Lowell, MI

Fallasburg Park

3.925(based on 43 reviews)
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17 0
chris deitzel
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.2 years 286 played 54 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Variety is the spice of life. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fallasburg was the last stop on a 3-day Michigan disc golf road trip. It was just a short drive off the highway on a really nice backcountry road to the course. We were directed here by some locals as one of the better courses to play in the area.

Pulling into the parking lot, there is a porta potty and a large dirt parking lot. Grab a shade spot if you can. Pulling in it looked like we were about to play a very nice flat course with beautifully mowed fairways. Hole 1 was beautiful and really set the tone for the course. Hole 2 was kind of a letdown and the only hole on the course I didn't like. Has that typical way-too-tight-with-such-thick-rough Michigan vibe that many courses have up this way. But that was the only hole like that.

The rest of the course revealed surprise after surprise. Huge uphill holes. Beautiful downhill holes. Holes with multiple flight paths, holes with lots of trees, holes with steep hills and danger of rollaway. The course evolved constantly. 270 feet seems to be a loved distance of holes on the course and there are a lot that play around that length, but they all have their own unique character to keep it exciting.

Overall this was a great course to play, even in the 90+ degree heat we had that day. It was well worth the visit and is a solid course with quality hole design, enjoyability and aesthetics. Just a really enjoyable round of golf for me.

After 29 years of playing on 300+ courses, this is the kind of course I am happy to find travelling.

There were also 2 loops to play a 24-hole layout but we didn't play those holes. They looked nice and I imagine they really add to the entire experience also.

Cons:

I can really think of many cons??? It was easy to follow the course. Never needed a map or anything. No water to fill up water bottles and just a porta potty.

Other Thoughts:

We had just played Renegades, Flip City, and Whitehall and this was the last course on the trip. I would put it at 3/4 on that list of courses that we played. Renegades and Flip were beautiful. Whitehall was lots of fun but repetitive and Fallasburg had a little bit of all of them wrapped into it. It's a super-solid course that can played by all skill levels. Not much rough to end up in. A beautiful place to play disc golf. And it's isolated from other activities so it's just you and the course which is what I always like. If I lived in the area, I imagine I would be hitting this course up quite often as it felt like it had a lot of replay value based on the holes and how you could score.

A lot of people might rate this course higher than I have. I gave it a 3.5 which I would put closer to 3.8 or 3.9, but I try to keep all of my ratings on par with other courses I have rated. Any course I have rated over 3.0 is a quality course, and this was an excellent course that has good signs, baskets, pads, and course flow. Don't miss it if you are nearby.
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22 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.4 years 300 played 287 reviews
4.00 star(s)

You'll fall for Fallasburg Park!

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 30, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

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.
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14 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 46.4 years 1562 played 1507 reviews
4.00 star(s)

What A Lovely Walk In The Woods! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 3, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Fallasburg Park is huge with different sections seen everywhere as you drive in. There were TWO park signs for the disc golf course. Disc golf is becoming more mainstream every day. The disc golf parking lot isn't that big and shares parking with a popular nature trail. There is a porta potti on site which is enclosed within a more attractive structure. You can't tell it's there. At the staging area are three picnic tables, a small kiosk, garbage cans and about three signs warning folks about these dangerous flying discs. You might think people were stepping out in a gun range.

The concrete pads are nice and long. The colored signs give all the information and have the preferred route. The baskets are Chainstars although I think Discatchers with the yellow band would have been a better choice for this course. There are wood chips placed around many baskets to help with erosion.

The park is gorgeous now in September. It is just a lovely, pleasant piece of land for a course. There are nice elevation changes to play with. As every reviewer has mentioned, there is a great variety in holes here from uphills, shorter technical throws, Ace Runs, hysers and annies, and # 16's 778' challenge.

There are picnic tables and garbage cans on most holes leaving the course clean and mostly, litter free.

Signature holes? Ask six different players and you might get six different answers. My own personal favorite is probably # 10 which is just 214' but plays over a down and up again gorge. I'm always a sucker for this type of hole. Trees are an issue here on many holes. I'm always partial to cool downhill throws and # 14 and # 15 were both great fun.

