Pros:
Update: The course now has huge cement tees and continues to get better over time.
First: this is a beautiful, unique disc golf course. Please be mindful of the fact that it is on a church property and behave appropriately.
ABR provides a unique, extreme disc golf challenge. I'd say the skill level is gold, rather than blue and even par is a very, very good score.
The course is a short drive out of Austin proper, but takes you to a whole other world. The hill country is gorgeous with amazing vistas on the way out. The course itself is on a fantastic wonderland of ups and downs, cool trees, creeks, and offers a good amount of shade.
While the challenge is extreme, it is fair and rewards methodical, calm play. Players who get frustrated and lose their cool will be punished. Players who take their lumps when they come and plot on will take home the bragging rights.
Their are plenty of obstacles and the rough is appropriately punishing, but it's not so thick as to make finding discs overly difficult or punishing on the body.
There is great variety in the challenge. Power and technical requirements are well balanced. There are quite a few greens with drop-off's near the baskets. There are several holes which are candidates for the best in disc golf short list.
Playing this course is a great physical workout. Play here twice a week and you'll be in shape quickly.
Some of the hole highlights include:
Hole 2 is a good example of a very short par 4 with good challenge. The tee shot must be thrown very precisely uphill to set up a short, technical second shot. Standing on the tee pad many will think "this is an easy 3, 4 worst case", but don't take this one for ganted.
Hole 3 is a shortish par 4 at only 530 ft, downhill, but is extremely demanding. The tee shot is tight and then there's enough of a dogleg left to make for a challenging angle to the very picturesque "island" basket, with creeks short and long.
Hole 4 is another quality, shortish par 4 that plays tougher than it looks on paper. The tee shot must navigate a gap and favor the left side of the fairway to set up a tight, uphill, sweeping left to right mid-range second shot to a basket with a drop-off behind.
Hole 6 is a very unique, diabolical short par 3. There is a very tight route directly at the basket. There is also the option to go over the top, preferably with a high, lefty spike hyzer. This is a rare hole shape, but it's a nice gift for lefty's to balance the tons of righty spike hyzer holes in disc golf.
Holes 8, 10, and 13 are additional solid par 4's, somewhat similar to hole 4, but each unique in look and feel.
Hole 9 is a very good medium-long, straight par 3. The hole plays along a high ridge, exposed to tricky winds. There is a tight, low direct route or the option of throwing much higher over the trees, but very much exposed to the winds.
Hole 14 has probably the most fun tee shot on the course. The look is gorgeous and merits taking a minute just to stand and take it in. It offers the opportunity to bomb a downhill, sweeping hyzer to a wide fairway to set up a chance at one of the easier par 4 birdies on the course.
Hole 16 is a magnificent hole. It's a very short, downhill par 4 with eagle potential, but lots of trouble. The decision has to be made on the tee whether to throw a 300 ft mid-range shot to set up a 3 or bust a driver in hopes of a 2. The fairway is very tight and a driver that deflects could make 5 or 6 possible.
Hole 18 has a nice look and provides a very solid challenge to finish the round. Discs can be thrown either left to right or right to left to the uphill basket with water lurking on the left. The wind must be gauged accurately and the shot must be thrown with sufficient power and accuracy to obtain a favorable result.
Cons:
I'm a huge fan of ABR and look forward to facing its challenge many more times in the future, but it is not perfect.
ABR is not beginner friendly. The difficult golf and extreme hiking could make for a very frustrating experience for golfers below the intermediate level. There are "red" tees, but most are unmarked and can be difficult to locate.
While it is improving all the time, the course is still green and will take a few years to break in. Some of the fairways are overgrown, making it difficult to strategize without doing a lot of walking up to peek. Some of the growth is encumbering otherwise well designed routes. It is evident that work is continuing with new mulch being added and efforts to control the standing water in a couple of the fairways.
The course does not loop back to the parking area after 9 holes, even though it could. There are several places which could use "next tee" signs. I echo the previous poster who recommended taking a picture of the course map with your phone.
There are a few safety crowding issues. A short drive on hole 1 can hyzer right into hole 3's basket. Holes 6 and 7 crowd each other. Hole 8's basket is very close to hole 9's fairway. The path from hole 9 to 10 crosses hole 12's fairway. A drive on hole 16 that flips over can go screaming into hole 18's tee.
Hole 7 is a 135 footer past a couple small, plinko trees. This type of skill gets tested throughout the course and doesn't really merit being its own hole.
Letter holes. There's no reason. 18 holes are plenty of challenge on this course. Hole A is now my new #1 WTF hole in the world. A 260 ft par 4 straight up a billy-goat rock hill, really?
Hole 12 is a 400 footer down a steep grade with no fairway. Shots must be thrown over the top of the trees, exposed to swirling wind. Yes, the hole can be parked as is, but cutting a couple trees down the middle would make an actual fairway.
Hole 17 is awkwardly jammed between holes 16 and 18.
Other Thoughts:
I would rank ABR 4th in the Austin area behind Circle C, East Metro Park, and Roy G., and ahead of Met Center. (although I've yet to play WilCo). ABR will likely become a 4.5 course soon, as work continues.
Don't be a dirty discer; leave the course cleaner than the way you found it.