Pros:
First, it's beautiful. I played it while the leaves were changing. The pics cannot do this place justice. There are typically beautiful sights near and far, everywhere you look. It really does play on a Christmas tree farm, so you'll throw a top-of-the-world shot down a Christmas tree slope and onto a perfectly manicured green, surrounded by another Christmas tree slope. (obviously words don't do it justice either). I've explored much of the NC mountains and this is one of prettiest places we have.
It's got every kind of shot, as mentioned in other reviews. Some reviews say that you'll use every shot and every disc in your bag. This course required shots that I do not yet have. While I love RL Smith and Stumpy Creek in the Charlotte areas, the mountain shots here are a completely different league than the huge hills you throw up/down/over on those courses. Don't let that discourage you though, you can hack your way up and down these hills and end up with a respectable score.
The fairways were actually "fair." There were often several lines to choose from, and I don't remember there being any holes without any obvious line. It's impressive how manicured this course was, considering how rugged the terrain was. It's not just baskets set up in the mountains, the lines would be great even without the terrain, scenery, etc.
The baskets - supposedly they're homemade but you can't tell it by looking at them. They caught several of my iffy putts.
The tee pads - totally adequate. Not brushed concrete but long enough for each shot and grippy.
I don't remember if there were signs on every hole but I do remember several signs, showing the long and the short layouts, and they did the job just fine for us. I played in a group of four, none of us had played the course before, and we found everything just fine (disclaimer - it was a tournament, we did have some folks in front of us).
Probably 20+ people out there and everyone was friendly, even during competition.
I usually talk about a course's vibe. I've only played once but I can't see this course being crowded. It was also very litter-free, which can be a good indicator of the overall scene.
Great variety of open/wooded, long/short shots.
Cons:
Some may demand concrete tees, better next-tee navigation, and some may not like the hikes (on the course, and just finding the course)
No amenities like a pro shop or bathrooms or water fountains. Plan ahead.
Remote, and hard to get a tee time.
Other Thoughts:
Other reviews describe it pretty perfectly. I'd read about this course (and tried to play it) for years. I think the most helpful description would be - I read the 5-star reviews just before playing and it still exceeded expectations.
Typically what I like/dislike about courses include the scenery, the variety, the vibe, the playability for visitors, and I like a good hike. This had all of it. It's also not that far from Boone, but definitely stock up on drinks/snacks back in town.
I've said it tons of times before - I'm shocked that so few Charlotte people have played the area mountain courses. It's about 2 (beautiful) hours from Charlotte, and there are other courses nearby and on the way. You never know how long private courses will stay open, I'd highly recommend calling the owners and trying to set aside a Saturday to road trip up here.