Charlotte Golf at its Angriest
14 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: +It’s free. Mind boggling is the quality of disc golf you can get in Charlotte at city parks. This is not a unique trait of Elon Park (home of the two Beaver courses) but is huge when you place it next to how good these courses are.
+Has it all. OB, water, trees, island greens, placement golf, par 4/5s, ace opportunities. Not too many aspects of the game you won’t find here.
+Shot variety. All aspects of your game will be necessary. Great use of elevation. While it is definitely Charlotte woods golf, the fairways are clear and defined. Off the fairway there are fair scramble chances which was refreshing in comparison to some of the other courses in the area. Also provides options off the tees which is always a plus for me. The reputation had me thinking this would be a “hit the fairway or you’re pitching sideways” course but I found it very fair while also challenging.
+The community. All assumptions but it seems clear that the Charlotte Disc Golf Club takes its job seriously and it shows. Believe the course has gone through changes recently and everything from pad to basket was very clean and efficient. All the small details show the love and work put in. Case in point- the massive amount of OB stakes that add one of many small touches that add to the enjoyment.
+Not feeling the angriest? There’s another course on site!
+This was the least busy course I played in the area. Doesn’t have the name appeal of Hornets Nest or Nevin.
+Great equipment. Best pads in town and Innova Discatchers. Shout out to whoever made these baskets the Charlotte standard. Not a Mach III in sight in this area.
Cons: -Tee signs did not have images, just distance, par and OB information. Digital maps will be helpful on your first play through. Updated signs may be imminent as it felt like the course had recently been redesigned or updated.
-Not too many garbage cans on course. Feel like this is due to the city not wanting to drive vehicles that deep in the woods, so it makes sense, but will add it as a con. Like always, pack in pack out is not that hard!
Other Thoughts: For my money this was my favorite course in Charlotte. Has a great variety hole to hole. While you will be getting beat down by long woods holes often, there are some short, reachable holes mixed in. Also some fun par 4 and 5 holes that reward smart placement shots. A couple of signature holes will stick in my memory, the par 5 #3 and the island hole, #15 I believe. Was very fun to pair with Eager Beaver, a shorter course that starts a couple hundred feet from Angry Beaver. This course seemed a different flavor from your standard Charlotte course. While you will find plenty of your patented 450-550 par 4s with gentle turns, there is more in the way of variety at Angry. Perhaps it is due to me having no tournament coverage or Pro Tour providing me with expectations, but man did I love this course. If you don’t have fun playing here, you’re doing this thing wrong. Difficulty is not a con for me, especially when the shots are fair and doable.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.
Disc Golf is a humbling sport.
9 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: This is a well put together course. One of the few courses in the Charlotte area where OB is marked so clearly. The short and long pads are also marked very clearly. I like the bench on hole 1 that says the name of the course "angry beaver". There was even a "respect the beaver" sign after I think hole 3. It helps give the course its own feel and distinguishes it. Course customization/uniqueness is something that is lacking in the disc golf world so it was very nice to see this course adding some customization even if it is something small. The creek contours the course very well and the bridges to cross it are in good shape. The elevation changes are nice. I finished this course at +8 from the short tees and loved it.
Cons: At the short pad for hole #4 there was no par or distance. It looks like there is a stand for the tee sign but there is no tee sign in it. Hole #14 could use more clarity as to where the tee is. I believe this has to do with how sharp the left turn is halfway down the fairway. Standing on the tee I thought I was going for the hole #16 disc catcher. When I was putting on hole #16 a disc from a player on hole #14 landed near me because he thought the same thing.
Other Thoughts: Signs pointing where the start of angry beaver and eager beaver are would be a nice addition. I was a first time player here and went left at the court and after a few minutes I realized I was on the eager beaver side but I still couldn't figure out where hole #1 was for that course. Driving out of that area you then see the "angry beaver" sign across the court on the back of a bench, but it is facing in a way that incoming vehicles cannot see it.
9 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Whos Angry, You or the Course?
