Bill:
Kudos for stepping out on a limb with your rounds played at Carnegie Abbey versus that of Hidden Creek.
I think you may be in line to get the infamous "letter" for future rounds -- I should know since I too was included in the informal "banned" listing.
I agree with you regarding Carnegie Abbey -- a wonderful piece of property -- provided people can handle some of the walks between the holes. The course does play fast and Steele, to his credit, didn't fall in love with himself, by sprinkling bunkers all over the place to the point of hopeless repetition.
The routing does take you into a variety of places throughout the property.
Best of all -- the tip tee distance is 6,675 yards to a par of 71. Among the more noted holes I liked is the stretch of hole from the 9th thru the 11th. The 9th is a very reachable par-5 of 500 yards but it plays slightly uphill and the green is carefully positioned to reject any approach that is played in a half-hearted manner. There is also a series of neatly placed cross-angled bunkers that have plenty to do in shaping one's play of the hole.
The 10th is a par-4 of 424 yards and features a split fairway that works quite well. The angles are certainly present and the golfer who executes to either side of the fairways will be left with a shot proportionate to what you played from the tee.
The 11th is a tough one-shotter of 225 yards -- plays downhill but usually into the prevailing SW winds that blow off from Narragansett Bay in the near distance. The green also falls off both sides and if that happens your short game will be tested. Best thing about the hole -- is the upper rear portion for pin placements. Get it back to that location and stopping it pronto is no small feat -- especially when playing into a bit of a breeze.