Pros:
Sugaw Creek is a course that offers something for most players, from beginners to advanced. It's devilishly deceiving, which makes good scores even sweeter.
- Good course that has a mix of open and wooded, tight holes. There's a great flow throughout the course. With the exception of the open hole trio of #9 - 11, you're not going to see the same layout two holes in a row. So, if you're not a fan of the dogleg layout on #3, you have a straight, mid-range tee shot on #4. If a tight, wooded fairway isn't your thing (#12), you have a potential birdie/ace run on #13.
- Great variety of holes. Two baskets are raised. #6 is on a dirt mound about 6 feet off the ground. #14 is placed in a small tree, which gives a unique challenge. There are several tight, gauntlet-like fairways: #2 & 12. No holes longer than 389 feet, none shorter than 211.
- Course has a high risk/reward factor. Every hole is a potential birdie opportunity for the top players; plenty of birdie chances for even the average player. If you throw straight, none of those holes are overly difficult, but a bad tee shot can easily lead to bogey or worse.
- Good tee signs. Course is easy to navigate, even for the first-timer. There are several benches & trash cans spread throughout the course.
- Rec center at park has restrooms and water fountains. There are other nice amenities throughout the park: tennis courts, basketball courts, ball field and the aforementioned rec center.
Cons:
Holes #2 & #8, and #9 & 17 play right next to each in opposite direction, so you have to watch for discs coming your direction as you walk up fairway. Also a lesser issue on #6 & #7.
- Thick underbrush on wooded holes. You can spend lots of time searching for discs if you get off fairway.
- For several weeks each spring (usually mid March - early April), canker worms can be a problem. In 2008, the city sprayed for canker worms, greatly reducing the problem this year. Hopefully, spraying will be a yearly occurrence, reducing the problem.
- Sidewalks come in to play on #1, 2 & 8, so watch for pedestrians. Also, don't be surprised to see foot traffic in obscure parts of the course: cutting through the woods on #5 &6, walking down the road parallel to #10 - 12.
- Course is not in the best part of town. I've come across people begging for money and homeless people sleeping in the park when I've played.
- Course, and park as a whole, can get trashy at times. Garbage cans on course aren't emptied often enough. I've also seen evidence of seedy/illegal activity on the course and park all the way up to a old dryer lying in the park. It's sad people in surrounding neighborhoods that most often use the park don't respect it enough to keep it clean.
Other Thoughts:
It's a good course that will challenge all parts of your game. Course isn't long, no holes more than 400 feet so you don't have to be a big thrower to score well. Higher emphasis on accuracy.
- Course is deceivingly tough, at least for the average player. Or maybe it's just me. Without any long holes, and plenty of open ones, one may think this should be a birdie fest. If you throw in the 300 - 320 foot range, the open holes are going to leave you 40 -60 foot birdie putts. The point being, you're not going to get reward for throwing average tee shots here.
- Mandos might appear gimmicky at first, but they all serve a purpose. On #9, the double mando is to keep you from throwing over the road (on the right) and from throwing into #17s fairway (on the left). On #17, mando on left keeps you from throwing into #9s fairway, and on right, it keeps you from throwing on #18's fairway.
- My favorite hole is #7. You tee off under a tree to a hole that is protected by a series of trees. You either have to try to throw through or over trees, or lay up and throw through them with second shot.
- Park name is actually Sugaw Creek, not Sugar. The name Sugaw is an Indian word that comes a tribe that lived in the area years ago.