Pros:
18 hole course that is nearly all in dense woods at Freitag Memorial Park.
Chainstar baskets that were in good condition and had large orange flags posted above them, which is almost a necessity if you haven't played here, as scouting is necessary on nearly every hole.
Decent concrete tee pads on ever hole. Level and grippy..but most are raised up above the ground a couple inches, instead of poured level . For me, they're long enough, but if you have a long run up, these could be a problem for you.
Long, tight fairways. Most holes have a single line you need to hit, and those lines aren't forgiving. You'll need to be super accurate to score decently here, and on the longer holes, you'll need a game plan to find suitable landing zones, as many fairways require two solid shots to get to the pin. I enjoyed it, but I can see how a lot of people wouldn't.
I don't know if this is the norm, but there was a tube with maps and scorecards in it near hole 1.
The tee signs were solid, showing pin placements and distances quite well. Holes 1-8 were mounted on posts, a few were missing, and the others were leaning against posts on the ground.
As scruffy as this place was, it wasn't hard to find my discs (even off the fairway, which was often) while playing a solo round. I was actually very surprised...the rough is punishing in a golf sense, but it's bushes and trees, not horrible undergrowth.
Cons:
This place is super scruffy. It's out in the middle of nowhere (Forest Junction isn't exactly a metropolis), and I doubt this place gets much traffic, which results in some unruly fairways.
No elevation or water here, but trust me, you won't mind. This place is tough enough without either.
The bugs...oh the bugs. I was there when it was dry, and musked up with bug spray before the round. By hole 4, I was putting another layer on...and I was still getting attacked. Other than some serious clearing, I don't know what could help this.
Other Thoughts:
I'm very conflicted on this course. I can see the vision...and the hole designs, for the most part, are superb. If only it could get a Rollin' Ridge type makeover, it could be a top 20 course, IMO. The golf is that good, especially if you enjoy tight woods and long, accurate shot making. A couple holes felt too tight, and could stand to lose a tree here or there, though.
This is not the place to bring beginners. It's just too tough. I'd love to see some pros go out here and try to carve it up.
The adjoining park is nothing to write home about...it has a bit of a "Children of the Corn" feel to it. I felt like I was transported back to the 70's when I pulled in.
I know there has been some new blood taking charge of this course, and hopefully they're able to get the help they need to turn this into the absolute gem it could be.