Pros:
Bring your A-Game on this one, you'll need it.
This course is situated in a very densely wooded hardwood/pine forest. You will hit a tree guaranteed, it's just unavoidable.As such it is a very challenging course, and lanes of flight, while many, are very restricted and require a confident tee-shot in order to make it anywhere near the baskets.
-Holes 1-5 are situated south of the higher parking lot area and is only moderately wooded. This is the length of the course where you'll need to get all the birdies/aces you can, because after this set it is tree city the rest of the course. These holes are not very difficult yet they still require finesse in getting around the towering pine and oak trees.
Holes 6-18 are in the thick stand of pine and hardwood trees, and while the herbaceous layer isn't present in large amounts, there is a very large amount of woody debris as well as a thick litter layer, so relying on a skip to propel a disc another 20-40 feet isn't an option on 80% of the course. The disc will simply hit the ground a die or bury itself. This stretch required very precise tee-shots as while lanes of travel are fairly defined, even a slight deviation of disc flight will find its way into a tree.
-Very pretty setting on the outskirts of the city. When you first start playing you may even catch a glimpse of white-tailed deer foraging within the park or on the course borders. I even spotted a barn owl chilling on a high branch one evening before sunset.
-The course is very well maintained by the Longview Disc Golf Association, and is constantly being improved weekly.
-Hinsley Park is a stark difference in both scenery, style, and difficulty than the much more beginner friendly course at Guthrie Park. An excellent addition of the growing disc golf scene in Longview.
-It may not look like it at first, but Hinsley has some significant elevation deviations throughout the course, in stark contrast to the flat playing field found at Guthrie. Just adds to the appeal and difficulty of the course.
-Aces are possible on almost all the holes, yet the trees will try hard to make sure that doesn't happen. Touch a tree and that nice birdie drive will turn into a double bogie disaster in a heartbeat.
-Water comes into play on a few holes as well, so that initial drive needs to be mindful of the two creeks in the park. In places they are deep enough to hide a disc, but not deep enough to even get your knees wet if you had to go in after it.
Cons:
-One thing that could stand to be improved is the course signage. Navigation is tricky without it if it is the first time playing the course.
-Teeboxes are another area that could stand some improvement. We are experimenting with mulch teeboxes as well as concrete tiled teeboxes in addition to the natural earthen boxes. Concrete tee-boxes would be optimal, but as with most courses it will be a costly endeavor.
-Flooding can be an issue on hole 16's teebox, as it can become a muddy quagmire after a rain event.
Other Thoughts:
- If your disc goes off of the fairways of holes 6, 17, or 18, you may find yourself in a myriad of briar bushes and other thick herbaceous material, as those parts of the course are left wild and are not trimmed whatsoever. This helps in one regard in that this will stop all but the most terrible of drives from going near the heavily trafficked highway adjacent to the course,
- Shoes with some moderate-significant traction are recommended, as the topology and thick leaf litter layer can lead to footing issues, especially after a storm passes through.
All in all this course is an excellent addition to the City of Longview, and is only going to get better as time goes on. A must play for anyone going through town, and will be a fun and challenging course for everyone regardless of skill level. Seasoned veterans and noobs alike will have a great time playing Hinsley Park DGC.