Gulf Breeze, FL

Sunset DGC

35(based on 28 reviews)
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12 0
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.8 years 239 played 236 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun, mostly beginner friendly course

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 22, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

For a smallish park and moderate rating I wasn't expecting a ton, but this is a fun little beginner friendly(mostly) play just up the road from the beach. Perfect spot to cool off in the shady trees after a day by the water. Or working as I was doing.

The first 10 holes are really pretty with tons of palm and palmetto trees and a decent amount of water. Especially hole 2 that is an island green and the one not very beginner friendly hole on the front.

The final 8 holes are under pine trees and more typically southern park style, and though it's a bit longer than the 180-220 ft holes from the front for the most part they are not harder.

There is a fun mildly elevated pin in 14 though and a couple of low ceiling shots so some skill is required.

Most holes have a bench, almost all hooks to hang your bag and basic signs with course info.

It's kind of pretty and would be a good glow league course if nothing big lives in the pond.

Cons:

The cons unfortunately are not few. The plot of land isn't big which leads to two issues; a lot of short holes, and holes that are too close to one another. On many holes you could go long into the next fairway and on the final 8 holes a mild tree kick could take you near other players.

There are also mandos in place to keep you away for other park facilities, but it's a little tight for my taste. One of the volleyball kids gets hit by a disc and it's bye bye course.

The signs are fine, but I think the course has undergone a redesign and the new distances are just sharpie on duct tape. Some of which has fallen off and left some very inaccurate distances.

It's not a bad course, but it's not perfect and I doubt it handles heavy traffic well.

Other Thoughts:

It's a fun and quick play, and I would consider hitting it again. If only to get revenge for my lost Stego on hole 2.
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2 0
Majshark
Experience: 13 played 13 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 20, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

First half of the course is unique with some nice, scenic island holes. Tees are well marked. Course is well designed for the area provided.

Cons:

Along with the water, the vegetation during the first portion of the course could mean to lost discs. The final portion of the course is about as generic of a wooded course as can be and could be better maintained.

Other Thoughts:

This course may be too easy for an advanced player, but for the casual, recreational player, this course does the job. There is enough variance within the overall course to give a recommendation.
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11 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 10.8 years 694 played 680 reviews
2.50 star(s)

A Tale of Two Different Nines, Part III 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

(2.492 Rating) A short technical course that's a vacation away from the beach.
- ACEABILITY - Several technical and risk reward ace runs. The run of holes (4 thru 6) can really give them up as this grouping of holes all play at around 200 feet. You are probably 3 or 4 times more likely to ace here than at a normal course.
- SHOT SHAPING - Lots of opportunity to craft a flight path on the front nine. The second nine is not as good, but you just can't blindly throw a disc towards the basket. Every tee shot will require at least some minimal thought. Special shout out to hole (5) which is a blind basket completely surrounded by 10 feet high dense vegetation. It will force a play to dive bomb from above. I spent a couple minutes developing a plan to attach this one. Thankfully there is a large directional arrow in the trees above basket. I landed my disc five feet from the basket. It was an exhilarating throw to say the least.
- QUICK PLAY - I blew thru this 18 at the crack of dawn in 45 minutes. I see it playing in under 2 hours for a group of four seasoned players.
- MAINTENANCE - Cut fairways and no trash were observed.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - IMO The front nine is clearly the bread winner of the two nines. Lots of tropical vegetation and water silently waiting to claim your disc. The back nine leaves less than too be desired. Tall moderately spaced pines fills most of the back. Views of roads and other unnatural features are consistently in view. In totality, I scored the course at 2.625 out of 5
- CHILL AREAS - A bunch of secluded areas to hop on a bench and relax. Some spots even have views of the tranquil waters that lurk around basket locations.
- MULTI TEES - Although the back tees are shorter than your average course, I'm sure glad there's an even shorter option on many holes as this course is quite technical.
- CHARACTER - About average. In addition to duel tees, there is some seating at about half of the holes. There are bag holders, minimal signage and shading at most of the tees as well. Missing items include no practice basket and no multi basket locations. Also, I observed no restrooms along the course layout.

