Pros:
River Ranch DGC is set up in the mostly high desert scrub bordering two new housing projects. Being visible from I-25, makes it easy to hop off the freeway for a quick 18. The course starts right near the red siloh, a kids playground and the newly constructed swimming pool. This course has these great solid posts with the hole number on them. There are nice concrete pads and DGA baskets with the numbers on top. The numbers aren't always facing back toward the teepad and some of the baskets are sunk a little too low.
The course starts out with three extremely short holes and I'm thinking this this will be one of those quick easy 20 minute rounds. Then # 4 and # 5 are like more normal recreational course length. # 5 is a neat little hole where you throw over a retention pond, it's probably empty much of the year, to a basket on the other side. It's not far but it's just kind of natural bowl effect and a fun little throw for some of us. # 6 is probably 300' and then you have a long walk to the mostly scrub, open area.
Holes 14, 15 and 16 all play around a rather large pond. # 14 was sitting near the edge and was partially in the water. # 15 basket was 20 feet out in the water while # 16 involved throwing over the pond to a basket just 20 feet past the ponds edge. This was in mid-July. Granted there had been a heavy rainstorm the previous night, but is it always this soggy?
Cons:
This course starts with an 75' easy ACE run and followed by two more 100' holes. Then later has these three Risk/Reward holes that the average SMART recreational player will choose to pass over. That might just be an oxymoron insinuating that the average disc golfers is smart. My point is, Who is this course designed for? The first three holes are pitch and putt all the way. The middle holes are more or less mundane, hot and dusty recreational level and then you have a couple of disc eating Risk/Reward throws.
Other Thoughts:
Maybe the pond water problems aren't always there. I might have just played this course as an inopportune time. I realize the shortness of the first three was made neccessary by the construction of the pool.
And that pool looked awfully inviting after stumbling around through the dry scrubland on this warm day. A couple of those young yuppie mothers were looking fine. I really would have liked a chance to cool off. After all, it's construction did negatively effect my disc golf course.