Pros:
The Eagle DGC is not easy. There are many long holes. Several are playing over or very near the water. Lots of OB. The wind can be fierce.
There are nice concrete tees, and the Dynamic Disc signs and baskets leave nothing to be desired. Layout is easy to follow, and the course is well marked.
I liked the first 3 holes a lot. Hole one has a long and short tee, and I chose to use the short. It tees over a corner of the lake, with OB surrounding the pin that is backed by the levee. I faded left, landed OB and had to take a penalty and putt from the drop zone.
Hole 2 is the only big elevation change on the course, and my favorite hole here. Tees from the top of the dam, to a hanging basket under a tree at the bottom. Open air until you get to the basket, a mid range shot was on line for me, but took a big skip in the boxes under the pin and left me a 35' putt I could not convert.
3 is next to the road along the dam, and has a lot of trees in the fairway, and a water crossing at before the pin. I liked the physical obstacles presented here, as opposed to just long and open with OB as the main hazard.
Hole 5 is tempting to take the direct line over the water all the way. I tried, failed, and stupidly tried again, and lost two discs instead of one. Next time I will surely go the conservative route and play to make par.
Hole 7 is short, but has a ton of trees. If you can get to the other end of that fairway unscathed with one throw, you must be living right.
Number 13 is another short hole, but sits very close to the water, and is high risk reward. A birdie is possible, but a lost disc is just as likely.
Hole 18 is a crazy finisher. I played from the long tee, and threw a drive that flipped to the right immediately. I thought it was gone for sure, but the wind and a big fade to the left carried it to the rocky edge of the land just short of the bridge. It bounced off the rocks, and into the water, but there was ice holding on around most of the shore, and it was close enough to grab. However, my careless throw from the drop zone was carried into the water, as the Eagle took a final bite out of my butt on the way out.
Cons:
If you get in a hurry, or get a little too brave, it is easy to add on extra shots or lose discs. I lost three, two of them on hole 5, and one on hole 18. If the edge of the lake was not iced over, I might have lost another at 18.
Took 6 penalty strokes in all for the round. Ouch.
The island on hole 12 was thick heavy mud. So thick, it was not being used. The pin was short of the island on the grass, but you still have to walk across to get to the next hole. My shoes each had 3 pounds of mud stuck to the bottom after walking across the mess. The pin at 13 also had a lot of mud surrounding it.
Other Thoughts:
I didn't particularly enjoy the Eagle DGC. That said, I do respect it for the tough play, and will probably be back to try it again. Requires smart play, consistent distance and accuracy, and an understanding of how to play in strong wind is a big plus.
There are a few holes that are very wide open and the main task is avoiding OB or water. I would prefer to play holes with more trees, more elevation, and less wind. That is not widely available here, and they did a great job implementing what is there to work with to create a very challenging course.
By the time I was on the back 9, I was frustrated, and kind of checked out. I was lacking control, going OB and into the water repeatedly. The wind had been pushing me around all weekend, and I was defeated.
I had no birdies, only four pars, and finished at +20. I lost a good star Destroyer and a star TeeRex on hole 5, and a cool Vibram mid range disc a friend gave me on 18. Definitely not the way I wanted to start 2017, but I will carry on, and one day return to Olpe and have my revenge.