Cons:

A few substantial issues with Sunset.
- LOOSE DISC OPPS - Water and overgrowth is literally everywhere on the front nine. So be sure to bring yourself a disc or two that you wouldn't mind losing. The water here looked extremely murky and you may not want to go in and retrieve it. As for the overgrowth, lots of palmetto bushes, especially around (5) and (6). You could park a shot within 10 feet of the basket and still end up looking 10 minutes to find it.
- NAVIGATION - The course map on site does not reflect the current course and is around 70% percent accurate. It appears that a recent volleyball court installation has altered several holes on the back nine. Hole signage is limited to number and distance. The directional cues are few and far between. This stated, it only added about 5 minutes to my first round out here so not a horror story.
- TEES - Mostly asphalt and boarder line adequate. I've seen much worse. However on the back nine, several asphalt tees are missing and these tee areas are becoming a pitted sandboxes.
- CHAINS - They are in pretty bad shape. They are still playable but among the most rusted and beat up I've ever come across. I'll add that none of my putts missed due to the condition factor, I can shank a putt all by myself.
- ELEVATION - Flat for even Florida standards. Not even 5 feet of change on any hole. If you're in need of some elevation you may consider the nearby UWF course which offers a few 20 and 30 foot changes.
- UNIQUENESS - A touch below average. In addition to flat terrain, all par 3s and very short. Almost every hole has a technical aspect to it and there are no bomber holes for players who can toss over 350. The one aspect the course has going for it is the shot shaping and hole pockets to hit on the front.
- LIMITED CHALLENGE - About average. I think the back tees will challenge intermediate players to stay at course par. Advanced players will probably have just enough to stay entertained, but will finish several down. The front tees will be perfect for rec players.
- LOCATION - The traffic getting to this course can be horrendous as there is only one bridge to the island from Pensacola and you'll have to contend with lots of beach traffic.

Other Thoughts:

Sunset is a nice little vacation course. Relaxing and fun to play. It won't challenge you like nearby Gator Links but you'll still have to work for it here. Currently my second favorite course in the Pensacola area, behind Gator Links, but I have yet to play any of the Blue Angel courses as of this review.
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1 0
Buckwheat
Experience: 8.4 years 7 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fun short course. Some holes on the front require difficult & accurate throws.

Cons:

Back nine is repetitive. Some baskets on the front side are difficult to find.

Other Thoughts:

Follow the trampled paths to find the baskets & tee boxes.
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3 2
HumDyn
Experience: 5.4 years 12 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Needs Maintenance 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 1, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Many holes were challenging.

Cons:

#5 is totally blind with many palmettos waiting. I lost my favorite driver there. Directions from a basket to the next tee are non-existent.

Other Thoughts:

Gulf Breeze Parks and Recreation Department needs to send a maintenance crew in with saws and tidy this mess up. There is a Trilogy Challenge coming up on June 24th. I hope that the city prunes this place.
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8 1
Mr. Butlertron
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.7 years 684 played 131 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Not really my cup of.....swamp 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 29, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- free to play, free to park
- dual tees per pad, allows players to take less risk around water hazards.
- mostly asphalt tees
- numbered tee signs with distances
- numbered baskets
- intuitive layout
- course map at beginning of the course

Cons:

- no multiple pins
- limited parking
- the rough had a lot of overgrowth and crept into some already tight fairways
- not a lot of open room around the baskets (swap holes) to putt from
- some natural tees
- asphalt tees weren't level, some had humps in the middle.
- fairway overlapping
- some tees were too close to prior baskets
- flat course
- luck factor on some fairways
- construction site bordering the course crept into a fairway or two
- no restroom on location

Other Thoughts:

Sunset DGC felt like two separate 9 holes courses combined to make 18. Half of the course is comprised of tight and or technical fairways through a swamp, the other half a more open style with tall pines that were away from any water hazards. Both had short to medium length fairways and required control. The front half was much more technical. Errant drives usually required a toss out of the rough before attempting an approach, whereas the player could scramble for par on the back 9 pretty easily.

