Pros:
-awesome, challenging, wooded fairways
-legit par 4's and 5's
-multi-throw holes with necessary landing zones
-nice concrete pads, some are a bit short though
-discatchers easy to see in the woods and in good condition
-double loop design
-tee signs are there but new signs are needed
-lots of really challenging shots
-great variety of distances
-water danger on 13 & 14
-lots of subtle elevation changes in the fairways
-well-balanced between lefty and righty shots
-a few open shots are a relief from the thick woods
-colored spokes on the baskets indicating direction to next tee
-plenty of parking, restrooms, sport fields, etc
Cons:
-navigation is tough the first time, bring the map here on the site; there was a map at the kiosk but right now it is all faded and basically gone.
-many stumps and brush along the fairways, the condition is much improved after the summer 2012 renovations but there are still areas with heavy underbrush and stumps that need to be ground.
-the signage is fairly inadequate, there are posts with the hole number and par but with lots of blind, wooded fairways this place needs better signs. a few well-placed next tee signs would be very helpful too, particularly at the 2-3/4-5 trail intersection and after 14 and 16.
Other Thoughts:
This is a great course with shady beginnings. It's nickname, "The Privy" was well-earned but it's starting to apply less and less. There was a huge amount of work put into the course in Summer 2012 clearing out fairways, trimming trees and brush, lining trails with branches, etc. It is in much better shape now and smells considerably less bad than it used to.
This par 62 beast is very challenging with only two open fairways and two more that play into or out of the woods. The latter two are tough, long, multi-throw holes with landing zones you'll want to hit. There are many other holes like this where accuracy is key but distance is still a factor. These are balanced by a number of shorter, deuce-able holes but none of them are easy!
The Trinity River comes into play behind 13's basket and along the right side of 14's fairway. There are lots of mounds and minor but sudden changes of elevation in many fairways. There is also a great balance of lefty and righty holes and various S shapes and doglegs.
This course is a great challenge for the advanced player or intermediate players that like a little abuse. Probably too frustrating for beginners as the fairways require a good bit of accuracy. I thought the fun factor was great with lots of exciting tee shots and holes that I really want to play again immediately. 3, 5, 7, & 16 are awesome long holes and 8, 9, 13, & 15 are great shorter holes, with 15 being a particularly fun ace run.
The amount of work put into this course recently has really made it a much more enjoyable experience. Much thanks to those that helped. Probably the most challenging wooded holes in the metroplex behind the Lester Lorch courses. Not my favorite course in the area but definitely worth checking out if you are into difficult wooded courses.
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