Pros:
Close (for me)
Not free to enter park (not busy)
Has all the normal left, right, long, short, bendy, uphill, downhill shots covered.
Cons:
Poison ivy everywhere
Nearly no maintenance
Other Thoughts:
It has been almost 1 full year since a new review of this course has posted, the last review was from roughly the 1st time I went here. In the past year I have played this course over 30 times. It is close to my house, very unpopulated & despite the lengthy list of CONS... I tend to find myself here most weekends. Past reviews detail the course layout, fairway lengths and challenges to approach the basket.
I will simply add a quick review of each hole as I have experienced it.
Since the 1st game I played here I have transitioned from RHBH to LHBH, I have gone from a single over stable distance driver to a mix of slower more accurate midrange & fairway drivers.
This course is tough not by design but by the lack of maintaince & over abundance of poison ivy limiting the risk you may have taken on certain shots. With all the obstacles and flight path's on this course I believe, once mastered will teach you every shot needed to play on most courses in the twin cities (except throwing over water).
Though the park mowed and sprayed for poison ivy in the last weekend, it is the 1st time that I have experienced a clean course. IMO that alone made the course a night and day difference that I could learn to enjoy.
My observations apply to Left Hand Back Hand throws (close to Right Hand Forehand Flick throws) and are simply to say what each hole has taught me about how to play it.
1. I learned to throw under stable drives uphill but low. Too high on this drive and the fade will take me into the poison ivy rough off the tight right fairway. This hole set the light bulb off for me to use slower discs (stratus, buzzz) and focus on accuracy over distance. Clean landing path is at a premium and the basket is protected by pine trees and surrounded by a flat sugar sand field.
2. Downhill drives need to follow an s-curve from right to left in order to land near the unprotected basket without touching the bordering tree line. For me it is tough, but I learned to throw under stable discs with the coveted hyzer flip. This allows me to throw right; the disc turns left to avoid the trees and finishes to the right in the center of the fairway. This is the only hole I have birdied.
3. Nearly the same hole as #2 but longer and the fairway is protected in the center by a couple tall trees. This hole teaches bending a line around the center trees without hitting the tree line left or right. The lower fairway plays slightly uphill to the basket tucked in the right side; long puts are needed to keep me on par.
4. Very cool tunnel shot with many pine tree trunks to knock you off course. This hole reinforced the strategy of discing down to a mid range off the tee and losing some distance for a clean landing on the fairway past most obstacles. The basket is protected by mature trees (trunks) and play is easy after getting through the drive. Somehow I never end up where I need to be for a clean birdie and always par or bogie if the drive is bad.
5. This hole is a LHBH nightmare as it curves sweeping left the whole way. The left rough is really bushy, the right rough is all poison ivy and the fairway is a series of tall tree trunks like hole #4. The Stratus and Meteor under stable mid range discs have been critical to all pars I have thrown on this hole. Learning to overpower under stable discs on a clean line has been the biggest gift I have received on this hole. I have also thrown putters and blowfly discs on this hole and realized that if you are going to hit a tree these discs will minimize the damage.
6. Long 600 or so feet on a straight slow uphill, half way through the border tightens up to a wide tunnel with overhanging canopy on both sides. This hole is my least favorite as it rewards long straight shots, something I have yet to learn. The danger of landing on the bordering bike/hike trail off the right side is a mental block and I have come close to hitting people. I use this hole to work on drives but tend to always bogie or double bogie, I have hit pat only one time.
7. Cool hole that starts with a downhill drive with plenty landing room to the left (no good for LHBH) and then turns uphill to the right through a short but tight tunnel. The basket is placed to the rear left and protected by a tree in front and a flat field of sugar sand. This hole requires me to drive under stable discs to the leftt, and under stable mids to curve left through the tunnel.
8. No tee sign, long 90* right turn around or over a thick wooded poison ivy field. Once through the rough stuff the bowl shaped fairway opens up to a challenging but open basket near the top of the bowl. I hate the drive but love throwing mids and putters on the upshot.
9. Short drive to a 90* left turn with a few shortcut paths to cut the corner. I struggle on this hole and tend to play it with midrange discs; it will add a stroke but tends to keep me out of the woods where crazy bounces happen all the time. The basket is unprotected and surrounded by a very deep loose sugar sand field.
This hole ends facing the tee box for hole #1.
IMO this course is good for locals who want a quick 9 without waiting in line. There is no wasted space between holes but with the lack Of players you feel like every hole is separate. If you have not reached the point of throwing straight, the poison ivy WILL leave you frustrated.