Pros:
- fast access from the freeway
- not too crowded
- baskets in good shape (some rusty chains, but all are attached, none missing)
- decent cement tees, grippy
- trash cans are scattered around the course/park
- there is an outhouse by tee 1 if you need a bathroom
Cons:
- it's an out-and-back course, meaning you play 9 holes in one direction and then play 9 back toward where you came from (tee 10 is at the opposite end from where you park)
- one lane on hole 1 has you throwing directly THROUGH the practice basket. poor placement.
- tees 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 are all very difficult to find without someone to point you in the right direction. I think these are all spray painted (very faintly, might I add) on the sidewalk, but I didn't find them all.
- the layout is extremely poor with many crossing, or very close to crossing, fairways (like tees 2 & 18 throwing directly at each other)
- difficult to follow because the signs have either been ripped off or graffitied over, the give no helpful information
- the grass is not mowed anywhere in the park, and many places are waterlogged to the point where you sink up to your ankles in the mud
- the risk/reward level is too high on many holes, where the best lane is over the water, even from the rec tees where a player might not have the experience /technique to make that shot. they're more apt to lose a disc and dislike the sport, poor design element.
Other Thoughts:
Honestly, I think this course sucks. With the exception of a couple of cool, well designed holes, you're either throwing out over open water (which not all players can do), or directly down the walking path that runs the length of the park and a plethora of people constantly using the aforementioned path. This results in a few things that I dislike a lot: one, lost discs in the water for any player with a small arm or low accuracy on 1/3 of the course (3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 18), and lots of waiting or skipping holes because there are just too many other park users to throw around.
Aquatic Park is just a jumble of misplaced holes that can be dangerous to play, either by throwing at other disc golfers on tees, or at all the walkers/joggers/bikers that use the path that runs the middle of the course. It rewards accuracy with many low ceiling shots and teaches you good risk vs. reward play.
I think this park is not big enough to accommodate this disc golf course and the high amount of traffic the park gets on a daily basis. Pull these baskets and make a second course in Golden Gate park, or use another larger park around Berkeley. Aquatic Park isn't worth anyone's time until the park gets some regular maintenance, and the course gets a proper redesign with some safety in mind. But really, there isn't much hope for that because there just isn't the room to do it correctly, so take these baskets and use them elsewhere.