Pros:
- Dr. Lawless Park is home to numerous mountain bike trails, baseball diamonds, pavilions, a few marshy areas that don't come into play, and heavily-wooded hills. The disc golf course can be located by following the first base line of the nearest ball diamond to #1's tee at the wood line. Say goodbye to open spaces as Dr. Lawless' dense trees and thick underbrush conspire to brutalize errant shots for the next 18 holes.
- The Dr. does a convincing job serving up one particular brand of disc golf: thickly wooded short holes that place a premium on line-shaping while navigating a plethora of moderate elevation changes in conjunction with an endless supply of mature trees.
- Excellent use of elevation. A wealth of decent-sized ups and downs are put to great use throughout the course. The variety in the way the elevation changes come into play from hole to hole is above average, and definitely the hallmark of this course. #3's basket sits on a narrow strip of land with small gullies running down each side into a fairly deep valley. With the hole being under 200', the possibility of going long into the deep rough is very real. #9 shoots over a small dip in the land with deep rough to both sides and an area of safety in the circle. Generally speaking, each hole contains some sort of positive use of elevation.
- Great use of the forest. The designers did a great job of creating fair but challenging holes that test line-shaping abilities while throwing both uphill and downhill. The trees get pretty tight in spots, but nothing is unfair or ridiculous. The thick rough provides severe but fair punishment for errant shots. Hitting your lines cleanly off the tee will result in a ton of birdies. Missing them can be an adventure.
- There are a multitude of paths running between the various holes, which has to help ease congestion during crowded course conditions as one can skip around as needed.
- Long, fairly new-ish looking concrete tees. They're a bit on the narrow side but otherwise pretty good. Wooden posts serve as the signs. Each post lists the hole number, distance, and par. On some holes, small wooded signs are also present. Baskets for the most part (see cons) are in good shape, and each has several orange ribbons attached, to aid in finding them through the trees. Several trash cans throughout help keep the course mostly devoid of litter.
- Although the course is near the ball diamonds and mountain bike trails, The Dr. has a pleasant nature vibe that for the most part is secluded from other park activities.
Cons:
- The baskets for hole #'s 10 and 12 are currently missing (as of 11/10/12).
- I have no problem with punishing roughs, but when the majority of the course contains various thorns, stickers, and thistles it kinda starts to suck a bit. If you can't hit the fairways consistently, be sure to wear pants or risk looking like you're emo and have developed a cutting problem.
- While the many trails are probably a "pro" once you're familiar with the layout, they don't really help with navigation the first time through. Next tee signs exist in a few spots, but often in strange places where not needed. In other spots with a couple of different path options and a long walk to the next tee, nothing appears to help guide first timers.
- I dunno, this is difficult to hold against the course per se, but the nearby hog farm really stinks.
Other Thoughts:
- Experts won't find much challenge here and will most likely find the thorns a deal breaker. For advanced players, Dr. Lawless offers a great technical workout for putters or mid-ranges. Beginners will find a wealth of fair but challenging variations on the main theme.
- I went into Dr. Lawless with low expectations given its rating (I don't usually read reviews prior to playing a course, but I often check the overall disc rating). I was pleasantly surprised to find a fun, interesting course that thoroughly explores a multitude of variations on a singular theme. I enjoyed the course enough to alter my plans and play a second round. Definitely a solid little course that deserves more respect than it has gotten.