Pros:
To start, I stayed in the cabin off of hole 7's basket for the weekend. The amenities here are absolutely fantastic, both on and off the disc golf course. Now, to the course (and the review)...
- 9 really good wooded holes, 2 semi-open, and 5 super open holes (the other 2 holes I'll address in the next section). I like the mix. They did well here.
- Elevation - There are many significant elevation changes on holes. #1 you tee off the top of a hill, into a somewhat valley. The basket itself is situated on a hill, which drops off fairly significantly on both sides. It's one of the more interesting approach shots I've ever thrown on a course. #18 starts going uphill, then drops down into a valley. Very quirky, but very fun. The highlight elevation shot in my opinion is #16 where you throw over a valley. It would make for a great cover picture for a disc golf magazine.
- Tee Pads and Baskets - The orange Mach V baskets catch very well. And, they are very visible. The tee pads are all in great shape, even the crushed ones on the open holes. Also, benches at every hole.
Deception - A lot of the holes I found myself between shots, or fooled by elevation changes. #11 is the one that sticks out the most. It's a 431 foot wide open, what looks like a downhill hole. Looks like easy drive/easy approach/putt for 3, right? Wrong.. I haven't gotten the elevation change right on my second shot, yet. Thankfully, I made some putts. #9, while only around 260 feet, is longer than you think. Most of my group ended up short on their drives, when they thought they were nearly parked. On the other side of things, watch that you don't overthrow 14 and 18 off the tee, as the baskets are in a valley. Oh, and #8? Good luck getting it to the hole off the tee. It looks quite "doable". It is not, unless you have a laser rocket arm.
- Fun factor: The course has 16 fun holes on it, nearly all of which are birdieable with some experience. The holes are just fun to throw, overall. The course doesn't favor a lefty or righty, in my opinion. You have some holes that go right to left, others left to right, some dead straight. #13 is a dead straight hole that I still need to exact revenge on.
- No real long walks between holes. From 6 to 7, go to the path after 6's basket that leads out into open field by making a right after the basket. The 7 tee will be on your right after you go through a gate. From 11 to 12, go back up the same path you went down from 6 to 7, and 12 tee will be on your right. And, most walks from basket to next tee pad are spelled out for you.
- NIGHT GOLF IN THE FIELD! A friend had lights to light up holes 7-11. As long as you observe the quiet hours rules, you can have yourself a darn good time when darkness falls. I had no issue locating any discs with LEDs attached. Just make sure you use your "inside voices" when it's quiet hours. Sound travels quite a bit in the open field, as I could hear some people out on #10 near the basket from my cabin.
Cons:
- Holes 4 and 6. Hole 4 I feel there is too much luck involved when you get close to the basket. There are many assorted trees, not a real visible path to the basket unless you get lucky. Hole 6 is tough to get off the tee. You either need to work a LHBH S-curve shot or a RHFH and get lucky. I don't like luck dictating score. Those two holes are questionable, in that regard.
- Safety issues if you aren't on your toes. Hole 17 if you hyzer out as a RHBH or LHFH will fade right into 4's fairway if it doesn't catch a tree first. Holes 13 and 16 could potentially injure a walker if you throw too low. I didn't run into any as the hole is not really near any campsites. But, in the summer time, this could change with more people at the campground.
-No true par 5s and only one par 4, if you go by PDGA standards for holes. If you play the course the way the designers intended, their par system is a little flawed, in my opinion (holes 1, 2, 8, and 11, but hey I'll take it as an AM).
Other Thoughts:
Combined with the amazing amenities (the cabins are the best cabins I have ever stayed in), this disc golf course is a hidden gem in the middle of a disc golf dead zone. If I lived closer, I'd play this course every weekend. I am an intermediate player, and enjoy the challenge it presents me. There are many of birdie opportunities here. But, if you go off the intended fairway, good luck recovering!! While pros will enjoy the course, most will only be challenged by a few holes, I think. I'm not a pro, so wouldn't know for sure. Just an educated guess. I highly recommend going for a weekend, and getting one of the 4 cabins out by holes 7-11. You will NOT regret it! The facilities, the people, and the course are top notch. I was happy to see the owners driving around in a golf cart seeing how we liked the place, the course, and how we were doing. There is a lot of love and care put into this place!! And, for that, along with the condition and fun factor of the course, I give it a 4. The only things missing are some more par 4's/5's (though not sure there is land available to make it happen), bag holders at tees as some of the tee areas get murky after a lot of rain (mainly #3).