Pros:
1. Variety. I usually don't expect too much from a short course in a small city park, and while the hole lengths are VERY short, there's enough left/right balance to keep things interesting and force you to work on some different shot types. Some holes offer various lines, the open ones in the 250' range let you crank on a midrange, and the shortest ones will really test what would be your approach shots on a "regular" course. A few gentle mounds add some elevation.
2. Maintenance. Other than a box of dirty clothes stashed under a pine tree, I didn't notice much litter out here, surprising for being in such a busy neighborhood in a popular park. The landscaping is gorgeous, with a little gazebo in the center of the park and (when I was there) fresh woodchips around all the little gardens. Nice diversity in the foliage.
3. Design. I'm not sure if the original or the redesign or both were Duster's handiwork, but in any case you can tell this wasn't just plopped down by an inexperienced designer or a clueless parks department. There are some tight little hyzer routes on the shortest holes, but again the lines to hit are evident, and creative lines are always a potential.
4. Signage. Good basic signage of the old-school variety, which helps to know which basket you're throwing to since sometimes more than one is visible off the tee (of course, the safari options out here are just begging to be exploited -- see Other Thoughts below). Accurate distances.
5. Not busy. Obviously with courses like Token, Elver, and Hiestand nearby and other 18-hole options within a half-hour drive, this beginner course doesn't experience heavy traffic. Unfortunately for me, the weekend I was visiting Madison was the weekend of the MCO (which I was not playing in, but for which they closed EVERY ONE of the courses to the public, something they used to only close 2 of the 3 and leave one for the recreational/traveling players), so the overflow was apparent. Even so, if you happen across this course on a busy day, things still move quickly with the short distances.
6. Beginner course. This is by far probably the best course for introducing new people to the sport. While I played out here repeatedly over the weekend, I noticed people playing that you normally wouldn't see on a course like Token, et al...a lesbian couple in their 50s walking their dogs around the park a few times while they played a quick game, families, just people you wouldn't expect to have even a fleeting interest in the game. The location of this course in a bustling neighborhood is prime land for getting new people into the game, and it's definitely doing its job in that regard. Good job, Madison!
7. Safari options. This isn't a permanent feature of the course, and it seems like most of the locals don't get very imaginative either since my buddy and I were the only ones making up holes, but it seems to me that part of the intention of this course's redesign was its potential for safari golf; I don't know that to be true, but it really looks that way with the pin locations and routes available to them from non-tee areas of the park.
Cons:
1. Dirt tees. I guess they're listed as grass, but have since been eroded to dirt. Probably only a matter of time before they resemble the pads at Baird Creek in Green Bay. Some rubber mats are really all that would be needed out here to alleviate this and prevent the erosion from becoming an eyesore in the near future.
2. Short, not too challenging. No real tunnel shots, no big elevation changes, no hazards. This is to be expected in such a little park, not knocking off any points for unchangeable natural features.
3. Some tees are close to previous baskets, and hearing "Fore!" will be common on the busier days out here, especially since beginners seem to love flashy high-speed drivers! Hopefully nothing will ever be traveling at Doss-like speeds out here, though.
Other Thoughts:
As noted above, this is what it is...a nice little park that's had disc golf incorporated quite nicely into it. It's definitely not an unimaginative, boring little city course like I would expect.
I noticed most reviewers are either traveling players who wanted to add another course to their list by playing this quickly and moving on to the bigger Madison Area courses or locals who prefer (obviously) the 3 superb courses in town. I'm reviewing this as someone who didn't have an opportunity to play those courses due to the MCO, so instead I played here all weekend with my buddy, who lives across the street. If I had this across the street from my house, I'd be out here ALL THE TIME. There are some really awesome safari holes just begging to be discovered, and I came up with probably 8 or 9 new holes, whereas my friend already had 10 or so of his own, so you can play 18-plus holes out here without repeating any of them. Bring a portable basket, and the options are endless! Not only that, but if you want to make things interesting you can create plenty of artificial OB with the walking trail and woodchips. I realize that potential to make up your own holes exists on pretty much any course with permanent baskets and thus isn't unique to this course, but then again at most other courses you just play your round and leave, whereas here you could bring the kids to play on the playground, have a picnic or cookout, and make up holes all day. And it's possible to create some BIG holes out here with tight lines to hit, especially using #1's basket, which appears to be the lowest point in the park, so from pretty much anywhere else you're playing downhill to this basket.
Night golfing out here is also a blast! This quickly became one of my favorite "less than 18 holes" courses in the span of 24 hours, playing it repeatedly, and I can't wait to go back and bring my portable basket! Hopefully, though, I'll also be able to play the other courses.