Often the most ideal line on the front 9 was subject to being knocked down by overgrowth protruding from the rough. Drive and approach placement was paramount in this section, as there was little room to putt from around most baskets here. I appreciated the dual tees and risk vs reward factor, but ultimately I wasn't going to risk losing discs for birdie opportunities. Sunset's murky water didn't look inviting enough to take a dip when I lost my putter on hole 5. Apparently, locals are less skittish. 2 local kids, (shout out to Cameron and Riley) told me that swimmers collect a rich bounty of discs regularly. According to them, water moccasins are more prevalent than gators here.

The second half was similar to what I've seen at Hitzman, Post'l Point, or Boggy Bayou. Tall high limbed pines with pine straw strewn about comprised the back 9. I enjoyed a wider variety of lines to choose from than the front 9. The high ceilings allowed me to air out some long putter/ mids drives. Also, it was a relief not to be worried about losing a disc. The drawback was that many tees were comprised of unleveled, misshapen asphalt.

Overall, this is probably not a course I particularly look forward to playing again. Every pro for me was met with one or two cons. I'd recommend new players throw the open wooded section of the course before venturing into the swamp holes. That way you can't blame the loss of a disc on not being warmed up. Besides that, this location is a little remote and a pain to get to. Summer tourism and beach traffic can make traveling to this course less desirable than other courses in the area. I have it ranked somewhere between a 2 and a 2.5, rounded down.


Update 3-10-2020
The rumor of concrete tee pad upgrades enticed me to come back out if the first time in years. Unfortunately, only a handful were changed and they were too small to do a normal x step, try-fail.
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3 1
pasowers
Experience: 181 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very Fun! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 18, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Plays through some beautiful landscape
-Makes very good use of water
-Some really fun throws out to and across ISLANDS
-Provides a fun and shady activity within a few minutes of the beach

Cons:

-All very short holes
-Last 8 holes can get a little repetitive
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6 0
NightRavenKW
Experience: 15.3 years 17 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fine course for the day 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 15, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- A nice 18 hole course near the beach.
- There is a nice varitey of turns to the course. It uses the vegitation, water and turns in the park to great advantage.
- Hole 1 and 18 are near each other so you don't have a long walk to parking after you finish the course.
- Many of the holes have benches.

Cons:

- a lot of the signage is lacking. Be it missing completely or inaccurate there are a few holes that leave you wondering. Even hole #1 seemed out of place according to the information sign.
- Holes 2 through 4 seem to intersect a little odd making navigation a bit tricky your first time there.

Other Thoughts:

I imagine the course has changed a bit since it was originally designed. I guess this is why the information board near #1 is so inaccurate.

The vegetation was very thick in parts when I played. I actually liked this. It was a nice barrier requiring some ingenuity to make par, but I can see where it may turn off first time players.
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5 1
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13 years 117 played 81 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Sunset at Noon 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 28, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- great 18 holes for the emerald coast - if I were a tourist stopping thru i'd be stoked, especially with the water hazards.
- great variety of shots needed - RHBH/FH, there are blind shots that are doable w/o a spotter taking great advantage of the FL landscape (read palmettos) as well as trees that jump right out in front of you.
- Course plays as a loop
- bag holders on nearly every hole, benches at most as well

Cons:

- no restrooms obviously available
- a lot of the signage is lacking. Be it missing completely or inaccurate there are a few holes that leave you wondering.
- navigation can be a real issue, especially around 2-4.
back 9 is kind of crammed together, could have been used as 4-6 more holes instead of 9.

Other Thoughts:

When you pull up to Sunset DGC in Gulf Breeze you immediately see the course map on a bulletin board. You'll think sweet, I was hoping for a map. This is wrong. Do not use it. You will be sad for it.

Some of the holes don't have signage at either the pro or am tees, and some holes only have one tee which can add to confusion. Also aggravating is that errant shots can be punished by flying into private property past a privacy fence that you didn't realize was there until it's too late (not me, a friend, i swear).

