Pros:
- West Park, established in 1979, remains a relevent course by today's standards, albeit a bit on the short side. Mostly a park-style course consisting of large mature oaks and other trees and light scrub, with a large seam of elevation (maybe 20-25' at its highest point) running through the middle. A small, semi-dry creek/ drainage pond/ body of "poo" water of dubious origin "runs" along the bottom of this slope. Stretches of highway, including I80, run alongside, giving several parts of the course a very urban feel despite West Park's natural greenery and relaxed, casual vibe.
- Because of its age, much of the design focuses on shorter technical style holes where accuracy over raw power will win on most days. Several longer holes (as well as the long tees, in places) insure that the bigger guns aren't entirely ignored, although nothing hits 600'. As a result, most experienced players will have a fun time collecting birdies and making ace runs but watch out for danger: water, elevation loss and gain, pin positions located near drop-offs, and well-implemented trees lurk everywhere, waiting to spoil the round.
-Great use of elevation throughout, with many risk/reward opportunities arising from the positioning of baskets on the edge of slopes and drop-offs. The solid use of elevation throughout the park is definitely West Park's main allure for the author.
- One hole is a short, blind, forced up-and-over shot down a wooded slope. Chuck and pray on your first time. Road OB not too far behind the hole, which sits slightly elevated to the right, near the road. Overall, a really fun, novel hole that promotes overhand/thumber shots and adds a nice spicyness to an otherwise very traditional design.
-Basic signage does the trick. Trashcans and solid, old-school giant park benches throughout. Despite the trashcans it was obvious that it is a ongoing battle against litter in this heavily-trafficked urban setting.
-Pretty decent variety, but a bit hyzer-centric in places.
Cons:
- The biggest knock, by far, against West Park is the dreadful condition of the teepads (or rather lack thereof). Dirt in most places, sometimes with roots. Rocky uneven surfaces in other spots. Acorns in the fall make the footing downright dangerous. Also, several of the tees are marked on park pathways with a painted dot. Keep your eyes peeled, as these can be easily missed first time through, especially in the autumn.
- A slightly hazardous flow is necessitated by the way the design utilizes the land. Several walks to baskets or to the next hole have no obvious, easily accessible path. Not a problem for those light on their feet, but definitely a turn-off for the mobility impaired. Looks like some of the slopes might get slippery if wet. Stairs and bridges in some of the worst places do help greatly.
- In places, hole overlap might prove dangerous during busy times. Keep an eye out for errant discs.
- A few of the holes down the stretch seem a bit two-dimensional and bland.
Other Thoughts:
- Despite the below-average teepads and other unpleasant aspects usually associated with semi-urban disc golf (such as the dubious smells emanating from the water hazards), West Park proves to be a really fun, solidly designed course that provides a great woodsy escape to the surrounding urban and suburban sprawl.
- Might prove slightly tricky to navigate first time around but after that flow shouldn't be an issue. Many thanks to those who guided me: Mashnut, WorldsCoolestGuy, Archetype, Noill Golf, GoodDriveBadPutt and crew!