19 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: A grueling woods challenge that will beat down most.
-Amenities: Big concrete tees, DISCatchers, a mix of tee signs (shorts have good DGPT-style maps, longs only have number, distance, and par). OB stakes are clear throughout. Rocks in the fairway mark 100', 200', and 300' to the pin. Next tee signs and benches.
-Difficulty: Whoa, this one is a beast. Imagine all the hardest parts of Hornet's Nest, and then expand them to 18 holes, and that's a pretty good picture of Angry Beaver. To score well, you'll need 300' of excellent accuracy in the woods throughout.
-Multi-Tees/Baskets: Every hole has two tees, and several holes have baskets in both short and long pin positions. Per the usual, this provides players with a better selection to tailor to their wants.
-Seclusion: With long holes in the thick woods, it's possible to get away from the rest of park for a lot of this course.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Using constant trees, solid elevation, and a creek, there's a plethora of shapes. Half of the holes are multi-shot par-4s or -5s. The creek is a great feature on (1), (2), (7), (15), and (18). OB is used on a decent number of holes, but just as many utilize natural OB from thick forests. Hills complement curves frequently, and a controlled curation of shots will be necessary to have birdie looks on many placement par-4s. Most of the par-3s will feel like bonus birdies. It's hard, creative, and satisfying to score on.
Cons: Scarcely anything.
-Single Biome: It's all thick woods. The only exception is hole (3), and even that one starts with a long woods tunnel from the back tees. Thus, it's a mono-thematic course.
-Beatdown: This course may be the single biggest beatdown of any course I've played. Odds are that multiple discs from your bag will fly a little more understable after your round here. Beginners and rec-level players should stay away. Intermediate players will be recommended to throw from the shorts.
-Long Tee Signs: Would really love to see the same excellent tee signs for the long tees as for the shorts. This, I suspect, will happen sooner or later.
Other Thoughts: Angry Beaver is a beast. For well-traveled players, it's reminiscent of IDGC Warner (but harder) or the tightly wooded portions of Hornet's Nest. Even though I'm sure it's called Angry Beaver because the trees are angry at you, it can feel like *you* are supposed to become the Angry Beaver after this kind of beatdown. It's solidly Excellent, but lacking the variety and specialness to rise to the phenomenal.
19 of 19 people found this review helpful.
Lefty Heaven
3 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: -Beautiful course (I played it in the summer). The brush off the fairway is pretty mild so it's super easy to find your disc if you shank a shot.
-Tee pad length is great
-The Course is nice and technical because it forces you to hit specific lines between/around trees.
Cons: 2 main cons.
1. Playing through the course for the first time, it's a little confusing where the baskets are and where the next tee pad is. There are no maps of the hole to give you an indication of where the basket is. My doubles partner and I had to walk most of the course twice because we didn't know where we needed to throw and we didn't know where to go from hole to hole.
2. As a 930 rated player, I got a little exhausted with the lack of hole variety. Almost every hole was a tunnel shot that ended on the right. If you have a nice sidearm (or are a lefty), you'll probably love this course, but as a righty, I slowly got tired of throwing the same disc on a 300' turnover or throw my sidearm through a tight gap.
Other Thoughts: Overall beautiful course, and if they added hole maps on the tee pad, I think the experience would be awesome. I personally didn't like the course because a majority of holes faded to the right and it made me feel like it liked variety. The woods provide a fun challenge that gets less fun as you spend longer out there. If you're new to the sport, just enjoy Eager Beaver for a while. I gave it a 3 because it is a well-kept course but wasn't as fun for me to play. I'd personally rather play Renny-Gold, Kilborne, or Hornets Nest.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.
10 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: There seems to be a pretty wide range of opinions on the Angry Beaver, with many Trusted Reviewers saying it's one of the best, while a couple of others "not so much." I fall into the "not so much" group. Reposado wrote the review that most closely aligns with my rating, 2.5, and experience on the course. Give him a read.
