Pros:
+ Simple but effective tee signs with diagrams and distances but no par. Everything is par 3 here.
+ Course fluctuates between wide open and hybrid style.
+ A few modest hills add texture to this otherwise 2-D course.
+ The shorter distances make things accessible to new players and families. Experienced players can try for birdies or aces.
+ Some surprisingly well-protected baskets.
Cons:
- Tee areas are just patches of grass with a horizontal wooden beam acting as the upper edge. Some are supremely difficult to find because of no 'next hole' signs.
- Some tee areas are way too close to the previous pin! The first four holes especially do this.
- Almost all holes are also way too close to sporting fields, walking paths, picnic pavilions and other park amenities. Safety hazards abound- especially holes 3 through 5 throwing kind of close to a road!
- The shorter distances make things rather dull for seasoned players and course explorers.
- The tee signs are missing for holes 5 & 6, and hole 7's is wildly inaccurate.
Other Thoughts:
If I had to choose a favorite hole here, that would be hole 3 because of its low ceiling and tight lines provided by pine trees. For some reason, I like to play through pine trees more than deciduous trees. It probably has something to do with the branches and leaves. As for a least favorite hole, that would have to be 2 because of how overgrown the grass and tree branches are.
As for the course as a whole, the nine holes found at Manalapan (pronounced [muh-NAL-uh-pin] for any readers outside of New Jersey) Rec Center are slightly less than okay. The whole course outlines a pair of soccer fields and a football field. If there is a game happening at any one of those arenas, a good chunk of the already small course will be rendered unplayable because of athletes, spectators, wandering kids, and so forth.
I will say that the baskets are well-placed. Most are guarded by trees, and it took a surprising amount of effort and aiming to reach them. The baskets are old and rusty, though. Some of them are visibly slanted. There is no course maintenance happening here, either. The township may mow the grass once in a while, but they likely don't know to do anything about the unreasonably low branches here. Hole 2 is a nightmarish example of that. The tee area for hole 4 has a leafy bough dangling right in front of the player's face. So, despite the course's simplicity, it isn't so fun to play when basic problems like that creep in- especially for a 9 hole course.
On the other hand, this course would be just fine for training. Short distances are always a good thing when just starting out. Plus, the hybrid-style layouts of the holes won't frustrate new players too much. So, I would sooner recommend this course to the freshmen golfers out there who are eager to learn through the frustration.
Bottom line: Habitual players will find nothing special about this course, and the nearby sport fields severely limit the course's playability, but newbies may learn to love the sport here if they can manage the branches.