Pros:
Ski resort disc golf courses are usually fun for me. It's hard to beat launching a drive from the top of a hole with a massive drop in elevation. Hilltop Ski Area has a few holes of this nature, but you start at the bottom and work your way up to get to them.
The 18 hole course spreads across most of the ski runs on the slope. There are rubber tees, and two baskets on every hole except for 18. The short baskets are DISCatcher style with navy blue rims on the top, and the long baskets are DGA style painted red on top. Tee signs indicate distance and par for both pins. I played the short/blue baskets which is a par 61 layout.
The fairways are mostly open, criss crossing the grass covered mountain side. The grass was cut nicely when I visited. There are lines of dense trees in between the ski runs, and baskets will sometimes be tucked on the sides near the trees. Holes 11 and 13 play in the trees more than the rest of the course, 11 uphill and 13 down.
The front 9 is climbing toward the peak most with holes 4 and 7 turning back downhill momentarily. The back 9 starts at the very top and is primarily downhill, with 11, 12, 15 and 17 turning back up. The longest holes are going to be downhill, especially if you play the long red layout. The uphill shots are usually a bit shorter and are still birdie candidates.
Not sure if I had a favorite hole, but I really liked the big downhill drives on holes 4, 10, 14 and 18. I did get knocked down by the chair lift on hole 10 unfortunately. The woods on holes 11 and 13 were a good added challenge.
The fee to play is $5 per day, and you can use PayPal, which is thought was a nice touch. There are maps at the pay station.
Cons:
The pictures and map on the DGCR course page are not reflective of the current course, but the new layout is similar to the old one.
New map shows a blue pin on hole 18, but it isn't there anymore. I saw a blue basket at the bottom of the hill way to the left in front of a shed that was way longer than the red pin. I played to that basket, but a man approached and informed me that it was not part of the course, and 18 has only one basket now.
It would be nice if there were trees in play on a few more holes, but the layout does pretty well with the land that is available.
Other Thoughts:
I found the 18 hole course at Hilltop Ski Area to be fun and a decent challenge. It was fairly easy to navigate as a first time visitor, and even the blind holes had a fair chance at a decent second shot if you aren't familiar with the basket locations.
I started well, with birdies on holes 2, 3, 4 and 5. The rest of the way was not so great. Bogies on 6, 12 and 13 along with a double bogey on 15 put me at one over par (62) for the round.
I liked the personality of this course in comparison to the others that I played in Anchorage. Between both of the Hilltop courses, Kincaid, Girdwood and Peters Creek I found each one had a distinctly different feel. The par here is generous and the lack of trees in play make it a little bit easier, aside from the hike uphill.
The grounds were nicely kept, and the view of the city was hazy from wildfire smoke, but still pretty nice. In conjunction with the 9 hole course, I would say a $5 daily fee is worth the money. Reminded me of the Sipapu Ski Area course in New Mexico.