Pros:
I know this question equals Pro Choice vs. Pro Life or Trump vs. Biden and everyone has an opinion. My opinion has always been that I would rate a great nine hole course 4.0-5.0 but the simple fact remains that I just don't find nines that have all the attributes that I want a 4.0 to 5.0 course to have. I've currently rated 1457 courses. Of those, I have awarded 8 5.0's, 22 4.5's and 83 4's. So 113/1457 means I give out a 4.0 or higher rating about one in every 13 courses I rate. And I'm awarding little nine hole Lion's Hillside Park in Bismarck, South Dakota a 4.0 rating. I will explain.
Lion's Park is a wonderful piece of land on which to build a course. It's perfectly hilly with just enough mature trees. Next, this course provides a nice challenge for MOST players. The amenities, baskets, tee pads and signage is more than adequate. The course is easy to navigate and the park is beautiful. There are two pads for each hole which helps keep up the interest and it's a ton of fun.
The course starts right at the park's one parking lot and loops back. The baskets are older Mach III's with a large number on top. The tee pads are nicely long and concrete. The pads have the hole imbedded in the corner. The signs are simple and easy to read. Navigation is intuitive. Most of the holes are either really pretty or nicely challenging or both. # 2 is lovely with basket sitting down in a small depression. # 3 is tough playing at 633' slightly uphill from the alternative tee. # 9 is a fine finishing hole at 375' slightly downhill to a basket near the parking lot.
I do have one concern and I probably wouldn't 't even call this a con. Because this course gets so much love, erosion is everywhere, especially around the baskets and lots of other high usage areas. If this course was in one of our more liberal cities such as Minneapolis, Seattle, Portland or San Francisco, they (???) would shut it down, for like two years in order for the grass to regenerate. One idea that might help with the erosion issue would be to spread some wood chips around each basket. It would certainly look better than mud.
Cons:
There are a couple of signs missing.
Only nine holes.
Older baskets.
Some players would want more options such as different basket placements.
The alternate tee pads could be more radical than they are to increase distance and challenge.
Other Thoughts:
I loved playing this course at 8 am on a lovely early September morning. I'm thrilled it give it a 4.0 rating. It's a fun throw in a beautiful park. I definitely wasn't planning on finding a course like this in Bismarck, ND. A very pleasant surprise, indeed. Lion's Hillside DGC needs a few more ratings in order to be listed amongst the top courses in North Dakota or among the top nines anywhere.