~Interesting & fairly unique layout
~Good Park Style Golf
~Challenging, but not difficult
~Visually Appealing

~Some holes play dangerously close to roads and parking areas
~Natural tee pads
~Awkward navigation with some long stretches from basket to next tee

Threw this course during peak Autumn season, and the park was vibrant with the fall foliage and bustling with non-disc golf activity. Played with a friend who is familiar with the area so navigating the course was not an issue, however if I was to play it blind it would have been fairly difficult to find my way around at a few areas that require long walks and back tracking between holes.

The park is full of impressive structures, and lies within a beautiful setting of a meandering river with small ponds and mature trees. It's a beautiful space and the course layout takes advantage of the natural spaces provided. I love good park style golf and this is a very fun one to play. While there is water involved on many of the holes it's not a difficult obstacles for the intermediate and better level players.

Nice visible Veteran baskets, and each hole has small post sign with distance and help to the the next tee. The biggest amenity drawback is the lack of concrete tees. My friend indicated these have been in the works so hopefully this course gets this deserved upgrade. The natural tees are level and do provide good footing so it didn't detract too much from play.

While the park setting is very fun and inviting, it also creates areas on a handful of holes where you are teeing off too close to park roads and parking areas. Take your time to make sure the areas are clear, but having the need to avoid parked cars and park goers in the back of your head is detracting.

Overall this is one of the more unique park style layouts I've played, and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit. It's a good course, and one I'd not hesitate to play again and again.

Set in a large, multi-use city park in Springfield, Ohio, the Hazy Shade course spans a mile wide track where you will cross over or under bridges at least eight times, walk 1000' from hole 7 to 8, and climb down a century old stone staircase (to the 10th tee), surrounded by massive park trees and some pretty well-kept grounds, usually bordered by creeks / ponds in use by ducks, geese and other wildlife. Though the long tee on hole 4 is missing a sign, the picture here shows you even get to be on stage when you tee off from the amphitheater (the other three 'long' tees throw across the river on 1, 2 & 17).

Though most of the course would not be considered either too technical or too long, there are choices in flight lines on most holes, and by your second time through, you'll have a pretty good grasp of how close each fairway or basket actually IS to the water's edge(s). There's plenty of water in play, so where the region's more usual "woods golf" isn't as strict here (with the exception being the amazingly tight hole 18), you get to face the decision of whether or not to throw your "gamer" disc on THAT line, or you might choose to pull out your less well known 'water discs', ...you know ...just in case.

They installed good, basic, simple signage on 4' posts, and each included a general indication of next tee direction, so make sure you look before you move on (you'll need the hint, or a map, often). The white DD Veteran baskets catch very well, and the course does eventually loop back to within 1000 feet of where you parked over by hole 1. Overall, the course plays as a fair 'par 3' for the Intermediate skill level. Advanced and Open players likely shoot well 'under', but it's not too rough on casuals to Recreational level players. A solid addition to the area, and a clever use of water hazards for a disc golf store sponsorship

The tees are undefined on the natural turf, so most folks throw from 12, 20, 25, ?? feet in front (I call that "tee creep"), and concrete would be a wonderful addition. Even the turf tees they added on 16, 17 long, and 18 are a good improvement. The water did not generate any funky smells, but there were places where the pools had some significant scummy algae growth floating on top, and the ducks and geese, while minimal this day, may have their seasons. I played on a beautiful Saturday morning, so I can't say what kind of place this might be after dark, but I did notice many of the tee signs were broken in half...

As far as traffic is concerned, I didn't come across too many other players, but there were park patrons using the space for dog walking and other activities. I could see some hazard in this in a number of locations, such as the blind R to L fade line on hole 3. And then there was the vehicular traffic. You cross a somewhat busy set of roads a number of times, then back and forth under the busier road overpass from 7 to 8, then back from 15 to 16. You do throw over a 'Y' intersection for hole 9.

Finally, the thousand foot walk between holes 7 & 8 is ...awkward, and the course flows just slightly different from the map. First timers need to be aware of the need to backtrack after hole 1, 400' back after 11, all the way to the green bridge after 16, and into the little woods left of 17 (hole 18 is a 10' wide path running 250' through those woods and out to the approach and green). Could use a dozen or so 'next tee signs here and there, in addition to arrows on the baskets.

I actually enjoyed the Hazy Shade course, and felt it's a quality addition to the Springfield Disc Golf scene. If you're in the area, it might fall in place third behind the more rustic Buck Creek just to the north (and well behind the impressive Caesar Ford Championship course twenty minutes south). Those three would make a really fun weekend of disc golf!

This is the first park-style course in the Springfield area. It's a welcome change-up to their existing woods course, Buck Creek DGC. But don't let that fool you. This course has some teeth.
It plays along Buck Creek and the ponds at Snyder Park, and there is water everywhere. 13 of the 18 holes have some water in play, and there are some low ceilings that can force you to get creative. There are a number of water carries to deal with. Best of all, there are short tees available that eliminate the 4 longest water carries, helping conserve discs for new players.

Baskets are new DD Veterans. There is a practice basket just past hole 2 (near the parking lot).

One of the best disc golf pro shops in the US, Hazy Shade Disc Golf & More, is about two blocks away. If you happen to toss one in the drink (I did), stop by and check them out. They've probably got a replacement.

While the water makes this course more challenging and fun than the typical park course, it also can be a little tiring having almost every hole like that. The ponds around holes 7-11 in particular attract tons of ducks and geese, and are nasty in the summer. You probably won't want to throw any discs you retrieve from there until you can wash them.

Most teepads are natural at this time, which means muddy ruts going forward. There is a plan to put in concrete tees in 2019.

Some of the ground is weirdly soft and spongy. I'm not sure if they have moles or what, but you can see little raised areas that give when you step on them. It can make for awkward putting sometimes.

The walk between holes 7 and 8 is almost a quarter mile.

While it's safe during the day, this park is notorious for crime after dark, so you'll want to make sure you finish up early. There were two brand new baskets damaged/stolen the first night it was in the ground.

The course is still very much a work in progress, but it definitely shows potential. Just make sure you bring some water discs.