Pros:
Wonderfully enjoyable course on a particularly quiet parcel - perfect for a temporary escape from whatever's chasing you.
• Solidly designed to require a nice combo of placement with some distance. Somewhat technical without being extremely so, Masi's fairways strike a good balance between wooded and open with a reasonable range of distances. No holes are wide open, but none felt pinball like off the tee. Distance is only rewarded if it's reasonably well-placed (but you don't need a big arm score well). Clearly defined fairways play relatively straight, but very well-placed trees/vegetation strongly encourage finesse and shot shaping in the form of subtle turnovers or end of flight fade to set up good chances of par or birdie looks. Really does a lot with a scant 11 holes!
• Fairly flat for the most part, mild elevation comes into play on a few holes, but it's not the course's defining feature. FYI - neighboring Roscoe features more significant elevation changes.
• Convenient to loop in all or part of Roscoe Ewing (between Masi #'s 7 & 8) for up to 27 holes of fun... or just play 11 holes at Masi if you're pressed for time.
• Aesthetics: Beyond delightful, short of spectacular. Deer watching you throw (my son and I saw no less than ten during our round), in a quaint neighborhood setting, and a winding creek create an intimate and peaceful setting.
• Equipment/Nav/Routing: Good concrete tees provide sure footing and have hole # etched into them at the back, so you know if you're at the correct tee. Bright orange DGA lollipops make it easy to spot baskets (even in shadows/twilight). Flows pretty well from hole to hole. If you don't pay attention or check the map, it's easy to mistakenly play 9 after 6, but orange tape on one of the basket spokes points you toward the next hole and next tee signs help keep you going the right direction.
• Except for #7, does good job of routing throws away from non-DG traffic.
• Fun factor: Great. Please see other thoughts.
Cons:
With all the deer here, it wouldn't surprise me if you found some ticks on you after playing. My son and used Permethrin and didn't find any on us, but given that we saw 10 deer on Masi (plus another 3 on Rosco), the likelihood of ticks just seems higher than most places I've played. Simply an FYI, rather than a ding in my rating.
• The way # 7 plays along the walking path is sub-optimal, but the sight lines are such that players and walkers should be able to see each other to avoid any real issues.
• The rough gets thick. In some spots, it's dense enough to appropriately punish bad throws without being overly harsh. In others, missing the fairway can be very nasty, and you can definitely lose a disc here.
• Tee markers with distance would be an improvement.
Other Thoughts:
A splendid example of a course that's way more fun to play than a simple analysis of the #'s leads you to believe. I won't downgrade it for only being 11 holes when you can easily loop in some or all of Roscoe Ewing to play up to 27 solidly designed holes.
Straight-up, as a standalone course, I'd rate the disc play here a very solid 3.0. But the great setting and ability to jump onto Roscoe Ewing for more golf make this better than most 3.0's, hence my 3.5.
• Map says "Holes 7 + 8 NOT PLAYABLE," ...but we had no problem finding or playing them. The posted maps for both, Sam Masi and Roscoe Ewing, need to be updated. It would be optimal if someone made a single map, showing all 11 at Masi in one color, with the 16 at Roscoe in another color.
Not epic or championship caliber, but certainly challenging, Sam Masi is the type of course most players will really enjoy, and scores high marks for being what disc golf is supposed to be: FUN.