Pros:
1) Nice large concrete tees. Kindof surprising for a small little neighborhood park to have put so much into the tees. Breath of fresh air as I would prefer concrete everytime.
2) This could be a positive to a local or to a visitor that comes at the wrong time, but I think it is good for the sport. The course can actually be reserved for programming (clinics, beginner lessons, school programs). That is a great way to promote the sport while also allowing for the kids to be out there and not intimidated by Jerry Garcia or the older punk kids.
3) Wonderful use of some rolling terrain with elevation change on every single hole. There is only one dramatic elevation change, but enough on each hole you have to plan your technique beforehand. I really enjoy the thought process that it takes to modify your standard through just slightly. Not only does it have some nice terrain but it uses the wooded areas and sporatic trees to create some unique and still challenging holes.
4) From the photos on the course page and from everything I could see the course seems to be very well maintained. Keep in mind I played it with about 6 inches of snow so I cannot comment on the turf, use of mulch, and/or compaction areas (wear areas), but from everything I could tell it is well taken care of. The trees are all fairly healthy woodland trees and there is very little underbrush immediately in play. A couple spots might have some buckthorn or some wild rose, but they are generally removed from the in play areas.
5) Some challenging greens and basket locations. #2 has plenty of trees to knock you down outside normal putting range so if you can miss the trees you might birdie but if you hit any of them you are looking at one of those tough 40' putts. #3 is tucked back into a little wooded area with a 30' green free of obstruction. #4 is tucked amongst some evergreens and deciduous trees. Try and thread the needle on an anny or loft a big hyzer up there and hope it drops straight down. #8 is tucked halfway down about a 6 foot sidehill. The top of the hill is only 12 feet away but it is taller than the basket. I could imagine some interesting skip aces there! #9 has about 5 evergreen surrounding 3 sides of the basket. Go for it but leave it short is the safest birdie opportunity, but who does that we all go for the ace. If you do and overshoot or too much hyzer and the disc has about a 50-50 chance of being blocked by an evergreen. You could be 10 feet away and have NO putt at the basket. It is a short enough hole I am ok with this green setup, but on a longer hole I wouldnt agree with the proximity of the basket to those trees, because at that point it is more luck than skill.
6) Nice variety in shots required. 1) slight turnover. 2) hyzer or anhyzer route slightly uphill. 3) Straight out but up over crest of hill. 4) Uphiller with some trees in your way. 5) Big anny into woods. 6) Big downhiller (dont throw much more than a putter). 7) Straight out ace run with 10-12 foot dropoff past basket. Nice risk/reward on the ace run or probable 3. 8) Nice basket placement on sidehill. Interesting skipshot. 9)Nice hyzer into the trees and hope the disc finds a putting area!
Cons:
1) Vandalism appears to be a problem, I think 1, 3, and 4 tee signs were all tagged. Large black sharpie across the entire sign. Typical douchery.
2)Very short holes on average, I cannot downgrade this course much because it is still fun . . . it still provides some challenging shots . . . it is definitely designed as a beginner course or family course . . . and I still would have fun playing that course everyday. I would just have a lot more aces and a lot less birdies because if I don't hit the ace I may not make the comeback putt.
3) A couple of times the holes cross the sidewalks. One spot (#8) could be particularly dangerous if someone was coming from behind the tee on a bike or something. By the time you release you might be throwing right into their back. The tennis court is also in play (granted only for a really poor shot by a beginner) because the fence is not full height about 50' off the 3rd tee. It is only 3 1/2 feet tall so a disc could easily slip out of a beginners hnd with a lot of hyzer and go right into the next Anna Kournikova. Thats all this sport needs is a budding tennis start getting mamed by a "frisbee golfer".
4) Not a huge negative but when a tee is not visible from the previous basket I always recommend a simple next tee sign of some sort. #6 tee is located up a hill and down a path from the 5th basket. It would help in directing visitors. It is even harder in the snow when noone has played the course.
5) #5 seems to be a hole that stretches the limits. It is a massive anny but the angle that you need to hit the gap is almost unhittabble. I do not mind the fact that I could not make a 2 on that hole, I mind more that it is almost a guaranteed 3. Why make a hole that is virtually not duecable on occassion. My guess is that only a handful of people have made that perfect shot to get in close to the basket, and rarely do people birdie that hole. It just seems silly to make a short hole that virtually everyone takes a 3 on. Creativity is good, but I do think that you need to consider that virtually everyone will be taking a 3 on that hole. Again another spot where luck may be better than skill and I do not like that on the disc golf course.
Other Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this place, and whoever posted the info on the course info page said it well "short but cute". I laughed about that when i got to the course, I was imagining rinky dink ace runs all across the course. I don't feel this course is setup that way at all. Sure there may be 2 or 3 you absolutely gun for the ace, but there is some shot selection and execution are required. All in all I enjoyed myself . . . and although i doubt if I will be back (because it is a little far removed from the metro area), I had a good time there. I made a couple ace runs, but didn't execute. I made some birdies and I missed some I was so close to making.
Thank you city of Eagan.