Pros:
Greystone Woods is a nice piece of land that is primarily disc golf , but some hikers/dog walkers may drift through . There is adequate parking across Old Dover Road from the course . I didn't see a bathroom here . I played most of the course with Joe , a disc golf junkie that plays here a lot . He also showed me how to birdie hole #13 .
The Equipment - The tee pads are crushed gravel , several tee pads per hole . There are rumors of pavers , but I never saw any . The tee signs were paper in plastic sleeves ( ? ) . The baskets are yellow numbered Discatchers , easy to spot in the woods . There is a lost disc return box close to the #9 hole . Putting your name and phone number on the insides of your discs will greatly increase your chances of getting one back .
The Landscape . The area was clean and mowed when I was here . Only some overgrowth was a little out of control . The course has some elevation to it . It rolls most of the way , with a couple of good uphill'downhill holes . The course is mostly woods , with some thick overgrowth in a few spots . There were a couple of creeks that come into play , but the most scenic areas are the large ponds . that divide parts of the course . Basket places make you think about risk/reward upshots and rollaways because of the water .
The Highlights - Some good holes to play here . #2 ( 375', 453' ,658' ) starts off as a straight or slightly left to right drive , only to change to a hard right uphill dogleg . #7 lightly descends to a basket protected by trees , on a right angled slope where the right side leads you to a water filled creek . A long putt can hit a tree root ( mine ) and roll right into the creek . #13 is a fun left to right midrange through a narrow passage that travels over a dry creek at the end where the basket and green are just beyond . #18 ( 306' , 380' 615 ) is a good finishing hole . The fairway is slightly open , but it's hard to go for the hole because large trees and their canopies line the right side and the left has a huge amount of thick 2 1/2 ' high overgrowth
Signature Hole(s) - Tough to decide . #9 from the blues has the most picturesque , where you throw out of a small doorway tee over part of the lake , bringing it in left , past a building and towards the basket , on an uphill slope , protected by trees . The White hole takes the water out of play , but gives you the choice of a straight shot down a narrowing fairway , or going out and right to left to try to avoid as many trees as possible . #17 was a fun downhill sloping drive that goes towards the basket that has both ponds behind it . The green is narrow and overthrows will be punished .
The Beauty - This course is above average in raw beauty . The woods , couples with the creeks and ponds make it easy to take a step back take the area in .
The Time - Playing with a partner for over half the course , it took us a little over an hour and a half to play . A group of 4 will take about 2 hours and 10 minutes .
Course designers Jeff mahler and Eric Robbins did an excellent job with the course design .
The course is very popular with the locals . I saw families with strollers , sets of couples playing as a group , The combination of short and long tees make it inviting for everyone . The locals were nice ( Thanks for being my course guide , Joe ) .
Cons:
#1 Safety - There were a LOT of people on the course when I was here on a Saturday . Some are not as skilled on course etiquette as more experienced players . Add a few blind holes , and there are going to be chances of being hit . Stay aware when out there .
#2 Navigation - Several chances to make wrong turns here .I turned right instead of left after hole 5 , and almost started playing #12 . Crossing the pond after hole #8 and knowing where you are going can confuse out of towners or newbies . The course needs some directional signs .
#3 Disc Risk - We spent some time in the overgrowth looking for Joe's drivers . ( trimming it back some will keep people coming back. It's a big tunoff to spend 20-30 minutes a round looking for your disc ) . ) . Add that and the pond that will claim a disc here and there , and your disc risk is Medium . Use a spotter when you can .
#4 The Equipment - This course is way too popular and too highly rated ( #2 in New Jersey ) to have crushed gravel tee boxes and paper/plastic tee signs . Morris Plains Parks , This Is On You .
Bring bug spray during the summer . The elevation will make you sweat , and the ponds will draw even more insects .
Other Thoughts:
After seeing the first tee box and paper tee sign , I thought Greystone was going to be way overrated , but I was surprised . Solid design with great basket placement more than make up for it . I can see why people flock to this course . Hole variety and challenge , + Fun Factor galore .. The course seems to have an even amount of straight , right and left handed holes and the 3 tees make it attractive to any player strengths . A couple of suggestions would be to add a putting basket , and maybe a nice chill area with picnic tables right after hole #18 , where locals and travelers can congregate and relax . .A thank you to Morris Plains Parks Dept and Greystone Woods Disc Golf Club for the upkeep and care they put into this nice course . Make sure before coming here to play , that you check out the course Facebook page and the the club calendar . They have Wednesday evening Doubles starting at 6pm and Tag Rounds on Sunday mornings at 10 am Sundays , plus tournaments once in a while .
My Recommendation - Bringing an intro, a newbie families or a date might be a good idea for this course . So many people playing during peak times will show how cool it is to play the game , and make some friends . Locals will and do love this course . The can progress from the red ( short tees , on up to the blues at their own pace . Intermediates to pros have plenty of length combined with accuracy to keep their games sharp . Not far off of I-280 , this is a good stop for a traveler . Not particularly fast , but fun . Course Collectors only have this course close by , but it a fine one for your collection . Not near a destination course , but given the chance , PLAY IT !!!!