Allow us to spill the tee on disc golf in the Triangle — a sport where time really flies. The rules are similar to golf, except you throw a disc at a target (basket). 🗑️
How to play? A disc golf course typically has nine or 18 holes. You compete by throwing a disc — smaller, but more dense than a frisbee — from a tee pad, aiming for the basket. You throw again from where the disc landed, eventually making it into the basket.
Like golf, you tally the number of throws per round, trying to walk away with the lowest number of throws. For the official rules of the game head to the Professional Disc Golf Association’s website.
The following disc golf courses around the Triangle can be enjoyed by disc golf beginners and pros alike. ⛳
Cedar Hills Park, 5600 Sweetbriar Dr., Raleigh | 7 a.m.-6 p.m. | 18 holes
This moderately hilly and heavily wooded course has a championship caliber. Hold on to your discs — the seventh hole is a doozy with a small pond located between the tee pad and basket. If you have a short throw (like your city editors) you can opt to go around the pond.
Kentwood Park Disc Golf Course, 4531 Kaplan Dr., Raleigh | Dusk until dawn | 18 holes
Voted as NC’s most popular disc golf course by UDisc, some of the holes intersect each other, adding difficulty. The course is hilly, short, and a great place for beginners and pros. The course even hosts tournaments — check them out here.
Centennial Campus Disc Golf Course, NC State, Main Campus Dr., Raleigh | 6 a.m.-8 p.m. | Nine holes
This is a wooded, hilly course with tight fairways that winds around a scenic city park. To find the first tee, follow the walking trail at the left end of the parking lot. Once you see a course map, take a sharp left and go up the hill to the mulch trail which leads to the first tee.
Diavolo At New Hope Disc Golf, 2584 New Hope Church Rd., Cary | 8 a.m -8 p.m. | 22 holes
Ranked No. 7 on UDisc’s list of The World’s Best Disc Golf Courses 2021, this course has open and wooded fairways with two water holes. Check out Capital Area Disc League’s Facebook page for information about upcoming tournaments.
Middle Creek Disc Golf Course, 151 Middle Creek Park Ave., Cary | 8 a.m.-9 p.m. | 19 holes
PDGA Hall-of-Famer Carlton Howard helped design this course, which opened in 2008. This is an intermediate course with both wide-open and narrow wooded fairways.
Apex Nature Park, 2600 Evans Rd., Apex 7 a.m.-10 p.m. (March-October), 7 a.m.-8 p.m. (November-February) | 18 holes
Established in 2014, this heavily wooded course is lined with creeks and 100-year-old pines.
UNC Disc Golf Course, 910 Raleigh Rd, Chapel Hill | 8 a.m.-8 p.m. | 18 holes
This course has a good mix of wide open spaces, wooded areas, and narrow fairways. The course is well kept and also has a challenging hiking trail. Take the first left into the UNC General Administration parking lot to access the first tee.
Buckhorn Disc Golf, 2112 County Park Dr., New Hill | 8 a.m. to sunset | 18 holes
This course was established in 2001 in partnership with the Raleigh Area Disc League. Buckhorn offers challenging holes with water hazards and narrow fairways. The course is located off of the disc golf and fishing pond gravel parking lot.
Bonus: Download the UDisc app and get your gear from the Eastern Disc Golf Pro Shop. To learn about the history of disc golf in NC, check out this documentary by Filmmaker Aaron Shindledecker.
