Pros:
A lovely grove of trees has most of the F9. Another pleasant grove holds holes 10-16. Beautiful view of Owasco Lake, particularly from the green of no. 3 and the tee of no. 4.
Challenging no. 4 is over 400 feet (from the gold tee) and has a double mando with a creek running dead through the fairway the length of said. Could be a signature hole although uphill no. 6 (with the basket on a mound) and wide-open massive no. 17 (489 feet from the gold tee) would give no. 4 a run for its money.
The course doesn't seem to be busy. The first time I played it (F9), I think there were 3-4 others on the course but (happily) not coming along right behind me. Different parties, but all started on no. 10. Second time at the course (B9 played), it was just me and one of the groundskeepers on a large mower.
F9 elevation is subtle but real. Most of the holes are on a wooded slope down to the creek. The play is down and up, over and again. The B9 though is dead flat, but it has tighter woods after opening with mostly-treeless no. 10. You stay in tight woods with fairly short but challenging holes until you punch out of no. 15's teebox to the open field.
Every hole presents some sort of challenge. Generally involving trees (!), parkland-style and more densely-wooded fairways. There are also dogleg fairways, the creek, the densely-reeded pond near nos. 15 and 16, and distance (nos. 4, 6, and 17).
Your disc is a goner in that pond unless you manage to land on an edge of the water...
It's an unassuming-looking course that actually packs a good deal of variety.
Cons:
On your first visit, you will probably wind up in the main park at Emerson. Ultimately, you discover that the disc golf course is across the street behind the agriculture museum. Directions here in DGCR indicate that as well as UDisc.
I only accurately ID'ed the gold tee for each hole. There were some forward potential pads that are more square. Short blue? Even shorter junior tees? Such does not exist at every hole though. Expect to play the concrete pad that is the gold tee and forget the rest.
The biggest problem the course has is the gathering of water after rain and snow. Big puddles of water and mud are everywhere. Makes establishing a stance difficult. You are likely to leave with a higher score as well, as all that casual water forces you to relocate your lie behind the large puddles if you land in them. Most are pretty big. Chances of landing in said? 100%.
Everything is a par 3, and a 500-ft, uphill hole like no. 6 should be par 4 (at the least). Other par-4 candidates could be nos. 4, 10, and 17. Only from the gold tees, I am suggesting.
Other Thoughts:
If you don't live in the area, you want to attach other things to the drive out here. Perhaps visit the Harriet Tubman and the William Seward houses in Auburn. Maybe get lunch or dinner in chic Skaneatales (15-20 minutes away from the course and the same from Auburn).
Or maybe Emerson is part of a far-ranging DG day trip from Syracuse, also including TC3 north of Ithaca and one of the Syracuse courses (Clay West, Clay Central, Van Buren, Oxbow Falls or 9-holers Heritage, Sullivan, or Green Lakes).
It appears that some seasons are better than others to play here. Perhaps a dry, summer day is best to avoid the mud (though others talk about the bugs). It had rained the night or morning I came in July. Plenty mud. Bugs not so bad (had bug cream which went on from the start). Perhaps a dry mid-fall day features a thinner canopy/higher ceiling on the F9, slightly wider fairways on the wooded part of the B9, dry leaves, and less wetness? I don't know; I am just guessing. The locals can say.
Muddy fairways drowning in puddles seems to be par for the course for these upstate NY courses. I found similar in March 2023 at Van Buren, Heritage, Clay West, and Oxbow Falls.