Pros:
It's hard to rate this nine hole course in Guelph, Ontario, because there are some unique positives and negatives about building a disc golf course in a university Arboretum (nature preserve). Over time (in this case, seven years since install), a typical disc golf course will open up its tight lines as some flora get trimmed to accommodate flight paths, and some trees are lost to storms and other tragedies. Here, the trees are the focus. So they've grown in to make the course slightly harder than initially intended. Though there is really good signage at the long (blue) tees, it's obvious from the worn turf areas that most folks play the shorter (red) tee positions here. Even from the 'short' tees, an Intermediate player will often find himself confronted with a cluster of trees near the basket, forcing a creative upshot and putt to save a three. But hitting a really sweet line off the tee makes a two a possibility. If you're an advanced player staying nearby, you might really get a kick out of the difficulty of the blue tees, which range from 287 to 439', rather than the reds (221-334').
This course is truly beautiful (I'll be adding some new fall pics soon), and lightly played, so if you can come out on a sunny day, it can be a really tranquil and relaxing round. With nice 18 chain, deep baskets, and using the course map here on DGCR, you will have an opportunity to throw a huge variety of shots in a short period of time. Holes 4, 6, 7, 8, and 9 play some different lines depending on which tees you're using, while the others are mostly just a change in distance. There are benches around the arboretum if you need a rest, and a 'WC' near hole six if you need a rest(room). The maintenance out here is really nice for the most part, and they even mow the paths you'll need to follow from hole to hole.
Cons:
Finding the course can be a trick, so do this: come out from town on College Avenue past Gordon street, and go slowly, looking for a small gravel road on your right. Then proceed south about 500 feet and you'll see a large course map on your right, and about a half-dozen grassy parking spots. You'll have to walk back up the drive to the first tee on your right, if you want to play the holes from 1-9.
Unfortunately, the tees are natural turf and are now mostly unmarked (they originally had blue and red 'peg' markers, but I only saw a few blue ones remaining). As stated before, the red tee areas are well-worn, so can be found, but could be slippery when wet. The course flow has a couple of spots where it's not obvious where to go. You walk through the woods a little from 1 to 2, cut through the treeline from 2 to 3, along the gravel path near the road between 4 and 5, then back out to the path, across the bridge, and just past the first solid set of trees (before the WC) from 5 to 6. To find the 7th red tee, and traverse the marshy area, you'll walk back from the 6th basket just a hair, and to the south, rather than forward (west) to the blue tee. 7 red is just between a nice maple and a bush. The rest of the flow makes good sense, and you'll finish fairly near where you parked.
There are some places where you could really lose a disc just off the fairway in the long grasses and marshy areas (it's a nature preserve, remember?), and you may wind up getting into a few of the trees, as well, so keep a keen eye on your disc until it comes to rest.
Other Thoughts:
Don't be fooled by the shorter hole lengths from the red tees. They present plenty of challenge, due to the mid-fairway and greens approach trees, and are clearly difficult enough that the locals play them more regularly than the long tees!