Pros:
Thomas Park is a great disc golf course. The 18 holes have a really nice mix of open and wooded holes. The open holes are generally longer, and not too open. The wooded holes have dense woods, but the fairways are clear enough to get off some good drives. The shot shaping is diverse and requires you to make a variety of throws well in order to get under or close to par.
All of the tees are concrete and oversized, long and tapered toward the front. There are tee signs at each one that have a hole map and pin distances. Innova Discatcher targets on every hole are all in good shape.
I liked every hole on the course. Some are easier than others, but all require accuracy. The first hole is the longest and has a lot of open grass with several mature trees along the way. It takes two long throws to get near the basket, and there is a road in front of it that is OB. Getting distance and landing in the right zones is crucial.
The second hole is an awesome tunnel shot that opens up toward the end. There are thick trees and rough along the left side and a line of trees to the right.
Aside from holes 4 and 11, the middle portion of the course is all pretty wooded. Hole 3 is a dogleg left where a big skip will help get you into the pocket and near the pin. Hole 4 is interesting, a dogleg right, with a walking path on top of a short ridge down the middle of the fairway. The right side is full of trees, but there is a lot of open air above the trail and on either side. Being on top of the ridge will give the best angle and view for your second shot.
Hole 5-10 are all mid distance through the trees, with subtle changes in direction from hole to hole. Hole 11 come back into the sun, teeing over the top of a flood control channel at the bottom of a ditch that's fairly wide and deep. The line from tee to pin crosses the ditch diagonally, making it more likely to wind up at the bottom if you don't put a good snap on the drive. This is the only place I saw water on the course, and if you go in the ditch, the only time elevation change will come into play (besides the ridge on hole 4).
Hole 12 has a little distance and a steady curve to the right all the way to the basket. 14 is even longer and tighter and has multiple curves through the trees. This was probably the toughest hole on the course. My doubles partner made an incredible drive that somehow made all the way out of the woods, still leaving us a 75'+ second shot.
Cons:
The only complaint I can make is avoidable as long as you wear long pants or high socks, and watch where you put your arms. There is poison ivy and poison oak in the rough, and I left with a fair amount of it on both legs and my right arm. I may have gotten some at Moon Lake that morning, but you definitely need to watch out for it here.
The layout is kind of choppy, but the course map linked to the home page is great. Be sure to print one out or take a screenshot.
Other Thoughts:
I pulled into the parking lot and saw a group of people preparing to partner up and tee off for doubles. I was a little dismayed at first, knowing this was going to take longer than I had planned on. They invited me to enter, and I hurriedly put on my socks and shoes, and rigged up a leash for my dog.
Once we got going, I was really glad that I joined in on the round. My group was great, I was partnered with Tim and we took second place (with a 55, the winners made 54). On top of meeting cool new people and winning a few bucks, the course is really great.
I enjoy heavily wooded courses, so this is about as good as it gets without having a lot of elevation change. I am up to 49 courses in Kansas now, and this one is definitely top 10 for me. I wanted to give it a 4.5 rating, but that isn't quite consistent with other courses I have reviewed this year. Either way, Thomas Park is really good, and if you are in the area it's totally worth getting in a round or two.
Thanks to Tim for organizing doubles, guiding the way through the course, and supplying me with some cold beverages along the way. It starts around 2 PM on Sundays of you are interested.