Pros:
Iwen North is a bit of a meat grinder, unless you really have control of all your faculties. Zigging and zagging along the river bends, it tests your skills hole after hole. I played a poor round there, but would gladly return to give it a second effort, along with a third, fourth and a fifth.
It is very challenging. Par 62, so you know there will be lots of long holes. Many of them have fairways that are well populated with trees, creating some super narrow gaps in places, as well as a couple of mandos. Tall prairie grass and deep brush on the river banks make for tough hazards. The risk of throwing one into the river is very real on multiple holes. There are also good changes in elevation on several holes in the middle section of the course.
Technical shots are a constant, with distance usually necessary. I did not fair well, and took more than my share of bogies, double bogies, and worse on hole 10. Zero birdies were had, though I did have a peek at one or two, just couldn't convert by making the putts.
The river is scenic and the park is nicely maintained. The baskets are not all matching, but they work well, and the concrete tees are more than adequate. There are a couple of trash cans along the way.
I liked almost all of the holes and enjoyed the change of looks several times throughout. Some tight wooded lines, longer drives with dogleg turns, up and down hills. The blending of these elements and difficulty navigating them is fun and challenging.
Holes 1 and 2 are heavily wooded and flat. 3 is more open and features the first slope sides as you approach the pin. 4 is shorter, once again through some pretty dense trees with low ceiling. 5 features a beautiful view of the river, and is where the larger elevation changes begin, throwing downhill a bit and swinging left into the pocket in the trees that hides the basket. 6 has a similar feel to the terrain on 5, but it is shorter with a mando that requires a line drive through a gap. 7 is long and traverses hilly grass smattered with mature trees. 8 is even longer, and opens all the way up as it crosses a wide open fairway with tall grass lining both sides. The front nine ends with a RHBH hyzer throw over grass, trees to the left and tall grass rough to the right.
Hole 10 is long and very woodsy, with a sharp dogleg and working up hill. 11 is shorter and more open, downhill and a basket backed by the river. 12 has multiple tees, but either way is long, and has quite a few trees to avoid as you go up and down the slopes. 13 is dangerous, being long and right next to the river, with clusters of trees to avoid. The same goes for hole 14 tacking on a little more length. 15 drives slightly downhill through a really tight gap between two thick stands of trees, fading left to the pin. 16 also has a very narrow window to drive from the box, but it is longer and steeply uphill. 17 has fewer trees, throwing high to low, and lots of airspace compared to the last two holes. 18 is one last monster, over flat ground with less trees that will take two hard throws to even get near the pin.
Cons:
Iwen North is not for everyone. It is very long and is a high degree of difficulty. I felt lucky not to lose any discs. I was very close on hole 14, had to stomp around in 5' brush on the riverbank for a while. Not recommended for those learning to play the game.
Printing a map is an excellent idea. The layout is pretty crazy, and it overlaps with the South course sharing land near the parking lot. Even with the map I struggled to discern the transitions at times. The pads have numbered posts, but the signs could be much better. Some holes play alongside another hole going the opposite way, making throwing toward other groups a possibility. Trails and sidewalks may also be in range at times.
Other Thoughts:
While this course exceptional, is does have some flaws. I had a hard time deciding between rating it a 4 or 4.5. Despite the strange layout, and being confined to a compact space, I really enjoyed it. The Frolfware buckets with yellow rims are killer, though not every hole is equipped with them. I would like to see the North and South united to form a more perfect course, with around 21 holes total.
I shot a pitiful 13 over par (75), and wish I'd had more time to replay it and attempt to post a more respectable score. My excuse is seeing a concert in Nebraska the night before, traveling a thousand miles, sleeping in my truck and playing two other courses that day morning. I seriously considered skipping the South course, but you know I couldn't do that.
There are other courses I have yet to play remaining in the Fargo/Moorehead area. I will be looking for any excuse to come back and maybe I'll get my chance to revisit Iwen. It would be worth it.