Pros:
- some moderate wooded challenge on holes 1-3
- nicely maintained park with typical park amenities
- practice basket
- decent, but not huge, concrete tees
- Innova DISCatcher baskets in good shape
- full color tee signs with maps
- good, fun course for beginners with some obstacles
- disc golf area is isolated from other park activities
- some nice mature trees on property add a bit of shot shaping
- straightforward navigation
Cons:
- safety hazards, particularly on holes 1-3
- very short; some holes are just too easy
- limited technical challenge
- completely flat and no real uniqueness
Other Thoughts:
I enjoyed Oak Ridge Park overall, though it is by no means a destination course. The biggest con here is definitely safety; hole 2 throws right back at the tee for hole 1, and when I was playing the next group cleared off the hole 1 tee so I could throw the next hole. This is the only other group I saw on the course, so most days, this probably won't impact anyone - but it's a terrible design. The tee for 3 is also too close to the hole 2 basket, creating another safety hazard. Finally, hole 6 throws back towards the hole 4 basket, which also creates a hazard.
Despite the safety issues, the layout isn't too bad in terms of navigation. While flat and fairly open, the course does have some moderately formed fairways on holes 1-3 in the woods. However, the vast majority of holes here are VERY short. This is the only course I think I've been to that actually states par 2 for several holes. In fairness, some of the holes are so short that par 3 really does seem generous.
The amenities here are decent for a park style 9 hole course, with decent baskets and tees as well as a practice basket, which isn't always included on 9 hole courses. This would be a good place to take beginners who don't have any real power yet but are ready for some obstacles instead of completely flat and open. More than half of the course is still pretty flat and open, but allows you to test out just a bit more power. The wooded holes are much shorter and a good, gentle introduction to what disc golf can be. I certainly wouldn't go out of my way for this course, but it's a quick, casual round if you're just looking for some fun.