Pros:
A rough-edged course with some good holes and some unmemorable designs.
-Layout Note: In the last couple years, Bart was redesigned to rework its original 15 holes into an 18-hole layout. The redesign preserved most of the original holes (according to a local), adding a couple and splitting one longer hole in two. It is by and large the same course as previous reviews describe.
-Most Amenities: Turf/carpet tee pads are plenty grippy. Numbered DISCatchers. Tees have stone placards indicating hole numbers.
-Birdie Opportunities: Bart is a simple man's course. Clocking at par-55 with an average hole length under 300', most holes are quite reasonably 2ed by a White-level (intermediate) player. That said, it's not stupid easy like some birdie race courses, and the birdies earned will feel nice.
-Creek and Woods: Two natural features that give Bart an edge on some Austin courses. The creek makes a fun obstacle that won't claim discs except on hole (1), while the occasional woods provide real fairways and shady spots to sit, mainly on the back 9. Note that many of the holes have become substantially more wooded and shady since the course pictures here were taken in 2011.
-Loop: Plays as a complete loop of 18. There are also a couple points near-ish the parking lot after (3) and (9).
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Generally short holes with high birdie potential but plenty of ways to mess up. Ranging from about 200-300', give or take, you'll want to put most of these within at least long putting distance from the tee. However, with some medium elevation, initial gaps, and thick rough, there are plenty of things for an errant shot to get caught up in. If you get caught up, it might be a reasonable scramble, but it could also be impossible. The back nine are the more compelling, with consistent use of trees to force shot shapes beyond the beginning or end of flight. All-Star holes are the cliff shot (3), a dangerous perched basket on (8), a beautiful fading tunnel shot (11), and the big downhill closer (18).
Cons:
The course is perfectly serviceable as an MA2-level par-3s course. There are several detractors mixed in though.
-Trashy: The creek washes a lot of trash and abandoned belongings from upstream. I'm fact, I lost a white disc out here simply because there were so many pieces of white debris that it was impossible to sort one from the other. This is an eyesore and potentially yucky.
-Rough: When you hit the rough squarely, it's thick. Several holes out here where you could be 20' from the basket with no look. I took one putt while literally laying down under a bush. The good news is there aren't very many thorns or poisonous plants.
-Eyesore Fairways: Some fairways I would describe as unnatural. (4) throws over picnic tables, (6) takes a stab over a retention area, and (14) also plays over a big fenced-in bog. Definitely some places where the location does NOT enhance the beauty of the flight.
-Blind Pins: Holes (1), (3), (6), (9), (11), and (12) all play blind. The tee signs don't have distance or a map, so this can be problematic.
-Should it be 15? I'm not taking a definitive stance on this, but my leaning is that this would be a better course with just 15 holes. Some of the short, awkward holes either used to be or could be combined into nice par-4s for a change of pace. However, as my colleague wellsbranch represents, there are also many players that don't enjoy holes not in multiples of 9, so perhaps the new layout is best.
-Flood-Prone: I'm told the creek easily overflows its banks, which I would believe from the trash situation previously described. My guide said it gets muddy, boggy, and nearly unplayable if it's bad.
Other Thoughts:
I always enjoy adding older courses to my list, so it was nice to finally play Bart and get a feel for the Austin DG legacy. It certainly plays in the older par-3 style, but with a decent mix of technical and open that has been aided in the last few years by continued tree growth. It's a fun birdie grab for mid-level players. That said, the trash, lack of tee signs, and some uncreative holes limit its enduring appeal, so it stays at the Typical level for me.
~Similar Courses: Don Davidson Park (Fayetteville, TN); Crockett Park (Brentwood, TN); University of W Georgia if it was properly cared for (Carrollton, GA).