Pros:
The first course I hit on vacation was Sierra College, it turned out to be the toughest. A challenging course, it's thickly wooded and has a lot of elevation change. Dual tee pads that are nicely built and leveled boxes floored with rubber mats. The tee signs are pretty good, and a marker indicates which pin location is in play. The par I played was 58 overall, with four par 4 holes. Versatility is great between the dual tees and multiple pin location possibilities.
The lines are tough right out of the gate. Hole 1 is uphill and gives you a taste of the crowded fairways. Usually there is a line through the trees, maybe more than one, but they require a high degree of precision.
Hole 2 is downhill, and depending on where the basket is set, it can be tough to spot. Boulders also sit among the trees on this fairway. Hole 5 is the first big downhill, and probably the most open, although the basket is set in a position that is well protected by tall trees. Getting the correct angle as you hit the landing zone is a big help.
There are not really any bad holes. Birdies are earned. Pressure to make solid drives and approach shots, and a few recoveries is constant. The layout I went through didn't have a lot of easy or short pins, and if there was one, I would watch a tee shot that felt great tap out on a tree trunk at the last minute.
9 was my favorite shot of the day. It is an elevated pad, with a straight shot down the hill to the basket. My Roc 3 held the line through the thin mountain air all the way. The putt was out of my confidence range, but I did get it in the basket for a birdie. 11 is an uphill shot, with a well defined fairway that I also managed to park for another birdie. Those were the only two I bagged all day. I also really liked hole 12. This tee is also elevated, and fairly open until you drop down the hill and out of sight. The blind shot to the basket is fun, and the pin position was in a tricky spot where overshooting or taking a bad roll is very possible.
Cons:
Even from the short tees, this course is pretty tough. It isn't exactly beginner friendly. There were a few blind tee shots, and even with the pin indicator and tee signs I was guessing a lot on where to place my drives. This could have been solved by walking the hole to see what I am going for, but I don't want to test the patience of my sweet lady too much.
Even the baskets that were in sight could be tough to spot sometimes. Maybe a bright flag topper here and there would be nice. Signage to get from hole to hole could be handy in a couple of spots as well, but I did have a map on the phone that helped me through it all.
Other Thoughts:
This was the hardest course out of the four that I played around Lake Tahoe. My second favorite after Zephyr Cove. I will have to take another trip to get in the rest of my wishlist for that area, and revisit a course or two. Sierra would totally be worth a second visit.
It totally kicked me in the rear. I was 13 over par with 2 birdies, 6 pars, 5 bogies and 4 double bogies. I missed some drives, took some bad bounces, couldn't get out of trouble when I needed to. It is difficult for me, I'd like to see what the pros could do here. Championship level is a label I am tempted to put on Sierra College DGC. I will let you judge for yourself.