Pros:
-brand new discatchers
-good elevation changes, especially for such a small course
-trees are used well to require an accurate shot on most holes
-fun variety of shots, especially for only 11 short holes
-very close to downtown & bishop arts district
-DART blue line stops right next to the course, 100ft from tee 1
-new concrete tees, flush with the ground and textured, on the shorter side
-new tee signs, with distances for the new tee pads on 4 and 9, also show apparent mandos on holes 1 & 3 and a par 4 designation on holes 7-10
Cons:
-very small area for this course and all but 1 or 2 holes are very short
-pedestrian paths are in play on pretty much every hole. you throw over them on 4 holes
-muddy area on the fairway of hole 10; not sure if it is seasonal or not
-supposedly a sketchy area but that's the goal of putting the course in: more eyes in the park, less undesirable activity
-some of the fairways have very uneven ground; beware of your footing, especially on the downhill fairway of hole 7 and the 'ravine' on hole 8
Other Thoughts:
Founders Park is a fun pitch & putt course with some elevated shots, lots of uneven ground, and a fair amount of trees. Only 2 holes are over 225' and only one is over 300'.
The main strengths of this course are the elevation changes and the trees that require hitting your line. There are two downhill tee shots (2, 7) and two uphill tee shots (4, 10) as well as a few more with lots of uneven ground in the fairway (5, 6, 8). I wouldn't call it a wooded course but there are just enough trees that you have to throw an accurate line.
I was initially skeptical about a course fitting in this park but the design seems to work. There are obvious safety issues with so many pedestrian paths that wind throughout the park. They come into play on pretty much every hole, except maybe hole 5. With the course being so small, an errant shot can end up nearly anywhere. That said, the holes that throw over paths have pretty clear lines of sight from the tee, you ought to be able to see pedestrians coming long beforehand. It shouldn't be a problem so long as people use basic sense and stay alert & aware of their surroundings. That doesn't mean it won't be a problem.
Concrete tees were just recently added and a few tees were moved slightly. Hole 4 is about 100 longer, holes 2 and 6 share one pad, tee 7 is back to its original position closer to the sidewalk, and tee 9 is further back and slightly more left. Hole 9 is much harder now as the hyzer line on the right is partially obstructed. The tees are flush with the ground and textured. They are somewhat short but at least the shots are short so a big run up is not necessary.
New tees signs at each tee show par, distance, next tee, and a pretty decent hole layout map. Apparently there are double mandos on both hole 1 and hole 3. Didn't really see those coming, neither are there as a safety thing. I liked that hole 3 had a left, straight, and right routes. Also, for some reason, holes 7-10 are listed as par 4. I can see it on hole 9 for a rec par but not the others.
Overall, it's a fun course with a good variety of shots for such a short course. Great for beginners, putter practice for experienced players. It would be great to see some community events out here.
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