Pros:
Holes that are fun to play. I enjoyed the twists and turns (except when searching for the next tee--see Cons). Seemed balanced to me. A few long anhyzers and some S-curve shots were included, which I appreciate.
A park seemingly made for disc golf. Lots of underutilized park space that was just waiting for fairways. Some prairie grass is used to frame a few fairways (don't let this scare you--it is not overdone, and the grass is not so thick that you can't find your disc). Otherwise the fairways are shaped by woods line and tree-dotted lawn.
Tee signs--the fact that they exist at all is a point in the course's favor. But these are well done and look very professional.
Good use of the elevation.
Cons:
Isn't heavily played. I know this because the two totally wooded holes are still jungles, with only a narrow goat path leading through the brush to the pin. Heavily played courses usually have bare earth fairways in the woods. The local players/club should try some creative methods to get more people interested--press coverage, beginner-friendly tournaments, etc. Here's an idea: at the next Lumberkings game, give away a free flier and a coupon for a discounted disc from a local merchant. (If there is no local disc merchant, that is part of the problem.)
Navigation. In several spots I tried one path to the next tee only to find I had guessed incorrectly. Locals often feel navigation at their home course is intuitive. This is not the case. Even a hole like 11, that finishes in the woods, had 3 distinct paths leading from the pin. The fact that the next tee was only 60 feet away is irrelevant because it was hidden by dense foliage. Even a simple arrow in certain spots would be very helpful. Details are important, especially for out-of-towners like me.
No number plates on baskets. Again, I know it may seem intuitive since the pad is aimed at the basket, but players want and need to see that number when they are on the tee. Which reminds me--there seem to be a lot of blind holes--not dinging the course for that--usually that means it has decent elevation. Just a warning to travelers, is all. My wife had to go forward and spot for me on at least half the holes.
Getting to the first tee was also difficult. It is not as easy as the instructions say. Once you are in that big parking lot with the lodge at the end, you'll need to drive onto a little one-lane roadway that shoots off the parking lot, then winds around for a bit more.
Just my opinion here, but I detest alternate pins on courses, and here's why: I never know what hole I am playing. Especially on a course with so many blind holes. Just give me more tees--that way I get to choose what course I play as opposed to someone's whim.
Tee pads--I love that they are concrete. It is almost always preferable to dirt. That said, there are a couple of places where the pads are very short, only to find others large enough to land a jet on (which is fine). There are also a couple of places where the tee pad is running noticeably uphill and could cause stumbling. A minor quibble perhaps, but again, details are important.
I dislike when designers design themselves into a corner (clearly the case with 17), then improvise a way out, to the detriment of players. The drive is a chip shot, then there is another 100 feet or so into the woods. If the hole is too short, revise the design until it is right. 17 and 18 ideally should have been combined into a memorable finishing par 4 that never entered the woods (unless by bad throw). Was there no other spot in the woods that a better hole could have been placed earlier? 18's fairway would have been better served as the upshot for the par 4, so that placement of the drive from 17's tee would have been critical. As is, there is no real route from 18's tee to the pin (very, very low ceiling or a clunky hyzer route). As a result, 17 and 18 seem kind of forced; a blah finish to an otherwise solid course.
Other Thoughts:
I know, I know, the cons list is three times as long as the pros, but If I am back in the area I will definitely stop again. A solid course that just needs players and a bit more attention to detail so that travelers can have as enjoyable an experience as the locals. Good start to a good course-- keep going!