Set amongst a highway and a neighborhood Sunset's front 9 has a great FL feel albeit a little hairy to navigate especially at the beginning. There are blind shots that bring a small "island" into play, making for a fun few holes where you get to jump to and fro via concrete bridges. The back 9 seems a little forced/crammed together. I couldn't find the tee for 14 and there were several holes where finding the pro tee was a chore.

I haven't been to the blue angel courses nearby. That being said, for public courses in the area this place has got UWF beat any day.
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8 1
Qikly
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.3 years 181 played 150 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Worth a Visit 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 4, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Sunset DGC is the closest course in the Gulf Breeze/Pensacola Beach area. I wasn't sure what to expect given the array of reviews, particularly the more recent negative ones, but I found the course to offer a worthwhile round during my visit to the area.

The strength of this course is the front 10 holes, where tight lines and well-situated water hazards combine for some engaging risk versus reward type shots. I'm not generally a fan of water hazards - too cheap, for one thing - but the ones at Sunset provided enough play-it-safe options that I felt I was in control of how much risk I was entertaining. It's one thing to lose a disc to the water because there was no other way to play a hole; it's another (better IMHO) thing to lose a disc because you were playing too greedily or boldly and aware of the risk you were taking. I can live with the latter much more easily, and I appreciated the presence of such hazards at Sunset. They made for an enjoyably tense challenge.

The water hazards on these front 10 come in the form of a small island that the holes play onto, over, and adjacent to. The island is dotted with a variety of shrubs - small magnolia trees, skinny pines, etc - that make for a variety of obstacles to work your way around. These set up a variety of lines - tight turnovers, S curves, hyzers of various degrees, and even a few overhand opportunities - that, though generally of middling distance (even from the pro tees), make for some engaging looks. The pro tees on this part of the course were well integrated, and the am tees were beginner friendly, even with the water in play, while still not being total throwaways. As an upper rec player myself, I stuck to the pros where possible but could have gotten some satisfying play from the ams, too.

The course's back half is something of a drop off from the front (see below), but it still contains some technicality due to the tree-studded terrain it winds through. There are no out-and-out throwaway holes here.

Concrete tees on the course's front half were level, a bit short, but even with the ground enough to allow for a comfortable run up from behind if desired. They did their job well.

Cons:

The aforementioned drop off on the back half comes largely from the fact that it is squeezed into a relatively small wooded section of the park. This effort to fit an additional 8 holes constrains how this part of the course plays. Already a shorter course, the hole lengths become even more compact here as things become crammed. I had trouble finding the pro tees here, if they existed at all, and found myself missing the extra distance they provided on the front half.

This section of the course seemed to be undergoing a redesign when I visited (the overal layout seemed to deviate at times from the course map), meaning that navigation was occasionally a bit dodgy and most of the tees were rough, sandy natural tees that didn't provide steady footing. The short hole distances meant that this didn't affect play too much, but it still bears mention: I found myself driving from behind or next to the tees to ensure good footing on several holes.

The lines in this section of the course ranged from straight forward to poke and pray, and were generally of standard quality at best, save for one or two worthwhile tight shots. Without the water-induced tension of the front half, the holes lost their bite. The woods aren't dense enough to regularly punish an errant throw, meaning you'll rarely regret pushing for birdies. Otherwise, the shorter distances allow you to play it safe and take your 3 without much effort. There are occasional exceptions to this lack of risk - 11's basket sits in front of a tiny pond that will punish shooting long off the tee - but in general I felt like the terrain and shorter hole lengths allowed me to get away with some off shots here.

Overall, the short length and tighter nature of this course could be turnoffs for some, and do limit the course's ceiling.

Without any images on the tee sign, you're regularly forced to forge ahead to spot your basket. The shorter hole lengths kept this from frustrating me, though.

