My first impression of this course began before I even got to the course. The area surrounding it is gorgeous, making it a very enjoyable drive up there. This continued at the park. The course is located by the town visitor's center, which I was told is usually open and has bathrooms available. We had a little trouble finding the actual start of the course; we first circled around the two parking lots up top, before heading down the hill (through an open gate with a sign that says it closes automatically at 7PM). We did notice a basket in the back area of the visitors center, so we weren't exactly sure if we were going the right way or not.
The road back is small, so go slow. If someone else comes down the road, be ready to pull over and try to let people squeeze through. Eventually you come up to a small parking lot with maybe 10 spots (it was part full when we arrived). The first hole goes alongside that parking lot, so I opted to park closest to the teepad as possible to avoid a wayward throw.
Walking up to the first hole, I was happy to see good quality concrete pads. They ended up all being great, some even with run off areas or even ground after, which I certainly appreciated. The trees in this first area are much younger than the forest around it; some are even freshly planted (probably this year or last) that could be troublesome trees in 15 or 20 years. Most of the holes are open lane shots, but the low trees offers the chances for hyzer bombs and a little creativity.
It was during these first few holes that I noticed the distances seemed quite off. I believe it was hole 3 that it said was much farther than I believe it actually was. I used a Teebird off the pad and sailed past the basket (I use that disc mainly for fairway approaches or controlled, shorter drives, and I still overshot it easily). This continued through the entire course; there was even one hole that said it was 110 or so, and the next one said 150 or so, despite the fact that the 2nd hole was painfully shorter.
Entering the woods brings you to a series of holes that require extremely tight S-curve shots, or small drives to each bend. The trees are pretty thick here, so slipping one through that's off that line is pretty unlikely and pretty reliant on luck. I felt like it could have been better thought out, in order to create a challenging hole without making it feel impossible or frustrating, even for skilled players.
The fairways become much more standard after that; wide throwing lanes with woods on either side. Some allow you to take one route or another, while others may force you into a right or left curving shot. I needed all of my throws through the woods, which is a good thing, as they all felt very interesting. This portion ends in a hole that is about 100 feet (at most, probably closer to 80), that offers even beginning players a chance at ace run.
I'll take this time to note something my wife says about the course. She has played on and off for a few years, only recently taking it more seriously. She enjoyed this course for a number of reasons, but one was that there are shorter holes that are beginner friendly (while not being too easy, in my opinion). They were common enough for her to keep interested and to keep her feeling good (getting pars and even a birdie), while I barely noticed too much of a difference. This makes it VERY good for all skill levels, in my opinion.
After the wooded portion, there are my two favorite holes, which are certainly signature holes: the pond hole and the downhill throw. The pond hill is extremely scenic, throwing from above and between trees, over the pond, and between more trees to the clearing (surrounded by smaller pines) where the basket is. It's a relatively easy shot to avoid the water, but the risk of clipping a tree and bouncing back is still there. If you don't feel like throwing it, there is a marked area using a blue pole, near the next teepad, that we believe was the drop zone. Last thing to note is the pond doesn't look too deep and it looks clean enough, though I would rather avoid it if possible.
The next downhill shot was a beauty, perfect for big hyzers. I enjoyed it largely because it's one of the only downhill throws, despite the MANY uphill throws. For me, the downhill throw was a lot of fun to get some big air, some big distance, in a long bomb format that is lacking in this very technical course. Not that it needs to be all long shots, but the variation is very welcome by then. I noted this as a negative because I did feel the uphill throwing and walking should have been rewarded with another downhill throw or two to even it out, but that's personal preference.
The final holes are reminiscent of the first, given it circles back into the parking lot. There's not a lot of variation by that point, though one basket is up on a mound that makes longer putts pretty dangerous if you're needing to keep the score low. After the signature holes, these last ones are pretty lackluster, even a little "plinky" thanks to the pine trees located there. Kind of takes some wind out of the sails to end, but it is what it is.
Throughout the course, there are a few tables/benches, but only 1 or 2. If I had realized this, I definitely would have brought a stool or chair. I would love to see more being put in, even every other or every third hole. The terrain in a few areas can be rough, with it being uphill, having loose rocks, and persistent thorny plants in the woods. Also be on the lookout for poison ivy near the top of the hills; I ran into some and stopped just in time before really getting into it.
In conclusion, I really enjoyed this course. It really gets going after the first few wooded holes and has a very good pace to it. The layout is well thought out and forces you to use your entire bag of discs or your entire lineup of throws. It looks similar by the end, but it tends to stay fresh throughout the entire round. It was clearly designed by a disc golfer who wants to have a high quality course for other disc golfers. The distances on the signs were consistently and obviously wrong, so for someone like me who has a basic idea of what discs work for what distances, it can be a little annoying, but certainly not a deal breaker. Overall, I loved this course. It was not the best I've ever played, but it's definitely up there. It's a bit of a hike for me, but I will gladly return on any day of the week that I am able to. I think it could use a few changes and additions, and the trees growing in the first area will cause some changes to be needed in 10-15 years or so, but it is a great course, off to a great start, with tons of potential to be a star course in Arkansas.