1) Well maintained (usually) multi-use park in downtown Henderson, KY. There are multiple covered pavilion areas, a skate park, a bathroom house, several ball fields, and lots of paved walking trails throughout. All this residing on the banks of the Ohio River with some decent and breezy views of the water.

2) While the first 12 holes and the 18th Hole are mostly flat with sparce tree cover here and there, 13-17 changes pace and utilizes much denser woods and great changes in elevation

3) Nice long, wide, sturdy and well textured concrete tee pads. Course signage is obviously old but is full color with a hole map and all relevant information.

4) Multiple benches and trash cans scattered throughout the course which aids in keeping the course very neat and trash free.

5) Beginner level friendly with a few more advanced holes mixed in. Distances on the short side with some really soft Par 4's.

6) Hole 6 is definitely the signature hole on the course, a downhill 300 foot par 3 into a peninsula protected by a steep rocky drop off into the Ohio River left and long and protected by thick woods and grass elevated on the right. The green itself is further protected by several large mature trees making this a very nervy tee shot, especially if the wind is whipping off the river. Beautiful to look at, and the challenge level is there.

7) In an otherwise wide open field there are two baskets placed atop earthen mounds that provide a little challenge and spice to what would otherwise be extremely boring holes. It's not much, but it does show that some thought and effort went into making things better.

8) Holes 13-17 feel like different course compared to the others. The use of elevation and difficult gaps through the trees ratchets up the difficulty of an otherwise bland extremely scoreable course. Without these holes, this course would be a simple hyzerfest beginner course, and the only reason I didn't score this course lower.

9) Cart friendly for sure, and great for older players, juniors and/or ladies without a ton of distance.

10) Hole #1 basket was moved to a much more challenging location on this visit and it appears to be the new permanent location. This subtle change definitely helps the course in a positive way.

1) Older Innova Discatcher baskets that have rusted chains, some baskets are slanted instead of being perfectly level.

2) Most of the course is wide open with little to no tree cover. There is very little outside of the end of the back 9 in ways of getting out of the scorching sun during the summer months.

3) There is no signage or indicators to help with navigation beyond looking for tee pad signs and the number on each basket. Could be a pain to navigate without U-Disc or a photo of the course map/

4) Easily forgettable start to the course, compounded with the massive amount of walking trails throughout that section. This park sees tons of use and there will almost always be people, walkers, dogs, or even parked vehicles in your way throughout.

5) Flooding potential. Most of the fairways are in low lying areas near or right up against the river and water has a tendency to accumulate throughout the course. Would not suggest playing after a solid rain storm.

6) Too many open see how far I can throw it holes. Most of the Par 4's are VERY eagleable in the 400 ft range with only minor defenses.

7) Very strange low ceiling 400 ft difficult Par 3 (hole #3) sprinkled in with a large drop off into a creek on the right and deep, and OB road on the left all the way down, into a very heavily guarded green with tiny gaps between a wall of old mature trees. Feels very out of place (even though par is relative) compared to the skill level of the rest of the course.

Atkinson is an older course, built in a time with less disc technology and less need for beauty and difficultly to be taken into account in design. While it still serves it's purpose, it is a course that you can quickly outgrow and there are much better quality courses in the area. I'm sure if I were a local this would still be in my regular rotation but it is not a destination course. It's worthy of getting in though if you have some spare time and are in the area visiting other courses, or just need to get a quick 18 in before heading off somewhere.

+ Some hills here and there give the course nice texture.
+ Tee pads are wide, long, flat and sturdy poured concrete.
+ Benches and trash cans scattered around. Please don't litter!
+ The course plays within a well-groomed township park, but...

- ...It's way too open and plain with just a few exceptions.
- Some of the baskets are showing signs of damage and/or rust.
- There are no 'next' indicators.

I really didn't like the first and last holes because of how boring they were. I liked looking at hole6 the most. That hole looked like a disc golf peninsula with how it was surrounded on three sides by trees and the actual Ohio River in sight just beyond it. I enjoyed playing hole14 the most. After thirteen holes of nothing but wide open fields and a few park style holes, it was a nice change to see an actual tunnel, even if it was the briefest hole on the course.

On that note, let's get into it right away. Atkinson Park relies a bit too heavily on wide open fields for its disc golf. I appreciate the practice of seeing how far I can throw, but it gets old pretty quickly. Holes4 and 5 introduce a little bit of variety into the front nine with a peppering of trees, and holes14 through 17 are undoubtedly the stars of the show with their combinations of trees and hills that hide the baskets, but everything else is plain and straightforward.

On the positive side of things, the infrastructure is consistent, mostly. The tee pads are the right size and sturdy. There are benches and trash cans sprinkled around the course. The tee signs do the trick. The baskets are numbered. The whole course plays within a breezey, sunny and safe public park with well-maitained grounds.

