Pros:
The Mountwood Monster truly is just that, a beast of a course that will have you saying "wow" on multiple occasions while traversing the West Virginia woods in this park. It presents disc golf in the Mountaineer State in its purest form - rugged woods and hills of great beauty that offer numerous tight lines to navigate through as well as having big elevation changes. After you enter the park, follow signs for the course that lead you to a parking lot on the left. The first hole is on the far side of the lot.
The red and blue tee positions do a nice job of giving different degrees of difficulty and offering different looks. The blue tees are very challenging while the red tees offer more of what rec players and below can handle. However, this isn't your typical park course that is littered with birdie-able par 3's. There are only three par 4's here, but the ever-present elevation changes and tight lines in the woods caused me to fight on every shot.
Like most hilly courses that play in the woods, the pictures on here don't do it justice. There are some epic throws that offer a great deal of risk and reward. The stretch from 2-7 was very memorable, playing up and then back down a massive hill with a stream running through a few holes. 6 is a highlight, a great downhill bomb. The pin positions are very carefully placed at the course as well, often being close to water, on a slope, or near some form of danger.
One of the things that makes this a special course and so fun to play is that while there are many tight lines from tee to basket, I never felt that they were unfair. The holes always had clear routes to the basket and multiple lanes to throw through. This greatly adds to the course's ability to be replayed over and over, while doing a lot for score separation. I imagine that this is the kind of course that you go in never knowing what to expect for how your round's going to be, in a good way.
Water is another great aspect of the course, appearing on 12 holes! While 12 is a high amount, you don't walk away here feeling overwhelmed by the water. It never really threatens the loss of a disc, more just adds to the complexity of the holes with the use of streams.
Cons:
The worst part is probably its navigation, though it's not the worst I've seen by any means. There are a few confusing parts due to lack of 'next tee' signage or clear paths to take. It can get confusing in the woods as to which direction to head next. Also, the course plays in three separate loops that have you then back-tracking toward the parking lot which was a confusing design for me to follow as a first-timer. I would bring a map. Finally, it can literally be difficult to navigate here with steep paths that are without clear footing.
The tees are either gravel or natural and sometimes do not have a big space to throw from.
Because some of the holes are so long and complex, it'd be nice to have an indicator for the current pin positions.
With about 2/3's of the holes playing in the thick woods, there is a risk of losing your discs because of the amount of leaves on the ground. Many blind shots also contribute to this.
Other Thoughts:
The Mountwood Monster offers a great variety of shots and is a thoughtfully designed course. I really can't see people getting bored here with its unique setting, holes, and layout. This is definitely a course you should play if you enjoy challenging woods golf. I would even characterize it as 'adventure golf' with many of the holes being thick in the woods. This is a peaceful - and rugged - setting that displays WV disc golf at its finest.