot of places to get in trouble.
This is my home course and I enjoy playing here but I consider it more of a practice course. If I want to really challenge myself I'll play at Glen Hilton Park in Hickory or go down to Charlotte. However, if you're in the area you won't be disappointed.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Good Course
1 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: To be fair this is my home course. I learned the sport on this course with my family, lot of sentimental value. The course is open on the front nine. mildly wooded 12-18. This course is a good course to learn on and also grow in the sport. Favorite hole is hole 8. The design of the course takes full advantage of the terain that it was given.
Cons: Needs benches, and trash cans, Natural tee pads, Mandos on 2 and 9 are cheesy, not really necessary to play though. The city has events sometimes and blocks off the parking lot and hole 1,2, and 18. WIsh they did not do that. If it is a disc course than it is a disc course not a camp ground.
Other Thoughts: This is the kind of course that keeps you comng back. This course is great to learn on, and is big enough to realy develope all parts of your game.
1 of 4 people found this review helpful.
Nice pines and meadows
11 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros:
*Terrain beauty. Most of the course is played in grassy meadows with old scattered pines, and some of the fairways also have a carpet of pine needles. I really like this kind of terrain that has trees to throw around but without punishing undergrowth.
*Layout variety. 2 sets of tees.
*Length variety. Blue tees: 5 of 230-290/ 9 of 300-400/ plus some longer holes of 485, 535, 560, 610.
*Good map and scorecard online.
*Very nice, new, clean restroom
Cons:
-Highway noise. On holes 3-10 you can hear lots of traffic from a busy road and this detracts from the natural serenity of the course.
-Repetitive terrain. As much as I like the terrain, it's all the same throughout the whole course, so most of the holes look similar.
-Low fairway shape variety. Too many straight holes. Blue tees: 13 Straight/ 3 Left/ 2 Right
-Long grass. There's lots of grass and the "fairways" are mowed shorter, but the longer grass can hide discs so watch your drives carefully.
-Personally, I thought that the double mando near the basket on 11 was gimmicky
Other Thoughts:
Blue tees Course Level: Blue (most suited for Advanced players rated 950)
~There are some moderate elevation changes, ranging from 2 to 15 ft, but half of the holes are flat. Blue: 9 Flat/ 2 Up/ 7 Down.
~Tees. Since the course is new it's a wise practice not to put in permanent tees so that adjustments and tweaks can be made. Nonetheless, the current tees were inadequate. Only the front of the tee is marked. Also, they're grass and dirt, so they can get muddy if wet. I imagine that they'll eventually put in better tees after the course settles in more.
~Tee signs. Only colored posts, with a sign at hole 1, but hopefully better signs will come with time. They may well be waiting until the tees are finalized to make better signs.
~I think that the mando on 17 would be more fair if it was moved 40 ft to the left.
This is still a new course, so it has potential to get even better. Since I like this kind of terrain I'd like to play it again. It's the kind of course that's worth driving up to an hour to play, or if you're driving by on I-40 it's definitely worth stopping to get in a round.
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11 of 12 people found this review helpful.
Holy Mando
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros:
- Very attractive course with good course design that takes advantage of the parks elevation changes.
- Great use of Mandos, there is alot of double mandos on this course but they are all very fair and add to the challenge of the course quite a bit.
- Easy to navigate, and multiple Teepads for several holes.
- Clean bathrooms and a nice gazebo right at hole one.
- Great for beginners and more advanced players alike.
Cons:
- Natural teepads.
- Lack of Benches and trashcans throughout course.
- The teesigns are sufficient but could use an upgrade.
Other Thoughts: At first glance I was afraid that this course was going to become repetitive as most of it is set out in a field, with what appears to be few trees. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this isnt the case at all. The course designer did a great job at using everything the park gave him, and put in several mandos that increased the challenge of the course. I would reccommend playing it to anyone thinking about it.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
more open than most in the area
10 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Posts have been added to tees; with blue painted tops for long and red for short.
A solid 3 rated course; nothing brutal (like a number of the Charlotte courses); but, overall, a nice, ball golf type of feel.
Elevation and trees used well.
