1) Front (OLD) 9 and back (NEW) 9 are two totally different animals. The first (OLD) 9 is wide open for the most part through prairie grass and wetland areas. Fairly flat except for #1 downhill and #8 going back up hill. Back (NEW) 9 is along a wooded forest for half of the holes and inside the woods for the other half of the holes. Nice contrast!

2) Front 9 is very beginner friendly. Back 9 is much longer and not as beginner friendly, because of how densely wooded it is.

3) Back 9 has two sets of tees although there isn't much difference between the two sets of tees in terms of difficulty only shortening up the course a little.

4) Nice baskets on the entire course and the old 9 has decent signage. A post in the ground to mark the tee and a little distance marker flush in the ground, a nice touch but tough to see sometimes.

5) The two nines are very different in their distances, but within each 9, the holes remain pretty consistent.

6) Front 9 has concrete tees in by now and I think all of the back 9 except for a hole or maybe two on the back 9. That will help his course tremendously!

1) New 9 is still obviously in construction. Tees are marked only with utility flags and no directional signs to move you from hole to hole let alone a sign telling you where the 1st new hole is (Thats why I did the crude google earth map.) We got all turned around today, we found the 9th basket first so we walked backwards, ended up playing from #8 tee to #7 basket which is a pretty good hole we thought. Then we kept walking and saw two flags down furher and assumed those were the tees for the basket we had just played too, so we turned around, started on #7, played 8, and then got all lost again. The crude map should help new people!!!!

2) Tee areas are only ok, they are simply mowed areas off to the side of the ski-trails. Not a lot of mud on them, but they are only ok, some are on uneven turf.

3) Wooded (New 9) section of the course is very challenging, lots of trees in your way but on most shots you can find a clean pathway.


4) #5 on the old course is a horrible layout. It needs some type of fairway, but you are shooting across and down 3-4 rows of trees from an old tree nursery and they are tall. There is almost no way to get to the basket in 2 without two perfect shots, assuming you line up directly to an opening. I would like to see a handful of trees taken out to make a more clearly defined route. You can go straight down the one row the tee is on, and then shoot straight through the 3-4 rows of trees, and that is the perfect way, but you need pinpoint accuracy to hit the 8' gap to the basket.

5) All of the ski and multiuse trails can get confusing, so on the first 9 look for the next tee posts at all times. On the new 9, hopefully they will get at the very least some directional signs and posts to signify the tees.

I can't grade this course too harshly because 9 holes are very new and still being worked on. When the tee signs and some directional signs get put in this course will step up at least 1/2 notch maybe a full notch. I also was a little unsure about a few of the wooded holes with trees lying down, they are cool to have as obstacles but also a pain in the butt to walk and climb over.

Some people have said skip the New 9, I say print out my google earth map on the links section and play it, it is a lot of fun if you know where you are going!

I will update my rating and review when I hear that the signs have been put in.

Good use of elevation, good mix of short and long pins. Good beginner course, unless you can't throw straight.

Many holes are pretty much the same: throw through a row of trees. Granted the course is on an old tree nursery, but still. Short holes are pretty short.

This site lists Rock River as having 18 holes, but the new 9 are no where near being completed. The pins are in the ground but good luck finding the tees. My group just gave up after the first two new holes, we had much better courses planned for the rest of the day.

Lots of woods and brush Blind holes and down and uphill shots. very well laid out well use of land. Serveral holes corn on one side 5ft tall weeds on the other. Very tight.

Still needs work. no real signs up yetbut someone sprayed painted arrows and hole numbers on the ground. Only grass tees right now.

Im a beginner but did ok very difficult course but very fun. Thanks John for a great course. Had a blast shooting with you guys