Pros:
Park Circle is a very cool, unique course. No matter what the locals say, this is still a 9-hole course. And if the locals are going to say this is a 18-hole layout, they really should claim it's a 36-hole course: 9 fairways x 2 tee pads x 2 baskets = 36 unique hole layouts.
- 2016 updated comment: I really like that some of the gimmicky pin positions are gone. No more baskets in shrubs (#5); no more baskets past a shrub line (#1) or surrounded by shrubs (#8). I also like that some of the angles created by the tee pads make for more natural flight paths for discs. And, the tee pads are FINALLY full-length. Only took a decade for that to happen!
The rest of this review is essentially a copy and paste from my 2008 review. After playing this course for a decade, there's not much new to say.
- Course loops around a traffic circle. Holes play on 8 grass islands between roads. #5 & 6 share an island; other holes play on individual islands.
- 18 baskets, on 9 fairways, with 2 sets of tees gives course a multitude of layouts. As of 2009, all tee pads are now concrete, which is a huge improvement over the dirt tees.
- Each tee pad has a sign making it easy for the first timer to distinguish between 1/10, 2/11, etc. Also list the correct distances to each basket. That had been a sore point in the past. Now, it's a plus.
- Course is essentially wide open, so you can let it rip. Avoid the minimal tree and shrub cover and you're fine. No holes longer than 400 feet.
- Good course to practice throwing, so long as you're not throwing drives 400 ft+.
- Holes are close to each other, so you can easily get a quick round in. You could park anywhere around the circle and begin a round there. Why not start on #4, after driving up from Quarterman Park? Why not start on #5 after hitting up one of the food joints down the road?
- For such a flat, open course, it takes a good combination of length and accuracy for birdies. This is an easy course for an entire round of 9, 18 or 36 straight pars.
- Park's main rec building in middle of traffic circle has restrooms, water fountains and soda machines.
Cons:
Holes are all relatively similar due to the lack of elevation. Also, due to the design of the course, if you throw straight and 250-300 feet, you're going to fill your scorecard up with 3s.
- Many of the alternate tees and/or baskets don't give much change in hole layouts from original tee pad. To its credit, the tee pads are now spread out as far as possible on many holes to give the most variance.
- Due to its repetitive nature, some players are not going to like this course and/or master its layout rather quickly. For the dozens of times I've played over the past decade, I've always loved my first loop around, playing the first 9. Each subsequent loop becomes more arduous. If my in-laws lived 5 minutes away instead of 25, I'd play a ton of 9-hole rounds versus feeling like I need to play 18 or more holes.
- Lack of many trees results in lots of sun, not that shade is going to provide much help during the hot & humid summer days.
- My petty complaint: this is a 9-hole layout. There are only nine fairways. In a tourney, you can only have nine groups teeing off at one time. I have talked with others who have played here expecting to play 18 UNIQUE layouts, and feeling slightly let down they only played 9 holes twice. Do we call Crooked Creek in Chapin, SC a 54-hole course because holes have multiple tees and many baskets have three pin positions?
Other Thoughts:
Park Circle is great for what it offers. With the slight improvements to the existing course, it's the best it's ever been. And it's also a quicker play! After all these years, this is still the best 9-hole course I've played. Now, it's a 9-holer with different layouts.
- No water on course, so only way to lose disc is in big, thick bushes/shrubs. Some of the bushes are really deep, so you may be searching for errant throws for a while.
- Biggest obstacle on course is wind. On windy days, you better keep shots low, or they'll sail away. Even 10 foot putts become challenging in windy conditions.
Wind changes directions as you make your way through course.
- To make up for lack of obstacles, some pins are placed right up next to bushes. On #5 for example, you can be 10 feet from the basket, but have to loft the disc over the bushes to reach basket the basket, thus turning a sure birdie into a more likely par.
- Great course to introduce newcomers to game. I've seen many families, beginners and/or one-disc-throwing players here often. If you're in Charleston and you're introduced a newcomer to the game, this is the course you're coming to.
- Park gets decorated for Christmas. Only course I've played that's been lit up by Christmas lights or had to worry about hitting a Santa display.
- Hardly a visit to Charleston goes by without a round at Park Circle. I've always enjoyed this simple layout. It's convenient to anywhere in the area, leading to much of its traffic. It can't compete with Trophy Lakes in terms of quality. Still, it holds a special place in my disc-golf-playing heart and will continue to be the course I most often play when I'm in town.