Pros:
1) Metal signs with Hole # on the sign on tall metal stakes allow for easy navigation of the course, just look for the stake from the basket when you putt out.
2) Awesome elevation changes on this course. Every single hole on this course has some sort of elevation that affects your shots. There are some big downhills, a few severe uphills, and some that play along a sideslope. The elevation changes on this course make it way more challenging and way more fun than if it was flat. It would be simply boring without this incredible rolling terrain on this course. It gives you all sorts of things to consider when throwing around these hills and slopes. Many of the baskets are in dangerous spots (not necessarily protected spots, but spots where rollaways can get you. This can be considered a negative because it is as much luck as it is skill how you miss a basket.
3) The variety on this course is outstanding for a small town course. It not only has the elevation changes but it has two ponds that are most definitely in play (and at the very least in your head). Sure there aren't any wooded holes, but there are a handful of trees to consider when making your throws.
4) This property seemed to be well maintained although he turf is currently dormant. The only areas that were not perfect: #1 where they had apparently done some regarding or at the very least some reseeding. The area was a little wet still and because the turf wasn't fully filled in the mud was visible and it was soft and slippery. Just something to keep in mind but I am sure it will be better next spring when the normal warm season turf kicks in and fills out. The other area that wasn't perfect was on the left of #7 down near the baseball field, but you shouldn't throw down there (I unfortunately did).
5) Baskets although homemade do catch pretty well. The chain is heavy and you want to hit the chains to make sure it stays in. Basically it catches more truly than some of the other baskets because you really have to hit the sweetspot of the chains. Miss low and your disc can go shooting out of the concave baskets, as mine did twice. It doesn't have a vertical wall on the basket it has an angle and I actually threw low once and it went in to the bottom of the basket and shot back out the other side. That isn't like other baskets, but it was a horrible putt and I didn't deserve for it to be in, considering I wanted to hit chains and I missed them altogether and just hit the basket.
6) Distance on these holes is outstanding. They are mostly open so they are still considered par 3's, but the distance is really a factor on the uphill holes, where I think the holes play much harder than the downhill holes. The variety in hole distance is from approximately 250-400', but the effective distance of the holes plays closer to 200-500' because of the uphills and downhills. There were multiple 350' downhillers that can play about 275-300. Then there was #7 that was about 400' but played about 500' because of the uphill sidehill. I normally do not like open long holes, but because of the water and the rolling terrain all of these holes can be appreciated.
7) Course layout does a very good job avoiding other uses of the park. The only area where this is an issue would be on #6, 7, and 8 where there seems to be a sidewalk coming from another area in the park. I don't think it is an exercise track so it is probably seldomly used.
8) Serious risk/reward shots on a few holes. You really have to take the elevation changes into account, and on the downhillers playing a big turning hyzer or anhyzer can get you a lot closer to the basket, but it can also put you hundreds of feet away if you haven't accounted for the wind. The water shot on # 1 is the ultimate risk/reward. I went way right to avoid losing a disc, it looked deep, steep walled and cold so I did not want to go anywhere near the water. #4 although more in your head than in play can catch a big hyzer shot that went much further left than desired, and the slope can get you here too.
Cons:
1) Tee-signs are lacking in that they only have Hole # on them, a simple layout or map would be appreciated by the first timer.
2) Tees leave a little to be desired because they are just grass. Most are at least level, but #5 is horribly placed on the uphill throwing over a hill to a basket on a hill. There are too many things wrong in my opinion on that hole. I don't expect this course gets a lot of play but the tees will eventually wear out especially because of the distance on the holes, you really want to use your full run-up to get the most out of your drive.
3) As I mentioned above, the poor areas on the course are around #1 pond where some seeding work had taken place and down by the baseball field on #7.
Layout in general is pretty good, but finding hole #6 from #5 is tough because the tee is located around the pool area, but also because you cannot see any other baskets from #5. Pay attention when on the 1st tee, the 9th basket is behind you, and that will help you narrow down the area of the park you go to play 6-9.
4) As I said above in the positive the baskets catch surprisingly well. However, because they are not PDGA approved targets (I don't think) and are simply homemade baskets, I consider them negatives. I am all for the standardization of the sport and sticking to designing baskets within the specifications of the PDGA is important to me.
5) No garbage baskets, benches, or directional maps to help you find the next hole. All of these things are important to me, although much less important than design and challenge.
Other Thoughts:
All in all I really enjoyed this course. It is one of those courses that some people just won't like. I always like a challenge and can appreciate well designed holes. This course has no throwaway holes and they all have a challenge inherent with them. The shorter holes aren't easy birdies, the downhillers take precision to park the basket for birdie, and the uphillers are long enough to give you a long putt or short approach layup shot. I didn't make a birdie the whole day and had 3 bogeys, 2 of them were 2 putts from about 30' (which I do not normally expect to make) so my score could have been better, but parking any of the baskets for birdie would take some getting used to the course to achieve. The variety on the course is awesome, although no tight wooded holes the water and the elevation changes and baskets tucked on side slopes create enough challenge. What I am saying is this course used the property extremely well. I do however think they could easily add 1 or 2 shorter tightly wooded hole somewhere between 3 and 4. Even if the basket was simply tucked into the woods, it would still create a more diverse course. Hey why not just add two holes here, it isn't like that part of the park is being used by anyone. I do recommend visiting this property if you are in a short distance. I would drive 10-15 miles to play this course on most days but even more so if it was the only course in the area. And when you consider the area between St Louis and Tennessee has only a few courses along I 55. I also highly recommend taking a drive south of the park into the historic part of this small town. Ste. (apparently St. and Ste. Are both correct) Genevieve is a cool historic town. It was established in 1760's and there are some really neat looking buildings. Granted most are setup as shops, but I can appreciate old great architecture too, and not even have to go into the shops.