Pros:
- Concrete teepads, adequate signage
- Peaceful setting with lots of wildlife
- Challenging for a 9 hole
- Forces you to "set up" your shots and consider risk reward
- Good place to work on your tunnel shots
- Free
- Seems like it isn't usually very crowded.
Cons:
- This course is very, very tight on many holes. On most holes you need to hit a very specific line. That's not in and of itself a bad thing, but sometimes it feels like manufactured difficulty. And some of the hallways are ridiculously tight (especially in summer). On hole 9 for example, you can stand in the middle of the fairway with your arms outstretched and pretty much be touching both sides of the rough.
- There is some nasty thick rough if you don't hit your very specific line on a couple holes. There's definitely spots to lose a disc here.
- There were garbage cans at some holes but they were overflowing - haven't been emptied in a while.
- Some navigation issues, despite being a small course. Particularly going from hole 8 to teepad 9. Could use some signage there.
- Doesn't play in a loop and yes, there's a slight walk to/from the parking area. This is not a con to me, as I play disc golf as a way to get exercise in addition to having fun, so a <1/4 mile walk back from hole 9 is not a big deal but it is worth mentioning as it may be to some.
Other Thoughts:
I played this course twice in a row on a summer Saturday afternoon and there wasn't another disc golfer on the course the entire time (it was pretty hot, but still). Despite it being only a 9 holer, there is some real challenge here. This course is definitely accuracy > length. Sometimes that can be frustrating. The general consensus in this area is "play everything as a 3", especially if it's less than 300 ft like these holes, but there are two par 4s here that I would suggest playing as such. When you do that, it really forces you to actually play golf so to speak, instead of just chucking at the pin. Hole 8 for example, is one of those par 4s. As the crow flies (or maybe as the disc flies), it should be reachable for most players. The layout however, is a tight tunnel shot for approx. 250 ft before a sharp right turn for the last 40 feet or so to a guarded basket. It's almost impossible to 2 it, but it can be 3'd if you hit your lines. That's the fun of this course and where it is unique to other 9 holers. Dane County is really lacking in good 9 hole courses, and this is probably the best one I've played in the area. If it were less of a drive from the isthmus, I'd probably play it more. That's not to say it doesn't have some significant flaws, but it's a nice change from the other local courses and a good opportunity to improve your game (and get away from the crowds). It's probably better in the fall or winter than summer too. It's a solid 9 holer I would play again.