Pros:
Finally Sedgley Woods is not the only course in downtown Philly!! Definitely excited anytime we get a new course in the South Jersey and Philly area! That being said, this place was really hard to find (see below for helpful directions to 1st tee). It's still a work in progress that honestly could benefit from some additional fine tuning. Starting with the good things:
- So far this place is nowhere near as well known or ridiculously busy as Sedgley Woods always is. If you want to play a quick round in town, go here and skip the half-day-long Sedgley queue.
- Strong variety between open field bomb opportunities (#4 and #9), fairly standard moderate woods holes (#1 and #7), and a super-dense woods challenge (#6).
- Plenty of parking either by the open field or at the apartment complex paralleling hole #9.
- Navigation after the first hole is pretty intuitive.
- Located just a couple mile drive from Sedgley Woods if you want to combine the two courses for a 36 hole day.
Cons:
- HOW TO FIND 1ST TEE: This was a nightmare, I never would have found it if there hadn't been someone else there who told me precisely where to go. First step: drive down Edgley Ave. until you see a basket pretty close to the street on your right (it's for #9). Right after that basket take the short gravel road to the right to a gravel parking area with an old faint yellow house straight ahead of you and a large field to your left. This is where you can park. The first tee is literally on the patio/sidewalk right against the southeast corner of the house (yes, you read that right, it's truly bizarre).
- Annoyingly repetitive doglegs: #2, 3, and 5 are all the same hole, a hard right dogleg around trees lining the edge of the field. You're essentially forced to throw forehands again and again and again here... and that's a third of all the holes here! UGH...
- #1 and #6 need some additional clear cutting. #6 especially will shock you because you've had four straight open holes then "BAM!": solid woods with a 3ft hole through a 100 spindly trees that you have to nail. This is one heck of a stark contrast from #5, and makes it feel almost out of place here.
- The elevated basket on #6. Sorry, but I always find these gimmicky, and it adds even more difficulty to an already difficult hole.
- The baskets are single-chain practice Discatchers. Maybe obvious to say it, but it sucks getting robbed of a birdie by the light chains - I'm talking to you basket #5!
- Most tee signs are already gone, and most tees are dirt swaths with roots that are a little hard to find because they haven't been worn in much yet. Hope concrete tees are coming sometime soon.
Other Thoughts:
- To me, the best hole is probably #8. It requires a long, gentle left turn along the field margin into a mulched area in the trees around the basket. Seems like a great hole layout to reward accuracy. Also this basket feels more 'established' as a hole due to the clearing of undergrowth and mulched landing area. Hope that's a sign of things to come with further course construction here.
- Props to the builders for establishing this course to diversify the downtown Philly disc golf scene! With just a few further installation efforts on tees, signs, and hopefully some hole redesigning, this course is sure to improve with time.