Pros:
The course is like a boiling pot of water. It starts out really slow, but by the time you're done, it's got you hooked full-force.
- Good variety of holes. Some of the wooded holes are tight, but they're still fair. Instead of pulling out the driver, and risking going deep into the woods, throwing a mid-range disc twice will get you to the basket for your par.
- Elevation changes present real challenge on several holes- notable #6, 7, 16 & 17.
- Course puts a higher premium on accuracy than length. On some holes, make sure your approach shots land real soft and/or don't go long, or your disc may roll a long ways away.
- I can see how this course grows on players. There's some obvious problems with the course (see below), but once you get familiar with everything, it'd be easy to only focus on the good things the course has to offer.
Cons:
The beginning of the course is disappointing compared to the rest of the course. I can see why so many people talk highly about the course, but they're clearly focusing on the last 10 holes, and ignoring the first 8. In the first 8 holes, you have too many open holes (with little or no trees in play) that present little challenge. It wasn't until the long, downhill #9 that I finally felt the true taste of the course.
- Dirt tee pads are really poor. Too much lose gravel makes it hard to get good footing. To give the course it's due justice, #11 is a paved tee. I guess it's baby steps.
- No tee signs presented several problems: not knowing where the basket was, not knowing the hole distance, and not always knowing where the next hole was.
Commenting on this problem in order On several holes I had to walk almost all the way to the hole to see the basket or know which basket was for that hole due to seeing multiple baskets on the tee. You can usually estimate distances pretty good, but it's frustrating throwing 50 feet short (or long) because you think the hole is about 250 feet instead of 300 (or vice versa). It was difficult spotting the next tee after several holes, either due to not being seen or seeing several tee pads.
Other Thoughts:
This really felt like 2 courses in one. 1 - 8 felt like the appetizer and 9 - 18 were the real-deal main course. If the first 8 holes were as good as the last 10, it'd be one of the best courses around. Instead, I felt a little disappointed because I didn't get the whole thing.
- I'd rate holes 1 - 8 a 2.5, and 9 - 10 a solid 3.5 - 4. For regulars at the course, the lack of tee signs is probably not a big deal, but for a first time player, like I was, or the very infrequent player, it's a hindrance.
- My 2 favorite holes were #9 and #12. #9 is a long, downhill hole, #12 a tighter s-curve through the woods. They're two different types of holes, but they both show what the course has to offer.
- The course is an hour north of Charlotte, and it's a trip worth taking for anyone in the area.