Pros:
Elevation, elevation, elevation. The best disc golf elevation in all of the mid-Atlantic. The elevation here is so unique, dramatic, and astounding that the fainter-of-heart actually think it's a con. There are 27-holes and it's a good mix between technical and open. It's a GRUELING round of extremely challenging golf. This course will kick your ass physically and mentally. It takes a 4-some nearly 4 hours to play the original 18. The Park itself looks like some billionaire endowed half his fortune to Antrim Township to build it. As "Township" parks go, this one's a Ferrari, Lambo, and Rolls Royce.
Cons:
It's true..... if you are obese or have bad ankles or knees, you might not be able to play Hole 3 to the long basket or Hole 10. This walk in the park ain't no walk in the park. The tee pads are fly pads and they're short and getting beat up with age. Erosion is whittling away at the dirt underneath some of the fly pad tees, making them uneven. In the Summer, it's possible there will be cars parked on the fairway of Hole 11, even to the point of making the hole completely unplayable. The tee pads and the cars on 11 are why I regrettably can't give the Falls the 5 stars I truly believe it deserves.
The course layout is a bit disjunct and can be confusing to first timers. The first 2 or 3 times I played here was with people who knew the course - so I've never dealt with the frustration of not knowing where the next hole is. I can see where it might be hard to find the path to 8 and the path to 10. Going from 16 to 17 can be confusing too. For people wanting to play all 27 holes, you basically go from the basket of 16 to the tee of 19. After 27, you play 17 and 18. If you plan to play all 27 holes and came with friends in a separate car, it's not a bad idea to park a car at 16 with extra water and supplies. This course has a 1000 parking spaces and there's a bunch near 16.
There are holes where the rough is so rough, it's a good idea to have a spotter.
Other Thoughts:
I'll start by saying this is my 2nd favorite course, second only to Lake Marshall, VA. It's 75-minutes from my home, and I've probably played it 20 times - every time to the long, yellow baskets. The reason to play the Falls is for the grueling challenge, so I don't play to the short red baskets. In my opinion, the Falls is truly a 5-star course, a best-of-the best. I LOVE Whispering Falls. But I've played it enough with many different groups of friends that I understand the complaints. It's a grueling round of golf. I'm 56 and I still enjoy the grind. When I play here with 20- and 30-somethings, the complaints are few. When I play with guys my age, the complaints are many and typically about the tee pads. You have to be in relatively good shape to play the Falls. And your ego needs to be in check because you will be humbled.
Others have written hole-by-hole descriptions, so I won't don't do that but I do have thoughts (all refer to the long yellow baskets). Holes 1 - 3 are a humbling way to start any round. If I shoot 4, 4, 5 on the first 3 holes (something I've done only 1 or 2 times), I feel like a World Champion.
Hole 3 - it's the craziest elevation on any hole I've ever seen and the reason to play here. I still can't fathom how any Park manager stood at the edge of the hill and said, "Sure, no problem". But I'm glad he did! Yes, the hill on 3-long is so steep that you have to hold onto the rope to go down the hill. Is this a safety issue? NO. The big hill is located on the latter half of the hole - there is a short red basket on 3 that completely avoids the hill. You are NOT FORCED to play one of the best hills in all of disc golf. So don't call it a safety issue - play the red basket and completely avoid the hill if it scares you.
Hole 5 - the old picture currently posted on this site is misleading - most of the early 'fairway' is rough, but a lot of it has been cleared and it no longer looks like that picture. The yellow basket on 5 is shared with Hole 17, the only place where 2 holes share the same basket. It's typically not a problem. I have yet to play it simultaneously with the 'other' hole and it's wide open enough that you would see all shots coming at it.
Hole 8 is so hard, so awesome, and so humbling. The fairway is fair but the rough is not. Deploy a spotter, it's no big deal. Hole 9 is really tough too.
Hole 10 is another really steep downhill hole, but not as steep as 3. No rope required but it's still steep enough that you will be taking slow, short, measured steps as you go down the hill. Hole 10 is awesome.
Hole 11 can be a bummer if it's loaded with cars. Otherwise, it's one of the few completely flat holes on the course and has a river as a water hazard (you have to TRY hard to go into the water on 11 but yours truly has accomplished this embarrassing feat).
Many people complain about the long walk from 12 to 13 (the Whispering Falls trail). Aww.... poor baby. It's a gorgeous walk when water is flowing down the creek. It's uphill but gradually uphill. The locals walk this trail all the time just to walk it! You don't hear them crying. I love the Whispering Falls trail and have no sympathy for anyone who cries about it's length. There's a bench on 13... take a 5 minute break when you get there.
13-18 are all great holes. If you plan on playing 19-27, you access 19's tee after playing 16. After your done playing Hole 27, you play 17 and 18. I don't love 19-27 like I do the original 1-18. 19-27 are mostly open holes with a lot of wetland OB and Parking lot OB. It's an excellent complement to the technical holes of 1-18. If you do land in the OB wetlands, you aren't 'breaking the law' to retrieve your disc. Believe it or not, Antrim township police have more to do. The signs asking people to stay out of the wetlands are posted to keep people from walking through them... but it's understood that DGers might need to go into the edges of these areas to get their errant discs.
Whispering Falls is an awesome spectacle of grueling, challenging disc golf. I'm convinced the people that gave it low ratings did so because it's really hard and it humbled them like no other course has (or they got lost and frustrated). It humbles me every time I play it. Bring good shoes, extra water, your humility and enjoy the challenge. It's awesome.