Pros:
Being a newer player and this being the course I've played the most, Field of Dreams was the obvious choice for my first review.
The course is set in a secluded park with a decent variety of terrain and hole types. There's some steep hills, woods, open fields and some water to contend with. Concrete tee pads are in good shape as are the baskets. Most of the tees have benches and trash cans, and the signage is pretty decent as well. The group that maintains the course does a great job keeping the fairways clear of debris and high weeds. So as far as course condition goes, it's better than most.
I know all of the holes on this course very well and will give my description from the point of view of the band of misfits that cut their disc golf teeth here along with me. We're all fairly new to the game so I'm not ashamed to say that we usually play from the short tees. The long tees are usually just a little further back but on some holes they are set in positions that completely change the dynamic of the hole. That being said...
Hole #1 - Starts in a field with basketball courts on the left and thick rough (woods) immediately to your right. The basket is nowhere in sight. The fairway makes a 90 degree turn at around 150 feet. When you make the turn you'll see more woods with an opening to the right. Take a walk to that opening and you'll see the fairway then goes down a rather steep hill with the basket on the flat at the bottom. Be careful throwing through this opening to go down the hill. If your disc fades to the left, there is a truly vile and evil gorge waiting to suck your disc to the bottom. This is no exaggeration! That thing is nearly impossible to walk down into from the top. You'll most likely have to walk to the bottom of the hill and go in that way. Still no day at the beach, and then you have to throw blindly out of it. So don't go in there. You'll come out scratched up and dirty and you still have 17 holes to play. One more thing, overthrow the basket by more than 20 feet and you're going wading in the majestic Pequest River, which you won't be far from for the next 6 holes, with the exception of hole 2.
Hole #2 - You'll tee off facing a mound with brush and woods on either side. Clear the mound and stay in the fairway and this should be an easy par or bird. The hole finishes with a sweet anhyzer shot at a basket tucked in a natural cul-de-sac. One other thing about hole 2, it's obvious the river once ran through here as the first third of the fairway is covered with round river stones - no run ups.
Hole #3 - Tee off from a slightly elevated tee down through a tunnel while trying to get a good fade right to the basket - easy. An accurate tee shot should produce at least a par on this hole. Oh yeah, if you make it though the tunnel but your disc doesn't fade, get out your wading suit. I've heard a lot of bad words said from this tee.
Hole #4 - Par 3 with a slight fade right at the end to a basket set on a slight hill. Go off the fairway and you're beating the bushes to get to a tough lie. Go too hard left and you guessed it, wading. Although making it into the river here would take a really bad shot, of which my companions and I have had our share of.
Hole #5 - Another par 3 through the trees to a basket with thick rough as a backdrop for the Popeye arms among us. Fairly straight shot with no straight line to the basket.
Hole #6 - Kind of a repeat of 5 with different lines. Of course the rough is always threat if you go there. I know this because I've gone there.
Hole #7 - I like this hole because a well thrown s-curve looks awesome going through the trees and usually lands pretty close to the basket. Lots of birdies on this hole.
Hole #8 - Long uphill hyzer shot. Accuracy is important because too far left will put you on or at the bottom of a steep, heavily wooded hill. This par 4 is a lot of fun and ends back up on top of the gorge in a field. New guys like me feel a par is a pretty good accomplishment on this hole and a birdie is like your birthday. So, on hole one you walk down into the gorge, play along the bottom on 2 through 7 and then come back up top on 8. Now to the field holes.
Before I get to the next holes let me say this: I've read other reviews that complain that the field holes are boring and take something away from the course. I disagree. After 8 holes in the woods where you've watched trees kill otherwise good shots and went trekking through the brush and brambles in search of bad throws, it's refreshing to be able to throw where there are no trees and kind of collect yourself. If you're having a bad game, this will almost certainly restore some confidence. If you've got a big arm, now's your time to shine.
Hole #9 - Nice open shot at a slightly elevated basket. Split rail fence in between and walking path to the right. On or over the path is OB, but it's usually not a problem. One big difference from the first 8 holes is the wind. Down in the woods you hardly notice it, but in the fields it is a factor.
