The Tracks @ McDonough offers a challenging, woods-only experience that is occasionally punctuated with the sounds of a passing train. The course is new and in the process of being broken in. And be clear, with an average hole length of nearly 400 feet and elevation on about half the holes, this is serious, non-recreational-level disc golf.

The practice area is excellent. There are three practice baskets, and two of the baskets are on or next to a small hill with trees, allowing for more putting variety while warming up.

A number of the holes have logs lining the edge of the fairway, which provides a lovely aesthetic and strategic touch.

Even though the course is woods, woods and more woods, there is a good degree of variety. There are a couple of narrow, short holes and there are a few monsters, including the twisting Hole #4, which clocks in at 732 feet and is rated a par 5.

The navigation from hole to hole is excellent. Even though the course crosses over a walkway a few times and there is a short walk between several of holes, the arrows on trees make for easy traversing. I was playing The Tracks for the first time, and I never looked around for the next hole.

Hole #9 has an fascinating basket location. It's not only elevated but between several branches in the center of a tree, which increases the putting challenge.

The course concludes with three of the shorter holes, which might be a welcomed relief if you've been beating your head (and discs) against the trees.

Not having maps on the signs is an enormous error. For most of the holes, the basket is not easily visible from the teepad. Several of the longest holes change directions. For first-timers, this course will be more challenging to play due to the lack of clear instructions.

The Tracks wasn't designed to be fun. The twisting and narrow fairways ensure a lot of challenging, scramble disc golf. The areas just off the narrow fairways are heavily wooded and make recovery shots problematic. Several holes feature trees that are annoyingly positioned in the already contracted fairway. A few more baskets are tucked into tight spots that add to the difficulty.

Regarding scoring, this is not a birdie-fest. Making par will feel rewarding on most of the holes. I agree with JRod's scorecard comment: "Birdies are tough to get … and par is near impossible from a few." However, if you visit the Tracks with down-to-earth expectations, you'll likely enjoy your round more.

I will quibble with listing Hole #11 as a par-3. This is one of the most challenging holes on the course with a narrow fairway and a steep ascension on the second half of the hole. At 411 feet, only top-rated professionals will have a chance at getting their drive into putting range. No way should this hole be listed as a par 3. A couple of the 500-foot-plus par-4s at the Tracks are easier.

I appreciate tough courses, especially in the woods, but there were a few holes at the Tracks where I stood on the teepad, gazed down the crooked fairway and thought "discs don't fly that way." The judicious use of a chain saw in spots would improve the course's fairness and appeal.

Despite a few design flaws, there's a lot of good disc golf in these woods. Hopefully you'll enjoy your experience at The Tracks and won't feel like you were railroaded into playing this course.

The Tracks, though only months old, is already a pleasant course with clean and interesting lines.

-Amenities: Multiple practice baskets, concrete tees, brand new DISCatchers, excellent next tee signage, and even a lost disc box. No course map, but it was so well-marked that I never needed one.

-Ambience: The Tracks plays through a very nice tract of woods, next to a rail line and working around a trail (no pedestrian risk). It's a great feeling to throw through a forest, and the course only makes it better with appropriate logs marking the fairways and very tasteful (if not particularly helpful) tee signs. It's also fun to hear a train come past during the middle of your round.

-Clearing: I'm very impressed at how clear the fairways already are. There's a little more work to be done, but mostly the fairways are ideal in terms of skippy-ness and grippy-ness for woods play, both on the wider and the tighter holes.

-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: I can't think of a single boring hole. Doglegs left and right, flex lines, huge curling holes, straight shots, tight gaps, gentle curves, placement shots, split fairways, par 4s and 5s, breathable and tight fairways, ups and downs--the Tracks has all of them. For example, within the first 4 holes I had to make a lay-up/go-for-it decision, execute a placement shot, throw a perfect flex, and attempt a woods par 5. There are some very difficult shots out here that will have a player of any level feeling satisfied, and you have to pick a line on every hole.

-Difficulty: I think the Tracks will be an upper intermediate or advanced challenge. After the first eight holes I was thinking that it didn't seem too tough, but then the trees closed in and the overall course difficulty shot up.

-Multi-Tees/Pins: Several holes have different tee and pin options, but it's not really a big pro. I didn't know whether or not each hole had a short tee until I walked past it (the only flaw in the otherwise amazing next tee signage). Also, the second pin placements in many cases weren't different enough to warrant their existence.

The course can't entirely hide its newness, and at times feels repetitive.

-Youth-Related Cons: The most obvious is the tee signage. The Tracks deserves a thorough map on each tee. Secondly, the fairways, while good, are not perfect yet. There are some random clumps of vegetation that shouldn't be there, a stump here and there, and there hasn't been time for a good layer of pine straw and natural debris to smooth over the mud yet.

-Repetition: Once you get most of the way into your round, some of the hole designs feel a little familiar. There are several holes that curl back more sharply than a dogleg, and I became bored of them. Also, the back nine feels like it has a lot of holes that begin with a very straight and tight fairway, and then several hundred feet down have a small pocket to the left or right. These are good hole designs that every course needs, but somehow the Tracks just crams too many similar ones in. I loved the first seven holes or so, and (16)-(18) were a good finish, but in between I was getting tired of the same two kinds of shots.

-Monothematic: The Tracks is entirely wooded. Only (16) could be considered open, and that's a short hole. There are some slightly more breathable holes, but it's essentially one biome throughout. You have to be virtually perfect to get an Excellent for a course without much terrain variety.

-Choice: There isn't much flexibility at all in terms of shot choice in between the tight fairways and no intentional design for multiple flight paths. Small con only.

-Not Beginner Friendly: Maybe the first seven holes would be okay. After that, way too difficult to hit the fairway or scramble for anyone less than a determined rec player.

As so often happens in reviewing courses, I was torn between rating the Tracks as "Very Good" or "Excellent." I settled for the former mainly due to the first two cons listed. I really enjoyed my round at the Tracks. For those familiar with Little Mulberry, the Tracks feels like that but not yet polished and a touch harder. With a little bit of wearing in and signage, the course could become Excellent. I slightly overstated its status in my original review, but even if not a Top 3 in Atlanta, it's still an asset to the metro area.