Pros:
The Phantom DGC at Minor Park is a 9 hole course under an old growth tree canopy, with plans to upgrade and eventually become an 18 hole course. The course is very new (installed within the past 5 years)
1) Quality of golf - This, I think, is Minor's strongest characteristic - the course weaves around and through a comprehensive collection of large, mature trees, and at a pretty solid average length of hole, will test your ability to shape lines. Many FH and BH lines are obscured by low hanging branches, and the nearly constant tree canopy will force your ability to keep it "low, long, and strong" off the tee. New Chainstars are in good condition and catch well. There is a practice basket before hole 1.
2) Seclusion: The area is pretty disc golf exclusive. A shaded pavilion is in place near the parking lot, but no actual play should come close to it barring a wildly overshot drive on the last hole. Holes are spaced apart well, so there should be very little "crossfire" on holes.
3) Beauty: Minor Park's tree canopy is very pretty, pretty much all year. I have not played a "fall" round here, but I'd be excited to see this course mid color change. Course mostly stays out of the long grass, shrubbery, and weeds (with one notable exception, listed in the cons)
Cons:
Minor has several substantial drawbacks that come from its newness.
1) Natural pads - I've never been a huge fan of natural teepads, given that they inevitably rut out and make for unsafe teeing off. Minor seems to get low enough traffic volume, however, that each natural pad is pretty flat for the time being.
2) Tee signs & Navigation - tee signs are basically just wooden posts, and there's no clear definition on the front of any tee, so you'll need to just assume it's the end of the "dirt" for most holes. Navigation is actually pretty intuitive and straightforward once you get the hang of the course, but if you go in blind, you're going to have a bad time. You'll absolutely need access to the course map (on DGCR), or, oddly, there is a map posted on the 2nd hole tee post, which you can take a pic of.
3) 8's tee: The post is positioned in the bushes, and there's no even loosely defined tee here, so you kind of just have to shoot from wherever. Maybe this is a "needs maintenance" issue, because I remember it being out in the open during the spring, but I could see a newcomer getting very confused on this hole.
4) "Bare Bones Feel" - Not much "comfort" or extra stuff going on - you've got a pavilion at the beginning of the course with seating and garbage cans, but not really anything on the rest of the course. Pack it in, pack it out, folks.
5) Variety - not much elevation to work with, and even though the task of snaking your disc through the gaps between trees is cool (IMO), a few too many holes have the same "feel" by the end of it. This could possibly be a complete non-issue later on if the reported additional 9 holes are more woodsy tunnel type holes.
Other Thoughts:
The Phantom is definitely a course on the way, and offers a good 9 holes of golf if you're in the area. Just don't expect a whole lot else.
I know the course designer, he is a widely respected figure in the Milwaukee disc golf community, and per him, there are big plans here - he's working with the village to clear out some more area for 9 more holes, and (I think?) eventually more extras like teepads and better signage is coming. However, I am rating this course as it is now, not as it is intended to become. As it is now, this is a decent 9 holes to play if you're around the area but nothing to really go out of your way for.
I am excited for the chance to revise this, once the fully realized 18 comes to fruition - I think this is going to be a very strong area course once that happens. I waffled between a 2 and a 2.5 here, and decided to go with the higher rating due to the pure "golf" level, and to not overrate the weird situation at 8's tee, which was sticking in my craw.