Pros:
Nice practice basket area in the middle of the parking circle.
The course sign is once again informative. All pars and distances are listed along with a pretty good map. Tee signs are also in top condition, along with the Chainstar baskets.
Some excellent par 4s strung right in a row. 14 a wide open 650, 15 has some tough branches off the tee, then a 300 foot long, 15-20 foot wide hallway to the basket (best hole on this course), and then 16 is a true 2 shot hole with a really beautiful green right by the lake.
I really like hole 12 with the five birches. The branches hang low enough that a forehand isn't likely to get far, but a backhand has the danger of going OB over the road if you turn it over... really good use of those trees!
The course is really well kept up. The fairway mowing is excellent, the rough is rough as it's supposed to be while not being impossible to find a disc in, and for 3 to 9 being right next to a lake there's not very much mud to deal with. It also keeps out of the way of the walking path.
Cons:
There are some very, VERY bland holes on this course. 11 is a simple hyzer play, 13 is a wide open downhill (good one to ace run), and 17 and 18 are a very average way to finish off the course.
Holes 3 through 8 are pretty much the same thing. You'll either park it, or you'll hit a tree and have to settle for par. I don't even remember which ones I birdied and didn't (and I'm really good with hole numbers). And the water shouldn't even be a factor on any of your shots except one (it's on 5, 6, or 7). Hole 3 does have a drop off about 25 feet behind the basket.
Hole 10 is how not to do a water hole.
Navigation has some weird spots where tees are tucked into the trees and are hard to find. 6 to 7 and 8 to 9 were my only complaints. Also leaving hole 1 the only tee you can see is 15's. You go past that off to the left side of the path and around the 1830s cemetery to get to hole 2.
Other Thoughts:
I am not as impressed by this course as most. There's not a lot to say. It's 3-4 very good holes, 8 so-so holes, and then 6 of the same hole over and over again. The amenities are really good, but overall this is the weakest of the three courses on site in my book.
Teeing off by a cemetery was a new experience!
The first tee and the 18th basket are pretty far apart. If you park by the practice green they're about equidistant, but for me, Blackthorn was my second course of the day so I parked in the spots right near the first tee... let's just say I had a nice long break in my car before starting the third course.