Pros:
Chester City Park is a very small park just off of RT 30 on the West Virginia-Ohio border . A small amount of parking is available , and I saw no bathrooms here . It's a 9 hole course .
The Equipment - The tees are natural and the ground is worn enough so you know where to tee off from . The signs old school , Whitewashed plastic on a metal pole with basic information . The baskets are Mach 5 ( looked like old Chainstars ) according to the park .
The Landscape - The course was mowed and the park was clean when I was here . The course is flat . There are a couple of slight grades , and you tee off on a short plateau on hole 5 .
Disc Risk - About zero . Unless the kid that you hit runs off with one , your discs will come home with you .
No highlights here . The course is a fast play , maybe 20 minutes and is easy on the legs .This is the type of course that a family with 1 disc apiece can come here and enjoy a round after dinner . The course is a birdie fest even for the newest of the newbies , and an ace fest on most of the holes .
Cons:
#1 Kids Club - If the park has anyone in it besides you playing the course , they are a target . The park is way too small to support even a 3 hole course . Let's see : there's a shelter you can throw in to , a playground makes an excellent target , the parking lot . Kids Club Highlight - They fenced in the old basketball courts ,took them down and created a skate park . Hole #5 is an elevated tee that makes you throw over that skate park to the basket on the other side . Imagine knocking little Johnny off his skateboard while he was attempting a double reverse .
#2 Navigation - no map - no flow . The course starts on the corner where you pull in , almost hidden by a giant bush , and thrown towards the shelter . throw one more the same direction , then you turn left . Real odd . After finishing #4 , you have to turn right and follow the skate park fence line . The tee signs won't help you , as many are pointed in the wrong direction .
#3 Challenge - Only 2 challenges here . One is trying to clear the 10' high fence in the skate park , the other is trying to finish a 20 minute course without being named in a lawsuit
#4 Skipping - I don't know if the park has peak times or not , , but I think you may have to take a pass on a few of the holes if a bunch of families come here to picnic . It is just too tight and easily congested .
#5 - #5 . Whose brainchild was it to throw over 2 10' high fences , trapping your drive in between , especially on a windy day , and risking hitting skatepark kids ? A redesign of the hole would make sense .
Other Thoughts:
I encourage and applaud cities and townships installing disc golf courses . It's an ever-growing game , and it can draw out of towners to spend money and check out your area . Chester City Park might not be a fit for this . The overwhelming majority of people playing disc golf here are going to be kids and newer players . The Risk/Reward is going to be avoiding hitting anyone in the park .
My Recommendation - Chester City park is too small to support a disc golf course at this point .
Still - it might be okay to introduce the curious to the game . Newbies and families will enjoy it when someone gets their first ace . Putting practice and padding ace counts for others . Not worth a stop for travelers and Course Collectors can grab this one quick and head to Thompson or Tomlinson right after . . PASS ON THIS ONE !