Pros:
-An 18-hole 4-layer course variety that starts with holes 1-5 along a lake thru light trees, light trees with no lake interference holes 6-10, 11-15 thru heavy woods, and 16-18 finish up thru lights woods. Holes 1-5 plays flat, the rest of the course a gentle slope. Most of the course is wind dominant. There are a few roller greens.
-If you've played here prior to 2018 the course has been realigned. Hole 18 no longer plays over the lake, only hole 5 still has a water carry offering a unique experience. Holes 7-11 have been re-aligned and re-numbered. It looked like the water carry on hole 16 has been eliminated by brush.
-Holes 1-5 rank in my top 15 for a stretch of difficulty where a tree deflection or fairway skip can put you in the water to the left or heavy brush to the right.
-Tee signs when present had hole number, par, distance, and simple map graphics.
-Navigation is counter-clockwise, you'll need UDisc to help with navigation. Hole transition will be smooth for repeat rounds.
-From the bag on the tee nice variety of putter's, fairways, and drivers.
-Beginners and Recreational will find difficulty on most of the course. Intermediate and Advanced will have some good challenges on some holes.
Cons:
-On a below freezing Saturday morning I was stunned to find a couple of dozen walkers on or just off the fairway that I waited on. Then there were a few more dozen that I saw but didn't encounter. I waited at least 10 minutes on fairways to clear out, and quickly played to avoid the next swarm coming. They were coming across a bridge from a few subdivisions. And I thought I was going to be in the clear with the below freezing temps. Worse congestion I have seen on a course, and I was the only disc golfer. Holes 1-5 you are going to have walkers coming directly at you. The only respite you'll have from walkers will be holes 11 thru 15 nobody was walking into the heavy woods.
-Navigation from holes 6 thru 11, and hole 18 is horrible from the realignment. Baskets are still not numbered correctly from 4 years ago. Did a lot of UDisc checking, and I still played the wrong basket on 10, when I thought 15 was it on my approach.
-Hole number 8 basket is missing, and it looks like it's been missing for at least a few years. I was already aware, so I played hole 9 tee pad.
-Tee pads are dirt and rutted in some places. Some tee signs were missing. Looks like no course Maintenace is being performed?
-It's a 3-minute walk from parking to first tee, 9-minutes from 18 basket back to parking, and I walk briskly. On the way back to parking keep your eyes up for any incoming disc from hole 5 to hole 1.
-Lost disc potential is high holes 1 thru 5. I lost 2 discs skipping basket high hole 1, and a tree hit on 5 just short of basket, both into the water. Holes 11-15 offers heavy brush, trees, and lake.
Other Thoughts:
Lake Wilson with the variety of golf, lake views, wind play, sloping hills, and the unique lakeside holes 1-5 should be rated at least a 4.0. But there are just too many cons, and my personnel con was the course congestion by non-players. I was either waiting or rushing shots, or quicking my pace to keep ahead of those behind me or those I saw off in the distance coming at me. I could only imagine what it's like on a warm weekend. It's a course where I wish I could have soaked it all in instead of rushing it, the layout is good enough for it. Even if I had played on a weekday, the navigation mess would have still kept my overall rating down.
My overall rating is anchored on the variety of the layout at a 4.5. The time to play with the delay's was 1 hour, knock off 10 minutes without the waiting 50 minutes, but add on 12 minutes to reach tee 1, and parking after 18 not included in my 1 hour.
Course Humor or Stalker?
-After I teed #1 to reach down to my bag I noticed about 30 feet behind me a lady in winter clothing, dark sunglasses doing yoga stretching, thought nothing of it. On the green turned around, there she was again behind me, a little creepy. She followed me all the way to the 5th basket, after a few holes it became amusing.
Notable Holes:
-No. 13 Par 3 at 204 feet a fairway that meanders left and a flat hole with heavy trees all the way down. Middle right halfway down is thick grass with shallow water soaking in from the lake. Gaps as small as 5 feet with the first just 40 feet down fairway. A few guardian trees around basket. Pulled out my Pig and hit a tree halfway down fairway.
-No. 15 Par 3 at 272 feet with more heavy trees on a gentle up slope, fairway meanders to the left. The tee is aimed right center at about 100 feet is a shelf rolling down to the thick grass and water all the way to basket. A few guardian tees around basket, right of basket a roller green to water and grass. Fairway is wide enough but hitting a tree on the right side would not be such a bad thing.
Signature Hole:
No. 5 Par 3 at 182 feet is the only lake carry hole. The tee has a little elevation with a tee gap in front of about 15 feet away, and 5 feet wide. The water was deep when I played and needed about 170 feet to clear, the basket sits on a roller green. There is a clump of trees just to the left of basket and just beyond the water. The hole is scenic, would be more scenic in the warmer months. I lost my second disc of the round hitting the first tree, watch it drop to the ground and rolled right in the water, I used to have 2 pigs. Still a fun throw!
Trouble Hole:
-No 3. Par 3 at 295 feet straight away lakeside hole with heavy bushes to the right, and just off the tee pushing you to the left. To the left of the tee just 20 feet is a lone tree narrowing your aspect down fairway. The lake is to your left, and from the tee your angle towards the water which is left center fairway. The basket sits left center, open, a roller green to the water just outside C1. There is a scattering of trees in the fairway some with canopy, a duo in the center about 150 out, to their left a lone tree by the water. Outside C2 another lone tree left by the water, and a trio of trees right center. The placement of trees, and canopy shut down elevated lines. You can hyzer low skip to the right with an early release into the bushes, and if you low skip left and miss the hyzer into the water about 210 feet out. After losing a disc on #1 eh! Managed to skip a Boatsman from the left which I use for these types of shots, and it work out well enough.