Tom D:
I will say this: it is indeed MUCH more playable than the site would indicate. That is, if one looked at that mountainside pre-golf course, one would have to assume that there's no way a course could ever get built there, let alone that one that ends up as playable as Stone Eagle is. So it is one hell of an accomplishment, and you ought not to take any negative connotation from that. I have zero doubt that the members are VERY surprised it's as playable as it is!
One can only do so much on the side of a boulder-strewn mountain, however.
So yes, I did find it pretty darn severe. And remember, I'm not saying it was on the tee shots - my friend Scott Burroughs proved that some very wild shots can still remain in play - and in fact, off the tee the course is VERY VERY fun, because often a hole that looks tight (like #10) actually isn't... you get up there and realize you have 75 yards or more of fairway room! I think that's very cool - and thus have no issues with the tee shots whatsoever.
I just did find that every single green is either surrounded by rocks (meaning lost ball or a rock chip out if one gets really lucky), or perhaps a delayed worse fate in those incredible bunkers. Again, I have no clue how ELSE you could have done it, given the site... I'm just saying that unless one is on with one's irons, he's gonna have a really long day.
So how about this: the grassed areas off the tee are indeed wide, and as playable as one could expect given the site - or in fact, far more so. But near the greens... even wedge shots are gonna mean a bad fate on a lot of shots.
Thus I can't see high handicappers having all that much fun there long-term unless they take the attitude that this is part of the game and they just drop and move on...
But again, what the hell can one expect given the site?
Thus my thoughts are geared far more to the site than to what you did. I'd have to say it's the most playable mountain-side course I've played - I'm with Ryan Simper there - good god compare this to The Ranch at Silver Creek and it's comical - BUT... a mountain-side course it remains. Perhaps by default it just can't be considered "an excellent golf course in its own right" just due to the site. That's my feeling anyway... And if I am in the minority, well that won't be the first time.
In any case, I'd agree that in effect it is too short for the long bombers. And again, nothing you can do there!
Others will be in to disagree with me, for sure. As I say, there was LOTS of praise floating around even on Sunday night after the blast-furnace round.
TH
ps - did they get a course rating and slope? I didn't see one... I'd be very interested what those figures come out as. I have my guess... neither are going to be low, methinks...