Brand new 18 hole championship course in Cherokee area near the Great Smoky National Park, just off 441 at the western terminus of the Blue Ridge Parkway. Course is located adjacent to the Ravens Fork River, and water can come into play on a few of the holes on the back 9. A shelter (with fire pit) in middle of course invites groups to spend the afternoon in the woods near a beautiful flowing river.

3 putting areas near parking at the road, then you access the course area via a 1/4mile or so hike along an access road. Holes are clearly marked and rock landscaping near the tees is wonderful. Lots of "Next Tee" small arrow signs on trees indicating flow. 1 large 5x12 concrete teepad per hole, some holes have 2 pins red(short) and gold(long), and many holes have alternate pins placements gold and red. It can stretch you with tight D if that is your thing.

Not really cons, but decided to condense my thoughts on course play itself in this section. The course itself is very young and heavily wooded. The fairways are tight to very tight for the most part. Once the leaves come in, it will get even tighter.

After being pummeled by the dense rough thru the first few holes, I eventually pulled my midrange out and attempted to stay in the narrow fairways as much as possible, with limited success. Many notable holes, tees and pins, but it was all a blur as we were racing darkness and pushed quickly thru the back 9 in an attempt to get all 18 in.

Accuracy is paramount on this course. Get off fairway and you will no choice but to play back to it many times. And you will use every shot style in your arsenal and then some. Troubleshots out of jail were commonplace. Felt like a Paul Bunyan wannabee many times with all of the treesmacks. To quote my playing partner: pars feel like birdies, and birdies feel like eagles on this course.

Overall, this an incredibly challenging and somewhat raw course that has the potential to be world class once it gets broken in and fine tuned a bit. The foundation with the initial install is very solid, and the setting is wild and picturesque to say the least. I gave it a 4/5 based on this room to grow.

Be warned: This course will humble you, frustrate you, and sometimes brutalize you. You may cuss....alot. You may have to get back to the basics and be forced to limit the damage many times. Success is savored here.

In the end, it is an enjoyably rewarding experience to finish and reflect. If you are in the area and want a challenge, this course is definitely your huckleberry.