I enjoyed the mandos; and from what other reviewers have said; I believe we played all of them. (There are, of course, players who find mandos to be kind of gimmicky; and one of our group of four is one of these players....however, I'm the one who missed three of them off the tee; and I still enjoyed them). A just missed mado forced me to make a nicely executed, off hand (lefty for me), forehand shot to save par.
Missing a mando, will force you to execute some unique shots....
We played even holes long tees, and odd, short; thus, getting a feel for both. (Some tees same for both). Enjoyed both sets of tees. Somewhat of a bomber course from longs; and the youngest member of our crew made up ground on the long tees. (Half of the holes 350+ from long tees with 2 at 500+ and one 609 ft.)
Counting the mandos and some other tunnel line designs; Catawba has some definite signature type holes on it.
We did not really struggle with any navigational issues. Pathways to next basket must be worn in well enough....
No tall grass issues either; but we were here at the end of March...before it had a chance to grow much. I may imagine it would add another degree of toughness to upshots (shooting from tall grass inhibits your shots some times; and, I have enjoyed some designer's intentional use of this...but, I can be weird in this regard). I kind of feel a designer needs to use what he has to work with....
Cons: Natural tees were very muddy and slippery.
Course is somewhat plain, but this is relative to the great ones not far away. Most players would find Catawba comparable to a fairly top flight course; especially if mandos are played.....To sum this up; if you have a 300 foot drive or so dialed in; you are reaching most pins. Long tees, long shots; will be 300 ft. drive and upshot and a 3... Therefore, gold level players will not be impressed; and for blue level, course will seem moderately challenging and kind of plain. (We played best shot doubles here and were quite a bit under par; but, I also believe that of our group of four; two of us, 900+ rated players; that there is the possibility we all could have been over par from long tees; so, do not expect an easy course by any means.)
Other Thoughts: This course really does have a pretty nice ball golf type of feel to it. Rustic and yet manicured. The sign for the park kind of relays this info in a way. A very nice, and colorful sign; and yet, using natural stone....i.e. rustic and yet manicured....
10 of 10 people found this review helpful.
12 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Fun, open course in a great athletic complex.
- Course is mostly open. Biggest obstacle on course is trees, with baskets/tees/fairways strategically aligned to create challenging shots. Course is mostly flat; although, it's nice 2 of the 3 (slightly) downhill tee shots are on longer holes. Thick brush & creek come in to play for several holes (#2, 3, 17 & 18), as well as mandos on several holes, which is both a good and bad thing.
- There are some really good holes on the course. #17 long for me stands out as the course's signature hole. 537 ft dogleg left, with the creek/brush hugging the right side of the fairway the entire length of the hole. There's a perfectly placed mando, keeping players from cutting the corner. Basket is protected by several trees, forcing players to make 2 good throws to get within putting range. The other holes that play near the basket are also good.
- Course is not overly difficult, but it does require definite shot-making to score low, especially from the long tees. Short tees are going to present plenty of birdie chances.
- Course is definitely beginner-friendly. Lack of obstacles, length (from short tees) will appeal to newbies.
- Great amenities and aesthetics. Very nice, clean park. Even though majority of holes run along road, plenty of nature feel around you. Park, as a whole, has anything and everything you'd want. Along the DG portion of the park, you'll come across restrooms, large picnic shelters, and a walking trail.
Cons: Only a few issues, but they all make a real impact on the course.
- A real lack of variety for the holes. I don't mind the course being relatively wide open when compared to most of the wooded courses in the region. It's a nice change of pace. The issue is that too many of the holes are straight. There are very few doglegs. As mentioned, course uses its limited elevation as good as possible.
- Course overuses, or misuses, the mandos. There are 2 double mandos in a 3 hole stretch (#9 & 11). Mandos can be used in a better way, such as creating doglegs, which is used to perfection on #17 long. Instead of using the mandos for more straight shot, they could have been used to create/force several more doglegs, leading to more variety.
- Course needs teepads and tee signs. Dirt tee pads are in good condition on most holes, but they're uneven on enough, that's it's noticeable. On most holes, multiple baskets are visible, so tee signs would fix the problem. On one hole I threw to the wrong basket because two baskets were visible, about the same distance away from the tee pad.