Hole # 10 - Long straight shot with walking path, split rail fence, and road all along the left side. If you're really having a bad day, you might clear the road and wind up in the cemetery on the other side where you can pay your respects while you look for your disc.
Hole #11 - Long par 5. 750' from the short tee, 1,000' from the long. Very wide fairway so should be easy to avoid the rough on either side. We don't do things easy so at least one of us almost alway finds the rough, usually underestimating the approach to the basket, which is not visible until you're within a hundred feet or so. The basket is tucked off the left side of the fairway down a short hill and protected by a large tree that prevents going in high on your approach. The opening cut in the rough to accommodate this layout creates a wind tunnel, as all the rough is just a barrier between two fields. Putting can be an adventure here on windy days.
Hole #12 - Short straight shot across open ground into a tunnel in a patch of trees. Cheat right on this hole. easier to get out of and a shot to the left will cost you strokes trying to get back to the fairway if you don't go OB across the walking path. Ideally, throw it straight into the tunnel and enjoy your par/birdie.
Hole #13 - The twin sister of hole 10, but going in the opposite direction.
Hole # 14 - Read the sign at the tee and believe it. Tee off in a clear tunnel with a pine tree right in the middle of the end of the tunnel. You want to throw near the tree without hitting it. If you do this you'll sail into an open field and the rest of the hole is fairly easy. After you clear the tree, the fairway takes a 90 degree left turn with a chain link fence running the distance. Do not allow your disc to go over that fence. The other side is another steep gorge that you really want to avoid.
Hole #15 - Tee off from the top of a steep hill into the woods. This can be a really fun hole with a good tee shot. The layout is basically a fish hook that produces a lot of birdies. There is an ugly wretch of a vine that hangs in front of the tee that has kept many of us from enjoying this hole. That and about a hundred trees, but just miss all of those and you'll have a blast!
Hole #16 - Infuriating par 3. Tee off up a small hill, go between two trees and land in the fairway. Don't go right - bad. Now you see the basket and have to decide to go for it or lay up and take your par. Your choice but know this, miss the basket and almost assuredly roll at least thirty feet down a vey steep hill and now you can plan on trying to save a bogey.
Hole #17 - Par 3 with the basket hanging from a tree that grows in a crater on top of kind of a giant termite mound. It's a tougher shot than it looks with a large cedar tree guarding the entrance to the crater. Get around that and you got a shot at another bird.
Hole #18 - Straight shot through a tunnel that favors a natural left fade. Get through that opening on your tee shot and your par is all but guaranteed. Take the steps back up to the land of the living and talk with your buddies about the cool course you just played and when you're coming back.
Like I said at the beginning, this course is not as challenging as say a Nockamixon or a Tyler park for more experienced players, but it's still a lot of fun and in my opinion a great place for the less experienced player to become better at a great game.
Cons:
The hills can be a bit hazardous when wet, so be careful. Bug spray in the summer is a must as you're playing in the woods along a river, bugs live there. The rough is the rough but it's not that bad and the crew there has done a great job keeping it in check, but there are some thorns, etc. Those are all typical of just about any course. What stands out as the biggest negative to me about this course is the sports fields when they're in use. People will park on the fairways to have a shorter walk to watch their kids play soccer, even though there is ample space in the designated parking areas only a short walk away. No parking signs would certainly help in that area and I scratch my head as to why they've never been put up. Even temporary ones tacked to wooden stakes nailed into the ground on event days would help. So if you show up there and there's a lot full of cars, understand that you will probably not be able to play all 18 holes. The upside to that is that this problem exists almost solely in the spring and fall. In the winter and summer you and other golfers and a few walkers are likely to be the only people in the park.
Other Thoughts:
Some have complained about the distance between some of the holes. There are only four or five where you have to walk more than a few feet. But if you don't like walking, what are you doing out there? Switch to regular golf and then you can ride a cart if it's too much. With that said, I hope you found this review helpful and will give Field of Dreams a play or two.