Pros:
Challenging course spreads out to reach all corners of shady, hilly park.
+ abundant trees, elevation changes and a winding creek provide good obstacles
+ shade covers more than half of course
+ good signage
+ practice basket near parking lot
+ alternate tees marked by flags/signs
+ newly installed and better concrete tee pads replace original, crumbling tees
Cons:
Overflowing creek and loitering park guests leave behind lots of trash.
- standing water after rains imposes inconvenient obstacle on early holes
- homeless/transient population often loiter and leave debris
- noisy airplanes frequently fly overhead
- little space for other park visitors who unintentionally crowd fairways while walking dogs or playing with children
Other Thoughts:
INFO
Weichsel Park, located half a mile south from the entrance to Dallas Love Field Airport, occupies shaded green space around a small creek prone to flooding on land bordered by streets, warehouses and a middle school. The course starts east of the parking lot and flows in a mostly counter-clockwise direction. While the only featured amenity is the disc golf course, visitors still frequent the park to stroll around the area.
EVAL
Despite a variety of expansive fairways and greens beneath mature trees and over open grasslands, this nine hole course feels quite cozy in its neighborhood setting just down the road from busy Dallas Love Field. The layout fully utilizes the land to make the most of its topography. Fairways stretch around the park in surprising ways between tees and greens that mostly dot the perimeter. Playing this course provides a pleasant, relaxing challenge. Trees block out the sun on several holes but not the noise from arrival and departure flyovers. A shallow creek divides the course and adds an attractive obstacle on several holes. Elevation changes also affect tee shots, approaches and putts for added drama. This course reminds me of another area course, Fritz Park, which I really admire. Both feature tall trees and wide fields with lots of room to throw on forgiving fairways plus a creek nearby that threatens shots on occasion.
The pleasantness of this course is marred by remnants of homeless activity which is most easily spotted near the warehouses adjoining the park. It's also typical for transients to loiter around the park during the day. A shortcoming of the course itself is hole #6 which plays too close to the school's fence line on a tight fairway atop the hill. Playing this course when it's wet can also be an issue on several holes, but I find that more of a challenge than a nuisance.
There are some really fun throws on this course. For example, I like signature hole #2 because of its elevated tee shot that carries over hole #1's green to contend with treetop branches determined to prevent ingress to the long, protected fairway below. After rains, that fairway becomes better suited to floating a raft than landing a drive which makes it even harder to navigate. However one manages their drive, approaches then lead to an elevated basket sitting atop a small circular mound on the green which presents a little bump to normal putting routines. The following hole #3 provides another tricky tee shot with it's hard, dogleg right bend through trees and over a depression to get around the corner of a warehouse that blocks the view of the green. Shots like these are memorable, and Weichsel has a few more worth discovering.
NOTE
Locals have added alternate tees marked by flags/signs which are fairly easy to spot around the course for added variety to play.
LAYOUT
The first three holes feature elevated tee shots down into a wide hollow beneath an expansive tree canopy where rainfall forms a sprawling pool on fairways lasting for days. Throw across the creek for hole #1. Then climb the hillside at right to hole #2 which throws over #1's green towards a raised mound in the distance right of the creek. Go uphill to the right for hole #3 which plays as a blind, dogleg right shot past trees and around a warehouse building bordering the edge of the park. Hole #4 throws slightly uphill and around trees towards the far end of that same warehouse building.
Temporarily leaving the shade, hole #5 covers an open field, leading to a basket perched just across and atop the bank of the creek as it exits a tunnel beneath Denton Dr. which borders the park on the right. Turning back toward the parking lot, hole #6 stays high and tight on the small hillside, throwing along the fence line of Rusk Middle School at right. Reversing direction, hole #7 throws downhill around trees and along a route parallel to hole #6. Hole #8 plays across the creek and over open field again to a green near a low creek crossing. Across the creek hole #9 throws past sentinel trees to a sunken green beside the creek which is hidden from view off the tee.