Playing solo, navigation was a breeze as the paths to the next tee were always easy to follow. I'd say the course plays as an intermediate level but without much underbrush, I found Fallasburg is be recreational friendly. Even when it puts a hurt on you, it's more of soft punch to your arm rather than a swift kick to your gonads.

Cons:

I don't see anything major. I did think there were lots of holes requiring a slight fade, good for forehanders. But maybe I just I imagined it.

I played in a Sunday morning and there weren't many players out. I think parking might be an issue at busy times.

Distance/challenge might not be enough for advanced players.

Other Thoughts:

Well designed course in a lovely section of the park. It has enough elevation to challenge and make things interesting. The amenities are top notch. It's a rare course, IMO, that it appeals to players from recreational to advanced. There were two couples playing ahead of me, the wives playing with one disc. They were having a grand time even as they struggled up # 5's 496' uphill.

Although the course is a nice workout, it's not a killer like some others. It's more like a nice comfortable, slow burn.

In conclusion,,

Don't Smoke Crack!
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8 2
stndpenguin
Experience: 25.5 years 53 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 10, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great layout/variety
- Solid teepads with pleanty of length
- Well defined fairways with great pin placement
- Longs as well as shorts (though shorts have natural tees)
- Well maintained
- Great host club league summer and winter (FRDGA)

Cons:

- Tee signs have faded
- Chainstars (this may be personal but I HATE those baskets)
- No real distance shots except for maybe 16, but even there its smarter to throw a placement shot
- Backups on busy days (not really sure it can be a con as the course is great and just attracts a ton of people)

Other Thoughts:

Fallasburg really is the best course in the Grand Rapids area as it tests nearly every shot in your bag. If you're looking to improve your game play here more often.
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9 0
Reniger
Experience: 21.5 years 49 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

The Grab Bag 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

•Variety!
Fallasburg has everything from blind woods, tunnels, downhills, uphills, L/R, R/L, short precision shots to an almost 800' bomber. If you want a challenge, this course will force you to pull every throw style and most of your discs out of your bag.
•Well Groomed
The course lay is maintained by the local P&R dept and is mowed weekly. The rough on open holes gets tall in the summer, but, they give PLENTY of room in the fairways to play up. Lots of wooded holes but all have a line cut through them (as challenging as some of those lines can be)
•Amenities
Plenty of trash cans and benches at nearly every hole. The park is kept quite clean and inviting.
•Aesthetics
This course runs through a beautiful wooded area 20 minutes east of Grand Rapids. The Flat River runs along the final 3 holes with some nice views of mild rapids. There is also a historic village and covered wood bridge just east of the course.

Cons:

Very little to complain about at Fallasburg.
•Bugs!
Bring some spray or you will (hopefully) live to regret it!
•Popular
This great course is now getting so popular that you will have to spend some time waiting on backed up holes. Luckily, the length of the course and some short trails between holes help to spread out groups, so, once you start the backups are still fairly manageable.
•Parking
While not uncommon, the parking lot is dirt and in pretty rough shape.
•Amenities
No restroom or drinking fountain within a mile.

Other Thoughts:

Very nicely laid out course with plenty of variety to keep you on your toes. Some nice scenery as you walk through hilly woods and open Michigan plains. For Mid-West Michigan, this is a must play.

Memorable Holes:
1: You start your day by coming to a nearly 600' hole with a slight uphill and a blind shot to a dog-leg left pin behind trees. Requires good power and finesse combined to start out on the right foot.
5: 500' tunnel up a hill with an approximate 20' elevation. Very challenging to keep a straight line with that distance uphill. TONS of fun if you can par it.
10: Fairly level pad to pin, however, you shoot over a valley that dips down about 20' and gets in my head every time! Another wooded hole with some nice lines to cut.
11: Wooded 300' thru a fairly tight tunnel then opening up down a hill to the left. Good hole to emphasize disc choice and control to kick your fade out at the perfect time after the tunnel but before over-shooting the opening and ending up in more trees.
16: Nearly 800'. Nuff said!
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4 5
hellbound
Experience: 16.4 years 91 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Worth a look or two 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Its a disc golfers nightmare and dream all at one time. Only around 1/2 hour from grand rapids it makes it worth playing from time to time. Will require you to pull everyshot out of your bag fro hyzer to hyzer flip. Air out that cannon arm of yours a couple of times and keep you praying to the tree gods in the tunnal shots

Cons:

course overgrowth can get a little thick at time. bring plenty of water with you durring the summer months.

