Pros:
BASKETS. 10 Discatcher Pro double-chain baskets, all in great shape and all set at what appears to be the recommended height (including the practice basket).
TEE PADS. 18 large, level concrete tees, each oriented in the best direction to approach the hole. Among the best tee pads I have thrown from, considering size, level-ness (if that's a thing), and texture.
PROPERTY. This is one of the best pieces of land I have played on for disc golf. Mature, beautiful trees and natural elevation changes, along with a creek that runs throughout the park and a stone wall that outlines much of the park give this place a look and feel that can rarely be matched. There are several picturesque and useful wooden bridges to aid in creek crossings. The park appears to drain very well. In many places the creek is contained within rock and concrete embankments. I played the morning after a heavy rain fell throughout the night and there were a few puddles and the creek was running fast, but it was very playable, even with a cart.
COURSE DESIGN. If I had not seen it with my own eyes and played it with my own discs, I never would have believed that a course with 9 baskets and 18 tee pads could be this good! It is so well designed! If you watched drone flyovers of all 18 holes with no prior knowledge and no numbers on the baskets, you would eventually notice that some green areas look similar, but the course truly plays as 18 unique holes. Many times the two tees that share a basket are quite far apart (i.e., holes 1 & 10, holes 5 & 14, holes 6 & 15, holes 8 & 17, holes 9 & 18). Holes 9 & 18, notably, approach the basket from approximately 90 degrees apart from each other and those two tee pads may be 400-500' away from each other, so be aware of which direction you need to walk after holing out. Holes 6 & 15 throw to the same basket and they tee from two separate fairways cut out of the woods. When the tees that share the same basket are relatively close together (2 & 11, 7 & 16, for example), the shot has a different shape and distance. The fact that 2 holes share each of the baskets is incidental to the experience and I felt like I had played 18 unique holes. (If the course ever got crowded, the basket-sharing could become an issue - see below.) I will also note that I appreciated that the baskets were played in the same order for the front nine as for the back ( 1 is 10, 2 is 11, etc.). I have seen attempts to do this differently that caused much confusion. (Also, each basket is numbered with both its front and back nine number, to help eliminate any confusion.)
HOLE DESIGN. There is no tee shot on this course that can be made without considering the landing zone. Pins are invariably placed on a significant slope, near the creek, or near the OB wall and the long holes require consideration of good drive placement to set up a good approach shot. The "Grip and rip and then see what you've got for your next throw" technique would result in significant failure here. Several of the holes have a choice of different gaps off the tee. There are also many different shot shapes needed from the tee to be successful - I think over the 18 holes I threw at least 8 different discs from the tee, which is one indication to me of the variety of the holes.
Cons:
There are only 9 baskets on the course. For casual rounds on an un-crowded course, this is no problem at all. For a potential tournament or if the disc golf scene really gets going in Timpson (population 1,155), it could become an issue.
There was one tee sign mistake that caused me some confusion. The sign for hole 17 indicates that the tee for 8 is to the left of it. Actually, 8's tee is maybe 150-200' to the right of 17's tee, up the hill.
There are few other park amenities. I saw some picnic tables and some swings, but no public restrooms and very little space for parking.
I guess I should note that Timpson, Texas is out of the way, for most people. Then again, if you go, you may have the course to yourself, as I did.
Other Thoughts:
It should be noted that the park has posted hours of 9 a.m. - 9 p.m. If my travel plans had not changed, I would have shown up soon after first light. As it was, I got there a little after 9. Take note of the park hours.
I have never seen disc golf done this well at a public park in a small town. A friend who had played it had to convince me to go. I will go beyond saying "if you are driving through Timpson, play it." I say, "make plans to visit Timpson, Texas!"