Background: At the time of this review, I am a 917 rated player with 375 golf distance backhand and a weak forehand. I have played 63 different courses, located mostly in the American Southeast. I am right-handed and will write this review from such a perspective.
Hole Breakdown: (from the backs)
1. One of the more wooded holes on the course, the two gaps on this hole are still relatively wide. A turnover shot or a RHFH should get down to the green after a smooth 300 feet. Right and left positions at the end- left favors backhand, right favors forehand. Good chance to grab a bird for shorter-throwing players.
2. A turnover bomb out of a very wide gap with a tree in the middle. Miss the tree and get at least 350, and you've got a great shot at the birdie. Wide-open approach and green. Probably a must-get for MA1 and up. The one tree makes the roller play a little too risky, in my opinion.
3. This one plays around 375. There's a wide gap in a narrow wall of vegetation. Beat it, and you'll have a putt or easy upshot. If you're pinched off on the wall on either side, it's very difficult to save par. This one looks innocuous, but is very easy to screw up.
4. An awesome par 5, this is the best hole on the course in my opinion. Relatively open off the tee, there's a thin grouping of random trees around the 340 mark or so. If you can get through this wall (there's a larger gap on the right, or just poke and hope), there's kind of an ovular clearing where you want to land your drive. If you can get it down there, the right side is relatively open the whole way for RHBH turnover bombs. However, due to the unique shape of this clearing, the player will often have to improvise and potentially throw a suboptimal line just to chew off some distance. Both basket positions are relatively open here. If you can get that drive down, you're in the driver's seat for a birdie here.
5. The tightest hole on the course by a wide margin, this is a low-ceiling straight-on shot playing about 275. The green is extremely tight, with drop-offs on either side. In the longer basket position, this hole is an extremely tough birdie due to the combination of the fast, tight green and a tree slumping over the fairway that blocks any sort of high putter or midrange shot. Roots can also redirect sliding shots. You need Climo-level touch to keep this one on the green. The left side is a drop into a small gulch, but it's relatively safe down there, while a kick right means almost a certain bogey. There's nothing wrong with throwing a straight midrange up the gut and letting it fade gently left to set up an easy approach.
6. Power RHBH hyzer (plays around 350-375) through a pretty tight gap, considering the length of the hole. Definitely a risk-reward shot. The grass also matters quite a lot- you'll likely need a big skip to get close, and if it's too high, it could leave you with a longer putt than you deserved.
7. 400 footer dead straight through 2 relatively average-size tree gaps around the 100ish and 150ish marks. I'd bet 80% of people, if you gave them 100 throws, couldn't find the circle once here. If you're one of those people, I'd throw an understable mid, make the gap, and let it drift right.
8. A turnover or forehand shot through a mid-size gap. Should be reachable by most intermediates with a midrange or fairway. Make the gap and you're guaranteed a par, barring catastrophe.
9. The hole is wide open with some random scraggly trees in the fairway, but there's a low-hanging branch about 10 feet in front of the teepad that stops the high swinging hyzer. A low, skipping hyzer with a fairway driver will get you in the circle.
10. Wide open hole. Slightly uphill. About 400 feet. Throwaway.
11. This one really depends on the basket position. The right position is a lot more reachable. A tree keeps you from swinging the RHBH hyzer super wide, but it plays around 330 and can be reached with a lower, pushing shot. The other position is behind a large wall of scraggly trees and branches. You can go around with a forehand or backhand skip shot (more precise line) or big throwers can take the spike hyzer. Much more difficult in this position.
12. I'm a big fan of this hole, there's a good blend of distance and accuracy needed here and an intimidation factor. Similar to 4, things are wide open for about 400, then there's a larger gap to the right and a "poke and hope" tree wall to the left. If you're within 50 feet or so of the tree wall, you can try and get through there, as it's a more direct route to the basket (being here is a huge advantage). Right side is more of the play for a par line, but the green is protected by a large tree and some brush to the left to make an upshot from the right difficult. Definitely a bonus birdie.
13. Downhill, 400 feet, wide open. Throwaway.
14. See 13, but about 275 instead. Easiest hole on the course.
15. Another wide open RHBH hyzer. Just don't miss short or right, because it gets swampy.
16. A bimodal hole with two main gaps and a wall of trees separating each. Left side is over a hill into a depression with an elevated green. Right side is up the same hill and a lot tighter with trees on each side, probably about a 340 dead straight shot to get to the pin when it's in the right position. Left is more reachable, but this should still probably be a layup for most people.
17. 375 down a wide-ish tunnel. The pin is on the right, tucked behind a very large tree that makes the RHBH turnover play almost impossible. If you don't have 375 of RHFH or LHBH, probably best to toss it down the middle and lay this one up. Easy green.
18. Bomber par 4 final hole in an open field with occasional trees. Probably plays around 675. Roller works here, or just a couple bombs. Not much to say.
Other Thoughts/Tips:
- The grass on this course can be extremely varied length-wise. Sometimes your disc will skip, sometimes it won't. And sometimes, you shouldn't try a roller if the grass hasn't been cut for a while.
- This course can get very windy at times.
- I'll say it again: there's really a threshold of distance here to score well on the longs. If you can throw 425 controlled, you're going to have a much easier time here than 375 controlled (me). I often find myself just a little out of range here. I have a lot of 45-80 foot upshots/putts for pars.
- One thing I've noticed is that certain people weirdly overrate this course. This is an above-average course. But, with regards to Atlanta courses, it's on the end of the tier that contains Perkerson, Oregon, Central, Etowah, and East Roswell. It's better than the park-style courses like Wills and Suwanee Creek, but I really don't see much of an argument for this over any of the five fine courses I listed above. (This course's ratings, currently, are bimodally distributed: just as many 4.0s as 2.5s. Is this course really "excellent"?)
- For the amount of traffic this course gets, I feel like tournaments are not often held here.
- I feel like I'm sometimes harsh on this course because it's advanced/pro level distance and gap hitting without advanced/pro level terrain or topography. But the way the land flows, the holes often have to be the way they are. It's not a design issue.
- Recreational and intermediate female players may enjoy the reachability of the shorts.
- This one is a trek. Plan for at least an hour and 45 minutes playing here- the holes are long, and while navigation is solid, they aren't always close together.
"God bless America, and God bless the backhand turnover."