Situated in a camp setting near a noisy interstate, the Rhodes Grove DGC offers a blend of cool park-style holes, some wide-open and flat holes and a couple of puzzling designs that lead to metaphorical head-scratching.

The first half of the course is the most varied and interesting with Hole #1 starting at the back door of one of the main buildings on site. The front half provides several lightly wooded challenges with some elevation featuring on a few holes.

The tee signs are nicely designed and I found them easy to spot, which aided my navigation. The concrete pads are a little short but usually on level ground, so a longer run-up is possible.

For beginners, playing just the front nine would be a reasonable option and the Hole #9 basket isn't too far from the start of the course. Plus, the lengths are good for beginners, especially on the front half, though several holes require some shot-shaping to avoid trees and cabins.

There's a lovely creek near Holes #2 through #5, but it shouldn't come into play.

There are several holes on the back nine that are confusing and egregious in design.

Hole #10 plays behind cabins through a heavily wooded section without a defined fairway. The safest play might be a drive to the right over the supposedly OB road, though I chose to ignore that demarcation in order to avoid potentially hitting one of the housing units.

Hole #14 is a long, L-shaped par 4 that includes a ridiculous mando about 100 feet from the basket. Instead of utilizing the wide-open field to the left, a telephone pole displays a mandatory sign directing throws to the narrow opening on the right, which is especially an issue when the nearby softball fields are used and dozens are cars are parked in that vicinity.

Hole #15 is only 175 feet but the extreme L-shape basically requires a straight 75-foot throw, then a 100-foot toss directly to the right in order to avoid the thick mass of trees and brush. Maybe a skip forehand or anhyzer roller can get a drive into the circle off the teepad.

There are several more holes where safety could be a concern. Hole #4 is only 184 feet but the fairway goes between two cabins. Hole #9 plays toward buildings and if the parking lots are utilized, caution is necessary to avoid striking a car. Holes #17 and #18 play near more cabins.

Holes #11 through #16 are flat and in a wide-open field, qualifying this six-pack as the safest but most boring holes on the course. These appear to be some of the holes that were added to convert this course from a 9-hole layout. However, according to the tee signs, the fields are mowed at different lengths during summertime to offer more of a challenge with OB areas.

The Rhodes Grove layout was a fun play, though a few of the throws were a tad stressful with vehicles and cabins close by. There were some people at the camp when I played my evening round, but I didn't feel like I was intruding. Obviously, there are times when the course would be unplayable due to camp activities. I would agree with the previous reviewer who said the course is worth playing once but probably does not merit repeat visits.

I believe the Rhodes Grove course has the bones to be a 3.0 course, but right now, the poorly designed holes coupled with a few boring designs on the back half drop its rating.