Pros:
Course specific
-Very well kept
-Tough for beginners and fun for better players
-Adds more holes to an already fantastic complex
-A great blend of open and technical shots
Complex
-Amazing pro shop
-3.5 courses for one low price
-courses available for all skill sets
Cons:
- Many of the holes simply watered down versions of the Eagle's holes.
- Said watering down lessens the quality of the Eagle in some cases (hole 12 for instance).
- New holes made for the Falcon are not very exciting or unique.
Other Thoughts:
In a valiant bid to add yet another course to the Sabattus Disc Golf complex, the masterminds behind the Eagle, Hawk, and Owl courses have given birth to the Falcon, an amalgamation of new holes and fresh approaches to the Eagle. The intent was to create a course tougher than the Hawk and easier than the Eagle. In my opinion, the addition was about 75% successful and 25% detrimental to the complex. Most of the holes on the falcon use the same fairways as a hole on the Eagle, albeit with an alternate tee pad or different colored (yellow) basket. While it was nice to play some of my favorite holes from a different perspective, many of them were simply watered down versions of great holes, making the overall feeling one of disappointment. I was also disappointed to find that some holes on the Eagle were altered to make the falcon possible, most notably hole 8, the horseshoe around the pond hole. Before the falcon was installed, players on the teepad of hole 8 had a tough choice to make; do I take the long and somewhat safe route around the pond for an easy par, or do I set up to shoot through a narrow alternate path and cross the pond for a potential 3 or 4? Classic risk/reward. To make a new hole for the falcon, the designers made a new teepad right on the safe route fairway and made a mando that forces players on the Eagle to take the risky shot across the pond, and the falcon players to use the original fairway (shortened for them, of course). I did not appreciate this awesome hole being cannibalized to make two new, less awesome holes and feel it was a bad call. Of the new holes that were made for the falcon, most were in the field section of the complex and were less than exciting. Don't get me wrong, there is plenty to like about the falcon layout, even if I didn't find it ideal. This is still a well maintained, decently planned out course that fulfills it's role as an intermediate course to the Hawk and Eagle. Many of the fresh looks at the holes were quite fun and definitely added something to the complex. Beginners will be challenged and pros will still have fun, but calling the falcon a new course just seems forced. It would have have been much healthier for the complex if the designers had simply made alternate tees or baskets for the Eagle instead of watering it down, adding a few mediocre holes, and calling it something different. Sabattus Disc Golf is still one of the best complexes (if not THE best) in Maine, but that is in spite of the addition of the Falcon, not because of it. Try it out if the Eagle is too much for you and the Hawk is too easy, but if you can handle the Eagle, you're probably better off just playing that.