Pros:
-2 sets of natural tees on each hole, mostly in good condition
-Mach baskets are in good condition
-tee signs at the longs and shorts with hole number and distance
-a bit of elevation used in the southwest corner of the park on holes 6, 7, and a little bit on 9
-the lake is sort of in play on holes 4 and 9
-trees lining the edge of the park are used to put some danger around the greens
-the two tee sets cater decently to rec and more experienced players
Cons:
-the course is mostly wide open
-the trees don't really add much since they're mostly on the boundaries of the fairways, except holes 4, 7, and 9
-the lake is nasty and drying out near hole 4 so there isn't really a water carry or much danger at all on that hole (if there ever was)
-some of the distances listed here are definitely not correct, hole 7 is not 500' from either tee. it seems there used to be some older additional tees and basket locations that have left the hole info outdated
-not much challenge other than raw distance and not much fun
Other Thoughts:
**Update**
The course has apparently been expanded to 18 holes. Disclaimer, I have not been back to see it. I'm assuming the new back 9 is on the east side of the park and that the layout probably goes all the way around the pond. That area has more trees to come into play but also more pedestrian paths. If safety concerns aren't too bad then a shorter, more technical back 9 will be a great addition to the course.
*****
Laing Park is mostly open space but the perimeter of the park is a line of bushy evergreens. Holes 1, 2, and 5 have their baskets nestled right up against that line of trees. The interior of the park is mostly open space with a few sparse trees and Laing Lake. The two sets of tees are all out in the open except hole 9 short and maybe hole 2 long, which have some trees near the tees. Holes 6 and 7 utilize the hill in the southwest corner of the park and hole 4 throws near a corner of the lake. Hole 9 throws down over a culvert and up a small berm with the lake long of the green.
The two sets of tees have distance as their chief distinction but on hole 7 the long tee shot is long, downhill, over a patch of tall trees. That one is worth throwing even if you're playing the shorts. The tees are natural but mostly in pretty good condition. The baskets catch well.
I personally found it easier to play hole 5 after hole 2 (so 2, 5, 3, 4, 6) instead of walking back to that corner after hole 4 and then walking clear across the park to get to hole 6. It seemed like a lot less walking to me.
I played on the day of the solar eclipse after the event and there were tons of people in the park. I can't imagine there are ever even a quarter as many people at the park on a regular basis. Even so, there could be people just hanging out at the park in the fairways so use caution.
The last three holes were the best part of the course with the most fun being hole 7. Good to end on a strong note but overall the course is pretty lackluster. Open distance is the main thing though not as much as the info here says. I think the distances on 7 & 8 are to old, extinct tee positions. If I lived nearby I'd probably play more often in Scottsbluff. Rolling Prairie is totally serviceable but not that much fun.
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