Pros:
The NSRA Disc Golf Course is a diamond in the rough. That should only be taken half literally, as I didn't find any diamonds, but plenty of rough. Hole 1 immediately punches you in the gut with a long bomb across a field and into a stand of trees, but then the course settles down for a while with some doable holes for the average golfer (me). There's a lot of variation in distance, right and left turning shots, and creative use of the land it is on. It isn't very "technical" in a forested sense (Lake Stevens, NAD, Pier, etc), but there's plenty of elevation, briars, and wind to make you want to stay on the fairway. I didn't much care for the "art" baskets (what's left of them), but they at least add character to the course. The run down "historical buildings" add even more character. Taking a shot from the loft of the barn on 18 is a must to round out the experience, but you didn't hear that from me. You aren't supposed to enter the buildings, but if you choose to do so that isn't my concern. This has to be the most scenic course I have played thus far, and somehow the sun came out while we were there, which added even more to the beauty.
Cons:
This could be an incredible, highly rated course, but it is not maintained. At all. I played there in the middle of the winter, so I can't speak to the mowing (or lack thereof), but the teepads were atrocious (my favorite word to describe teepads), and the "art" baskets were in terrible condition. Holes 5 and 12 still look like the ones pictured on this site, but the other four homemade ones were absolutely awful. I'd rather throw at a pole that used to have a basket on it (i.e. Twin Rivers) than throw at some of these piles of junk. I'm not being facetious. They're literally piles of junk. The teepads consist of gravel dumped in front of an old fence post or something, and most of them were full of mud and water. Not only that, but they were incredibly uneven, which is just terrible if you expect me to play a 500+ foot hole anywhere close to par. Again, I can't speak to the overgrowth, but if grounds maintenance is neglected like the rest of the course is then I really can't see playing some of these holes even with a spotter (like 13). Finally? The wind was whipping in our faces as we played through the back end of the course. This is kind of a pro for me because I don't get much practice on windy courses, but it's kind of a con for the same reason. The longest hole on the course was right into a fierce headwind with a nasty teepad to boot...
*UPDATE*
Upon hearing that they had held a sanctioned tournament here, I returned to the course. I assumed that they would have the course in tip top shape for such an event. Apparently the PDGA doesn't care if a course has nice teepads and baskets that catch. While I give kudos for a full 18 with real baskets, I saw more chainouts here than any other course I've played. Chainouts usually equate to cheap equipment. And the teepads are still disastrous, dangerous, and downright stupid.
Other Thoughts:
All in all the experience at NSRA was a good one. It's a fun course that will challenge any level of player (not recommended for beginners), and the views are breathtaking. You're going to find yourself using every shot that you usually use, and I threw at least one that I hadn't thrown in a very long time. The makeshift baskets are going to be a con to a lot of people like the ones at Lake Stevens, and they've obviously fallen upon hard times. I appreciate the character that they add to the course, but (just like Lake Stevens) I hate watching my score go up just because a great upshot lands a foot behind the basket. Lack of course maintenance cripples the rating that I can give this place. Bottom line is that this is a good experience, but I can't give it "destination" status if they aren't going to take care of it. If you're passing through, stop in. Bring extra discs you might not mind losing and a spotter (depending on the time of year), but stop in and enjoy a challenging round of disc golf on a course that could become pro caliber with some hard work and a lot of determination...