Pros:
Walton Community Park is a nice chunk of land that resides a half hour from downtown Cincinnati, just off the junction of Interstates 71 and 75. While this is not the most impressive or challenging 9-hole you will find, it can provide a fun, easy, and quick round of golf if you're a course bagger or passing through the area.
Walton's location is pretty convenient despite being a half hour from Cincinnati. Being just minutes from the junction of two interstates makes this park very accessible. Depending on where you are coming from or going, your quickest route may not even be the interstate; Waze took me along a 2-lane highway from Lincoln Ridge to Walton. There are restaurant and gas station options near the park in case you need anything before or after your round. While this course is a little out of the way when trying to hit multiple courses in a day, there are 5 courses within 10 miles of Walton if you want to fit it in. This course easily plays within a half hour, so it won't take you too much time to complete. It's especially easy to fit in if you are on your way in or out of the Cincinnati area from the south.
Walton's park amenities are surprisingly robust across its 30 acres, and the activity going on throughout the park made for a nice backdrop for my round. In addition to disc golf, this Walton Community Park also has a baseball field, soccer field, two basketball courts, two tennis courts, and a volleyball court. The park also has 4 picnic shelters, 3 of which are reservable for events. The playground in the lower section of the park was also very nice in the event that you come through with kids. Perhaps the coolest part of the park is the large dog park around holes 8 and 9, including 3 different areas for dogs to enjoy. You will also see a .7-mile paved trail around the park too, which comes near a few holes.
The course equipment was pretty nice on course. The signage provides information on pars, pin distance, and a graphic of the hole layout. There's also a course map at hole 1 which is a nice touch. It looks like the signs are recycled street signs, which I think it a really cool repurposing of materials. The course also has concrete tee pads that are in great shape. The are a little shorter than you'll see on many other courses, but given the length of the holes on this course, they do their job well. According to fellow course reviewer InnocentCrook, the baskets at Walton are hand-me-downs from Idlewild. They are well-used baskets, but are bright yellow and have the park name on them, so they add some nice character to this course and park.
As a whole, this course plays short and open. The course really makes the most of the space available, snaking around other park activities and going along slight elevation changes. Hole 3 is the only hole that plays longer than 300 ft, and even that hole is a little downhill. Plenty of players will be able to get away with midranges and putters for most or all of a round here. While none of the holes are going to force you into a particular shot type, there is a small dose of variety around the course. Holes 2 and 9 use tree lines well along the right side of their fairways to challenge those who prefer a RHBH hyzer, with 9 having a defined right turn along the fairway. Holes 5 and 6 also get into the woods by the road, and require hitting some gaps to avoid OB areas and to get a decent birdie look.
In terms of course difficulty, this course is very accessible to new players, who will only have a couple holes that provide risk of an adventure in the event of a bad kick. Intermediate players can find some fun at this course, but will not find much challenge on their first round on this course. Seasoned players will likely hit low or mid 20s for a score on their first go, as long as they have the arm to give themselves putt on some of the longer holes.
Cons:
In terms of safety, there are some small concerns on this course. Holes 4 and 5 play across a good amount of a pathway, with hole 6 going over a bridge. It's easy to just wait for any other park goers to pass, but I could see parts of these fairways being hard to see when leaves are fully in season. Kicks off of trees could also go near a shelter or other areas on 6. Hole 8 also goes along the basketball courts; the tee sign says not to throw over the courts, so please be careful especially if the courts are in use. Hole 1 could also be tricky if there's a baseball game happening - make sure to be mindful of the fence line.
Course difficulty here means that there's a smaller number of players that will find this course to be a good time or re-playable. Plenty of players will likely find themselves outgrowing this course before long. Variety as a whole is also lacking on course; while you have some holes that provide a different vibe from others, most of the holes require very similar shots from players. Backhand and forehand/right or left-handed players will probably play very similarly on this course.
Navigation is good for the most part here, but 2 spots may have you guessing if you don't remember the layout or have UDisc to help you out. After hole 4, follow the path towards the road and hang a left after you cross the creek. Hole 8 to hole 9 is the most likely problem area though; hole 9 is on its own up the hill, so go along the left of the dog park, following that fence to the tee pad.
A couple of the tee signs are currently missing. While this didn't hurt navigation, it's always nice to see a full set of signs on a course.
Other Thoughts:
Overall, this course makes the absolute most out of the land available, with there being just enough space for 9 holes. Despite its shortcomings, this course is a nice compliment to what is a really impressive little park. This park clearly gets a lot of love, and there were dozens of folks around in the dog park, on the different courts, and enjoying the playground. Any town would be lucky to have this park within its city limits.
If you're a newer player in the area, this is a great course to get to know the game on before moving on to some of the bigger courses around Cincinnati. There's just enough variety to help newer plays work on driving distance, controlling their wooded hole accuracy, and putting from different distances or with some elevation in play. For intermediate players, this course is worth at least one play through if you're in the area. If you're passing through I-71 or I-75 and have an extra half hour, this course can certainly be played in that time.
Go check out this small town of 3,500 and their disc golf course if you're around. What it lacks in challenge, it makes up for in atmosphere.