It's very satisfying to say I finally made it to Harmony Bends. It unquestionably lived up to the hype. On an epic 5-state road trip, I have to say that this was one of my top 3 experiences, but it would be really hard to pick a favorite - and that says more about the quality of the other courses than being a knock in any way on Harmony Bends.
Let's start with the cons, because they are brief. It's all nits, as far as I'm concerned, and nothing that would make me bump this below 4.75 - which means it warrants my 3rd ever perfect 5. Being near the interstate means despite the serenity of this park, you definitely can hear road noise. It's a bummer, but also means this course is super convenient to get to vs. most 5 star courses. The tee signs here are phenomenal - but I wish they'd indicate "red tee" vs. "white tee" vs. "blue tee". Personal pet peeve of mine, but still very minor. Otherwise, as others have said a few of the creek crossings are a bit dicey. I like the natural stone crossings, but making them a bit less wobbly might be a good idea. I saw ZERO evidence of flooding when I was here - maybe I got lucky, but it seems like this has been much improved over the years.
Everything else about this course was an incredible experience. You feel immersed in nature, and as you don't circle back to the parking lot during the round - a con for some - I feel like you really just get lost in the course, which adds to the experience for me. The basics are top notch here - fantastic tee signs, great large concrete tees, multiple pin positions, and classic Innova DISCatcher baskets with those nice yellow rings to see at a distance. Maintenance also appeared good here. I saw one trash can that some vandals had lit on fire, and parks & rec was already there cleaning it up.
Navigation was pretty straightforward, though I did consult my map a few times. Hole numbers on baskets did help, but the fairways are open enough here it's not always a sole obvious path. However, flow felt good. Built-in bridges and stairs on the most treacherous areas helped traverse the terrain. Elevation change here is in the upper echelon of courses I have played. I think Justin Trails - Big Brother in Wisconsin and Hummel Park in Nebraska might be my all-time champs for steep terrain, but Harmony Bends is pretty notable. It is incorporated into the course so well - there are uphill shots, downhill shots, baskets perched on edges, throws along hillsides, flat shots - everything. A few holes are more open and bring some real distance, but none felt so open and effortless the course was disjointed.
I budgeted for 2 hours here, and I think I came in slightly below that playing solo - it is a long course, but can move at a decent pace.
A full third of the course plays with water, which is a great challenge. It was lightly raining on and off while I was here, but I honestly loved the ambience of that with the creek throughout. This course is quite tough, but didn't feel absolutely punishing. Beginners could get very frustrated, as even the red tees are long. White/blue are closer in length, but both would be considered "really long." However, the red tees give an easier look for players with some experience. Pars are fair and as the fairways aren't "dense woods" style, multiple paths to the basket often exist. I love a good dense woods course more than almost anything, but Harmony Bends excels at creating an ideal moderately wooded course. The terrain will wear you out, and you should come with boots, a good attitude, and some stamina.
The course starts off in excellent fashion throwing over multiple bends in the Harmony Creek. Yes, I ended up in the water multiple times on the first hole, and I loved it! This reminds me so strongly of Idlewild, which was one of, if not the first iconic course to implement this type of hole. Harmony Bends is the 2010-onwards version of this type of course with all we've learned through decades of course design.
The course proceeds to play up and down some steep hills, with hole 6 having a nice basket up on the steep section of a hill. Hole 7 is the first really open shot, once you get off the tee set back in the woods, and hole 8 takes you over multiple creek crossings and right up the hill again.
I particularly enjoyed hole 13, which was kind of unexpected. This is a tough 500-ish ft. hole curving to the right with creek to your left and trees on the right. A little open for my usual tastes, and not the type of shot I'm great at. In the past I would have thrown a forehand shot here, but I'd been working on a big-air anhyzer I wanted to try throwing here, with the area over the creek to the left wide open without a ceiling. This would have bombed if not executed correctly, but I threw an understable anny shot perfectly on the rightward curve I needed. Immensely satisfying, and one of the best examples of how this caliber of course both rewards good shot selection and also can punish poor choices. Ability to throw a variety of shots will immensely improve your play.
Hole 18 was under construction to grow grass while I was here, but an alternate hole was in place, which I found excellent - though it was a bit confusing where you were supposed to throw from and which areas you needed to stay out of. Regardless, it was nice the park had a temporary hole set up at all.
Ultimately, in fewer words - Harmony Bends may be the best course I've played in over 250 courses. I don't know if it's my favorite (though certainly top 10), but it's probably objectively the best designed course. It is well-deserving of a 5 and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for ultimate disc golf experiences.