This course has been updates to include new baskets and some redesigned holes. There are no longer any shared baskets. There is even an elevated deck tee pad on one hole. All of the "prison baskets" have been replaced with new DD Veteran Baskets.

The best point about the East course is that it provides the ability to play 18 holes without going safari when the Park is being used for large events (not DG related). Basically only one annual park event will shut down both auxiliary courses: The Boy Scout Jamboree.

The inclusion of the East woods holes offer more technical opportunities, and those are magnified as much of the underbrush is still intact. Fairways and rough are pretty challenging on the stand alone holes. The two shared baskets offer a couple of Ace runs for intermediate arms.

Elevation on the East course is still primarily flat, but there are a couple of major exceptions - including a signature uphill drive that one dare not overshoot or fall back off right.

The term "Prison Baskets" is a local designation for baskets fabricated by a local inmate population for their Career Technology Education project. All of the designated East course stand alone baskets are of this variety and susceptible to an abundance of run-through results.
Signage for the East and West portions of the course is still lacking at the moment, but new course signs for the Central Course are amazing and plans are in place to identify the shared holes with decals on the new sign standards (ie C-17; E-18).
There are two East holes which share baskets with another tee-box on this course which makes for some waiting while other groups finish the existing hole in order to tee. SO the caption "There are 6 shared holes with the Central Course and then 12 independent holes..." should probably read: 6 holes from Central course used on the East; 10 Independent holes; 2 holes playing back to another (shared) basket, and one of those will be very difficult to find for the first time soloist on the course.

While the East course provides the widest variety of shots of the 3 Spring Lake Park courses, it is also the most difficult to navigate. At times stroller/cart/wheeled accessories will be prohibitive as the terrain on the northeast section varies more than other sections of the three SLP courses.

This is a fun course, unless it is during tournament play, where the crossing of 13-C with the East counterpart and the two shared holes can bog things down. Otherwise it is the most interesting of the 3 due to terrain variances and balance between wide open to tunnel shot opportunities.