Pros:
(3.102 Rating) A sprawling park style course with some nice length.
- HOLE VARIETY AND DESIGN - This is not the greatest piece of land that I've seen in Florida. It's a big chunk of property, but it's got extensive open flat areas, it has the noisy interstate in view on several holes and it likely has drainage issues. The reason I'm scoring this one as high as I am, is that the layout delivers all the dynamics that were achievable. I liked several of the multi-play holes, especially blue tee (10) which requires a well placed upshot before making a tricky approach. There were only a couple minor things I didn't like, such as the basket location on (11) which I think is too close to the parking area. I thought (12) was perhaps a better tee (1) start location, but I'm sure there is a reason for this that I am not aware of. Considering all the factors, I think the designer did a fantastic job laying out the course.
- DUAL TEES - I love it when I have options to play. Two sets of tees on 13 holes by my count. This really opens up the target audience to a wider range of skill levels. Novices, Recs, and even Intermediates will enjoy the red layout. The blue layout is perfect for Advanced players and Intermediates that can bomb.
- CHALLENGING - I shot 5 down from the Red tees as an Intermediate level player. The even longer Blue tees are going to test Advanced players no doubt. There is quite a bit of length here, well above average for the Florida scene. Seven holes are over 500 feet long and a couple are over 700 feet. But its not all length. For example, Blue tee 15 is only 232 feet, but the green is well protected with water in front and thicket in back. Players that want to go low here are going to need to be accurate as well as be able to bomb. I'll take a blind guess and say that even par from the Blues would draw a 940 rated round without arbitrary OB. Even par from the Reds would likely draw around an 870ish rated round.
- CHAINS - Patriotic red, white and blue Dynamic Veteran baskets with solid chains. Pretty little things.
Cons:
Young course blues, but otherwise a solid course.
- YOUTH - I played this course before a couple of the big ticket items were completed. The tees at my play were marked with flags and were natural ground. I fully expect this seemingly well-funded park to install concrete pads before year's end. Tee signage was also not in place yet. Yes, there were numbered and colored stakes, but I also fully expect this to get upgraded in a year's time as well. Had the course been in the ground for several years and these important aspects were not in yet, I surely would have detracted rating points. Considering all this and the fact that I'm unsure I'll ever be back, I gave the course credit for the omissions. The credited concrete tees and proper tee signs are worth about a quarter point in my rating method.
- NAVIGATION AND SIGNAGE - As noted above, it's a young course without proper signage yet. Players better have a navigational app or guide, cause it'll be a struggle to figure out blind.
- LAYOUT FLOW - Several large gaps along the layout. Which is another reason why this one will be hard to follow first time through. (17) to (18) is about a 700-foot walk. I think four other transitions are over 300 feet.
- WATER HAZARDS - My two-some lost one disc and retrieved another one from the edge during the round. Plastic is going to get lost here on bad throws. There is some modest fairway bailout available, but a few plays will require solid focus and execution to stay dry. (18) is likely going to be the biggest risk, but (13) and (15) are going to claim many as well. Overall I enjoyed the thrill of having to play around the water and I think it makes the course better, but be cognizant of the hazard and bring a few discs that float or a couple throwaways.
- FLAT - Typical Florida flat. I don't recall any hole changing by more than 10 feet in grade. The course was mostly dry when I played, but I'm sure there are some soggy and/or muddy areas after a good soaking.
- BEGINNER FRIENDLY - Despite the two tee layouts, I don't think this one is beginner friendly. It's a bit too long and there are water hazards. I'm sure beginners get brought here. Hopefully their guide makes them skip a few holes to avoid losing discs.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - I scored the beauty aspect roughly average among the 530 courses I've played as of this review. The beginning 8 holes or so really don't have much pop to them. The noise pollution from the highway is bad on a half dozen holes. (18) for example, neat in premise, but was kind of an ending letdown considering the walk to get there and the eyesore of I75 traffic buzzing along in the background. On the flipside, I really enjoyed the beauty starting on (9), punctuated by stand-out holes such as (10) and (13).
- TIME PLAY - It took my two-sum 127 minutes to complete, so plan accordingly. This is not a quickie.
Other Thoughts:
Tom Bennett, imo, is going to quickly become one of the better courses in the Bradenton/Sarasota area. Once the pads and signage are respectfully finished off, I think it eclipses Lakeview and challenges North Water tower as the top regional dog. If I re-evaluated Lakeview and NWT per my revised method, Lakeview is more like a 2.9 and NWT is more like a 3.1. If more money and energy is dumped in, I could see Tom Bennett becoming a low 3.5 on my scales. I don't think the course is in the same caliber as the top Tampa Bay area or Orlando area courses, as the land here has too many dull areas compared to a course like Picnic Island or Champions Pointe. Regardless, solid course overall. Great for Recreational players through Advanced level players. If you find yourself in this general area, I recommend checking it out.
- THANK YOU - I got to enjoy this one with my friend Thrembo. Always a blast to throw with and to talk about past and future disc golf adventures. Great times sir, hope we can do it again!