Other Thoughts:

Not a beginner friendly course by any definishion. I have to say that this couse is in my top 20 or so that i have played in across four states.
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2 8
River_love
Experience: 21.4 years 34 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A lot of fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

A lot of variety, some holes in the woods, some a little more open. Also good use of elevation. Fairways were clear, and pretty well kept.

Cons:

Some of the rough could be hard to find discs in.

Other Thoughts:

This course actually kind of reminded me of a flip city jr. course without some of the interesting eccentricities that make flip really stand out.
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13 0
BZoods
Experience: 15.4 years 27 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-This course definitely does a good job of using the land available.
-There's a good balance of left to right and right to left holes. Ability to throw multiple shot types is required to score well on all holes.
-Trash cans at just about every tee. Very little garbage in general.
-Good elevation changes. The two extremes being the uphill 5 and the downhill 14.
-Offers some holes with a lot of air space to work a line, while not being too forgiving. (13 comes to mind.
-Almost never too crowded.
-Picnic tables on just about every hole.
-The course has a few places where you can cross over to make for a quick 7 or 12 hole round.

Cons:

-Only the one porto-potty near the practice basket.
-Has a tendency for some slow moving groups.
-A lot of writing on the picnic tables.
-I wish there was a little bit more length on a couple of the holes.

Other Thoughts:

-This is my home course, so you might consider this review biased in favor of the course. But I just don't get tired of playing this course, and I think that's a definite positive for the course: the replay value.
-There's a lot of comments about luck being important here. I would like to disagree. The more I've played this course the more I've realized that good throws are possible on every hole. You just have to have the right disc/shot for the hole.
-Like has been said, this course has the potential to require every disc in your bag.
-I would actually like to put this at 4.7, it's definitely not a 5, but it's definitely worthy of a 4.5
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7 1
JSquizz
Experience: 13.2 years 16 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A challenge, but fun. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-a nice variety of elevation, terrain and shot types needed throughout.
-well constructed. No walking paths full of pedestrians and the course has a nice hole to hole flow that is easy to follow.
-not many "bunnies" on this course at all.
-was relatively clean compared to many courses in West Michigan. There are a number of waste baskets throughout.

Cons:

-many of the concrete markers have worn paint. I had trouble reading the distance on a few and the location of blind baskets were nearly impossible to decipher.
-a few of the holes are ridiculously difficult for a beginner. I play often and was humbled completely by a few of them, most notable the four-hundred footer straight up hill with a roughly twenty-foot wide fairway at points.
-no bathrooms and very spotty cell reception.
-the signage to find the course was pretty poor. I needed to get directions to the parking lot.
-nit picking perhaps, but as a guy in his thirties, starting the course off with a five-hundred foot hole and not a lot of space to warm up was a con.

Other Thoughts:

I will enjoy this course a lot the second time around now that I know where all the holes are. I can definately see it rising a half point in ranking for me, but it does not compare to Flip City in structure nor beauty, or Brewer Park for overall playability. Definately not a beginner course but I like it!
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12 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.7 years 831 played 777 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great variety 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The ourse plays through a sprawling park that seemed to be disc golf exclusive with no interference with roads or other park users.There are nice elevation changes on a good number of the holes, with a couple fun downhill shots and some tricky pin placements with roll away potential. One hole offers a narrow straight fairway that goes uphill for over 400', it's a hole that really makes you pay for anything other than dead straight, and adds a great challenge.

There is good length variety, with a couple nice multi-shot holes and some shorter ace run type holes. 1 and 16 offer the chance to air out a drive, though you're punished for not hitting your landing zone, and you still have a tricky approach on both even with a good drive. There is a wide variety of hole shapes, and it felt balanced between left and right turning shots. You'll need a pretty good shot selection to score well here. Signage can be a bit inconsistent, but the course flows well and you at least get a general idea of where to throw.

