Pros:
Multiple pins for every hole
Multiple tees for some holes
Some Par 4's depending on settings
Good tees
Great signage
Easy to navigate
Well maintained
Active club
Beautiful area
Cons:
The course is set in a Ponderosa pine forest which is beautiful but flat and very much the same throughout - no real variation in terrain.
Other Thoughts:
I love Hyzer Pines and have a great time playing there every time I get the chance. It is playable year round, and being on the "dry side" of Oregon, this means you can usually expect some sunshine and overall good conditions. One of the things I like about it is also the only real drawback to this course, and that is the setting in a beautiful Pondersosa Pine forest. Big trees, sagebrush, sandy soil, on every hole. No elevation to be had on the site, and other than a water treatment pond to the side of one hole, no water in play. But that's not a knock on the design, it's just what is there. It's fun golf, especially for those of us used to playing in thick undergrowth forests. This course has big trees and sparse sagebrush, and other than sometimes getting disoriented by the sameness of the ground cover, it is hard to lose track of your disc.
The fairways are fair and challenging, carved between the Pondos. With up to three pin settings on every hole, and some holes having long tees, there is a lot of variety available on this course. Some of the longer settings reach past 700', and there are also plenty of reachable pins from the tee, if you can control your drive. There is nothing tricky or gimmicky about this course - hit your lines and you will be rewarded, miss your lines and you will hit trees. The variation in right, left, short and long is very well incorporated into the design, with perhaps a slight skew towards right turning holes, which some may say favors sidearm or lefties. So be it - haven't we all seen enough righty hyzer holes by now? And those are still here too. With the multiple pin settings on this course there is something for eveyone.
Another fun aspect of this course for those of us coming from sea level is the altitude. It's not exactly alpine golf but your discs will be more stable. So it's fun to grab some of that flippy plastic and carve your lines. The local club The Central Oregon Disc Golf Club (formerly Hyzer Desert Rebels) has done an outstanding job getting this course installed on the grounds of the SOAR community center on school district property and keeping it there and well maintained. This is the only public 18 hole disc golf course in Central Oregon. There is plentiful camping nearby and Sisters, OR is a beautiful part of the state. If you are in the area, this is a must play course. No drinking or smoking on school district grounds and please throw a few bucks in the donation box to keep the improvements coming!