Pros:
This course has had a significant refresh since the last set of reviews from 4 years ago and deserves a much higher rating than it currently sports. This is easily a 4.25 and one of the best free courses in the state.
Single 5400' layout comes in with a par of 60.
Prototypical New England wooded lines here that take you up and down a hill behind Newport High.
The flow here is just wonderful, where each hole feels like a different challenge, some are quite tight, others with nice clear fairways, others opening up into beautiful hidden greens. While you do go up and down a mountain, the design here is so smart hole to hole that you never feel like you're hiking straight up a ski slope (though there is a beautiful old ski jump with a nice view to admire).
You've got a few ravines and creeks to throw over as well, just playful variety throughout.
Pinnacle is quite a scoreable course distance-wise if you're hitting your lines, as the six par 4's average 365' of length. Accordingly it's fun for the entire family, and your parents can feel competitive picking their ultra stars through the trees. But it never feels easy or boring, as each shot asks for a very clear technical bit of execution.
Favorite shots:
Hole 4, Par 4 480' takes you past the old school ski jump. Try to go long and straight without too much left fade so you have an easy approach that goes right to left and beats the guardian trees.
Hole 14, par 4, 540' asks you to get clean and progress down a long fairway, just try to land clean and central so you have a nice run-up for a second shot to the basket across a river embedded amongst the rocks, hope it lands softly.
Hole 18, par 3 183, little ace-run island hole to finish your round, with a stream to cross, plenty of chances to kick out of bonds, and a treacherously-sloped basket placement.
Cons:
This course lives and dies on its leaf coverage. During the fall you can lose a disc right in the fairway if there are too many leaves. The club does a great job keeping the place in good condition but there's only so much you can do. Plenty of brooms at the tee pads thankfully.
The old layout's DGA baskets are still in the ground, and can be confusing to first-timers. The new ones are nice Prodigy T1's...but can you ever be that happy with the T1's?
Teepads are rubber mats, some of which are warped and aged.
Other Thoughts:
This is my favorite type of everyday public course, fun for the whole family but always challenging. It's never physical exhausting but it's certainly no walk in the park. I love these types of throws through the woods, where distance isn't too much of the challenge. You really feel transported and other than some holes on the first third of the course by a subdivision, it's enchanting.