Pros:
A golf resort course with no major features, but an overall pleasant experience.
-Amenities: If you ignore the lack of tee signs, the Welk Resort course has very nice basics. Excellent numbered DISCatchers, including a practice basket. Nice paver tees that honestly were among the evenest and grippiest I've played in a while. Baskets had next tee arrows, and there were also next tee signs. Plus a nice golf pro shop with items for purchase if that's your thing.
-Multi-Tees/-Pins: You can play the paver tees, which are behind the golf tees, or you can use the short golf tees for an easier option. It looks like there are also multiple pin positions for most holes out here, which would definitely be nice if I were a returning player.
-Maintenance: Golf courses are usually nice places to throw, but this one is particularly nice. The baskets, signs, tees, greens, and fairways were immaculate. I could have believed it opened a week ago. Plus the mountain views here north of Escondido are a great atmospheric addition.
-Friendly: Easy to play, very little major danger (a road and a creek here and there), hard to lose discs, and a nice double loop of 9 & 9. Newer players could enjoy it here, while still being interesting for MA2 players as well.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: No startling hole designs, but nice use of what is here. A typical hole from the pavers is 300'-400' with a few trees to negotiate and a slightly tricky basket placement. Golf greens and sand bunkers play as OB and are the main bogey risk. Side slopes catch a few baskets, while others are perched near the treacherous creek which creates a risk-reward setup. That said, there are also a lot of pretty straightforward holes that play straight or slight hyzer and are mainly about distance control.
Cons:
-Tee Signs: Really the only comfort element this course is missing is tee signs. A nice set of signs with maps and pin placements labeled would raise this course to the same posh level as the resort it's on.
-Technical Challenge: Aside from a couple of perched baskets and one or two guarded greens, there is very little technical skill needed for this one. If you throw 375', you'll try to get it close and make a putt. If you throw less, it will be all about upshots. If you know your distances and can handle a little wind, you can dice this course with precision.
-Disc Loss: There are a couple places you could lose a disc - a river in a gorge with a do not enter sign, and a small fenced area with propane tanks. These are easily avoidable if you choose, but those who risk it may have to pry with a disc.
-Flow and Overlap: The course has a few surprising twists and turns where you play 2-3 holes before turning around to a tee right by a previous basket. It's not stupid, just keeps you on your toes. More importantly, there are some baskets and tees which are within C2 of others. The good news is that I doubt there's much disc golf traffic here, but if there is you had best be aware of who is where.
-Bolf: Shared with ball golfers, which can often be a challenge.
Other Thoughts:
The Oaks course at Welk Resort is a good resort course. It's beautiful, relaxed, and just the right amount of challenge to be fun but not draining. That said, it's not winning any awards for original design, and its largely flat and sparsely wooded property limits the shaping challenge I look for in an outstanding course. In my estimation, it just sneaks into the Good category.
~Similar Courses: Any course with a few trees, gentle slopes, and beautiful green grass. Some from my experience are a posher Cottonwood DGC (Moreno Valley, CA); a more scenic Mission Bay Golf Course (San Diego, CA); Lenora Park (Snellville, GA); and a slightly more open Lovers Lane (Bowling Green, KY).