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Mountain Cove Farms Resort DGC reviews
17
0
Beautiful Bombs Lead to Disappointment 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jan 22, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
A visual and bombing thrill on the front nine that slacks off on the second half.
-Beauty: Pristine setting. As the name suggests, it's a mountain cove, so it has mountains surrounding. There is very little else in this cove, and the solitude makes the air that much more refreshing. Most of the course is fields affording views, but some of the beginning also features thicker woods that are enjoyable in their own right.
-Distance: Bombers who wish they could stretch out will be happy here. Six of the front nine are over 450', as are three more on the back. This includes a couple of thrilling downhill tee shots like (1) and (7).
-Elevation and Terrain: Pretty constant and used. It's not dramatic, but frequently substantial. The mix of uphill and downhill holes is good, and there are other, more rolling uses of the terrain as well. I also appreciate the diversity of biome, including woods, fields, transitions between the two, and some water in the front nine.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A mix. There are quite a few bland holes wide open, but there are some enchanting stretches, too. (3) is a beautiful two-shot woods hole dealing with hardwoods and a right-side gorge. (4) is a solid follow-up, bombing a tee shot downhill to a dogleg left. (5) is semi-wooded with gentle undulations of elevation. (9) is a wide-open shot leading to a tight, uphill tunnel that deserves the par-5 despite its shorter length. On the back, the all-star stretch is (15)-(17), featuring gaps and creative elevation. The biggest challenge is length, but at its best, Mountain Cove Farms requires the precise power that makes a brilliant course.
-Beauty: Pristine setting. As the name suggests, it's a mountain cove, so it has mountains surrounding. There is very little else in this cove, and the solitude makes the air that much more refreshing. Most of the course is fields affording views, but some of the beginning also features thicker woods that are enjoyable in their own right.
-Distance: Bombers who wish they could stretch out will be happy here. Six of the front nine are over 450', as are three more on the back. This includes a couple of thrilling downhill tee shots like (1) and (7).
-Elevation and Terrain: Pretty constant and used. It's not dramatic, but frequently substantial. The mix of uphill and downhill holes is good, and there are other, more rolling uses of the terrain as well. I also appreciate the diversity of biome, including woods, fields, transitions between the two, and some water in the front nine.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: A mix. There are quite a few bland holes wide open, but there are some enchanting stretches, too. (3) is a beautiful two-shot woods hole dealing with hardwoods and a right-side gorge. (4) is a solid follow-up, bombing a tee shot downhill to a dogleg left. (5) is semi-wooded with gentle undulations of elevation. (9) is a wide-open shot leading to a tight, uphill tunnel that deserves the par-5 despite its shorter length. On the back, the all-star stretch is (15)-(17), featuring gaps and creative elevation. The biggest challenge is length, but at its best, Mountain Cove Farms requires the precise power that makes a brilliant course.
Cons:
This should have been a 4.5 course, but it clearly isn't thanks to the bleh factor.
-Bland Holes: There were about 7 holes out here that I loved, but the rest were honestly pretty boring. Even with elevation, at some point it gets old to throw wide open shots. Take (1), for example. It's 800' downhill, but the only real shot shaping challenge is making sure not to go into a creek and avoiding one tree near the basket. It's okay, but it's not the all-star stuff that I would love to have seen this property have.
-Back Nine: Huge, huge slump between (10)-(14). All of a sudden, the holes are typical open rec-level shots. It never quite recovers from that.
-Amenities: The tees and baskets are here, but most other navigation cues and signage are gone. UDisc was essential to my round, and even with that I definitely had navigational woes and blind guesses at basket placements at times.
-Rough: Ouch. I lost a disc, quite a few minutes of my life, and more than a few threads from clothing poking around for shots off the fairway. Vicious thorns.
-Summer Woes: From all accounts, the course doesn't get enough mowing to be playable in summer. The grass was a bit tall but manageable in the dead of winter. I can't imagine the rough during the summer.
-Hole (2): Not a true con, but a sigh. The original hole (2) looked like one of the greatest holes ever, throwing off a bluff in the woods for a multi-shot par-4 featuring a gorge. Alas, I believe it may have been too dangerous and now is a paltry par-3 in a grove of trees.
-Pay-to-Play: I spent $5 or $10 dollars. I didn't find it a heinously unfair price considering the views.
-Bland Holes: There were about 7 holes out here that I loved, but the rest were honestly pretty boring. Even with elevation, at some point it gets old to throw wide open shots. Take (1), for example. It's 800' downhill, but the only real shot shaping challenge is making sure not to go into a creek and avoiding one tree near the basket. It's okay, but it's not the all-star stuff that I would love to have seen this property have.
-Back Nine: Huge, huge slump between (10)-(14). All of a sudden, the holes are typical open rec-level shots. It never quite recovers from that.
-Amenities: The tees and baskets are here, but most other navigation cues and signage are gone. UDisc was essential to my round, and even with that I definitely had navigational woes and blind guesses at basket placements at times.
-Rough: Ouch. I lost a disc, quite a few minutes of my life, and more than a few threads from clothing poking around for shots off the fairway. Vicious thorns.
-Summer Woes: From all accounts, the course doesn't get enough mowing to be playable in summer. The grass was a bit tall but manageable in the dead of winter. I can't imagine the rough during the summer.
-Hole (2): Not a true con, but a sigh. The original hole (2) looked like one of the greatest holes ever, throwing off a bluff in the woods for a multi-shot par-4 featuring a gorge. Alas, I believe it may have been too dangerous and now is a paltry par-3 in a grove of trees.
-Pay-to-Play: I spent $5 or $10 dollars. I didn't find it a heinously unfair price considering the views.
Other Thoughts:
Mountain Cove Farms Resort is a beautiful property. Through nine holes, I was thrilled. At the end, I felt pretty meh about it as a whole. I could go 3.0 or 3.5 on the rating, but as someone who loves shot shaping, I've followed the rule of rounding towards the middle. I could see opinions varying wildly, and I wish there was interest to refresh, maintain, and redesign parts of the course--the result could easily be a destination course.
6
3
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
15.8 years
585 played
178 reviews
Put your hiking shoes on 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Feb 15, 2016
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
* Good opening hole to warm your arm up before hitting the woods for #2 and #3.
* Very picturesque. Take time to gaze at the mountains and the beauty around you in this peaceful environment.
* Very friendly people and a nice general store on site.
* An excellent workout.
* Very picturesque. Take time to gaze at the mountains and the beauty around you in this peaceful environment.
* Very friendly people and a nice general store on site.
* An excellent workout.
Cons:
* Too many "filler" holes that are just wide open in a field (#6, #10, #11, #12, #18).
* Uneven and short teepads in spots. However, I don't object to the rubber teepads and found them easy to use.
* High grass. With such acreage, I can understand how it's difficult to keep grass at a decent level.
* Score variance is unlikely due to the lack of obstacles on many of the holes.
* Uneven and short teepads in spots. However, I don't object to the rubber teepads and found them easy to use.
* High grass. With such acreage, I can understand how it's difficult to keep grass at a decent level.
* Score variance is unlikely due to the lack of obstacles on many of the holes.
Other Thoughts:
Bomber course. If you enjoy more technical courses, MCFR probably isn't for you. This course would have been improved with a few more wooded holes to increase the variety. The long drive and course fee might discourage a few from traveling here, but it's a worthwhile play.
