Veterans Park

This was a good change of pace from Inverness we played in the morning. We caught it after a good rain and it was pretty wet. The rubber tee pads took getting used too but wasn't too bad slick. It gav ... show more ›

This was a good change of pace from Inverness we played in the morning. We caught it after a good rain and it was pretty wet. The rubber tee pads took getting used too but wasn't too bad slick. It gave us a chance to work on some shots. It was a beautiful park and we really enjoyed ending our day there.

Can you throw the disc in an open field between distances of 300-400 feet? If yes, then Veterans Park is right for you. Overall I found the course pretty boring. 14 of the 18 holes are wide open, ... show more ›

Can you throw the disc in an open field between distances of 300-400 feet? If yes, then Veterans Park is right for you.

Overall I found the course pretty boring. 14 of the 18 holes are wide open, unobstructed field shots ranging from about 280-380 feet. The few woods shots are all under 200 feet and if you can throw in even somewhat of a straight line you're good.

The course itself plays in a very nice park with baseball fields, a dog park, and skate park. Great place to go for a walk. Unexciting place to play disc golf.

A simplistic city park course. PROS: + RECREATIONAL FRIENDLY + At 4,500 feet, and with simple obstacles, newer thru recreational players will like this course. There are a couple longer holes, to ... show more ›

A simplistic city park course.

PROS:
+ RECREATIONAL FRIENDLY + At 4,500 feet, and with simple obstacles, newer thru recreational players will like this course. There are a couple longer holes, to test and encourage the development of a bigger arm. There are a few short technical plays to test and encourage the development of greater accuracy. The hazards are minimal with just one small creek coming into play on a shot or two and a couple of areas with moderate overgrowth.
+ ACEABILITY + Several chip shot ace runs. Holes (9) (10) and (11) are all 150 foot tunnel shots with lanes over 10 feet wide. Hole (12) is an obstacle free 200 footer that I dissatisfyingly achieved par. Hole (15) is a simple 165 foot putter hyzer around an evergreen tree. No doubt, skilled local players are racking up multiple aces here every year.
+ COURSE MAP + A really nice looking course map at the entrance to the course. In addition, there are scorecards located here that have the course map on it as well. As of this review, this is only the fourth time I got a free scorecard and map.
+ NAVIGATION + With the free map and scorecard combo, this course was really easy to navigate.
+ QUICK PLAY + One of the quicker 18 holes courses I've played. As stated, it's a shorter length course. The holes generally stack close together but not to the point to cause any safety hazards.

CONS:
Veteran's Park is a typical city park course with minimal skill requirements and it's short on creativity.
- LACK OF CHALLENGE - The level of play here is geared for recreational players. Those at the intermediate level and above will not be tested by this layout. There are several holes without a tree in play. The holes that do have a few trees are all under 300 feet. The heavily wooded holes are all less than 200 feet and have fairways wider than 10 feet. Intermediate players should be able to birdie them all in ten rounds or so with maybe an exception on (8) if they can't throw 350 feet. For the bigger arms it could be 16 or 17 putter shots here. Advanced players should be able to shoot 10 down on consistent basis.
- CHARACTER - Upon arrival, I thought I was going to be wined and dined on this course. There was a practice basket, large course map and free scorecards w/ map. Unfortunately the comfort items and amenities after these beginning pleasantries are missing. No seating, little tee shading, simple but adequate tee signs, no multi tees and no alternate baskets.
- TEES - Most were not too bad but as a whole less than ideal. They are rubber mats with a traction texture. However, a few of them were uneven. Hole (4s) rubber mat was both uneven and had a small puddle in the center. Hole (11) had no pad at all.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - A touch below average. The biggest factors that influence me to give higher scores are water features, elevation and backdrop views. Veterans Park is void of two of these and the creek in play is not that eye popping. There were no major detractors or eyesores along the layout which is why I scored the course around average for natural beauty.
- UNIQUENESS - A string of mostly open holes, followed by 3 heavily wooded short holes, followed by another string of mostly open holes. All par 3s, only one shot over 350 feet and the most any one fairway twists is perhaps 10 degrees. Water comes into play only once on hole (2). By no means the worst diversity out there but it's very much below average for an 18 hole layout.
- NO ELEVATION - I've played four courses in the Birmingham metro area as of this review, and this course is by far the flattest. Maybe (17) changes by 10 feet or so but that is it.

OTHER THOUGHTS:
Veteran's Park is an adequate course that will no doubt produce some new disc golf addicts. I personally enjoyed running at the baskets but was underwhelmed by the uniqueness and challenges presented. The course could really benefit by adding a second set of longer tees where space is available and also would benefit by planting some trees. I have a feeling that the local players that have advanced beyond the rec level are constantly planning trips to courses outside the area. For those looking for a more advanced level course, I highly recommend checking out these Birmingham area courses; George Ward, Clay and Inverness. Inverness is the most challenging of the three and it's currently the top course I have played/rated in Alabama (49 Alabama courses played as of this review).

A very beginner-friendly course with wide open holes, most under 300 feet. Not a lot of variety here, and it is not often maintained well. Pack a few fairway drivers but your mid-ranges will get some ... show more ›

A very beginner-friendly course with wide open holes, most under 300 feet. Not a lot of variety here, and it is not often maintained well. Pack a few fairway drivers but your mid-ranges will get some heavy use. VetZilla, a 9-hole, par-36 version, is very enjoyable if you have some extra time after your normal round.