Pros:
-Fun! A really nice roll to it without being too steep
-Views. Full on Panarama west to Pikes Peak.
-Easy Challenge. Ams can par, Pros can bird.
-Mostly safe: Some walking paths but not over-run.
-Great touch shots....wore out my D-Roc LOL.
-Easy parking next to Practice Basket/ Hole 1.
-Near freeway for road-trippers. Quick rounds too.
-Most tee and directional signage works.
Cons:
-Neither that easy for recs or challenging for pros.
-A few boring holes, but not laughably.
-The two long walks (but see note about parking).
-Only 1 of eventual 3 basket placements in for now.
-Can be pretty breeze, but hey, it was springtime.
Other Thoughts:
I enjoyed this little 'Park by the School up in the Hills with a View' type of course. I was pleasantly surprised at how few times I needed to wait for people walking the paths. And there were never any 'civilians' just lounging ON the course either.
The consistent roll to the land up above Academy Blvd combined well with moderate trees and ravine features to provide a variety of shots and terrain. Throw in the Killer views of the Rockies and this is a nice place to be.
Getting There: The course directions worked, though your GPS might save you time getting off I-25 earlier from the South. Look for the park entrance sign and then take the left fork to the back. The Hole 1 tee and practice basket hide a few feet over the edge but still right next to the lot.
Navigation tips: YES, there is a long walk from 10 to 11 and 14 to 15. However, the park entry road splits in half and if you just stay right, you can play 11 to 14 and re-park to play the rest of the holes. If the course were crowded, this might be 'jumping' other players, but I played twice on two nice days and it was not a problem at all. ALSO, if you do walk the whole course from 1 to 18, you need to REMEMBER to walk the long path from 10 to 11. There was no signage at the 10 basket to point the way.
Most of the holes have basic tee signs which indicate an intention to add a B and C position, (which would immediately make this course a 3.5+). Most of the baskets have useful little wooden 'Next Tee' signs. I only remember hole 18 having a very poor dirt tee area. Not bad for a still developing course.
The 43.3 SSE for this course is about right: A 1000 rated player would indeed like to get over half birdies. A more typical 900 rated advanced player should be under par and an 800 rated intermediate should get plenty of pars and a nice challenge.
Overall, I would only give this course a 3.25 for now. But if they put in the B and C positions and continue upgrades, this could be almost a 4 some day and Rampart is a great stop for anyone passing thru on I-25. Check it out.