I debated a long time with this rating between a 2.0 and a 2.5. I feel like 2.5 is pretty generous, but when I stack it up against the courses I've played, I decided that a 2.5 is deserved. I try not to give points for convenience to major roads. I feel like courses should be graded on their own merits, then you should decide if it's worth the drive, long or short, to get to it. But with that said, I ultimately gave Black Mountain a 2.5 because of the convenience to I-40 -- a plus the designers obviously took into account when imagining and installing this course.
+ First and foremost, this is a fantastic pit stop off of I-40. I've driven past this course dozens and dozens of times and never made the stop. Mistake! Usually, when I look for pit stop courses to break up long trips, I look for 9-holers right off the interstate. (That's why I've never stopped here: it's an 18-hole course and I assumed it was too much of a time investment.) Black Mountain is essentially two 9-hole courses with similar, but slightly different feels, one on one side of the interstate and one on the other. Yes, this course is bisected by I-40 (has to be a one of a kind). You can play one 9-holer or both without spending too much time. I played fast and finished the whole 18 in 30 minutes. So, if you're a road traveler -- the target demo for this course -- don't assume this is an hour-long stop. You can do 9 holes in under 15 minutes or 18 holes in a half hour. It's worth the stop.
+ I was also expecting a pitch and putt style course. While that's true for many holes, there are blue tees for added distance on the back nine. Also, while there are a lot of short holes, there are some obstacles you don't normally see on a pitch and putt -- namely, water. A picturesque creek borders several holes on the front 9 and one on the back 9. Probably my favorite hole on the course is the 150-foot hole #2 (184 from the blues) that looks easy enough, but you play a RHBH hyzer over the creek to a peninsula green. Under-shoot the hzyer or put too much distance on it and you'll be swimming in a cool, refreshing mountain stream!
+ Navigation is straight-forward. Park in the lot by the first tee. Start there or play the back 9 first, if you choose. To get to the back 9, use the walking path tunnel under I-40.
+ Black Mountain is a well-maintained, aesthetically pleasing public park. It has a beautiful mountain stream, a vegetable garden and a butterfly garden on the campus. There are also athletic fields. The road noise takes away a good bit of the peaceful ambiance, but it still looks nice and the surrounding mountains are also picturesque.
+ There are very good concrete tee pads for the blue tees (and tees shared with the whites). The white tees are just grass.
+ Good baskets with good visibility from the tees.
+ Porto-john on site, if you need it.
+ For what little land is available for the course, I feel like they used it well. Several fairways are quite close together, especially on the back 9, but there actually are not any crossing fairways. You still need to be aware of walkers and other golfers. For a "pitch and putt" course, there is some elevation on a few holes, man-made obstacles (a berm guarding the 17th basket, telephone poles near the 11th and 18th tees), natural obstacles (the stream, trees). Yes, it's a short course, but it gives you things to think about. The front 9 is shorter and has 8 wooded holes (some with just a couple trees guarding the basket, like #2, or the tee, like #9, but wooded nonetheless). The back 9 is longer, has more elevation, and is almost completely open, except for the berm on 17, the telephone poles, and a few scattered trees, mostly defining the wide fairways. This isn't the most challenging course in the world, but right around average in terms of the fun factor.