I will try and answer your questions as best I can.
What's the scoop on this re-design? I visit Nashville every fall for work and I think I remember passing on playing this course the last couple years. I now see that it's been re-designed and updated? What was included in the re-design?
The difference is quite dramatic. Previously, you played 9 holes in the field leading up to a large hill (mountain?). Then you played up and alongside the mountain for a few holes. Then a dramatic downhill shot. Then back to the field and back to the clubhouse.
The redesign served two essential needs:
1. It eliminated some of the redundancy of the of the open field shots, i.e. Hole 2, Hole 4 and one more were eliminated. Currently you play six holes in the open before cutting into the woods -- at which point you have covered the same area that previously occupied 9 or 10 holes.
2. It opened up a second hill where an additional 5 or 6 (or 7?) fairways were carved out. Now you still get the dramatic down the mountain shot (feature hole) and you also get much more wooded goodness!
Finally hole 16 takes you out of the mountain. 17 is a huge turnover shot over trees, then 18 takes you back to the clubhouse.
Their website flashes a picture of course map with less than 18 holes? First post of this thread shows an 18 hole course (assumingly the original 2011 design) but not the same course/layout in the course photos?
The redesign uses several of the old holes. There are in fact 18. The tee signs show multiple pin placements but I don't believe the alternate pin placements are in the ground yet...coming soon I assume.
Did old reviews/ratings before the re-design get deleted? This is a good thing if the new course is very different - I just can't remember everything about what I saw on this site about this course last year or the year before.
Sort of. It would appear that "Fontanel Mansion and Farm" the old layout is R.I.P. and The Course @ Fontanel is now on the map.
Lastly, the baskets are the same, tee pads are carpet, they sell a few Fontanel discs in the amazing cafe on site. They have rededicated themselves in to making disc golf a fantastic experience. However, the course had some flood damage recently and the local guys have been putting in some work getting it back into shape.
Hope that helps
