Pros:
The overall course has great balance of long/short, left and right holes. The majority of the course is wooded and not just bulldozed or ski trail fairways lined with thick trees. There are some beauties here. Some noteable ones are...
#10 plays up and over a small cresting ridge under a canopy of tall pines and the fairway splits into 3 distinct routes via clumps of trees (a great hole)
#14 is great (and could be awesome). You stand on the tee and pick which two huge pines you'd like to try and thread their 3-4' gap to get into the open after this first 20% of the fairway. Then the majority of the fairway is an open gravel parking lot, but a welcome board blocks your approach to a pin fairly far away. Now, if that pin were further back and up on one of the mounds (introducing a risky green) it would be awesome.
15B is a signature hole and looks marvelous from the tee. The fairway is outlined within two smaller wooded ridges on the sides and it rolls up and down numerous times. Various large trees in the middle split your route and you can see (and feel) the chance to ace this 345' hole (it would be a beauty to watch). (But this basket is shared with 15A which is a con).
Bonus holes A and B after 14 offer good use of the woodland ridge elevation but could be longer.
Nice new 3 layer Discatcher baskets are the best in the game.
There are nice (and desperately needed) next tee arrows near every green.
It was nice and quiet and peaceful when I played. I love that as part of my experience. However the current design with holes 1-4 in the main park/beach area would be a HUGE CON in peak tourist season!
More than 18 holes (21 with A, B, 15A, 15B)
Cons:
The main con is the tee area. I can't even say tee pads because there is nothing - no concrete, gravel, woodchips, toeboard, side markers, nothing. It is not even clear if you tee from behind or in front of the sign, just find a good flat spot near the sign if there is one. Which is the other problem, most tee areas are full of roots and rocks.
Holes 1-4 and 18 are in a crowded main area of the park. Hole 2 has no blue tee which would really let you wing out a hyzer over the lake. Holes 1 and 3 really have no route from the Blue tee.
Playing in November is probably ideal because there is tons of popple and underbrush that must make mid season play through the rough almost impossible.
The woodland ridge area of the park doesn't really come into play until after hole 14 (and 18 doesn't), so I'd call this 'Mostly Flat'. It takes away from some of the key and unique variety that I look for with physical features of the terrain.
The open holes don't really offer an opportunity to air it out, while #5 pin is right in the center island of the park entrance - a surefire pedestrian and car hazard if you ask me. Because of this, variety is limited as it is mainly a wooded course without a lot of elevation, and definitely no sharp or drastic elevation. There are no 'downhill bombers' here.
The tee signs could provide a bit more of a depiction of the hole by including trees, and other features. The reason being, is you can't see the yellow bands of the discatchers because there are advertising stickers all over them.
Other Thoughts:
I really waffled on this rating. I had a great time playing here and really thought I'd be back. I kept thinking of the possibilities and expansion also, but what it really boiled down to is what was actually there. The lack of tee pads and tee areas full of rocks and roots is horrible honestly. While it didn't keep me from enjoying my round, it kept me from liking the course more. At least some type of tee is needed regardless of the design. Then as far as design and layout, if holes 1-4 and 18 were scrapped (although then the water hazard #2 would be gone), and much more of the awesome woodland ridges after #14 area were utilized along with that unique and drastic terrain for risky pin placements, this course could absolutely shine! I'd recommend starting and stopping at the nature trail parking lot that is fairway #14, with two 9 hole loops in either direction and for distinct character of each piece of those woods (woodland ridges, and pine waking trails).
I'll play here again. This is easily the most fun and has the most potential of all 3.5 disc courses I rated (but Token Creek is the best of the 3.5). I'd rate a 4 if tees were level and cleared of major roots and rocks and at least some gravel or woodchips present. I'd rate a 4.5 with some redesign to longer holes and more risky pin placements along with much more use of the woodland ridges in the area around A, B, and 15. Scrap 15A or just add a new shorter basket. 15B is the signature hole! Redesign the overall flow in 2 separate loops to and from the parking lot that 14 currently plays though. As of now, the lackluster design in some places, and rough tees make this course just a 3-disc experience despite the huge potential and some very amazing holes. This is a Dr Jeckyl and Mr Hyde type course with extremes on either end - tees and design need some work, while a few holes are amazing. I think playing this course in the middle of tourist season would have been a less fun round. I was glad to play it during the off season with no one around.