Pros:
As someone who travels a lot, and plays a lot of new courses, designing a road trip around the Philadelphia area is tough. So many great courses, so little time. I had not played in the state of New Jersey before, so adding a new state, as well as a stellar course was a must. Stafford Woods was just right.
Although I may not be a pro, or even an advanced player, I played the Gold tees. I would recommend that to anyone who knows anything about disc golf, because it is definitely a better round from the Longs than the Shorts.
The course itself was in pristine condition. Rough was well kept, the fairways were clear of debris, and all the paths were marked. In fact, I would've guaranteed one of my discs would have gotten lost, but the grass was short enough to find my disc with ease.
The paver tee pads were in very nice condition, and gripped very well. I was able to air out on drives without fear of slipping, and they were also very professional looking, as the brick was very well placed.
The tee signs were very descriptive, with a very nice map, the distances, and the par. All in full color. The baskets were Chainstars in great condition, and they caught well. Nothing outstanding, but absolutely a fine basket.
The holes themselves were very well designed. Left turns, right turns, both on the same hole. Uphill, and downhill. And even open holes, along with the killer wooded holes.
There were quite a few features that I would like to point out, as I believe the designer did a fantastic job, as well as the people who maintain the course.
-The stone terraced greens, as well as the brick tees, and wood work were extremely well crafted. Top notch work, that looks like it will stay in place for a long time.
- The one hanging basket was well hung, and added unique challenge to that specific hole.
- The two water carries were easy enough that you could cross without massive power, but also had a possibility of a tree kick to splash. Very nice holes.
Navigation was a breeze. There were lots of next tee signs, and if there wasn't, the next tee was self explanatory.
Cons:
As much as I loved playing the course, I have to point out a few things.
The white tees were still a work in progress. The holes that did have two tees were done nicely, and I am sure that two tees will be completed shortly.
Although the course had some very challenging holes for me, I felt that the golds would not provide the challenge to a pro. The course was challenging, and fair, but not overly challenging. This can be both a con and a pro, especially for a park course.
On the flip side, since there is currently only one always permanent tee, at a course with easy access to chuckers, the golds were a bit of a challenge. I saw some people who probably didn't know any better throwing 50 foot hyzers off the gold tee of a par 5.
The walk back to the parking lot was longer than most courses. There was a sign guiding you out, but after an 18 hole round in 90 degree weather, the cooler full of water in your car was screaming for attention.
The parking lot itself was not paved, or gravel. It was like a mulch, dirt, and leaf carpet. Just know that this is the actual parking lot. I was lucky kit was not a rainy day, but I have a feeling it could get bad after a good rain.
There was no significant wow factor. I didn't throw a 500 foot drive off a mountain. Stafford is just really, really, REALLY, solid golf. Nothing fancy, but definitely an easy 4 star course.
Other Thoughts:
I teetered between a 4 and a 4.5, but settled with a strong 4. I absolutely feel that a strong 4 will show that this course is definitely worth a play.
I would like to say how different every course feels. You have your destination course, and the solid courses, and the dinker courses, with lots in between. This is between a destination and solid. It felt a lot like a home course that you could play every day and not get bored, I think that courses like that are very important. I don't think you can play an 11,000 foot course every day. It is not worth it, and it takes a toll on you. Save those for special occasions. Have this for those every day plays, but also add it to your destination trip. That is what I did, And I loved every second of it,