I have logged more rounds on this course than any other I've played, probably in the 500 range. I grew up 5 miles south and used to ride the bus there, clubs in tow- then walk from Lakeshore Blvd down to the 18th tee, play that hole, then pay for my round and start on 1. Later on, I was the course manager for a few years during summers in college. I love the course like it's my son, but quite frankly it needs a restoration. The conditions are pretty bad, and some of the lines have changed due to tree overgrowth. It really needs the bunkers to be brought back on some of the holes for proper framing. The greens need a complete rebuild (but with the same slopes!) as they are just not capable of cutting low enough to have proper green speed. Of course, a driving range (or even warmup range) would be a huge addition.
They switched the 9's, so the old #10 across the road is now #1. But from my numbering perspective, it's still #10.
There's a new clubhouse, which is really nice and fits the park well.
They brought back the old #5, so there's two par threes from the same box. You can go either the "old" way (perpendicular to #4), or the "new" way (parallel to #4). The green on the "old" way (the rebuilt one) was not constructed correctly, and doesn't get much light or air, so it doesn't grass up properly.
#1 was changed from a par 5 to a par 4 and the tee moved up 100 yards or so to make room for a new entrance road and halfway house. Bad decision in my opinion, as the green slopes away and was not built to accept the mid iron most mid to high handicap players hit into it (at 395 yards into the wind.)
So here's my piece of the course. #16, the first of the back to back par 3's, was a terrible hole. Flat, completely out of character, and obviously thrown in to make the 10-8 into a 9-9. In around 1993, they brought in a no name designer to fix a few drainage issues, and because it's a public facility there was a county meeting regarding changes made. A couple weeks before the meeting, I (15 at the time) brought a sketch to the designer of what I thought should be done to the hole- push the tee 100 yards back into the trees up the hill to the right of 15 fairway, and move the green up to the top of the hill, taking out 3 old trees that stood behind the old green- creating a roughly 330 yard par 4 with a ton of movement and character. Well the guy thought it was fantastic, so I got invited to present the idea with him to the board and public. At the meeting, the environmentalists went absolutely crazy on me and the rest of the golf people. "What about the birds that live in these trees", "what about the deer that hide up there", blah blah blah. In the end we compromised- moved the tee back about 40 yards, the green 40 yards, for a driveable par 4 of 265 yards. The problem was the designer wasn't allowed to take out some of the trees originally planned, so half (the top right tier) is completely blocked, and the green wasn't built correctly, so it's rock hard compared to the rest of the course. However, it's a cool hole (marshy pond left and right, hill that repels drives that come up short of the green and throws them every different direction, an almost impossible 60 yard shot if you lay up to the bottom of the hilll) and there's plenty of different of ways to play it. A friend of mine who fought a nasty snap hook would literally hit 9 iron 9 iron on it.
I know a lot of people who played it before they combined #4 & #5 to make a par 5 lament the loss of the short par 3, but without the bunkers (making it a classic "short"), the par 3 would have been a joke of a hole- 110 yards downhill with no defense. And the current #4 par 5 is actually really good, if you want to reach it in two you have to work it left to right off the tee then thread a mid iron to fairway wood right to left through the chute. And if you don't, most of the layup area has so many rolls, good luck getting a flat lie.
That said, there are some truly great holes there. #2 is a beast, #3 is a really good "have a go" par 4, #6 has one of the most interesting greens anywhere, #7 is the hardest 385 yard hole I've ever played (ever seen a 4 tiered green after a 90 degree dogleg with a creek defending the dogleg?!?) #10-13 are all very challenging and interesting holes which if in proper condition everybody would rave over. And of course, #18 is a unique hole with the glacier carving bobsled run fairway.
For those that have never played it, the most comparable course I've played is Cobbs Creek. A strange mix of goofy, unique, and fantastic.