Off-leash dog parks are awesome. It's all worth it though, your dog will love it. He gets to play and socialize with other dogs and he will be much happier. Lots of people take their dogs to the park all the time without incident. Some parks are even separated in to small dog/karge dog areas. I think generally it's a great idea to go, just exercise common sense and pay attention to your dog. Also, some places have restrictions on puppies and dogs in heat (for obvious reasons).
Most of the time, the other dogs/people at the dog park I go to are pretty cool. There are always some jerks who spend the entire time on their cell phone (this is LA), bring food (like a sandwich), don't clean up their poop, or fail to discipline their dogs. It's up to the community or ranger to "police" it.
As long as your dog's shots are up to date, you should be fine. Keep up with the updates on any outbreaks and monitor your dog's health.
Will, here are some dog parks in your area - don't let another day go by without giving him the opportunitites to socialize and play. He will definitely love it in time.
http://www.superdogservices.com/html...anta_cruz.html
http://www.capitola.com/dogs/dog_par...dog-trail.html
Roachboy, here is a list of places in your area. A movie star like Su TOng needs to "see and be seen".
http://www.animalalliancepa.org/resources_dog_parks.cfm
http://www.fairmountdog.org/
http://www.segerdogrun.org/
And my dear
Lady Sage, here is a list for you so the "Moose" can run on the loose!
http://www.petvr.com/index.php/pages...endlyohio.html
For everyone, check here for dog parks in your area.
http://www.petvr.com/index.php/pages...ndlyparks.html