Pros:
- Variety: Ole Miss has a good bit of diversity and can be split up into sections. Holes 1-4 play flat with tight, yet open fairways due to woods on the left and OB soccer fields on the right. Holes 5-9 play as a technical loop up, across, and down a hill beginning and ending in the same spot. Holes 10-18 play through technical woods with elevation and are typically short. The shortest hole clocks in at 132. Holes 19-22 remain technical but trade the elevation for flatter terrain. Finally, Hole 23 is a relatively open long bomber.
- Tee Signage: Very detailed metal tee signage is featured with all pertinent information. Hole number, par info, distance, OB, woods, obstructions, and next tee info. Below the signage is an additional "Ace List" that you can sign with a sharpie. I think this is a really fun addition that you don't see very often. Unfortunately, signage was missing on 18 and 23 but hopefully this will be remedied.
- 23 Holes: The more disc golf, the better. Many of the holes featured multiple pin locations as well. This can make for quite the varied experience over time.
- Trash Cans: I counted trash cans on 9 of the 23 holes. This is a great amenity to have particularly on a college campus where some "pre-gaming" might be occurring. The course is well kept.
- Navigation: A first time player shouldn't have any issues as long as they are able to find the first hole. after that, navigation is a breeze. Next tee signage at times helps this. A course map would be a nice addition in this regard.
- Turn: This course makes somewhat of a turn (across the street) at #15 tee. This is convenient if you want to grab anything, use the restrooms, or just start your round at #15 if the course is busy.
- Elevation: This course has really fun elevation and gully features at times. Flat holes thrown into the mix add variety.
Cons:
- Tee Pads: I'm going to have to list tee pads as my biggest con for Ole Miss. They are all over the place. 8 of the 23 holes feature concrete pads that are very short. 10 of the 23 holes feature rubber mats that are not level at times. Finally, 5 of the 23 holes are natural dirt and can become muddy after a rain. The installation of all (longer) concrete pads would be the biggest single way to elevate this course in my opinion.
- Transitions: The walks to #1 and #10 are longer than average. #1 can be hard to find from the parking lot. Walk down the farthest left fence. Some navigational signage would be a big/easy improvement here. The walk to #10 is also a strut but well marked.
- #19: Just an unfortunate hole in my opinion. Plays right beside a busy road to the left. I imagine beginners constantly hit cars and have their discs run over on this hole for this reason.
Other Thoughts:
Not pros or cons:
- Staging Area: Ole Miss has a few amenities in the parking area but they are very spread out. Restrooms, trash can, practice basket, and community kiosk are all featured but in very different areas. There is also a kiosk at #10 for some reason. A course map in the kiosks and navigational signage to #1 would be great additions.
- Benches: I counted benches on 3 of the 23 holes. If this had been zero, I would list it as a con. With the elevation in parts of the course, more benches would be a really great feature to add.
- Baskets: The baskets are older Chainstars that are in good enough shape. New orange visibility tape would be a good improvement. The hole number on top of these baskets are intact and nice.
- Underbrush: This can be a big factor on many holes. This neither a pro or a con in my opinion because the chance of losing a disc is balanced with the added challenge of forcing precision shots.