Pros:
• Course is on a hillside so plenty of up/down elevation changes
• Mainly wide open with varying hole lengths (some ace runs, long bombs, etc)
• Signage at most tees (I believe there were a couple missing)
• Minimal disc loss possibilities
• Large, well maintained park
Cons:
• Natural tees are extremely worn - basically dirt/mud ditches in ground - and are in desperate need of improvement
• Some holes are too close together with high potential of discs straying onto fairways, putting areas, etc.
• No alt. tees or pin positions to add variety, challenge, diverse looks
• Crowded - not only DGers but also people walking through fairways to access dog park, walking paths, etc.
Other Thoughts:
Upon first arriving at Ellison Park, I was initially struck at how much it reminded me in appearance to Little Lehigh Parkway in Allentown, PA - a large, public city park, nicely maintained with wide open, rolling fairways which double as sledding hills. But after playing the first couple holes, all similarities vanished. Being located in such a large park with so much potential, I was hoping for an exciting journey traversing through a substantial portion of it. This was not the case as the first 12 holes basically go back and forth/up and down a mostly open, limited area with holes side by side and back to back with one another and playing very similarly. Don't get me wrong though, there are some nice wide open downhill bombs, aces runs and tough uphill drives here which were fun to play. It's just that these holes are too close together and have little variety.
However I really enjoyed the sequence of holes 13-18 - there were more trees, brush and undergrowth on these holes forcing more thought, consideration and shot placement. Additionally, they moved away from the core area where the first twelve holes are located. So the sense was you were actually progressing through the course rather than meandering a limited area where you can see all of the holes and the players playing on them.
Ellison Park is a pleasing play overall and if the tee pad issues are resolved and some alt. pin placements added, my rating would increase by at least a half disc. Certainly worth a play if sampling Rochester area courses.