Pros:
- Course is set in a private resort, which has some seasonal homes and whatnot. Seeing how it is private and pay-to-play, there shouldn't be any chance for any interference. All other activities are well separated as well. Holes are split pretty even between open, ball golf terrain, and some pretty dense woods.
- Holes out in the open provide many opportunities to unleash the beast - very long holes with wide fairways, sloping both way down and slightly up. A good amount of par 4 holes; #6 is a long, downhill hyzer off the tee that jogs right at the bottom. #10 is a healthy 500', slight uphill, and #11 is 600' with a nasty slope all along the right side. #2 and #18 are both pretty deep downhill-sloped valleys; coming up short means a steep upshot to the green.
- Water comes into play in a few spots out here, throwing a RHFH shot on #3 goes directly over a pond, #4 also has water on the left, #6 has the pond to the left of the green, and #7's tee shot has to clear a small pond. Definitely in play on these holes, with drop zones for any shots that get wet.
- A handful of holes have many more trees to contend with, not necessarily in the woods but with obvious lines to hit. #5 has a left-sloping fairway with the basket up and on the right, the best line is a hyzer or RHFH flex shot, and #8 and #9 are uphill hyzers.
- Rest of the course is situated in very dense woods with very dense rough. Tunnel shots galore back here; accuracy is an absolute must. Pretty even mix of left and right fairways, #12 and #14 are RHFH friendly, while #13 is straight, and #15 and #17 have a hyzer finish at the end. Very different from the rest of the course.
- As mentioned before; lots of elevation changes present here. Not only the ups and downs of the fairways, but also on the sides of the holes with big rollaway punishment. #1, #11, and #16 all have big slopes on the right side that will swallow errant shots. Some sloped greens as well, on top of tree-protected greens.
- Good teepads, baskets, and laminated tee signs. Navigation can be a little tricky in spots, like getting from #7 to #8, so checking the map is a good idea.
Cons:
- Holes out in the open are really out in the open... those that play on the old ball golf course have zero trees in the fairways; only on the sides. About 1/3-1/2 of the holes fall into this category, so it is pretty significant.
Other Thoughts:
- Not many cons at this course - excellent mix of wooded and open holes, big time elevation changes in spots, extreme bombers and technical lines in the woods. The turf greens are a good touch on the old golf greens, and the water adds a lot of character. Very good course for intermediate or expert players, beginners might be overwhelmed.
- Basket #19 is pending, to my understanding, but the hole is playable. Sounds like it will inevitably be installed.
- The Journey Post is on site here too!