Pros:
- Nice, unique signage (all blue)
- Grippy concrete teepads
- Trash cans/recycling every 3-4 holes
- Good baskets
- out of bounds stakes give a nice feel
- LONG (6 par 3s, 9 par 4s, 3 par 5s)
- Good balance between easy/difficult holes
- Excellent use of all park features : woods, water, elevation, and length
Cons:
(This is being nit-picky)
- No amateur tees (not designed for it, but will frustrate some)
- No practice basket
- Not the most scenic course
Other Thoughts:
When Dave Feldberg and others designed this course, they did it with A-tier tournaments in mind. Between the length (only 6 par 3s), the openness, the designs of the out of bounds stakes, and the swirling wind that comes off the nearby Columbia River in summer, this place might turn into the disc golf equivalent to British open ball golf: instead of guys being 30+ down after 3 rounds, they'll be 10 - 15 down.
The course is pretty much a giant field, with trees surrounding the outside and long grass in the middle. Fairways are mowed down (nice) and red stakes line what is out of bounds. Holes 1 - 12 pretty much follow the outside west - south - east parts of the course (which shifts between wooded and open); Holes 13 - 16 move open grass bomb throwing holes, with some decent elevation (nothing extreme); and holes 17 and 18 are more wooded to finish.
I played in winter, so the long grass that lines the links style holes (usually OB) isn't growing as much, but it has been beat down to the point where I never felt in danger of losing a disc. My playing partner (who was my guide) told me that he had never played there on such a calm day. During the summer, the strong NW wind comes off the Columbia might make some of the more open holes soul crushing.
Notable holes:
12 - You have an 80 foot tunnel of trees (15ft wide?) which opens up, then funnels back to a wooded basket.
7 - A thickly wooded par 5, with the road on the right. You have to hit three tunnel shots for distance then an approach to the basket, which is an island surrounded by a moat (there is an easier, closer position). That ties for the hardest hole on the course with....
17 - another long par 5 that's unique to the course in that it was the only hole that carved out the woods. You have to accurately crush a drive down the middle, then have three low ceiling shots to laser through to the basket. Both of these holes are made to destroy the scores of the weak.
I think my favorite part of the course is the transistions from easy to challenging holes. Great mix of unique challenges, but not much that I would consider unfair/ridiculous hard. Keep in mind that have a big arm and it wasn't windy. I'm sure the wind would make this course exhausting.
Even though the length and lack of shorter tee pads will turn off some of the weaker arms, my hope is that the construction of this course inspires others to make similar higher par, long courses in the future. This course is 10,000+ feet long, almost twice the size of most courses I've seen (except Milo). It was a real treat and I will most definitely play it again...