I didn't think the course was at all manufactured, but I did find the fairways too green, if that makes any sense. What I mean is you see all this natural brownish everywhere and then you have this bright green ribbons of fairway.
I would have prefered they use a grass that appeared to fit better with the landscape.
What I think Chris Cochran did here was try to be intentionally different than Sand Hills, and he accomplished that. Perhaps he pushed the envelope a bit too much in selecting his routing with all the severly elevated greens and the natural wild contouring that nature provided, but if I know JN's work well enough, he will make the changes necessary.
My guess is their 2nd course, will be better. The land they selected for that is far more choppy, less severe from what I understand and will be much more like Ballyneal than what they did here.
Neither Bette nor I had much difficulty with the course except with the putting, but the day we played they left all the pins in the front, so the area pin area JN was going to use for opening day would be smooth as silk.
The front pins are impossible because you can't hold a wedge, downwind to these elevated greens. I found a ball mark about 6 feet from the pin with an 8 iron and a 150 foot putt was what I got.
I hate the name Dismal River, and Matt Ward is correct about the 13th hole, but they were quick to recognize they needed to soften it.
One other thing I predict is that this course will play slow. Regardless of the wide width of the fairways, to the average golfer, it is one very intimidating course.
If you have the opportunity, it is great to play all 3, Sand Hills, Dismal River and Ballyneal. It is a real treat and you can see the diversity of C & C, JN, and Tom Doak first hand in similiar but diverse settings.
Ballyneal is the most intimidate of the 3, DR is the most spread out.