Pros:
Teepads, signage, baskets. Variety of shots and skills required.
Cons:
Some fairways overlap too closely, potentially making play a challenge at busy times.
Other Thoughts:
The first course I ever played, and still my original home course, so I'm biased, but the variety and superior layout of this course, plus now the nice signage and baskets, add up to an excellent urban disc golf outing. Gillies Creek is a basic par 3 course, but features a good mixture of longer and shorter holes. Plus, 14 of the 18 holes now have two teepads, two basket placements, or both. Even as I play more and more courses, this one remains one of the more varied and flexible.
Yes, except for the long version of one hole, Gillies Creek is definitely a strict par 3 course, but to get a good look at a birdie you're going to need a different kind of throw on every hole; just throwing long won't help you much out here The course is about half woods, half open and you need to break out left and right fades, a fair number of control shots, a couple of just straight-out chucks, and two cool downhill holes. So little distance, no water, and not much uphill, but Gillies has everything else, and a couple of views of the Richmond skyline too. Again, I'm biased, but Gillies is a great course to build your game, holds up well after many plays, and looks pretty good on a nice spring or fall day.
Really, the only true con left about this course now that the wayfinding issues are moot, all the tees are in good shape, overall maintenance has improved, and the newer baskets are in, is yes, it is still too tight in spaces, and discs will be flying at each other from different tees during crowded times.
All in all, Gillies Creek has a great balance of holes and shots – long and short, right and left, tight and open, and even a little bit of up and down. In addition, every hole has at least one good concrete teepad. Since playing is the point, Gillies Creek stacks up well.
Favorite Hole - #9 - long downhill into a wide alley of established hardwoods.