Pros:
Finding this park was pretty easy . Finding all of the pads wasn't . When you pull into the park ( have your map handy or supposedly go to the office and they will give you one , or you will never find all of the tees ) you will see decent cement tee pads immediately to your right . These will be the tee pads for hole #1 . You might not need the map for the first few holes , but will later . The area was well mowed when I played and it looks like they care about the Cedar Lakes property . The baskets are in good shape , but no tee signs at any hole , so the opportunity to miss holes is there if you can't read your map . Rest rooms are located near the front of the park . No benches or trash receptacles . Cedar Lakes and the course were very clean , so so carry in and out , please . The first hole will warm you up in a hurry, a wide open 488' from the longs and 340' from the shorter tees . Hole 2 is not quite as long , but it fades a little left and into a long wise row of trees to make you prove accuracy . 3 is another open bomber hole that has easily avoidable rough on your right , and a basket sitting in an interesting spot with a small hill and brush guarding it on the left and trees behind it . Navigation skills come into play after this . The next tee pad you see and will be inclined to go to will actually be on your left and #6 . To find #4 you have to go to the other side of a pool or tennis court that sits on the other side opposite 6 . If there are kids sports going on people will park in the fairway , so you may have to tee off from the shorts and throw over a car towards the side of a 1 story building . 5 is close to it , on your right , a short throw with avoidable water on your left . Now you cross the street and go to 6 , a short drive across a road where you have to keep it low because of some trees . Time to examine the map again . Hole 7 is behind the rows of 1 story buildings on your right . Enjoy the elevation for these next 3 holes because it is all this place offers . 7 is an uphill drive with some brush and trees to your right to your immediate left is tee 8 , another uphill but 100' longer at 388' . #9 , a signature hole finalist , is a downhill drive 358' , to a basket placed on a ledge of a lake to the right and a dropoff to the left . Great hole . If you were going to throw from the shorts , there was some growth right in front of the tee that is not supposed to be there . It might affect your drive .After 9 , it's goodbye elevation . 10 short is a narrow throw next to the lake that sits away from where you just putted , on your far left . You might be able to throw over part of the lake from the longs if people aren't fishing or lounging there . #11 tee is a big question mark . It was the only hole where I couldn't find EITHER tee pad . If you look across the street into a group of trees , you will see the 11 basket . I threw from the street and went right to left for the basket .. Nice basket placement , though . 12 , 13 & 14 wrap around the buildings with mainly straight but sometimes obstruction in the fairways or on the side . #15 is my other signature nominee . a long drive with a row of trees and some brush on your left and brush, trees and a creek behind it on your right . The fairway gives you enough room that if you control your drive , and clear the treeline on your left , it opens up to a large area in which to approach/putt to an elevated tee on a mound . Great hole . #16 looks like it was just stuck in there , across the street next to the putt putt and in front of the office on their lawn . You cross the street and realize that you are throwing away from a historic bridge that should sit behind you on your drive , under a canopy of trees , with a fence and road dangerously close on the right side of the tee . #18 turns around and goes right back the other way with this bridge on your left , over 300' for shorts and over 400' for the longs , the a pond on your left just past the bridge . Very picturesque . You get to pass the pond and walk through this covered bridge after you finish #18 , a great finishing touch . A shame that so many people , even when signs are on both ends of the bridge imploring them not to , disfigure the inside of it with graffiti. there looks to be extra baskets in the back of the park where the elevation is , maybe when events are taking up some or all of 10-18 .
Cons:
Okay . several gripes . #1 . No signs , either telling you the layout of your throws with distance and par , or NEXT TEE signs to direct you to your next tee pad . My only guess would be that these tees are flush with the ground and make it easy to cut the grass . I did see 2 people on large mowers cutting while I was playing . If you do not have a map , GOOD LUCK . You will be so confused , especially after 3 , that you might want to give up . There is a good map on DGR , or their office but you will have to use it a bunch . This layout would confound Lewis & Clark . #2 where was the tee pad to 11 ? #3 no real gripe to me , but no benches and no trash cans around the course . Carry in and carry out . #3 . cars can park either on the fairways or possibly on the tees , especially in places like #4 , #10 , #12 . you might have to safari a hole or 2 . #4 . Lots of People use this park . You might have people fishing or wandering on and off the fairways . Please be careful and conscientious when throwing in these areas , especially 4,5,6,9,10,11,12,16,17,& 18 . #5. lots of roads either right next to the tee pad , or throwing across the street could cause a drive to hit a car , #6 some filler holes, maybe fun for families or newbies , but not for discers that play a lot . Maybe some of these holes are for campers and Cedar Lakes wants the casual players and not the seasoned ones ( why the longer tee pads , then ? ) . #7 buildings can come into play and hit from a slightly wayward drive on some of the holes . #8 , some of the flat parts of the park may accumulate water and saturate fairways after a rain .
Other Thoughts:
The park staff is friendly , this area is very popular with the locals , as I saw birthday parties and family gatherings and even some older gentleman displaying his 1924 ford , driving it around and promoting some type of car show or assembly ( NICE CAR ) . This would be more of a course for the locals , but a decent one . I don't know how much property that Cedar Lakes extends to in the back , but the could have let Johnny Sias , the course designer work some of his magic with the elevation and water near #9 . This is definitely not a destination course , but still a fun stop if you are in the Ripley area and have a couple of hours to kill . At least play 15 , 16 , 17 & 18 just so you can walk that cool covered bridge . Not a must play , but a MAYBE PLAY .