Hitzman Park plays through some lovely tall pines which carve out solid shot shapes. Getting to the pin is never overly difficult, but also isn't guaranteed with the trees dotted across the fairways.

First up, the amenities. Nine big concrete tees with brooms at each to sweep off any sand buildup on them. Large tee signs complimented by the course signs posted by holes 1 and 8. The DisCatcher baskets are in good repair and prepped for glow rounds.

The fairway shapes are established and should be adhered to if you want to score well here. A few holes leave multiple routes to the pin (1 and 8), but the rest are either straightaways or have a strong finish to them (4 and 6).

The one spot of elevation on the disc golf part of the property is used well. Hole 8's tee is set onto a berm near the walking path and provides a high left hyzer or a straight gap down the middle.

The rest of the course is flatter than your last pancake. A few tree roots preventing skips or a small rut here and there, but no real elevation changes except the one.

The pad of 5 is in the backdoor line of 4. A mando right would be the perfect way to solve this. Apart from this none of the holes get in the others' way unless you really miss.

The length of 5, 6 and 9 is appreciated, but the rest of the course will be very reachable for anyone with some experience. There's space behind hole 9 to squeeze a little more out of the disc golf area of the park.

The design team took a piece of land that wouldn't suit most purposes and made an enjoyable course out of it. Nothing in the "wow" department besides the height of some of the trees, but it makes for a fun, quick round.

This seems like the local haunt for glow golfers. Glowsticks around the basket bands and in the chains themselves. If that's your thing this is the spot for you.

Hitzman is a worthy 9 hole if just to appreciate the work put in to design a fun course out of nothing. Come put in a quick round or enjoy the night golf on offer. The course doesn't disappoint.

(1.907 Rating) (Re-Evaluated) A 9-hole pines course with minimal variations.
- UPGRADES - I'm pretty sure I played the Hitzman course at the bottom of the valley ratings wise. The tees were in terrible shape and every tee sign was vandalized. Fast forward 5 years later and I got a good new report from Surge5 that was enlightening. New concrete pads and new very nice looking tees signs. These two needed upgraded aspects by themselves bumped this course up a full quarter point from my point of view.
- FUN FACTOR - I think the best aspect going for the Hitzman course is it's easy going feel. There are no hazards present here, there's no overgrowth, and errant shots are generally not further punished. Lots of birdie opportunities for seasoned players and a couple ace runs. This is likely a very popular local course.
- SKILL LEVEL FRIENDLY - Not necessarily designed as a beginner's course, but they should enjoy it regardless due to the low disc loss possibilities. The fairway widths are moderately spaced and should challenge Rec players. Intermediate players should average 2 to 4 down here. Probably not a good Advanced level course but they may enjoy it for the social atmosphere.
- NAVIGATION - As noted in the upgrades pro, new tee signs. There is no next tee direction on them but there are other elements here that will help. There's a new posted course map. Hopefully the directional arrows below the baskets are still present. The transitions hole to hole are generally short. I don't see how anyone is getting lost here.
- QUICK PLAY - Epic quick to play. I was in total bagger mode and blew through this one in 16 minutes. I'd say that under normal circumstances that a group of 4 could play two rounds in under 90 minutes.
- MAINTENANCE - The park appears to be well maintained. I saw very little trash and the grass was mowed.
- NIGHT GOLF - If open, this would be an ideal night golf course. Spacious fairways, moderate tree coverage, no overgrowth and no water hazards in play.

A lack of complexity.
- HOLE VARIETY - Hitzman offers very few differential elements. It's generally a moderately spaced pines course with Rec distances hole after hole. There are no water elements in play. Elevation change is basically zero. None of the holes are gimmes and none are exceedingly hard. There are no multi-play holes and they all play relatively straight. The course is very monotonous. I don't vividly remember any of the holes 5 years later.
- NOT CHALLENGING - Skilled players will walk away untested. Every hole should be birdied by an Intermediate player after 7 or 8 rounds.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I've played nearly all the Pensacola area courses as of this review revision and I find the natural elements here to be below average among that grouping. Not an eyesore by any means, but without any elevation or water elements, it comes off rather plain Jane. There are also plenty of chain link and wood fences in view, I scored it 30 percentile in this category.
- AMENTIES - To my knowledge, this course is still only a one basket and one tee course. Perhaps there are some benches now or even a practice basket too.

Hitzman was needing some attention and thankfully it got it. Still not a destination course by any means, but if I lived within a few miles I'd happily play here all the time. It reminds me of courses such as Brahan Springs in Huntsville Alabama, War Memorial in south central Kentucky and Frog Rock near Atlanta, but with 9 less holes and less amenities. Overall, I'd say Hitzman is an average niner now, but without much potential to go any higher considering the site restraints. For those in the Pensacola area seeking the best, I would recommend nearby Gator Lakes in Milton or the Blue Angels trio.

Hitzman Optimist DGC is set amidst a small pine grove in its own corner of the park. The moderately wooded environment helps offset the general ease of the shorter hole distances. There are no out-and-out gimme shots, and your approaches, if needed, will often have to contend with at least a tree or two. Birdie opportunities abound, but the trees help them feel a bit more earned than at your standard public park 9 holer. There are some tight tunnel shots (5, 7, 8, 9) that will challenge you off the tee at a variety of distances. There's a decent mix of distances here (215'-330', with three over 300') considering the cramped quarters.

Navigation is helpfully aided with arrows on the underside of baskets that point you to the next hole. With these, finding your way around is a snap. Tee signs are nicely done.

The course is easily accessible off I-10. The location is set apart from non-disc golf activities, nicely avoiding conflicts with other park goers. Bathrooms and parking are readily accessible, and there's a nice-looking playground for kids.

While the wooded environment is nice, the even distribution of trees throughout the property makes it difficult for the designers to construct and force lines off the tee. As a consequence, the tees either set you up with a straight tunnel shot between rows of trees or at an angle to said rows, in which case you're forced to pick a line through the trees yourself in an often poke-and-pray fashion. This is more a natural product of the terrain than a design flaw, but it does lead to a lack of line shaping and an increased luck factor. You can play the entire course successfully throwing a straight shot or a wide hyzer. Creativity isn't provoked, and risk versus reward is largely absent. Only having 9 holes, with only one set of tees (excepting hole 1) and one set of pin positions, further limits variety, challenge, and replayability.

The tees were terrible on my visit: natural in the sandy soil, they have become torn up and pot holed over time. Additionally, many are riddled with roots that pose serious tripping hazards. I found them unusable. Driving from behind or off to the side is possible, but this can be awkward at times.

Some of the fairways play close together: a bad throw or an unfortunate kick off a tree (very possible) can have you playing in someone else's fairway. A few holes border residential yards.

Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed my round at Hitzman Optimist. It made for a nice, low-pressure hour and a half stop over on my drive back to New Orleans. In that time I was able to play the course twice, stopping to rethrow some shots and work on my short game. Hitzman Optimist isn't going to throw much at an experienced player that they haven't already seen, but it can be a fun stop for a quick and casual round if you know what to expect.