Pros:
- The Hill (aptly named) is located on the property of some sort of mega-church compound. The looming church building dominates the round in the background, frowning down on heathen discers like myself. As this is a private course, play by their rules: no smoking, drinking, or cursing the Lord. Amen.
- Good use of the rolling terrain. No part of The Hill gets cra-zy with the elevation, but almost every single hole incorporates some sort of up or down. #1 and #18 provide perfect examples of the range of elevation in play. #1 plays down from the parking lot. #18 climbs back up to the top of the hill, with the basket tucked between a few large tree trunks.
- Amenities. Good baskets, adequate signage (although a touch confusing first time through it shouldn't create any real problems). Dual pin positions help add a bit of much-needed distance. Portajohns on several holes. The circle is often represented by a ring of uncut grass, which is a novel touch. We used these to "up" the challenge factor by playing them as island greens with everything else being OB.
- Several holes have more trees than the rest of the course, which is mostly open with scattered trees. These holes do a decent job of creating fun fairways and greens.
Cons:
- Despite the signage saying there were two sets of tees, there was scant (read: no) evidence of the long tees. The only thing marking the shorts is each holes sign. The natural tees are rutted and uneven in many places. Far from ideal, but also not the worst thing I've seen.
- Part of a busy multi-use park; cross-country seems to take priority, so the course could be unplayable at certain times.
- Short and repetitive. Not much of a challenge for experienced discers. Great for beginners and casual players, or if you're ace-hunting, warming up, or cooling down. I had a blast scoring 5 birdies on the back nine, and I stink at disc golf.
Other Thoughts:
- Overall, nothing is really wrong, per se, with this course. It probably accomplishes the goals of the designer (an accessible church course) that is fun and family-friendly. In that respect, it's wildly successful. But for hardened discers looking for adventure golf or a challenging round, The Hill is a slippery slope to boredom.