Pros:
Introductory course uses obstacles well on mostly approachable holes.
+ good pitch & putt course for introducing kids to the sport
+ very approachable holes are mainly short & wooded or open & long
+ water obstacles, perimeter OB and fenced fairway hazard offer risk vs. reward options
+ drains well after rains with only standing water in spots
Cons:
School activities restrict access.
- not playable during school hours or when fences are locked
- tees made of paver stones are loose
- only a few holes really warrant use of a driver
- fenced fairway on hole 5 overlapping athletic fields may be inaccessible at times
Other Thoughts:
INFO
This course on the campus of De Zavala Middle School loops around a small, L-shaped wetlands pond. Beginning holes are short, wooded shots while the rest are longer, open throws across grassy, athletic fields with one exception: hole 5 which incorporates a fenced football field and surrounding track as a lengthy fairway hazard to be cleared. Tee boxes are a mix of paver stones (on holes near the pond), existing concrete areas for track and field events and a rubber mat.
EVAL
This campus course offers youth a good introduction to disc golf with mostly approachable holes that nicely nestle around a small pond in a designated wetlands area on school grounds. The layout warms up with short, wooded holes before lengthening out with more open throws and interesting obstacles like a fenced in hazard area on an athletic field which doubles as the fairway on hole 5. A hanging basket provides a bit of whimsy on hole 6. A sneaky fairway narrowly lines the campus perimeter near the pond on hole 9. My favorite hole is the longest one on the course, hole 8, with its mature tree at the bend of the fairway that acts as a challenging obstacle to curve around and land beyond on the green by the pond.
While this course was primarily designed for play by youth, it also provides a fun, short round for families in the community and even works well as a tricky pitch & putt for experienced disc golfers. My only quibble with the layout is hole 5's fairway that overlaps the football and athletic fields. It presents a daunting hazard, and I believe that hole would work just as well if played alongside the outside of the fence as a safer alternative. I applaud the instructors at the school who are using this course plus additional holes set up for tournament play to get youth excited about disc golf. I wish them well in their efforts and are thankful that they've made this little gem available for the community to play outside of school hours.
NOTE
The course is closed during school hours. Additional temporary holes are added for special events and tournaments. Course designer Will Long, an instructor at the school, credits fellow instructor James Payne, the Educational Disc Golf Experience (EDGE), Jay & Des Reading, and Irving ISD for making this course possible.
LAYOUT
The first four holes are short throws beneath scattered trees by the pond which creates risky OB near the baskets on three of the greens. Around the corner of the school, hole 5 tees off within the fenced football and track field, demanding a long throw to safely clear the chain link fence bordered fairway. Short hole six lies along the school's high fenced perimeter near a large drainage ditch and plays toward a treed green with a hanging basket. Across the small field, hole seven throws out from a track and field cage towards a basket beneath a leaning tree. Lengthy hole eight curves around a large tree closer to the pond, and final hole nine throws down a narrow fairway bordered by the pond to the left and OB fence to the right to return towards the start of the course.