Pros:
A two-part course including both top-notch golf and quirky short holes. Pardon the length, as there's a lot to say. Skip to Other Thoughts for the summary.
-Notes on Layout: Let's start with info that is neither pro nor con but useful to know. The layout here has changed since AirMcNair posted photos, though I don't know if it's changed since most of the reviews were written. The basic course is exactly 18 holes, with unmapped bonus holes throughout. It is similar to a 9 & 9 setup, but here it's 10 holes in the gated area and then 8 holes behind the house. This results in a stark change of style halfway through.
-Beauty: This is a gem. It's a beautiful part of the state, and the looks are accentuated by the farm's location on a - wait for it - ridge. Some breathtaking views at the top of the ridge, and the whole course deals with lush woods and rugged rock formations. Plus, the farm animals make fun noises. A pleasure to play here.
-Amenities: Not high-level, but pretty solid. Carpet pads are generally in good shape with some exceptions. Signage for both sets of tees include hole number, distance, and par with the occasional rudimentary diagrams. DGA baskets. Next tee cues are very helpful. It's navigable without the UDisc map.
-Front 10: Classic, beautiful, challenging golf. The elevation, look, and difficulty were very reminiscent of parts of Harmon Hills. (1) is a classic opener, 300' dead straight over a valley. Then, it's a series of ups and downs, lefts and rights, par-3s and par-4s, that always use the elevation and always present a fun line that is satisfying to hit. They range in tightness, but none are too claustrophobic. This segment concludes with the epic hole (10), a downhill par-4 bomb that is sure to stick in every player's mind.
-Back 8: Then we have a total change of pace, and the back 8 are entirely under 300', mostly under 250', and full of extremely tight lines. I have never had so many holes in a row that I could softly throw a putter at and yet consistently fail to birdie any of them. These holes include their own elevation changes, especially the killer (16)-(17) duo both playing sharply downhill. This section of the course is a cute but tough contrast to the front 10.
-Dual Tees: Red tees are shorter and look to be a good bit easier than the blues I played. Well thought out and also marked. Not an afterthought.
-Character: I don't really add points for this, but Burde Ridge obviously has character. It's a farm, and the extra level of memorabilia throughout is enjoyable. Especially notable is the use of surfboards to point to the basket. There are also approximately 400 unused baskets throughout the property, and lots of mini baskets that I assume make a mini course if you ask Ed to guide you.
-Bonus Holes: My understanding is there are at the very least 12 holes out here that aren't part of the layout. I saw at least 4 of them, but due to time constraints didn't want to get started exploring unmapped territory out behind the house. This doesn't affect my rating, but could be extra fun for more adventurous folk than me.
Cons:
Definitely a few things to balance out some of the pros.
-Back 8 Length: I didn't particularly enjoy the back 8. To me, they were gimmicky and short. I was disappointed after the dream start on the other side of the property. This is far and away the big con for me. Everything else is picky stuff that makes little difference to my rating.
-Hike: This is one of the most physically demanding courses I've been on. You need strong ankles and knees, because you're dealing with substantial elevation throughout.
-Animals: I hope you don't mind farm animals or their smells. This isn't a con to me, but I thought I should mention it.
-Safety: A couple of holes could see errant shots find places they shouldn't--mainly holes (1) and (10) going into the animal pen or near the house.
-Rollaway Risk: Constant. I only had two. Be prepared to watch what you thought was a good shot take edge and travel 50+ feet down a ridge.
-Disc Loss: Between rollaways on blind shots and some steep downhills, I think the odds of losing a disc aren't super low. There's also a pond on (2). I said bye to a Buzzz on (17).
-Rough: Some patches of rough are tough, especially on the back 8.
-Gate: Took me a few minutes to figure out where the gate to basket (1) through tee (10) was. Go around the side of the animal enclosure away from the road, before the creek. Owner specifically requests that the gate be re-latched any time it's used.
Other Thoughts:
I think this is the single longest review I've ever written. There is a ton to say about Burde Ridge, and it's hard to summarize and rate. Overall, the vibe is top-notch, a beautiful farm. The front 10 are ideal par-3 and short par-4 golf with elevation and variety, but to me the back 8 are a major letdown with overly tight trees trying to make up for a lack of length. How do you rate a course that you partially adore and partially dislike? For me, I settled on Excellent, because I think the front 10 alone deserve that moniker and I'm not going to let a weaker finish detract from that.
-Access: I messaged Burde Ridge on Facebook, and they told me that the course is always open for play as long as you notify them before arriving. I went with that option and did fine on my own. Of course, I'm sure a round with Ed would be a blast, and he could show you the hidden tricks of the property that I didn't catch.