Pros:
- What a fun round! While not a demanding course, this layout lets you open up your drives, while still requiring a few shot shapes.
- Fantastic use of open, unused space in this large park.
- The course uses large trees to shape shots, and actually a very nice inclusion of the elevation available on 4, 5, 8, 11, 15, 17, and 18.
- There are some lightly used roads, paths, and common areas throughout the beginning and end of the course, but essentially a non-issue.
- Very quick play - I finished a solo round in right at an hour, which included some extra drives on a few holes.
- Great, rough concrete pads. They certainly could tear up some shoes if you're a toe-dragger like me, but I bet they're great in the rain or in the winter. A+
- Signs are simple, just with the #, distance, par, and an arrow. Really all that's required, as most pins are visible, or else it's very obvious where they are.
- #4 is a good demanding shot up and over a pretty tall hill. The basket has been well positioned behind, and in line with, a row of mature trees. This requires you to choose from the tee pad whether you will play to the right or left of the trees, even if you don't have the distance to get up even with them.
- #7 is an interesting swooping left-to-right shot that makes you pick your line. Pretty short, essentially you're driving for birdie, and otherwise being punished with a par. Cool shot though.
- #11 is an S-shaped par 4, winding between some areas of tall rough, and then under a tree or two to get down to the pin. Demanding 2nd shot under the trees to get down there if you come up short of the trees.
- #14 is probably the hardest hole on the course, really the only one requiring pinpoint accuracy off of the tee pad. Driving through a grove of tall, skinny trees 100 feet out, there are many options for lines....but they're all only 5-8 ft wide. Wonderful hole, and a nice change of pace from the previous 6.
- #15 drives over a deep grassy drainage basin, which is certainly a cool design. There isn't a lot of difficulty here - in fact it may be the easiest on the course. However, if you short the drive or get a bad roll-away back down the hill, it will play more like 300 ft instead of 250 ft.
Cons:
- Unfortunately there are some repetitive shots on the course. In particular, you can use the exact same shot shape for both #6 and #7. Worse than that though, I used the exact same L-R BH anhyzer drive for 15, 16, 17, and 18. The only difference being the length of the holes. And even that is a little deceiving, because even the 400 ft #18 is severely downhill, so it plays more like a 300 ft hole as well. Nice holes, just a little open, and not at all demanding.
- Speaking of open, in general this is a very open course that lets you just rip it, without a lot of penalty.
- The Innova Discatchers caught fine, but they are older, and have very deep baskets. Not quite what I'm used to. Don't know how I've never played on anything like that before - the chain area seemed smaller than usual.
Other Thoughts:
- As I mentioned above, the difficulty just isn't supreme on the course. I think it makes it a perfect intermediate course though, and is exactly what courses in parks like this should have. Also, related, it's nice to see 'fair' and 'proper' par values assigned to a community park course. None of that "400 ft holes are par 5's" business. Being a Greg Nettles design (Lake Eureka, Northwood), this is not at all surprising. Kudos.
- For as fun and quick as this course is, I will definitely be stopping by again. Is it a "destination course?" Probably not....but is it a "play it on your way to or from a destination course?" Absolutely.