Pros:
-The park and campground has to be one of the biggest attractions in the entire state of Georgia. There's a biking trail, a swimming beach, golf course, campground, twenty cottages, and the lake is accessible for swimming. The disc golf course here is pretty well designed with some solid elevation changes, and a good mix between the woods and the open field. The walkthrough is quite nice too! The $5 day pass fee is more than generous!
-The staff was friendly at the check in. There's also a vending machine outside the hut where you check in.
-Onto the disc golf course, it's a pretty good one! It said in the description that it was mostly flat, but many holes have elevation changes past the ten foot mark and a few are past the twenty foot mark. There are some nicely downhill shots (#1, #7, #10) and some nice uphill shots with a couple of them being steep (#12, #15). #15 had the most elevation change being just over 25' up in elevation. Come to think of it, possibly right at 30'.
-The downhill holes were very pleasant holes. #1 actually has three pin positions. It was in the open when I played and was an appealing start. It was gorgeous and gave an instant indication that you are on a back side region beside a lake. Almost seems coastal, but is in the Chattahoochee Oconee Forest. The hole is over 300' and was in the straight pin when I played. One of the pin positions is to the right side in the woods. #7 was my favorite hole here. Gentle sweeping left down an open path with some trees in play. Basket is behind a tree. #10 is a more classic open downhill bomb in the open.
-Many holes have different pin positions, not all of them do, but the majority of them do. Even a few of the shorter holes in the woods (16A-16I). #16C has a 170' position and a 210' position.
-It's forgiving. Main obstacle would be the wind. None of the holes are that difficult. I didn't bogey any of them. Holes 16A-16I are all short and wooded, while the other eighteen are more open and aren't much longer. There were two par fours when I played. Holes fifteen and sixteen. Both are under 450'. #16 is very reachable for pros. #15 is tougher being uphill through some trees, still isn't difficult of a par if you are cautious of the woods on both sides.
-Nice teesigns and teepads. Navigation is made simple too. No long walks.
-Fairways are different and will have you throwing different shots. I threw a flex forehand on #2 and was 15'. I enjoyed throwing that shot. #17 is a unique uphill turnover ace run. You won't see anything "far out" or extreme with the fairways, but they do require a good amount of control, even on the holes that are open.
Cons:
-A couple of holes that were fillers. A few others that I wasn't too fond of because of their lack of distinctiveness. The main two I didn't really enjoy were #11 and #18. #11 is open, straight, and maybe 270' long. Pretty meaningless and could be better with it's used space. #18 is boring too and too close to the parking area. Flat, open, and bland. On #18's green, you'll see the woods with some appealing elevation changes. Those holes you will see down that hill are the short holes after #16.
-I thought the nine holes in the woods got repetitive and too similar, and the elevation isn't used to it's full potential. Some of it is used and other parts are not. I mean yes, there is an upside to this. It's a nice accuracy check point after being comfortable in the more open area. Honestly though, I think this course has star potential and isn't quite there. I wish there were some longer holes and more holes with more of a "wow factor." There are some holes here that I enjoyed but I think if this course were to hypothetically be redesigned by a competitive and passionate player, they would capitalize more on the space available and do something a little more interesting. I like Lake Russell, but it's not one the best courses I've played in Georgia based on my personal opinion.
-To all lake swimmers and canoers. Just wear a lifejacket or something. And don't go far underwater. The average depth of Lake Russell is 38 feet deep and hits a max of 167'. If you have adolescent kids, don't let them do anything foolish. I will get personal here even though this is a disc golf review. As a teenager, I've done some foolish things at my friend's birthday parties in NC. I would, along with a few others, see how far I can go underwater in a lake. I never thought about what could be at the bottom of the lake but a kid in my hometown passed away because he did the same thing that me and my friends did. From what I heard, he got his foot stuck in some dead branches and didn't make it up to the surface on time. Lakes are fun to swim in and all, but deep water can be a real concern. Please, wear a lifejacket if you go for a swim.
Other Thoughts:
-Lake Russell feels like a slice of Heaven when you take everything into account. You can lodge here, play golf, do some water activities, etc. The prices are more than reasonable.
-It's a nice course with it's unique atmosphere on a grassy backland. The stroll through the woods is nice too. You'll have a least a couple of opportunities to rip a driver and some opportunities to make an ace. It's a pleasant course overall that I recommend. It's isn't as great as some of the courses I have played judging from what I think, but as far as its rating on this site, it is one of the most enjoyable courses in Georgia. I can see why a lot of people love this course.