Pros:
Pulling into Hillcrest Park, it's clear what is prioritized here. There are top-notch baseball fields and playground & splash area for the kids. And then there's the disc golf course.
****2024 UPDATE - driving by, I wanted to take a quick look at the course (and possibly play). It's clear some of the baskets are gone. I didn't explore further, but it's clear this course would probably be considered unplayable at this point. Now, continue reading my (now) outdated review.****
- When this course get's proper attention, this can be a decent layout. When fairways are completely overgrown, it's not so much fun.
- There are plenty of open holes. In some ways, these are the best parts of the course. Granted, that's only because you can't notice the neglect. Yes, having clearly laid out fairways is a positive for this course.
- There were two holes that I thought were good, B+-level in terms of quality, design, and enjoyment - #2, an uphill 254-footer and #16, a 265-foot, slight downhill layout with a tree lined fairway. The latter was the only hole that had an actual, well-laid out fairway.
- There are at least a half-dozen holes that would be just as good if this course got proper attention. #9 could be the course's best hole with proper attention. Your approach shot is (in its present state) to a basket that has waste high, or taller, grass three feet to the right of the basket. Cut that height down, widen the green area, and clear out some of the underbrush, and you now have a legit risk/reward approach shot rather than a 'I hope I can find my disc and not a snake' throw, or a safe, 30-foot to the left, bailout throw.
- If you ever want to see the inner workings of a small-town park and rec department, a round here is really a behind-the-scenes tour to see how the sausage is made. Hole #3 plays behind storage sheds and piles of dirt and mulch. #8 plays along the fenced in yard where county vehicles are stored. The walk from #9 to 10 leads you past more P&R equipment. Then, if you're still on the fence about whether you want to work for the county, this recruiting tour's Coup de grâce is the walk through the waste collection center, complete with the opportunity to tee off on #14 right next to one of the dumpsters.
- I was able to spot the tee areas for 15 of 18 holes. In school, that's a solid B or B-. Between wooden posts and some tee signs, you too can play most holes. Add to that, I did spot all but one basket, and even most fairways. And most baskets were still completely upright and not leaning.
Cons:
This park offers multiple amenities. All get more attention that disc golf.
- For everyone who says any disc golf course is better than no disc golf course, this will test your beliefs. The directions on the course's DGCR were spot on, even to the point the first tee is a couple steps from the back, right corner of the parking lot. I spot the first tee sign immediately. Solid first impression. Then I try to figure out where the actual tee area is. Don't see markers in the ground. Don't see a frame anywhere. I guess they want you to just throw from that exact spot. And that was one of the easier holes to play.
- Hole #5 is a hole in that it does have a tee marker and a basket, both of which have a #5 on them. What's in between said tee marker and basket is nothing that resembles a fairway. Go to your nearest cluster of trees, underbrush and wild growth. Great. Welcome back. Now tell me, what did it look like? Was it nicely manicured or was it a complete jungle that it'd be difficult to walk through or get a disc through? Chances are it's still easier to get to than it would be from #5's tee to basket.
- #6 & 7 were two open field holes that only served the purpose of giving this course 18 holes. You tee off on one side of the field, play 500 feet to the other side, walk 30 feet away, tee off on the far side, and play to a basket close to where you just were.
- If you go over the fence on #8, or possibly #12, I don't think you're retrieving your disc.
- For a simple course, there were a ton of blind tee shots. As already mentioned, it's not always easy even figuring out where the fairway is on every hole. So, it's not like you can just throw a disc down the fairway and hope for the best. You can throw down the widest area and hope that it is the actual fairway. I guessed wrong on where the fairway was on several holes on the back 9. Can't say I remember ever having to play 'guess the fairway' more than once on a course before. So, there's that.
- I'm sure I could complain about other issues, but I feel I would just be wasting brain cells.
Other Thoughts:
Hillcrest was one of the most frustrating courses I've played. The course is clearly an afterthought. There are two good courses nearby so why pour resources into this sunk cost?
- The frustrations mostly stem from the realization that it wouldn't take that much effort to turn this into a better course. One solid weekend of fairway clearing and tee sign / next tee arrow installing, and this course would at least be playable. Just because this will never be an elite course doesn't mean it can't be a solid option for players.
- I really would have been interested in playing the wooded stretch of #9 - 16 were things in more optimal shape. The stretch of #9 - 13 should be the course's best section of holes. Instead, I'm happy I didn't have to search too long for a disc in tall grass, didn't twist an ankle, and only had to walk through two dozen spider webs. #10 and 12 really could be fun holes, and I was disappointed I didn't get a real taste of them.
- When you start playing a lot of courses, you're going to eventually play some bad courses. This course most closely resembles two others that were complete s-shows: Woodward Park in Camden, SC and Lowe Warner Park in nearby Troy. I'd rather see, and play, a course that tops out at a 2.5 rating than just see it completely ignored.
- In this layout, if everything were in good shape - tee pads, tee signs, clear fairways, easy navigation - this tops out in the 2.5 - (maybe) 3.0 range. Based on how the course played in July '19, I'm probably being generous with a 1.5 rating. Based on the fact the most recent course update from a year early, these flaws have been around for a long time. Until things are better, give me Pinehurst or Reservoir Park every time.