Pros:
New layout is awesome! Also it seems that course maintenance is far beyond what it has been in the past!
Great access to interstates, easy to find, and not often crowded.
All new concrete tee pads, which have plenty of length and great texture. Old baskets have been reused, but are still in pretty good shape (mixture of basket types). Fairways stay clear of one another.
Compared to the old layout, the traffic wear is almost gone, and the course utilizes a lot of the park that was previously of no benefit to anyone.
What is very nice over the old layout is how the wooded holes now really pose a serious challenge. This has gone from a 3 par only course to some holes being an honest par 4.
My memorable holes:
6 - Over the water and have to clear a line of trees going left to right, takes some big sky to clear the trees.
8 - Really cool tee, you throw out from behind fallen trees arranged like a kind of bunker. Not a complicated holes, but neat looking.
9 - The first real challenge on the course. The first 100 feet or so is open, then you go into semi-thick woods, up a hill, and the basket is on the side of the far end of the hill. A three here is good.
10 - A winding tunnel in the trees, first right, then left, if you hit the line just right you might be able to ace it..
14 - I believe they call it the "Tiger Woods" hole. Fairway is an existing path, but dead straight and just shy of 400 feet long. My hat's off to you if you can park this one. There is a fairly treacherous dropoff to the left (but manageable), and a slight slope up on the right, both with trees abounding..
16 - This is perhaps shorter than most of the short holes on the old layout. But don't let that fool you. Throw down a hill and back up an man-made mound, about 10 feet wide, and about 15 feet tall at the top. An errant throw will give you an almost vertical putt up at the pin. Talk about an elevated green!!
Cons:
Not that it could really be helped, but the first 8 holes are still fairly plain, with the exception of hole 6. Not that you can help too much that half of the land you have available for designing the course is flat and open.
I list this as a con for now, but am not factoring it into my rating, but there were still no tee signs when I played last, and only the baskets were marked with the hole number. Adequate navigation with the map for now, and I'm sure it will be rectified very soon.
Unfortunately the course still plays through the field that used to be holes 16 and 17, which holds water indefinitely, and gets very nasty. At least only hole 17 plays in this area now, and does not play directly through it.
Other Thoughts:
My rating of a 3.5 is based on the fact that the new course is very fun, and as well laid out as it could be. I LOVE the new wooded holes, they are a great challenge. Even though the front 9 is a little slow comparatively, they are a welcome change from the original layout. I know the original Iroquois was laid out by a legend, but the new one is nice and refreshing.
One of only two courses actually in Louisville, it cannot compete with the real estate that Vettiner has to offer, but is a must play in the area.