Kees Park is split in half by a deep drainage ditch. The far side of the park looks as though it was totally devoted to children with a large playground with picnic tables and birthdays being celebrated. The disc golf side is a lovely, slightly rolling terrain with scattered mature trees. There doesn't seem to be much else happening on this side, maybe a couple of folks walking through is all.

The little 9 hole course has natural tee pads. Because they don't have a front board and aren't clearly marked, players can move left or right and change their angle off the tee. The signs are the old school fiberglass ones and amazingly, these haven't been broke yet. The baskets are DGA models with the red number on the top.

The course is a solid recreational level with some length with # 1 and # 5 both playing over 300' so this is no pitch and putt. Only # 2 and # 3 play under 200'.

# 2 is just a little 180' anhyser throw but there is some nasty looking rough and snarky water behind the basket. The ditch comes is on your right side on both 4 & 5. Signature hole? I liked both 2 and 3 which are the same type of hole. They are both short ( 165' and 180') anhyser throws with the basket blind from the tee set near the woods.

Navigation was easy and the course loops back to the start.

# 7 sign missing.

Ditch.

Not much parking.

This is just one of those little 9 hole rec courses that are found in city parks everywhere. Kees DGC might be a bit more interesting because of holes 2 & 3 and the ditch bordering 4 & 5. I bet this course gets a nice amount of play because of it's enjoyment factor. I was told there are two good 18 hole courses nearby so players here have a nice variety of courses to pick from. Count yourselves as lucky, Pineville golfers, you have some excellent choices.

Free, close to town, shaded/cool, well manicured, short, lots of birdie potential.

Terrible tee boxes, deep ditch along #4 & 5, only 9 holes.

This is a neat little 9 holes course, that can be played on a lunch break(during our brief spring/fall when the temp isn't terrible). The tee boxes are rubber, and too short or misaligned. Otherwise, it's a great short course, all under a tree canopy of pines, hickory and oaks.

It is easy to get to. It is free. It is a short walk - you can play this whole course in less than 30 minutes. It is shaded and has mature trees. This is a great course for teaching new players and children to play, as long as they are wearing good shoes (see Cons below). The more I play this course, the more I am learning to appreciate it for what it is: a good beginner course.

This course is also not without a few challenging holes. Holes 1, 5, 8 and 9 are tough birdies. And holes 1 and 5 have significant OB risk. But an experienced player should expect to finish every 9 hole round at least 3 under par.

There is fair amount of broken glass around the first tee and between it and the 9th basket. There is a big ditch along holes 4 and 5. This is a drainage ditch that apparently picks up some nasty stuff when it rains. Forget about scrambling down and up after a rain, the sides are steep and slippery. This course holds water in a lot of places despite having a drainage ditch run through it.

It takes a while to find the first basket from the first tee. Seriously, I'd never thought about it before, but fat, red numbers on baskets are almost impossible to read in the shade. Could basket designers not use high contrast black and white, and thinner numbers? This is an issue on this course, you can see 4-5 baskets from the first tee. Better make sure you know which one is number "1" before you throw, it's not one of the obvious or close ones.

UPDATE: I forgot to mention that the tees are 4x4 feet squares of rubber matting that were apparently placed on the ground with no attempt to level the ground first (or pick up broken glass). This essentially prohibits any run up if you need one. To be fair, most of the holes are so short that you won't need one. The rubber mats are actually more of a tripping hazard than an aid to throwing. Locals throw from the ground to the side of the mats, but this can get pretty slick after rains on some of the holes.

There is more water on this course than just holes 4 and 5. There is a creek behind the baskets on holes 2 and 3 that could easily come into play. You could also get there from the first tee if your shots fades too far to the left.

If you are in the Alexandria area, play the Buhlow and Martin Park Courses if you want a challenge. If you have small kids or are looking for a quick game, Kees Park is a good choice. It will be cooler and a much easier walk and the kids can play at the playground after you finish your round.