Pros:
-Location. It's the only course inside the 285 perimeter. Some reviewers might call the neighborhood/other park users a little rough, but I've never had a problem with vehicle or personal safety any hour between 0600 and 2200. It's within walking distance of a MARTA station--I've met a couple folks coming directly from the airport. On all but a few busy summer weekends, there is ample parking in any of four lots.
-Excellent design--to score well from either set of pads, it requires a mix of power and accuracy. The course uses almost all of the available space in the park. The lines are valid, on most holes there's an advantage to finishing in a particular location on the green. There's a good mix of putter, mid, and driver shots, and with the elevation changes and multiple pin placements, none of the holes feel redundant. About half the course is open with mature trees requiring some shot shaping, and the other half is predominantly cut from the woods. Shot selection is largely at the choice of the thrower rather than imposed by the design, so neither lefties nor righties should feel slighted.
-The teepads are glorious, made from a poured rubber mixture that's porous, grippy, durable, and unlike any others I've ever seen. I rarely slip on them, even when playing during or after rain. Some were played on before curing fully and consequently deteriorating; the ones that were unharmed are in fine shape.
-There's a wonderfully antiqued feel to certain parts of the course, as the main creek is contained by a stone and mortar wall, and four similarly constructed fireplaces framing holes 11 and 18. All of the creekbed plays as OB, which can come into play on 8 holes. Several of the teepads were reinforced by masonry walls, and some trails have granite steps laid into the hillsides. Character out the wazoo. There's additional wooden steps, wooden hillside reinforcements, and drainage ditches throughout the park. Those earthworks are tastefully made so that they're not intrusive.
-I love the Gateway Titan baskets--in over 200 rounds I've had only about three unjust spitouts. They're deep and quiet. Nearly all of them are located so that they're visible from both teeboxes. 14 holes have three basket positions; 4 have two. Most are distinctly different from the other pin placements. Most are framed by 4x4 squares to prevent damage from or to mowers.
-The par 4s and 5 (9, 12, 15, 18) are definite multi-shot holes, but with plenty of ways to get in trouble by straying from the fairway. All of them run substantially uphill, so they play much longer than the posted distances.
Cons:
-This course grows super-fast. At certain times of the year, privet, kudzu, and other brushy stuff can make some sightlines and finding discs difficult. The fairways in the woods have some small residual stumps, most cut at ground level but some stragglers remaining.
-In certain light, the baskets can be challenging to spot. Reflective tape or similar would be nice.
-After lots of rain there are some parts of the course that retain lots of water. The paths on 1, 5, down from 10, up to 15, and 17 can be slick and need more erosion control.
-Aside from mowing, all of the course maintenance is done by volunteers and limited contract work. Consequently, it takes time for improvements to be made. "Next tee" signage and a kiosk/large course map are in the works.
-Although the course does not shoot towards any purposely busy areas (as the park includes a playground, tennis courts, baseball fields, basketball courts, and picnic facilities), many dog walkers or local families will walk alongside the creek or cut through the woods. Regular park users have an idea of what disc golf is, and where the course flows, but please be courteous and remember that it's their park as much as it is disc golfers'. Don't throw on them, don't yell at them to move; just be polite and don't throw unless you're certain it's safe for everyone.
Other Thoughts:
Favorite holes: Hole 1 is a gorgeous hole driving off a cliff and over the creek; long enough that it's a challenge to reach while maintaining good control. With the OB creek on the left and trees preventing a strictly hyzer route (BH or FH), you've got to know your disc in order to get close enough to putt.
9: This, the first of three par 4s on the course, is tightly wooded and uphill off the tee. Some play this aggressively by flipping or anhyzering a driver and trying to shorten a second shot, but an early mistake often results in jail. Playing a little more conservatively with a midrange isn't a bad play, but just getting to the top of the hill leaves a substantial upshot. Approaching the green is a little more open, but with branches on the edges of the holes that can knock down an errant approach.
17: I love throwing this beautiful downhill par 3 with several ways to get to the pin. The creek on the right is OB, but avoidable; the early trees to the hyzer route are formidable as well.
18: Nearly everyone has strong feelings, positive or negative, about 18. This par 5 can make or break a round. With OB running the entire left side of the hole, and thick shule to the right, staying in the fairway is key, especially as twin uphill fairways approach the green.
Overall, Perkerson Park mixes great elements of disc golf and scenery in a way that doesn't feel like it's 2 miles from downtown Atlanta, and is absolutely worth the experience.