Other Thoughts:

This course isn't going to stick with you months after your visit, but it provides a fun 18 as long as you're comfortable with water hazards. If anything, I wish it wasn't constrained to such a small area: with room to grow, Sunset DGC could really blossom. As it stands, it's a combination of a solid 3.0ish front 10 and a utilitarian 2.5ish back 8. For me, the interesting looks and enjoyably risky water of the front half triumph over the slightly drab back half in my final rating. I'd encourage anyone visiting the Pensacola Beach area to check Sunset DGC out. I was glad I visited.
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2 2
LBC19
Experience: 12.2 years 7 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

needs work 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Some nice holes! The island holes were kinda cool. The tee pads were nice on the holes that had them.

Cons:

Back nine kinda crappy! Couple had no tee markers or box for that matter! could not find one hole!

Other Thoughts:

Would be very nice with just a little TLC
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2 1
david W
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.4 years 493 played 28 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Ehhh 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 5, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Baskets catch well
-Cool Water that creates a pucker factor on some holes
-Some good holes that are really fun shots to throw and reward skill and shot making ability

Cons:

-Terrible use of land
-Very hard to navigate
-Blind shots
-Lack of maintenance
-Poorly designed holes
-Lack of quality teepads

Other Thoughts:

This course could be so much better than it currently is. Whoever designed the course really messed this one up big time. The course does have some good holes but a lot of the holes really are just bad with stupid lines/fairways (especially the 2 holes on the island that play in those thick low cut palm like trees). While the construction does mess up 2 holes, the locals could easily move the holes a little bit and then have a 18 hole course.

If anyone from the local area/club reads this please for the love of god post some signage on the baskets and fairways pointing users in the right direction and please do a little trimming throughout the course.

I have not played Blue Angel but im guessing after playing this course that it is worth the drive from the Pensacola beach/ Gulf Breeze area.
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6 1
jdawg24
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26.4 years 103 played 58 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Plenty of potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 6, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has some really fun holes with well defined fairways that incorporate risk & reward in choosing from the multiple throwing lanes. Located in it's own section of a nice municipal park. Excellent overall location near the beach and near downtown Pensacola.

Cons:

The course seemed very overgrown, to the point where some of the holes were "throw and hope" and others had punitive vegetation either blocking lanes or punishing errant shots. The course is not well marked around the construction area, where several holes seemed to be missing altogether.

Other Thoughts:

This course has some really good holes with multiple fairways and valid lines. 2 or 3 of the holes are non-existent due to construction, and several more are frustratingly overgrown. Some TLC would make this a really nice course.

Technical players will like this course.

I played on a very nice, sunny 70 degree Tuesday afternoon and literally saw no other disc golfers playing.
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5 0
Jaysauls
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.3 years 129 played 71 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lots of Fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 25, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great tee pads and signage. Very easy to find your way around, even if new to the course.

Thought the back '10' was a ton of fun with water coming into play on many on the holes. Tossing into the palm on the island, knowing that a kick, wind-shift of just a bad throw have you searching for your disc in the water. Man, that gave me several butt-clinch moments!

This is also a fairly short course. My son was able to play and reach almonst all the baskets in three, so newbies won't get disappointed.

Cons:

As mentioned, the construction. Would have loved to play to more holes.

The back 8 through the woods was kind of bland. It was through left, through right, keep it low and skip around the pine trees. Not a ton of variety

Other Thoughts:

Nice bathrooms! That's always a nice touch!
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5 1
tkmcdougal
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.7 years 196 played 96 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Sunset DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 12, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good concrete teepads, and DISCatcher baskets. I really liked the variety of shots and the challenge that the course provided. Every hole is reachable which makes the course fun because you can shoot really low. Hole 2 was excellent i love the island hole. I like how close to the beach it was.

