Pros:
• Tremendous shot variety
• Interesting forest scenery
• Interesting wildlife here and there
• A bold set of courses
Cons:
• Tees are mostly dirt
• A little tricky to navigate in spots
• No restrooms/water that I could see
• Lotsa bugs (could be seasonal)
• The ski run area has high grass that is VERY WET (again, likely seasonal)
Other Thoughts:
Tips:
• Bring a map
• When you arrive, park and head towards the ski lifts. When you see buildings, walk in front of them and go all the way to the left into the forest to find tee #1. This wasn't totally clear to me on the map(s).
Random Thoughts:
So obviously you need to read both the Green and Blue/Black reviews to know what you're getting out here although this is one case where the three courses really are quite different. To start, this was my first 'ski lift' course and I was really looking forward to seeing what that would be like. Overall I was not disappointed. Fortunately, this was a small ski lift so it was more attainable from a physical exertion standpoint. Having said that though, be prepared. This is a good 2-3 hour hike, and I said 'hike' back there, not walk. It's pretty steep and pretty rocky in places, so wear proper foot wear and take care where you step. As for the course, my first bit of advice would be, don't think you're going to play more than one course at a time. Despite the sharing of some fairways and baskets, it's really not realistic considering the distances involved with the Blue/Black courses. Just stick to one and play another round if you have time, and I mean a lot of time. Like play a round, have a lunch, and come back for another, kind of time. The Blue/Black courses are truly epic in scale. I've played some long holes before but these are long COURSES. I started off playing the Green and immediately started noticing how long the Blues and Blacks were and how I'd be on #4 or 5 Green but only #3 Blue/Black. I mean DAYUM these holes are long. The baskets are nowhere in sight, and you better have 2-3 good/great shots in your bag per hole. These are the not f-ing around holes. That means 'beginners' stay on the Green. You're having no fun here. But for the above average set, I really think you'll like what you've got here. Just the pure ambition of setting up a multi-shot strategic course is pretty cool to me. Intimidating, but cool. I also liked that they were fair about par. They're not asking you to throw a 600' double-S shot in 3. It's a par 4 or 5. What's also nice about these courses is that you can see the 'fairways' pretty well, even though you can't see the baskets. It's well scouted out. Now, full disclosure, I did not play every hole. I ran out of time and had to pick and choose, but I did my best to at least look and walk each hole so I could see what was asked of the player. Of course, I did finish by playing the top of the world/ski lift shot which just makes you chuckle. You bomb the snot out of it and......you're not even halfway down the hill. So you bomb it again....and then one more shot to get within range of the basket. Funny good times.
Bottom Line:
Ambitious as all hell. Bring your A game, lotsa water, lunch, and some sort of emergency beacon should the course consume you. Even though the amenities are missing, I really feel like this sort of design should be encouraged and rewarded. Good job folks!