Pros:
- multi course complex
- top notch amenities: quality carts, pro shop, snack bar, locker rooms, ect.
- ample parking
- dual tees concrete tees
- lots of risk/reward
- plenty of chances for scoring separation
- tee signs: numbered, lists distances, lists general fairway angles
- good use of available changes in elevation
- good use of water hazards
- quality baskets, numbered
- disc golf exclusive course
- a lot of distance heavy holes
- course owner is very approachable and friendly
- lots of contrasting scenery
- course/complex event ready
- camping on location
- course starts and ends near the lodge and parking lot
Cons:
- not a lot of shade
- not necessarily intuitive in spots, bring a map
- mostly open layout
- sand erosion
- lots of chances to lose a disc
- no multiple pins
- not beginner friendly
- sandy tees
Other Thoughts:
New World certainly is an interesting disc golf course. There is a ton of risk/reward and bursts of scoring separation chances are guaranteed throughout the course. It starts off open and grassy, then moves into the woods for a couple of shorter technical holes. After hole #3 players will traverse up, down, and across a mostly sand plateau of sorts. Errant shots in this section are subject rollaways, but safe from water OB. Death putts are in abundance, though. This is where the cart starts paying for itself. All that up and down work on soft ground with a full pack, no thanks. Holes #10 - 13 offer a different type of risk/reward as they work counter clockwise through and around a pond. After that, the course layout sends players back to the sand plateau before finishing near the cart return. Water is in play for many of these holes as well.
To be completely honest, I don't see the appeal of throwing on and around a pile of sand with little to no obstacles or real fairway definition. General fairway openness is not a course aspect I typically praise. I interpret the pair of triple mandos as an open acknowledgment of the landscape mediocrity.
Still, I enjoyed the variety the course had to offer. You'll have to carefully pick and execute your shots to throw well on the course. The technical fairways and the looming water hazards demand a player's undivided attention. The water hazards were pretty easy to avoid if you choose your path cautiously. I count myself lucky to have only lost one disc during my round. The pro shop confirmed that a diver skims these waters for lost discs regularly, which is reassuring.
Luckily, the wind wasn't much of a factor during my visit. There are holes at N.W. where slight changes in elevation challenge players, but they're not all that memorable. I can readily list a few courses that I've rated a 3 that showcase this feature better. Heavy rains had eroded portions of the course sand mounds. Footing here was less than ideal. Some basket bases were exposed at the base, a few concrete tees were either buried or showed signs of erosion from underneath. I loss my footing and almost tore out a basket atop a mound trying to catch myself.
Navigation was not as intuitive as I would have hoped either. Good thing I upgraded to a cart. Seriously, get the cart. Life's too short to be walking this course, especially in Florida heat and humidity. Many u-turns were made during my round. I did not receive a course map from the pro shop, but to be fair, an online map is available. I recommend you have one handy. Not having multiple pin placement surprised me, considering the course is so highly rated. This is not a huge con, but it's worth mentioning. I also would have liked to see more variety between long and short tees. Separating a few by so little distance seemed like a real waste. I enjoyed the tees that had more lateral spacing between them like on 2 or 11.
How about that course owner Robbie? What an awesome guy. He found me 3/4s of the way through my round and gave me tour of the remaining holes, unsolicited. While carting around we talked about his plot of land, course design, and future development. To steal a pun, maintaining that section of the course sounds like a real uphill battle. Disc Golf is lucky to have people like him out there promoting the game. Knocks against the course withstanding, these sets of courses (New World + Red, White, and Blue layouts) are in good hands with such an involved owner.
My personal course rating for NewWorld lands somewhere between a 3 and 3.5. When comparing this course to other courses I've thrown, it's sandwiched in between the top of my 3 rated courses and near the bottom of my 3.5s. The course was fun, but the overall design didn't wow me. It's impossible to ignore the quality of course amenities, though. Carts, pro shop, snack bar, locker rooms, multiple courses on the facility, they all added positively to my experience. I bumped my rating up to a 3.5 because of them. Playing the course will take a lot of time, even with a cart. Do yourself a favor and budget enough time to sample the red, white, and blue additions to the complex as well.