Cons:

I didnt like the construction which eliminated two of the holes on the course. and i also thought a little more parking would be nice since you could get blocked in.
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5 1
Ninja_Disc_Master
Experience: 16.4 years 39 played 30 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2 courses in 1! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Tee Pads - Cement with enough length for confidence in footing for almost any throwing style. Both AM/PRO tees on majority of holes.
2. Cages- DISCatcher cages are pretty easy to locate and in good shape with the exception of a couple that are faded. Does not affect playability, just possibly locating ability.
3. Layout- Good use of the available space with a logical layout that is pretty easy to navigate and starts and finishes in the same area. The loop design on the front makes great use of the water. The pine tree area is laid out pretty well to make best use of the trees.
4. Variety of shots- This course does require a degree of skill that could border on intermediate. If you only have one shot in your skill-set I'd suggest staying on the back 9 holes. You will be challenged to try a variety of shots if you want to score low.
5. Scenery- Nice scenic park with benches scattered throughout, minimal trash and lots of other activities.

Cons:

1. Signage- While most holes are clearly marked, some are not and I'm almost certain the distances are incorrect on more than a few. Not a huge problem, but if you're a beginner it could be an issue.
2. Course Maintenance- The construction in and around this course has been going on for what seems like forever. A little work could bring this course back to the full 18 without much effort by just moving a few cages and delineating a couple make-shift tee spots.
3. Amenities- Trash cans would be nice although the park was not trashed. Bathrooms are far away, but accessible. Few benches and no bag holders if you're into that sort of thing. No "pro-shop" or disc purchase/rental in the area.
4. Biologics- Mosquitoes a plenty by the water, but this is the south so expected. CAREFUL by the water holes when retrieving an errant throw as there ARE water moccasins in there regularly. Park goers can be a problem on the back 9.
5. Distance- No real grip it and rip it holes if you like that style.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun course that has 2 very different sides to it in the technical/challenging and the open/fun 9's reshe pectively. The location is excellent if you aren't just in the are for DG as the beach is close and the park itself has a lot to offer. Not a destination course but, I'd suggest this course if in the area, but only after you played the Blue Angel palmetto/oaks courses.
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8 0
Shade Seeker
Experience: 20.3 years 111 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Lagoon Adventure 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 29, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This was my "home course" during February. Since I couldn't have played this much in the winter back in Illinois, Sunset gets praise from me for just being in Florida. The setting is half-beautiful, with holes 2-10 looping around a lagoon. This had the feel of a jungle adventure for this boy from the prairie. The course gets high marks for use of water and woods, but there is no elevation. There are two sets of asphalt tee pads, numbers on the baskets and benches on every hole. There are no need for "next tee" signs since the course is simple to navigate. For those of you who value trash cans in your reviews, I must admit I played this course 12 times and never noticed, which shows how important that category is to me.

Sunset makes great use of the terrain and space, with a nice loop design. The front nine loops the lagoon and the back nine traverse a field of pine trees. It's not a long course, but several holes play long due to tree placements. If you miss a line on your drive, it's tough to make par on all but a couple of holes. The holes have good dynamics, with a variety of shapes and lines that call for a full range of shots. The course is fair, with at least four holes that have good risk/reward choices. #2, the island hole, is the obvious signature hole. My best compliment is that I never got bored playing at Sunset. It was always a test to my game and it was always a lot of fun. It's a fun course!

Cons:

There are no restrooms anywhere. But the biggest drawback right now is a pipe-laying construction project on the back nine. Holes 14 & 15 were closed the whole month. Hole 13 was closed part of the time. The edges of the construction zone still come into play so there are some muddy areas. The noise and exhaust fumes from the trucks and equipment took away from the overall appeal.

My other con is the layout of #9. The basket is on a square shaped penninsula that juts into the lagoon. It's reinforced with retaining walls on three sides and is just such a neat looking green. But even though there are several places where a tee could be placed so that you throw over the water at this green, the actual tee is such that you approach the hole from the land and throw out to the basket. Maybe the course layout forces this, but it sure seems like a lost opportunity for another signature type hole.

