Newark clearly has some enthusiastic disc golfers willing to put in the time and effort to upgrading and enhancing their in-town amenities, including adding holes to the former nine-hole track in Flory Park. And the upgrades do present some interesting challenge for the recreational to intermediate player, with the clear addition of several significant risk-reward opportunities where you really have to decide whether to run for that basket or layup safely. The first four holes all have deep and flowing river water in play, either to your right or in the case of hole three, a toss across. Then you play about seven holes in a park-like setting, rejoining the side of the river and crossing back over on hole 14. You finish on your original side with the longest hole being the 365 footer crossing another waterway diagonally left of the skate park, and a couple of relatively unique wooded holes before finishing in a tightly boxed corner on your loop back to the parking lot.

The course infrastructure includes level concrete tees adequately sized for the holes which range from 165' to 365', with the majority in the very reachable 170 to 270 foot range. The older baskets (including a handy practice basket by hole 1) still seem to catch adequately, and there is new signage throughout. I'd have to list the suspension bridge as a 'plus', even if it does impart a little bit of vertigo as you focus on your footing to see the flowing water through the planking gaps below your swaying feet. It's unique!

My biggest concern here is that they really have tried to squeeze in too much disc golf. Now I believe you can never have 'too much' disc golf, but you can, in one course. This upgrade has three holes (5, 7 & 11) which just don't fit in any way into the flow. On 5 & 7, you basically throw or walk a full fairway away from the loop. On 11, I really have no idea how it's supposed to flow, as it's hidden from newcomers, and there are no 'next tee' signs. Even with the map, I overlooked it. With having to wait for path walkers in two or three locations, and other activities possibly intersecting with the course, my top priority (safety) comes into question. Then there are the 'risks' mentioned earlier. With a shorter course, where the short holes might otherwise encourage beginners, there's almost too great a likelihood of disc loss, when that wasn't necessary: there's the obvious water on six holes, but also basket positions within just a few feet of fences on three or four holes, where even an errant newbie putt could have folks deciding whether to make a dangerous, ill advised climb to retrieve their one disc. And hole 10 is a blind toss into a pocket green left, where they initially left a debris pile, but now have constructed a picket fence on the green to challenge your approach or putt. It just felt a little gimmicky. Fun, but gimmicky.

I referred to this as 'landfill park' because you basically park in a soily, gravelly lot with more dumpsters than the course has baskets, and you walk the first (and several subsequent) fairway(s) over old concrete chunks and broken glass. The first fairway sets an awkward tone with its seeming sacrificial altar and crumbling amphitheater terraces on the left. Throughout the course, you'll encounter old slabs of concrete, (most notably within 5 feet of basket #9). A couple of the old baskets are damaged enough to be landfill candidates, as well.

In all, I wasn't sure I felt comfortable playing solo here in this park, especially where you have to throw across the river and leave your disc out of view for quite a while as you backtrack to cross the suspension bridge. With the flow difficulties added in, the noise of garbage trucks doing their dumpster work where you left your car, plus the occasional baskets intentionally placed right up against fences, it just gave off a strange vibe all around.