Pros:
-Good exposure to the game of Disc Golf in the area nice addition to a college campus. There are no other courses near by other than the SIU Rec center.
-The 9 holes make use of a very small piece of land nicely.
-Holes are relatively short so a midrange and putter should be plenty
Cons:
-Navigation without a map can be difficult at times
-a few fairways cross a bit as it is a very tight use of land
-no benches or trash cans(but it is pretty short and on campus)
-Tee Pads are dirt and muddy(rain the past day)
-Tee signs had the tee pad and basket but were not oriented to the direction of play. Some were reversed so it was difficult to follow
Other Thoughts:
I am an out of towner on a business trip and had some time to kill. I packed a few discs in my bag hoping to play a little somewhere during my trip. First off, I think it should be said that this is a college campus and probably put together to expose college folks to the game, provide a rec activity on campus and maintained by the College so it falls into a slightly different category when comparing this course to most other county parks and such. You're not going to go out of your way to come to Carbondale just to play this course nor the rec center course BUT, it's a bonus when you're here. Treat it like a warm up, a "pitch and putt" to work on your game, or just a chance to play disc golf when you're in the area. Remember, it's better to play than not to play.
The holes all fall on a small piece of campus that is very flat with a good portion of trees, a nice lake and a pavilion to shoot around. It makes use of the land decently although some fairways to cross others. When I played walkers were not a factor but I can imagine it can get quite busy out there during most times of the day. Par is set too high. All holes should be par 3. If you can set a challenge to play every hole in 2, (with the exception of hole #3) it could be fun to play this course a lot. Sometimes, it's good to leave the drivers home and improve your short game.
I gave this course a "2" as I think it is a very reasonable course and offers both an opportunity to play the game, obstacles, and slight differentiation from hole to hole. It's not a place you would go out of your way to play, but if you're in town, bring a few discs and play, it's worth it.