Pros:
Yellow Springs High School sits just off of the main drag ( Yellow Springs Road ) in a fun and lax community . They have had a 9 hole disc golf course here for 7 years . It was listed on the PDGA website , but overlooked in DGR . There are a couple of parking lots at the school , and you may prefer parking near the entrance to the track/football stadium . There are going to be no bathroom facilities for you to use here .
-- THE EQUIPMENT -- Not much here . The tee pads are natural here , but you won't find them . No obvious dirt spots exist , and there are no tee signs . I did find some metal rods sticking out of the ground on a couple of the holes , but I am not sure if those mean anything . You can tee off from the cement on hole 1 ( at the stadium entrance ) if you want . Print a map , or be content to safari here . The baskets are actually good , Predator , with white bases and green tops .
-- THE LANDSCAPE -- This course actually works its way around the school grounds and the school itself . It is almost pancake flat . The only elevation here is a basket perched on a man made hill . There are a row of trees on hole 8 , near the main road , and some scattered trees in front of the school . You will have to throw around and over some cement , a soccer field , and a shot put area . However , the school grounds and the school itself look great and seem well kept up .
-- THE HIGHLIGHTS -- Exiting the parking lot and finding some delicious home made ice cream in town . #4 , depending on where you throw from , has a basket that is on a small hill and has bushes and trees on the sides and behind it . #8 is a tree lined shot slightly descending to the basket .
-- THE TIME -- 30 minutes playing and 30 minutes trying to find a tee . Just Guess . A foursome that has a clue could get through this in less than an hour .
-- DISC RISK -- Very Low . Unless you griplock your drive on the long 681' to the right , and you don't stick it in the front trees , you will leave with your discs intact .
If the grass is not worn anywhere to signify a tee pad , it means that this course gets no play , meaning you have the course all to yourself .
Cons:
#1 Navigation - None , Nada . You can fumble around with the map , and maybe Udisc can tell you where to stand , but this course is one of the worst for this con .
#2 Equipment - Or lack of it . 9 great baskets , then no signage , no tee pads , no Next Tee signs .
#3 Restricted hours - I am sure that you can't play during school hours or when Yellow Springs hosts sporting events . You may want to come in the evenings , summer months , or Sundays if you need a disc golf fix .
#4 Challenge - Not the challenge of making birdies or par , but the challenge of finding a tee . Orange slices and juice boxes to any of the students that can find all 9 .
#5 Quirky First Hole - Hole 1 starts near the front end of the stadium , and throws to a basket sitting behind a shot put pit , Full Of Sand ! I bet the school isn't keen on locals trudging through a well kept track field event .
#6 With the redesign of the course , and playing it almost backward , you now end up in the far reaches of the school grounds . Bring plenty of water for your trek back to your car .
Other Thoughts:
I played the course around 4 years ago , and it was more like a score of 1 1/2 or 2 . They started down around where hole 4 now is and went clockwise around the school grounds and school . I ran into a man walking his dog who said that he keeps up with the course , and told me roughly where to tee from ( I was trying to throw hole #2 ) and how the course now goes almost counter clockwise after hole 2 .
I think that it is a great idea to have a course on school grounds to introduce the students and the public to a new game . Students can even have a friendly team challenge with other schools , giving them chances to walk , stay fit and socialize some , instead of burying their noses in a cell phone
I know it is much easier to not have tee pads and signs because maintenance crews will never have to cut and trim around them , but the lack of both makes this course a scattered and Safari mess .
MY RECOMMENDATION -- Although it is a healthy alternative for the students a get out of the classroom or the locals ( very local , like across the street ) to get out and get a good walk in .this course won't be worth stopping by . Course baggers , that can grab 3 9 hole courses within a total of 3 miles of each other are on their own here . Until improvements are made , PASS THIS COURSE ON BY .