Pros:
For the piece of land it was given, Rice Park is able to keep things interesting with only a few trees and minimal elevation. Major hats off to the designers for keeping the course fun even without utilizing the land to its fullest.
9 concrete tees that are plenty big for the amount of power required. The one hole I'd worry about is 7, but that tee is flush with the ground so you can take that big run up if you really need it, James Conrad.
Trees are in play on almost every hole. The right side on 3, 5, and 6; the left side on 2 and 7, right in front of the pin on 1, it's all done to keep all types of throwers honest throughout the course.
Hole 4 is my personal favorite, a gap has been cut through the treeline that forces a right-to-left flex line, kept low through the gap, and far enough to get across the small creek. It's very good for a short hole.
The elevation on 7 and 9 is noticeable compared to the rest of the park. 7 is a big downhill with the basket just set into a pocket in the treeline. 9 is uphill, but also wide open.
Cons:
More could have been made out of this course. 3's pin could have been pushed back into the woods, 6's pin could have been further up the hill into the trees, 8 could have been a dogleg back across the creek and led to a better spot for the tee on 9. Not sure if that land was supposed to be used for other park activities, but it's been 20 years since the course was installed and nothing's there so...
Hole 9 is wide open with nothing in the way of obstacles, just a 12ft rise in elevation. A disappointing way to end the round.
The baskets are getting quite rusty. For being 20 years old it's understandable, and the good news is the catching power is still very much there, but the rust will eventually be the end of these baskets.
The sameness of most of the distances. 8 of the 9 holes are between 240' and 320'. The only exception is hole 7, which is a massive downhill. And they're all very flat.
While I didn't have any trouble in my winter round, the rough in between the two areas of the park looks like it gets very rough in the summer.
Other Thoughts:
What your maps app won't tell you is to take a right off of Norwood onto SE 5th St and follow that back to the community center's parking lot on the left.
While the different shot shapes required are a positive, the same speed can reach just about any hole. The space is there to add a little more spice to the course, which is the main thing severely lacking.
I enjoyed this course thoroughly, so don't let my overall negative tone scare you off from playing a round here. I would encourage anyone to give the course a try, but if you don't have time it's not like you missed out on something incredible