JC,
Maybe you could expand on what flaws you see in the flow of the course. It flows nicely to me, with the exception of the walk back on the 7th, but that's a small price to pay for that hole. There are frequent changes in direction which adds interest in the wind. The routing goes from short to long and back again and up and down a number of times. I don't see any holes as being repetitive nor favoring people who only play in one direction or the other.
Perhaps you could also expand on the shortcomings you saw in the architecture and routing. I can't think of a bad hole when considered individually and I think all the greens are brilliant one way or another. And, as above, the routing/flow seems first rate to me.
Maybe if you played it again you might see it differently.
Any issues I have with the place have to do with the operations and the pricing, not the architecture, routing or conditioning.
How do you feel about the fact that 1,3,4,6,8,9,11,13,14,16,17,18 all play up hill in one form or another?
6-11 is a good example. It is a 6 hole stretch with 3 up hill and blind tee shots and 2 par 3s. If half of the tee shots play the same in a 6 hole stretch that is monotonous. The stretch is saved by 8 which is a very good hole.
I still haven't heard why the aesthetic of 9-11 makes any sense. Out of no where we enter a stretch that feels like playing through pasture land.
I feel that that is a strange perspective. If those holes play uphill in some way or another then it could be argued that #1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, 15, 17 and 18 play downhill in some fashion or other as well. What goes up has to come down. I've never felt that the ups and downs were repetitive. There are uphill tee shots and downhill tee shots and uphill and downhill shots to greens. There are even a few level shots.
Holes 6-11are monotonous? The 6th is an uphill then downhill short par 4th with an undulating green that slopes wildly away. I have never lost sight of my drive ( I'm no Warne apparently).
The 7th turns more than 90* to the left of the 6th - a consideration in the often times wind. And it's a long iron drop shot par 3 to a brilliant green nestled in the huge dunes.
The 8th turns again and is in the opposite direction to the 6th. Even you agree it's a good hole. A drop tee shot followed by a longish iron to a perched green.
The 9th turns 90* again and features a true blind tee shot. The rest of the hole plays somewhat downhill with some interesting hazards for the second shot and an angled green where the angle of approach matters to most of us.
The 10th reverses direction 180* and is a level par 3 with some daunting and deep collecting bunkers.
The 11th continues in the same direction with a slightly uphill drive (that I never lose sight of) on a long par 4. A fairway with mammoth width and a centerline bunker to complicate the drive. A long second shot where you can actually run the ball in, topped off by a perfectly diabolical green laying on the land.
So, long par 4, short par 4, medium par 4, a downhill par 3 and a level par 3 along with an up and down longish par 5. Constant changes of direction bringing the wind into play in different directions. An uphill blind tee shot and a couple of drop tee shots and interesting different greens throughout
And, that's monotonous?!?
As for the aesthetics of 9-11, that land is probably closer to the pre-mining land, but I doubt that any of the land on the site looks much like it looked before the mining. Holes 15, 16 and the first part of 17 are on similar looking land. I suppose it's too bad that Mosaic didn't completely mine the whole site including where the new course will go - then they could have presented a consistent aesthetic for you.