Pros:
A historically old park that still presents a reasonable, fun 27 holes.
-9 & 9 & 9: The course consists of three clear loops, so you can stop as often as you want or mix and match loops. The last loop was obviously added at a later date.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: The original 18 are short and breezy, but still have enough trees, limbs, elevation, and such to be interesting. With virtually nothing over 300' it's a birdie fest and, I imagine, the location of many an ace. The first nine were mostly open, using strategic trees to force shapes, while the middle nine have more consistent, though not thick, tree coverage and also incorporate some steep elevation for errant shots. The newer back 9 ramp up the difficulty by tightening and lengthening the fairways. They have some more exotic tunnels, elevation, low ceilings, and greens, but still basically all par-3 golf.
-Rec-Friendly: I can see why Sedgley is popular--it must be a great course for newer players to have fun. The first 18 especially are easily achievable by any skill level with short length and a good degree of forgiveness.
-Multi-Tees: Three tees throughout the course. I don't think the longer tees would make a particularly big difference for most of the front 18, but on the back 9 they make it a totally different (and much harder) ballgame. I didn't have any difficulty distinguishing which tee was which, which makes me think they must have been color-coded in the cement and I just don't remember.
-Bonus Basket: Just for kicks, it looks like (23) has a second basket down and to the right. On my playthrough, it was a dry but treacherous green, but apparently it's not always dry per a Jan. 2019 review below.
-Central Area: Large area seemed to have a lot going on. When I was there a barbeque was ongoing and it was full, so I didn't poke around too much, but judging from other reviews it's always a hangout.
-Busy: You'll see this as both a pro and a con. The pro is that this place feels alive. On the wet and cold New Year's Day I stopped by, it was humming and full to the brim with golfers of several skill levels. It felt like it would be a great community to be in if I didn't live 800 miles away.
Cons:
Mainly traffic, but also scope.
-Scope: We'll start with the shorter one. Sedgley is 27 holes and par-81 (82 from the reds). That's a lot of par-3 golf, which equates to cutting out the huge swath of variety offered by multi-shot designs. Furthermore, the front 18 are short and cramped enough that you don't really get to use the arm's potential. It's great to have a feel-good and short round, but it definitely means that Sedgley isn't going near the upper tier of courses.
-Busy: I recognize that there might be higher than usual traffic on a New Year's Day like when I played, but from everything I know about Sedgley it's always busy. As a solo I played through at least three groups. This busyness also leads to a host of other issues.
-Safety: The biggest one to me is the risk of being hit by a flying disc. A lot of the front 18 at Sedgley play very close to each other, with some tee pads practically in the fairways for other holes. I had to take evasive maneuvers twice, without a single "Fore!" ever heard, and a local friend walking the course with me came about two inches away from the ER. I wouldn't mock you if you wore a baseball helmet while playing here.
-Erosion: I have never seen a park with so little grass left. Forty-five years of constant use have left the fairways more dirt than grass, and with just a little bit of rain or snow it turns into gross and sometimes-slippery mud. The drainage is also bad in parts, so when I played after a bit of rain it was muddy, slippery, and occasionally deep enough to flood your shoes.
-Tee Signs: Mostly covered in graffiti and stickers. I called it a win when I could discern the number on the sign and ensure I was at the right tee. Of course, then I had to guess which of multiple visible or invisible baskets I was throwing towards. I don't recall seeing signs on the back nine at all. First timer issues, I suppose, but still a nuisance.
-Navigation: On the front 18, "There are five tees visible--which one is next?" On the back 9, "Which path do I take to the next hole?" and "Are we there yet?" Even with UDisc there was a fair amount of guesswork involved.
Other Thoughts:
It's happenin' at Sedgley (or insert whichever phrase the cool kids use here). My front 18 was quite an experience in between Billy Joel pumped loudly through speakers, barbeque scents wafting throughout, flying discs coming straight for my head, and a continuous wondering if *this* muddy fairway is the right one to go down. It was fun, but surprisingly short and simple. The back 9 were more quiet and difficult, kind of what I expected to find for the whole course. Overall, it's a Good course that lacks the variety and pristine condition to be a top-level destination, but it's also a historical gem and community hub.