Pros:
Fallasburg Park is a huge complex that covers 287 acres of land on the Flat River near Lowell, MI (east of Grand Rapids). There are a couple of different roads running through the park, that along with the river divide the park into several distinct sections. Not one, but two "Disc Golf" signs direct you from the main entrance of the park to a section of it that is dedicated to disc golf only.
The 18 holes here have great variety. The first hole and last few holes play through a rolling meadow, with scattered trees providing obstacles plus tall grass off the fairways. The remaining holes are mostly wooded, with several tight lines to hit. The lines vary between hyzer, anhyzer, and straight. Several of the wooded holes also have serious elevation changes to contend with. To my recollection there are 2-3 different holes where a straight, downhill drive through tight woods will get you an easy birdie - but hit a tree and it's a tough par or bogey. There is a decent amount of distance here too, with a par 5 and two par 4s to be conquered.
There are several holes that are memorable. For me, some that come to mind are hole 5 (496' par 4 straight up a moderate incline, feels like about 800'), #14 and 15 (two consecutive downhill shots through tight woods), and #16 (778' par 5 that plays down a gentle slope the whole way and opens up as it goes). However, my favorite hole might be #13. This hole plays 390' straight ahead to a basket with no obstacles in the direct path. Sounds easy, but as you approach the basket the fairway narrows and the (wooded) terrain on both sides slopes downward more and more steeply. If you miss in either direction, good luck making par.
The rough is thick enough to be punishing, but generally not so thick that it is difficult to find discs. However, the combination of trees and elevation can redirect a disc a long ways off the fairway so be sure to watch carefully after you tee off.
The teepads are all cement, long enough, and in good shape. The tee signs are purple colored with a map of the hole, par, and distance. They are a little faded but still easily readable. Many of the pads have a picnic table and trash can nearby. Additionally, there are short tee pads (also cement) on most, if not all holes. These short pads don't have their own tee signs, but are shown on the map of the hole on the long pad tee signs. I would prefer to see signage with distances at the short pads as well, but regardless they are still a nice perk that make the course more accessible for recreational players and families.
The baskets are all Chainstars and in good shape. I would actually prefer something like a yellow banded DISCatcher for visibility in the woods, but not a major gripe. There is a practice basket near the parking lot, and a porta potty as well.
There are bells near the baskets on the blind holes to let groups behind you know the hole is clear.
Cons:
The navigation here is tricky in spots. There are some Next Tee signs in the form of arrows and tape in the bottom of baskets, but they are inconsistent and the arrows aren't always attached properly. The course mostly flows smoothly, with well-used trails between holes. However, there are additional misleading trails in a couple of places, and a couple more places where multiple tees are visible. There is a nice kiosk at the first tee, but no map is posted on it. You may want to use the map posted here for navigation.
The lines almost seem too tight/nonexistent on a couple of holes. Hole 6 comes to mind, this one is only 200' but basically has a grove of old growth trees filling the entire space between tee and basket.
A couple holes have very steep fairways - I would like to see stairs cut in for safety. I would recommend wearing shoes or boots with good grip.
There are several memorable holes here, but I don't feel like any of them really reach "wow" level. The river mentioned above does not come into play unless you overthrow hole 16's basket by 50'+ (and miss several trees in that 50'). The elevation holes are solid but they are all in thickly wooded areas, with no panoramic vistas to be taken in.
Other Thoughts:
This course also has six "bonus" holes for a grand total of 24. The "A" hole is between holes 4 and 5, "B" and "C" are between holes 8 and 9, and "D"-"F" holes are near holes 17-18. Some of these holes are more open, improving the overall variety of the course. However, these extra holes only have baskets plus little white flags in the ground to mark the tee - no actual tee pads or signs yet. It is very easy to miss holes B and C entirely. Better signage as mentioned above would help more DG'ers find these additional holes.
I believe that this course is among the most popular in the greater Grand Rapids area, and it's easy to see why. The course is forgiving enough to be played by recreational players, yet still challenging enough for better disc golfers to enjoy. Here's how I know this course is popular: On the kiosks of many other courses in the area, I have seen postings about tournaments at Fallasburg, the Fallasburg Winter League, and more (I don't know how people safely navigate the steep hills in the winter though!).
In summary, this is a solid course that is worth playing if you are anywhere near the area. It's a strong 4.0 in my book. With the controllable Cons above addressed, I would consider giving a 4.5. The lack of real wow factor for me prevents me from calling it a true destination 5.0 level course.
UPDATES (LAST MARCH 2024): The parking lot has been paved! This course is always busy, and definitely a frontrunner for best course in the area. Even with most of my course bagger attention focused on visiting new-to-me courses, I try to go play Fallasburg Park once or twice a year.