Cons:
I am not grading this course on it's CONs. It is a private course made for the love of the game that we were graciously allowed to play. The accoutrements Joe's lacks that normally constitute a 4.5 course are negligible given the fact that the designer (Caleb, who walked us through the course) built this on a friends property and maintains it strictly out of love. But, in the interest of full disclosure, some things to know:
No bathrooms, no trash cans, no benches.
Hornets, ticks, rocks, barbed wire, tree stumps, and only a mention of snakes. You will sweat. You will need deep-woods OFF. You will decide its time to quit smoking.
You will be silenced by the beauty, humbled by the challenge, and you will be sad when the day is over.
Other Thoughts:
When trying to arrange this road trip, I had the good fortune to speak with Bender, who was super friendly and accommodating. He made plans to take us around the course, and then when that fell through, he set us up with Caleb, who as it turns out designed the damn thing. Caleb was a super nice guy, great player and all around swell cat. A couple other local guys showed up for the back 9, Tony and Seth. They were welcoming and friendly as well. Does it sound like I'm jocking them? Yup. They were great, no pretension, no ego, just proud of the course and happy to show it. If you can make the trip, Joe's is well worth it. Just make sure you remember it's a private course and treat it as such. Cheers and throw 'em well!