Harmony Bends is a great course, but the drainage issues keep it from being a full 5 disc course for me. I'll be interested to see if it falls any when those problems become more apparent in the spring.
You make a valid point. To which I respond:
1) To a certain degree, people can only rate it based on what it's like when they play it. If it was dry when they played it, so be it.
2) My son and I had already planned our trip to coincide with the Tigers being in KC, and ended up playing HB the day after a downpour that forced locals to cancel the 2nd round of a tournament. Based on what I'd read about the course, I picked up a couple of pairs of
knee-high rubber galoshes ... glad I did! The water was not bad at all on the front 9, or 15 - 18, but much of the fairways from 10 - 14 were under water up anywhere from 2"-6" deep. I don't think any of the tees were submerged. Even with most of 10-14 under water, it was without qualification, one of the very best DG experiences I've ever had.
3) How should one account for a course's tendency to hold water when reviewing/rating?
I've played other courses in flood plains, and rate them based on what I think are typical conditions, but clearly indicate in my review if the course tends to hold water or drains well, and let the course conditions tell people whether it flooded or swampy. I don't necessarily thing the overall rating should reflect how the course plays in it's poorest state, but there's something to be said for factoring in the likelihood of said poorest state.
No doubt HB will be wet for more days of the year than other courses in the area, and players might be wise to road tripping to HB during spring thaw/rains.