I had the opportunity to play Long Shadow yesterday for the first time, and just wanted to bring this thread back up to the top. I wish that I had the capability to post pictures now that it has greened up, but Gary's pictures are very, very good.
This is a wonderful golf course, and totally different from anything else in the area. Cuscowilla is the best comparison stylistically, but Long Shadow is much more wild and rugged.
By the end of this summer, with any help from Mother Nature, Long Shadow is going to be the epitome of what so many here like in a golf course:
1. firm and fast--the course is designed to play that way, and it does.
2. wide angles off the tee, with very demanding greens.
3. a huge variety of possible shots around greens, with chips that could be hit with any of a half dozen clubs.
4. wonderful variety in bunkering; I don't know all the correct terminology, but there is just a ton of cool stuff in this category.
The front nine is open for play, and is just superb. The back nine, however, is even better, with every hole a gem. I played with three friends, all pretty good golfers. One is very interested in GCA, and the other two are completely indifferent; they just love to play and see good golf courses, whatever that means. To a man, they loved it.
I'd urge any of you who can get by there this summer to check out Long Shadow. It is something special.