It's just a shame that there are walking paths everywhere. I played here in summer heat during business hours on a weekday, and I still had to wait multiple times for pedestrians to clear the way. How will this place be during pleasant weather on a weekend? It's also a shame that there is no 'next' signage. Sure, the course's flat and mostly treeless landscape turn that into a small issue, but there's nothing wrong with a course guiding its players along. And I've already mentioned the biggest problem at Atkinson: the straightforward and wide-open nature of the majority of holes.

There really isn't much else to say because most of the course plays in fields. I view Atkinson serving its purpose best as a training ground for newer players looking to extend their reach and a practice gallery for those of us still trying to work on perfecting that snap and get some birdies in the process. What few wooded holes exist here are welcomed breaks from the blazing sun and refreshing tests of focused accuracy. However, the overall experience is one of simplicity. Then again, sometimes that's a good thing, right?

So, come here expecting not much beyond a simple test of might, and you'll find it to be a harmless course. Just don't make it your only stop if you're in the area.

Fun 18 hole course near my hometown of Evansville. A couple views of the Ohio river make it uniquely scenic. Distance throwers will like this course as you have a chance on several holes to air it out. Decent beginner course, but just challenging enough to trick the amateur player as well. Amenities are well placed throughout the course, i.e., bathrooms, shops and trash cans. The holes on top of man made mounds are very unique, and I made an amazing putt on the first one that I will probably never do again, first time course playing luck I must say haha.

Not that much variety of holes. A couple are through the woods, but most are wide open shots with little obstacles to deal with. Park can also be very busy with the skatepark close to it, and the ball fields as well. My biggest peeve was the walk from the basket of #14 to the teepad of #15. We weren't paying attention and teed off from the teepad of #17 since that was right where you would think the next hole should be as it was only 25 feet or so from the basket of 14. However, the teepad was actually across the road. We had to pick up our first shots and backtrack. Not a con now as I know this and will never forget it, but can be troublesome for a new navigator as we were.

Decent course for the land available, and if you are in the area, stop in for a quick round. However, this is not a destination course. It's just an average course. I'm glad to have it near home though. Makes for a good round for locals.

The layout definately attempts to maximize the available land. There are a good number of 325-450 holes that let the average player stretch their arms a little. Several holes offer a moderate technical challenge that reward skillful line shaping. Several of the longer holes utilize what trees are avaible to spice things up a little. The patches of mature woods that offer some shade are very welcome, especially in the heat of summer. Generally a nice flow to the course without having to search around too much to find the next tee. Tees and baskets are in great shape as the course is not quite 2 years old. Risk of losing discs is nominal with only a couple of holes skirting the river presenting any level of real risk. Bathrooms available near first tee, practice basket, discs available at golf proshop and scorecards are all nice "extras" that not every course offers. The baskets that sit atop a couple of mounds are unique.

Too many wide open holes for my liking. Not the most challenging course for intermediate level and above. There is both a road and bike/jogging path that run annoyingly close to a number of holes. We had to either wait or alter our shot selection a few times rather than risk hitting someone or a vehichle. As mentioned several times already, there are no special holes that stand out in your mind after playing a round. The closest thing to memeorable for me was # 17. While the hole is only 325', it plays up and down a couple of undulating hills. There are a couple of guardian trees approx 40' before you get to the basket--it was fun.

Definately worth a trip over the bridge if you are in the Evansville area to play Mesker. We met a group of locals who were as cool as any you'll find. We also talked to several groups of folks on the walking trail who were interested in what we were doing. The park is pretty and the few glimpses you get of the Ohio are nice.

Newer 18 hole course so there are great baskets, excellent tee signs, and solid concrete tees. Easy to navigate and little danger of losing discs will make this course appeal to recreation players, beginners, and families, although some of the holes will be long for beginners. There are several really good holes #2-7 were nice, as well as a couple on the back 9. The baskets on earth mounds are unique. There are some nice views of the Ohio River but water does not come into play. The course comes back to the parking lot after holes #9 and #18. There is a nice kiosk with course map and scorecards as well as a practice basket.

For my tastes, there are too many holes that are not real exciting, challenging, memorable, or unique. These holes are relatively long and wide open and seem to be fillers in order to get to and from the parking lot to the better parts of the park. #1, #9, #10, #18 come to mind as being rather boring.

Be aware of other park users as a walking trail goes in and out of the course several times. Also, a popular playground could see an errant throw head its way on hole 15. Speaking of 15 (and 16), these holes had buttercup flower filled fairways, which were pretty, but made finding discs extremely difficult as these things are thick and tall. I had trouble finding my putter after a missed putt!!! Also on these two holes you have to look out for golf balls as a golf course runs along these holes as well.

This course is your typical city parks course- nice, playable, great for all skill levels, but advanced and experienced players will see that this course is pretty average.

Recommendation- if you live here you have a decent 18 hole course, if you are passing through and have time it is worth a stop to play once, if you are driving a long ways you can find better courses.