Is a very natural course, so you won't find nicely pruned trees and well trimmed fairways. No, trees and their branches are going to be a hazard, you won't find many opportunities for rollers because of the long grass (weeds) and twigs all over the ground, and if your throw strays off the fairway you're definitely going to encounter some thick brush and poison ivy. However, if you're looking for a challenge, you've found it.

In big time disrepair. I would say extreme disrepair, but it seems there is at least one occasional care taker. This course experienced yet another flood this spring, which occurs here quite frequently these days and can impact more than half of the 18 holes. It's been quite some time since flooding now and it still looks like the waters just receded.

Has a good variety of tee positions that can take a hole from challenging to down right difficult.

Nice wooded area that is shaded and runs along the Iowa river.

good intermediate course.

putting range.

Usually poorly maintained.

easy to get turned around and re-play previous holes.

a few holes interfere with each other.

Much better to play fall through early spring, once most of the vegetation is gone.

Guiding signs are a little misleading.

Ive played through this course a few times, Summer and spring. its a beast to get through in summer once everything has grown and you can spend a while rooting around in wildly overgrown brush and poison ivy, however if you play before much has a chance to grow out, its one of my favorite courses. there are a few really long shots that are great and a good amount of terrain, its relaxing to walk through on a good day. Definitely worth giving a shot. generally less crowded than other courses in the area.

Layout, proximity to Iowa City, no waiting for tee boxes.

Weeds, bugs, more bugs, and susceptibility to flooding.

The Good:
1. As a previous reviewer pointed out, the layout of this course is excellent. The first hole is wide open, as are several holes on the back 9. About half of the holes are heavily wooded, but there are clear lanes for your drives. Multiple basket positions make for a great variety of left and right turning fairways, short, medium, and long holes. If not for the flooding, the weeds, and the bugs, this could easily be the best course in the area.
2. The course is the closest course to Iowa City. From downtown Iowa City, the drive to the park is less than 10 minutes.
3. Because the course is so buggy and weedy during the summer (see below for more details) there are very few people who play at this course. I have never had to wait for the people in front of me at this course.

The Bad:
1. Because of its proximity to the Iowa River, about half of the back 9 is sometimes flooded. Since the flood a few years ago, I have not played holes 11-16 with any real consistency.
2. The weeds can get really, really bad at times. Of course, lots of courses have weeds. Searching for a disc that you shanked into the weeds is commonplace at a lot of courses. The difference at Penisula Park is this: A lot of the weeds are poison ivy and/or stinging nettles. So, if you have to wade through the weeds for too long, your legs are going to burning and itching for a while. Wear pants to prevent the itching.
3. The mosquitos are BRUTAL after prolonged rains. Once you get into the woods (which start at hole 2) you will be completely assaulted by the bugs. Will bug spray work? Maybe. Best plan of action is too simply resolve yourself to being eaten alive out there.

The Ugly:
Ticks. Yes. Ticks. I have never had a problem with ticks at a disc golf course before, but the disc golf area of Peninsula Park simply seems too rugged to get special treatment in terms of city pest control. If you don't normally use bug spray, I recommend at least putting some on your shoes and ankles to keep the ticks at bay. And don't forget to check for ticks afterwards.

OVERALL: If you can deal with the weeds and bugs, this is a great course. I would give a 5 because the layout is terrific, but the weeds, bugs, ticks, and occasional flooding cause my rating to decrease.

The park is very scenic, great place for a disc golf course. Multiple tee pad options is a plus.

The front nine is heavily wooded which makes it rather difficult and I can see how in the summer the bugs and weeds would be a huge problem.

Definitely play this course!