A very old, very unassuming urban park.

-Amenities: Long but narrow concrete tees, Mach X's, standard signage. Everything you typically expect.

-Atmosphere: Not something I normally comment on, but the vibe at Brahan is exceptionally carefree. The park is pleasant with consistent pines and plenty of local traffic. It feels like you're in a friendly town.

-Terrain: Moderately thick pines with pretty clear fairways mark most of the holes at Brahan. A couple feature very mild elevation change.

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Pretty standard par-54 golf. A variety of gentle and steeper lefts and rights with some straight throws as well. Often choices to make off the tee about which forest path you want to try. Scrambling should be doable on every hole unless you hit the first available. Distance ranges from about 200' to 400', so everyone should be able to handle that aspect of the game. No signature holes to me, but nothing leaves a bad taste either.

-"Friendly": My label for the combination of easy-to-play, navigable without a map, well kept up, and hard-to-lose-discs.

Nothing wrong per se, just nothing special either.

-Variety: Two holes in the open and 16 holes in the same basic woods, with not a lot of change in distance, makes the course feel mildly redundant. You're not going to run the gamut of shots here.

-Lines: Some of the curving fairways don't seem to present natural disc golf shapes. I can't remember exactly, but I think (4) and (12) were the main ones that struck me as odd.

-Crowd: I could easily see this course getting too crowded for some people's taste. I played through three or four sizeable groups that were (thankfully) conscious of their slowness on a Sunday afternoon.

-Safety: Although I figured all the navigation out without consulting a map, I could see an errant shot striking a first-timer who wasn't yet familiar with the flow.

Brahan feels like "Typical" done right. This would be a great course to learn the sport on because it's scramble-able and pleasant. Want a chill afternoon outside? Go to Brahan.

Also, if you want to know what early disc golf was like, this is obviously a great choice, having been designed by Steady Ed and Monroe very early on (1976). Very similar to the other old (1987) course I've played, Henry Horton in Middle Tennessee.

18 holes with excellent signs, teepads, and baskets. Navigation was easy- there are well-worn paths, signs on trees, and markers in the basket to help you get to the next hole. The course is old, but it is in excellent shape and appears to be well taken care of. It plays on flat ground around lots of very tall pine trees. The trees are so tall that leaves and branches are not in play, just lots of tree trunks to avoid. It is shaded nicely helping to ease the sometimes oppressive Alabama summer heat. The grass/pine straw fairways make it easy to find your discs. You have no danger of losing your disc on any of the holes (except possibly during periods of extreme rain, then the ditch lining a couple of the holes might hold water, but it was bone dry when I played.) This is one of the oldest courses around and it is pretty cool playing a piece of history.

The course is crammed into a relatively small area, and due to its popularity it can get crowded and feel somewhat cramped. The biggest negative for me, however, was the lack of variety- holes #1 and #2 are wide open, then the rest all look the same- 250'-300' around the pines to the basket 16 times in a row (look at the pics and you will see). We also had a couple of drunks ask us for money and cigarettes as soon as we pulled in the parking lot, but that happens at lots of courses!

This is a very old course, so it is what it is. You can get by with only 1-4 discs in your bag. It is great for beginners and families, or if you want a fun, casual round, but more advanced players will want more of a challenge after a couple of rounds here. This is a nice course, but so many courses have advanced beyond this one over the last 30 years. If you are in the area I do recommend playing it at least once. Also, Huntsville has plenty of courses and continues to grow as a nice disc golf destination.

Occupying a flat, wooded plot - and one of the courses used for the PDGA World Championships in both 1983 and 1993, Brahan Springs is a classic.
Designed in the day when high tech was a super pro (midnight flyers were maaaayyybe just available then) - this course was very challenging in its infancy. Disc technology has transformed it into a pitch and putt - but the fact that it hasn't suffered the kind of tree loss that so many of its ilk have - it remains a fun and challenging little course. Flat makes it an easy walk. The woods make for some tight lines, with room for some creative shot making choices.
Teepads and signs were adequate when I was there last, and apparently still are.

Lack of topography makes a few holes sort of repetitive. Overall length is short by today's standards - so it's not a "big event" venue anymore.

When visiting Huntsville, "Bumpin Bark Park" is definitely worth a visit. Take your mids and putters and get yourself a fun warmup. Or take your newbie friends out and have a friendly laugh as they whack some pine trees with your favorite disc.

This is an ideal course for newer players looking to hone their skills. Located in a small, square pine tree forest, the course weaves in and out of the many trees, testing your entire bag. The design is very good, with a lot of shot variety and every hole seems to have lots of different ways to get to the basket, but only 1 true fairway that requires good control of your discs to get the many birdies. There is very little elevation change and no shule. There are good concrete tee pads and tee signs on every hole. The are bathrooms across the road from hole 15.

This is your basic pitch and putt course, with very little challenge other than to get the birdie. With the way the trees are spaced out, there is always a recovery gap to the basket even after a bad drive. There are usually a couple of bums hanging around hole 3, but from my experiences, they have not been a bother. There are no benches, but the course is so short, you likely wouldn't sit down much anyway.

Although an easy course, there are enough trees to where every hole requires an accurate shot to get the birdie. As easy as it is for pros to shoot double digits down, the slightest bit of wind and being off target and it is just as easy for pros to shoot par or worse. It is one of the oldest courses in the nation and still a very fun course to play for all skill levels. You can play a quick round in no time. If you are a newer player or still trying to hone your skills, then I would recommend playing this course.