Pros:
+ Dozens of pencils and paper scorecards for the taking at the small information board near hole 1.
+ The whole course takes place in a rich, shadowy and quiet forest away from the main park.
+ Big and bright 'next hole' signs after every basket.
+ Most of the fairways are clean and appear well-maintained.
+ Eight of the twelve holes offer three different tee pads to play from. However...
Cons:
- All tee pads here are dirt full of exposed roots and rocks with short wooden stakes denoting the color. For most of them, it's hard to tell where they stop and start.
- The one tee sign per hole is functional but faded. Some are broken or missing.
- Some fairways have areas that look like they are part of the rough. Holes 1, 4, 6 and 8 come to mind.
- The rough itself is a little unforgiving in some of the raw areas.
- No practice pin and no lost disc box.
- Some tees are too close to the previous hole's fairway.
- No opportunities to throw at full power.
- Mostly flat course offers just a few elevation challenges.
Other Thoughts:
My favorite hole at this course would have to be hole 8. After a brief tunnel, the player throws over an open slanted fairway covered with fluffy foliage and fallen logs before arriving to the protected pin. My least favorite hole here might be hole 3 because of how straightforward and plain it is.
As for the course overall, Waveny Park is a reasonable little course that takes the player on a small sampling of what disc golf in the woods can be.
Most of its twelve holes are different variations on tunnels and tree dodging with some wooded clearings throughout to give players some space to take big approach shots or just relax a little. I would say that the whole course is relaxing, though. It may not have much in the way of variation, but it does a good job at helping the player forget about life for awhile. There are no pedestrians or dog-walkers here because the course is a stand alone feature across the road from the pool, which gives the course a somewhat secretive and exclusive vibe. Plus, it plays pretty quickly so golfers can get in multiple sessions.
On the downside, the tee pads are quite bad. Rocks and roots make for some serious tripping hazards, and it isn't even quite clear where the boundaries of a few are because of some areas of expanding growth. Some fairways are a mess of weeds and short dense foliage. In those cases, it felt possible to lose a disc just by landing in the fairway. And the layout is rather basic with different variations of basic wooded golf, which can feel tedious- even for those who prefer throwing among trees.
So, in closing, it isn't a top-notch course. It lacks pizzazz, polish and any true meaty challenges. I get the feeling that this course doesn't have any bright-eyed ambitions to become too much more than what it is, but not every course ought to be championship-level difficulty. Waveny is fine for what it is. The tacticians may find something to enjoy here because of some tricky tree shots. Those who prefer wide open or the park-style hybrid courses may want to give this one a miss, but it is still a peaceful place to go throw and let life's pressures dissolve away for a bit.