Pros:
Lookout Park is an enjoyable, neighborhood park. The layout, challenge and fun factor were all better than I expected.
- The course has a very simple flow to it: holes #1 - 4 play away from the parking lot, #5 plays across the back of the course, and #6 - 9 play back in. The majority of the course plays along the general flow of a walking trail, so if you only follow the trail, you can navigate the layout.
- The original description of the course stated this was a 'short' and 'novice' course. Yes, this course can easily be played by novices, but there was enough challenge and length that it's not a simple pitch-n-putt layout. None of the holes are longer than 300 feet, and I'd actually be surprised if any were much longer than 250 feet, with hole #1 seemingly the longest.
- There are a couple enjoyable hole layouts. #5 is the best, and most challenging, hole on the course. You throw across a slight valley (more like a dip in the ground) with a big drop-off to the left of the fairway that's filled with lots of thorns. The basket is on a raised part on the other side of the valley/dip, set back slightly in the woods. This hole would easily fit in with a more advanced 18-hole course.
- Two other enjoyable holes to mention. #2 is an uphill, dogleg right around the trees. You can be aggressive here, but being overly aggressive will put you in the thick rough. #4 is an uphill, blind shot to a basket back set slightly into the woods.
- The course is definitely aimed at beginners and casual players. For as many relatively good holes, there are a couple dogs. Hole #8 is a simple downhill, short, wide-open shot to the basket. The hole can't be more than 125 - 150 feet, so it's a simple pitch shot to the basket. For the most part, I expect the course to be mostly played by locals, families and/or casual players. There's enough challenge and variety that beginners will get a taste of what the sport is about.
- The course has two practice baskets. I've seen very few 18-holers with two practice baskets and had never seen a 9-hole course to feature two practice baskets before Lookout Park.
Cons:
Course still needs a little more maintenance and attention. Some of the cleared underbrush and thicket still needs to be thinned out or removed. Signage would be an improvement, especially indicating where the first tee is located.
- Tee markers are going to be an issue, especially for first timers/casual players. The tee areas are marked by two blue discs in the ground (as seen at many of the Rock Hill-area nine-hole school course layouts). The hole numbers are then spray painted on the grass. I played the course the first week it was open, so the spray painted hole numbers were still there. Down the road, are they going to continually be spray painting the hole numbers in the grass, installing tee markers/signs, or just ignore that fact? With some holes/tees playing close to others, there will need to be clear indications of which set of tee markers are for what hole.
- Parts of the course interfere with other park activities. If the soccer field is in use, holes #1, 8 (possibly) and 9 won't be playable. Other holes play over the walking trail, so you may have to be careful at times, especially on the blind tee shots.
- It would be nice if holes #1, 8 and/or 9 were extended. There's a long walk between the practice tees and the first & last holes, so distance could be added.
Other Thoughts:
Lookout Park is a solid 9-hole layout. There's nothing flashy, but there is a little bit of everything, including some decent elevation by Charlotte-area standards.
- This course is much better than Springfield Elementary, the other nine-hole course that's just down the road.
- Don't let the distances for nearby courses fool you. Four of the five closest courses listed on the course page are on the other side of Lake Wylie and are actually 20-25 minutes away. If you're looking for courses that far away, you obviously should be playing Renny, Plantation Ruins, Elon or Winthrop.
- Ah, the Tega Cay police. If you've never been in Tega Cay before, be warned. The Tega Cay police department exists predominantly as a means of generating income for the city by writing tickets. I've had multiple friends get tickets here, one for going 37 in a 35. Locals know if the speed limit is 35, you better only be going 30. Trust me, the cops will pull you over for rolling through a stop sign, not using a clicker, a busted tail-light or anything else that can rake in money. You don't want a fun day of disc golf ruined by a small-town cop.
- I'll give the course my standard 9-hole course rating of 1.5. That said, if the maintenance and signage improves - hole distances would be nice too - I could easily give this course a slight bump. Glad to see the design for this course was actually nicely executed.