Other Thoughts:

Since holes 14-15 are closed, the locals add 2 holes in the back nine "piney field" area. Since I found this the less interesting part of the course, I created my own additions to the lagoon part of the course. To replace #14, I played the 2 AM tee after throwing from the 2 PRO tee on the #2 island hole. Who wouldn't want an extra chance to throw out over the water? I call my other replacement 9B. After I played the regular penninsula hole (see comments under "cons"), I would tee off from a point to the left of the penninsula to throw over the water to the basket. It's a short but fun shot. If you want to find it, walk fairway #10 and take a right about half way down it. There's a bench sitting on a sandy point with just enough room to throw from.
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3 1
flyingdisc
Experience: 13.4 years 18 played 17 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Beginners be cautious 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 30, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good tee pads and signs
Big enough for 18 holes
Lots of shade
Seemed like a nice neighborhood park
Other activity parts to the park

Cons:

Not a great layout and sometimes hard to find next tee pad.
Too many places you can lose a disc on first 9.
Mosquitos around the water holes.
Not sure if distance on pads is accurate.
Basket numbers and color strip are faded.

Other Thoughts:

Keep in mind I am a newcomer and this is the first time I have played this course. As with other courses in the area there are plenty of pine trees to keep you on your game. I have been known to try and 'chop down' a couple of trees with my discs, which I do not recommend. The first 9 holes were interesting since there was water in play on a few of the holes. I have to admit I was a little intimidated by these and especially on hole 5 where there is water, and you have to cross two foot bridges. There are a number of palm bushes around the basket #5 so we had someone stand near the basket to watch each person's throw so we would not lose any disc. I mention this because I don't see how anyone could play this hole alone and be able to find your disc once it is thrown. There is an open area around the basket, however you cannot see it from the tee pad. Better players may not have an issue with this.
Once you get through the first 9, the back 9 were all in one area in the park with really nowhere to lose any disc.
I still enjoyed playing this course and would play again with a group, or just play the back 9 alone.
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4 1
EagleZT
Experience: 13.8 years 16 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Tale of two courses 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 21, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Locale near the beach and major highways. Located just south of HWY 98 and the Pensacola Bay Bridge made for easy access

2) Free

3)Holes 10-18 are friendly for families and beginners. You are really just throwing through tall pine growth. Good for kids and families new to the sport

4) The course is marked with pro and am tees and have measured feet.

5) Holes 2-9 are more geared towards pro/int and would enjoy the challenge the island has to offer.

6) Good Ace Race Set up.

Cons:

1) The map layout at the parking lot is NOT accurate. We took a picture of it to make sure we didnt get backtracked. The map was off in terms of locating holes.

2) You had to backtrack across the bridge to get to the teepad on three from the #2 basket. Also hole 5 and 6 were in my opinion awful for a layout. You had to backtrack across the #5 fairway (if it can be called that. Its more like palm fronds) to get to the hole #6 teepad which was pretty darn close to the edge of this island. It could prevent a safety hazard to those not paying attention.

3) Hole 11 is covered in sand. Due to some construction going on in the area I think.

4) Lots of litter everywhere. People leaving cigarette butts and cans. I am not a big fan of the ACE graffiti. It adds to the the trashy factor and some simple solutions such as an Ace board or some signage for proper ace recording etiquette might help too. Needs some next tee signs rather than just the one transitioning you across the street from 1 to 2.

Other Thoughts:

The ECDCGC and/or the Rec Dept needs to put some TLC into this course. It could be a great starter course with some modifications to the island area by some minimal clear cutting of the palm frond bushes on the island. I was afraid I was going to pull up a pit viper near those fronds. The course just needs some tidying up and the map at the front needs to be reworked. The neighborhood is pretty nice, but with some modifications, this course could really shine.
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3 1
kkoether
Experience: 13.7 years 16 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Sunset-Gulf Breeze 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

All holes have concrete tee pads for both am and pro. Nice variety of lengths, shot selections. Trees hang low...so,it forces you to throw low and work on the mid game.

Cons:

Although there's a map at the course entrance...some holes can be a little difficult to find...though they are in the vicinty of the previous hole. Not too bad though. Would like for a few holes to be more "wide open"...but, not too many of those exist on this course. Palmettos are a pain on the front 9. Back 9 could be challenging for the beginner if a lot of people are around (errant throws, etc).

Other Thoughts:

Nice course to play...just wish it were closer to home. Course should become easier once you're familiar with the layout.
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