Cons:

A couple of the wooded holes are a little bit luck inducing, just a little bit more of a defined line would do a better job of separating scores by skill. I'm not a fan of long grass rough, it's limited here to the handful of more open holes, but it still isn't my favorite type of obstacle on a disc golf course. I didn't ding my rating for this last one, but it seemed to be full of giant groups who weren't good at letting faster groups play through, we spent the entire round waiting on three different groups of 8+ people.

Other Thoughts:

This course was very high on fun factor, and the challenge and variety are enough to make it worth a return trip. Beginners might find it a little tight in spots, but the rough is only nasty on some holes and overall it's not too long. More experienced players will find some nice tests of different skills here, and a balanced set of challenges that make for a really fun round.
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9 2
Central Scrutinizer
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 35.4 years 170 played 17 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Bravo! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 4, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Wow. I loved every inch of this course! Those of you who designed it should be proud of yourselves.

Not one single filler hole. Several excellent Disc Golf holes, a few really nicely utilizing elevation. Constantly thinking on the tee. Every disc in my bag saw action.

Bad shots deservedly punished, but I didn't draw blood. That's a big plus...was expecting to lose a limb based on the course description and it wasn't the case at all.

The best possible course was put onto the designated area. Period. And I don't type this lightly. I'm normally a cantankerous critic of course design.

Cons:

There are a couple of instances I remember where you might think a little luck is in play, but the windows you must hit are right there in front of you, and there are no excuses. I'm reaching, really, to put something here. Other than that, it's basically perfect.

Other Thoughts:

Fallasburg Park is a destination course all day long. My favorite Michigan course, and I've been playing since 1989. Bravo.

I'd say too, if you're making the destination trip, Hammond Hill about 25-30 minutes south in Hastings is also worth your time. It's a solid 4-star course (and difficult when the pins are in the long position) in my book. I did this today...Two rounds at Fallasburg, then one in Hastings, and my 39-year-old arm fell to the ground and flopped around like a fish. Top off your day at Waldorf Brewpub!
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10 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.4 years 512 played 183 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Disc Golf Variety Pack 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 18, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Quite simply: they got it right.
• Wonderful blend of well wooded, very well-wooded, and open fairways, with some combining elements of each; features a few holes that are open enough for big drives, but well wooded down the sidelines to punish wayward tee shots.
• Great mix of distances; will have you teeing off with distance drivers, fairways, mids and putters.
• Grabs your interest right off the bat with a 1st hole that's a mildly 'S' shaped 574 footer that starts out fairly open (approx the first 2/3 of the fairway), but is relatively well treed as you approach the guarded basket. Maintains your interest with fairway types and shapes covering all the bases: uphill, down-hill, flat, straight, left, right: anythng but repetitive.
• Elevation is well utilized: from gently rolling terrain to elevated tees well above basket level for that incomparable feeling of throwing off a ledge. Employs a few sloped greens that make you think about laying-up vs. running the chains. Includes a humbling 500' hole that's sloped uphill the entire length from tee to pin.
• Quite a few tucked and blind baskets that require good placement and precision off the tee: whether you have the arm to run the basket to set up birdies, or you'll need to take an upshot to set up a putt for par, your drive has to hit a window that gives you a decent line to the basket.
• Area is dedicated to DG in a large park with plenty of room for other activities.
• Seating (sometimes benches, sometimes cut tree trunks), and garbage cans on the majority of tee pads.
• Dual tees for differing skill levels (all longs are concrete, with a mix of concrete and natural with imbedded toe boards for shorts).
• Flows well from hole to hole - just follow the worn path to next tee. Tee markers are in the ground next to the tee pads; painted concrete shows hole #, distance and general layout.

Cons:

There's really not a lot holding this course back, and while I don't ding ratings for things like this, I list them to be comprehensive and for the benefit of anyone thinking about traveling to play here:
• I wish the river came into play (or at least into view for, aesthetic purposes) at least once. Seems like a shame not to feature it at all, since hole 16 runs towards it, and 17 and 18 run parallel to it just a few hundred feet away.
• No restroom with running water within eyesight of the 1st/18th hole, or anywhere in between - not even a porta-potty.
• Well wooded = lots of leaves. Any color disc is tough to find when it slides under a layer (or pile) of leaves, but I'd really hate searching for fly dyes and dye jobs at this course.

