Pros:
18 hole course (with dual tee pads on some) in beautiful Ocean County Park in Lakewood, NJ. Primarily open course with a few peeks into the woods and mature trees scattered throughout. Nice Innova Disc Catcher baskets. Good sized, 5 x 10 tee pads with paver surfacing. Good distance and hole variety which should appeal to all skill levels. Features a couple of elevated baskets, one of which replaced the old hanging basket (still trying to get over this loss..) Water and pavement OB areas come into play and challenge players on several holes. Navigation is pretty easy with very visible "next tee" signs near each basket. Permanent signs now featured at all 18 holes. Many holes have large log benches. Amenities like bathrooms, picnic areas and water fountains are on the premises. A "lost disc" box, plastic bag dispenser, scorecard box and welcome kiosk greet visitors at hole 1, which has been nicely landscaped and enclosed. Park grounds are generally well maintained.
Cons:
Due to damage from Hurricane Sandy, the removal of live trees was not possible during construction. Pedestrians and park patrons will be a factor from time to time when playing. Area high schools use part of the grounds for Cross Country. Not much elevation- welcome to the Jersey Shore. A few low lying areas collect water after heavy rain, and erosion is a factor on several holes. Geese droppings can a bit of a nuisance. Wind can wreak havoc on your round here.
Other Thoughts:
The Ocean County Park disc golf course represents years of hard work and commitment in providing a sorely needed, quality course to the Jersey Shore area. This is a really nice playing experience here, and the local following is tremendous. Many people are responsible for the outstanding level of care that has gone into the course, and park officials have been easy to work with and very supportive. Though honoring Cubby's original layout plan limited wholesale changes in design, some new holes, including some in the woods were incorporated. Other little changes occur from time to time to enhance the course. New signs and newly painted posts are featured at each hole, and slowly, some of the original log benches which are now crumbling are being traded out.
Though it is a reasonable criticism to suggest the course is very righty-friendly, it is NOT unfair to lefties. No fewer than 10 holes require essentially straight shots off the tee and could be considered neutral at worst. OCP is easy to traverse and is a nice course to play because it has challenge without throwing players into a meat grinder. Come to the Jersey Shore, hit the beach in Point Pleasant and drive 15 minutes inland to OCP for a couple rounds of disc golf!!