- The grass/rough is too tall. The grass has been cut short on some holes to create fairways. Other holes, it hasn't been cut at all, meaning these "fairways" have grass the same height as the rough on other holes. On some holes, the grass is tall enough that you're spending extra time searching for discs, not being able to see them until you come upon them.
Other Thoughts: This is a great, change of pace course for those looking for a break from all the wooded courses. It still presents enough challenges that you won't feel like you're wasting your time.
- If the course improves any of the problems listed above (tee pads, signs, tall grass, etc), it'll be even better. A positive aspect of not having teepads is that there's opportunity for some holes to be moved/changed with it being a major problem.
- There are a couple holes that you can empty the bag to practice throwing drives - #1, 6 & 8.
- The short tee pads will probably be too easy for advanced players, but perfect for beginners. I played the longs and had enough birdie chances and scramble to save par holes that I felt it was a great mix.
- Anyone driving down I-40 should make a stop here. It's also close enough to Charlotte, Asheville and the Triad to make the trip. Playing this course and Glenn Hilton in Hickory 30 minutes away would make for a great 1-2 punch for a DG outing.
12 of 13 people found this review helpful.
2 Helpful / 3 Not
Pros: Lots of open flight potential. Good use of mando's - ups the challenge level - but can easily be played casual as well.
Common sense will get you from hole to hole with ease.
Clean park! Keep it that way.
Cons: Natty pads. Need Trash cans throughout course. A bench or two would be a plus.
Other Thoughts: Really looking forward to playing this course again in the spring and summer. I live and play in Charlotte as often as possible, but will make the 90 minute drive to catch a breathe of fresh air anytime.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Room to grow
7 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Very Clean area
Opportunity for big drives on several holes
Mandos on a number of tight shots require accuracy
A good number of forehand-friendly holes
Two different tees (Red and Blue) provide for multiple levels of difficulty
A very good use of predominantly flat terrain. The elevation changes that do exist are used very well.
Cons: Layout gets a little confusing around hole 7, doesn't flow well for the next few holes after that.
Tee Boxes are currently just two PVC Pipes stuck in the ground. This is great if you've got a big run-up, but if there's been any kind of weather slipping on the drive becomes an issue.
Mandos are inconsistently marked. Some have orange flagging tape around the trees, some are rows of little orange flags, only one hole has actual arrows.
Grass on the course is not mown often enough, can make discs difficult to find.
Other Thoughts: I'm very glad to have this 18 hole course so close to my home (less than a mile). This is a very new course with lots of room for improvement, but the play itself is top-notch. Almost every time I pass this course there is somebody playing, and frequently there are 4-5 different groups moving throughout the course.
The popularity of the course suggests to me that the City of Morganton will further invest in this course and address the concerns the public has voiced about it.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Beautiful Park Course
8 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Clean, new park with large gazebos. Air conditioned restrooms with running water. Large parking lot. Nice new tee signs on red course placed out of the way of the tee pad. Brand new Innova DisCatchers. Easy walk with intuitive basket/tee box placement. There are many 'mando's to break up the repetition. The tee box markers are angled correctly towards the target on all holes. This makes it easy to spot the pin. A course map is handy but not totally necessary.
Cons: Grass/dirt tee pads. Tee signs on the blue course are a little weak compared to the red (hand-written cards stapled to a post). Course layout has many similar looking shots. Not much elevation change. Need benches & trash cans (although I didn't see a lot of litter). There seem to be a lot of 'mando' gaps to hit. But no 'drop zone' area for the shot if you miss the mando. Re-tee? On hole #2 there is a small creek with thick shule directly behind the basket. Dont throw too long! #17 blue is a par 3. This hole is marked at 537'. It should be a par 4 as it is very difficult to get to the basket in one throw from the tee pad. Blue tee pads throw over the red pads on some holes.
Other Thoughts: Very nice course with relatively easy navigation. The layout is about as good as it could be, given the available land & location. The walkways surrounding the course give a lot of exposure to non-golfers. My favorite hole: #8
8 of 8 people found this review helpful.
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Hole #17 (Taken 1/2015) 
3 / 308ft. 
5+ 
1/20/2011 
1/24/2011
Review By: digital 
This review was updated on 5/31/2015
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