Pros:
- Great location in suburban park close to many residential areas. Ample parking is available.
- Dual tees for each hole allow for a full found of 18 shooting on 9 baskets. Alternate tees vary in difficulty when compared to original tees, and all alternates provide additional variety to each hole.
- Course layout available on large sign next to first tee. Distances and tee boxes marked very clearly on each hole.
- Good use of wooded areas to increase difficult. Overall good variation, providing chance for long drives while also requiring a few technical shots into protected baskets.
- Course, and park in general, are fairly well maintained. Multiple shelters and trash cans are available on site.
Cons:
- Tee pads are rubber and several have weathered to the point of missing large pieces.
- While signage is better than a lot of courses I've played, dual tees make the course somewhat difficult to navigate the first time around. Not every basket is marked with a number, which adds to the confusion.
- The park is pretty active, and the course plays right through the middle of the property, so you'll have to share the space with runners, bikers, and other park patrons. In particular, Hole 9/18 was shut down this summer for an outdoor theater stage.
- The park shuts down for disc golf once a month as a miniature train provides rides to kids.
- Lots of leaves, even in the middle of summer, could result in discs burying themselves in the fairway.
- No real elevation changes. This course might be a little monotonous for a more experienced player.
Other Thoughts:
This is one of three courses within a short drive of my in-laws home in suburban Detroit, and I started here based on reviews I read on this site. The course is located on a small city park in a residential area of Royal Oak. Locals will know this as the "train park," as a miniature train setup runs throughout the park and operates the first full weekend of each month, giving rides to kids. While this shuts down disc golf for that day, I can't begrudge children of that awesome opportunity.
Overall I was very pleased with the course. I am by no means a great player, but I wasn't at all bored with the layout. I think it's a perfect fit for both beginners and the slightly more experienced. While pro level players will probably find it a bit short and straightforward, I was very impressed with how they managed to used the landscape they had available to them to make a challenging course. Lots of holes are wooded, while some allow for bombing drives. I'm also impressed with the length they managed to get on the course despite an otherwise limited amount of real estate.
Located in the heart of the residential area, it's an incredibly convenient place to play, and I can definitely recommend the course to anyone in the area looking for a casual game.