After playing Grindstone in Ruidoso several times and reading the reviews for this course I thought I'd make the drive down and give it a try.

My first "Pro" is that the owners of this private camp have installed an 18 hole disc golf course and allow us to play it for free. That's right, zero dollars and not even a donation box!

Innova Discatchers in like-new condition. Excellent tee signs and plenty of "next" arrows and outlined paths made navigation very easy. Rubber tee pads were in decent shape. Most were a bit lumpy and bumpy but they were all there. Two tees for eleven holes gives you an easier option on the tougher holes. So the course infrastructure is solid.

Distance varies from a very short 158' out to 625'. All holes play through trees so there are no "just crank it out there" shots. Everything has to be played with the trees in mind. Plenty of opportunity for BH/FH or RH/LH players. And if you've got a good overhand you can use it here in many places. Fairways are narrow on many holes and the rough is thick enough to punish errant shots.

I thought that I would enjoy this course more than I did, but overall I just found it average. It appears that many of the "tall pines" have died and been removed and what is left on many holes is a bunch of smaller 20' - 30' trees. With a good overhand or spike hyzer you can go over the top on some holes. Otherwise you'll be dealing with tight fairways and poke-and-pray holes.

Quite a few blind holes into thick trees, so a spotter is helpful.

Hole 17 is a good example. 430' down a narrow power line right-of-way and initially downhill then up. You can either try to pipe it down the narrow ROW or take it high and hope to land in a clearing. Odd are good that you'll be in the thick trees on one side or the other. Not so much a designed hole as one that used an existing (narrow) clearing.

After a while I found a lot of similarity. While the lengths varied and there was some uphill/downhill, many of the holes felt similar.

The ground is uneven with a lot of loose rock. Footing is an issue both throwing and moving between holes. Boots are a good idea here.

The course is well away from almost everywhere so be aware that you'll be off of the beaten path, no cell coverage, etc. The day I played I didn't see a single person (even staff) until I was driving out. I did meet the manager as I left and thaked her for allowing play on the course.

If you're in the Ruidoso/Cloudcroft area and have already played Grindstone, I'd give this one a visit. If you can play only one, I'd strongly suggest Grindstone in Ruidoso.