Pros:
Eisenhower State Park on the North shore of Lake Melvern is home to a very nice 18 hole disc golf course. There are some nice views of the lake as you walk the grassy links, but water is rarely in play. Good changes in elevation on a few holes, and lots of room to wind up and uncork some bombs.
There are concrete tees marked with brown posts that indicate the hole number. Each tee is also stenciled with the hole number, par, and distance. The pads are very long, and I was not used to having so much room to run up, often releasing from the middle of the box, with 6 more feet of concrete in front of me. Baskets are Discatchers that were all in pretty decent shape.
There is often tall grass to each side of the fairways, that could hide a disc. Patches of trees can be found here and there, and they can get pretty thick in places, too. I thought the course designers did a nice job using the few trees and elevation changes to create different shaped throws that keep the course interesting and fun.
The shortest hole has the most trees, on the 168' hole 10. It has a very narrow line that favors a RHFH throw. I tried my best, but got cut down half way there and wound up taking a two putt bogey. The longest hole is right after on hole 11, a 578' par 4 that is pretty much flat, straight, and WIDE OPEN. I had a good chance to birdie this one but missed a 30' putt into the wind.
The signature hole, or my favorite one at least, was number 15. It is from the top of a tall hill, over the water in a cove, to a basket 405' away on the other side that is protected in front and to the left by lots of trees. It is perfectly set up for a RHBH hyzer, and I thought I nailed it, but my drive came up about 40' short, safely over the water, but not far enough to get past the trees. Clanged a lucky toss off the bucket for a near birdie, but had to settle for par.
Cons:
There are no tee signs, they would be a nice addition, if just for the few holes that are blind from the tee.
There is a $5 fee to enter the park, and you have to stop and get a dashboard/window sticker upon entry.
Other Thoughts:
I played the course at Eisenhower State Park on New Years Day on my way home from Emporia. I played way better than I did at the Eagle DGC that morning, but was still +7 (62). I had 5 bogies, including a pitiful miss on a 10' putt on 3, and a double bogey on the last hole. No birdies for me on this trip, but there are some holes where the chances aren't bad.
The wind was pushing some shots around, but I found the course to be a bit more forgiving than some of the others I had played that weekend. Still challenging, but not quite as long, usually with very fair lines and a good mix of looks.
I liked the course a lot, and it looked like it would be a fun place to spend some time doing other things, like camping, fishing or playing on the water. The park was extremely clean and well maintained. I would like to go back for another round, and would say it is worth checking out if you are not too far away.