Pros:
I don't feel like Acadiana Park's "Ace Run" course is aptly named - yes, the hole lengths are short, but there aren't the kind of gimme lines here that the phrase "ace run" suggests. The course is mostly thickly wooded, and even the more open holes put you on legitimate lines rather than giving you easy paths to the basket. In general, this course offers a challenge that, though somewhat tempered by the predominantly shorter holes, could nevertheless catch you off guard if you come expecting a walk-in-the-park birdie fest.
The course's shorter hole lengths are counterbalanced by smart lines and challenging windows. Also noteworthy is the presence of legitimate elevation, to an extent which I've rarely seen this far south. Everything from marked uphill shots to sloping fairways is encountered, which really helps spice up AP-AR. Taken together, these characteristics make the course play far more engagingly than its length would suggest: many of the ~200' holes' length seemed just about right, which I wouldn't have expected. You're really made to focus on line shaping in a distance range that isn't often driven to so much variety and nuance. It really goes to show how smart lines, worthwhile pin placements, and great terrain can challenge your game at almost any length. Acadiana Park's Ace Run is easily the best short course I've ever played, and this unique distance/shot-making combination makes it a memorable course for me.
Bathrooms are readily available, parking is plentiful, and the course is easy to find. Navigation is for the most part straightforward. Great access to other quality courses: Duzee, another 18, is on site, and Pa Davis and Heymann are less than 3 miles away. Makes for a great day trip.
Cons:
The shorter hole lengths will likely drag this course down for some. There's no chance to really stretch out a shot in Ace Run (although Duzee offers a few opportunities). I feel like the presence of Duzee plus other longer, nearby courses such as Pa Davis makes it easier for Ace Run to be so particular in what it does, but the course itself doesn't provide a ton of variety in the distance spectrum, which caps its ceiling for me.
This lack of distance is partly exacerbated by the fact that the pro tees seem like an afterthought. They're natural tees to the concrete ams, and not nearly as well marked or signed as the ams - I only spotted about half of them on the course, and I was looking. What I did see suggested that these were added after the original, shorter tees had been designed and installed: they often seemed wedged into the back of the fairway behind the concrete tees, and as such, their windows and lines were as much a byproduct of convenience as of design. There are a few exceptions to this, particularly on the more open holes, but my general sense was that the pro tees aren't well-integrated into the course, which would have helped to add to the variety.
While being concrete is a plus, especially in wet Louisiana, the am tees were too short for my tastes. It's true that you don't need a big run up here, but I still think 2-3 more feet would go a long way towards making these tees more comfortable. Additionally, they were often not level with the ground, making it hard to begin your drive from behind the tee. I had an occasional trip and slip on these, though nothing major.
Blind shots are common, which can grow tiresome. The thick woods and winding fairways often had me walking the entire length of the hole to spot the basket. The rough isn't disastrously thick, or at least wasn't in December (summer may be a different story), so you don't have to worry too much about hunting endlessly for discs, but so many blind shots bumps the luck factor up a bit at times.
Other Thoughts:
In case you can't tell, I really enjoyed this course. It reminded me of a mini version of the wooded monsters I've played up north: pervasive elevation, and some tight windows and challenging lines that force an array of shots. Its shorter hole lengths and tight windows mean it's not for everybody: big arms could want to stretch out more than Ace Run allows, and newbies could get frustrated with the emphasis on line shaping. But for me, Ace Run offered something welcomely unique to southern Louisiana disc golf with its thick woods and varied elevation. The quirky combination of challenge and short distance that added to its memorability was just gravy.
If making a day trip to Lafayette, I'd recommend this course and Pa Davis the most - I played both Acadianas and Pa Davis in less than five hours (by myself), with a lunch break and gratuitous reshots throughout. If you were to play only one Lafayette course, I'd probably recommend Pa Davis for its greater length and more conventional challenges, but if you place a premium on wooded settings and don't mind the shorter length, Acadiana Park's Ace Run is your destination. Don't let the short hole lengths fool you: this course is not a pitch and putt. AP-AR is definitely worth a visit!