Pros:
Vista Del Camino Park is located just minutes away from Old Town in Scottsdale, and just minutes from Red Mountain Freeway or 202. This 18 hole disc golf course was designed in a multi-use park, with several amenities including walking and biking trails, a basketball court, skate park, playground, and gazebo. It is also used by many to bird watch considering there is a long lake in the middle of this narrow rectangular park. As many have stated in their previous reviews, many of the fairways play quite narrow, with water on one side and gates or walls separating houses from the course on the other. Because of this, the course is much more challenging then it would first appear.
Designed in 1984, this course is flat and lightly wooded, with a few elevation changes along the perimeter of the course. Fortunately, the designers did a nice job incorporating elevated tees and pins where they could. They also put a lot of time in to utilizing the few trees and bushes on the fairways, making some approaches and putts rather difficult at times. Because water is so prevalent along much of the course, there is always that chance of your disc winding up in the drink. Although there are a few holes that could be considered their "signature" hole, number nine was easily my favorite. Not only did it have the best chance of landing at the bottom of the lake, but if thrown right, it spent more time then any other hole flying over the water (222 - 401 feet). Because of that, along with the current pin placement which was 370 feet and right along the edge of the water, I found it my greatest challenge. I was fortunate enough to birdie it twice, but felt my heart pounding the entire time as I waited for my disc to level out and fade left as it made its way toward the basket. Truly awesome!
Baskets were Chainstar, durable, and in good shape. Each hole also had up to four pin placements, with the most difficult layout used for "The Memorial". This is great because it changes it up for the local crowd and helps to challenge better players by selecting the more difficult layout. Tee pads are all cement, have good traction, and are long enough for run ups.
Cons:
I found holes #12-17 somewhat monotonous. They were long, narrow, and just felt like they lacked originality. They allow for long drives, a good approach, and an easy putt. However, because of their length, they can turn an easy par in to a bogie. Birdies on these holes are a little harder to come by then many of the other holes. I just played for par.
Bad throws aren't really punished enough, with the exception of the water holes. But, even then the water can be easily avoided. With the exception of hole nine, all the other water holes are rather short and easy to birdie. The holes which don't have water have few obstacles, so if you have an errant shot but throw a good upshot, par will not be an issue.
Navigating from hole to hole, and knowing which pin to throw to. All I can say is make sure you bring a map. Getting from hole three to four will be difficult unless you know where to look. Once finished with three, walk across the bridge to your right and head left past the basketball court. You will see a sign for tee four on your right.
Other Thoughts:
Although I enjoyed Fountain Hills and Buffalo Ridge more, this place is a must! I was excited to play all three of these courses considering two of them are home to one of the more successful National Tournaments in our country. This course didn't disappoint, and allowed me to work on my distance and controlled upshots. There is nothing more exciting then the feeling one gets when playing around or over water.
As others had mentioned in their reviews, I followed their advice and stopped by Dukes for lunch and the food was reasonably priced and delicous. They have over 40 flat screens and was rated the best sports bar in Scottsdale. Spinners on the Green is a must as well, with custom discs from their shop and local tournaments, buying a little souvenir makes a great memory and helps to support this LOCAL store. He also buys used discs (all molds) for $2/disc so it may help offset some of the cost.
NOTE:
If from out of town and looking for a safe affordable place to stay with either friends or family, I suggest the Three Palms. It is literally 100 feet from tee #8, has a grocery store within walking distance, is very clean, and reasonably priced. It is also close to downtown Tempe and Scottsdale, and only a half hour away from Fountain Hills or Buffalo Ridge. Well worth it if available. Trust me.