Pros:
My first visit to AJ Jolly Park was on a 60 degree sunny day last fall, as the leaves were changing. I think I saw only one jogger, and a car parked down by the boat dock, suggesting someone was out fishing. I couldn't believe this beautiful lakeside disc golf course wasn't crawling with players, and others partaking of the fields and basketball courts. But it is located well southeast of Cincinnati, and I guess it's a considerable drive out there.
The course has large cement teepads, good baskets, and a reasonable layout. It has been well maintained every time I've been here. Except for the water (which is a huge exception) and three wooded holes, it's unlikely you'll lose any discs in the rough, because there really isn't any.
The signature holes are obviously the 200 foot over-water shot at the lakeside on #2, which can be a real gut-check when it's windy (and it often is here by the lake), the lakeside baskets on 3, 4 & 9, and the hilltop tee & wide open field on the lengthy #16.
There are many opportunities to gun your tee shots here, but only three holes where the natural woods are a factor at all. Two more involve planted but fully mature tree tunnels. The technical challenge here is definitely throwing with precision on waterside shots when the wind kicks up.
Cons:
Some of the fairways (in particular 1, 8, 16 & 18) get marshy (they seem to retain water).
#10 is a short hole that shoots back across the drive and under some low branches. It changes from a definite birdie hole to a challenging hole when the baseball moms' minivans are parked there at the bend (in the fairway) instead of in the lot.
I don't recall seeing benches at all, but the trash buckets don't usually overflow.
If you don't like playing in the wind, be sure to check a detailed hourly weather forecast before you go all the way out here.
Other Thoughts:
The area tournament schedule gets out here a couple of times a year. We played an 'Ice Bowl' here this year with 20 mph winds, and light flurries, where you didn't need to be a newbie to put one in the drink. Personally, I was happy to have a blizzard driver under 140 grams. Twice.
Dec., 2013 update, to be taken as a possible note for the future. Sometimes these plans take longer than expected, or even fall through, but Fred Salaz posted this on the Cincy club forum yesterday: "AJ Jolly is removing the disc golf course from its current location in the next few years. The Master plan calls for a marina, a stage and rv parking to go where #1, 18, 2,3 4 are. They have asked me to redesign the course in another part of the park. They will be building cabins and offices by the ball golf course, which is one area I will be looking at for the new course. They also would like a championship caliber design so that disc golfers will come to play the course then spend the night in one of their cabins. They didn't give me a time table but look for it to be all completed in about 5 years. More info later." That's all for now, but it could mean changes, even if not immediate.
Update February, 2018. All the changes here in the last five years have been negative for disc golfers, and I'm lowering my rating by a full point because of it. The park did add an amphitheater beside the 18th tee, which is cool, but they scalped the top of the hill, dragging the 6th tee to the side and never putting it back. They also yanked the 15th basket & leaned it against a tree for a year. Then they cut those trees, but reinstalled the basket. They cut more than half of the woods out on 11 & 12 (so they could see?), causing the 11th tee shot to pose a hazard for folks teeing on 12. Trees have died that defined the shots on 14 & 17. They paved more road within 12 feet of the 16th basket, and a jogging path to bring pedestrians into the fairways on 9 & 10. The worst move was when they built a kayak ramp/dock on the green of their signature hole 2 (!!!). Finally, they gated off the boat dock parking so now you pretty much have to pay ($5) at the gate to park near the disc golf course that they're not keeping up. If they want to move the course, let's do it!
Update January, 2022: Now they've completely moved the signature hole over the 'bay', and put it as a 200' uphill diagonally back after old 3. Definitely a 'minus' for the course. And they've spent big bucks on another gate to keep you from parking in those four spaces near hole one (when closed).