Pros:
(2.011 Rating) A super short 18 hole course with over a dozen sub 200 foot shots.
- ACE FACTORS - Only one aspect here kept me from wanting to bail and head back to the hotel. It was the thought of smashing chains. I had 3 mirage aces during my round here and even more fairy tale ones. I would imagine that any local with a decent skill set, is amassing aces here at an insane rate. 6 tee shots are listed at 160 feet or less. The odds of an ace here is likely ten times that of a normal course.
- BASIC AMENITIES - Tees, signs and baskets are all adequate here. A vast majority of the tees are concrete and measure 3.5 feet wide by 6 feet long. Very much on the smallish side, but the distances are so short that I often found myself doing standing throws. The baskets are T3s from prodigy. An average basket at best, but they catch fine as long as one is not trying to fire it in at bullet-like speeds. The tee signs meanwhile are nice and they have all the necessary info on them. Other amenities include a few benches, park shelters and restrooms.
Cons:
Short and simple with hazards.
- SIMPLISTIC - As an MA2, I felt like I was going through the motions. I threw putter off the tee more than two thirds of the time and I don't throw that far. I ended up 14 down and was dissatisfied. Except for a couple appealing ace runs, nothing got the juices flowing for me.
- SAFETY HAZARDS - Be prepared to wait on occasion here. I had to pause my play on half of the layout for walkers and cars. One hole throws directly down a sidewalk. A couple others throw directly along a road. Parked cars have the potential to come into play. Beginners that are unwise will hit things they are not supposed to hit.
- LAYOUT GAPS - I was doing well getting around up until finishing (14). Getting to (15) will take a map, or it could lead to a ten minute wander. (16) to (17) is also spaced apart significantly. This is not a super major flaw, but it's not ideal.
- RAW BEAUTY - I scored this just shy of 50 percentile. There are some nice aspects, like the creek and a 20-foot deep valley that goes with it. There was unfortunately a lot of sporadic trash throughout the park. The creek water was the kind where catching a disease would be more likely than catching a fish. The last third of the course is also much blander than the beginning.
- HOLE VARIETY - I thought the variety was slightly below average. 90 percent of the course is cupcake. I like cupcakes, but having this many made me sick. I liked the water element, especially on holes (1) and (3). Elevation change is mild, but it is used well a few times. All par 3s. The longest hole was listed at 240 feet.
Other Thoughts:
I hit Tyndall on a road trip to DWF. It was sort-of fun at times, but more of the time I found it boring. I realize that I'm not the intended target here, but there were some things this place could have done better while keeping the same audience in mind. There is no doubt that MA4s are going to enjoy this one more than I, but at the same time, MA1s will likely detest it more than I. I'll rate courses higher if they can appease a wide swath of skill levels, and I don't think this one does. Anyways, the main reason I score Tyndall a 2.0 instead of a 2.5 was due to the safety hazards, sub-par tees, sub-par beauty, sub-par variety in addition to the noted lack of mass appeal. No need to check this one out for those at the MA2 level or above. MA3s and MA4s traveling along I30 with a little extra time, I say why not. The course reminds me of Dublin Park in Huntsville Alabama, Payne Park in Sarasota Florida, Sarah Moore in Knoxville, Kaukauna Jr near Appleton Wisconsin and Spassland near Milwaukee.