Pros:
Western Union Elementary is a simple, compressed nine-hole course on the grounds of an elementary school. Well, enough about that.
- Simple, kid-friendly course. Seven of nine holes are in the open. Seven of nine holes are shorter than 200 feet.
- Easy course. Good for practice. The field is good for practice/longer throws.
- #2 & 3 are in the woods. #4, 5, & 6 have trees that serve as some obstacle. The other five holes are open as in there is nothing between the tee and basket.
- Good for a fast round. It took me 15 minutes to play, throw multiple shots on some holes, and take pictures on every hole.
- If you live close by, a good place to practice. And, I'm guessing you're going to have the course to yourself more often than not.
- Course is easy to navigate. Posts in ground mark tees and mostly short walks from hole to hole.
Cons:
Simple, basic layout. It would have been nice to see another hole or two to incorporate the woods, just for variety's sake. Not that the designer had much to work with here.
- Natural tee pads. In case that's an issue on a 180-foot layout.
- In case you're hoping to play this course with only one or two discs, make sure you have one that you can throw 275. That might be the difference between all birdies and a lone par on your round.
- Several holes may interfere with other school activities. You don't want an errant throw on #1 causing an issue.
- You're throwing towards the school on #8 & 9. A bad throw by a student, or anyone, could present problems.
Other Thoughts:
Western Union is aimed at kids. With holes averaging 168 feet, and a lack of obstacles/challenges, realize and appreciate the course who it's intended for.
- By simplicity's sake, holes #2, 4, 5, & 6 are all suitable. Enjoy them because the course gets simple on the final three holes.
- #3 has just enough risk/reward factor to make it interesting. It's 102 feet with just enough trees and tightness to add a level of challenge. If you make a run for an ace, you do bring the risk of smacking a tree into play. Also, there is a small putting circle, so 20 feet long or right, and you're in the woods. Compared to many 100-foot holes, this has more challenge than many.
- Jeremy, the course designer, also designed Waxhaw Elementary just down the road. That's the model for what a short school course should look like. I really enjoy that course. Granted, that course has a lot more terrain and topography to work with.
- This course is perfectly adequate by school standards. Alas, we're reviewing by all course standards. As such, it's not going to stack up to the majority of courses. Good for bagging.