Clean Course,
Plenty of benches
Lots of elevation
Some unique holes
Easy to navigate

having holes 2 and 3 back to back is repetitive
No trash cans
Lots of off leash dogs
Hard to read holes on the first time through.
Elevated baskets on rocky ground gets repetitive.

This is not a beginner friendly course.

But if you are able to shape your shots and throw 300'+ you will have a blast. Tight fairways and tricky greens keep this course challenging. A few of the shorter holes play much longer due to the elevation and with low trees it forces you to develop some shots open courses don't use.

Let me first explain . Veterans Memorial Park's course is very good and grades out at 3.5 , but the fun disc golfers that hang out at the start of the course , playing off and on , grade at least a 4 ( Excellent ) . More on that , later . Parking for the course is along a long high cement wall . Look for the Park sign . I did not see a bathroom inside the park .
The Equipment - There are 2 tees for most of the holes , but the shorter are natural . The regular tees are astroturf tees and level , about 4 1/2' X 8' . The tee signs ( only at regular tee pads ) are original and fun signs , still giving you necessary information ,. Check out the signs . The baskets are Chainstars , but I was told that the course is going to update the baskets to newer models soon . There is a nice kiosk at Hole #1's tee . Make sure you take a picture of it if you haven't downloaded a map . A putting basket sits at the bottom of a small hill . There is also a basket that sits out in the open that you can throw to while warming up . There are benches at the bottom of the hill and a grill that comes on at night to feed the masses of course enthusiasts that hang around . @ picnic tables at the top of the small hill are always full of players or friends that just like to hang out with the group .
The Landscape - The course and surroundings were very clean , and the warmup area and grass near hole's 1 & 18 were mowed . This course receives a lot of care . thanks to Course Designers like Dustin Demilo , and Course Curator Mario Rodriguez . Veteran's Memorial Park's 18 hole course rolls a lot , with clever basket placements and tees coming off of ridges . 90% of the course is woods . , or at least throwing into it or out of it . There are interesting and scenic rock formations that come into play on several of he holes and dot the landscape . The course is above average in raw beauty . There are nice mature trees that form canopies and plenty of shade besides forming obstacles for your drives , and approaches .
The Highlights - The Highlights for me was hanging out with the crew at hole #1 , but here are the go-to holes . #2 is a Slight downhill drive 340' that has a risk/reward small green that drops off in the back . #7 is a rt to left 250' midrange toss to a basket that sits on top of a pile of large rocks . #14 circles rt to left with trees guarding the left of the fairway ( 250' ) . The basket sits on a hill . #15 , 440' is a level drive through a thin fairway There is a hidden pit in front of the basket. #16 is a drive that will start to climb up a grade , and the front of the basket is guarded by a rock wall .
Signature Hole - #8 , 420' . The fairway goes straight up , right to left , then back to the right , where the basket is protected behind large rocks .
Disc Risk - Low . The woods is pretty clear . There are pocket of overgrowth , but barring a ricochet to a blind basket , you should leave with the discs you came with .
The Time - It took me about an hour and 5 minutes to play the course . A group of 4 should finish in about 2 hours .
Challenge - At roughly 6200' , the course is challenging and has a great mix of holes . You will use a lot of the discs in your bag on this one .
Aesthetics - not just the beauty of the course , but the appreciation of the course by the people that continue to show up . people like Dustin and Mario , and players that bring their dogs like Greg Newkirk . or very good players that enjoy the social aspects more than the game itself , like Marvin . This place is just as much of a Happening as it is a place to play . Dustin is just as enthuse about grilling you some chicken or a met as he is about throwing 18 ( He does both well ) .
The course is popular , so plan for extra time to complete it during peak times .
It was nice that the course was free . too

#1 Parking . Not a big fan of no real parking lot , parking where you won't see your vehicle until you leave . Bring what you need before you leave your car , or you will have a long walk back to it .
#2 Navigation . There were some next tee signs painted on some trees , and tape on bottom rungs of the basket help , but multiple paths and course flow can confuse first timers . I had to tell a woman with her 2 kids that she walked past the 18th tee and was missing the end of the course .
Spray for bugs Terrain is tough , you will sweat = Insects .

A large chunk of woods dedicated to disc golf , a well designed course , and a chill area at the end . The group will talk on all topics , but it will always come back around to disc golf , and the locals will trade stories back and forth with you . It is rare that you can have that special " IT " quality with a disc golf course , and Veteran's Memorial Park has that . I wasn't supposed to be here , as I was kicked off of Wickham Park ( top rated course in Connecticut ) because of the Pro Tour , but I am happier that I played here , instead . I am told the course is ever improving , and I anticipate that my rating will rise with it . Thank You to all of my new friends for making me feel welcome , as an outsider . Dustin , I am putting you , Mario and Greg in charge of putting the Focus back into Marvin's game and making him an A Tier player again .
My Recommendation - With the 2 tee system , the course is good for newbies , intros , 1 discers , , and families . Maybe even dates . Locals will love this course , with the friendly banter that goes on before and after your round . The course is just strong enough to appease the intermediates , ams and pros . Not far off of I-95 and just off of Rt 15 , this is a fun stop for the traveler . Course Collectors will thrive , since it sits right above Fairfield , Sherwood island , Cranbury , Oyster Shell and Wavenly . I could give you reasons to stop here , but can't think of ones to not . Experience it , and PLAY IT !!!!

I really enjoyed the variety of shots at this course. A very good mix of forehands, backhands, etc. Some really unique holes as well that aren't easy to gorget. They newly installed some astro turf pads that I've never played on before and rather enjoyed.

The course has quite a bit of trash on it, more than I expected. A bit tough to find some of the next tee pads, but barely worth mentioning..... then why did I mention it? dunno...

