Pros:
Very convenient to I-75. Very quick play-time. Only really need a putter and maybe a mid-range. Plenty of shade on the wooded holes. Birdie & Ace % is likely to climb for regular players. Multiple pins. Excellent grip on tee pads.
Cons:
Not going to give you much practice for driving. Some very punitive rough in wooded areas. Fence behind #9 pin is OB and has prongs. Be careful to stay in bounds.
Other Thoughts:
Installed in early July 2010, this compact entry-level 9-holer is an efficient use of space between soccer fields and baseball fields. Prior to installation, it was, obviously, a landfill area for all of the other larger projects in the developmental stages of the park. Hence, you will find large chunks of concrete and dirt mounds.
The area was nowhere near ideal for a disc golf course, but with some clean up, has become a fun, beginner-friendly track that should help the newer players concentrate on the most important part of the game; basic short throws and putting. There is literally no need for a driver on this course.
Holes 1-3 are fairly open with minimal trees and bushes to navigate. Some young oak trees were planted on the fairway of #2. At hole 4 you get your first taste of Bra-peps (Brazilian pepper trees), an invasive and very aggressive specie to Florida.
There are several usages of the natural arches that occur with Bra-peps. Fairways 5 & 7 provide multiple "minimalist" windows for a line to the green. Even unsuccessful drives (up-shots, really) should leave the player within putting distance.
The 4'x8' concrete pads have an excellent grippy surface and there are 2 pin positions per fairway.
Due to the compact nature of the course, most longer pins are on roughly the same line as the short.
The course is easy to navigate. "Next tee" signs direct you on the transition from 1 to 2 and from 4 to 5.
The long position of hole #5 sits behind a mound to create a challenging putting situation. A flag is on order for the basket.
#6 is the shortest hole on the course and a flat-out ace-run. The longer pin position was installed in the fall of 2010 after the area grew in a bit. Call it "poor baby-sitting" with some unskilled labor cutting too much on another hole, which encroached on fairway #6.
Hole #8, provides a direct sight-line and a sweeping right turn. This fairway, like a few others requires an accurate throw and the rough is very punitive. Stay on the fairways!! Time will open the areas up a bit.
The only glaring safety issue is the green of #9, which is bordered by a chain-link fence. Rather than remove the fence bordering the fairway, the parks department installed a 30' high net above the fence making nearly impossible to go OB. Fairway #4 also borders a baseball diamond's outfield. Another tall net was installed here. The county also planted other bushes as barrier replacements for those bushes knocked down by tractors loaded with concrete when pouring the tees.
I expect that many players will find this course to be "beneath them", while others will love the course because it will increase their birdie and ace percentage.
If you show up expecting a crusher course, you will be disappointed. But if you find yourself there with an open mind, a putter, and maybe a mid-range, you should find it a fun change of pace.
The Miniac