Pros:
Coming over to Northside Park , a short distance from both I-75 and Jonesville park , I wasn't sure of what I would get from the oldest standing course in Florida ( 1982 ) . I figured some old school short holes with a few trees for challenge . I was dead wrong . The course has Mach 3 baskets , 2 grooved cement tees per hole and at least 2 pin positions per hole . The signage is first rate , with hole # , par , and flight path for all of the pin positions . The grounds were mowed and the grounds were clean and trimmed well . I saw several trash cans during my round . Bathroom was near hole #1 , as was plenty of parking . The navigation was pretty easy , and I think I only went to my online map once . The course is also easy on the legs , since this course is pancake flat . For an older course , it has some length to it . there are 5 holes from the longs that are over 400 ft , #16 being the longest at 497' . One of the cooler natural features is that there are pine needles on the fairways that are so springy that it makes your disc jump an extra 15-20 feet when it hits the ground on a level drive . There were several holes that played close to at least some water . Be a little careful on hole 6 which has some nasty water off to the right , and you have to clear a creek at just under 300' . #7 is a solid hole , with the basket buried in between a grove of trees . For the small amount of trees and growth in this city park style course , it will make the normal player have to work for their pars . The 500' par 3 ' #16 has a basket sitting off to the right , behind some palm bushes and trees . This park population is overwhelmingly disc golfers . I only saw a couple of younger people goofing around in the middle of the back 9 , but saw maybe 20 playing here at 9:30 on a Saturday morning . I imagine the course gets crowded on peak times . Course designer Tim Monroe does a great job by hiding pins behind existing bushes and trees , and still keeping the length up ( up to 5862' ) in a tighter than normal park . A very enjoyable round , connecting with the friendly locals on the course , telling me the course and the local news . Disc Risk : minimal , as long as you don't throw it in the water . Signature hole : #12 , a 400' ( 331' from the shorts ) drive that goes from a flat open shot to a raised thin surface protected by a tree in the front and dry creeks on either side of it .
Cons:
#1 safety . Some of these fairways are set a little close to each other . Since this is a great beginner or casual player course , a shank or errant drive could hit another player playing a different hole . #2 Elevation . If hills are your thing , then this course might bore you a little . #3 I don't know whether to count this as a con , but I was gypped out of the last 4 holes ( 17 , 18 , 19 , and 20 ) due to construction . This also claimed the kiosk and an alternate tee pad for #1 . It was said that the course has a tendency to hold water , but it was bone dry when I played it . One of the locals said that the park board was going to try to look into a redesign of the missing holes , but ,,,,,, .
Other Thoughts:
As much as I was disappointed about not playing the last 4 holes of this 20 hole course , I still left impressed that a 1982 course was alive and well here in Gainesville . Since it is so close to I-75 , and really only 20 minutes away from Jonesville Park , this course is a no brainer . The fun factor is strong here . and it is more challenging than it looks . My Recommendation : This course is suitable for anyone from families and newbies , to the seasoned AM and Pro working on their midrange , drive and precision game . PLAY IT !!!