Pros:
3 nines that all feel distinctly different from each other. The first is a classic grassy park feeling. The second takes it to the mountain with rollercoaster fairways. The final nine is dry and brushy with moderate hills and well shaped midrange drives.
Hole 1 is awesome. A bit of touch is required on the gentle slope down toward the basket that is backed by a creek. The trees force a bit of shaping but aren't forming a wall. The middle of the front 9 plays around the mostly flat and grassy section of the park. Trees are common enough to provide different characteristics from hole to hole, but won't take away the ability to go for it off the tee. There is a little bit of elevation added to the terrain as you finish the front nine. 7 is an uphill and 8 plays across rolling slopes to a pin perched on a slope. 9 is a really well framed hole with a tricky basket location near the creek. Most of the holes on the first 9 had alternate tees to give a shorter look.
The middle 9 is more intense. There is constant rise and fall in elevation. Most of it is extreme, sometimes going peak to peak over canyon like valleys. Short tees can be intimidating, and the long ones exhilarate as you anticipate releasing the drive. 14 and 16 both have tee boxes high above a trough in the fairway, then climb up the opposite side to pin locations on rocks or slippery hillsides. 18 has a really nice payoff at the conclusion of the middle nine. A major downhill drive with a few well placed tall trees to avoid on the way down to a protected pin at the bottom.
Cross the road to the final 9 for a run of pushing up hills and back down on the next hole trying not to overshoot, all with turns and trees adding complexity and finesse to the tee shots. Parts play next to the Grindstone Lake dam, or the fence that separates park maintenance HQ. The flow is good with challenging but not overpowering drives.
There are maps for each 9. Tee signs are there but a few of them have been really scorched by the sun. A bench or a trash can is usually not too far away at any point. The park is well kept and clean.
Cons:
There are not any par 4's or 5's. A few signs to help find transitions and point out long and short tees could be useful.
Other Thoughts:
Grindstone isn't the championship level of play that is required to score well at Moon Mountain. The variation of style at each station is consistently fun, and will keep the interest of most average players.
27 holes in 3 loops that all flow, but are not repetitive. I would say this is a terrific park, and perfectly fills a slot in the range of Ruidoso courses between beginner and pro caliber.
I made 5 birdies, offset by 8 bogies to finish at 3 over par. It is high fun factor. Strongly recommended.