Pros:
Boone's Cave is an 18 hole course with gravel tee pads and DISCatcher baskets. The course is located at Boone's Cave Park, which is a 110 acre park that has some interesting history. There are campsites, a playground, river access, nice restrooms, a vending machine, and plenty of hiking trails.
The course itself is mostly a pitch-&-putt course, but with insane elevation at play considering the length of the course. For a course whose average hole length is less than 200 feet, the course will wear you out if you are not ready for it. There are plenty of uphill, downhill, and valley shots, but there were also a surprising amount of holes where the land seemed to just fall out just to the side of the fairways.
That being said, the course is designed so that beginners can score well here, and Rec players will be able to score well. Intermediate and above players will likely be chasing birdies or better on every single hole. There are plenty of ace runs on this track.
That being said, it is far more important to be accurate than to throw far here. One unfortunate tree kick could result in a long walk down a massive hill. The park itself was very pretty, and the cave that gives the park its namesake was pretty cool.
Hole 15 plays alongside a very small creek, but it gives that hole a fairly scenic look/feel.
Cons:
The layout will require at least one longer walk, either before Hole 1 or after Hole 18 depending on which parking lot you park at. I am glad I chose to park near the restrooms, for the shorter walk after the course. Spoiler Alert: The last three holes all play uphill.
The crushed gravel tees are boxed in on three sides, but on the side facing the basket, the tees are starting to wear away. Some of the tees need noticeable maintenance. The tee signs are fairly bare bones, but that is fine with the nature of the course.
Some of the holes are a big awkward. Hole 6 has been mentioned. As a beginner friendly par 4, it makes sense, but for players with any experience, it may feel awkward.
A course with this many steep hills would benefit from some benches scattered around the course.
It is hard to know what space/requirements was given to the course designer when playing a course, but it was super disheartening to play Boone's Cave while imagining what could have been if a larger course had been designed for this same piece of property. It was like going to an amusement park, but only riding the carousel repeatedly while staring at the cool roller coasters and water slides.
Other Thoughts:
For a beginner friendly course, Boone's Cave manages to push the envelope by introducing players to the fun of throwing with significant elevation in play. For more experienced players it will likely be hard to play and not lament what could have been/what could still be - but it wasn't a bad course.
I am giving Boone's Cave a 2.0 rating. I think small improvements here (like the tee pads or added benches) could bump the rating up slightly, but with the land inside the park a course could be built here that warranted a 4.0 to 5.0 rating. Now if the park has said land available for a disc golf course is another question entirely.
Favorite Holes: 8, 12, & 15