Basic Information
Course Location: Thomas McAlister Winget Park
Geographic Location: west side of Charlotte, NC (35.13252, -81.00208)
Date Visited: November 2025
Number of Holes: 18
Course Length: 5011 feet, par 58
Cost to Play: free
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Difficulty Level: recreational, high
Carts: usable, but expect a few steep areas
Beginner Friendly? not really: lots of trees and a few longer holes
Potential to Lose Discs: low to medium; most of the course is wooded but the rough is not too dense
Park Information: https://parkandrec.mecknc.gov/Activities/disc-golf
DG Course Review Page: https://www.dgcoursereview.com/courses/plantation-ruins-at-winget.5036
Course Walkabout Video, Front 9: (coming November 20, 2026)
Course Walkabout Video, Back 9: (coming November 27, 2026)
Driving Directions: On the west side of Charlotte, take I-485 to SR 160 (exit 4). Exit and go south on SR 160. Drive SR 160 south 3.7 miles to Sledge Road and turn right on Sledge Rd. Drive Sledge Rd. west 0.5 miles to Winget Road and turn right on Winget Rd. The park entrance is 1 mile ahead on the right where Winget Rd. ends. Turn right to enter the park, and park in the first parking lot on the left. #1 tee is to the east of the far end of this parking lot; look for the sign in the picture below and the practice basket.
Course Constructions:
Tees: concrete, 1 per hole
Baskets: Discatcher, 1 per hole
Signage: hole sign on each tee; many signs pointing to next tee
Amenities: practice basket, benches on most tees, trash cans, restrooms, playground, soccer fields
Summary Review: 4 Stars (out of 5)
Though it seems short and easy by today's standards, the Plantation Ruins Disc Golf Course at Thomas McAlister Winget Park (normally called Plantation Ruins at Winget for short) was built for the 2012 PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships. Several stone ruins from an old plantation dot the course, hence the course's name. The course occupies a mostly wooded plot of land with only a few more open holes. That said, this course is not particularly tight by present-day standards, nor is it particularly long. It does have several tight holes with sharp doglegs, and those holes are among the best holes on this course. Thus, this course is tricky and technical enough to challenge most players at least some of the time. There is a paved walking trail near a few of the holes, but the biggest safety hazard on the course is the fact that several holes require walking back up the fairway to get to the next tee. I had someone else's tee shot skip up to my feet on one of those holes. The course and park are popular: I saw several other players and a few walkers when I came here on a seasonal Thursday afternoon in mid-November. The course maintenance was exquisite on my visit, but the lack of multiple tees and baskets limits the adaptability and replayability. Overall, for a nice course with a twist of history, this course is hard to beat. If you like shorter and more technical courses, as long as you don't come here expecting a professional level test, you'll have a good round.
Hole-by-Hole Review
Distances taken from hole signs. Picture sequence for each hole is 1) tee, 2) approach, 3) basket to tee.
Hole #1: 250 feet, par 3
Comments: A slight dogleg left with a fairly low ceiling, some boulders and a wooden platform in front of the basket make skipping your disc up to the basket an unworkable option. A low straight tee shot and a good putt is your best chance to make birdie. #2 tee is to the left and back toward #1 tee.
Hole #2: 244 feet, par 3
Comments: similar to hole #1 but a dogleg right. Aim at the large tree directly ahead and work your disc slightly left-to-right. #3 tee is several hundred feet away in the field to the right.
Hole #3: 302 feet, par 3
Comments: The first fairly open hole, a cluster of 3 large trees stand directly between the tee and the basket. There is room to go around either side of that cluster, but going right and working your disc right-to-left gives a better angle of attack on the basket and makes it less likely you get blocked out by other trees. Birdie is possible here, but it will take a good throw. #4 tee is behind the basket and down the stairs in the ravine near hole #2 basket.
Hole #4: 234 feet, par 3
Comments: Now back in the woods, 2 small trees within 70 feet of the tee define 2 possible lines, both of which are fairly tight. I chose the more direct right line, but a more aggressive player could choose to bend their disc flight more on the left line hoping to get further around the dogleg right and set-up an easier birdie. A stream just in front of the tee is out-of-bounds (OB), but it would take a very bad throw or ricochet to end up there. This is a good hole in that it forces you to pick a line and execute a throw. #5 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #5: 234 feet, par 3
Comments: straight, flat, and completely open except for a few small trees near the basket. This is the worst hole on this course. #6 tee is to the left near the park road.
