Pros:
Wonderful 28 hole course that plays through the open and wooded sections of a fairly quiet town park.
- Disc golf nirvana - on most days, you show up and all you have to contend with is your discs, the course and your own thoughts - rarely used for anything but golf
- Ample room for parking right near a practice basket and hole #1
- Large kiosk with course map, flyers/info, L&F box and scorecards
- Great variety of settings - Holes 1-9 are mainly in the grassy, open section of the park, but there are some wooded tunnels and well-used trees for obstacles, protection, etc. - holes 10-21 (plus connector hole 12b) are back in a wooded section that is much more technical and provides a challenge mix of length and finesse, all surrounded by huge moss-covered boulders - holes 22-27 are back in the grassy park, but have a few in wooded groves, tunnels and nooks
- Layout variety - play the 27 hole loop or either of the two 18 hole loops (J-west has mostly the open holes and J-east has mostly the wooded holes) - hole 12b acts as a connector for J-west to bring you back to the open area before getting beat up by the woods
- Hole variety:
- the grassy area gives you some chances for open bombs (#4 is a big hyzer bomb, #8 is a long anny, #9 is a straight driving range with a tight tunnel at the end, #26 makes you work around a small patch of trees out in the main landing area) and guarded ace runs (#3 isn't long but has a nice set of trees guarding the pin, #7 is in range, but long grass in front and low-hanging trees make it tough, #22 is fairly open but the pin is tucked in a fairly tight cutout in the treeline)
- the wooded section really forces you to shape your shots through the tight fairways (#10 you need a perfect RHBH anny to get close, #11 needs a smooth flex shot to avoid the trees, boulders and swamp, #13 has a tight window across a valley, #14 needs a precise right-to-left downhill to avoid the swamp, #18 is a tight tunnel with a big, congested, uphill approach awaiting if you make it through, #19 needs a high RHFH to stay pin-high or risk putting from the bottom of a 10-15 foot rock wall)
- Tee signs are new and excellent with details and lengths from the main course designer, who is a certified land surveyor - unique "hole names" add to the charm and personaility of this course
- Tees are new 2'x2' pavers (were not yet installed for many of the previous reviews) that provide a nice solid, even runup and base - they generally allow you equal-elevation room to the side and behind if you have a bigger runup - surrounded by wooden boards and supported by gravel/fine/sand base that has been locked in with water to minimize movement
- Water and/or swamp comes into play as potential OB on maybe 4 holes, but the course itself (trees and natural design) create plenty of places for bad shots to be punished
- Very challenging, which makes a good shot or good round extremely rewarding
- Already mentioned the wooded holes, but the moss-covered boulders create for some visually stunning looks - pin #4 is perched up atop a tiered rock outcrop, like a memorial to the DG gods, pin #11 is perched on a ledge above the swamp, hole #16 is probably my favorite looking hole with the pin peering out from between 2 of the big boulders, hole #20 lets you look from atop the rocks down into a tree-smattered valley with the pin in a litte alcove at the end
- Sign after hole #11 is very clear about where to go to continue with the 27 hole loop or where to go to hit hole #12b and get back to the main park for an 18 hole loop
- The grassy section is regularly mowed by the town parks department
- Wooden planks/boards allow for good footing through the sometimes muddy portions of the woods holes
- Benches/seats at all holes (I think)
- No trash, as the locals take pride in carry-in/carry-out, or just plain carry-out whatever you come across
Cons:
Not much, but a few things worth mentioning:
- I'm partial to Innova baskets with the highly visible band - many baskets, including here, that are set in wooded areas are hard to see
- if you have the course map with you, you should be fine, but navigation from one hole to the next isn't 100% clear in a few spots - many holes have "next tee signs", but a few don't - while there isn't really anywhere else to go, there's no real clear indication that you need to cross the road to get from 9 to 10
- While the open holes are fun, a couple of them really don't punish you for bad shots (admittedly, I'm biased towards wooded courses/holes) - holes #8 and 9 come to mind where you could be 100' left of your target and still have clean, easy approach to the basket
- On the few occasions where DG isn't the only thing going on, the most frequent visitors are from dirt bikes/ATVs that can be loud/distracting and can get in your way on holes, 1, 4, 5 and 6
- Comes with the territory, but some parts of the wooded area can get muddy, but luckily it's mostly on the walk between holes and not in fairways/greens - the planeks/boards mentioned above help combat this
- To me (and maybe I just haven't yet found a consistent option), hole #17 is kind of a crapshoot - your drive heads right for the wall of trees and you just hope you miss them (or most of them)
Other Thoughts:
- Pavillion at hole #1 for tourney central, weather protection, etc.
- Check yourself for ticks when you get home
- Only 1 official tee position, but some locals have installed/played unofficial short tees (marked by hard-to-find bricks in the ground) that may become more used/official later
This course really is top-notch. I've only been playing for a couple years and have played a relatively small # of course (20 at this time), but I've made sure I play top-rated ones and J-Park stands up to them all. I'm proud to have assisted in the installation of the new tees at this amazing course.