Pros:
Cranbury Park is a beautiful area with the Gallaher Mansion on it , A performing theater , walking trails for you and your dogs , a garden and terrace . Oh yeah , and a disc golf course . The course is 18 holes , starting just down and to the left if you are driving in to the lot . Make sure you pay your $10 and put the receipt on the dashboard . Bathrooms were mentioned , but I didn't see where they were . . The parking lot was adequate .
The Equipment - The tee pads are rubber , plenty long and wide enough . The tee signs are good , metal with the different pin positions , but no indicator on which position the Long basket is in . There are 2 baskets per hole Short blue and long red . . The red basket is the longer one and has the different pin positions .There is a kiosk under a little shelter at hole #1 .
The Landscape . The course rolls some , and with the exception of a few holes , #'s 1 , 14 , 15 and 18 , the course is encased in woods .There area few older hand made rock walls on or around the course & some rock formations .
The Highlights - Some of the holes might interest you like the slowly descending #3 , through a tight fairway ( 420' ) , or the #18 bomber 550 where you throw from the open and into the woods at the very end .
Signature Hole - #6 397' has a left to right drive into a narrow pass with a basket the tucks in to the right at the very end .
The time - It took me about 70 minutes to play , but several of those minutes were looking for holes . A group of 4 that knows the way will play it in a little over 2 hours .
Extreme Beauty - Not the course but the grounds . Looking out over it in the backround while teeing off on #14 . You will see what I mean .
Cons:
#1 Navigation - You can slip off the path and be lost in a minute . The kiosk at hole #1 has a map , but it is faded and has seen better days ( It won't help ) . Print a map online before coming , or play with a local , or yell for help .Hole #15 has been moved to the outside of a small section of woods . Just walk to your left of the basket on #14 and just a shade forward .
#2 Watch Your Step - The course was full of debris , branches , sticks while I was here . If you have a PAY TO PLAY course , you should be doing a walk-through of the course once a day . Some of it was even on the tee pads
#3 Pay To Play - $10 for non residents . They disguise it as a parking fee . I am normally okay with paying if there is upkeep on the course and some goes back into improvements , but not here . We call this a Cash Register Course . One that the money goes into the pockets , but nothing goes to your entertainment .
#4 Interruptions - There are also a lot of dog walkers that you might encounter I hope you like dogs . Also , watch where you step . Owner are good at letting the dogs go right in the fairways .
One of the things that they could have done right was to utilize the lost and found disc box they have , but it looks like it hasn't been cleaned out or locked in years .
Bring bug spray for the bugs , and a hammer to hit your self with for paying to play here .
Other Thoughts:
I talked to a local that is a resident and doesn't pay . He says the lack of attention that Cranbury pays toward the disc golf course and the fact that they charge $10 to play drove most of the players away . That's sad , because it really isn't a bad course . Cranbury could do so much more with this course . but they just ride on their past reputation . Read the reviews from the 2 before me . It seems not too many are impressed . Overrated as it was , It just barely eked out a 3 from me ( 2.75 ) . If you come here , make sure you put aside some time to walk the grounds . The course is a little more than passable .If it didn't have multiple pin placements and only had 1 basket , it would be a 2 , but the park's overall look is very nice .
My Recommendation - With its 2 basket system - and some good holes , this course should be utilized by any residents that like disc golf . The non residents are wasting their money by coming here . You have 4 courses that are free and within 10 miles of this place . Go to Veterans , where the Fun Factor is high there . Course Collectors - avoid the letdown and pick another course .