Pros:
- Quite possibly the easiest navigation of any 18-hole course I've played. Great course flow, without really sacrificing too much in the way of individual hole design. How often do you see that as the first 'Pro' on here?
- #1-#9 and #10-#18 both loop back to the parking lot, which is always great in a design. They each kind of have a different feel to them.
- Wonderful tee signs.
- Concrete tees (although very slick when wet).
- Great elevation, and used in quite a few places. Only 5 or 6 holes that I would call "flat." Simply fantastic.
- Good variation in distance. Some shorter ones that really give you a run at the basket from the tee.
- Pretty well secluded from other activities.
- Nice use of the mature trees on a few holes for obstacles. While none of this course is really technical, the run of #6-#9 is a nice change of pace, requiring better line-control.
- Course 'builds' towards the end, with more memorable holes.
- #9 plays longer than it's listed, since there is some serious 'line-choosing' going on. The most wooded hole on the course, with the lowest green ceiling.
- #12 is a scenic 350 ft shot over some rolling hills, with huge roll-away potential.
- #14 was probably the most memorable hole for me, framed up nicely by some overhanging trees and a little valley below.
- #15 is wide open, but a fun hole to decide on an approach angle. The putting green drops off dramatically to the right, so you have to be careful. I threw about 6 shots until I got it right.
- #16 is just a great downhill bomb to empty your bag on. You can throw your drivers with ease, or just rip on your mid-ranges and putters. 325 feet plays like 225 with probably a drop of 30 feet in elevation. Would be a great hole for closest to the pin.
- #18 - I'm so glad this monster is here. Great finishing hole, even if it's flat and relatively open. If you want to drive for distance, you'll have to pick a shot shape to give yourself a chance. Great pin placement, guarded by two large mature trees.
Cons:
- First three holes are pretty lackluster. All flat and open, just different lengths. Smartly, these are the first three holes, so you forget how boring it is once you get into the rest of the course.
- No real penance for bad shots on the course, aside from roll-aways or a tree knocking your disc down.
- Course Par is quite generous (65) - it's really a beginner's course par. Probably should be 55 - 57 for the experienced player.
- Sign on #5 is missing. Also not a huge fan of the uphill-slanted tee pad.
- #12 pad not pointed in the correct direction. Almost looks like it used to play to the #11 basket location.
- Tees were very slick the day I played, a couple hours after a rain. Just not as rough as they could be.
- A little erosion here and there, especially in the more wooded holes, as would be expected.
- Some of the baskets aren't in the best of shape, and some are installed oddly. I seem to remember a couple of the first baskets being a bit low to the ground, and #5 basket is no longer plumb.
- Not a lot in the way of amenities. City pool at the entrance to the park, but otherwise not a lot of benches or trash cans.
- No practice basket, which would have been nice.
Other Thoughts:
- This was just a downright carefree and FUN course to play. Not the most technical, and really no epic or jaw-dropping signature holes, but man is the scenery great. Avid discers can have a good time, with beginners not finding it frustrating. A top-end 'intermediate' course, with the chance to reward players with very low scores.
- I could see this course benefiting greatly from alternate pin locations, assuming the player volume is there. There's room to lengthen a few holes to add challenge, or dive into some more wooded areas and get out of the clearings.
- Unfortunately, this course is 30 minutes off of the interstate (I-474 around Peoria), which doesn't make it the easiest to stop by for a round. I will have to plan a detour in my future travels to return.