Pros:
+ Great variety of shots. Several are tight and technical following cross country ski trails through the forest. Still fair sized gaps and lines; rarely feels like a poke 'n' pray (if ever). Also a few open bombers. Good mix of straight, right-to-left, left-to-right. Really tests a lot of different shots.
+ Good variety of hole lengths. Couple ace runs, but also a number of longer par 3's and a few legit multi-throw holes.
+ Elevation in play on most holes. Again, awesome mix of throws. Variation tests many skill sets.
+ Baskets are all MVP Black Holes; seem to catch well. Basket installation is proper. Still new and in pristine condition.
+ Tee pads are rubber mats, and the correct care was taken to frame them up and get gravel substrate placed beneath the rubber. A few are a little lumpy, but overall they're some of the best rubber pad tees I've played on.
+ Also, where appropriate, tee pads are HUGE--I'm talking 12' or longer in some cases. For those that like a long run up before a big drive, these tees can accommodate that!
+ Map at the site entrance makes the navigation feasible.
+ Beautiful area, secluded in a rugged patch of basically untouched wilderness. Course is mostly forested with a few touches of prairie/sage terrain mixed in.
+ Some amenities on site: picnic table, bathrooms. Good amount of infrastructure available from the cross country ski center. Not bad for the middle of nowhere.
+ Even for some of the rougher foliage areas, each hole has at least a path mowed, and the greens are mostly in tidy condition. A few of the holes have fully mowed fairways, and it really gives you the sense that it's worth the effort to get this course really cleaned up and in prime shape eventually.
+ A lot of work has clearly gone into the course. The sky is the limit as far as improvements that can be done: provisions are in place for tee signs, some of the harsher rough could be tamed, maybe selective tree removal to open up designed lines in a few spots. Could become a true dime, and it looks like that's the intention of the great folks who have been working on the course so far.
+ Also: Bonus! There's another 18 hole course on site. South course is in a similar vein, perhaps a few more open bomber holes in the prairie type landscape. Altogether it's a great place to spend a day.
Cons:
- Still some work to with the installation, then a lot of traffic would really help to break-in the course. Not sure if there are plans to clear some of the brush, or just let it get trampled eventually.
- Certainly not beginner friendly.
- A few blind holes hinder the initial navigation. Helpful to have a spotter on some of the holes, either because blind or just big hucks into tall sage.
- I guess some people might be bummed that there are no water hazards. I personally think that the existing terrain provides plenty of good challenges as is, but definitely no water carry holes.
- Active cattle grazing as of 7/2018. Lots of cow pies on the course. New tee pads seem like a popular place to defecate. Not quite sure why that is, but there's plenty of empirical evidence to back it up.
Other Thoughts:
Wow, just a blast to play here. We played before installation was complete, but can already tell that the course has the bones to be 4.5/5 quality or better. Hate to hamstring it with a 3.5 review, although it is already at that quality even though incomplete. So mods, PLEASE DELETE THIS REVIEW after the install is complete. (Or fund my trip to go back and re-review!)
Very much worth the trip to play!
Bring your own water. Sturdy footwear strongly recommended.