Pros:
This little Rec course in the quaint SE Washington town of Dayton is only two years old but appears much older. The original design apparently was modified when the dog park opened last year. That affected hole # 4 reducing it from 264' to much more rec-like 120'. The course sits near the Dayton school's and I believe the students have enjoyed vandalizing the course more than playing it. There are signs lying on the ground while others are wiggles and wobbly.
The course started with good bones. The concrete tee pads are an OK size. The nice, green metal tee signs are attached to fairly sturdy poles and have a basic hole map. The DGA baskets are fine although not installed correctly. (More on these in the Cons section).
# 1 is just a basic 173' straight throw. # 2 is a pleasant little 207' throw which requires a tight, low and accurate throw through a narrow tunnel. # 3 is 256' to a basket set between the outfield fence and the dog park. # 4 is the hole that once was. Here is where things got a little strange. I think? # 5 plays back toward the beginning with a 234' throw to a basket set close to the water. But this basket might also be the # 9 basket. Hell, this basket might be the freakin mayor of Dayton, for what I could discover. # 6 ? I really tried to locate # 6 but my search turned up empty. I did find # 's 7-8-9. They are back near the start. # 7 is a simple little 205' throw into trees by the creek. # 8 then plays 186' to a basket right by the road and # 1. Then # 9 is 277' heading back towards the dog park and basket # 5, with the water on your right.
Cons:
Because the forced changes resulting from the great Dayton Dog invasion, the # 5 sign is lying across the tee pad. Other signs are wobbling. # 5 and 9 might share the same basket. # 6 hole has possibly been relocated to the neighboring town of Waitsburg. Or possibly it's long gone. Or possibly, I am an incompetent disc golfer and player of numerous courses who simply couldn't find it.
The DGA baskets are all 4" to 6" too high. This really adversely affected my putting. I just couldn't get my head around these too high baskets. Don't you think the Dayton park's maintenance people maybe should have researched the height of disc golf baskets before installation?
Other Thoughts:
These crazy slightly elevated baskets got into my head so much that as soon as my practice round was finished, I emailed the tourney director that I wouldn't be returning for the prestigious Dayton Cup Disc Golf Tournament and would like my entry fee returned to me.
Dayton is a few miles off the usual disc golf trail and this little rec course is probably not going to draw in the traveling circuit of disc golfers. I'll let Niko and Paige know as well so they don't waste a weekend here.