Pros:
Bob Mays Park is home to a wide open 18 hole disc golf course that plays as a par 54. Located on the north side of Quincy, this is one of two 18 holes in Quincy, being close enough to each other to make for a full day of golf.
Bob Mays is a decent sized park that includes a pavilion, playground, water fountain access, exercise station area, soccer goals, and walking trails that go beyond the park. Except for some lines of brush/woods, the majority of this park is wide open fields, which is what the disc golf course resides on. The parking lot for the park is located off of 18th street, with the playground and pavilion being right next to the lot. From there, the start of the course can be found by taking the pathway around the playground and to the other side of the tree line.
This course is 5-6 years old as of the original writing of this review, and the course equipment is still in great shape. The Mach 3 baskets are all in great condition and aren't showing any signs of wear. The signs have that classic fiberglass design, and with this course layout, the basic design that comes with these signs is all that you need. I'm not sure when the concrete pads were added, but it seems like they were added after the course opened. The tee pads are a good length and seem to have plenty of grip to them. In addition, course maps and scorecards are available near the park pavilion, under a sign that points toward the start of the course. The course is pretty straight forward, as there are only 1 or 2 spots where someone may walk to the wrong tee pad.
The course layout consists of holes that vary from around 200 to 400 feet long, with some elevation adding or subtracting actual distance. The first 3 holes hug the right side of a tree line, and are perfect warm up holes for the course, being 271, 368, and 420 feet long respectively.
While a lot of this course is open and allows for multiple drive options, there are some fun specific lines on this course. Hole 12 is a right ending, and while it's not a sharp dogleg around the tree line, it greatly benefits those with a good RHBH anhyzer or RHFH drive. There are also a few holes that benefit left side ending drives, especially hole 15, which includes a sharp turn to the left around a tree line. The signature hole of the course is probably hole 9, which requires a shot around or between 2 tall trees about 50 feet in front of the tee.
This course is great for new and amateur players, as it's a great place to work on distance off the tee. Folks that have trouble hitting 300 or 400 feet will be able to work on their driving off the tee without much concern for ending up in a rough spot, with 3, 17, and 18 probably being the longest drives on the course when elevation is considered. Folks can also work on getting further off the tee while discing down on this course too, whether that be on the longer holes or some of the shorter 200 to 250 foot holes. You skill level will impact what discs you throw more on this course, where more advanced players will be going for their putters and midranges more so than their drivers.
Cons:
The main con to this course is that it's very open. Apparently, the park has planted additional trees since the course was first installed, but most of the holes are still wide open. As a result, the course doesn't really force a particular shot type on a player except for a couple of holes, reducing the challenge level of the course. Given how open the course is already, there's probably only so much that designers could do with the land available, and the course just about maximizes the land it is on without intruding on other park amenities, particularly the walking paths that get substantial use. If the course utilized the lines of trees around the course more by going through them for more holes than hole 6, the course could probably be improved. This would probably require cutting down some trees or clearing brush, and I'm not sure how open to that the city would be, or if the local disc golf scene could take care of that work. As the course design stands now, the open field holes and lack of challenging aspects other than distance make for a round that feels bland.
Other Thoughts:
Overall, this course is a great course for newer players to learn the game and work on their drives and putts. Anyone who has a decent drive will likely find this course to be less re-playable than many others. This course shows the difference that having obstacles to throw around can make. While there are holes that have obstacles such as trees or brush to avoid (holes 9 and 14 come to mind), the amount of of holes that are truly wide open brings down the amount of fun this course provides. Moorman Park down the road is also pretty short, but at least has some doglegs and wooded shots that mix things up a bit.
If you're new to the game, this course will be a great option to learn your form on. More seasoned players will find this course to be an opportunity to have low-score challenges. It'll be interesting to see if more trees get planted in this park, or if any adjustments to the design of the course are made over time. In the meantime, bring sunscreen and a hat for summertime rounds.