I had a chance to play Flagstaff Ranch and Pine Canyon over the last few days and thought this thread would be the most logical update since it mentions both courses.
Bill touches on an issue that IMO affects both courses: they start off with a bang then don't quite keep the momentum going all the way though the round. Both courses seem typical of the area with lots of tall pines and dramatic landscape movement. Views of the mountains are available at both courses, but only in certain spots. They both certainly do well in terms of aesthetics.
Flagstaff Ranch was up first on Sunday afternoon. I'm not surprised that Bill mentioned site constraints--it would seem that this was a course where the primary goal was to sell lots around the holes. Most of them have homes or lots on one/both sides, although they are generally set back at a reasonable distance. The front nine still has quite a few solid holes, including 1, 2, 3, 6, and 8. It also offers a bit of a glimpse of coming attractions with overbearing trees pinching the effective landing area on #5 and 9. The back nine also has a couple solid holes including #12, 14, 16, and 17. It has a couple more duds as well, including the 10th and 13th that border both sides of a creek bed. Both holes have trees that encroach on the line of play and force players away from the creek to get the best (only) angle. The 10th, however, has bunkers where that angle of approach would be, with OB further right, and the 13th (I think) is the hole Bill described above. Neither impressed. I didn't find the 11th especially strategic either--its a short four up the hill with a tree in the middle of the fairway short of the green. The tree makes you think, but none of the options seemed especially appealing. I laid back and hit a full wedge for an easy enough par. The best holes on the side (and perhaps the course) are the par threes, except for #7. The 18th is a bit odd since you hit the ball uphill off the tee and then come to a pond that lies above the level of the ground you stand on when you first approach it. The hole works I guess, as long as you ignore that oddity. I think Bill's rating ofa Doak 5 is a bit generous...3 or 4 for me.