As I take myself mentally around Mendakota, I find it kind of amazing how many different styles of holes you find there. Part of the course seems a bit back and forth, with several straight holes that parallel each other and cross a deep gully, including two tough par 3s that are all carry. But there are also a couple of dogleg par 5s, one uphill, one down, that are a blast to play.
Then on the east end of the course you've got two new holes -- a par three with a very long, narrow green, water right and deep bunkers left (it's usually about a 9-iron, but you're really screwed if you miss the green) and a downhill par 4 where it's easy to get a tough fairway lie to a firm green that's hard to hold.
On the west side of the course, you've got the brutish finishing holes that Jason was talking about, and I'd say the tough stretch begins on 13, a tight dogleg right par 5 where you can easily knock it through the fairway and into trouble on either side; 14 is a long par 3 with a steep back-to-front sloping green that usually plays very firm, and creates tons of break; 15 is a severe dogleg right with water on the far side of the fairway and trees to clear if you try to cut the corner; 16 doglegs the other way, a true cape hole around water (it would be more fun if you could see your ball land -- if it lands -- but the lakeside reeds are pretty high by mid-season); 17 is a medium-length par 3 that's all carry over a big pond, with no bailout left; and 18 is an uphill par 4, dogleg left, where you have to place your drive between fairway bunkers on either side (or blast it over them, if you're really long), to have a decent shot at the green.
There are a lot of fun holes at Mendakota.