Pros:
1) Noticed this course had not been reviewed in over 5 years and since it is one of my semi-close to home wooded favorites I figured I would give an updated review.
2) Very nice densely wooded course in Evansville, IN. Very large parking lot, multiple pavilions, a small playground, right next to Mesker Zoo and the Mesker Park course. Bonus points for being able to play a hybrid layout of Mesker Park and Mesker Woods (used for AM worlds in 2022) that really emphasizes the best of both courses while adding a lot of distance and difficulty.
3) New Prodigy baskets, Practice basket right next to the parking lot beside Hole #1, multiple benches and trash cans throughout, large textured concrete tee pads, bland tee signs but they do offer a ton of relevant information including elevation drop/gain from tee to green and a topographical visual of the hole to show the elevation changes.
4) Stellar use of elevation change in a densely wooded parcel of land. You not only have to hit tight lines, but you have to navigate often large chunks of quick elevation changes, plan for ground play, and avoid roll aways.
5) Not an enormous property by any means, especially being right next to Mesker Park disc golf course, but use of the property available is well done. The holes are tightly packed together but almost always have enough thick tree cover and elevation difference to shield opposing fairways from errant throws.
6) Multiple Signature Holes, probably too many to list and do justice to.
(Hole 1) Starts you off with a blind up and over a hill through a tight wooded gap to a basket perched right on the edge of a ledge with a steep drop off behind it. To give you an idea of the downslope, there is a ten foot tall flag on top of the basket that you can just barely see the top of if you stand on the tee pad and jump. You must hit a gap, control the speed, get the disc to stop, and then make a nervy death putt on the very first hole, at least it's only like 180 feet.
(Hole 2) One of the funnest shots to throw on the course, downhill tunnel roughly 20 feet wide the entire way, low ceiling, probably 60 feet in elevation drop tee to green to a basket perched on a small elevated knoll. Hole is just over 400 ft put can be reached with a straight flying putter or mid. Keeping the disc straight that long over that much elevation change is tricky.
(Hole 6) The first of your sub 200 foot ace runs, this hole plays over a steep valley which makes the trees that line the tunnel create a low ceiling, but the uphill slope of the green and the catch fence behind the green (to protect #13 tee pad) make this easily runable. Be careful though, hitting an early tree or landing on the wrong angle on this green can turn an easy 2 into a bogey or worse pretty easily.
(Hole 7) a massive downhill left to right hole roughly 375 ft with skinny gap after skinny gap to hit on the way to a heavily guarded green. The view if great, you are right next to an auxilary parking lot with modern bathrooms, there are benches to sit and take a breather. Great hole.
(Hole 11) a 225 foot snaking tunnel that plays slightly uphill the entire way. A definite ace run protected by a deep creek bed in front of the basket and a landing zone that is several feet above the playing surface leading up to the creek. Two separate wooden bridges that can be major obstructions or cause weird disc reactions if hit. A should get two, but a very hard green to stick close.
(Hole 12) Another sub 200 foot ace run through a tight tunnel with two trees that lean out from either side of the fairway to force an even skinnier straight gap or make you play a risky hyzer up and around the trees. Green is very choppy and difficult to land on with the correct speed after having to shape your disc down the fairway.
7) Huge mix of elevation and shot shapes, uphill, downhill, side slopes, straight, left, right, this course has it all.
8) Blurs the line well between being a pro level difficulty course while still being low amateur playable (and fun still). Solid mix of short but technical holes balanced against some very beastly holes that require supreme accuracy and distance to score on.
Cons:
1) Awkward walks and transitions at times, between hole 7 and 8 is one, Hole 6 and Hole 13 have teepads right next to each other in different directions, Hole 17 to Hole 18 you walk right out of the woods into 18's fairway and risk getting drilled.
2) This course is notoriously thick and hard to keep well groomed. While the tight narrow fairways are always kept well, the rough is EXTREME on either side most often. Lost discs and ninja battles with thorn bushes are common place here.
3) The canopy keeps most of this course shaded constantly which is great during those hot summer months, however this course can tend to stay wet and soggy during the rainier season. Footing is an issue with all the sloping trails and holes.
4) Hole #17 has to be the sore thumb of this course. It is probably one of the worst designed holes I have ever played. The rest of the course is great to spectacular, but this hole is terrible and hated by almost everyone not involved in designing it. Imagine a capital L layed over on it's side and that is the hole shape. Tee box is at the end of the little portion of the L with the basket at the end of the longer portion of the L. This hole is 385 FT as the crow flies, but if you play the designed fairway it is more in the 490-500 foot range and it is a Par 3 and uphill the entire way. There is no way to cut the corner. You are forced to throw down the tunnel and end right roughly 180 feet to make the corner and thick tree line blocking the inside, outside, and long landing zones. Then you must navigate a well protected fairway and small green. Outside of a miraculous righty backhand roller I have never seen anyone in circle 2 off the tee. And this is a very odd hole as there are some much softer Par 4's on the course.
Other Thoughts:
Wonderful advanced level heavily wooded course in an area that really only has lightly wooded and open bomber courses. Well designed (outside of one hole) that maximizes the land available. This course is #1 on the list of reasons to visit Evansville to play, while not the caliber of most of the 4.5 and better rated courses on here, Mesker Woods offers a unique difficult wooded course feel without being exclusive to skill level. A must play in the area an solid enough, aided by so many other courses nearby, to warrant suggestion for a weekend trip to the area to bag them all. Start here though.