Pros:
+ Almost all of the tee pads are made of solid stone tiles. They are flat, long & wide enough for a wind-up and provide good traction for the player.
+ The fairways are cleanly maintained and easy to tell apart from the rough. I never felt as though I was throwing in the wrong direction.
+ Each tee pad, whether long or short, has its own updated sign for distance, par, and a diagram of what's ahead.
+ Trash cans and benches are regularly found all over the course. I saw no litter anywhere within the playing environment.
+ Some bumps and grooves every now and then make for modest elevation challenges, which are welcomed changes from this mostly flat course.
+ Most of the course plays within dense clusters of trees. This forces the player to focus with their throws.
+ About equal presence of pins to the left, right, and center.
Cons:
- The huge welcome map right next to hole one shows Doc Cramer as a 9-hole course. While it doesn't hurt the disc golf experience at all, I feel as though this should be updated so people have a better idea of the course layout.
- There are no huge sprawling open holes to allow the player to let loose at full power.
- The venue isn't too spectacular. As this is southern New Jersey close to the shore, all anybody can really expect as far as scenery goes is pine trees on mostly flat ground. As a result, almost none of the holes really stood out for me.
- The 'next tee' signs should be upgraded to something stronger than laminated card stock tacked to a tree.
- Between holes 5 and 9, I saw bees the size of my thumb!
Other Thoughts:
Doc Cramer is not the toughest course to play. Nor is it the prettiest to experience. And navigating it might be a hassle for a first-time player. Having said that, I would definitely play here more often if I lived closer because of what it does right.
This course has an assortment of short, medium, and long distance holes. Most are shorter than 350 feet. Among them are very many tunnel shots, to be certain. Most of the course surrounds you with trees, so I would definitely say that this course emphasizes deliberate placement instead of power. That is made a little bit easier by the course being mostly flat. Still, there are a few holes that open up and let you find your own path.
The example that sticks out in my mind is my personal favorite of the course-- hole 11. From the tee pad, the player throws out of the woods. The ground drops off into a wide open sandy valley for +/- 100 feet before rising back up again to a death pin position surrounded by trees.
The course designers seemed to understand that the landscape did not have much to offer as far as elevation was concerned, so they worked with what they had and ended up having a course that tests the player without being overly frustrating or boring.
When it comes to ease of use, Doc Cramer doubles back on itself once or twice. Thankfully, there are brightly colored 'next tee' signs in plainly visible spots. However, when there is a dirt trail intersection, there are no clues as to which way leads to where. This course could really benefit from having numbered 'next tee' signs where they would be useful. Holes 6, 10, 12, and 18 come to mind as I say this.
All in all, I am pleased with Doc Cramer DGC. It fills its footprint nicely. I look forward to playing again, even if the next time is a few months away.