+ It's one of the most challenging course I've ever played. I say that as a con in addition to a pro. It's a con in that I really didn't enjoy it at all. It's a pro in that I believe the challenge of the course is the most important piece of the rating. In the Angry Beaver's case, it's a 10 out of 10 on the challenge, 1 out of 10 on the fun, and the rating washes out in the middle.
+ I've played the Eager Beaver many times and think it's highly enjoyable, especially when playing with my sons. It might actually be the perfect course for that, in fact. Hole 1 at the Angry Beaver starts out right next to its Eager brother and is very short and downhill. Hole 2, likewise, is straightforward enough and short. The basket is on a ridge right in front of the pond. These two holes were fun, but that's basically where the fun ended for me!
+ Good baskets and tees.
+ I'll mention it again: the main pro of the Angry Beaver is the challenge it throws at you. Holes are long *and* technical. It's designed with advanced players in mind. I'm not exactly the intended audience, thus I didn't enjoy it. But if you're an advanced player looking for a top notch challenge, you're likely one of the folks ranking the Angry Beaver among your favorites.
Cons: The Angry Beaver was way too angry for my liking:
- As I mentioned in the pro's, holes 1 and 2 were fine. But on hole 3, the Anger starts. It's a blind shot over or through an absolute jungle of trees and underbrush. It's a short hole and a spike hyzer or tomahawk probably gets the job done, but as a first-timer on the course, I didn't want to blindly throw my disc that way towards the road! Oh yeah, the basket is right by the road entering the disc golf section of the park. To me, this hole is a big safety hazard, especially for people who haven't played the hole. You can't see the basket, you can't see where your disc lands, you can't see the road, you can't see oncoming traffic, and there's a jungle of mess you have to walk through. Why?!?!
- I mention the underbrush on hole 3, but it's bad in spots on other holes too. We somehow managed not to lose any discs there, but it was a miracle.
- Maybe the course has seen better days, but it's in need of some TLC now. There were several missing tee signs. Navigation was impossible in the middle of the course. And it appeared that some tee signs were no longer accurate. (Renumbered?) We somehow got off track and skipped a few holes just because of the lack of signage.
- I don't want to just recap Reposado's review, but I agree with it word for word on the length of the course, the 90 degree turns, and the layup after layup nature of the course. All of these aspects of a course can be good, but for hole after hole after hole, it's just brutal.
- Upkeep and aesthetics were not good. I mentioned the underbrush. There was also a lot of trash. The course would also be a lot more fun, in my opinion, if a few more trees were taken out.
Other Thoughts: I know I could get some thumbs down on this review due to its negativity and being out of step with many other reviews. To detractors, I'll just say that it was my first and only time playing the course, no one else was on the course when I played (which is sort of a telling sign that maybe not many people like it), and I had no direction when the navigation became impossible. I would hazard a guess that if I gave the Angry Beaver another shot, I might appreciate the challenge more and actually enjoy the round (maybe). But not living in Charlotte, with so many other phenomenal courses in the area, the chances of me playing here again are next to nil.
To me, reviews are important because they help you make wise decisions on where to play when other tracks are available. Reviews help you determine your opportunity cost for playing a course. I'm an intermediate player and not living in Charlotte. If you're an advanced player and do live in Charlotte, I imagine the Angry Beaver is an acceptable or even a preferred option for you. If you're a beginner or an intermediate player--or coming in from out of town with limited time to play the fantastic tracks in Charlotte--I can't imagine choosing to play the Angry Beaver instead of one of the many other courses here, including the far less challenging, far more fun, newbie-friendly Eager Beaver. If you're looking for a reasonable mix of intermediate- to advanced-level challenge *and* fun and well-maintained, I offer these (superior, in my humble opinion) alternatives in Mecklenburg County: Nevin, Hornets Nest, Robbins, Bradford, and Kilborne. (Note: I haven't played Renny Gold, the Scrapyard, or Reedy Creek yet.)
