Pros:
When driving to a course I've never played & finding the road morph into an exclusive park entrance as it narrows and traverses a steep, winding incline, my eagerness builds anticipating a potential monster ready to consume all who dare enter its realm.
And The Black Course is certainly monstrous with over 9,000ft of length, mammoth elevation changes, brutal wind to contend with, fast greens with severe roll away probability and deep gullies with thick rough/woods that slope and gulp up errant throws. Add in the sheer physical challenge of climbing up and down the hillsides and at times it was more reminiscent of survival than disc golf.
The course is primarily open and the first two holes provide an immediate and lasting impression of what's in store. The first tee behind the barn is a deceptive short ace run but be cautious as once the disc clears the structure, the wind will wreak havoc on the flight path & coupled with the left side's drop off (which is part of 18's fairway) it's a risky endeavor especially for a RHBH thrower. #2 while mostly open continues with the drop off/18's fairway on the left but adds a few trees to navigate leading to a parking lot/road with a precipitous hill to ascend culminating in a super fast roll away green. With the wind raging and swirling causing the disc to dance erratically, it's every bit of a par 5 - even though just over 500ft in length, it plays more like 700ft.
Continuing on the front 9, I really enjoyed the holes either in or in between the woods (#'s 4, 5 6 & 9) as they offered some reprieve from the open/wind holes and presented a more technical dynamic which for the most part is lacking here.
#7's little 188ft transition hole once again plays longer than advertised as it's another uphill toss which leads to the epic downhill of #8's 818ft par 4. However this is no mere huck and chuck hole. With the parking lot on the left, thick sloping woods on the right, the ever present wind & finishing with a basket surrounded by woods on a fast green, the slightest mistake could easily cost a player multiple strokes & should be a sufficient deterrent to blindly hurl your disc. Definitely a stand-out/signature hole that will entice multiple drives off the tee for the sheer joy of watching discs descend.
Holes 10 & 11 play along an open, sloping hillside and while the tee to basket elevation change may be minimal, the deep gullies in between are vast and wayward discs will be gobbled up and sent deep into the chasm's depths.
Holes 12, 13, 15 & 16 play on, along and at the bottom of the hillside intersected by the parking lot near the back of the park. These are all mainly open, big arm holes with a cumulative length of 2,037 ft. (three of the four being over 700+ ft.) and echo the familiar theme of the previous holes - deep drop offs, wind, gullies and roll aways throughout. There's some relief in a couple shorter holes with the little downhill anhyzer of #14's tree jailed pin and #17's uphill drive across the OOB parking lot/road.
If your arm is still attached and total physical exhaustion has yet to take its toll, the blockbuster finishing hole awaits - a 1,000ft bomb from the top of the hill, over the parking lot to an open meadow below. The entire left side after the parking lot, which borders holes 2 & 1's fairways, is OOB which adds some challenge to an otherwise fantastically fun-filled hole. Top of the world ending holes astound & this one doesn't dissapoint.
The park was gorgeous, secluded & very well maintained (as was the course). There were unlocked restrooms by the barn/first tee, scorecards/maps available, a pro shop on site (closed when I was there) and very little pedestrian traffic or other park goers to speak of - which, considering the fantastic setting, surprised me.
Additionally, the tees appeared to be in near to newly constructed condition - some of which had much needed benches nearby. Navigation was fairly easy with a map along with the next tee indications and while arduous, the course has a reasonable flow.
While I did not play it, there's a pitch/putt course on site (The Yellow Course) for practice/warm up.
Cons:
Keep in mind that many of the below statements are more of a 'be aware of' rather than a 'con' in my book:
Some of the tees were odd. For example the wood bordered, large gravel based tee appeared to be regulation size but in front of and attached to the tee box (where someone may do a run up - especially on such a long course) there was another 'tee' with the same large graveled surface but about 1/3 the size. While I did not experience any problems with the tees, they appeared to be a potential safety issue and I was perplexed as to why they would be constructed in such a manner (perhaps not finished?).
There were several sets of holes that played similarly but specifically 12, 13, 15 & 16 used the same general area(s) and had a repetitive feel. I kept thinking how nice it would have been to use some of the elevation for downhill or pitched drives into & utilizing the woods which border the bottom of the hillside. This may have added a more interesting dynamic as the excessive length & re-occurring themes of these holes just felt redundant and overstated.
The physical punishment of having to walk up/down these hillsides can be quite taxing on the body (similar to a ski area course). I can imagine in the summertime baking in the heat as most of the course is exposed to the elements. Hiking shoes and plenty of provisions are recommended.
The lack of technicality, wooded holes and water hazards is noticeable but doesn't necessarily detract from course enjoyment.
The wind is treacherous - for example, I threw an over-stable disc RHBH on a sever hyzer angle and the wind stabilized it and turned it over deep into the edge of a gully. You're basically fighting the wind on many of the holes so be forewarned.
Although there were no real conflicts, I wasn't thrilled about throwing over/around roads & parking lots, near walking paths and near/by contending fairways (1&2 with 18 and 11, 12 & 13 using similar land) - especially considering what the wind here can do to a disc.
I will say the black bands on the basket tops make them more difficult to see. However there were orange flags on a handful of them to aide in spotting.
There was poo all over the place - mostly dog and deer. It's a mess to negotiate in places and watching your step is a must unless you want an excrement reminder emanating from your shoe sole during the round....and possibly beyond.
Other Thoughts:
This is a pro caliber course that will test many of the power/endurance facets of your game but at the same time demands consideration in placement, putting and perseverance. Inexperienced players will most likely find this place frustrating and exhausting while more seasoned players....will probably feel similarly but should have the experience & determination to endure.
I was heading west on I-70 out of Pennsylvania, drove the 10-15 min or so off the exit to play here (a 2+ hour course investment for two people) and was able to experience a unique and different style West Virginia disc golf course than the two I played previously. This is just another testament to the amazing disc golf terrain to be found in West Virginia parks and you owe it to yourself to be consumed by the Monster.