Pros:
Mead park is a shorter, mostly open course that plays along the west side of the Wisconsin river right over the bridge from downtown Point. The course is free to play and, if not busy, should be a pretty quick round for most players.
The tee pads are all level and nice and gritty concrete. Definitely on the smaller, old school side but these serve their purpose fine here. One pad per hole.
The baskets are mostly Mach 3's but there are a couple newer ones mixed in. I'm terrible with basket recognition somehow, but a couple look to be Mach V's. I've been playing this course for over 10 years now, but not too often due to the other, more appealing options in Point/Plover. I was pleased to see that hole 8 actually had a basket today. It had been missing for a couple years I feel like. So 9 permanent pins, one pin position per hole.
The course generally plays in a mostly disc golf exclusive area. It's north of the pavillions and the playground area. Ample parking next to the Pavillion (usually) and there are public restrooms in said pavillion.
The course design is pretty solid for the available space. The course starts and ends pretty close to the parking lot and plays in a mostly clockwise manner.
The tee signs are brand new. In fact there never was tee signs to my knowledge. Just a 4x4 post with a hole # sharpied on it if you were that lucky. Well lo and behold I show up today to see some solid looking tee signs on said posts. Basic hole layout map, distances and hole #. Very clean looking signs. I uploaded pics so you can see what I mean but it used to just be 4x4's.
The course design does a fantastic job of incorporating as many apppealing elements as possible here, trees basically. But being right along the WI river, wind will be a significant factor too. Water is in play on holes 7 and 8, but would require a shank job to reach. OB road is possible on hole 3.
Cons:
The main con here is the overall popularity of the park in summer months. It can get a bit congested, what with parties at the pavillion near hole 1 and people fishing along the river and genuinely just enjoying the park while having no clue what the hell WE are doing out here. Typical busy city park issues.
The flow is generally pretty solid. There is one major hiccup that I fall for, I swear, every time I play here. After holing out on 5 you will see a tee sign 50 or so feet ahead and to the left. THAT is hole 7. You will tee off on 7, probably throw the best drive possible. Then when walking up to your tap in, you'll notice a basket closer than the one you just parked. Just to your right, behind a cluster of bushes. You'll be confused and look over your shoulder. There you will see, plain as day, a tee pad that you didn't notice right next to hole 2's basket. That is hole 6's tee, which you skipped and didn't even notice. It'll make sense then. But without a map you will miss this one every time.
Speaking on that point. The tees and pins are a little too close for comfort in that little section. Players on hole 2 are throwing right at players on 6's tee. Errant shots on hole 5 can get pretty close to players on 7's tee. It's just kind of a bottleneck of holes from different directions in this section. A grip lock on hole 6 could end up on the basketball court. It's not egregious or anything but it's too close for comfort at times.
Lastly, being right on the WI river, in spring and fall it call be bombarded by our friendly canadian neighbors. In the form of goose poop. SOOO much gooose poop.
Other Thoughts:
This is a pretty solid course really. It's not amazing or anything, but it is a good warmup for the better courses in the area.
If I had to list the best courses within a half hour from point it'd go.
Standing Rocks
Yulga
McDill
Stockton
Mead
Bluebird
Bottom line is this is no destination course, but you can do worse than a quick spin through this guy. Probably the least easily accessable off the expressway. Especially if coming from the west now with the new Hwy 10 rerouting, but this ain't Chicago, It's Steven's Point WI. So it's easily doable. Reasonable to a touch above is about right here. Can't even believe I never reviewed this one before. But that's kind of it's calling card. Easily overlooked and kind of forgettable.