Pros:
I was in town for a music festival and found myself with a free hour to run the course in Ironton. Using UDisc I was able to find the "secret" parking area near tee 1 and was immediately struck by the beauty of the area. We crossed a bridge over a lovely creek and were surrounded by lovely mountains. The scenery alone made this area worth visiting. The David McCormick designed course sits in typical sports complex with ball fields, a track, and several other amenities.
Pros:
-Like I said, this area is beautiful. 5/5 for the scenery
-2 teepads on each hole, with the long typically lengthening the hole around 100' and providing a different line. The also get wider near the front to account for different routes
-The sign indicated they have 2 pin locations per hole as well.
-Small shelter near hole 1, perfect for a pre-tourney meetup
-Practice basket near hole 1
-Gateway Baskets are in good shape
-Fairways are maintained, though often rocky.
-Bathrooms on-site, though not near the course.
-Good variety in distances, from 200' to 500'+
Cons:
-Lots of holes didn't have great shot shaping lines. The course really values the "up-and-over" approach. Fairways have grabby pine trees discourage trying to challenge them. Cuju mentioned in his 2020 review that the saplings were starting to grow. Well, that hasn't stopped. As the trees continue to grow the fairways are becoming less defined. I typically found myself throwing massive hyzers hoping they'd crash down and give me a look while my buddy settled with tomahawks over the top.
-Often the pine trees were well within circle 1. I don't mind obstacles inside the circle, but when the basket is surrounded by trees with no way to get a fair putt it feels a bit much. Maybe open a lane into the basket on a couple of holes.
-Holes got a bit repetitive. The course occupies a relatively small space, so most of the holes are on similar terrain. There's basically no elevation and most of the time your throwing down a rocky fairway littered in trees with no direct line to the basket. I actually liked hole 9. Even though it was mostly wide open it felt like a nice break from the rest of the course.
-A couple teepads were not facing the current pin positions and had trees right in front of them. This may be because the trees have grown since the course was put in, but this will likely need addressed at some point.
-Off the fairway can be pretty brutal. I don't mind this, but just watch out for shots heading into the rough. Have a spotter and watch for snakes!
Other Thoughts:
It really wasn't a bad playing experience all told. Being that we were in the area already we could have done a lot worse. That said, the course is definitely off the beaten path and likely won't attract many travelers. As it is, it's a great course for locals who need something close (the next course is 20 miles away) or for travelers who find themselves in the area. My final verdict: Don't go out of your way but if you find yourself close the scenery alone will make a stop worth it.