Other Thoughts:

Fallasburg is a wonderful course that is quite challenging and still very enjoyable. Very well wooded in areas, I got to play "Fallasburg Lite" due to the lack of foliage in mid-March, but I have no doubt that it would be an absolute beast missing the fairway in mid-summer with peak vegetation. I suspect one's best bet might be just trying to get back on the fairway rather than attempting to advance directly towards the basket and ending up with another lousy lie with no look. Memorable holes for me are: 1, 13, and 16.

Contrary to what others have mentioned, I like the way 17 and 18 finish the course: open tee shots with enough distance that you have to take a bit of a rip to try and get there. End up on the wrong part of the fairway and you have a few trees to contend with, land in the sweet spot and you could get an easy par, or even a birdie if you have the arm to put a tee shot within your putting range.

For those who like to experience a bit of local flavor, just 5 miles south of the park on Main Street in downtown Lowell is terrific bistro featuring river-front outdoor dining, a wood fired grill, friendly service and some unique twists on classic grill fare: thoroughly enjoyed my Philly Cheesesteak Quesadilla, and I have it on good authority that the brisket's excellent, too.

If you know someone whos into covered bridges, Fallasburg has something for them, too: http://www.kentcountyparksfou...llasburg.html

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Designer response by CRDV-3400
I wanted to bring the river more into play, but the North Country Trail runs along the bank. There was initial resistance to getting as close we did.
10 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.3 years 571 played 284 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Intermediate/Expert 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in a large park that has tons of forested areas and open areas. Seems like nothing would interfere with the discing, maybe some random hikers or something.
- Great mix of more open holes and those in the forest. Less wooded holes vary from pretty easy to very, very tough. It starts off with hole #1, a 574' bomber that finishes hard left into a protected basket. #16 is another long, long hole that has plenty of obstacles en route to a tough basket placement. #8 finishes to the right with the basket in a small opening in the woods, and #13 is a longer right-finishing holes. The last two holes are simple hyzers, which finish off a tough round with some more open looks.
- The remainder of the course is set in pretty heavily wooded sections, with an awesome mix of curving lines through the trees and defined fairways that demand shot shaping. #2 is a forced RHBH hyzer, #3 is an obvious anhyzer, and so on. With dense forest and patches of jail in many spots, accuracy is extremely important to reach the basket. Lots of protected baskets and some rollaways in these parts as well. Difficulty varies from pretty straightforward to pinball.
- Elevation changes are present on many holes, especially in the forested areas. #5 is a diminishing uphill tunnel shot, big slope means big challenge. Some other lesser uphills, and downhills with a few elevated teepads. Nothing too crazy, but it definitely affects the shot. Some sloping punishment next to fairways and baskets at parts add more challenge too.
- Good variety in hole length, with two monsters in the open, a long uphill tunnel, some shorter more technical shots, and some longer hyzers to air it out. A little on the short side at times, but the difficulty evens them out.
- Good baskets and teepads, awesome tee signs. Navigation not too bad, though I did have a guide... I didn't think it would be super confusing at any time.

Cons:

- Not many cons here, really. No water or other intense hazards to contend with; it is rough or some forest jail throughout. A good amount of the land is fairly flat as well; holes with elevation changes aren't too crazy, if at all.
- Another one might be shorter hole lengths; while the lines are tricky, some boil down to approach shot lengths. More experienced players might find these a little too short.

Other Thoughts:

- I really had to nitpick to find some legitimate cons on this course. Fantastic variety of more open holes, more open holes that are probably true par 4's, tight forest holes with tricky lines, more open/straight wooded holes, with some cool elevation changes going on. Protected baskets, some rollaways, it has a little bit of everything, in some degree. Might be a little tight/rough for some beginners, but everyone else should definitely enjoy it.
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3 4
Gyro
Experience: 13.6 years 17 played 17 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Lots of fun elevation 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course was a lot of fun. It was in a very scenic area out in the country. The course was very well designed. It had many tricky shots that had high risk high reward shots. It had MANY fun elevation shots that challenged you to go for it or risk throwing way off course. This course had such a wide variety of shots and the signs and tee pads were great. First time there and was never confused on where to go and the signs showed the basket accurately.