Definitely get out and play if you have the chance.

Great layout. The course requires a variety of shotmaking skills. Pars are manageable, birdies attainable.

Glass everywhere, bugs, I wish there were more than two cement tee pads.

Worth the drive from Southington. Quick play, fun track, I love the elevation changes.

This course is superior in terms of design. The entrance is easy to locate and the eighteenth hole puts you back exactly at the parking lot. If no one is playing there, you can even practice on the eighteenth basket before you start. There is excellent signage. It can be a tad confusing at times to find the next hole, but it is in general easier to navigate than other courses I've played. The holes are varied in distance and terrain, and challenge you to use all of your discs and shots. It is the most difficult course I've played. Tee boxes and baskets are in excellent condition, except for the second tee, and some hard-to-see baskets even have tall red flags.

There are bottles and glass shards everywhere. It could be dangerous if you were to fall. The foliage can be very dense on some holes, especially to the sides, and losing discs is a possibility. Though the stream was dry when I played, I can imagine it being difficult to cross on some holes if the water were flowing.

The designers have created a very challenging course with lots to offer for players of all abilities. It could very well be the most exciting course in Connecticut, surpassing Cranbury. The trash and glass is an issue, but not one that should hinder your gameplay. The quality of this course is totally dependent on the condition the players leave it in. Also, do not let any of the stereotypes of Bridgeport prevent you from playing this course. It is in an open, safe area. If you are in the area, I wholly recommend a round at Veteran's Memorial Park, despite the at times unsatisfactory conditions. The layout and difficulty supersede it completely. I'd give it a 4 if it were a little cleaner.

This is one of the easiest courses I've ever located. It's right off the Merritt Parkway (as in you make a single turn off the highway onto Park Ave, drive less than a mile, and then park on the same road). From there, the first tee isn't hard to find as it's right behind a kiosk near the edge of the woods.

Mostly wooded, Veteran's Park features a few open holes and includes changes in elevation. Some baskets are either slightly elevated or had a considerable (but fair) drop off directly behind them making for some interesting upshots and trecherous putts.

Water is in play on a few of the holes which provides the occasional "check yourself before you throw here" mental note.

The bulk of the course sits in old growth woods, so with few exceptions, there isn't too much rough or too many chances to lose a disc.

Tee signs are very descriptive and features expected line, distances, and par. Also, there are pavers at the foot of each of the baskets that point to the next tee. In a few places there are additional navigational aides to get you to the next hole.

The Chainstar baskets are in great shape.

Benches were available on several of the holes. One highlight was hole #14 where there is a disc embedded in the middle of the baseket.

There is some hardscaping on the course that adds a nice touch. Specifically, the protective rock wall that guards against low throw throws on hole #16. In addition, the rock stairs on hole #15 are necessary for the players that don't lay up or make it across the crater in front of the basket, demonstrating a beautifully subtle risk vs. reward scenario.

Hole #12 is a standout. The layout and length of the fairway is fairly vanilla and short, but the real appeal of this hole is the "Y" shaped tree that sits just ahead of the tee. The designers did a great job of taking a natural aspect of the surroundings and made what would have been a boring hole a little more unique, challenging, and visually appealing.

Any time you install a disc golf course at a public park, you need to stay on your toes around the non-playing public. Veteran's park is no exception as you need to take heed of bikers and hikers before you let the plastic fly.

There is litter absolutely everywhere. Usually I just footnote this, but in this case, it was all over the course including (and especially) broken bottles. The shards of glass create a discinct safety concern (in addition to an eyesore). Not as pressing safety-wise, but still not good on the eyes is the other trash (think old tires) that is strewn throughout the park.

In terms of the course itself, there are a lot of straight & left-turning fairways. There were very few right-turning fairways and none were dramatic enough to force a RHBH player to turn something over, forhand a disc, or do much more than get an understable disc to flip up and over slightly. Fairway layout from shape, to length, to elevation changes seemed to be duplicated on many holes. Specific to the elevation changes, most appear to be uphill or across a slight valley/dip in the fairway. Although the holes ranged from 250-440, most were in the 330 range and began to get repetitive by the end of the round. If some more of the wide-open space was factored into the course, it would add a bit more variety from the frequently wooded holes.

There are a few spots where water could have been better placed and added some spice to a couple of fairways. Likewise, there were a few spots where the water had its way with parts of the course and it was muddy and boggy.

The natural tees were difficult to find in some cases (consisting of two white spray painted rocks) and were somewhat uneven and rutted.

Pretty minor, but the tee sign was missing on hole #16. Hole #18 is situated right by the road and could be a distraction for some players.

I recognize that this is a new course and Veteran's park has the right building blocks in place to be another solid DG course along the I-95/Merritt Parkway corridor. I gave the course a 3.75. Some of the more repetitious fairways kept me from rounding up, but the garbage and litter all over the course is really what dragged the score down to the 3.5. If the course could be cleaned up, if the tees were a bit more polished, and if there was just a smidge more variety to the holes, I would have zero problem stamping this course a 4.0.

Despite any of the cons that I have listed, it's still worth your time to at least check this course out. I had a great time and I think most players would also enjoy Veteran's Park. My next trip up to Eastern CT will include a stop at this course.

mostly well labeled
challenging

Not always sure where the basket is

This is a fairly dense (trees) course with some tight fairways. Very similar to the course in Orange but with longer holes. Although tee boxes are well labeled, it wasn't always easy to tell where to shoot from. Also, had to walk a few holes to find the basket before starting. It would be nice if the holes had markers/maps so you could see where the basket is in proximity to the tee. Course will be very challenging come the spring.