Pros:
* Great use of terrain and available features.
* Due to location, course is clean and well maintained.
* Good course for players of various skill levels.
* Opportunity for a variety of shots.
* Mistakes are not punished.
* Course difficulty and hole length increases as you play.
* Multiple pin positions for most holes.
* Alternate holes for #13, 14, and 15 to accommodate practice fields.
* Good size concrete tees / adequate tee signs
* Mix of Mach & other older baskets - Most catch pretty well
* Good Parking / Course info Board / Benches / Trash cans
* Restrooms (Maybe in the buildings?)
* Not far from downtown amenities and interstate.
* Nice views of surrounding Black Hills.
Cons:
* Open design and format may not challenge experienced players.
* Due to location, moving targets and impedance to play may be plentiful.
* Fairways are sometimes close or cross, so keep your head on a swivel.
Other Thoughts:
I happened to play this course during late June when not many classes were in session. So I had a pleasant, fun-filled afternoon playing on a college campus. But I can imagine that once school is in session the fun level may take a bit of a hit with all the potential foot traffic and potential moving targets. The course twists and turns its way around dormitories and other campus buildings. So many footpaths crisscross throughout the course. Other than that, I could not find much wrong or annoying about this course. For where and what it is, it's a cute little joint. I bet it gets many new folks interested in the sport and there were a few people playing the afternoon I was there.
The flow was pretty easy to follow. Being on a college campus, the tee signs really stand out in the landscape. Just remember that #14 is marked on the sidewalk by the door of the building to the left of pin #13. Lucky I got some help finding that one. I really like how they have alternate holes to accommodate use on the practice fields that the course plays through. They also aid in giving you a little change up from round to round. The design is pretty open. Most of the risk is utilized around the pin placements. One of my favorite aspects is the creek that wonders its way around the course and often comes into play. There are opportunities for some ace runs but because most of the baskets are guarded by the available trees, it will have to be a sweet run. On the flipside, because the fairways are pretty open, an errant drive is not going to penalize you into a pout. Most of the holes are reachable with a mid range or fairway driver but there are a few long ones that let you try to air it out and keep you coming back. All in all I had a lot fun playing this course.
When I visit SD, my base is Rapid City. Though this might not be my first recommendation to play in the area, I would suggest it if you're looking for something new, fun and that won't beat up your game. Definitely worth the run if you're in the Sturgis / Rapid City areas.