Pros:
- Forest Park (a misnomer if I've ever seen one) is a small multi-use city park in Brazil, IN. The course does a somewhat decent job of avoiding the busiest areas, but will still conflict with park goers if there is even a moderate amount of people enjoying the other activities. A pool across from the course looks like the most interesting amenity on site other than the dg. The park and course were both well-groomed. A ball golf course sits to one side of the property, an army facility on the opposite side.
- Trees are put to good use. Nothing approaching even moderately wooded, but enough to shape lines around and cause the occasional problem. Open enough for beginners with enough of a challenge to prevent complete boredom from setting in for advanced players.
- Hardly any elevation on site; however, they do put what they've got to decent enough use (#13 & 14 primarily). Hole #13 throws from a park corner over a small ravine onto another raised patch of land on the other side. Trees somewhat protect the green/approach. Hole #14 plays along the road, but downhill through a few mature trees. To the left of the fairway is a sprawling rock field, for lack of better term. It looks a little bit like lava flowed from the earth and cooled jaggedly to form a rock field specifically for chewing up base line plastics. Or something. It's a novel look, at the very least.
- Decent enough mix of hole lengths, but nothing's going to get too long or difficult. More holes on the shorter side, but still a few that make you air it out at least a little bit. I'd say 4-5 holes are 300'+, which is just about the right amount for this sort of course.
- Decent amenities. Short but serviceable concrete tees, and good enough signs to not get lost or confused at any point (except maybe between #'s 12 & 13).
Cons:
- Kinda a janky flow from #12 to #13. Follow the road past the pavilion to the corner of the property. Throw back the way you just walked, then BACK again to the corner (this time take the bridge) to #14. I see why they did it (to keep the elevation while preventing people from throwing towards the intersection), but it's still a bit wonky. #14- 15 is a bit of a weird walk too, but easier to figure out.
- Not much challenge. A lot of flat, mostly openish, ace run, deuce-or-die, pitch n putt style golf. It's a course, and there's not much WRONG with it per se, just not a lot RIGHT, either.
- Apparently the area between #'s 10 & 18 floods often. It had barely a puddle or two when I went through but you could tell it holds water fairly often.
Other Thoughts:
- I had a nice enough round here. Great beginner course for people just getting their feet wet. Not a world beater, not even close, but if for some reason you find yourself in Brazil, IN and jonsing for some dg...well, Forest Park is ready and waiting. Just don't expect to be stunned or anything.