Pros:
Flat Rock Park in Columbus, Georgia hosts a very nice recreation area with plenty of activities. Several pavilions, picnic tables, a fishing lake, and playgrounds are great for families. There is a network of walking and bike trails making their way around the park as well. One of the features most will notice right off the bat is the unique creek, small waterfalls, and the rock features that gives the park its name. But most importantly, there is the fun and challenging disc golf course onsite.
The established park, with mature pines and clean forested areas, set the stage for some good golf. Varied terrain from freshly cut grassy areas, natural wooded pine straw lined fairways, and the before mentioned rocky faces gave plenty of variety to keep the course interesting.
The course takes advantage of the flat rocks at the start. The exposed granite outcrops give the course a one of a kind feel and visually speaking, it was very appealing. Later, as the course meanders throughout the park, the exposed rocky areas begin to vanish, but you'll notice that the elevation change on hole one wasn't unique. The designers made good use of the land by incorporating some ups and downs throughout the layout.
There're three basket placement per hole. As such, you'll have a complex of hole types lending themselves to the diversity of the course. With an active club who constantly moves the baskets, monthly I'm told, you'll always find a "new" course to play. The tee signs will lead you in the right direction in terms of hole maps, lengths, and basket placements; A, B, or C. It's worth noting that A, B, and C positions don't always correspond to the typical short to long. Instead, it's random and leads to a well distributed mix depending on the combination you find that day.
There is only one tee pad per hole. But like I said, with these mixes of pins, there are plenty of hole types. Left and right sweeping holes, some hinting at being doglegs, keep both lefty's and righty's satisfied and challenged. Precise shots are often asked for with tightly and randomly placed trees shaping the hole. Some holes allow you pick from multiple lines, commit to it, and execute the shot. Another has a double mando calling you to shoot a frozen rope strait down a hill to some cleverly situated basket placements.
The long pins are sometimes lengthy and will have the longest of throwers stretching it out. The shorts, well they are really short. They offer birdies and ace runs galore and will likely add to the overall enjoyment of your round. It's fitting that a tourney highlighting the two distinct options is so popular, the annual Aces Over Bombs, where it's one round to the shorts and one to the longs.
Being a multi-use park also has its advantages. There's plenty of parking, bathrooms, water fountains, and other perks sometimes missed at smaller or underfunded municipal parks. Scattered benches and trash receptacles round out the amenities.
Cons:
While other reviewers mentioned a less than intuitive flow or general difficulty getting their bearing, the local guide I had took that out of play for me. However, there are many baskets visible from time to time and consequently, throwing to the wrong basket is not out of the realm of possibilities. I can see where folks could get sidetracked if they were just whistling through the graveyard map-less, and not paying attention.
A couple of areas share some of the real estate with other park users. Walking trails and a couple bike trails come into play occasionally.
Overall there is just not a lot to dislike here. It's a solid course. I tried to jog my memory of where the course came up short. I even breezed through previous reviews. Most everyone griped about bad signs, tee pads, or lines that were less than valid. Most of these have been remedied. I would say most golfers would give this course at minimum a 3/5 rating, even if it's not their style of course. For me it's nearly a 4.
Other Thoughts:
With a closer look, you'll notice the letter "O" at one of the pin locations on the tee signs. They indicate the original pin placement for the course. I think that is cool. Often, even while continuing improvements are for the better, it's nice to preserve or commemorate the beginnings of a course. Historical features are sometimes important to remember. Often it is a reminder of the hard work and dedication it takes to install a course.
Today, it's evident that not only was there a dedicated person or people to get the course in the ground, but there continues to be a presence of folks who continue to maintain and improve it for all who play. And to the eager and enthusiastic local who guided me through, thanks for a great experience. It shows that the locals and the club take pride in the course.