Cons:

Only con I can honestly think of is that there wasn't any water shots. Also a few of the alternate tee pads had yet to be cemented, but we only played the long ones so that was not an issue.

Other Thoughts:

Simply amazing course. Some holes a spotter is helpful to have.
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3 0
Jeffro Skull
Experience: 15.5 years 115 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Must Play! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has a good mix of all shots, some long, some tight, and some just Ric-dic-ulious!
-Very Easy to follow.
-Signs on all tee pads
-Pro and Woman/Rec pads.
-Plenty of benchs, picnic tables to chill and relax.

Cons:

Not many other than it can be somewhat difficult to play solo on the longer holes... unless you really like search by yourself or just be friendly and join another group.
-No restrooms

Other Thoughts:

Again a must play if your in the area or like me make a weekend road trip out to west Michigan.
Go ahead and knock me for the "piss-poor" review, but I like to keep is short and simple! ;)
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8 0
E-man
Experience: 14.7 years 22 played 6 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Fallasburg 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 13, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Variety: This course has it all, except water. You will go from a 500+ ft semi-open hole to technical, tightly wooded holes and then back again. The elevation use is outstanding, with both extreme uphill and downhill shots. It has both right and left turns through wooded paths, always keeping you on your toes. A couple memorable holes (probably b/c of their difficulty!) were a 500ft. extreme uphill shot down what I call a two-track with horror on either side, and the longest hole there-778ft with trees and bushes to navigate around. Trouble off the fairways is the norm here.

-Beauty/seclusion: Fallasburg is exclusively a DG course and is well off the beaten path, which is what makes it so great in my book. It feels like its just you and the course out there.

-Seats/trashcans: There are lots of trashcans and many seating areas which will be greatly appreciated when battling this monster. Many are picnic tables and a few are logs or railroad ties.

-Teepads/baskets: concrete tees are in excellent shape and plenty big. Some holes even have concrete amatuer tees. Baskets are in great shape, and there is a practice basket.

Cons:

-NO SIGNS! This is a huge con for a course of this caliber. I rarely know what hole number I'm on, let alone the distance or pin location on the few blind holes. This will frustrate first-timers, and still is a drawback after playing the course 5+ times.

-Leaves on some of the wooded holes can make it difficult to find discs even in the fairway.

-No bathroom or porta-john. This is not a big deal for me, but may be for some. There is a park with a playground and some buildings that you drive by shortly before arriving at the course. These may have bathrooms in the Spring to Fall, but I'm not sure.

Other Thoughts:

Tee signs and some course maintenance could make this a 5 disc course.
If you want to get away from it all and avoid city crowds, Fallasburg is a top choice. Anyone in the area should check it out, but I would even make it a first stop or destination of a road trip to the area. There are other parks (one w/ a playground) and other areas to explore, including a river and covered bridge, right around the corner from the DG course. Its just a really beautiful area all around.
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5 0
Mark R
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.4 years 118 played 90 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 18, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Somewhat rustic, disc golf-dedicated piece of land along the Eastern edge of the Flat River flood plain.

Highlights include a few defined fairways in dense woods (Holes 1, 4, 8 and 13). Hole 13 in particular has a fairway surrounded by woods running along a ridge to give the perfect amount of space for long, accurate drives. Also has some terrific woods holes with actual lanes to drive through. Hole 14 is the best example, being a wooded downhill tunnel hole with numerous obstructions. Hole 10 is a ravine hole that can veer you off in several directions.

Has a few longer holes to give the big thrower a chance to air it out, especially Hole 16, which is 778 feet. Hole 1 also has a chance to throw hard off of the tee but has a few tree obstacles to keep it interesting, as well as a slightly elevated and protected basket. Hole 5 is 500 feet, but has the most uphill vertical grade I've ever seen on a course. Course also has a number of treacherous blind approach shots that can fool you into thinking that you have a par when you don't.