Hole #6: 226 feet, par 3
Comments: A mandatory (mando) protects the parking lot on the left, but I wouldn't go that way anyhow. Use your straightest throw and aim just right of the large pine tree in the fairway dead ahead. Dense woods sit long and left, so don't overthrow; accuracy is far more important than power. #7 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #7: 265 feet, par 3
Comments: (Aside: the chimney and foundation from the old plantation house for which this course is named stands directly behind #7 tee.) Hopefully you're under par so far, because the next 6 holes are the real meat of the course. The 1 large tree in the middle of the fairway 80 feet in front of the tee makes the line very tight. You could go either side of that tree, but this hole is a slight dogleg right. Thus, going right seems to be the best option. Birdie is possible here, but it will take a very good throw. #8 tee is behind the basket.
Hole #8: 380 feet, par 4
Comments: the first of 2 consecutive short par 4s with sharp doglegs. This hole plays slightly downhill, and it doglegs about 60 degrees to the right. It is only about 200 feet to the dogleg, but the dogleg is sharp enough that most players won't be able to bend their disc flight sharply enough to approach the basket with the tee shot despite this hole's length. Moreover, a small stream guards the outside of the dogleg and continues down to the left and long sides of the basket. Thus, the best strategy is to treat this hole as a true par 4 and try to get close to the basket with 2 straight throws, thus setting up a birdie putt. This is a fun technical hole. #9 tee is up the hill to the right.
Hole #9: 318 feet, par 4
Comments: This hole doglegs at least 90 degrees to the left. It plays moderately uphill at first and then steeply downhill to the basket after the dogleg. The fairway is fairly wide, but there are plenty of isolated trees in the fairway. Like the previous hole, despite this hole's length, I wouldn't even think of trying to get my tee shot near the basket. 2 accurate right-to-left throws, each about 150 feet long, should set up a birdie putt. There is a steep downhill behind the basket, so factor in the downhill and don't miss long with your approach. #10 tee is back up the fairway and to the left as you walk back up the fairway.
Hole #10: 223 feet, par 3
Comments: More or less a repeat of the 2nd half of the previous hole, the line is straight and tight, but you've played tighter. As with the previous hole, factor in the downhill and don't overthrow. #11 tee is back up the fairway and to the left as you walk back up the fairway.
Hole #11: 226 feet, par 3
Comments: It is only about 120 feet to the dogleg, but the almost 90 degree dogleg right makes it very difficult to attack the basket with your tee shot. I liked this hole design idea on hole #8, but encountering 3 sharp short doglegs in 4 holes borders on repetitive. Some boulders in front of the basket encourage you to not miss short. #12 tee is to the left.
Hole #12: 433 feet, par 4
Comments: another dogleg hole, this time to the left and more of a sweeping dogleg than a sharp dogleg. The fairway is rather generous for the first 250 feet, but the last 180 feet features a dense smattering of seemingly randomly placed trees. Try to knock out the first 250 feet with a right-to-left tee shot, and then choose whatever approach route looks most feasible. #13 tee is to the left.
Hole #13: 247 feet, par 3
Comments: I never thought I would be so thankful to see a straight hole! This hole plays gradually uphill, and though it is rather tight, you've played tighter. A good straight throw will lead to a birdie opportunity. #14 tee is behind the basket and to the right.
Hole #14: 509 feet, par 4
Comments: Now we bust out of the woods for the longest hole on this course. The fairway is wide, but you will need to work your disc left-to-right to get around the dogleg right; the dogleg is about 175 feet from the tee. This hole plays slightly uphill to boot, so after several short par 4s this is a true long par 4. Normally I don't like this kind of hole, but this hole adds some nice variety among the densely wooded holes. #15 tee is at the edge of the woods behind/to the right of the playground.
Hole #15: 198 feet, par 3
Comments: Back into the woods we go for a short, straight, very tight, and slightly downhill hole. 2 small trees guard the front of the basket, and the basket is located atop a stump, which makes putting more challenging. #16 tee is to the left.
Hole #16: 202 feet, par 3
Comments: another short, very tight hole that plays back uphill parallel to the previous hole. This hole is a slight dogleg left, so you will need an accurate right-to-left throw to set up a birdie putt. #17 tee is in the clearing behind the basket.
Hole #17: 282 feet, par 3
Comments: downhill and very open until you get within 50 feet of the basket. The gap in the trees that accesses the basket is straight ahead but fairly tight. Keep your disc flying straight! #18 tee is behind and right of the basket.
Hole #18: 238 feet, par 3
Comments: This course closes with another tight dogleg, this time a slightly uphill dogleg right. It is about 150 feet to the dogleg, but this hole is short enough that if you can get just a little way around the dogleg a birdie putt awaits. The wooden in-ground steps to the right of the basket are a nice touch but kind of unnecessary. The parking lot is across the road to the left.
