Pros:
East Metro Park provides a very complete challenge of golf. Any weaknesses in a player's game will be made apparent. The course requires power, shot-shaping, accuracy, strategy, escaping from trouble, and putting on risky greens. The tee signs indicate blue and red for the skill levels, but I believe that gold and white are more accurate.
The signage and tee pads are top notch. The course is separate from the rest of the park, with minimal pedestrian traffic. Much of the walk is picturesque. The holes are mostly separated from each other visually. Many of the holes are uniquely appealing aesthetically (the pictures on this site don't do them justice). Many of the holes provide unique challenges. A few of the holes are candidates for a short list of the best holes in disc golf.
All of the holes provide fair challenges. I particularly enjoyed the short par 3's that have tight, but fair routes. On paper, the par 4's don't look super-long (except hole 8), but with the technical requirements and elevation changes, they are very demanding. The extreme challenge of East Metro is addictive. I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to battle this beast.
Some of the highlights include:
Hole 1 is a gorgeous opening hole. The tee shot is moderately tight and well framed. The fairway doglegs 45 degrees to the right past the initial gap and climbs sharply uphill. This hole requires two powerful, accurate shots to earn a birdie 3.
Hole 3 is a medium length par 3 that requires a drive be thrown within a tight vertical window with a gentle left-to-right turn. The creek is tight on the right side of the basket.
Hole 4 isn't a long par 4 at 564 ft downhill, but it is extremely challenging. There is a choice between a long-straight shot off the tee to a small target that will leave a 225 ft straight shot to the basket or a shorter, hyzer off the tee to a decent landing area that will leave a slightly longer, more technical second shot.
Hole 8 is a long, straight, downhill par 4 with a fairly tight fairway. Missing the fairway on this hole can be brutal. To make a birdie 3 on this hole requires a lot of guts and excellent execution.
Hole 10 is a par 4 that appears as a "should get" 3 on paper, but proves to be more difficult in practice. The tee shot is moderately tight. The difficulty really comes into play on the second shot, with the basket tucked into the opening in the woods with steep drop-offs on three sides.
Hole 11 is a very unique, challenging, short par 3. There are three distinct, tight routes, all of which present their own challenges. The green drops off sharply behind the basket.
Hole 12 is a short 492 ft par 4, but once again, it is no easy 3. To have a legit chance at birdie 3 the drive must be thrown precisely with power. The second shot is uphill and then downhill and bends sharply to the left. Without a very well thrown drive the dogleg proves to be too sharp. A par 4 is fairly easy to make by playing relatively safe, but making a 3 requires an aggressive, risky drive.
Hole 14 Is a nice 170 ft head scratcher. There are several shots that can be played, but they all involve very tight lines. The deuce is there for the taking, but requires commitment and execution.
Hole 15 is another par 4 that appears to be a "should get" 3 on paper, but proves to be very difficult. The tee shot is tight and intimidating and the hole plays very much uphill with a bend to the right halfway down. The hole is straight-forward, all the player has to do is execute.
Hole 17 is an uphill, dogleg par 4 that's listed at 640 ft, but plays more like 800 ft. The gap off the tee is moderately tight. The hole will tempt power players to bomb off the tee to have the chance for 3 that most players won't have, but missing the initial gap can prove to be very costly.
Cons:
The extreme challenge and brutal rough found at East Metro make this a course that is extremely unfriendly to beginners. 90% of players should play the shorter tees here.
The rough is thick and full of cactus, other thorns, and snakes (some of which are poisonous). Players will spend a lot of time looking for discs and will likely lose one or more. The round is an extreme workout between the challenge, hills, and battling the rough. The course does not loop back to the parking lot after 9, even though the property could have accommodated two loops.
The tee pads for holes 13 and 15 are only about 35 ft from each other.
There are a few places which could use "next tee" signs. This is particularly important from hole 15 to 16 and then from 17 to 18. There's a very long walk from 15 to 16. It appears that hole 16 could have been a nice par 4 with a downhill tee shot to a defined landing area.
There isn't a basket near the parking lot for putting warm ups.
The tees could use some sort of frames. Some of them collect wash-outs, which make for slippery pads and some have gotten eroded underneath, which will lead to cracking on the corners.
This course will likely break in over time to become a 4.5 rating, but it will take several years for that to happen.
Other Thoughts:
Don't be a dirty discer; leave the course cleaner than the way you found it.
To read about my review philosophy check out the other info section on my profile.