Pros:
-An extremely fun little pitch and putt course that was apparently designed by the Boy Scouts of America as a youth course. As a result, all of the holes are right around 100' feet with the exception of a couple of the holes that are closer to 150'.
-There is a small creek running through the course that you cross over twice. You are only forced to throw over the creek once (on hole #6 i believe). But, if you prefer it you can also play the third hole over the creek. I do it this way as it adds about 60 feet to the shot and makes the angle a little bit more challenging and fun. There is a steep little hill directly behind the basket that acts as a great backstop, along with a mature old tree in front of the basket, which make this a fantastic little ace-run. I think it is the best shot/hole on the course (when played from over the creek).
-While there are a lot of trees in the park, the trees don't overwhelm the players on any of the holes. There are a few holes for sure (especially #9) that force the player to take the trees into consideration and shape their shot accordingly.
-Being such a short course it is a great course to go and get aggressive on. For newer disc golfers Santa Anita will be your best place to take some serious ace runs.
-I have played Santa Anita at least 5 or 6 times now, always around 12-3pm (both midweek and on the weekend) and I have never seen another disc golfer out there. I have had the course all to myself every time I've been to Santa Anita. There have been walkers, joggers, and people having picnics, but never once another disc golfer.
-Because I have always had the course to myself I have been able to use the course more as a little practice facility than as an actual golf course. Instead of playing a legitimate round and keeping score I instead bring out all of my putters and approach discs (leaving everything else in the truck) and throw every disc on each hole, trying all the different throws and angles. Doing this has really helped my game and helped better familiarize me with the putters and approach discs in my bag.
-You can come out and play a quick 9 holes in all of about 20 minutes, making this a perfect lunch break course if you work in the area. When I go to Santa Anita I'll usually play 27 holes (3 loops), throwing 5 discs off of every tee, and still get out of there in a little over an hour.
-Being such a short course there is no need to carry your bag around here. I recommend that you just grab a handful of your discs (putters and approach discs) out of your bag, and then go out and enjoy your walk in the park.
-The park and course are in immaculate shape. The park is very well manicured with thick green grass and mature trees growing throughout.
-It pains me to say anything positive about our local government, but the city really does do a good job maintaining this park. Not only is it very well manicured, with a really nice walking path, but it has also been completely free of trash on all the visits I've made to the course/park.
-There are trash cans and benches throughout the park. The trees provide ample shade, so it's a nice place to sit and relax after a round of golf.
-One of the very best courses I have ever seen for young golfers and beginners that are older as well. If you have a youngster that wants to get out of the house, go buy him/her a couple of frisbees and bring him/her out to Santa Anita Park. They will be hooked!
Cons:
-The tee boxes are rather simple. Instead of concrete tee pads Santa Anita uses a wood board set in the grass/dirt to mark the tee box. Behind the board the grass have given way to hard packed dirt. While this may seem like a big negative, it really isn't. Being that most golfers will be throwing just about every shot with their feet set and planted at Santa Anita, the more natural tee boxes work out really well. I was actually using the edges of the wood boards (they come up about 8 inches off the ground) to plant my front foot against.
-Most of the course plays right along the main park pedestrian path. Being that the course is scenic and in such great shape, it does attract some walkers. It by no means is overcrowded, but you will have people out on the pathways walking while you play. So, because the course plays right along the pathway you will have some waits while people are walking by.
-Like others have said: the park has a lot more room which could have been used to lengthen the course. At the very least it could have been used to make a few of the holes quite a bit longer. It's a long and very skinny park, so there isn't a ton of room, but there is definitely enough to have a couple 300-400' holes. You can still use the baskets and play your own course that you make up in your mind. I've done that a lot here, making a couple of the holes quite a bit longer.
Other Thoughts:
-While the course is in Santa Anita Park you actually park your car in the lot directly across the street in Howe Park. Then you take the little cross walk across the two lane road to the first hole. The two parks are all of 15 feet away from each other. Because of this your car is parked super close to the tee on #1 and the basket on #9.
-Santa Anita is exactly what a super short pitch and putt course should be. Even though you are really only throwing little 50% up-shots for most of the holes, you are having a blast doing it.
-The location of the course is awesome. It is centrally located in Sacramento, which makes it super easy and convenient for people living in the city to get to. Its minutes away from Sac State, East Sacramento, Arden Fair Mall, Arden Arcade, Midtown, Downtown, and North Sacramento.