Pros:
Basics:
- large, grippy concrete tees
- full color tee signs with maps are passable
- baskets are older but serviceable
- course appears to be generally well maintained
Amenities/Extras:
- practice basket
- next tee indicators on some baskets
- nice built in bridges over creek
Course Design/General Thoughts:
- mild to moderate elevation change incorporated throughout
- a few open, longer holes mixed in
- navigation fairly straightforward
- decent mix of hole lengths, though overall a short course
Difficulty/Uniqueness:
- absolutely breathtaking PNW beauty
- scenery reminiscent of a temperate rainforest
- high level of technical challenge despite short length
- densely wooded feel throughout
- isolated areas of significant elevation change
- finesse and shot placement are critical to scoring well
- some baskets mounted on slopes make for challenging shots
Cons:
- rough fairly dense in places, though this fits feel of course
- baskets with colored bands would be more visible in woods
- maps on tee signs could be better
- "ankle buster" terrain - described below
- crosses some service roads, but minimally used
- "Red River" is a creek at best and not much of a water hazard
- some tees are not level
- some long walks between holes
- navigation would be more clear if missing next tee indicators were replaced
- course heavily favors right-rading shots
Other Thoughts:
Wow, what a hidden gem! While it didn't feel suitable to give this course more than a 3.5, it might have been my favorite course played on this trip - yes, I enjoyed it more than Riverbend/Milo McIver. If you love courses that emphasize technical acumen over distance and play through dense woods with beautiful scenery, this is the course for you.
Red River is a very short course but is far from easy, with notable elevation change and tight shots throughout. You likely won't need your drivers for more than a couple of holes, such as 5 and 6 which open up a bit more. However, you'll still be utilizing a large variety of shots to score well. The course starts out playing pretty quickly, but about a third of the way through the elevation change starts and the terrain gets more rugged.
Equipment here was decent; the concrete tees were good, but the baskets could be more visible and the tee signs, while decent, could have better maps. Most amenities and extras are pretty limited. There are next tee indicators on some baskets but many are missing. There are no hole numbers on baskets. There is only one tee and basket per hole for the most part, although some holes have multiple pin positions.
Navigation was a bit confusing where the next tee indicators were missing; if this were made better this course could be traversed more quickly and it would be a better experience. There weren't many "typical" safety hazards here, although as wolfhaley pointed out already, be careful moving too quickly on the ground in the woods. There are spots with thin "crust" that initially looks/feels firm with soft, spongy ground underneath. I had my foot bust through one of these and sink over a foot into the ground - I fondly refer to these as "ankle busters", and one day I'm going to be the victim of something like this, alone in the woods at 6 AM.
The Red River was admittedly a bit disappointing; it's a creek, and a tiny one at that. It adds to the ambience of the course and is a nice touch, but doesn't come into play as a true water hazard. The built-in bridges over the creek are nice. With that said, the scenery here is beautiful and there's no road noise on this one, it's all nature. The Sitka Spruce forest is amazing and not something we have in the midwest; you can literally smell the spruce trees on the air.
This may not be a 5 disc course, but with a big of navigation cleanup and improved signs I'd be really tempted to bump this up to a 4. It's certainly not the most challenging course you'll play, but it will push you while still giving birdie opportunities. This course for me falls into the category of "some of the most fun disc golf you'll ever play." I loved it and would love to come back someday.