Pros:
(Skip down to 'Other Thoughts.')
Cons:
(Skip down to 'Other Thoughts.')
Other Thoughts:
How does one evaluate a course that has, say, only 12 holes? Only 9 holes? Or indeed just 4 holes? Should any such course be held to the same standards as any given 18-hole course? Or must the courses with fewer than eighteen holes be graded within a realm of their own? Are they all placed on the same relative scale, or should certain affordances be made to accommodate the courses with less play space?
For instance, if I one day in the future play at a 9-hole course that has striking elevation challenges, perfect tee boxes, splendid signage, a lost disc box, brand new baskets, a bench at every hole, pre-made scorecards for the taking, plenty of water hazards, expertly carved fairways, top-notch tunnel throws and sublime scenery from start to finish, then could I be right to award that course a 5 out of 5 for being the best 9-hole course? Even though courses with 18 holes have literally double the disc golf to offer, can a smaller course possibly overpower a "proper" course simply because it has a tighter and more cohesive appearance out of all the other 9-hole courses?
Or, if all courses are graded on the same scale, should the best-ever 9-hole course always earn a lower rating than an "almost perfect" 18-hole course? 18 is nine doubled. Surely, that means it takes double the effort to keep the course in order, so how fair would it be to award 9-holes a higher rating than 18-holes?
I found myself faced with questions like those as I played the 4 holes at Freedom Park today.
Why? Because this place is atrocious.
All flat. All wide-open. All boring. The challenge is just distance and nothing more. The one mando at hole 2 does precious little to breathe life into this place. But you wouldn't know it's a mando because there is no signage of any kind to speak of expect at hole 3, but it stands way too close to the pad, and the little shrub there gets in the way. The area around you is dull and repetitive to look at. The tee pads are concrete, but they're too small to sensibly use, and they are hard to find in the first place.
The baskets are probably the best thing about the course. They exist, and they aren't damaged. They give the disc golfer a reason to be there, I suppose, but only if the player is completely brand new to the sport or lives supremely closeby.
As I threw, I started asking myself all of those questions I mentioned earlier when it dawned on me:
Sure, this course is awful, but what if there is an even worse course out there? Statistically speaking, there simply must be some 9-hole or maybe even a few 18-hole courses that are in worse shape than this collection of failure. But would a cruddy 18-hole course be automatically better than an equally cruddy 9-hole course? Or would I rate them on the same scale? Freedom Park is where I began to seriously question and consider my methods of evaluating courses because the disc golf here was too boring.
Bottom line: An effort has been made at one point in the past, but this course has been long forgotten. Come here only if you want wide-open driving practice. I cannot recommend this course to anyone looking for a proper disc golf experience. Steer clear of this place.