Pros:
Let me preface by defending myself -- I know my rating is lower than average for this course, but a 3.0 is still "Good" and is above average; this is definitely an above average course, but despite playing this course dozens of times, it doesn't capture my imagination the way many other courses do.
The pros have been covered in detail by many other folks, so I'll try to be brief:
* Great views out over the lake
* Sandy soil drains quickly, so this is a good place to play during/after a rain (many other D/FW-area courses get really messy after rain)
* Decent mix of throws required to score well
* Minimal extraneous walking between holes
* Car is always convenient if you need to grab something (you pass your car ~4 times per round)
* Two shots over the lake are among the best holes in the region (except when the lake is high)
* Longest concrete teeboxes I've ever played on -- plenty of room for ever the longest run-ups.
* Minimal trash on the course
* Friendly locals and lots of weekly events
* In a Metroplex with a lot of courses, this is the most convenient decent course for folks who are on the North side anywhere along the I-35 corridor. In traffic it would take an hour+ to get to any other course equally good.
Cons:
This is where I am surprised that other viewers don't have more comments. Some of my observations are not huge drawbacks -- the course works well for the land it has available to it -- but there are many elements that give a course higher ratings in my book that this course is missing.
* Yes, this course has long teepads, but they are wasted here. There are no par fours where you really need the room for a big drive.
* Parking is pretty bad -- parking along road is always exposed to golfers and there is very little parking where your car isn't in danger of getting cranked by a disc
* When the water is high, it can be within a few feet of the basket on #3 (and close to #7), rendering those holes a silly challenge for most players -- no good options when the lake is high
* The shot variety isn't that great here. Yes, there are a couple of water shots and some minor elevation, but it's mostly flat, light tree and dusty/sandy ground. A mix of left and right shots, but few shots that make you plan your placement.
* Only one teebox and one pin placement for most holes, the few holes with alternative pin placements don't change much -- this lowers replay value (for me at least).
* Several of the fairways are right next to other fairways with almost no trees defining the routes, so the overlap keeps you on your toes to keep from getting winged with an errant disc.
* Course is often very crowded -- and with tight fairways and large groups of players, rounds often move much slower than they should.
* Many days, people fishing are on the rocks near baskets #3 and #7; sometimes you have to throw conservative shots to avoid hitting fishermen instead of being able to go for it.
* Some days, the wind off the lake is awful and causes a lot of lost (virtually irretrievable) discs on holes #3 and #7, which can be frustrating.
* Teesigns are out of date.
Other Thoughts:
When I first started playing disc golf (1997), I was in the Dallas area. At the time, Lake Lewisville was second only to Veteran's Park in Arlington as the best course around. And while Veteran's has aged gracefully, I find that Lake Lewisville hasn't maintained the same degree of challenge and variety that Veteran's has. Lake Lewisville has since been supplanted by several other courses as the top places to play in D/FW (The two courses at Lester Lorch in Cedar Hill, Z-Boaz in Fort Worth, Harry Myers in Rockwall, others...)
Don't get me wrong -- I've got great memories of rounds played at Lake Lewisville -- but just as a personal preference, I will never miss this course like I do some of the other courses mentioned. I dream about shots at Veterans and Z-Boaz and Cedar Hill; Lake Lewisville will never keep me up at night.
Lake Lewisville is a very enjoyable place to play; definitely above average. But it's always felt crowded to me -- not only because of the number of people, but because the fairways run against one another and the fact that parked cars are always at risk of flying discs. The crowdedness of the place always grates on me just a little -- it is far harder to enjoy a relaxing day of disc golf as it is at many other places. I play disc golf to escape, and it's hard to escape here -- I still feel like I always have to be hyper aware of everything going on around me. At many other Dallas courses, there is a much greater sense of rest.
I am probably also overly sensitized to the crowdedness because this is the only course in 11+ years of play where I have hit another person on the course. Blind shot on #2 and their was a dad and his son loitering by the basket. Lots of folks fishing or sunning themselves in this area (it is a lake), and not all of them aware about disc golf. When you combine non-disc-golfers with just enough elevation to have several blind shots on the hole, you have a formula for trouble. Fortunately the child I hit was okay (gentle throw with a Roc), but it shook me up a little bit. I know it's inevitable to hit someone (I've been hit 4-5 times), but I'm usually hyper careful and I suspected that if I ever hit anyone, it would be a fellow disc golfer who would be understanding -- not a kid who wasn't even playing.
For the record: Lake Lewisville is certainly worth the time to play -- especially if you are there when the lake is low and the course isn't crowded -- but so many courses have so much more to offer that I hesitate to recommend that people go out of their way to play Lake Lewisville.
If you haven't played along a lake before, it might be worth it for the two lake holes -- those holes are great -- but if you've played lake holes other places, these aren't anything radically different.
If you live in D/FW, go out here early some weekend to see for yourself. If you are visiting the area and only have a couple of days, there are better places to spend your time.