Pros:
Orange hi-Vis Prodigy baskets are easy to see and catch great. 2 practice baskets near the parking lot.
Informative signs with pin indicators on both the blue and red tees. Huge triangular concrete pads with red foul area for both Red and Blue tees. Next tees arrows point the way . Great use of elevation change with a great mix of open field, in the woods , and combined wood and field shots. 3 or 4 pin placements on each hole , with the D pins from Blue being brutally hard yet challenging..course map and scorecards at the kiosk. hole 18 ends where you started. There are only 3 courses out of over 380 that Ive played that rival this one..Hillcrest on Prince Edward Island, Branson Cedars Blue, and Rollin Ridge near Manitowoc, Wisconsin. This course I wanted to rate a 4.75 , its not perfect, but so close to it that I rounded up to 5. If you are Rec and play from the Blues, prepare for a beatdown . But this course is so scenic and fun that maybe you wont care that you shot in the 80s or 90s. This is the new Destination course in the Midwest. Im not going to go into the details of every hole; suffice it to say that holes 3 and 12 are lovely with lakes coming into play, and holes 7-11 are tree tunnel holes that challenge your shot-shaping accuracy and distance. The longest Pin from Blues are 1) 641 2)450 3)621 4)470 5)554 6)618 7)750 8)380 9)437 10)320 11)370 12)470 13)428 14)691 15)845 16)535 17)572 18) 341. New Melle designers did a fantastic job and all the amenities are in place to make this course stand head and shoulders above all other courses in Missouri...(sorry, Waterworks!)
Cons:
There are a few trees that do block clean fairway lines to the pins on the wooded fairways that make it more about luck than skill, but many are marked with blue ribbons for removal. Keep in mind this is a new course. It will get even better.
Other Thoughts:
Epic Midwest course fun and challenging for players of every skill level. Each hole has its own uniqueness and style. Very cart-friendly. Bring plenty of liquids for the hike. Basket 9 is not near parking lot.