Pros:
-This is a nice place at a nice camp. As much as I hate getting slaughtered on the course, I still loved it! Course can be "impenetrable" if you play the gold layout! The white layout is more forgiving and less complex. None of the holes here can be birdied easily! Most of them are extremely hard to even make par on!
-Many ridiculous pin positions! Some ridiculous fairways! In particular hole 3 on the long. It's only 179' so it seems very easy but the fairway slopes down toward the water! It's INSANE! Hole 9 has the view of the water to the left side. If you kick left, you will well likely lose your disc! It's also pretty short at 246' but it takes a lot to birdie this hole!
-A lot of the positions are dangerous! #18 is ridiculous on the spiral stairway. This is just one of them! Some good shots here will, without a doubt, leave you with a death putt! I guarantee you on #18. The first two holes both have high potential rollaway due to being on hills. If you think the positions at the Bluff are crazy, wait until you see this. They are difficult but they are fun nevertheless!
-Mostly wooded but there are a couple of holes that are more "open." Length variety is great! Lengths range from 179' to 702'. I love hole 4! It's a 411' par 3 that plays slightly downhill. The hole is a bit more traditional but the tee is on a deck and it plays out into a beautiful open green, and #13 may actually be the most beautiful hole in Rock Hill with a sweet water carry and back into the woods, requiring a strong hyzer!
-Rubber tee pads. I think they are great! The tee signs are also very helpful because they give the hole length and a good diagram.
-Dual sets of tees, I already mentioned that but that is a pro. I would recommend you play the shorts first if you are rated under 930. My pdga rating is like 877 and you could tell I should've played the shorts first due to how badly I played the longs. I didn't even think I was capable of scoring that bad!
-It starts off pretty basic for a high rated player with a straightforward hole 1. There are two lanes and they are not too wide but they aren't guarded really so a slight hyzer probably wouldn't hurt. If you can throw an easy 300' approach, this hole won't be very hard to par. It's just the basket that is tricky. You then get the hardest hole (#2) out of the way. #3 is a "doable" two but you may want to take the left lane just to be safe. The right lane is a hyzer over the water and the ledge is extremely steep! Things get really difficult once you get to hole #8. It's super tight.
-Friendly locals! The guy at the check in was really cool! He was polite and even got a guy in the water by #13 who was rock hopping to get my disc out of there.
-Bathrooms beside hole #5. There are also multiple practice baskets on the way to #1.
-The Sand Hills course is also on site. I didn't get to play it yet but I will soon! It looked really fun as well!
-Scorecards are available at the front desk and there is a map on them.
Cons:
-It's a little rough in places! #11 in particular. It's very thorny in areas. I hate it when pain is the consequence to a bad shot. Some holes are just too hard as well. I know a gold course is meant to be like that but some holes are too hard to par. As scenic and as interesting #13 is, there is NO FREAKING WAY THIS IS A PAR 3. I know it's only 427' and I can throw 427' easily but not when there is a tree is completely straight ahead where you have to throw a massive hyzer and hope it doesn't roll back left into the water! A 2 would not feel like a birdie to me! I would feel really accomplished where it feels like an eagle. It's even tougher if you play the safe lane to the right. This hole is sweet but it's just too hard!
-#2 is a nightmare!! Sorry, but I hate it! It's even harder than #13. It's a U shaped par 3 and it's 444' long! This hole and 13 are both too hard to be par 3's! The basket is by a drop off and is severely punishing! Even a pro would find this hole ridiculous! I think it's better on the short because it has enough challenge but not too much.
-Some fairways are just weird. It's mainly just the par 5's (15 and 17). #15 turns quite a bit where it almost plays as a triple dogleg! The tee shot requires you to go left and once you get to the bend, you still have to turn right a good bit. This one isn't unfair but it is confusing! #17's tee shot is a tricky little flick. You can't give it much power because it turns right after like 50'. This hole is a legit double dog leg right.
-No benches yet but that is just a matter of time.
Other Thoughts:
-I love Camp Canaan. It was worth paying the $49. It's a beautiful piece of land, and with the season pass, I think you can do any of the activities there. You have to be done before 5 PM and signing in and out is mandatory. And if you want to play here just for one day, you still have to sign up for that particular day on Disc Golf U. Many fun holes here, all are unique whether I liked it or not. There are multiple signature holes but if I had to pick just one, I'd say it'd be 13. My favorite was 4 because of the more "open" tee shot off the deck. That would be another signature hole. #18's basket was also pretty drastic!
-Most of my cons are about the severity of a couple of the holes or the fact that the course is slightly underparred. You may disagree with me if you are a well gifted player. But I promise a couple holes will drive you insane in some sort of way but this course is well worth it. Bring your A game!