Pros:
Design 3
* The land was used really well to produce unique, interesting holes. There are some cramped holes, especially on the back 8, but the holes are short enough, and there are enough trees to handle most wayward shots.
Variety 3
* The front ten has great variety. Open, scattered trees, low tunnels, even a water hazard (which doesn't seem to be all that common in Oregon). The back eight has much more subtle variety, but all are wooded and pretty short. There is a good spread of left, rights, and straights. And there are alt. pin positions which dramatically change some holes (see hole 13). There is a lack in hole length variety, only 4 holes are 300ft or more.
Challenge 3
* There are no real grueling holes, most are in the 200-300 ft range, and rely more on accuracy than power. That being said, errant shots will be punished. The rough is thorny, stingy, and buggy. If you can throw your mids/putters 250 ft, with accuracy, you should shoot under par.
Flow 3
*The course flows well. Next tees are pretty intuitive, and the hole variety is dispersed nicely through the course. There are a couple of kind of whacky walk outs that are almost back tracking on the back 8, but its not too bad.
Tees 3.5
*Nice, big concrete tees.
Baskets 4
* Nice Mach V baskets, all seem to be in good condition and all have a hole number.
Scenery 3.5
* There are no massive vistas, but the park itself is pretty, and on the back 8 you feel like you're walking through the forest.
Elevation, water, terrain, etc 3
* There is one water hole (a couple more have some creeks, but they really don't come into play too much.) There is some slight elevation on the front, but nothing too big. The back 9, except 18 and one of 13's pin position, is flat; the only time you deal with elevation is if you have an errant throw down into the ravine.
Signature holes 3
* If I had to pick one, I might say number 2 (a shorter hole over water) or number 8 (a sweeping dogleg right, to a protected pin that's in the vicinity of the creek). In all honesty though, there's no real "wow" hole here.
Risk/Reward 3.5
* The front doesn't punish nearly as bad as the back, except for the water hole. That isn't to say you can't get in trouble. All of the front is at least bordered by trees and rough and the wind really comes into play here. The back is much tighter, and there is a decent sized ravine bordering the left hand side of holes 14-17 which does wonders for the "pucker" factor. Go down here and the best case scenario is finding your disc after getting stung sufficiently by the stinging nettle, now you have a steep uphill shot to a fairway or basket that is usually guarded with trees.
Amenities, signs, garbage cans, etc 2 (out of 2.5)
* There are bathrooms somewhere in the park, signs at every hole that give a hole layout and distance, and garbage cans and benches at a number of tees.
Ease of play for someone unfamiliar to the course 2 (out of 2.5)
* The course is small enough that next tee is never too far off. Plus there are usually enough players to just follow along. One tricky spot is the walk out from 10 to 11. There's a road behind 10's basket, walk out to it and follow it downhill, 11 is off to the left at the bottom
Cons:
*Short. Not necessarily a con, but if you're expecting to fire the cannon, head to Milo or Pier.
*Crowds. Usually not horrible, and if it is, most people are really cool about letting you join up or play through. I've met nothing but cool people out here, but if you like to be alone, this might not be the course for you.
*Stinging or pricking plants. The rough is full of it, so avoid at all costs.
*Mud and puddles. NEWSFLASH: Oregon winters and springs are wet..... But there are some areas of the course that stay muddy long after the rain stops.
Other Thoughts:
Dabney is a really fun, challenging course that can be appealing to a wide range of players. For newer players, the holes are short enough that par is within the realm of possibility. For more advanced players, the holes are technical enough that birdies are not a given. The variety keeps it interesting, and forces you to use multiple shots throughout a round.
While it may not be a giant, this is still a fun course that is worth checking out.
Total Score= 36.5/55 = .66 = 3.5/5 discs