I apologize to the course designers, those who may be doing upkeep on the course now, or those who love them some Angry Beaver! It just wasn't for me.
10 of 11 people found this review helpful.
Home Course
6 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: -Starts off with a few shorter holes - I'm pretty upset if I don't birdie at least 2 of the first 4
-As people have mentioned before, risk vs reward is definitely in play here - I've birdied all but hole 5 at some point, I know I've bogeyed (double bogeyed too) every hole at some point. The death putt after coming up short on 3 has gotten me multiple times.
-Pads and baskets are both in fine shape
-Great mix of long and short holes - short ones aren't easy either, they're all tight and wooded creating small lines
-Plenty of obstacles that make it fun - trees everywhere make natural OB, pond behind 2, road OB on 3, creek that comes into play on 4/8/9/11, swamp thing on 5 - none are impossible to avoid, but I usually find or get close to one per round
-Pretty wooded after 3, which makes it a bit cooler on hot days
-18 is a pretty cool par 5 to end on, which I like
-There are a few brand new looking benches that have been set up recently
-I don't think the navigation is super confusing - you do have to cross the road after 1 and 3, but I do see how a first timer could have issues
-Plenty of trash cans - they obviously aren't used by everyone, but they are there
Cons: -Signs - I'm updating my review because new signs were put up this week. They have the par and distance and look really nice, but are still missing maps. Something is better than nothing, but a first timer would still have issues on the multiple holes where the basket isn't visible from the tee. I would probably get a little frustrated playing this course for the first time. All other Charlotte courses have great signs, not sure why Angry Beaver is different.
-Trash - there are so many trashcans around, yet there are still beer and water bottles everywhere - I usually end up picking up something every round
Other Thoughts: I love this course. I've played it at least 75-100 times in the last 4 years and I haven't gotten bored of it. My best score is -3, but I'm usually just trying to get somewhere near par. It is never too crowded, but there are always people there. It definitely needs some maintenance, which has happened recently (2, 3, 5, and 8 look a lot better now). If it had proper signs with maps, I would give it a 4. I think it's just as good (if not better) as Nevin and Hornet's Nest, but both of those courses have great signs.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Risk/Reward in its purest form
2 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: This course is a well laid out course that allows you to disconnect from all distractions and really focus on your game. The course will play par if you play fairly conservatively and have good control of your throws, but you will not find birdies easy to come by if you don't get more aggressive. You run the risk of playing disc plinko when you get into the woods, but without the risk you wont find any birds.
Cons: The course is tough and it can be easy to lose a disc when playing. Stay focused and objectively approach every hole. You may need to get muddy if you get off the beaten path, the creek comes into play quite a bit.
2 of 4 people found this review helpful.
NEW Map Uploaded
6 Helpful / 1 Not
Pros: Very fair course with high risk/reward factor. This course is not like Nevin in that if you play this one conservatively, there will not be many birdie opportunities; or, bogeys for that matter. Go for it and you run the risk of either pinballing into some tough woods or splashing into the creek that is present on many holes. Hole 8 comes to mind right away with the basket on a slope leading into the creek. Hole 11 is another where the creek guards the basket, requiring an almost perfect approach shot. The woods here are much tougher to play out of than the Eager side; and, the creek, though dry in many spots right now (just because we have not had much rain lately), is deep and nasty. Hole 2, well . . . I know about the pond behind the basket since I have lost many a disk playing the Eager side. As other's have mentioned, that hungry pond is only about 20 feet or so behind the basket, with a rather steep bank into the pond. Chances are, if you overshoot the basket, I hope your disk floats or scuba gear will be needed. And the growth in front of the green does not lend itself to a very large landing zone. All said about the Angry Beaver, if you "go for it" and place your shots well, there are many chances at birdies here.
Because most of this course has a nice tree canopy, it can be enjoyed a bit more on those real hot summer days.
Cons: Not really a negative; but, on hole 3 the foliage seems to have choked off both the left and right preferred flight paths. It appears that the best way to approach this one is to just go over the trees (some of which are quite tall). Miss the tee shot and the disc will end up in some very tall brush.
