Pros:
description. mostly open, very hilly course that runs up, down, and across the giant hill multiple times before heading into a slightly wooded area. signature hole is #7, a beautiful 528 foot downhill throw to the basket, which if you fly past will put you in the woods (had a friend do that once).
tees. brand new fly pads that look great. distance is written on tee and most holes have signs.
basket positions. it's cool to putt with the hill in play, whether uphill or downhill, and definitely affects the line/disc you choose for your drive/approach as well. for example, I prefer to throw a gator sidearm on hole number 6 so that my path is left to right at the basket and can putt uphill to go for the birdie.
variety of shots. at ellison you won't just throw your driver all the time, despite it being mostly open. some holes can be reached with a fairway, several with a midrange, or even a putter. I also like to throw sidearm on a couple of holes as well, so I feel like I get to throw a lot of different shots.
difficulty. I'd say moderate. the course makes great use of available trees and provides a challenge while giving you a lot of options in choosing your line. although a long course for beginners, it's fun and very memorable.
Cons:
can be very wet at the beginning of the year due to water pooling at the bottom of the hill.
tees can get slippery with dirt on them.
can be very crowded at times.
dogs. a ton of people take their dogs to a stream close to hole 14 and occassionally you'll have one run onto the course.
Other Thoughts:
first course I ever played in rochester. ellison is a classic course and fun to bring beginners, as it leaves a great impression with its scenic views, especially in the fall.