Pros:
Great signage which includes distance, par and legible overhead hole diagrams.
In addition to a fair mix of open field and tighter woods shots, the trees are a blend of deciduous and coniferous varieties, each of which have their own benefits and challenges.
Although this course is located directly on south campus, there is a very low amount of non-DG traffic.
While you never have to throw across the pond, tees and baskets are placed so that the water is a fairly effective hazard, especially when the wind is blowing.
For a course that is as flat as this, there are plenty of drives where the basket is obscured from the tee.
Cons:
Well, there are quite a few to list....
Rubber tee mats which are beyond terrible.
You must cross the RxR tracks to get to holes 4-10, and you have to cross the green for basket #10 to get to tee #4. This route is not very well signed, and in addition to a next tee indicator at the # 3 basket, it would be a great benefit to have a second course kiosk with a map after you cross the tracks.
This course is disagreeably flat. It starts with field shots, and tightens up with woodsier holes across the railroad tracks, and opens back up for the last 6-8 holes. Unfortunately, this does not do much to break up the monotony, and the end of the course is underwhelming at best.
Wind is a very welcome addition to a round in my opinion, as it adds a wonderful unpredictability to the round, especially in lowland areas and valleys where the direction and intensity can get squirrelly. Here in the Mid-Michigan Flatlands, the wind is brutally strong more often than not, and it always flows in the same direction. Instead of adding a level of challenge, here it can often render the course nearly unplayable.
Although the land is flat, there is only one hole >400' (and one more that is close), with the rest rarely cresting 300'. Having the majority of holes in the 200-280' range is fine for a course with elevation, but here, it makes for a course whose challenge wears thin after very few rounds.
The pond is flat out disgusting. I have seen many people jumping in after their disc, but you would never catch me doing it. Dysentery, anyone? No thank you.
As it is on campus, you often have to deal with groups of 6-8 Two-Disc Demons who are more interested in boozing and pushing each other into the bushes, than playing.
Other Thoughts:
I attended CMU for two years, and this was the only course nearby (pre-Deerfield Park). I had been playing quite a few years, and had been fortunate enough to have Hickory Hills, Grand Woods Park, and River Road SC as my locals before this. Two years in Mt Not-So-Pleasant is bad enough, but having this as my local only added to my despondency. Luckily, current students now have some nice choices. It just made me drive to Lansing frequently to play.
I did my best to play this course before 10am, as the peak winds in this area are usually between 11am and 6pm, so I often only had 15mph gusts to deal with, rather than the usual 30-40+ mph sustained winds.
Due to my deep personal loathing of it, I really would like to give this course a lower score than 2.5, but it would not be fair, as this course is never in disrepair, nor ever trashed, and the (lack of) distance aside, it was fairly well thought out given the land available. There are never too many leaves, nor real flooding issues, or any of the many other things that can create real headaches at other courses at certain times of the year.
The bottom line is, with this course, you are always going to get exactly what you expect whenever you play it, but with Deerfield Park just down the road, there is no reason for you to ever do that to yourself.