Pros:
Tyler State Park has one of the greatest followings of any course, as evident by the love it receives on this site and by the amount of people that were playing it and hanging out in the parking lot during my round. Tyler deserves this notoriety, being one of the most cared for courses that I have ever seen. The course is widely spread throughout this huge park, offering a great variety of shots among the never-ending trees and elevation changes.
The attention to detail is amazing here, among the best of any of the top courses that I have played. Between the design of the tee signs, clearing of rough, excavated paths, navigational aids, amenities, and aesthetic qualities, Tyler has an elite feel to it. The navigation is some of the best I have seen, with dozens of next tee signs and cleared out paths lined by logs. Without next tee signs, navigating this course would be a disaster, so I appreciate how the designers met this need. The little aspects of design have been thoroughly thought out as well; I really liked the use of mulch around a few baskets to prevent cheap roll-aways. Benches on every hole and water fountains are also a nice touch.
The tee signs are fantastic and are among the most detailed that I have seen. These handmade wooden signs add to Tyler's rustic character. While the separate tees give some different looks, the multiple pin positions are what truly give Tyler its extensive variety. I have rarely seen a course that so drastically changes its look when changing pin position. Even beginners can probably enjoy the a positions, while advanced players will be greatly tested playing the c positions.
One of my favorite aspects of course design is that a hole offers multiple lines in order to be creative. With its many trees, Tyler does a fantastic job of meeting this need. I really enjoyed how I could play many of its holes twice in a row while throwing a completely different shot with a different disc.
While the majority of the course is in the same type of wooded setting, I appreciate the variety of holes that it had within the tight woods. In the layout I played, there was a good mix of shorter, mid-range holes (1, 7, 14, 18, 19) multi-stage par 4 and 5's (4, 8, 12, 23, 24) and pretty much everything in between.
Good risk/reward using the many elevation changes, the water, and precarious pin positions. Tyler does a good job of enhancing a hole with the many raised pin positions, as well as holes like 7 and 12 with the scary approaches and tight lines to the pin. Even 13's double mando and 18's mando add to the risk/reward element and doesn't come across as gimmicky.
Cons:
There weren't too many holes that really stood out to me after my round as being amazing and forever memorable. Despite its extremely solid consistency throughout the course, not too many holes stand among the most well-designed or fun that I have played. This is something I look for in a 5-disc-level course.
While I was fortunate to play the course when about 2/3 of the holes were in the c position, the holes that I played in the a position were often not very interesting. Like other posters have stated, it was tough to play a short, simple hole and then have to imagine what the hole would be like to play in the c position as the fairway became more complicated. It is nice that the a position appeals to lesser players, but it would be even nicer if the c baskets were permanent.
There isn't as much variety in the levels of woodenness as I would have liked. There is an outstanding variety of shots and looks given that this course pretty much plays in one type of setting, but I would have enjoyed more balance in woodenness when playing a 27 hole course.
The course/park was very crowded when I played, so it would have been nice to feel more secluded while playing my round. This is just my personal preference.
Some longs walks between holes.
Other Thoughts:
When separating the very fun, outstanding courses from the best of the best, you have to be a little nit-picky and it comes down to what a player most wants to see in a course. There isn't much wrong with Tyler and there definitely are no major detractors. This course is clearly one of the most cared for and loved courses out there and I thoroughly enjoyed the amount of opportunities that I had to be creative off the tee. However, there were just a few little cons that keep this course from being in the very top tier for me.
Regardless of rating, ranking, etc, it is easy to appreciate all that has gone into the past 20 years in creating the beauty that is Tyler and I can't wait to return for another round. With the drastically different pin positions and the room to be creative, I would imagine that this course appeals to a wide level of players. I really can't see someone not having fun while playing here, so go check it out!