Pros:
This State Park course near Chillicothe, Ohio has some of the most scenic hills and woods in the region, and they are preserved so well that we're lucky to have a spectacular disc golf course to enjoy in them. The drawback is there will never be concrete tees on these paths, but ... the shots! Here, you get to play a long bomb downhill along a path that was carved out of the woods by Wooly Mammoths nearly 10,000 years ago. And it's not just a simple 500 footer: it finishes hard to the right on a sloping 'green'.
With holes ranging from 186 to 589 feet, wooded, open, left, right, up and downhill, you'll get a good workout that will challenge the Intermediate to Advanced player to match tourney par (54). A fair round by a recreational player would be to match course par (63). Natural tees are mandated here to start each hole, but the DISCatcher baskets are all in good shape to catch your shots (even though most are the old single set of chains variety). In the woods, the fairways and lines to the basket are very tough, but they can be hit with a great deal of control. It's tough because so many of the holes (2,3,9,10,15,16 &17) play slightly uphill, and feel longer than they really are. The undergrowth is not (usually) forbidding (but does contain a lot of prickly thorns, at least this time of year(fall)).
Starting by the main parking area (bathroom & shelter) with an anny shot (rhbh) across a park-like opening, then looping the front nine to the east up into the woods, down the mammoth trail / ravine on 6 (7 & 8), you'll actually be near your car after the steep uphill hole 9 (watch out for the really tough pin position on 7: it's a ridge-top there, with roll-aways in ALL directions!). If you need a refresher before tackling the western back nine, it's fairly handy. After the pretty hyzer shot on 10, holes 11 & 12 play relatively tight, and might require a little more spotting from the weeds off the fairway. After you ace run hole 13, you might want to leave one party member on the driveway while you tee off on the lengthy, right-bending hole 14, as well (probably the toughest hole on the course, competing with 6-8 for 'memorable). The last four holes are all deuce-able, and lead back to the dropping ace run on 18, and the corner of the parking lot.
Cons:
Personally, I enjoy slightly shorter holes when contending with woods, but some folks might consider the majority of these (especially 13 & 15-18) too short on average. You will want to avoid some of the creeks and slopes, as some get very steep. And I'd love to see some acceptable form of tee upgrades. The dirt, roots, and slopes from the tee areas can be tricky when wet. I understand the paths are to stay pristine and natural, so concrete is out, but boxed, compacted gravel tees might add more sure footing. If that's verboten, maybe a more frequent mulch refresher would be possible. In fact, one of the main things keeping this from being a higher rated course is that the infrastructure and amenities are limited by state park rules to being, shall we say, 'rustic'. Finally, wear your sturdiest shoes: the paths used are mostly roots & rock all over the place, and softer soles led me to really sore feet by the end of two tourney rounds here.
Other Thoughts:
I've been here two consecutive Autumns, and highly recommend a trip out here when the leaves are in full color. If you can control your tee shots and avoid trouble, this course is worth a visit. Pair it up with OU-Chillicothe, or head toward any of the Bainbridge/Hillsboro courses and make a day of it!