Pros:
• Course is easy to find
• Nice location with some cool scenery (Helloooo big a$$ fountain!)
• Warm-up areas
• Baskets are in good shape
• A great variety of shot shapes
• Tee pads are in good shape
• Tee/distance makers are in good shape though conspicuously missing a basket indicator and at least one had a basket in a position that wasn't on the map. I'll confess, the lack of basket indicators was quite a shock on such a well reviewed course.
• Map is printed on every hole. Very good idea.
• Multiple basket positions throughout the course
• Benches, restrooms, water, and a playground.
• Dog Friendly
• Restaurants nearby
Cons:
• Quite a few baskets are REALLY close to the water
• Lots o'goose and other animal poop
• People, people and more people all over the course and only a mild interest in not being in your way
• Roads/Cars are in play on a couple holes
Other Thoughts:
Tips:
• Park in the parking lot. There's not an obvious sign to turn down El Lago Blvd from Saguaro Blvd, but no worries if you pass it. Just circle around the park.
• Go when the park is empty
• Be an advanced player before attempting, unless you like buying new discs.
• There's no way I'd advise going in that water. It's naztee.
• The numbering got a little screwy from 15-18. Someone had taped over the original numbers with new numbers. Not sure why, but it's pretty easy to figure out where you are on the course.
Random Thoughts:
Wow, somebody is not ready for this course (Is that my hand in the air? Why yes it is). This course is hard, really hard. I understand why they have tournaments here. I actually wasn't going to play here but we happened to be driving by so ya gotta go, right? I'm glad I went but I probably won't be going back for a while. Half the holes on this course have water in play. That's IN PLAY. Not nearby. Not where it penalizes bad throws. IN PLAY. You must be precise to avoid it on quite a few holes, and I'll qualify that the baskets were in the 'screw you' positions on the day I was there (maybe there was a tournament around that time, I don't know). And if it's not bad enough that the baskets are that close to the water, the areas around the baskets all slope towards...wait for it...that's right...the water! So say hello to possibly rolling into the water even on a good shot. And we haven't gotten to the really fun part yet. What's that? There are more challenges besides the $20 ker-splashes? Yes, it's the freaking 100 other people in the park strolling or lounging about. I gotta be honest. I'm not sure if putting a disc course here was the best idea and I love me some disc courses. I even like this one. But unfortunately, with the tightness of the space and the amount of other 'stuff' happening, we had to adjust and/or skip holes on more than a few occasions. I mean, there was a camera crew that just waltzed out into our fairway to film something for goodness sakes, and yes, they saw us throwing. On another hole, a lady saw us and just kept right on walking her dog right into our fairway. One of the rudest things I've seen in a while, so yes, we threw right at her. Take that! Getting back to the course, the holes that are not near water also present challenges, usually in the form of tree placements. One hole in particular (#11 I think) has the basket pinned between two trees, which we all thought was pretty cool. Truthfully, each of those holes is unique in its use of trees and basket placements. Overall, it's a nicely varied course from one hole to the next and I'd imagine everyone having a different favorite. I personally enjoyed bombing it off the hill on #15, just missing the aforementioned camera crew. That'll learn 'em.
Bottom Line:
While I can appreciate the skill level that this course demands, I still question its location. I'm curious if I just happened to catch it on a busy day, but it was a weekday at 4:00PM. Doesn't quite add up. But with that said, it is well designed, well cared for, and absolutely a must play...if you're an advanced player. If you're less than an advanced player, umm, throw your friend's discs. =P