Pros:
- Extremely Private... Most of the time this might be considered a "Con"; however, the extreme privacy means you'll probably have the place to yourself, if you can get in.
- Decent Little Shots. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of shots found on this little gem of a course. Wide open, tight gap, short, medium, long, a crazy hyzer hole, a few roller opportunities, righty, lefty, overhand, s-turn, etc... this little course had a little bit of everything. Nothing major, but decent enough to be the best course in terms of total shot quality in the Black Mountain area, in my honest opinion... (and I built one of the other courses).
- Pin Placement. The pin placements on some of the holes were great. After the first five holes, I was thinking, "Wow, this little course has got some game." A lot of the pins are placed on sidehills or near the edge of a hill, punishing missed putts. Other pins are tucked into little coves in the bushes, making approach shot accuracy important. The pin placements definitely made an otherwise short course a lot more fun.
- Tons of Punishment. If you get off the fairway you're screwed. Rhododendron thickets, thick forest, sidehill roll-aways, etc... This little course places a premium on accuracy off the tee. There are also a couple holes with OB features (road, fencing, mini-golf course).
Cons:
- Finding the Course. If you've never been to Ridgecrest before, finding the course is going to be difficult. All I can say is if you're lucky enough to get past the guard shack, turn left up the hill and follow that road until it reaches a parking lot near a recreation shack. Hole 1 is at the south end of the parking lot.
- Natural Tees. This is not necessarily a con for what this course has to offer (a fun recreational experience), but it deserves to be mentioned. The tees are marked by two wooden blocks staked to the ground similar to a ball golf course. They can be muddy, but otherwise they're fine.
Other Thoughts:
- You're Not Supposed to be There. This course is EXTREMELY PRIVATE... I don't even know how it got listed on DGCR, or if it's even supposed to be listed on DGCR (or anywhere else for that matter). This could present a problem for you in gaining access to the course, so if you do...
- Keep Your Shirt On. This course is on a PRIVATE retreat center facility... Drinking beer, smoking, cursing or yelling, littering, bringing dogs, or anything else that would bring negative attention to the fact that people sometimes get to play here would be a bad thing for everybody. If you're lucky enough to get to play here, keep it cool so as to not mess it up for everyone else.
- Black Mountain Disc Golf. There are 6 courses within the immediate area... none of them are "world class", but if you're looking to hit a bunch of new courses in one afternoon, it can be done... although three of them are more private than this one and practically unplayable by the general public. My Black Mountain area rankings for the listed courses are: Ridgecrest, Owen High Nature Trail Disc Golf Course, Black Mountain Rec Park.
- My Score: +14 (Left Handed)