Pros:
- Reasonable layout. It's a decently maintained course set behind the cop shop along the main thoroughfare of Azle. The wide-open spaces offer a great place to showcase your big arm, while still giving you a few holes to practice your accuracy with a couple ace runs in some relatively sparse woodlands. There are also some small elevation changes that test your game and make the course a bit more challenging. The blustering wind adds another degree of difficulty, but it provides a great place to learn what your discs can and will do in a more practical setting vice just heading out to an open, empty field.
- Nice equipment. Baskets are in excellent shape and the concrete teepads allow you to really grip it and rip it without worrying about slippage. Excellent signage makes navigation easy as well.
- Good amenities. There's a park and soccer fields for the kids and other non-disc golfers to enjoy while you're playing your round, so there's a virtual smorgasbord of things to do and parking is plentiful. The field would make a great place to play Ultimate.
Cons:
- Very few garbage cans and just a smattering of benches on the course itself to rest your laurels.
- Could use a clean-up day. There's what seems to be a semi-dried up "creek" that flows through the woods that houses a few of the holes and there was all kinds of trash and old tires littering the bottom. Looked a bit trashy. Not having many trash cans undoubtedly contributes to this.
- Could be hazardous. Some of the holes (particularly on the back 9) play right along and very close to the playgrounds and other areas that kids are likely to frequent. Chuckers need to be extra vigilant on their throws because errant shots could prove dangerous to the kiddos.
- Monotonous. While this is a great course to air it out, its straight-forward, almost pedestrian design gets repetitive.
- No topless Hooters girls frolicking along the #8 fairway.
Other Thoughts:
All in all, Ash Creek is a decent course that, with a little TLC and a few design improvements, has a lot of potential. It definitely brightens up Azle and hey, who here doesn't enjoy a few more baskets to throw at? Another 18 holes is a plus and, if you're looking to work on your drives this is the place to do it. However, I wouldn't go out of your way to play it. Ash Creek most likely won't end up in your favorites, but if you live in Fort Worth it's worth a look -- if only to be able to say you've played it.