Quite a few picnic tables (more than most courses) give those with back problems a chance to rest. Terrific, large cement tees. Relatively few navigation issues. Appears to be a free course.

Cons:

A couple of relatively weak woods holes; Hole 2 is the weakest, consisting of a narrow trail with heavy shrubbery on each side. I'm not actually crazy about the very narrow uphill drive on Hole 5, but it does bring you to a nice part of the course.

No nearby stores for discs or refreshments, be sure to bring what you need with you. Signs reading 'Fallasburg Park' are distant from the actual course, confusing those with bad directions.

Other Thoughts:

Best Grand Rapids-area course by a mile (even several miles), flirting with destination course status. Improved maintenance, signing and selective cutting have moved this course up a notch in 2012.
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1 3
discdeviant
Experience: 26.4 years 111 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

sweet course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very challenging w/ good mix of deuce and long holes
Two sets of tees for each hole.
Quiet and relaxing site right next to river

Cons:

One or two holes have random fairways

Other Thoughts:

A professional caliber course that will hopefully get more exposure in the future.
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5 1
Pete Nice
Experience: 26.4 years 47 played 7 reviews
4.50 star(s)

I think this is my favorite course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great Michigan golf.
The property is pretty much unused other than the disc golf course.
So many different discs/shots off the tee.
Very challenging.

Cons:

The rough is ROUGH in some areas.
It can be difficult to follow the first time.

Other Thoughts:

I give it a 4.5 because it is one of my favorites not because it is a Country Club course. Although it is far from a restaurant, brewpub or even a gas station it is worth the drive. The course is located in a huge park area outside of Lowell. Dirt parking, basic signs, a few benches, good baskets and tees but mostly very creative hole design. I think I use a different disc on every tee. Some open, some tight holes. I think it is hole #5 (tight, long uphill hole) that is so hard it is frustrating! Even a few ace runs. I live an hour and a half from Fallasburg with several courses closer to my house but I make it a point to visit this course a few times a year. Tough Michigan golf and one of the best courses I have ever played.
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8 8
chad groen
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.7 years 42 played 41 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Challenging Course in the Woods 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 2, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is located in a mostly wooded area, but it has a decent variety of layouts. Some are kind of long, some are kind of short, some have doglegs, some have blind tee shots, and some are kind of open. Some holes encourage sidearm throws while others encourage backhand throws. Some holes are outside the woods and have tricky obstacles that come into play. Occasionally the elevation comes into play. Each hole has multiple basket locations and multiple tee pads. The signage at the tee pads are real helpful.

Cons:

Most of the holes are in the woods and a lot of them are real narrow because of all the trees between you and the basket. The fairways on these holes are sometimes surrounded by dense woods. For most players, these holes become frustrating to play after awhile because it's so difficult for their discs to land on the narrow fairways and so easy for their discs to hit a tree after traveling a short distance or sail deep into the dense woods, making it real difficult to get a low score on those holes. Some of these fairways look more like walking paths than disc golf fairways. The 5th hole is a great example of this: It's long, uphill, and the super narrow fairway is surrounded with trees and thick bushes. The 6th hole doesn't even look like it has a fairway. There's nothing but trees between you and the basket (that hole could've been setup a lot better). The weeds throughout this course can grow tall and thick during the summer, making it tricky to find your disc in them, and it can also be difficult to avoid the weeds on some of the holes. The mosquitoes and horseflies can also be pretty bad during the summer, and some of the holes have poison ivy in the rough. Although I like the 18th hole, it's a little strange in that it looks like it has two baskets. Both are kind of close to the parking lot, and it's not clear which one you're supposed to aim for. Although one of them has the number 18 on it, but you can't see it from a distance. I'm guessing the other one is supposed to be used for practice, but if that's true then it's strange that it's located close enough to potentially interfere with people playing the 18th hole. Also, there are a few areas on this course where it's not clear where you need to go in order to get to the next hole. Some signs in those areas would be helpful.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, there are some nice layouts throughout this course, but there are also several holes that are real narrow and difficult. This is a good course for more experienced players who love a good challenge, but for everyone else it can be rather difficult and sometimes also frustrating because of how unforgiving some of the holes are.
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