Pros:
While Handyman Ace Hardware is conveniently located off I-675 near Dayton, OH, the course is tucked away in the back of a fairly large and well maintained community park which creates a relaxed feel so the player can focus on the business at hand - tackling a technical, heavily wooded course that will challenge even the best of players.
Three main pieces of land are utilized:
• A heavily wooded hillside where most of the course elevation is found.
• The adjacent field where the wooded hillside, available trees, OOB, water and mandos all provide some challenge but still allow opportunities to air it out
• Mainly flat woods; they are extremely tight, technical, have an OOB creek on 4 holes & to top it all off, contain three long, compound woods holes that will really test a player's resolve.
I was particularly impressed with how these three pieces of land were married in such an efficient design.
The course starts with an uphill drive from the open field into the wooded hillside. A really fun starter hole as it lets you air it out for a few hundred feet and then you get to the woods, add in an increased elevation grade leading to a pin on a slope & the party has started! #2 actually gave me flashbacks, reminiscent of densely wooded East Coast courses in the fall with leaves covering the fairway, vivid colors, rolling elevation, defined lines to hit, challenging length...I was starting to feel at home.
The next two holes tee off from the wooded hillside into the open field with #3's basket being tucked into the woods on the left and #4s out in the open with an OOB walking path in the vicinity. Five's blue tee's tree lined mando - which eliminates the right side hyzer option - is surrounded by OOB: on the left with a creek, the right with a walking path & a pond behind the fast-greened pin. It's an obvious transition, which all courses have going from one piece of land to another, but these elements add interesting dynamics and effortlessness to the changeover.
Then things start turning serious as the flat technical woods are entered. Six is manageable enough with obvious lines to hit with a neighboring OOB creek on the right that isn't a significant factor. Then there's 7, an S fairway off the blue tee with an incredibly disgusting creek bordering the entire right side of the fairway. As a local put it, it's only several inches of water but feet of mud. You do not want your disc in here so conservative play is mandated & placement is crucial. Add in a 'B' position pin placed at the end of the fairway just on the other side of the scum creek & let's just say the sphincter tightens up a bit. Eight is actually a little ace/deuce run back across the water adding in a pin on a quick green at the edge of the 'scum creek' which keeps the pucker factor tight.
Holes 9-11 are some of the most daunting compound technical woods holes I've ever played. At 690 ft., nine starts with a short, simple right turning drive over a small OOB creek...and then you enter the mass of trees. There are many lines to choose from, none of them obvious but they are there....and if you're wrong - Thwak! 10 continues the heavy woods barrage and adds the OOB creek at the latter end of the hole & plays longer than 576ft. The dual flight paths on eleven are an enigma for the first time player off the tee....being unfamiliar, I considered my decision much longer than normal - the feeling was similar to determining a course of action when 'in serious trouble' off the fairway...looking around at the lay of the land and weighing all of my options. Include 702ft. of thick woods with OOB behind the pin & these three holes were without a doubt the most complicated & difficult - accounting for nearly a quarter of the course's total length to boot!
The field to hillside transition hole #12 is much needed relief after the woods beat down yielding an air out opportunity but masks the basket - it's nestled in/near the end of the tree line.
13-17 return to the wooded hillside & while none are stand-outs, they flow naturally, have reasonable length with defined fairways, incorporate elevation & place pins carefully. The downhill finishing hole from the open blue tee bordering the parking lot into the woods was a nice treat - beautiful terrain traversing substantial woods then finishing with a pin out in the open. It's the longest hole on this hillside at 502ft. & was a fitting conclusion to well conceived sequence of holes.
Added touches such as two concrete tees for each hole (white/blue), detailed tee signs at each tee, multiple pin placements & easy navigation totally enhance the experience. There were some benches and trash cans as well as bridges, wood planks, etc to aide when crossing water or wet/marshy areas.
Cons:
The lesser experienced may find the white/short tees intimidating at over 6,000ft & the woods holes too technical. A time investment is also needed so it's not a quick/easy play. The overall amount of walking (with some longer walks between holes) may seem taxing or excessive for some.
A pin position indicator would be beneficial as scouting for A or B location was necessary on some holes.
The creek on holes 7 & 8 is repulsive. My first thought was ' this creek needs to be dredged'. Until HAH, I had yet to encounter a water hole more foul that Jordan Creek's 'scum pond' hole #7 & now I have found two of them back to back!
There's the possibility of minor conflicts with pedestrian traffic near walking paths and with cars on 18 which borders the road into the back section of the park. Additionally some of the holes on the outskirts are adjacent to the adjoining neighborhood.
Other Thoughts:
HAH is unique in comparison to other DGC's in the area which are moderately wooded with more open holes and generally don't have the length/intense forest combo in such excess. I found it more evocative of Pro Caliber courses I've played in the past which undoubtedly makes it stand out as the premiere regional course in my mind. It's one of those places where after completing the round, I immediately wanted to play it again. However I was on my way out of town so next time I'm back, this one will be a priority. Nevertheless it's a rating 'tweener. Be that as it may, I'm rounding up from 4 stars largely due to the fun factor I experienced. This is a must play/can't miss destination if nearby.