Pros:
Valley Springs is a tried and true course in NW Durham. It's one of the most played tracks in the entire Triangle -- and for good reason. It's fun, well-maintained, and with 3 sets of tees (Red-rec, White-intermediate, and Blue-advanced), plus 4 extra holes ("Four More"), it really does have something for everybody.
+ Beautiful piece of property for technical, woods golf. Lots of elevation. Variety. Uphills, downhills, valleys, and ridges. Fast greens. Risk/reward. All you could want in a local disc golf course.
+ Navigation is easy. Good signage and easy to follow paths. Excellent tee signs with layouts and distances for all three sets of tees.
+ The best pro of the three sets of tees, in my opinion, is that they're not just shorter or longer versions of the same tee. On most holes, you really get completely different looks from the different sets of tees. On the white tee, you may have a hyzer fairway, whereas on the red tee, you might have a straight fairway. From the reds, you're not simply playing a shorter version of the tee shot from the whites. The tees themselves are in good shape also, but my only complaint with them is the width. They are pretty narrow.
+ A big plus for me on this course is the lack of underbrush. It's a mature forest. On the last 4 holes, there's a little more underbrush to worry about, but I've never had a problem finding discs in the rough.
+ For me, what bumps Valley Springs up from a 3.0 to a 3.5 is the dual fairways and multiple ways to play holes. This is an element that you don't find on many courses. I like having a hyzer line and an anhyzer line to choose from. I also thought the fairways were very fair (appropriate width for the length of the hole).
+ I really like the last 4 holes. You can tell that they were added on later because they don't seem to fit with the rest of the course. There are two par 4's and the holes are much longer than the other 18. (The only other par 4 on the course, depending on which layout you play, is #9.) There are also a couple of open holes, the only ones on the course.
+ The course is always well-maintained and local volunteers, course caretakers, and Durham Parks & Rec do a great job keeping it in top shape.
Cons:
Valley is maybe a notch below being a "destination course," but it's a must-play compared to other Durham courses and in the upper tier of all Triangle-area courses.
- There's some repetition with the first eight holes or so. This is kind of a nit-pick because I love valley shots and big elevation, but the first eight holes are essentially back and forth across the same valley. Again, this is a nit-pick. I liked all of these holes. But they're pretty close together and repetitive.
- It can be tough to see the basket from the tee on certain holes. New, yellow DISCatchers would really help out a lot -- or more visible flags on top of the baskets.
- Part of being in a North Carolina forest is...mosquitos. Wear your deet.
Other Thoughts:
Really strong course. This is clearly the best course in Durham. And I rank it right up there with the best courses in the Triangle. This is how I would group the 18-hole public courses in the Triangle:
4.5 - Rock Ridge
4.0 - Jones, Buckhorn, East Clayton
3.5 - Apex, Zebulon, Valley, Cedar Hills, UNC
3.0 - Kentwood, Middle Creek, So. Community
2.5 - Leigh Farm, Cornwallis, Wendell
2.0 - Bethesda
Get out there and throw!