Pros:
-An 18-hole course winding around the perimeter of a park that's primarily ballfields. A variety of woods light, medium, and heavy. The course plays up and down a few gently sloped hills, and a creek with ditches draining into it come into play. There are gaps to hit, and roller greens to consider.
-If you haven't played the course in a while, it looks like alternative baskets have been added on about half dozen holes, a few may have been added in 2021 and others prior years? The alternative Baskets are a bright orange and add distance. I wasn't expecting them when I arrived to play.
-The majority of the holes have two concrete tees, and a few shared tees. I played long tees, and alternative baskets when present. Tee signs have hole number, par, distance from both tees and baskets, and map graphics include best line from tee to basket. There are C1 whiskers around short baskets.
-A variety of distances and generous pars. The course offers a variety of woods golf. The F9 is memorable, and stronger portion of the course.
-#6 a short Par 3 offers a unique challenge from tee to basket, a poke and hope.
-Navigation is clockwise and easy to spot next tee from basket played. I didn't need UDisc navigation.
-From the bag on the tee I used a variety of putters, mid's, fairways, and drivers.
-Beginners and Recreational will find the short tees very doable to navigate tight fairways. Intermediate and Advanced if you love woods golf, you'll love the variety coming out of your bag.
Cons:
-The B9 not very memorable, looking back on the round prior to starting the review only able to remember 10-12, and 16 with 10 a transitional hole and the dullest hole on the course a straight down the fairway, mostly open, and only the alternative basket giving the hole a boost. Had no memory of 17-18 closing holes, and that never helps with rating a review. I like playing memorable and strong closing holes.
-The majority of the holes are solid with challenging gaps, fairway play, and basket placements. But only a handful featured as unique, some holes I've "seen them before" reminding me of holes on other courses.
-If you're playing alternative basket on the first hole, to reach second tee, you're going to be walking right back up the first fairway towards tee on a dogleg. The basket you're walking from is hidden from the tee, keep your eyes toward the tee.
-Even from the long tees the pars are too generous. All five of my birdies came from short par 4's. For my round I reduced par by 5 strokes as I evaluated each hole.
-Lost disc potential is going to be high, especially in the foliage months. There is heavy brush off most fairways, ditches that may have water, and blind shots. A tree deflection can send your disc flying out of sight.
-A bit of a walk from 18th basket to parking by 1st and 10th tees. About 3 minutes on a direct line thru ballfields, if a game being played add a little more time. Parking is next to 10th tee, about 2 minutes to 1st tee. I started my round on 10 when I saw a threesome teeing on 1, nobody else on the course on a weekday morning.
Other Thoughts:
Barnet Park was one of those few courses that leaped up and grabbed me Un expectingly and wasn't expecting to favorite the course. I wasn't expecting the six alternative baskets at the time I played and gave the round a big boost, and the F9 was stellar to play, and have no cons for the front. Played a memorable recovery shot on #7. Without the alternative baskets the course would of sit on a 3.0 to a 3.5, with the baskets an extra point, and the fun factor for the entire layout brought the course to a 4.0. My personnel con is the finishing holes 17-18 kind of sort of an "ok" moment.
My overall rating is anchored on the alternative baskets, fun woods golf, and the F9 at a 5.0. The time to play was 65 minutes, and I managed to catch that threesome as they tee #10, and I was coming off #9 my 18th hole.
Notable Tee:
-#9 long tee has a scary gap just 30 feet off tee, no more than 6 foot opening mid-level flight. On the left a few pines all the way to the short tee at 80 feet, an on the right two trees crossing each other like an X in front of you and a few skinnies behind them, and then the fairway opens up. You're on a down slope, and just line up to the short tee and all is well. Very gently glided a Star Leopard 3 and had a longer approach.
Notable Holes:
-No. 4 Par 4 at 423 feet long to alt basket, short basket is 330 feet shared tee. From the tee an upslope hole heavy trees and brush both sides narrow fairway at 15 feet. At about halfway up the fairway doglegs right at 90 degrees. To the alternative basket meanders left uphill crossing a creek with heavy brush around basket within C1, very scenic. To short basket pick two lines with trees in the middle. I played alternative, but thought the short basket seemed more difficult to reach.
-No. 6 Par 3 at 162 feet is a straight away hole with heavy trees all the way there. 15 feet in front of the trees is a gap to pass that's 28 inches wide, past it no line I can find. The basket sits on top of a mound open within C1. I had posted photos of the hole on the thread "post a cool disc golf photo" and one of our members suggested throwing a thumber. What's funny is the threesome ahead of me I could hear three tree hits and laughter. I was wondering "what hole is so funny". I made it thru the gap and deflected to the right.
-No. 7 Par 3 at 295 feet long to alternative basket is a straight away tee to basket fairway with two lines offered. There are heavy trees down the middle with lines left and right of them meeting back at short basket, heavy trees outside of lines. The alternative basket sits elevated on the other side of creek, trees around creek, and a set of stairs to cross creek to reach basket, stairs are within C1. Very scenic hole. I deflected to the right about a hundred feet down into the trees and had a very narrow gap high up in the trees to reach C1. Threw a Star Leopard3 and watched it sail past the trees and wedged into the steps, just one of those shots I may never forget.
Signature Hole:
-No. 1 Par 4 at 408 feet long tee to alternative basket is a meandering to the right fairway past the short basket at 294 feet with a gentle down slope. From the tee about a 100 feet fairway a straight fairway gap of about 15 feet with short basket a target or RHBH and LHFH can go around right with plenty of open space. There's a splattering of trees as you proceed past the gap. At C2 past the short basket is a creek to get over to alternative basket, past the creek heavier trees with canopy. Very scenic hole, the alternative basket is not seen from long tee, I was actually gunning down the middle gap for the short basket not noticing the alternative basket, when I looked up to measure my birdie putt is when I noticed the alternative basket "oh, I still have a way to go". The hole represents the course well open tee, slope, trees, creek, and an alternative basket.
Trouble Hole:
No.12 Par 3 at 288 feet long tee and one basket. Maybe the most elevated down slope hole on the course or could be #16. From the longs a dog leg right at the shorts at 111 feet. The tee has open space, the fairway dips past the tee, and dips again past a very narrow gap about 60 feet past short tee, the gap is about 25 feet wide trees and brush. The fairway drops all the way to an open basket a roller green, within C1 a steeper drop to the creek with heavy brush and trees on the way there. It's blind from the long tee, so if you go for it over the trees, you're risking your disc. I got a good look as I passed by the short tees and decided a putter and putter would do. My approach ran the green and putted for par from the brush.