Pros:
This is one of the most complete courses I've seen.
1. Configurations. There are four configurations, newly revised in the past year. The red course no longer requires any shots over water, so you can finally bring a true beginner to the course. The newly installed gold course is similar to the old blue course but with some new kinks, and the new blue course is only slightly less challenging. There is really a course for everyone. Every hole has 2-3 tee pads and 2-3 baskets to accommodate.
2. Variety. It's rare to find a course with this sort of elevation, shots over water, open holes, and wooded holes...and Christmas trees!
3. Fairways. I've never thought of this as a pro, but the course creators have done a great job with fairways. A lot of the holes look fairly straightforward, and if you can throw 300 feet with accuracy, they are. Holes 3, 4, 6, and 7 are good examples. You really need to focus on the succession of your shots, and if you end up off the fairway, you probably won't be looking at par. The open holes, like 1 and 11, force you to hit the landing zones. If you end up in the Christmas trees, you'll need a creative escape shot. There are some serious distance holes, but you may be better off discing down to make sure you have a good second shot.
4. Signage. The signs clearly show birds-eye views of every tee and basket location and the paths to the basket. Not the best I've seen, but close.
5. Manicuring. There is some obvious love that went into this course, from the bridges over the swampy areas to the impressive"castle hole" on #10.
6. Risk/reward. Can I make it over the pond on #1 or do I bail out? Do I trust my forehand/anhyzer on #5, or should I just take the safe route through the woods for the bogey? Can I really hit the island green on #18, or do I need to lay up? Lots of this sort of thing. I don't think you can have a great course without it.
Cons:
1. The ponds. The risk of losing a disk is very real, especially if you are really testing the risk/reward on holes 1, 5, or 8. I lost two, one on a poor shot in the wind, another on an unlucky shot that clipped a tree and splashed into the cold shallows. The ponds can get in your head, which I think adds to the game (you know you can throw 250 feet straight on dry land, but do you trust yourself over water?). The good news is they send divers down periodically to retrieve discs, and if you order something from Prime Discs, they'll send you back your lost discs. I've gotten back several.
2. It's in the middle of nowhere. This is also a pro, since the course is never crowded. I was there on a Sunday, and I only saw three other groups. It does take some effort to get to.
Other Thoughts:
This is the most well thought-out course I have played. The four configurations play pretty seamlessly, and it's cool to see how the fairways intersect and give completely different looks to the same hole.
There is a new sap house just off of the 18th hole where you can buy discs or equipment and pay for your round (yeah, it's $5) and chat with Steve Dodge.
This course was devastated by the ice storm in late 2008. It's cleaned up now and is a testament to the volunteers that care about this course. But it was a mess for some of 2009, so bear that in mind when reading reviews from that period.
There is a real sense of serenity here when you have the place to yourself. The ponds are placid, and there is something pretty special as you stare out over a valley of Christmas trees on #11 and think, "Huh. Well this is different than my local course." Don't miss the chance to play here.
Update:
I played the course again on the busiest day I've seen on the course (maybe 5-6 groups out there). I will say that the various configurations can get confusing around holes 10-16. We played through one group that was on the reds (we were on the whites) and then had to play through them again around 16 and couldn't figure out when it was fine to tee off since the red 15 and 16 overlay the white 16. Not a big deal at all, but it could be rough if the course ever gets really busy.
That said, I have played dozens more courses since I first reviewed Maple Hill, and it is still the best I have played.