Pros:
Fun and short neighborhood park course with 9 very easy holes. Built in 2006, this layout feels like it was built before the current era of high speed discs, back when Innova's stamp on the Shark called it an "All Purpose Driver" and the Moray was a "Medium to Long Range Driver" (yes, I have both of them...).
+ Mostly open, the layout makes good use of the widely-spaced trees in the park
+ The tee signs give you some idea of the age of the course: no graphics, paste-on numbers laminated in something that looks like fibreglass in aluminum frames (these signs will outlast all of us)
+ There are five par 4's, ranging from 140' to 220'. Come and get your eagles now (or, just treat 'em like the par 3's they really are)
+ Hole # 2 is a par 4, 220' hole. Across a wide open field, slightly downhill. It's a fun "placement" shot at an open target with a treeline behind it
+ Hole #4 is a par 4, 155' -up a slight hill through an alley defined by some widely-spaced trees. This is a good example of the designers figuring out how to work with what they have
+ Hole #6 is a par 4, 140' hole - down a slight hill, again using available trees. As with the other par 4's, if you treat it like a 3, it's not a bad hole
Cons:
- This "course" is just baskets and signs spread around a park. No tees: just stand near the tee signs and throw
- The obvious Con is the pars, but you can ignore them and play the course as a par 27
- I suspect the park gets some use, and if so, you'll be throwing around picnics, kite-flyers, kids running around. I played it early morning in December, and the only people we saw were letting their dogs run
Other Thoughts:
~ We parked in the lot across the road, and started on hole #2 because the tee sign was right there in front of us
~ If you live nearby, this is a great place to get out and throw mids and putters for a 20 minute round
~ Branchwood is the perfect example of a course for introducing newer and younger players to the game. Bring a birthday party, a cub scout pack, a school outing. Give them each a disc and let them at it. There's plenty of room, some easy obstacles, and a playground for those who lose interest. It would be a blast