The biggest negative on this course is exactly what almost every other reviewer has mentioned in the last few years; and, that is navigation. The course has undergone many changes since its inception and the documentation and signage has not kept up with those changes. Most of the front nine pretty much flows as it always has, until one gets to hole 8, and then the adventure begins. I personally took the risk of playing the course on my own (it was 6:30 AM when I started) and even with all of the notes other players have placed on various websites, had a few problems with the back nine, primarily with holes 13-15. There were enough notes about the new "S" hole 8, could see the new 9 & 12 baskets from the tees, and another reviewer updated the signs for 10-13, which helped immensely.
I have taken the liberty of creating an updated course map and posting it to this site (hopefully the map will be approved since the maps posted there now are very outdated and will get you lost in a hurry). As I played this course for the first time, it also seemed in some ways, the course is becoming neglected. Vandals have taken their toll on some of the signage; and, we could all do a better job of cleaning up the trash. Perhaps this is just me; but the Eager side has had new signage for a few months. It could be a financial thing and new signs are coming; I can only hope this is the case and CDGC is not abandoning it. We already lost Hornet's Nest, don't want to lose another.
Other Thoughts: The front nine has better chances of losing a disc in deep brush. If you place a disc in it, please be midful of snakes and ticks as you look for it. The back nine, with the exception of the 18th, is pretty much all wooded.
I am going to go out on a limb during this review. I was once critical of the CDGC on a review and got roasted over the coals for it; mainly because I did not word things well, and because everyone's sensitivity meter seems to run way too high nowadays. We here in Charlotte have hosted the World Championships and have many players of all abilities taking road trips to our area just to play our wonderful courses. Elon provides the opportunity for someone to play 54 radically different holes in one location. If we are to be sensitive, this is an area where we should all direct our energies. If CDGC is going to link to DGCR, it must be mindful of keeping the documentation up to date, lets all do a better job of picking up after ourselves, and keep our courses the best around. It is always the little things we take for granted. Most of our courses are free to play. I just came off of a road trip where most of the courses I played required a fee to play (at least the nicer ones did - maybe the fee is one of the reasons the courses are nicer; not sure).
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.
3 Helpful / 2 Not
Pros: Great course that offers a great deal of challenge and requires a shot from your whole bag. Love this course and how deep in the woods it is. You can really disconnect and play some solid disc golf. However you must be precise or you can be getting bogeys every hole pretty easily.
Cons: Course upkeep. I have been going every week recently to clean trash and I am the one who wrote on the 8 tee pad where the pin is actually located... I have also cleared dead trees that were just making the course unattractive. I did not however make any whole easier or harder...just routine upkeep.
Other Thoughts: Favorite course in charlotte behind winget and I have played them all.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Angry Beaver
5 Helpful / 0 Not
Pros: Challenging, tight woods course. Not too long, but long enough to give every player a challenge. Clean course, nice tee pads. Benches or chairs at nearly every tee. Good variety of holes, from a couple ace-runners to a couple 800' par 5's that will truly test your accuracy and distance. Well rounded course that needs to be played a few times before truly appreciating it!
Cons: What they did to hole 8 is a travesty. The original 8 was a great par 4 down the creek. Adding another 200' and a curly-Q with a ridiculous mando doesn't make the hole any better - just longer and more frustrating. Signage is still not correct on the back 9, and can get a bit confusing if you are playing the course for the first time.
Other Thoughts: This is a very "mental" course. It will challenge you and if you are hacking thru the trees hole after hole due to a lack of driver control - you will truly understand why it's called the "Angry Beaver". If you can avoid the head games, keep your focus and play smart, this is a very fun course and one that will keep you coming back for more!
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
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Hole #16 (Taken 7/2010) 
3 / 243ft. 
1 
10/6/2017 
10/9/2017
Review By: KenanFlagler01 
This review was updated on 5/24/2019
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