This is an incredibly challenging course that shares its space with an old ball golf course, although I've never actually seen anyone playing ball golf while out there.
You're really going to use every shot in your bag, and each hole provides different routes and opportunities for different skill levels of players.
Lots of elevation changes.
Great quality baskets.
Concrete teepads exist.
Most of the holes have accurate signage, although a few of the holes the signs have fallen down.
A really big range of hole lengths, with the shortest two coming in at about 200, and the longest coming in at a whopper of 1,111 ft. Most are probably smack dab in the middle of that in the 300-400 range.
When I say this course is challenging, I mean it! You will learn a ton about your disc golf game by playing here. There are places where playing it safe pays off, but also places where if you don't take a risk, you could end up with an even BIGGER score than if you do.
University Park is a great place to come out and get your butt kicked, and not feel bad about leaving with a 10+ over par.

While the challenge is great, it prevents it from being an every-day course in my lineup in the way that some of the courses in town in Manhattan are. I really only come play UP if I'm ready to get roughed up by a course.
The rough is VERY rough. The cedar trees which constitute the rough for most holes can really tear you up, and there are plenty of opportunities for your disc go find itself there.
The course is a hell of a hike. I can't imagine playing this course twice in one day.
While the concrete teepads are great throughout, they are maybe just a wee short, which can be tricky given that this course requires monster drives.
If you can't drive over 300 ft (curse you my 290 ft arm!), there are some holes that are a little inaccessible. Hole 12 is a monster of a hole, and if you don't have a 300+ ft drive you're going to have a bad time. It's immediately followed by a hole with a rock wall 300 ft out, that the posted rules stipulate you must clear or head to the drop zone to throw for 3. A bit frustrating for players right at the edge of that distance level (cough, me, cough).
Hole 7. It's a par 5 that most people I know took an 11 on their first time playing it. You play down into a valley, then through some of the thickest woods on the course, then up a big hill, and around a tree. This is the hole that can make you want to rage quit disc golf if it goes poorly for you. For someone without a giant arm, you almost HAVE to cut this hole into 5 perfectly placed shots, and any movement astray in the woods will leave you in some serious rough without much of a line out.
Hole 7 will eat you up, and then is immediately followed by tricky hole 8 with a giant blind drop into the woods which can also be a big challenge if you're not great at going over the top.

My above comments about the really challenging holes are something I almost wanted to mention as both a pro and a con. They are part of what makes this course challenging, which is part of what makes it great. But they can also be disheartening for rec and intermediate players. If you come into it with a positive attitude and a lack of concern for the fact that your score is about to be blown up, UP is a really awesome course to become a better disc golf player on.

I thought I was going to roll into town and have a nice round at University Park, maybe get some lunch then go on to the next course. Long story short, it wasn't so nice. A couple of hours later I left with a tired arm and an embarrassingly high score.

On the grounds of an old ball golf course I kept having the feeling I would be clocked by a Titleist, but it never happened. The fairways are mostly very roomy, but you can count on weaving around some good sized trees and traversing the rolling hills that create nice elevation changes.

Often you will not see a basket and be shooting blind. This is tricky for a first time player on the course, and I only put it under pros since it adds to the difficulty. It was frustrating not knowing exactly where I wanted to put my drive off of the tee, and not wanting to walk those longer holes more than once.

There are also some shorter holes where you can grab a quick birdie two. They tend to have a little more growing around them than grass, but nothing over the top.

The equipment was good, with freshly set concrete tees, along with signs and good baskets. Maintenance should be ok being on the grounds of a golf course I would think. The pay station is near the parking area, and it accepts quarters, lucky for me.

The pay to play aspect is a bit of a bummer, but if you need to get out on a different course it is a good option in the Manhattan area.

I wrote about the blind drives, and even had a blind second shot on at least one of the longer holes. It would be a bonus to bring along someone familiar with the layout if you've never been there before. The link to the map is pretty good so at least bring a copy of that.

I wish I had taken better notes or some pictures I could upload, but they will have to wait for another time. A return to University Park is not something I will rule out. The five dollars is a fair price, and I still have more new courses to play around Manhattan.

I will return with only one goal: Don't score in the 80's. I made 4 birdies and was still 21 over par. I had an 11 on the seventh hole, and an 8 on the twelfth. Pitiful. Wind didn't help me, but I can't blame it all on that. Conditions were not that bad, weather wise. Need to check what condition my condition was in.