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Dillon Park reviews
7
0
Varied Terrain for Fun Par-3s 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Feb 13, 2022
Played the course:once
Pros:
A really nice collection of par-3s with good natural features.
-Amenities: Well, some of them. See Cons for more. Course kiosk with map, practice basket, concrete tees, red and blue DD baskets, next tee arrows on spokes.
-Natural Features: A great variety of features in play. There are tunnels, hills for tees, a river in play on seven holes, thick woods, and open fields. These come into play as fairways and greens, and they're what make this course stand above most par-3 courses.
-Navigation: The flow is very easy. It's not always easy to find baskets with the current state of tee signs, but an improvement upon these would result in super easy navigation.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: One of the most interesting loops of par-3s I've seen. Holes range from open to extremely tight, and in length from 200' to almost 400'. Water is a great feature when it appears, which is about a third of the course, whether as a punishment for going long, a punishment for turned over drives, or an eerie threat on the shortest hole of the course. The progression of the holes is a nice alternation of very thick woods fairway (which, while totally throwable, are also bogey chances on misfires) with sparse woods shots (requiring careful shot selection but power) and more open shots (that begin or end in the woods to add a great factor of difficulty). There are a couple of island holes, some ace runs, nail-bitingly tight putter shots, big lazy hyzers, and some tunnels that can send you OB instantly. Two of three holes, possibly more, would be right at home on a destination 4.0 course.
-Amenities: Well, some of them. See Cons for more. Course kiosk with map, practice basket, concrete tees, red and blue DD baskets, next tee arrows on spokes.
-Natural Features: A great variety of features in play. There are tunnels, hills for tees, a river in play on seven holes, thick woods, and open fields. These come into play as fairways and greens, and they're what make this course stand above most par-3 courses.
-Navigation: The flow is very easy. It's not always easy to find baskets with the current state of tee signs, but an improvement upon these would result in super easy navigation.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: One of the most interesting loops of par-3s I've seen. Holes range from open to extremely tight, and in length from 200' to almost 400'. Water is a great feature when it appears, which is about a third of the course, whether as a punishment for going long, a punishment for turned over drives, or an eerie threat on the shortest hole of the course. The progression of the holes is a nice alternation of very thick woods fairway (which, while totally throwable, are also bogey chances on misfires) with sparse woods shots (requiring careful shot selection but power) and more open shots (that begin or end in the woods to add a great factor of difficulty). There are a couple of island holes, some ace runs, nail-bitingly tight putter shots, big lazy hyzers, and some tunnels that can send you OB instantly. Two of three holes, possibly more, would be right at home on a destination 4.0 course.
Cons:
-Tee Signs: Easily the biggest con here. The tee signs have mostly worn off, which means no numbers, no distances, no pars, and no maps. It's really a huge shame, and the single reason Dillon isn't a 3.5.
-Park Hazards: Not uncommon. The road is in reach on (1), (2), (14), and (20), a dog park is to the right of (15), and a sidewalk comes into play on (19)-(20).
-Retrieving Discs: Should you find the river, the way in to disc retrieval is treacherous. Having waterproof shoes and/or extremely good footing will be important.
-Gaps and Rough: A handful of holes might pass the line of fun or fairness. (1) is a very difficult opener that probably starts many people over par with its tight tunnel leading to a left finish and perched basket. (9), (12), (13), and (19) deal with a lot of rough, and at least (13) will probably draw criticism for its tightness.
-Par-3: It seems hardly a con with the variety the course has, but in my opinion, gameplay is always better with a mix of multi-shot holes and par-3s. Dillon makes this almost feel like a non-issue, it's so engaging.
-Basket (9): On my second appearance, it had been smashed flat. Hopefully will get fixed.
-Park Hazards: Not uncommon. The road is in reach on (1), (2), (14), and (20), a dog park is to the right of (15), and a sidewalk comes into play on (19)-(20).
-Retrieving Discs: Should you find the river, the way in to disc retrieval is treacherous. Having waterproof shoes and/or extremely good footing will be important.
-Gaps and Rough: A handful of holes might pass the line of fun or fairness. (1) is a very difficult opener that probably starts many people over par with its tight tunnel leading to a left finish and perched basket. (9), (12), (13), and (19) deal with a lot of rough, and at least (13) will probably draw criticism for its tightness.
-Par-3: It seems hardly a con with the variety the course has, but in my opinion, gameplay is always better with a mix of multi-shot holes and par-3s. Dillon makes this almost feel like a non-issue, it's so engaging.
-Basket (9): On my second appearance, it had been smashed flat. Hopefully will get fixed.
Other Thoughts:
Dillon is a really fun course. The par-3s are inventive and challenging, but definitely birdieable. The scenery is often enjoyable, and it provides a consistent fun factor that many courses don't have. That said, the tee signs are a big con, and hold the course back. On the whole, it's near the top of my Good list, and I hope it will get the money to replace tee signs and solidify its ranks in the Very Good. This one, along with Live Oak, make Sumter a nice place to come for a light day.
