Pros:
While there are many, many pros here, what makes Whippin' Post truly special is how packed it is with character across the board. There isn't a bad hole here, to say nothing of throw-aways: the top-level consistency is amazing, with each hole chock full of wrinkles, surprises, and brow-furrowing challenges. You'll find yourself doing battle with an astonishing range of shots, terrain, and obstacles, in combinations you've never dreamed of. Many of those dreams can easily turn into nightmares if you're not careful, but the uniqueness and beauty help temper the sting. When you gladly take a 6 on the tree-studded 4, if your putter kicks into the terrifying abyss bordering hole 8, or in case your favorite driver gets swallowed up by the pond on 18 because you fooled yourself into thinking you could throw 400', just take a deep breath, admire your gorgeous surroundings, and remind yourself that disc golfing here is the definition of the good life.
There are just so many individual nuances here that it makes singling out shots or holes difficult. Whippin' Post's awesomeness pervades throughout. I could almost say that my favorite holes are something like 2-17. The exceedingly varied terrain the course plays across helps keep things fresh throughout the round: the middle third of the holes play through thick woods, but the progression to this point is paced, with the level of woodedness slowly building over the first seven holes. Hole 14 brings you back out into the more spacious terrain that closes things out, but the excellent use of available obstacles keeps the challenge up, only shifting the focus. Overall, the mix of shots and looks is nothing less than superb. "You'll need every shot in your bag" gets thrown around a lot in course reviews, but it's the only way to describe Whippin' Post. Versatility beyond one throwing style is in high demand here: if you throw exclusively one style, be it BH, FH, OH, whathaveyou, you'll be behind the 8 ball at some point. Elevation plays a major factor throughout, as a direct challenge, OB-like deterrent, or secondary factor that further complicates your shots. The course emphasizes obstacle-laden multistage holes, with an extremely high challenge level wherein every shot counts, but within that theme Whippin' Post presents some very varied takes.
The setting is beautiful, and I was very impressed with how well the course was groomed, especially considering: 1) it's private, 2) it's huge, and 3) it plays through some crazy-thick woods. The tees are hard-packed gravel, which may not sound attractive on paper but do a great job in practice. Run-up and footing are essential here with the long holes and precise demands, and the tees were never anything less than completely reliable. Navigation is mostly intuitive, though having the map on hand can be helpful at a few points.
Cons:
Whippin' Post is the most uncompromising course I've played. It's hole after hole of extreme challenge, with seemingly no concern to mix this up. Only one set of tees further hammers home that there is only one way to play this course. This intensity distinguishes Whippin' Post and is part of the fun (more like "fun" at times), but probably the biggest design critique I have is the lack of variety on the challenge front, and the accompanying focus on long, multistage holes. This is of course a huge matter of preference, especially since its this focus on demanding golf throughout that helps make Whippin' Post unique and incredible. It bears mentioning, though.
The immense challenge offered here means this course is only for experienced players. You don't by any means need to play Open - I'm a high Rec/low Intermediate golfer, and I was blown away by Whippin' Post - but the course is certainly not for everybody. The physical challenge associated with navigating the hilly, wooded terrain could also deter some. It's not an unreasonable trek, though.
The long holes and lack of adequate signage often force you to scout ahead to put eyes on the basket. This makes an already-long course play even longer. Two of us played our round here in three hours, perhaps a little more, and we weren't dilly-dallying. That's on top of an even longer round on Woodshed, too.
Though the rough is for the most part very well thinned out given the environment, there are still a lot of opportunities to lose discs, be it the extreme drop-offs, the occasional high grass, the thick woods bordering some holes, or the pond. Be mindful of the many disasters that could strike before you throw that uber-rare CE Eagle of yours.
Other Thoughts:
I did not know what to expect from my visit here, with the minimal amount of pictures and the lack of recent reviews. What I found was a truly top-level course in Whippin' Post, one of the best I've ever played. It's presently one of only two 5.0s I've given out of the nearly 60 courses I've played, ranking ahead of stalwarts like Moraine, Deer Lakes, Shawshank, and Selah Creekside. I cannot urge you enough to make this trip, as long as you're willing to make a day of it and take on the challenge here.
I preferred Whippin' Post to Woodshed pretty handily: the design was more varied, more challenging, and altogether better. The navigation was significantly easier, too. I was impressed with how distinct the two courses were.
My rounds at Woodshed and Whippin' Post made for the most demanding day of golf I've ever had (and this is from a guy who has played five courses in a day). Don't expect to do anything other than play these two courses on the day you visit. They'll bring you really out of the way of civilization, so come prepared food-wise.
Play here!