Pros:
(1.626 Rating) (REVISED - replayed May 2019) A very forgiving course that's great for beginners and local leagues players.
- HOLE LENGTH - For local who can actually find all the tees, this 18 tee to 9 basket course comes in at 5,680 feet. This is surprisingly the longest 18 within a 50 mile radius. (Gator Links in Milton FL, is at 5,800 ft). Nearby courses Ferry, ChainDragon, Anderson, Post'l Point and Morgan all play under the 5,400 foot range. Boggy should be a welcome treat to throwers wanting to throw holes in the 300 to 400 foot range.
- NAVIGATION FRONT 9 - Despite the lack of a course map and lack directional cues, the course is very easy to navigate on first attempt for the first 9. If the course were a clock, hole (1) would be at 6 o'clock and the remaining 8 holes would run clockwise back to tee (1/10). The second loop (10-18) plays the same way but from slightly different angles. For additional reference, I created a map and uploaded it to the links/files tab.
- LAYOUT FLOW - Works really well. There aren't any spots along the layout that will cause much of a back-up, but with one exception. Hole (16) tee is in the path of fire of holes (6) and (15)
- CHAINS - All the DISCatchers still look brand spanking new and have solid chains.
- QUICK PLAY - Playing the marked front 9 holes can easily be done in under 30 minutes.
- MAINTENANCE - Course seems to be well kept and clean despite a lack of garbage cans. Grass had been mowed recently on all 3 of my visits. In addition, there is no overgrowth or rough areas. Errant shots are not punished further. There will be no searching and the odds of losing a disc is really low. These aspects are all great pluses for beginners.
- NIGHT GOLF - If open, this would be an ideal night golf course. Spacious fairways, few trees, no overgrowth and no water hazards in play.
Cons:
By no means is Boggy a destination must play course.
- UNIQUENESS - The holes themselves are lacking the uniqueness that players will see on the average 18 hole course. Most shots need to stay low and straight. There are a few slight tree gaps to hit which should challenge Intermediate players. I like the tee shot on Hole (14), which is a sweeping shot to the left or to the right, as a center play is blocked by a dozen live oaks. The distances don't vary much, 250 to 400 feet. There are no water elements in play (some may consider this a blessing.) There are no dog legs. None of the holes are gimmes and none are exceedingly hard. There are no par 4s or 5s. There are no blind baskets. The longest holes will however challenge Intermediate players and some low-end Advanced players, being at close to 400 feet. To me, the course is a par fest
- ELEVATION - Really none to speak of. I know that this is typically for Florida, but this course is flat for even Florida standards. Less than five feet of elevation change throughout the entire course layout.
- NAVIGATION BACK 9 - No longer marked with consistency. On my May 2019 round, the only way I knew the back tees still existed was due to the large worn ground surface. Word is that they will mark them periodically with flags and then the mowers get them.
- TEES - Horrible. All of the tees are natural and sub-par. The front nine has several tees that are now sand pits. I had to tee from the side on six or seven holes to get footing. The back nine is almost as bad.
- CHARACTER - The course is really just baskets and marked tees and is void of all course character items. No seating, no course map, no community board, no trash cans, no tables, no practice basket, no extra pin placements, etc. There is however 9 tee signs on the front with distances and if you are lucky, the back will be marked with flags.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - From far away, I would have concluded a better than average looking park considering all the huge live oaks seen driving in. However while on the course, I did not find this to be true. You literally play thru a festival grounds. Man-made feature are constantly in view. From fences, to run-down park buildings to RVs to light-poles to utility boxes. Surprisingly little trash.
- FINDING COURSE - It can be tricky finding the parking area nearby the first hole. I have never seen any cues signaling where the course is. Regardless, the course is on the North end of the Park.
Other Thoughts:
Boggy Bayou is likely a very nice course for local leagues. If I lived close-by, (within 5-10 miles) I'm sure I'd play Boggy often. Good for local beginners thru local Intermediates but not challenging enough for Advanced players or above. I could not recommend this course to vacationers unless they've checked out all the other area courses or if they prefer longer courses. I find that nearby courses Ferry, ChainDragon and Anderson Pond to all be more interesting and entertaining plays.