Pros:
Pa Davis pulls a lot of variety out of its relatively standard park setting, making use of woods bordering the park's edge and the array of trees peppered throughout to create a variety of shots and holes: tunnel shots (18!), long drawn out par 4s (hole 10 is over 700'!), birdie opportunities (16-17) - there's a lot of variety here considering the terrain itself isn't very varied.
I was really impressed with the length of the holes at Pa Davis. The predominance of holes over 300' (all but 3! and almost half around or (sometimes well) above 350') gave this course a distinct feel compared to other city park courses I've played. The length is really felt in a qualitative sense, rather than just as added distance: Pa Davis throws an array of challenges at you as it forces you to stretch out, be it hitting particular windows, certain lines, or avoiding obstacles. The course features several par 4s. Sneaking into the woods for a few holes is a nice touch, as are the few ~250' holes at the course's end: they provide a welcome change of pace at the point you reach them.
Positioning long hole 10 directly in the round's middle was a nice touch: it seemed like the perfect place for it.
All tees are concrete at this point. The older tees on the front nine are serviceable; the newer tees on the back nine are possibly the best I've ever seen. As someone used to the spaciousness of natural tees on my home courses, I'm kind of a tee glutton - more is always better - and these did not disappoint. From a practical standpoint, these help mitigate any damp ground that may (and will) crop up in the wet south.
Tee signs are very nice, newer and swankier than the ones currently pictured on DGCR. They often feature helpful navigation indications.
Parking is readily available, as is a portipotty.
Cons:
The park itself has some inherent limitations that limit the course's ceiling. I try not to factor in setting aesthetics too much when rating a course, but the park itself is noticeably drab. More to the point, the course's terrain (holes 1-4 excepting) is flat and dotted with trees in a uniform way that doesn't necessarily do the course designers any favors. I think they did a tremendous job with what they had to work with, but the terrain's uniformity reduces variety.
If I had to gripe with how the course plays, I'd point to how shot and hole types seemingly come in bunches: holes 1-4 are the wooded holes (after which there are none), 4-6 give you three of the course's longest back to back, and 13, 16, and 17 give you the course's only sub-300' holes in relatively quick succession. Finding a way to better intermix these characteristics - for instance, placing the wooded holes in the middle of the round and better distributing the few short holes throughout - would help maximize the sense of variety. As it stands, there's a bit of self-sameness with the holes at times, although smart design minimizes this to an impressive degree. There are course flow issues that impede implementing the above, so I don't necessarily fault the designers; it'd just be ideal to better intermix the distinct aspects of the course.
Speaking of course flow: with much of the course visible from any point during your round, navigation can be slightly wonky at times. I never got truly off track, due to a combination of indications on the tee signs and usage of the course map (which I took a picture of at the start of my round to work off of), but the course's openness makes it hard to always inherently imply which way to go next.
Virtually no elevation to speak of, but that's Louisiana's fault, not Pa Davis'.
Other Thoughts:
Having played Pa Davis, the Acadianas, and Heymann park, this course tops the list of must-plays in Lafayette. I really enjoyed it, particularly the preponderance of relatively longer hole lengths. Acadiana Park makes for arguably a better destination since there are two solid courses on site, but Pa Davis provides the best 18 in my eyes. Plus, the parks are less than 3 miles away, so you can easily hit both. Only time for two rounds? Play this and Acadiana Park's Ace Run. They're great complements to each other.
Area safety issues: Several reviewers have mentioned that the area is a rough one. While I don't disagree, I was probably more freaked out by expectations based on reading said reviews than the actual area. It's always good to be informed and play it safe, but don't go in expecting roving bands of marauders, either. I only say this because I arrived seeing ghosts, myself, only to be "disappointed." ; )