Pros:
A heavily wooded course with precise lines and a few multi-shot holes.
-Amenities: Concrete tees, signs with maps and info, DISCatchers, next tee signs.
-Multi-Tees/Pins: Two concrete tees per hole. Most holes have multiple pin positions. No indicators, but it's pretty easy to identify the position.
-Navigation: Good flow and clear paths.
-Maturity: For a relatively new course, Heritage Pines is very well broken in. Paths and fairways are clear on the ground and there are only a handful of trees that I would peg as needing to come down still.
-Woods: Forest dwellers, rejoice. The course is almost entirely heavy woods, a mix of older growth and mass planted. Get ready for pine straw skips, scrappy scrambles, and some gutsy commitments.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Predominantly needle-thin lines with a few more generous holes and some multi-shot options too. Length is quite achievable on all these holes with 350' power. The challenge comes from the lines - a typical hole averages a fairway of 5-10' and requires a precise shape to go to the pin. You'll need discs of low enough speed to control while carefully flipping, whether you are FH or BH dominant. What distinguishes this course from many other technical weavers is the inclusion of several multi-shot holes on the short side. Smart gameplay can yield simple birdies on these if you're able to land on fairways, but the play on each is different and touchy at all times.
Cons:
-Aesthetic Blemishes: The three holes that play partially or completely out in the open aren't the prettiest as they head into functional, patchy fields. The newer forest from (11) and on is also a noticeable step down. The neat rows of trees really aren't the same as a natural forest.
-Bogeyland: You may be able to find lots of birdies, but you'll also get beat down with plenty of bogeys. A small percent error will compound, especially if you head off fairway in the newer forest where the grid pattern prevents much forward progress. Only a good-natured beginner should attempt to throw here.
-Weird Lines: I don't know if it's by design or if a little more chainsawing is planned, but a small number of holes seem weirdly tight to me. A natural flight path isn't obvious to me on these, but the removal of one key tree could easily fix that on any of these holes.
-No Ripping: There are at tops two holes to let loose on out here. This doesn't reduce my rating by much, but it's worth noting the monothematic nature of the course.
Other Thoughts:
Heritage Pines is a classic technician's paradise. Butt-puckering lines with only modest length requirements will be a treat for smooth, disc-turning players with touch. In my mind a few holes were questionable, and other than consistency the course didn't have any particular aura of appeal. I call it Very Good as a beautiful tight woods course.
~Similar Courses: The Tracks at McDonough (McDonough, GA); Fort Yargo SP (Winder, GA); a shorter and tighter Lake Claiborne - Whitetail (Homer, LA).